Our Story

During my year in white, I was led to work with herbs as my childhood was brought back to me in memories of summers spent in the Dominican Republic, watching people come in and out of mamá’s house. Mamá, a practitioner of 21 Divisions and expert curandera in her own right, is a second mother to me. She performed my very first initiation into an ATR. And, while I’d like to say that the first one happened when I was 16, I understand now, that my first initiation was way before I had even formed in my mother’s womb.

You see, Mami had a hard time conceiving after the death of my brother. As a child, I would happily tell people that I was “born from a bottle”. I didn’t get the birds and bees convo, y’all. I got the roots and leaves one. Mamá had prepared una botella for Mami. In that bottle were herbs, roots and the prayers and intentions of a conjurer that loved my mom and loved me before I was ever imagined. This is my relationship with herbs. I was LITRALLY born from them. 

Mamá now has Alzheimer’s and Mami passed away but my tie to my origin was solidified during that year where I was asked to commune with myself, my Orishas and my dead. During that time, the urge to learn about herbs would not leave me. I’d go down rabbit holes when certain herbs came to me to research. I dove in and created some blends here and there, knowing I was being led to do more but still being hard headed because “I have so much on my plate!”.

I took my first dip into tea making when one of my friends fell ill. Though I’d already been told how things would turn out, I always always and always kept hope alive. Later on that year, during a spiritual reading, I was told that my tea bought her some time. Even though I had prayed for full healing, I took what I was given and offered up prayers of gratitude for this healing work.

But, I was being asked to do more. I took a few individual orders for teas and, being the digital strategist that I am, created accounts on social using my Lucumi name as an anchor and as an homage to the beginnings of this path. In all honesty, I probably gave away more than I ever sold. That wasn’t enough, however. I was being led to do more.

In August of 2021, I got mad at my brother. He had thrown out some herbal concoction that I needed for something. He apologized, of course. He then commented that I should write “brujeria” on anything I was storing in the fridge that had to do with my spiritual practice. And…I did.

Later on that month, while talking to my homegirls, one of them mentioned getting a fridge for their garage. I casually responded “I need one for the garage. For brujeria and burgers and shit.” One of them said that brujeria and burgers would be a dope food truck. I said I’d work on that and then started dropping other names. Then I said, “maybe a pop up for my teas”. And from there, Brujeria and Brews was born. Two comments down in that chat, the apothecary was added and the rest is history. A few days later, the domain purchased and social acquired, the dream started rolling. Some of my notes:

“I want to have community collaboration with other brujas.”

“I want to turn the concept of botanica on its head a little and also subconsciously deconstructing the idea that our shit is dark/negative.”

The first note shows up as The Coven. The second as every little bit of the aesthetic of the brand and play on words. But, we can talk about that later.

For now, I wanted to introduce myself and let you know at least in part, the how’s and what's of why we are here today. Thank you for your presence. May you find what your spirit needs.

Aché, Aché, Aché,

Sili

P.S. my brother Pedro is behind all the designs of the site and the products. He’s our Creative Conjurer and Apothecary Manager. And…he’s stopped throwing my brujería out. Now he just ships them to you.