Brujería Meaning: History, Language, and Cultural Uses

The word brujería is Spanish for witchcraft. It comes directly from bruja, meaning “witch.” The masculine form is brujo, used for a male practitioner. In English, bruja translates to witch, though the term carries deeper associations depending on where and how it is used.

The Language of Brujería

• Brujería meaning: witchcraft in Spanish.

• Bruja meaning: witch, feminine form.

• Bruja in English: translates to witch.

• Brujo: witch, sorcerer, or healer in the masculine form.

While the dictionary translation is simple, brujería has been shaped by history and culture, giving the word a much broader significance.

Origins in Spain

In Spain, brujería first appeared in records during the late Middle Ages. By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Spanish Inquisition investigated accusations of witchcraft. One of the most famous cases occurred in Zugarramurdi, a Basque village where dozens of people were accused of practicing brujería in 1610.

In these contexts, bruja or brujo often referred to someone suspected of harmful magic or dealings with the devil, echoing the witch trials taking place across Europe.

Brujería in Latin America and the Caribbean

When Spanish colonists arrived in the Americas, the term brujería was applied to a wide range of practices. These often combined:

• Indigenous traditions: healing rituals, herbal medicine, and shamanic practices.

• African religions: brought through the transatlantic slave trade, including Yoruba and Kongo spiritual systems.

• Catholic influence: saints, prayers, and iconography merged with local beliefs.

As a result, brujería in Latin America and the Caribbean became a syncretic practice that differed from region to region.

• Mexico: brujería overlaps with curanderismo, a folk-healing tradition using herbs, prayer, and ritual. A bruja might be both feared and respected.

• Puerto Rico and Cuba: brujería often intersects with Santería and Espiritismo, though these are distinct practices with their own structures and lineages.

• South America: In Colombia, Peru, and Chile, brujos and brujas are tied to both Indigenous medicine people and colonial folklore.

Negative and Positive Uses

Historically, brujería was often framed negatively by authorities, linked to superstition, fear, and accusations of harm. In many communities, however, brujas and brujos were also consulted as healers, herbalists, or spiritual guides.

This duality remains today. In some Spanish-speaking regions, calling someone a bruja is an insult. In others, it can be a title of respect.

Modern Brujería

In the twenty-first century, brujería has taken on new life. Many people reclaim the words bruja and brujo as cultural identity. On social media, hashtags like #bruja and #brujería connect a global community of practitioners. Books, workshops, and online spaces explore brujería as a living tradition that combines nature, ancestry, and spiritual practice.

For some, it is a continuation of family traditions. For others, it is a modern path of empowerment. In either case, the meaning has shifted from accusations of harm to a broader recognition of folk magic and cultural heritage.

Summary

• Brujería meaning: witchcraft in Spanish.

• Bruja meaning: witch (feminine).

• Bruja in English: witch.

• Brujo: witch, sorcerer, or healer (masculine).

• Origins: Medieval Spain, later shaped by colonial history.

• Regional differences: Syncretic practices in Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America.

• Modern use: Reclaimed as identity, spirituality, and heritage.

Brujería is a word with centuries of history behind it, carrying meanings that range from accusation to identity, from fear to empowerment. To understand it fully is to see how language, culture, and tradition intertwine across time and place. If you would like to explore these themes further, our Witchcraft and Magic Collection offers books that dive into folklore, ritual, and the many ways magic has shaped human history.