On December 12th 2021, Brujas Buenas and Bruqueña Rituals held an inaugural Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day event in Albuquerque’s Wells Park neighborhood. Brujas Buenas is a business co-owned by Sarah and Desiree Green Pancho, of Pecos and Albuquerque respectively. Bruqueña Rituals is owned by a local witch named Jessica. The event was coordinated through the efforts of all three brujas, all dedicated in highlighting Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day with a contemporary flair.
The event was held in a studio shared between Stay Cute and Bruqueña Rituals, decorated with a soothing amount of pink and Tumblr-esque female empowerment decor. The space itself is industrial, but the environment that was created was very feminine and welcoming. The physical space had several mirrors, in which positive and feminine energy radiated from. The altar itself culminated in a mirror at the top of its build, where attendees could view themselves as an empowered woman in alignment with Guadalupe.
“Events like this are amazing, healing, and refreshing, especially when you’re around women from your community. Again, it was incredibly healing,” said Angelis, an attendee that works in the music industry.
That idea of embodying Guadalupe is a powerful one, it emnates authority and respect. A photo booth was incorporated into the event, where attendees could physically embody the image of Guadalupe in order to wholeheartedly encounter that divine kindness. An emerald sheet, underneath the pedestal, served as a head wrap.
An enthralling kind of electricity buzzed in the air as Pecos native and recent Albuquerque transplant Sarah from Brujas Buenas described how the Virgin of Guadalupe represented unconditional love to her. In alignment with the traditional practices behind the feast day, Brujas Buenas put together various foods and strawberries embellished to look like amethyst crystals.
This event encouraged attendees to create their own altars to Guadalupe — a black tin, a figurine, and a bell were provided as initial materials for a travel altar. Items like feathers and sequins were provided on a craft table, where attendees drank tea and shared their experiences with the female divine.
Jessica of Bruqueña Rituals shared her thoughts: “My goal here is to bring out the divine feminine in the community, and let everyone know that there is a divine mother that supports us all.” Jessica reflects, sitting on the couch adorned with an Our Lady of Guadalupe design. “We should feel empowered through Her abilities to accomplish any goal,” she said.
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