Book Excerpt! Archives of Conjure, by Somilar Otero (introduction)

“Going beyond academic analysis and theorizing, Archives of Conjure highlights the power of ethnography that is an act of resistance and empowerment as well as sustenance for the researcher and the community. Otero’s own life experiences along with the experiences of those she works with—both in the spirit world and in the physical world—become part of the archival research that elucidates the role of vernacular religion in contemporary world. This book is a gift of magic.”

~Norma E. Cantú, coeditor of meXicana Fashions: Politics, Self-Adornment, and Identity Construction

In Archives of Conjure: Stories of the Dead in Afrolatinx Cultures, Solimar Otero examines Afrolatinx religious practices such as Cuban Espiritismo, Puerto Rican Santería, and Brazilian Candomblé and the stories the dead tell though spirit mediumship. Otero shares the example of her godmother’s communications with the dead and further defines archives on conjure in this excerpt from this book.

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