Gonzalo Aguirre Pech, organized "brujo tourism" in Catemaco, Veracruz in the mid 1950´s. Until then brujos
were mostly of the white witch variety content with herbal healing and occasional spells.
Aguirre, after serving as the taxi driver for Catemaco´s then "Brujo Mayor " (Wizard # 1), Manuel Utrera, took
over the old master´s clientel and somehow promoted himself into world renown, attracting Mexican
presidents and dozens of other politicians, film stars and camera crews. Allegedly, Aguirre sold his soul to
the devil on Cerro Mono Blanco, and developed sufficient diabolical powers to turn his enemies and detractor
into toads and rats and hang them outside his offices to warn the unbelievers.
As his fame spread he assumed the name Brinco de Leon,
(Lion Jumper), and gloried in the well deserved title of "Brujo Mayor".
Apparently he also founded the original Congreso de Brujos as a
get together for local shamans, brujos, necromancers, warlocks,
sorcerers and like ilk.
In 1982, shortly after his death, the tourist industry in Catemaco tried
to compensate for the famous brujo´s departure by holding the first
official Congreso Internacional de Brujeria, actually by then the
fifth such congress.
The original event had gathered international press coverage with its
initiation of a black mass succeeded by assorted parapsychics,
anthropological specialists on witchcraft and a row boat race on
Laguna Catemaco.
Most of the old master´s assistants then opened their own brujo
enterprises, including Nicolas Chagala, Tillio Lutrera, Rodolfo Berdon,
Julian Gueixpal (El Salto Del Tigre), Gilberto Rodríguez Pereyda
(El Diabolico of San Andres) and others. One, Antonio Vázquez,
went so far as proclaim himself the Brujo Mayor and move his offices
to Tijuana.
Many of Gonzalo Aguirre´s brothers, sons and daughters also followed in his footsteps, including some who
actually combine medical degrees with witchcraft. The family is so successful that aside from large real
estate holdings their properties include a major Catemaco hotel, a well known chain of local drugstores and
several medical centers. Many of the Aguirre family and the lesser stars of the Brinco de Leon´s entourage
still provide the soul of Catemaco´s commercial brujo tourism.
Apparently some brujo blood is thicker than others. One of Aguirrre´s assistants, Julian Gueixpal , now has
most of his offspring running some of the more fashionable brujo clinics in Catemaco: Tito Gueixpal Seba, (El
Poder Negro), and Apolinar Gueixpal Cobix (another El Salto del Tigre). A grandson, Pedro Gueixpal Cobix
(El Poder del Tigre) now also has his own office.
Link:
Brujos of Catemaco
were mostly of the white witch variety content with herbal healing and occasional spells.
Aguirre, after serving as the taxi driver for Catemaco´s then "Brujo Mayor " (Wizard # 1), Manuel Utrera, took
over the old master´s clientel and somehow promoted himself into world renown, attracting Mexican
presidents and dozens of other politicians, film stars and camera crews. Allegedly, Aguirre sold his soul to
the devil on Cerro Mono Blanco, and developed sufficient diabolical powers to turn his enemies and detractor
into toads and rats and hang them outside his offices to warn the unbelievers.
As his fame spread he assumed the name Brinco de Leon,
(Lion Jumper), and gloried in the well deserved title of "Brujo Mayor".
Apparently he also founded the original Congreso de Brujos as a
get together for local shamans, brujos, necromancers, warlocks,
sorcerers and like ilk.
In 1982, shortly after his death, the tourist industry in Catemaco tried
to compensate for the famous brujo´s departure by holding the first
official Congreso Internacional de Brujeria, actually by then the
fifth such congress.
The original event had gathered international press coverage with its
initiation of a black mass succeeded by assorted parapsychics,
anthropological specialists on witchcraft and a row boat race on
Laguna Catemaco.
Most of the old master´s assistants then opened their own brujo
enterprises, including Nicolas Chagala, Tillio Lutrera, Rodolfo Berdon,
Julian Gueixpal (El Salto Del Tigre), Gilberto Rodríguez Pereyda
(El Diabolico of San Andres) and others. One, Antonio Vázquez,
went so far as proclaim himself the Brujo Mayor and move his offices
to Tijuana.
Many of Gonzalo Aguirre´s brothers, sons and daughters also followed in his footsteps, including some who
actually combine medical degrees with witchcraft. The family is so successful that aside from large real
estate holdings their properties include a major Catemaco hotel, a well known chain of local drugstores and
several medical centers. Many of the Aguirre family and the lesser stars of the Brinco de Leon´s entourage
still provide the soul of Catemaco´s commercial brujo tourism.
Apparently some brujo blood is thicker than others. One of Aguirrre´s assistants, Julian Gueixpal , now has
most of his offspring running some of the more fashionable brujo clinics in Catemaco: Tito Gueixpal Seba, (El
Poder Negro), and Apolinar Gueixpal Cobix (another El Salto del Tigre). A grandson, Pedro Gueixpal Cobix
(El Poder del Tigre) now also has his own office.
Link:
Brujos of Catemaco
| Catemaco Brujo History - part 1 being deconstructed by Catemaco News |
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| The devil only took him so far. Aguirre burial place |
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