Craft Treasures Series: Petrucia Finkler

Petrucia! I got to meet you at a Pagan gathering just outside of Chicago in the summer of 2013. I was so excited to meet someone else who was a committed and fun witch from "below" the equator. How did moving to the so-called US transform or deepen your witchcraft and magic?

It was so wonderful that we got to meet that year. I was also excited to meet a fellow witch from below the equator, as understanding how the energies run differently in various geographies has been a passion of mine. Moving to the US in 2001 was very transformative for me, before that I used to study the occult and practice magic in only a fluid and intuitive way, using the knowledge I gathered from occult, shamanistic and spiritualism sources. I had no idea there was a whole pagan and witchcraft movement; that there were so many different traditions and styles for making magick. Connecting to groups in the US and being introduced to the history of the pagan and women’s spirituality movement gave me not only more structure and consistency to what I was doing but also understanding that being a witch is a lifestyle and a way of approaching the world and everyday life. 

Spending almost a decade in the US also made me sure that experimenting and testing was something I wanted to do. It gave me solid ground in proposing that we could twist things around energetically once I got back to Brazil.

You have written books in Brazilian Portuguese about elemental magic and witchery, what is this process like for you as a bilingual person, and what points do you really want to get across to a Brazilian audience?

In Chicago I was writing plays with two theatre companies - Teatro Luna - an all Latina women’s company, and Terra Mysterium - a troupe that created original works based on Earth religions and Magickal practices. When I moved back to Brazil I translated a bunch of literary works for a publishing house - eleven of them were Agatha Christie’s novels - and that helped me to get a hold of the Portuguese language once again. 

Being bilingual and having lived for a good while in Chicago seems to have given me some sort of necessary credentials to propose that Brazilians dare rearrange and experiment beyond what they would normally find in witchcraft books and systems created by northern dwellers and practitioners. That is one of the main ideas I bring with my book on elemental magic, Os Quatro Saberes/Los Cuatro Saberes.

As the practice of Western Esoteric traditions is an imported idea, there is an excessive respect for everything that was written by someone in Europe or the US. I attribute it to a colonialist mindset, one that insists that nothing emerging from this land or pertaining uniquely to this land would be enough to change what a big name witch somewhere else would have taught.

I noticed there was plain acceptance of how to do things and very few adaptations. Some groups would at least reverse the seasonal celebrations, but you can still find those who celebrate Summer Solstice/Litha in the middle of June when the Sun is at its farthest point from us. I guess the fact that I was properly trained by northern teachers made people more confident that it was ok to change what element I call from the South for instance, and that is something I want to instil: that we should always question and experiment, and that our magick can be even stronger when attuned to place.

That being said, I have been writing only in Portuguese and we do not have many people writing in this language although a lot is being translated. I find it important to speak to experiences that can make sense and inspire people in this land of so called Brazil. I have about three other books in the works and a couple should be released in 2025.

What is the nature of your Witchcraft and Magic, what values or hinges do you 'hang' things on? What are the wellsprings of your inspiration and motivation in your sacred work in the worlds?

I guess the one I just mentioned is a very strong value for me, that my magick is always attuned to place and the way it relates to Sun, Moon and stars at that specific location. This also happens because I consider animism and polytheism to be at the core of my spiritual experience. To connect and to serve common ancestors and land spirits is something that nourishes me deeply, as well as ecstatic experiences that involve the body in dance, breathing, drumming, sweating. I also don’t like dogma and teach my students to refine their perceptions so they can tell what truly aligns with their soul, and don’t abide by someone else’s speech and rules just because. I am aware that – unfortunately – that is not a common practice or thought in many witchcraft circles.

You are also an Astrologer, how does this function in your life? How do you apply the wisdom of Astrology?

I do astrological charts and see clients for a living, I also calculate the charts of my psychotherapy clients as I am a Jungian analyst, and having access to their astrology can be quite an addition to the work we do sometimes. In my witchcraft practices, we time the fire festivals to the respective full moons that have the energies of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) and weave the energies of the signs (also in the astronomical Sabbats of Equinoxes and Solstices) into the rituals in our clan.

There are active and centuries-old spirit-working communal traditions in Brazil, such as Candomble and Umbanda, as well as Native Shamanic and Spirit-working Traditions and Cultures. How does the Pagan and Craft world in Brazil learn from these communities or how do they relate to each other?

Brazil is indeed a very mystical place and a land of immense syncretism. There are groups that practice a mix of witchcraft and pagan techniques and principles mixed with the spirits from Umbanda or Gipsy magick. But it is interesting to observe how they are not very well regarded by the more mainstream and popular pagans and witches here.

I observe there is an attempt at some form of separation from this big cauldron of cultural mix, as a form of defining identity in opposition to the more generalized practice that is based in the African diaspora faiths. Some say it could even be some form of racism in disguise. I am not sure.

In my tradition we do not mix these cultures because I never felt close or called to them, but it is a fact that many of my students arrive from having Umbanda or Candomblé as their first strong magical experience and spirituality.

Pagans and Witches do learn a lot from these practices in terms of herbal and plant work. From the shamanic indigenous practices, we learn the medicines of the forest, such as ayahuasca, rapé, sananga.

The neo-shamanic groups here borrow a lot from north American indigenous spirituality and techniques and rarely mix with pagans and witches as they are more of a new age group, but the exchange of knowledge and joint experiences can be very healing. I can attest to that as I constantly try to learn from different paths. 

You have run several groups in your life and been a part of several others. What do you feel are some key things to know and practice when it comes to magical groups and their efficacy and depth?

Working with a group can be a strong, potent and marvellous experience, as well as a very frustrating one. It depends on what we decide to accomplish and experience together and how the cooperation is woven. I always remember to be gracious when I am part of a group, and to offer help especially in very practical matters, as preparing the space and cleaning up. And I can say that having harmony in those mundane tasks makes a world of difference in the way we all show up to the Work.

Then also surrender, that is a huge thing when working together. If someone holds back, especially if that happens constantly, it’s like having an engine break active, and we struggle to get anywhere. The ritual just won’t take off.

It is lovely when we can delegate and share tasks and everyone feels they have an important part to play, that what they do is necessary and core to the work, however small the task may be, so we are all invested together. When this happens, the energy we raise and the shared experiences can create amazing and lasting memories with strong spiritual impact.

I am a Gemini, so I just love to be around people. But it can only be sustained if I keep doing my solitary work as well, with the same intent and devotion.

Another core value of mine is that people must be allowed to leave. We can have different callings at different times in our lives, and I am friends with most of the people who participated in our clan - Conclave da Rosa e do Espinho - and we still can work magick together even though their essence took them to a different path. I love respecting that and I’m always honored by having my teachings or my presence be part of someone’s spiritual journey. 

You can find out more about Petrucia’s work and magic here:
Petruciafinkler.com