Real witches do exist. We know because we visited one on October 23, 2019.   

 There are different types of witchcraft.  The witch we visited, Reena McDougal does Santeria.  They traditionally preside over rituals and ceremonies. Santeria is common with witches, but the difference would be that Santeria is a religion of the Caribbean. Also, Santeria has connections to Catholicism traditions. Santeria witches are healers who use a mix of combination of herbs, spells, and communication with the spirit world. Santa Muerte translates to Saint Death. Which is associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife devotee. In a random survey of 114 Morton East students, 63 students reported that they believe in witchcraft.  

Here’s what Reena, a witch who practices Santeria, had to say: 

Q:  Why do you do witchcraft?

A:  I was born to do it, so I have been doing it since I was real little.  It wasn’t like a choice — a lot of people choose to (practice witchcraft) because they think it’s cool — because it’s cool to be scared sometimes. That’s why people go to haunted houses; that’s why you watch scary movies — (for) the thrill of being scared.  But, I was born like this; It just came natural to me.  When I was little, I didn’t know the difference (between) real or fake because if I saw a spirit in the house I just thought it was real.  I didn’t know until I was growing up that a lot of people didn’t see what I saw — it was just natural to me.

Q. Who gave you this gift?

A.  I work through the Santa Muerte. 

Okay (here’s) just a little background:  my mom died when she was giving birth to me — her labor was real bad, and her heart stopped.  (My heart) stopped with it; I was clinically dead for five minutes.  So, when I died  I went back over to the other side, and she (Santa Muerte)  was there.  

(I don’t remember this; this is what I’ve been told (by Santa Muerte)) I talk to her through meditation; she comes to me in my dreams.  When I sit and meditate by myself, sometimes I open my eyes, and I see her in front of me and we have quick conversations — that’s how I talk to her.

So, (Santa Muerte) said, “When you died, yo te recibí  (I received you), and I saw you had a gift, and you had work to do (with the living).  I (asked the divine spirit) to please let me bring you back.” So, the doctors they got my heart pumping again, and I was okay. 

That’s why now (Santa Muerte) is like my mom.   My(birth) mom is my mom, but my mom mom is (Santa Muerte) because without her I would’ve stayed on the other side.

If I do something wrong, Ella me regaña (she scolds me) all the time, she’s like a mom. If I do something wrong, if I (expletive) up a ritual, if I do something (incorrectly) for a client and they don’t get what they want, I get in trouble. She’s just like a real mom, but she also takes care of me — anything I need, I got it.  But you do sign a contract, so I probably won’t live past 50; every time I do a limpia (cleanse) it takes years off my life. 

 Q. What type of witchcraft/spells work?

A.  There’s a lot (that works).   Just like different religions, there are different types of witchcraft:  gypsy, wiccan and wicca, santeria and voodoo that comes from Hades, and just regular brujerias that comes from Mexico.   There are a lot of different spells, a lot of different work.  It just depends how good the spell is and how good the person is who’s casting it.  The older the ritual, the better it works.  The one thing is: in this whole thing, there is no guarantee — you cannot guarantee anything.   

 Q. Have you ever made things happen?

A.   Yes (but actually it’s the spirits that do the work).  I just ask them to do it.  I’ve kept people out of trouble — a lot actually.  I have helped women get pregnant who can’t have babies.  I have had people who are real sick come to me — they are not sick anymore after I help them.  (There are) a lot of different spells. 

On the more risky side, (I’ve helped) women who want to be with men who don’t want them.  One of my clients in California has gotten married recently — she had a boyfriend who just didn’t want to commit; she payed me, I did the work, and they were married within 3 months.   

My work is fruitful.  I just have really good clients, and they always send me more.  A lot of it is “love work”:  I bring men to women — and keep men out of trouble too.  

 Q. Can you make people rich?

A.  The thing with money is — this work is about not being greedy, only having balance in your life, only making sure that all areas of your life you’re happy in.   So,they (the higher spirits) just make sure you have enough. You know, it’s not good to be greedy because the more that you get, the more later you have to pay. You understand, that right? Karma wise.  So, it’s always just good to ask to have enough — when you want extra money just ask for enough and maybe a little bit extra. 

If you or anyone you know is interested in any services provided by the witch, Reena, mentioned in this article she can be contacted by searching “Reena’s Muertos” on Facebook or through email at [email protected]