#sobador

So I went in. As I was getting my purse ready, a woman and two little kids were standing outside. They were looking into the shop but didn’t go in for a minute or so. Then they went in. I turned off my car and went in a minute or so after them.

The shop was just this narrow hallway. Maybe oh I don’t know five or six feet wide? But a few yards deep and part of it was shut off from view by this huge blanket hung up in a thin wire. When I walked in, there was a woman sitting on a chair on one side of him and the woman I saw going in with the kids on the other side. To my left were shelves stacked with candles, oils, and incense. It smelled like any other metaphysical/spiritual/witchy shop. To my right were hooks with all types of jewelry. There were rosaries, wooden necklaces with crucifixes, evil eye bracelets, dream catchers, and what looked like necklaces with pictures of La Santa Muerte.

There was a small bowl on a glass tables with a bunch of stones and a statue of a man playing the violin and another statue but I don’t remember of what.

The women left soon after and the man came over and greeted me. You know when sometimes you feel like someone is a nice person? I felt that. I greeted him back and he asked me what I was looking for.

“Nothing, really. I live around here and always pass by but never come in. I just wanted to come in I guess.” He nodded, rearranging a bundle of long sticks. I then asked him what he did. He said he was a sobador, a curandero. He told me that he cleanses people. He cleanses their energy. If negative energy gets attached to them, he cleans them and they feel better. “I don’t use animals. Just the energy of the universe. Air, fire, earth, and water.” I nodded. “I don’t use saints either.”

This surprised me and I’m not sure why. But I nodded and he pointed to some frames behind him. “I do things like that.” He had three documents, licenses I’m assuming. At the top they all said Reiki. I know nothing about reiki other than it has to do with energy.

I nodded and then asked if anyone can do what he does. “I believe anyone can. You need to be connected go the universe. You have to believe in its energy. It’d be good if you had someone to teach you but it isn’t always necessary. But to be a licensed sobador, you must take classes. That isn’t up for argument. At least, not in this country.”

He continued to rearrange things and I looked around for a few moments before saying goodbye. He told me to have a good day and then I left.