After briefly exploring Wicca, Clarissa, Jimena, and I found it didn’t quite resonate with us, so we decided to delve into something more familiar: Santeria/Regla de Ocha. Despite having family members knowledgeable or initiated into the religion, we kept our after-school studies a secret from everyone. My mother’s disdain for the religion would have caused quite a stir had she found out. Jimena’s mother, newly baptized as a born-again Christian, wouldn’t have taken the news well either, and Clarissa’s mom, the most knowledgeable among us, warned us against it, deeming us mere amateurs.

Nonetheless, undeterred, we delved into researching the Orishas, ceremonies, symbols, and meanings of the religion. Looking back, we realized our knowledge was superficial; we even purchased sacred beaded necklaces from the botanica without fully grasping their significance. However, an incident occurred that made me truly understand the power and protection behind these beaded necklaces.

To conceal our beaded necklaces, we wore them as anklets beneath our socks and jeans. Around the same time, I was dating someone at school whose ex-girlfriend had just returned. She was furious to find out he had moved on with me after their breakup. By then, I had become adept at sensing others’ energies, and I could feel her resentment every time she passed by me in the hallways or glanced at me from across the school.

One day, as I sat outside the high school having lunch, I felt a chilling sense of being watched. My instincts screamed at me to “be careful,” marking the first time I sensed a tangible danger around me. My stomach churned, and I couldn’t finish my meal. Minutes later, I spotted her watching me from a classroom window. Our eyes met, and I could feel the negative energy she was sending me, what Latinos call “Mal de Ojo.” As she turned away, I decided to head back to class. But before I could take ten steps, my anklet burst, scattering its beads across the concrete floor.

In shock, tears filled my eyes as I realized the anklet had protected me. It was a sobering moment that made me truly respect the religion. I decided then and there that I wouldn’t wear any paraphernalia I hadn’t earned. Instead, I opted to wear an Azabache stone every day. Crafted from jet and renowned for its protective properties, the Azabache stone held significant meaning, especially within the Cuban community.