Magic has appeared in one form or another in nearly every culture in the world, and many of these forms are still thriving today. In modern times, the prac
Nagualism Mesoamerica
Nagualism, or the belief in nagual, is a concept or set of ideas popular among Native Americans and most often seen as a part of shamanism. In this belief, the nagual is a spirit that is essentially a part of us, a sort of alter ego. These guardian spirits are based on a specific animal that has significance for the person. A person with one of these spirits can transform into their chosen animal entity for protection or escape and is often described as not being separate from the animal at all.
The two of them are supposed to share the same pain, weakness, and injuries, but also the same strengths. Some traditions hold that transforming into their spirit animal also allows the shaman to travel to places he could not otherwise go, such as the underworld.
Those who believe in these traditions have been known to hunt animals of their foes’ nagual, either in the hopes of actually hurting their enemy, or simply to weaken their power. Many Native Americans would assign a nagual to their child based on the animal first seen after the baby’s birth, figuring that it was the guardian spirit making themselves known.