An Anjana In Ajijic
An anjana is a type of witch in Hispanic folklore who takes on the disguise of a horrid old woman to test the charity of human beings. But in her true form an anjana is a very beautiful young woman who lives underground and has many palaces full of treasures and many precious stones.
In her true form an anjana is said to be clothed in flowers and silver stars. She wears green stockings and walks in the air. An anjana carries a golden staff that can turn anything into a treasure. You know if you have been in the presence of an anjana if your dreams come true.
This is the story of an anjana in Ajijic as told to me by Jose Luis.
"When I was a young boy my father died and my mother left Ajijic to go to the United States to work and send money back to Mexico for me and my old aunt who took care of me.
My mother came to Ajijic to visit and while whe was here visiting in Ajijic she got very sick and she died.
We buried her next to my father. Then my old aunt died but by now I was nineteen years old and I was working and soon I was married.
My wife is from Ajijic too. We didn't have much but we were very happy together in love.
Then my wife wanted a baby and she could not get pregnant. The doctors said probably she could not have children. For many years this was making my wife very sad.
It was the Day of the Dead and we went to the cemetery. My wife was preparing a small picnic and I was putting flowers on the graves of my father, my mother and my aunt.
I felt someone behind me and I turned thinking it was my wife but it was a poor old woman who was so ugly that she actually frightened me and I jumped.
Then I was embarrassed and I was overcome with a great sympathy for her so I invited her to come and join us in our meal.
The three of us-my wife, the old woman and I spent the day together.
Then the old woman got up and said: 'Thank you for your kindness. Now I want to give something to you. In the language of ancient Mexicans, blood was called chalchiuhatl which means water of precious stones. The Aztecs wore precious stones to enrich their blood. The blood is life. This is quetzal chalchihuitl a precious variety of stone of great value. There is a spirit in this stone. May it bring you joy and hope.' And she placed a greenish white stone something like jasper in my wife's hand.
In the months that followed, my wife became pregnant with the first of our four children. And that is how I know I have been in the presence of an anjana in Ajijic because our dreams came true."
The moral of this story is:
Be kind in all you say or do if a poor old woman appears to you.
She could be an anjana and make your dreams come true.
