The burning of the Año Viejo is a tradition well-known in several Latin American countries, including Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela; although, it is said to be found all through Latin America from Mexico to Uruguay. While each has their own spin on the ritual using life-sized or larger effigies, the ritual can be easily adapted to a conjure doll baby or poppet and done by anyone interested in a symbolic means of starting fresh for the New Year.
The origin of the Año Viejo ritual is unclear. Some suggest that its roots lie in pagan Roman and pre-Roman traditions that were brought to many Latin American countries during colonial times. Others surmise the tradition stems from a yellow fever epidemic that necessitated the mass burning of corpses in the streets.
Whatever its origins, in Ecuador, each year on December 31st people create large dolls to represent the “old year” or year’s end. These comical creations are constructed out of old clothes – often pieces of clothing from each family member – and are made in the likeness of a particular family member. The chosen family member writes a humorous will that states all the things they are leaving behind and to whom they are leaving it and places the mock will on their front door. Alternately, a handwritten note is pinned to the doll explaining why it must be burned. The dolls are stuffed with a variety of materials such as paper, sawdust and straw, and even fireworks and Chinese rockets to ensure those old bad habits and regrets go out with a bang. Hosiery is sometimes used for the construction of arms and legs. Wooden sticks are placed down the back of the doll so they can sit or stand upright, and the dolls are placed in funny poses as if riding a bike or sitting on the side of a building like a drunkard with a beer in its hand.
In some regions of the country such as the Andes, elaborate masks made from papier maché in the likeness of a family member are placed on the doll. In other regions, these masks represent more archetypal or worldly figures such as politicians, artists, athletes and superheroes. Sometimes, they are made to represent community undesirables – people whom folks would rather see disappear for the greater good.
At midnight, the dolls are burned as a ritual of purification and renewal, a cleansing of old, negative energy, individual and collective failures, regrets, bad habits, bad luck and evil from the previous year. The burning of the dolls signifies the transition of the old year into the New Year through the purifying power of fire. Often times, the dolls are heaped together in big piles to create large fires in the middle of the streets. It is said that jumping over the burning dolls brings good luck to those who successfully accomplish this feat. Dinner and celebration typically follow the ritual burning.
Making the Año Viejo Effigy
The Año Viejo tradition lends itself perfectly to doll baby conjure and witchcraft. A ritual can be performed with a small conjure doll or poppet for the purpose of cleansing and renewal, or even as an Enemy Be Gone or Banishing type of doll baby spell. To create your own Año Viejo doll, you will need the following:
- fabric in the color and pattern of your choosing - white is always a good option or even black in this instance
- a taglock of each person for whom the doll represents (piece of clothing, fingernails, snip of hair, etc.)
- scissors or pinking shears
- sewing machine or needle and thread of you don't have a sewing machine
- herbs with banishing, road opening, destruction, renewal and cut and clear properties
- photos of haters and those with whom you have an unhealthy attachment
- straight pins
- petition paper
- doll baby pattern
- page from a newspaper, magazine, or something with the year 2013 on it
- bills
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cut out a doll baby pattern from a piece of card stock or other stiff paper. This is the pattern I used.
- Lay the pattern on your chosen fabric. I chose some festive, celebratory Mardi Gras fabric because I want this to be a festive, fun event watching all the negativity and haters go up in smoke. A Labas!
- Pin the pattern to the fabric.
- Using pinking shears or scissors, cut out the pattern leaving about 1/4 inch seam allowance. I like to use pinking shears because they help prevent the fabric from fraying, but this is purely my personal preference and not necessary (especially since the doll is going to be burned hours from now).
5. Turn the fabric so that the right sides are facing the outside.
- Pin the fabric together to keep it from slipping. Sew the doll starting at one side of the head and going all the way around to the other side of the head leaving 1/4 seam allowance and an opening at the top of the head.
7. Snip the corners of the hands and feet and make small cuts all around the edges of the doll. This makes getting those edges and corners easier when turning it inside out and makes a much nicer looking final doll.
8. Turn the doll inside out so that the right sides are now showing. You may find it helpful to use a bamboo skewer or some other long stick to help with turning the arms and legs and getting those edges and corners nice and turned. I used a paintbrush because it was handy.
9. Stuff the doll with the magickal herbs and other items you have chosen. I used slippery elm to keep negativity from sticking, bluestone for cleansing, snake sheds for shedding off the old stuff, mullein to drive away enemies, get rid of nightmares and general riff raff, graveyard dirt to bury those people and conditions that need to be buried, photos of certain people, bills, and a variety of other things. You get the picture;) You can also write a petition to place inside the doll before sewing it up. You can have each person in your family or circle do the same. You can write multiple petitions.
10. Take a moment and breathe into the top of the doll's head and whisper to it that it will be the vessel that will carry all of the negative people, places and things that have adversely affected your life in 2013 into the sacred fire of transformation.
12. Pin your petitions to the outside of the doll, as well.
- Anoint the doll with Cut and Clear Oil, Destruction Oil, Road Opening or Blockbuster Oil, Cast off Evil Oil, or several of the above, all of the above or something else similar.
- At midnight on December 31st, burn the doll and watch your regrets go up in smoke.
Here is a list of herbs and other ingredients that can be useful in road opener and Cut and Clear works to get you started:
- Abre camino (Eupatorium villosum or Koanophyllon villosum)– Literally means “road opener” and is THE herb used in Latin American folk magic
- Ammonia – the great clarifier.
- Basil – clears away obsessive and lingering spirits
- Camphor – removes negative spiritual forces
- Cedar – removed negative energy
- Citronella - clears away negativity and evil influences
- Crossroads dirt – opens roads for opportunities and choices, also buries things
- Keys – open doors
- Lemon balm – clears away negativity and evil influences
- Lemongrass – clears away negativity and evil influences
- Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)– In Latin American folk magick, chases away disturbances caused by the dead
- Pine – cleansing and purifying
- Rue – destroys the evil eye, obliterates envy, removes effects of black magic
- Sage – purifies and makes sacred
- Salt – removes negativity and blesses space
- Saltpeter – uncrossing and removing obstacles
- Sulfur – removes negativity
- Vetivert- clears away negativity and evil influences and the great New Orleans secret ingredient for strengthening formulas of all kinds