In the book bless me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Ultima is characterized as both a bruja and a curandera. Ultima is often seen as a bruja because she uses brujaria and follows bruja rituals, as can be seen when she ask Tony to bury her in a specific way. Ultima is also characterized as a bruja because she is often associated with owls, the animal brujas turn into. Although she uses brujaria, she is also shown as a good curandera who uses her magic to help and cure people. When tony’s uncle needs to be cured, she immediately accepts to help which shows that she is a great and admirable magician.

      Ultima is often seen near an owl which is closely linked with brujas. After Ultima appears next to him, Tony says “I saw fluttering wings . . . Ultima was by me.” (100) From this line, the reader can infer that ultima either is the owl, or controls the owl that Tony is talking about. In this book, owls are often linked to brujas. When brujas want to travel they often change into owls or coyotes. When Ultima talks to Tony’s uncle she says “The coyotes will howl at your door,”(92). Another time where Ultima is seen using brujaria is when Tenorio comes to test her. Tenorio makes her walk under a door that has blessed needles put in the sign of a cross over it; a test no bruja can pass. Right when everyone is staring at Ultima and waiting to see what happens, her owl lunges at Tenorio, pokes him in the eye and blinds him. This distracts everyone, and they look away from Ultima, at Tenorio. Right after this moment of confusion, Tony says “She had walked through the door.”(134-135). When everyone looked back she was on the other side of the door, but no one had seen her go through. This shows that Ultima used the owl as a distraction to pretend she could pass the test.

 In the novel, Ultima is characterized as a bruja because she uses dark magic, and folows bruja rituals. After an argument with Tenorio about his daughters curse, Ultima makes three dolls of three women. Tony describes the moment when Ultima makes the three dolls of the Trementina sisters. As she stands the dolls Tony says “She stood the three dolls . . . and I saw three woman.” (94). Voodoo dolls are used by brujas  to curse people by pricking the dolls. For example Tenorio’s daughters made a doll with some of Tony’s uncles hair to curse Tony’s uncle. Both Tenorio’s daughters and Ultima are using the same kind of magic, for the same purpose. Later on in the book, the curse hits the Trementina sisters, and they start getting sick and dying one after the other. The reader can clearly see that Ultima is the cause.  This is dark magic, and only bruja’s practice it. Therefor, Ultima must be bruja. Another time Ultima is characterized as a bruja is at the end of the book when she gives Tony specific burial instruction. Right before she dies, she tells him “Tomorow you must clean my room. You must gather my medicine and my herbs . . . and burn everything.” (260) Ultima is asking him to burn her belongings because they link her to brujaria. Ultima doesn’t want to be seen as a bruja, and she is always careful to hide her tracks. After this she says “Now take the owl . . . find a juniper tree, there bury the owl.”(260-261)  Brujas have to be buried under a forked juniper tree. Ultima’s owl is her soul, that is why the owl needs to be buried rather than the body.

Although Ultima is often shown as a bruja, she is also characterized as a curandera because doesn’t have the weaknesses that other bruja’s have. After Tenorio turns to face Ultima when she goes to his bar, he does the sign of the cross with his fingers. Tony says “he crossed his fingers, and held the sign of the cross in front of Ultima’s face. She did not budge.” (93) When Ultima doesn’t budge, she is characterized as a curandera, because brujas fall to the sign of the cross. If Ultima is not affected by the sign of the cross, she must be a curandera. Another big weakness of brujas is that  they can’t use their powers for good, they can only do evil. Ultima is able to use her powers for good and to cure people. When Ultima goes to cure Tony’s uncle, Tony’s grandpa says “It has been many years since a curandera came to cure.” (91) this quote clearly states that Ultima is a curandera, and she heals the sick. Later in the book, Ultima goes to lift the curse from the Tellez’ house. No bruja would have lifted the curse. Only a curandera would do such a good action.

Throughout the book, Ultima is characterized as both a bruja and a curandera. She uses bruja magic to set curses, and she is often associated with owls, the bruja animals. Ultima also gets buried like a bruja. She ask Tony to burn all her belongings and bury her owl under a juniper tree. Yet, although she is often seen as a bruja, she is also shown as a curandera. When Tenorio does the sign of the cross in front of her, it doesn’t affect her. Ultima also helps lift the curse put on tony’s uncle, and saves his life. From the beginning to the end of the book, the reader wonders wether Ultima is a bruja or a curandera. It is an ongoing mystery that is never solved.