By Kelly Nicholaides
Christina Platero’s childhood was spent around Puerto Rican matriarchal medicine women who used herbs to ease ailments and developed intuition in the metaphysical to tap spirituality. Her heritage is steeped in ancestral indigenous healing and renewal.
“When I was a little girl in Puerto Rico, my abuelita used to grow plants, teas, and herbs,” Platero reflects. “She put it in soups and spiritual purposes. I learned about it through my mom and aunts, but especially my grandmother [Virgin Maria Santiago], who was more consistent in her practices. She had people over for coffee and performed readings. I was not shy. She used to shoo me away, but I hung around, used my imagination, and told them what I saw…animals, shapes, symbols.”
As the eldest grandchild in a large family, Platero became their connector to the metaphysical—providing coffee readings, a cleanse after a nightmare, tinctures for energy, and more. “I’m more connected to the tradition, and Kearny is so welcoming, with diverse cultures of people who support me,” she says.
Sandwiched between Halstead and Liberty streets in a brick building next to a barber shop, Brujita’s Healing Pantry Apothecary and Botanica, at 328 Kearny Ave., is Platero’s passion project.
The 47-year-old holistic practitioner, paralegal, and lymphoma survivor juiced and consumed sour sop to wean her off immunotherapy cancer treatment. She blends homeopathic anti- inflammatories to control lupus.
Clients come for everything from sage to purify a new home to customized herbal treatments for various health challenges, Turkish coffee readings, and Reiki. The apothecary is a spiritual resource center and herbal folk pharmacy where Platero is the metaphysical purveyor. When clients look for natural healing, she asks them about their prescription medications. For example, to wean off blood pressure pills, they consult with their physician before coming to the apothecary. “One type of herb may not work for everyone, and it depends on the potency and amount, so I tweak the dosage depending on the person,” Platero explains.
A little goes a long way in her apothecary. Brujita, which means “little witch,” is stocked with more than 50 herbs, averaging about $12.50 an ounce and lasting up to two months. Women who want to conceive naturally or through embryo implantation ask for the “womb cleansing” for hormonal benefits and Reiki for chakras. Devil’s Claw is used for joint and bone pain, St. John’s Wort for anxiety, hibiscus for high blood pressure, and guava leaves for diabetes. Sour sop leaves are sourced from a relative’s farm in Puerto Rico. Sea moss comes from Saint Lucia. Dry herbs are sourced ethically and organically from Foster Farms in Vermont and Mountain Rose Herbs in Oregon. Sampler packets include herbal tea blends for immune function, anxiety, sleep and relaxation, and digestive health.
Platero spends a lot of time learning about her clients and teaching them how to use herbs, roots, and bark. “If it’s a leaf or flower, you can steep it. If it’s a root or bark, you must boil it first to get the medicine out,” she notes. “You will not get these potent, concentrated, and organic items on Amazon.”
Platero mixes everything in-house, including elderberry syrup, herbal soaps, bath sprays, mop water, and Florida water with lemon, rosemary, mint, and orange. Patrons sometimes leave $1 at the base of the statue of Lazarus, patron saint of the sick, for good luck.
Special events and workshops help customers start a clean slate for the new year. This year happens to start with a new moon in Capricorn—an earth sign like Taurus and Virgo, which her colleagues in the business of healing at the apothecary all fall under.
“We start with a vision board, manifestation map for 2026, open the heart and chakras, and do a cacao ceremony using the plant from the Andes,” she says.
The $66 Cafeteria Coffee readings last 45 minutes to one and a half hours. Platero uses prico cafeteria yaucono, which is similar to Italian espresso. “It’s Turkish, but the diaspora of the Caribbean includes people from Europe, Africa, and indigenous Latin America.”
Learn more about Brujita’s Healing Pantry Apothecary & Botanica on her website, brujitashealingpantry.com, and Facebook and Instagram pages. Phone: 201-471-8513
