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autoinsurancearlingtontx · 6 months

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Navigating the Roads: Unveiling the Most Affordable Car Insurance in Texas

Introduction:

Finding the most budget-friendly car insurance in Texas is a common goal for many drivers seeking coverage without breaking the bank. With numerous options available, the quest for the cheapest car insurance often involves navigating through policies, coverage, and premiums. In this article, we'll explore strategies to uncover the most affordable auto insurance in Texas, with a focus on securing cost-effective coverage in Arlington.

1. The Landscape of Car Insurance in Texas:

Texas boasts a diverse insurance market with a multitude of providers offering various coverage options. The cost of car insurance can vary based on factors such as location, driving history, vehicle type, and coverage needs.

2. Factors Influencing Car Insurance Rates:

Several factors contribute to determining car insurance rates in Texas, including:

Driving Record: A clean driving record is often rewarded with lower premiums, while accidents and traffic violations may lead to higher costs.

Vehicle Type: The make and model of your vehicle impact insurance rates, with factors such as repair costs and safety features taken into consideration.

Coverage Needs: The extent of coverage you choose, including liability, comprehensive, and collision, influences your insurance premiums.

Location: Different areas within Texas may have varying insurance rates due to factors like population density, crime rates, and local traffic patterns.

3. Unveiling Affordable Options in Arlington, TX:

Arlington, as part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, offers a competitive insurance market. To uncover the most affordable car insurance in Arlington:

Comparison Shopping: Obtain quotes from multiple insurance providers. Online comparison tools make it easier to evaluate rates and coverage options side by side.

Discount Opportunities: Inquire about available discounts, such as safe driver discounts, multi-policy discounts, or discounts for completing defensive driving courses.

Local Providers: Consider reaching out to local insurance agencies in Arlington, as they may offer personalized service and competitive rates tailored to the region.

4. Top Picks for Affordable Car Insurance in Texas:

While individual rates may vary, several insurance providers are often recognized for offering competitive rates in Texas:

GEICO: Known for its straightforward approach and a variety of discounts.

Progressive: Offers options for customization and competitive rates.

State Farm: A reliable choice with a vast network of agents and a range of coverage options.

USAA: If eligible, USAA often provides competitive rates for military members and their families.

5. Tips for Lowering Car Insurance Costs:

Maintain a Good Driving Record: Safe driving habits contribute to lower insurance premiums.

Bundle Policies: Consider bundling auto insurance with other policies, such as homeowners or renters insurance, for potential discounts.

Opt for Higher Deductibles: Choosing a higher deductible can lower your premium, but be sure it aligns with your financial comfort.

Conclusion:

While the quest for the cheapest car insurance in Texas involves considering various factors, including your location in Arlington, comparison shopping remains a crucial strategy. By exploring options, leveraging discounts, and understanding the factors that influence rates, drivers can secure affordable coverage that meets their needs. Whether you're a resident of Arlington or elsewhere in Texas, the key to finding the most budget-friendly car insurance lies in proactive research, informed decision-making, and a commitment to safe driving.

#auto insurance arlington tx #America's Best Auto Insurance #Most Affordable Car Insurance in Texas

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autzoinsurance · 8 months

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Acquire the Affordable and Trustworthy Insurance Solutions with us

If you are searching for a legit and trustworthy insurance company in Houston, you come to the right place. We are a reputed insurance company offering the best insurance solutions. Our focus is to provide top-class and exceptional insurance services. We are one of the best insurance companies in Texas. You can contact our company for the best home, car, business, and renter insurance solutions. Are you ready to acquire the best insurance solutions? Then why look here and there? Choose our company and have the best insurance services. We provide the best and most affordable insurance in dallas.

#affordable insurance dallas #car insurance quotes houston #insurance quote texas #cheap car insurance in texas

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carwreckhouston · 2 years

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Hire the Top Rated Car wreck Lawyers in Houston

If you've been in a car wreck in Houston, you may need to hire a lawyer. The first step is to contact us for a free consultation. We will review your case and determine if we can help you. If we can't help you, we will refer you to a qualified attorney who can.If you've been in a car wreck, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. You may also be able to get compensated for property damage. The first step is to contact us for a free consultation. We will review your case and determine if we can help you. To know more visit our website.

#houston #wrongful death attorney #personal injury lawyers #houston car accident attorney #car accident attorney #car insurance #car accident news #texas #criminal law #law firm #fire emblem three houses #affordable house #car wreck attorney houston #car wreckers #car wreck lawyer #car wreck tw

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socialjusticeinamerica · 5 months

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Space Karen is a monster. They had opportunities to unionize but they succumbed to pressure from Elongated Muskrat and Texas Republicans and now they’ll be living on the production line. How stupid are you to reject unionization? Now they’re slaves like every other non-union employee in the country.

Republicans in red states pass laws called “right to work”, which is more Republican name trickery. “Right to work” laws prevent unions/organized labor. What it literally means is that companies have the right to make YOU work without any benefits, for minimum wage, without any right to protest wage theft or unsafe conditions, no recourse against unfair labor practices, and to put you on “on demand schedules,” The latter means no set regular hours, 9-5 today then 9-9 the day after, then 1-8, or no hours at all for days or weeks until you quit and can’t collect. “On demand scheduling” is abosolutely cruel. You never get to recover properly, you can never make plans outside of work, you can’t attend school or have a second job, and you miss out on all the major life events of your family. This leads to resentment, divorce, and alienated children who feel unloved.

Even blue states have bare minimum labor laws in place to control abuses by employers. Try going to the state for help in a dispute with your boss. Try hiring a lawyer when you’re poor or even if you’re not lawyers don’t want to touch these cases.

We are already a nation of hopeless wage slaves. Biden and the Democrats are making progress in passing laws to protect workers and unions but it will all be swept away if Republicans regain the White House and Congress. Some people won’t learn until they’re chained to a machine in a building with suicide nets outside the windows like in China.

It took almost two hundred years to get unions, workers rights, and work place safety laws put into place. They’ve nearly all been eroded into a forgotten past since Republican Ronald Reagan, and Fox News, was elected in 1980. Nearly all of you reading this don’t even know a time when workers only needed one job to support a home and family, had pensions, and had health insurance that was provided. Now you live with 2-3 jobs, have no health insurance, can’t afford a home (or rent), can’t afford college or even a new car, and make less than your grandparents. The media glosses this over calling the extra jobs “side hustles” and your lack of a career with dignity is because you’re a generation of “self starters.”

You weren’t born to be a wage slave for billionaire oligarchs and the petty tyrants they hire to be middle managers. Spread the word and unionize. Fight for it. People in the 1800’s literally battled armed mercenaries, cops, and the military for the right to union jobs that let them live and earn with dignity. Don’t let their spilled blood and deaths be in vain. The United Auto Workers and other unions tried repeatedly to get Tesla unionized. Unions are out there and willing to help. It only takes a few phone calls to get the ball rolling.

Muskrat promised his workers free frozen yogurt and a roller coaster ride from the parking lot to factory if they voted against unions, I shit you not. He never delivered either. He did spend millions on union avoidance firms to come in and lie and scare workers into voting no. Now they’re treated like cotton plantation slaves and told they will be literally living on a production line.

To put this into the identity politics millennials are drawn to, unions are the only working environment where marginalized people are protected and have recourse against discrimination and mistreatment in the workplace. If you are mistreated you can file a grievance and if the management doesn’t redress the issue then they are taken to contractually mandated arbitration or court with union supplied lawyers. If you have never worked in a union shop you have no idea what it’s like to not be fearful, to have dignity, and to know people are obligated to protect you from management.

It’s the only non-union automaker in the country.

#republican assholes #oligarch assholes #corporate greed #unionize now #elongated muskrat #Tesla Texas #organized labor for all

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blueberrydykez · 6 months

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not asking for money; please send me resources

so i will potentially be moving soon - my family has taken financial hit after hit and its not looking good for us to be able to afford rent. my mother wants to house with my grandparents and i am completely uninterested in joining due to how far it is, the lack of space/privacy, and the fact that my old abuser lives there currently. since im 18 now this means i will have to find alternate housing by myself and i have very little idea what to do. please send me advice, suggestions, or any resource you may know on the following topics:

transport - probably my biggest issue. even if i can quickly get my license i dont have a car nor insurance. walking/biking to where i need to go is not ideal because my legs get fatigued and weak easily and if i need to bike to work and then do an 8 hour shift i think i would die. also there is literally no public transport where i live because texas hates me

housing - right now my best bet is most likely moving in with my step dad and paying him rent, but honestly if im gonna move out anyway i might as well see if there's any options i have for living outside my parents' house. some options ive thought about are the transitional housing for homeless young adults near-ish to me as well as finding a room to rent in the area im already residing

money/jobs - i currently have a job that pays $13.20 an hour but i just started this week and i haven't seen a paycheck yet. im currently flat broke. if i need to move out i may drop out of college and see about working full time for the first time and/or taking a second job

mental health - i currently get meds for free through a public program i utilized but im not getting the therapy i need especially for this stressful time. i have autism, ptsd, and osdd and need a therapist that specializes in those issues

physical health - as stated before my legs are not very strong and its impacted my work life multiple times previously to the point of losing my job. i have no idea whats going on with my legs and finding out what the issue is would be great so i can find solutions, but i don't have insurance and i dont know the first thing about getting ahold of it

i will update as i recall anythings else id like help with 👍 for a frame of reference i live in north texas. thank you for reading/reblogging/sharing suggestions :)

#🦈

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butlersbabe · 2 years

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Good Man’s Land-Cowboy!Austin Butler x Reader

a/n: This is my new 5-part series. An enemies to lovers type thing. I hope you all like it.

w/c: 3k

warnings: none…i think.

Part I.

When you were young, nothing mattered at Mama and Papa’s. An open field with a beautiful, mint green, two-story house plum in the middle of it. With bright purple window sills and a red door with a wreath reading “Y/L/N” in pretty, swirly letters, decorated with marigolds, baby’s breath, and a few other flowers you couldn’t quite name. A big brown dog, Chuck, would chase you around until he caught you, tackling you and giving too many kisses. Life wasn’t so hard there.

Many years later, your dad said it was time to grow up. To be a woman. Someone who supported herself and didn’t rely on someone else to put food on a table. You didn’t rely on your dad to put food on a table, did you? You had a part time job, you never were completely reliant on her father. He didn’t quite see it that way. He believed you were ready to leave and make something of herself. Thing is, you weren’t ready.

“Dad, I can’t just leave and live on the street!” You shouted from across the island that separates you and your dad. “Y/N!” He shouts, cutting you off, “You’re 24. You graduated college, you’re a woman. You need to make something of your life.” Although your dad was completely right, you couldn’t help but reject the option of leaving home. “Please don’t be this way, dad. I’m not-“ He slammed his fist on the counter top, turning around to you slowly. “I cannot financially support you anymore, Y/N. I just can’t. After getting laid off a-and you don’t have a stable job. We’re only able to keep this apartment because of the life insurance.”

You knew your dad hated to mention that. You mom’s life insurance. She passed not even a year ago. She was in a car accident. And thanks to a highly intoxicated individual, she became just another statistic. Your dad had asked her to get groceries that night. And she never came home with the gallon of milk, a pound of ground beef, ketchup and grapes. He beat himself up about it everyday until not too long ago. You constantly reminded him of that it wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Except that 40 year old on his ninth Bud Light.

“We’re running out of money, Poppy.” Your dad grimaced, saying your nickname that only your family called you. Your grandma had said you played in the poppies in front of the house when you would come over. They were your favorite.

“We can’t afford anything anymore, I can’t afford anything.” He shakes his head. You nod, and without dinner, you make your way to your bedroom. Flopping on your bed, your face finally cracks. You let your tears fall and the day-old mascara ran down your face. What was she to do? She wasn’t getting kicked out, but not without good reason. You had nowhere to go and had to be out within two days. Sitting up and spare yourself the pity, you text your best friend, then a friend from college, they couldn’t take you in. Finally you land on your last option, calling Mama and Papa’s. You hadn’t been up there since god knows when. It was out of state, in the western part of Texas. Fifteen minutes just outside of Marfa. Being from Denver, you didn’t jive much with the flatland but Mama and Papa needed it for the ranch. And you used to love being out there.

Mama and Papa were old southern folk. The enjoyed their, for lack of a better term, boring landscape. It wasn’t as boring when your were 8. Thing was, you were older and they expect you to help out. Which you were willing to do as long as you got paid.

“Thirty bucks a day?!” You shout.

“It’s a good amount, Poppy. Our ranchhand only-”

“But I’m your granddaughter. You should want to help me.”

“You’re being selfish, Poppy.” Mama pauses, “Papa and I do want to help you. But you don’t get everything in this world for free.” She says in her soft voice as always.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Y/N. Just understand that we want you to know the importance of hard work.”

“Okay.”

“Be ready by tomorrow and we’ll fly you out.” She says, a sigh behind the statement. “Okay.”

You let your dad know about the plan and he helped you start packing a bunch of clothes. Against your will, he made you pack what seemed like a million pairs of jeans. A few pairs of shorts, a ton of t-shirts, and a pair boots that once belonged to your mom. That plus the clothes and sneakers you wore.

That next evening, you left on a plane to Austin, Texas, where your Mama and Papa met you. The greeted you with open arms and a bouquet of flowers. They took you home, a six hour and then some drive. Arriving at the ranch, it was dark. You step out of the car and grab two of the suitcases you brought, your Papa taking the other two.

Walking up the driveway, although it was nighttime, you noticed the house had turned nearly white. The red door had faded and peeled, the sign still hanging with the fake flowers surrounding it. Walking up the rickety steps, your mama opens the door for you and papa. The house smelled of pork chops, corn and mashed potatoes with homemade gravy. And she was right, all laid out on a made table was the food and some sweet tea.

“Austin must’ve fixed supper.” Mama told Papa. He nodded his head and agreed. “Looks like he did.” Papa replied sarcastically. “Thank you for the clarification, sweetheart. Papa, why don’t you take her stuff up to her room?” Your grandmother asks her husband. He nods and heads upstairs with the bags he had, he’ll be back for the rest. You didn’t know who “Austin” was but you were almost completely sure it was the ranchhand who was some middle aged man with a bald spot who chronically sweats all the time. But he slept in your dad’s childhood bedroom. You would sleep in the guest room, just down the hall from your dad’s old room, luckily there was a window and a furnace.

“So, Y/N,” Mama said, digging into her meal. Before taking a bite she continues, “Work starts at 8am, tomorrow. I’ll be out around 10. Papa and Austin will be up and out in the field before the sun is even up. You’ll find them and they’ll help you out with what morning chores there are. You should be done just in the afternoon. Maybe 5?” Your eyes widen at the initial schedule. It wasn’t really ideal that you’d be given a strict itinerary for the next…however long you were going to be there.

“Oh okay.” You furrow your eyebrows and scrape more mashed potatoes off your plate into your mouth. “Austin is our helper. He lives in your daddy’s old room. He’s a few years older than you. Such a nice young gentleman. A hard worker too.”

“Okay, so he’s a guy who just works here and lives here too?” Great.

“Yes!” Too chipper, Mama. “You’ll meet him in the morning and get done with morning chores, feeding the chickens, hogs and cattle. You’ll wash and feed the horses, we have only four now, Aretha passed a few years back,”

“No! Not Aretha!” You chimed in with a frown.

“She felt no pain, I promise. But we bought Diana, Elvis, and last year we got Jagger from a breeder. They're gentle. Papa and Austin will help you saddle up on Jag. You’ll be riding him most of the time.” She says finishing her plate, “You’ll get on a combine and a couple tractors before this visit is over but I won’t put you on one tomorrow.”

You felt so in over your head. You’ve never done anything like this. You truly didn’t know what to think when Mama told you about your new routine.

“Saturdays are only half days, get up at 6, be done by 3, I’ll give you Sundays off for church and such.”

You didn’t go to church. You weren’t really even religious after these past some odd years but you were going to take advantage of those days off.

“We have farmer’s market days up in town square on every other Tuesday morning. On those days, you’ll come with me and Papa and Austin will stay here to tend to the farm.” Okay, Tuesday is pretty soon. “But since you’re still learning, I’ll leave you here for the first one.” Shit.

“We also need to get you a new wardrobe. I should have some old button ups in the attic. Papa will get you those before heading off to bed. You’re a farmhand now, you oughta look like one.” She scoffs. She’s never really liked your ripped jeans or your big shirts. Your messy hair or your outrageous use of jewelry. “The only piece of jewelry that’s should be on your body-“

“On your body is a wedding ring, yes, okay, Mama. I get that but I will never get that. I like the multiple rings. Helps me forget that I may never have a husband. Which I’m completely fine with!” You interrupt her, getting up and placing your plate and silverware in the sink, rinsing them off and placing them on a towel next to the sink.

“Whatever, Poppy.” She shrugs off. “I’m going to bed. Be ready for tomorrow.”

You hear the roosters hollering through the open window and the sound of hooves trotting the open land. You wake up to check your phone. 7:41am. Stretching, you let out an ungodly sound and rolled off the bed towards your suitcase. Within 15 minutes you had thrown your hair into a low ponytail, put on holeless jeans, a bra, wifebeater, and a button up. Finishing with your mom’s worn out boots. You felt so out of place. You winced at the thought of leaving your phone alone for a whole day.

Walking outside, Mama’s already shooing the chickens into the coop while a dog you’ve never seen chases them around. Chuck rested on the porch, beating the hot morning glow. You spot Papa and the back of a blond head who has to be Austin talk while the horses graze on what little grass there was next to the pigpens. “Good morning, sunshine!” Papa raised a hand, calling you over. “Let’s get you on a horse!” He happily says, Austin turning his horse around to see you. Austin. You make your way over in a hurry, not wanting to make them wait any longer than they already had. Walking up to your Papa, he introduces you to the live-in.

“Y/N, this is Austin. Austin, this is my granddaughter, Y/N. This pretty girl here is Diana and that handsome boy is Elvis. Her grandma calls her Poppy but don’t worry about any ridiculous nicknames yet. Let’s get you on a horse.” You look at the boy and he tips his hat at you then offers a hand to shake. “Howdy.”

You walk next to them while they walk you to the stables. A black horse stands behind a gate, already having the reins and saddle on. “Just go in there, introduce yourself and walk him out.” So, you walk in cautiously and begin to pet his nose and neck. You walk him out, the other horses moving out of the way. “Don’t you worry your pretty little heart about experience, he’s very well trained for a youngin’. Listens well, doesn’t freak out very often. I think you’re in for a treat with this one here.” He reaches over and pets the steed. “Just grab the horn, place the other on the pommel, take your foot, put it in the stirrup and swing the other over.” He said all these words like you knew what he was saying but somehow, after nearly 20 minutes, you get up and situate yourself.

“Now, give him a little kick with your heels, and I mean a good kick but you don’t want to startle him so bad he takes off.” You swallow at the directions, you could kick him so soft he never gets going or you kick him too hard to the point he takes off and kills you. But you do it, and he starts to walk. “Now let your hips follow his movements. Steering is just like a car,” which you never learned how to drive, “And to make him stop, you just pull back, using your upper body weight. And to make him trot, you kick again, and just bounce with him a bit more.” Your Papa says, him and Austin’s horses taking off into a light jog, you following after a few seconds. “You’re a natural!” Austin hollers back to you. Now you were no equestrian but you definitely caught on a lot faster than you’d thought you would.

Papa stops his horse and turns her to you and Austin’s. “Austin, my boy, will you take Y/N around? Let her get a feel for riding. Bring her back in about 30 minutes?”

“Yes, sir.” He obliged, “C’mon, cowgirl!” He began trotting again, but a bit faster. You sped Jagger up but not to Elvis’s speed. “Austin! Wait up!” You laugh, shouting for a bit of sympathy but he continues to get faster with each step. “Austin!” You kick your horse to make him go just a bit faster. “Please!” This wasn’t fun anymore. You kept getting quicker and quicker until you felt unable to control Jagger. “Austin!” Jagger was running for the hills, he passed Elvis in no time. You cock your head back, giving the blond a terrified look. Before you know it, Austin and Elvis are right next to you, Austin reaching over to grab the reins just in time to slow you down before the river bank. “Woah, babe.” He says to the horse, calming him down.

You give Austin a dirty look, “Why did you do that? I

couldn’t even stop him.” He laughs like the situation is some big joke, “A little fun never killed, nobody.” His slight southern drawl follows the chuckling. “Besides, if you held this right, you could’ve stopped him.” Austin reaches over to your set of reins and you pull away, moving the horse. “Stop, I know how to hold them,” You sternly say even though you most definitely had no clue what the exact way was. “I’m just trying to help.” You two bicker back and forth until the horses bump into each other, making Jagger stand on his hind legs, you hit the ground, with a harsh thud, feeling a bruise on your arm already.

It goes silent.

“Look, Y/N, I’m so sor-”

“Whatever.” You huff, getting up off the ground, fully in pain. You take the horse by the reins and begin walking him back to the house about 1200 yards out. “You go back, I’ll walk Jagger back.” You limped away. Austin turned Elvis back towards you and the way home. “Come on, Y/N. I said I was sorry.” He pleaded with you. “Go home, Austin. Tell Mama and Papa I just wanted to see how I’d do alone.” You said through grit teeth. He scoffs and rides back home, leaving you to stumble through the thick growth of the land.

It takes you much longer to get home than a measly 30 minutes. Mama runs up to you and holds your jaw that was already growing a light yellowish-purple on the right side. “Oh Poppy, what happened?” You shake her hands off of you due to the slight pain it gave you. “I asked Austin if I could ride alone and I guess I can’t. Jagger threw me off-”

“Baby! Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. He’s never done that with me. I’ll make sure Austin goes with you every time you’re out until he’s broken to you.” She sighs heavily, petting your hair. Not the plan but you’d get out of it somehow. You don’t want that asshole around you any more than he has to. “Well.” You heard Papa’s voice. “Get back up there, we have work to do.”

Papa helped you back up onto Jagger and off you went back into the field, wrangling up the cattle into the pens so you could feed them. Some time later it was lunchtime. Mama had made sandwiches to your liking. Papa had a bologna sandwich, Austin’s was a BLT, and you had a grilled hot ham and cheese.

“So, Y/N,” Papa started, “How’s the first day?”

“It’s good. Other than being thrown off a horse. It’s good.”

Austin laughed and your head snapped towards him. “What’s so funny?” You ask, the pressure of anger rising in the back of your throat. “Nothing, dear.” He laughs again, you didn’t like that. “Don’t call me that.” You sneered.

The workday ended at five. Papa called it an easy day. Didn’t feel easy. Things felt like they were going to be tough now. Your dad kicked you out, you have to work on a farm for god knows how long, you’re going to deal with a blond, pretty boy know-it-all. You feel so stuck and out of place. This couldn’t be how life was going. Shouldn’t be.

Your heart was heavy while you sat in the bathtub. It felt as if the weight was dragging you deeper and deeper into the water that had turned lukewarm. You breathe out of your nose, the bubbles rising until your body emerges from the water.

“You alright in there?” Austin’s muffled voice asks next to a knock in the door. “Yeah, I’m just fine.” And you sunk back into the water hoping God or something would change your situation. Hoping you’d wake up in a new place.

-part two 🤠

#austin butler #elvis 2022 #austin butler x reader #austin butler fic #austin butler fanfiction #butlersbabefics #cowboy!austin

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bodyalive · 5 months

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On the Texas Border, Folk Healers Bring Modern Touches to Their Ancient Practice

Known as curanderas, they carry on a tradition long revered in local Hispanic culture.

By Edgar Sandoval

Photographs by Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas

Edgar Sandoval grew up in Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley, where Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas lives and where both covered this story.

Dec. 16, 2023

On a recent day, Chriselda Hernandez heard a knock at her door in the Texas border town of Edinburg. It was a college student who said she was suffering from a string of bad luck. A drunken driver had crashed into her car. Then someone broke into the new car she was driving and stole her laptop. “I need a limpia,” she pleaded — a spiritual cleanse.

Ms. Hernandez moved to an altar in her living room that bore an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Slowly, she mixed a concoction of sage and palo santo, a wood native to South America, and lit it with a match. Then she turned back to the young woman and waved the healing smoke over her body.

“You are holding on to something,” Ms. Hernandez whispered to her. “Let it go. There is no shame.”

For generations, Hispanic communities along the Southern border have turned to curanderas, or folk healers, like Ms. Hernandez, often seen in the popular imagination as old women with candles and religious icons operating in the shadows of society out of rusty shacks.

But the ancient healing art has entered the age of Instagram. More and more younger people are taking on rituals they learned from their grandmothers and deploying them against 21st century problems. They conduct limpias on public beaches, trade recipes online for blocking “envy energies” and sell artisan candles bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in shops. Their clients are often college-educated, like Clarissa Ochoa, the young woman who went to Ms. Hernandez for help.

“I think it’s an honor to be a curandera; it is something very beautiful, but also very limiting,” said Ms. Hernandez, 42. “I feel like we are breaking those boundaries, that curanderas are just herbs and little old ladies. My calling is just to heal whoever I can.”

A culture of folk healing preceded the arrival of Spaniard conquistadors to Latin America and Mexico. Over time, curanderos, a term used for healers of both genders, began mixing Indigenous rituals with elements of Catholicism and influences from Asian and African folk traditions along the way.

The practice has taken hold in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, located a stone’s throw from the Mexican border, in large part out of necessity. Hidalgo County, home to McAllen and a majority Hispanic population, has one of the highest rates in the nation of people without health insurance, and many people rely on curanderas for lack of other affordable options, said Servando Z. Hinojosa, a professor of anthropology who teaches a class on Mexican-American folk medicine at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Mr. Hinojosa said many Hispanic residents also tend to be mistrustful of the medical establishment. This is especially true when it comes to mental health. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that while the number of Black, Asian and white people who have sought mental health care treatments has climbed in recent years, there has been very little movement among Latinos.

“There’s an element of distrust, but there is also structural alienation,” Mr. Hinojosa said. “They are a population that will seek affordable resources, and they will go to where the products are and where the advice is to be found.”

In the past, the medical establishment has warned people not to rely on folk remedies for physical ailments, some of which can be harmful. Many Latino children have fallen ill and even died after consuming such remedies known as albayalde, azarcon and rueda, powders often used for stomach-related illnesses that have been found to contain lead.

Curanderismo has become so accepted in the Rio Grande Valley that it is not unusual to see street signs and TV ads advertising folk healing services.

Ms. Hernandez said her great-grandmothers had both been parteras, or midwives. When she was a little girl, she said, she discovered that she possessed her own set of gifts; as she grew older, she said, she began interacting with an entity she believes to be the Angel of Death, Azrael. She works at a cellphone call center and lives with a girlfriend in a modern house in the suburbs of Edinburg, a city close to the border.

“You make it your own. There is no right or wrong. You do what’s right for you,” Ms. Hernandez said.

Another modern folk healer, Danielle López, 39, a former student of Mr. Hinojosa who said she also learned she had a don, a gift, as a young girl, has embraced the moniker of millennial curandera. She has combined the old traditions she learned from the grandmother who raised her, Consuelo López, and an aunt, Esperanza Rodriguez, with new skills learned at institutions of higher education.

Her academic record includes a master of arts in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in Mexican-American literature, medical anthropology and Latin art history at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is completing a doctorate in English with a focus on borderlands literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she is also a lecturer.

“For me it’s a continuity,” she said of her spiritual work. “I feel like we need it more now.”

It is not unusual for people to ask her for trabajitos, little jobs, including blessings, limpias and home remedies, when she is not buried in books. Not long ago, Ms. López got a request to bless a new business for a friend. When Ms. López cleansed the establishment with a bouquet of roses, six petals fell, prompting her to warn her friend that six people “did not have good intent.”

“They may say they are happy about her new business, but they are not.”

She also sometimes offers more science-based advice. When people tell her that they are feeling anxious or cannot sleep, she recommends that they cut their intake of sugar or caffeine. Because the advice comes from a curandera, she said, people tend to trust that she has their best interests at heart.

The concept of a curandera is so pervasive in Latino enclaves that in September the Texas Diabetes Institute, a state-of-the-art facility operated by University Health on San Antonio’s west side, a historical Mexican-American neighborhood, brought back to its lobby a sprawling wall-size painting, “La Curandera,” by the Chicano painter Jesus Treviño, who died early this year. The painting had been removed for restoration.

Still, when it comes to luck and matters of the heart, many people avoid professional help and turn to curanderas, because there is no substitute, said Sasha García, 39, a curandera who is known for her fire-red hair.

In northern Mexico, where Indigenous culture is not as widespread and the Catholic Church’s hold is stronger, Ms. García said, her ancestors often operated in the shadows to avoid the stigma associated with folk healers. By contrast, on the American side of the border, she not only feels freer to practice openly, but some Catholic priests stop by for her counsel, she said.

Ms. García welcomes clients at La Casa de la Santísima Yerberia in the city of Pharr, near McAllen, next to two imposing statues of La Santísima Muerte, skeletons each wearing red and black robes. Ms. García reminds people that while the image of La Santísima, a Latina version of the Grim Reaper, may evoke frightening emotions, death is to be revered.

“If you pray to her properly, she can heal and deliver love, freedom and wealth,” she said. “I only ask her for positive things.” (She laments that criminal elements along the border and in Mexico have appropriated the image.)

On a recent afternoon, Jocelyn Acevedo, 27, a frequent client of hers who runs a credit repair service, arrived for her monthly limpia. She had heard about Ms. García four years ago and after the first limpia, she said, she saw her business begin to boom. She was so convinced by the session that she since has regularly driven 60 miles from nearby Starr County, near the Rio Grande, for her sessions. She now has a tattoo of La Santísima.

Ms. García instructed Ms. Acevedo to rub three coconuts all over her body. Ms. García then broke them on the ground to release what she said was the negative energy her client had been carrying.

“Did it work? Of course,” Ms. Acevedo said.

Ms. García has embraced touches of modernity along with the old customs, including consultations now offered over FaceTime. Her clients have responded with their own offerings from popular culture, including a sign one brought in that now hangs on the front door: “Witch Parking Only.”

“No one listens,” Ms. García said with a smile. “The word may be becoming more modern, but we curanderas are still here. Just don’t park in my spot.”

Edgar Sandoval covers Texas for The Times, with a focus on the Latino community and the border with Mexico. He is based in San Antonio. More about Edgar Sandoval

#healing #folk healers #NYT #Body Alive #Edgar Sandoval

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r0semultiverse · 3 months

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Hello “Ursula,” seeing as your account was literally made yesterday, I don’t believe you! Tumblr scammer spotted! 👀

#I feel like as I archive more of these I’m starting to get new & different ones #if I get any of these wrong feel free to correct me but like... yeah there’s common signs #just following what I know to look out for #though there certainly is this common theme of diabetes being the subject #that’s an interesting pattern #saviorsworld #tumblr scams #tumblr scam #mine #op #asks #ask

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rotten-home · 3 months

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Suck my dick

#asks #scam

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autzoinsurance · 9 months

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Acquire the Affordable and Trustworthy Insurance Solutions with us

#affordable insurance dallas #car insurance quotes houston #insurance quote texas.#cheap car insurance in texas

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thegeniusidiotnstickmerchant3728 · 3 months

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Hi, my name is Ursula Keter. I'm a 61 year old mother to a teenage daughter and we live in Houston, Texas. Today I ask for your kindness and help as my daughter and I are on the verge of homelessness. I have diabetes and on January 11th of 2024, I very suddenly fell ill overnight with diabetic neuropathy and nerve damage in my hands, arms, legs, and feet caused by high blood sugar levels due to being unable to afford doctor's appointments and medication consistently. After spending a month and a half in a rehabilitation center, it has still left me unable to walk or effectively use my hands. As a result, I lost my job as a housekeeper and have become disabled. My teenage daughter is now my caregiver helping me with personal care and household responsibilities that I am unable to do. I'm asking for help to afford food, rent, utilities, phone bill, car insurance, as well as basic necessities. I've applied for disability benefits, but they take 6-12 months for the state of Texas to process. We are on EBT food stamps as well but currently only receive $23.00 a month until the loss of my job income can be processed too. If we cannot pay our April and future rent, we will be homeless and potentially on the streets. You can donate, share or offer prayers,all shall be highly appreciated.

Quick advice to anyone reading this. This has a 99% chance of being a bot. I followed the account and the pinned post has a section for the donation link, but there's not actually a link.

Aside from that this blog has been active for one day, in which it reblogged within an hour (5 posts of varying length withing one minute; the total length wasn't actually something that you can read through in one minute).

The pinned post was the only post where there was actual talk.

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the-dumb-smart-friend · 3 months

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beserkerjewel · 3 months

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You are definitely a scammer, so I don't think I will be doing what you want, thanks!

#asked and answered #saviorsworld

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nothing-but-glitter-and-lashes · 3 months

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i’m sorry i can’t help right now, but i’m sharing to help spread it. i hope things get better.

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autistic-katara · 3 months

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seriously guys who put me on a list for scam accounts to send asks to i get one of these every 2 days

#asks #scams

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rainofaugustsith · 2 years

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I am so tired of all these posts/tweets/comments telling people to "just move" from their red state. Or "just move" to some rural area if living in a city is too expensive. Sweet baby Jesus, just stop.

Moving takes money. A lot of money. And no, many if not most people don't have the money to just re-purchase all their furniture when they move, so they have to move their belongings. Shit, when I moved I was scraping together money to buy something decent looking at Ikea that took me several hours to assemble myself.

Some people don't have cars. Others can't drive so saying "just rent a car/truck" doesn't work. It will take money for them to get to the new state. If they are driving, add in gas, which isn't cheap right now.

Housing also costs money. And generally more in blue states than in red states. It's a pain in the ass and sometimes totally impossible for people to find affordable, safe housing. If you are disabled in any way now add in the challenge of finding accessible housing that is also safe and affordable. You'd be shocked by just how few houses and apartments have ramps/elevators to access all levels and common areas, doorways that can accommodate wheelchairs, etc. Let's also not forget that if you are renting you are often asked to come up with first month's rent, last month's rent and a deposit which means you might need three months of rent payments at once. Given the price of rents right now that could easily mean needing $4500 -$9000 of cash on hand at once. Plus some places charge application fees just to apply to rent an apartment. If you own property you have to sell it and then hope it's enough to cover the costs of renting/buying something in your new more expensive state.

People have community support in their existing neighborhoods that they may not have in a new state. You work and grandma watches your kids, and she's down the block in your red state community? Yeah, now move cross-country and you're paying hundreds a week for child care, which you likely don't have.

Health insurance. You have any kind of ongoing medical issue, and you take meds. Or your child or partner, who depend on your health insurance, do. Now you move to another state, lose your previous job, and your insurance is gone. Good luck paying the hundreds or thousands of dollars you need for your medication or treatments every month until your new insurance kicks in, if you were fortunate enough to find a job with comparable insurance. Or have thousands to pay on deductibles for a marketplace plan.

A lot of people are spending most of their income on housing and food and a majority of Americans do not even have $400 saved up for an emergency.

A lot of these states are not as red as they seem because they are gerrymandered and voter suppressed to hell and back. A lot of states it's been like 40% to 50% in elections meaning 40% of the entire state's voters that that voted, voted blue.

They may have very emotional and personal reasons for not wanting to be driven away from their home, too. People's homes and communities are important.

I'll be honest, there are red states I will not set foot in, if I can help it. I would not even change planes in Texas or Florida anymore because I don't feel safe being there and don't feel their laws would support me as a non-Christian disabled queer person. I fully understand and support people leaving if they feel it is no longer safe to be there. But the reality is that a lot of people can't afford to leave even if they feel unsafe to the core, so fucking stop acting like it's the answer. "You choose to stay in a red state?" Fuck. You.

So yeah, stop telling people in red states to move. Just. Fucking. Stop. Unless YOU are personally planning to financially bankroll their move and help them set up in your town.

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