Love is in the air…but, if you have a problem in the love and sexy time department, perhaps a visit to the Mercado de Sonora is in order. A sprawling outdoor shopping area in the heart of Mexico city (located on Avenida Fray Servando Teresa in the Venustiano Carranza borough), it’s a maze of alleyways stacked with hundreds of magical stalls. For locals who dabble in witchcraft, or visitors looking to stray off the typical tourist trail, the Sonora market has all your ritualistic remedies for romance. You can find everything from antique amulets to medicinal herbs; live snakes to mysterious brews; and animal-shaped ceramic charms to powdered love potions. The market is loosely organized into three parts: Healing herbs, Afro-Cuban paraphernalia and black magic.
For the ladies, there are potions for better sex, long marriage and curbing a boyfriend’s flirtations with other women.For men, the art of seduction is a popular sell. Male customers, looking to attract their heart’s desire, often buy a product called Quita Calzon. As belief has it, men looking for love must first lather their bodies with this powder and think about the woman for whom they yearn for. The power of the talcum-like potion will cause the woman in question to succumb to the man’s wildest fantasies, all for the equivalent of a few dollars. Try Tapa Voca, purchased by women who want to stop gossiping, or a pair of cloth voodoo dolls for women who crave more commitment in their romantic relationships. For every problem, the Mercado de Sonora sells a solution.
