In the Valley of the Shadow of Death – A Santa Muerte Devotee in New Mexico

Written up by Dr. K. Kingsbury, based on an interview with a devotee from New Mexico, thank you for sharing your story.

For eleven years I have been acquainted with Santisima Muerte, whenever I would drive down to Mexico, which was often, she was there. In many of the entryways, there are shrines to her. My husband is Mexican, and I see myself as a Latina. I have been a devotee since 2019 when death visited me. I was born and grew up in New Mexico, my family is from here. My great grandmother was from New Mexico, when it was still Mexico. I grew up with rich traditions, plentiful culture, in the Sangre del Cristo mountains (Blood of Christ). We were always deeply embedded in faith, not only Catholicism but praying to the corn and honoring Mother Earth and Father Time. I grew up with the elderly hanging St. Jude upside down on the kitchen window to ensure that their one child who had not married would find a spouse.

Mother’s Day is upon us, I have always had respect for la Virgen de Guadalupe, she like Santa Muerte carries sorrow, peace and love. They are both mothers in their own way but they are different. My  connection is with Santisima Muerte because I have sat among death. I have seen it right before my eyes come and whisk somebody away from me. My grandmother died in front of me. My grandfather died in my presence. I have seen Holy Death coming. She has given me more life, gifted it for my son, before I even knew properly of her. He was lying lifeless on my living room floor dying from an overdose. As I was holding him in my arms, I felt an entity say “no, not now” and they gave him back to me. It had to have been Santisima Muerte. She is the one that has the power and the ability to take you to the next plane. And she did not take him.

We were a happy family. We were not rich with gold and money because not everything that shines is gold. Our goal was contentment, family meals and being unified but in 2008 I began feeling attacks upon myself and my family. I felt that someone had dumped something upon my family to create chaos. I believe in the casting of spells and the retaliation of evil, seeing things others do not, because this has been a trait in my family for many generations and those traits still live on in me. We were going into trauma after trauma from these attacks. One would end and another would enter our lives. One of the worst was the rape of my daughter, she was severely assaulted after someone poisoned her drink which led to severe trauma. We went through the entire process, law enforcement etc. and yet received no help.

Another was the deportation of my husband back to Mexico whom I have had to live apart from for 10 years. Then there was also violence between my children who could not stand each other to the point of having holes in my walls from the fights. Blood was shed. You can introduce all of this to the law, you can introduce this to the medical field. One will charge you criminally, the other will medicate you. But whatever you do, you may still have these feelings, these cold brushes from sick entities folding through the space.

I tried to resolve this going to curanderos and other spiritual helpers, but they could never manage to lift the darkness, it seemed to be something sticky that lingered. And even though we could sometimes mellow the waters, they remained murky. It was not until I was introduced to Santisima Muerte that I everything changed.

My daughter, who had already been through so much, was dying in hospital and the doctors could not figure out what was wrong with her. She was pale and the look of death was upon her. During this time of great pain when my daughter had one foot in the grave, I was in communication with my husband who was in Mexico where everywhere you go you find la Santisima Muerte. I said to him I don’t know what to do, I know we must seek help and I have grown up with knowledge but for this I have no guidance. My husband said I will go look. Forty minutes later he called me back and he said “I know this will help us, will you be willing to be open with me?”I told him, “you’re my husband I entrust myself to you”. He said “Santisima Muerte”. And I recalled all the statues and seeing her face so many times. I found a prayer and since then I pray it every day.

The first time I prayed, it felt like a sheer gush of heat went through me. The next day I prayed again, and my husband was petitioning her too. Before I knew it, he had raised an altar. I am in an area where there’s not much and its hard to go out and get a statue of Santisima Muerte. I told her that if she was to be a part of me from this moment on that she appear to me. I got on my computer and I had a printer which had very low ink and which did not really function. I found a portrait of Santisima Muerte. I click the keys on the computer to print an image of her and miraculously, out came a 5×7 image of her in beautiful colours which I placed in a frame. I sprayed it down with Florida Water, which I always have in my home. Before it, I lit two candles and a cigarette. I gave her an apple. This was the beginning of my altar. After I prayed everything began to change. I never asked for more than what was needed at the time, and what I needed at that time was for my daughter to live and she did. She survived and right now she is getting ready to have a baby. She went from the grave to giving birth. I believe Santa Muerte granted me the chance to spend more time with my daughter and give her the chance to have this life in her womb.

From the moment we take breathe she is there. She could come for you at the very minute of your birth, and she could come at 99 years and 1 minute. She is there and we cannot deny it but many are afraid of her. I am ready for her every day to take me, but I am grateful to her every day when I wake up. I always believe just for today do not worry, just for today do not get angry, honour your parents, your teachers, your elders because they have lessons, earn your pay honestly and show gratitude, above all honour la Santisima Muerte and pray as I do, these words:

Holy Death I beg thee to aid as I call upon your powerful name,

Holy Death since thy name is the help of the living and the salvation of the dying I speak to thee.

Grant that your name from this day forth be to me the very breath of life.

Holy Death, I beg thee not to delay in coming to help me when I call upon you; Hear my pleas to thee for all the temptations that trouble me,

in all the needs of my life, I will ever call upon you, Holy Death I implore thee, for the sake and well-being of my daughter.

Holy Death upon this day

Count me among your most faithful servants

Take me under your protection,

That is enough for me. I shall not fear nothing,

I shall not fear my enemy because you will obtain for me my soul protection

Holy Death I ask thee to grant me health, peace and happiness And help me in the path of light and love,

Opening every closed door and removing every barrier and obstacle in my life,

Bring to me love, work and money and end all poverty and unemployment.

Bless and protect always my house and family

From all crime, harm and evil.

With the virtues given to you by almighty God,

I ask that my family and my house be blessed and protected by you and God.

Holy Death, I ask you this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. AMEN.