Santa Muerte as Queen of Vampires

By Guest Contributor Mark Edwards*

Santa Muerte, often revered as “Holy Death,” is a powerful and mysterious figure within Mexican folk religion and the broader occult community. While she is primarily known as a personification of death and a protector of the marginalized, an intriguing dimension to her mythology portrays her as the queen of vampires. This aspect, although not universally accepted, is rooted in certain occult interpretations and traditions that merge Catholic, Indigenous, and esoteric beliefs.

Santa Muerte’s origins are complex and multifaceted, blending pre-Columbian Mesoamerican death worship with Catholic iconography. She is often depicted as a skeletal figure, shrouded in robes of various colors, each representing different aspects of life and death. While her most common colors are white, red, and black, her portrayal in black and gold, as seen in her role as the queen of the night, speaks to her dominion over the darker, more mystical aspects of death.

In many traditions, black is associated with the void, the unknown, and the occult. Gold, on the other hand, symbolizes power, divinity, and eternal life. Together, these colors suggest a figure who not only governs death but also reigns over those who transcend the mortal plane in unnatural ways—such as vampires.

The connection between Santa Muerte and vampires can be traced through several occult traditions that explore the nature of death, immortality, and the afterlife. In these traditions, vampires are often seen as beings who have cheated death, existing in a liminal state between life and death. As such, they fall under the dominion of Santa Muerte, who rules over all aspects of death, including those who exist in its shadow.

Santa Muerte’s role as queen of the vampires is particularly emphasized in esoteric interpretations that view her not only as a death deity but also as a psychopomp—a guide for souls transitioning between worlds. Vampires, as undead beings, are often considered trapped in a state of limbo, neither fully alive nor fully dead. In this context, Santa Muerte is seen as the sovereign who holds sway over these lost souls, offering them protection and guidance in their eternal struggle.

Certain occult practices invoke Santa Muerte’s power in rituals aimed at harnessing the energies of the undead. These rituals often involve the use of black and gold candles, offerings of blood or wine (symbolizing life force), and invocations that appeal to her as the queen of the night and the mistress of the vampiric forces.

Practitioners who follow this path believe that by aligning themselves with Santa Muerte they can tap into the ancient powers of the vampires—gaining protection, strength, and even a form of immortality. These rituals are not for the faint-hearted, as they require a deep understanding of both Santa Muerte’s benevolent and malevolent aspects.

In some unconventional occult (Left Hand) paths, Santa Muerte is envisioned as presiding over a kind of supernatural court, where she rules as their queen. This court is often depicted as a shadowy, nocturnal realm, where the undead pay homage to her in exchange for her protection and blessings. Here, Santa Muerte is not merely a figure of death but a powerful, regal entity who commands respect and loyalty from the most feared and revered creatures of the night.

Her scepter, which can be depicted as a bat or a serpent, symbolizes her authority over these nocturnal beings, reinforcing her role as the ultimate arbiter of life and death. In these traditions, Santa Muerte is seen as the only being who can truly control the undead, binding them to her will and using their powers to further her own ends.

Though Santa Muerte’s identity as the queen of vampires is a fascinating and complex aspect of her mythology, drawing from a rich tapestry of cultural, religious, and occult traditions, it is not universally acknowledged, as death is universal, and in some religious or occult paths of importance, it is fitting that the Bony Mother receives Her place in the whole. And the fact that many Mesoamerican deities had a thirst for blood, creates a connection, even if they didn’t have vampiric creatures as such. The Cihuateteo from Aztec lore for example were more spirit beings, then undead vampires. 

The interpretation of the Lady of the Shadows as such, offers a unique perspective on her role as a figure who transcends the boundaries of life and death, governing not only the dead but also those who exist in the twilight between the two. For those who walk this path, Santa Muerte is not just a protector or a saint; she is the dark queen who rules the night and the undead, a powerful force to be revered and respected.

*Mark Edwards is a prominent devotee and occultist.