The Memento Mori of Santa Muerte Enriched My Life

Building a healthy relationship with death helped me have a healthy relationship with life. I learned this the moment that I was passing the veil. Like most Italian-Americans, I was born and raised Catholic.

Santa Muerte Saved Me From Femicide

I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I witnessed Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte on May 14, 2018, the day I died. Santisima Muerte is the personification of death, she is associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife by her devotees.

Santa Muerte of Health and Wealth – Photo-Essay from the Cancun Temple of the Skeleton Saint

Cancun, Mexico's premier tourist destination, might be one of the last places one would imagine to have Santa Muerte temples and myriad devotees.

The Scythe of Santa Muerte Crushing Curses

Santa Muerte came into my life when I needed to remove a curse. The thing with curses is till the time you don't hear it from the horse's mouth or someone betrays them and tells us, their nature is either revealed through divination or intuition.

Unholy Death – Catholic Condemnation of Santa Muerte

According to the Roman Catholic Church, Santa Muerte and the Catholic faith are two distinct beliefs and practices, or one follows the Mexican folk saint of death, or one follows the church. The pope, bishops and priests have stated this already frequently for years now.

Photo-shoot of Santuario de la Santa Muerte in Queretaro, Mexico

In late December 2020 I had the opportunity to visit the most elaborate Santa Muerte temple in the central Mexican state of Queretaro. There is an impressive array of images, many handcrafted. In contrast to the temple in Santa Ana Chapitiro, Michoacan, this one has a more masculine vibe. In fact during my visit I … Continue reading Photo-shoot of Santuario de la Santa Muerte in Queretaro, Mexico

My Vision of Santa Muerte and the Virgin Mary as Psychopomps

Dreams and visions are powerful portals through which many devotees report communicating with Santa Muerte. Though not a devotee themself, our guest contributor, who prefers to remain anonymous, had a recent vision in which Saint Death, along with the Virgin Mary, rushed to the aid of the dying. - Dr. Andrew Chesnut I saw Holy … Continue reading My Vision of Santa Muerte and the Virgin Mary as Psychopomps

Why Would a Belgian Follow Mexican Folk Saint Santa Muerte?

By Guest Contributor Walter M. C. Walgraeve* Devotion to Santa Muerte has been spreading like wildfire across Latin America and parts of North America so it’s not surprising that it also has made the leap over the ocean and has reached Europe. While probably most devotees here will be of Latin American descent, it is … Continue reading Why Would a Belgian Follow Mexican Folk Saint Santa Muerte?

Santa Muerte – The Mother Who Heals

When I began my research on Santa Muerte in 2009 it didn't occur to me at first to look for devotees in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. The Latinx population is less than 10% and most are Central American immigrants, not Mexicans. After finding the Skeleton Saint easily in nearby Washington, DC, I decided to … Continue reading Santa Muerte – The Mother Who Heals

“Feast Day” for the Oldest Santa Muerte in Mexico Who Was Kidnapped for 40 Years

In a bizarre turn of events, sometime in the 1950s, a town priest stormed into the Cruz home and abducted the skeletal effigy. Alleging that devotees prayed to the statue for evil purposes, such as murder, the cleric...