Exploring the fastest growing popular faith in the Americas – La Santa Muerte
“There are no accidents or haphazard events in this world of U.S.-Mexico witchcraft (brujeria).” - Dr. Antonio N. Zavaleta During my undergraduate studies I was fortunate to spend a few semesters with Dr. Joann Scurlock, a professional member of University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute and an expert on folk magic practices around the world. She … Continue reading Magic Works in Its Own Way – San Benito’s Santa Muerte Statues in perspective
La jefa del Templo Santa Muerte Internacional con sede en Tultitlan, Enriqueta Vargas se ha convertido en la liderasa mas dinamica del culto a la Santa Muerte en Mexico. Convertida a la fe depues del asesinato de su hijo Jonathan Legaria Vargas en 2008, quien fundo el templo en Tultitlan, la "Madrina" Vargas ha transformado el … Continue reading Madrina de la Santa Muerte: Entrevista con Lideresa del Culto en Mexico, Enriqueta Vargas
As a specialist in Latin American religion I suspected that sooner or later my research would take me to the Philippines, which was also colonized by Spain. However, I thought it would be the burgeoning Catholic Charismatic Renewal that would lead me there since I had done research on the dynamic movement in Latin America. … Continue reading King Death: Santa Muerte in the Philippines
Since Santa Muerte went public in 2001 there have been numerous cases of alleged human sacrifice to the skeleton saint. The great majority follow the pattern of the two latest cases, one in Chihuahua, Mexico, and the other in Guatemala City. In the Mexican case involving the shocking murder of a 6 year-old boy by … Continue reading Santa Muerte and Human Sacrifice in Mexico and Guatemala
Santa Muerte is at it again in the small Texas border-town of San Benito. Two nights ago drivers on a rural road came across a white Santa Muerte statue planted in the middle of the road, on top of the yellow dividing line. At least one passerby believed they heard noises being emitted from the … Continue reading Noisy Santa Muerte Statue Destroyed by Texas Bomb Squad
While Santa Muerte has become a permanent newsmaker, she received an extraordinary amount of coverage over the past couple weeks. The biggest story, by far, was one that Italian journalist Ludavico Laccino and I teamed up for on a series of Mexican cartel hitwomen who had adopted the nom de guerre of "Flaca" (often spelled … Continue reading Santa Muerte News: Human Hands and New Documentary
On Wednesday a number of residents of the town of Buenos Aires, located about twenty miles north of the county seat of Cosoleacaque in the Mexican state of Veracruz, detained three suspected witches and handed them over to Veracruz State Police. It was the burning of Santa Muerte candles by the three suspects in the … Continue reading Three Suspects Detained For Doing Santa Muerte Witchcraft on Town Soccer Field
En los ultimos dias Enriqueta Vargas Ortiz del Templo de Tultitlan, Estado de Mexico, ha hecho unas declaraciones importantes sobre su papel de lideresa del cutlo de la Santa Muerte en Mexico. La "Madrina" Vargas dice: A MIS NUEVOS AMIGOS: YO SOY ENRIQUETA VARGAS ORTIZ, MADRE DEL "PANTERA" FUNDADOR DEL TEMPLO DE LA SANTA MUERTE … Continue reading Soy Enriqueta Vargas Ortiz, Madre del Pantera, Fundador del Templo de la Santa Muerte Mas Grande del Mundo
El Templo de la Santa Muerte de Tultitlan is quickly becoming one of the most stable and well developed devotional centers associated with Saint Death. The temple's proprietress, Enriqueta Vargas, recently traveled to New York City to meet with Queens shrine holder Arley Vazquez, marking one of the first cross country meetings of high profile … Continue reading Marriage and la Madrina – Images from a wedding at El Templo de la Santa Muerte de Tultitlán
A grisly triple murder in which the victims were found hacked to death with machetes in a shack with two large Santa Muerte altars has the Mexican press speculating that this another case of human sacrifice to the skeletal folk saint. Many of the details are sketchy at this point, but what is known is … Continue reading Neighbors Allege Triple Murder Victims Were Sacrificed to Santa Muerte
Most Holy Death 