In the state of Hidalgo resides a witch, Soraya Arredondo, who works with Death and Demon to deliver healing to everyone from babies to prostitutes.
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.
In the Valley of the Shadow of Death – A Santa Muerte Devotee in New Mexico
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. But I connect with Santa Muerte because I have sat among death. I have watched Santa Muerte come and whisk someone away.
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?
“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...
Emerging Scholar Seeks Funding Support for Cutting-Edge Research on Santa Muerte as Agent of Female Empowerment
As an adjunct professor of anthropology Dr. Kate Kingsbury is not eligible for most research funding that is available to permanent and tenured professors so she has launched a Go Fund Me campaign to raise funds from individual contributors. Many readers of Skeleton Saint are already familiar with her incisive work that focuses on the … Continue reading Emerging Scholar Seeks Funding Support for Cutting-Edge Research on Santa Muerte as Agent of Female Empowerment
Mighty Mexican Mothers: Santa Muerte as Female Empowerment in Oaxaca
As the sole female folk saint of death in the Americas, Santa Muerte has a special appeal to women, especially disprivileged Mexican mothers . In the piece below anthropologist Dr. Kate Kingsbury* considers the contours of devotion among rural women in coastal Oaxaca. -Rural Oaxaca, the outskirts of Pochutla, Mexico When we got home one … Continue reading Mighty Mexican Mothers: Santa Muerte as Female Empowerment in Oaxaca
Mexican Indigenous Death Goddesses Xaratanga and Mictecacihuatl Reimagined as Santa Muerte in Michoacan – Photoset
La Casa de la Santa Muerte in the tiny Michoacan town of Santa Ana Chapitiro, just a 15-minute drive from Day of the Dead Mecca, Patzcuaro, is one of the most elaborate shrines to the Skeleton Saint in Mexico. Since I have family in Michoacan, the colorful temple was one of my first research sites … Continue reading Mexican Indigenous Death Goddesses Xaratanga and Mictecacihuatl Reimagined as Santa Muerte in Michoacan – Photoset
