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
Top Santa Muerte Leader Enriqueta Vargas is in the Bony Lady’s Embrace
La Madrina Enriqueta Vargas Ortiz (b. 1959 - d. 2018), the charismatic leader of Santa Muerte Internacional, has died after a prolonged battle with cancer. The SMI temple in Tultitlan will hold a viewing on December 19th at noon, beneath the feet of the largest statue of Santa Muerte in the world. On December … Continue reading Top Santa Muerte Leader Enriqueta Vargas is in the Bony Lady’s Embrace
A Gringa in Tepito – American Devotee Documents the 17th Anniversary of Famous Santa Muerte Shrine
Text and photos by Heather Buckley* The taxi pulled up to a blocked off street in Tepito. Today was October 31, Halloween, and I was drawn to see Her. This was my second full day in Mexico City. I do not speak the language—I went by myself. I might have looked out-of-place dressed as I … Continue reading A Gringa in Tepito – American Devotee Documents the 17th Anniversary of Famous Santa Muerte Shrine
British Anthropologist Discovers Santa Muerte in Bone-Chilling Toronto
Since going public in 2001 devotion to Santa Muerte has spread rapidly beyond Mexico to the four corners of the globe. In the piece below anthropologist Dr. Kate Kingsbury* reveals the robust presence of the Bony Lady in Toronto, Canada’s largest city. In the middle of bustling Toronto, Kensington Market offers respite from the … Continue reading British Anthropologist Discovers Santa Muerte in Bone-Chilling Toronto
Move Over Mictecacihuatl: Santa Muerte as Purepecha Goddess Xaratanga
La Casa de la Santa Muerte in the tiny town of Santa Ana Chapitiro, just a 15-minute drive from Day of the Dead Mecca, Patzcuaro, is one of the most unique shrines to the Bony Lady in Mexico. I first visited it in the summer of 2009 when I was just starting my decade-long research … Continue reading Move Over Mictecacihuatl: Santa Muerte as Purepecha Goddess Xaratanga
Boletín de Prensa: Dr. Andrew Chesnut Dará Dos Platicas en México en Diciembre sobre la Santa Muerte
Dr. Andrew Chesnut, autor del libro Santa Muerte: La Segadora Segura, dara' dos platicas sobre el culto a la Santa Muerte a mediados de diciembre del 2017. Su primera charla "Santa Muerte: el Nuevo Movimiento de Mayor Crecimiento en Mexico y toda America" se llevara' a cabo el dia 14 de este mes a las 12:00 … Continue reading Boletín de Prensa: Dr. Andrew Chesnut Dará Dos Platicas en México en Diciembre sobre la Santa Muerte
Born in Texas, Complete in Mexico – The Testimony of Warren Robert ‘Hank’ Vine
The following account is provided by Texas devotee, Warren Robert 'Hank' Vine - it details experiences he had with la Santa Muerte during a recent trip to Ecatepec, Mexico: I will attempt to put into correct articulation the events of today, but I must preface what I am about to say with: My American friends … Continue reading Born in Texas, Complete in Mexico – The Testimony of Warren Robert ‘Hank’ Vine
Santa Muerte Across the Americas – USC Journalist Melanie Gonzalez Covers the Bony Lady in LA and Beyond
Melanie Gonzalez, University of Southern California journalism student at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, has developed a most impressive multimedia project on the fastest growing new religious movement in the Americas. Los Angeles, the mecca of Santa Muerte devotion in the U.S., is the focus of Gonzalez's illuminating portrait, but there is also … Continue reading Santa Muerte Across the Americas – USC Journalist Melanie Gonzalez Covers the Bony Lady in LA and Beyond
Santa Muerte as Religious Resistance – Reflections of a Devotee
The following post from the Devoted to Death Facebook group provides a powerful perspective on current events from a U.S. devotee of Santa Muerte. In this piece Robin Artisson reflects on some of the extreme political changes occurring and what place Saint Death may have in helping to focus these issues for those pushed to … Continue reading Santa Muerte as Religious Resistance – Reflections of a Devotee
