The cult of Santa Muerte. has been growing exponentially for many years now. The current estimate today is over 12 million followers world wide, many of whom are concentrated in Mexico, Central America, and the United States, but has also started to grow a strong foothold in Europe, South America, Canada, and beyond.
That estimate is probably pretty low because it is based on the “known devotees” and Santa Muerte devotees have a long history of being secretive. Much like Brigid in Ireland, Santa Muerte pre-dates Christianity but has lived on and been integrated with Catholic traditions. Unlike Brigid though, She has been shunned by the church, and the practices have been condemned by the hierarchy within it, thus for a long time Her devotees practiced in secret, and many still do today.
In recent decades though Santa Muerte has really started to emerged from the shadows and become a prominent figure in both the religious and magical communities. With a growing number of public shrines, public ceremonies, devotional groups, social media groups, wares, and resources. As She grew from Mexico/ Central America, much of what is out there for public consumption is written in Spanish, yet the English side is growing slowly. Below I am reviewing 4 books that have been standing out in the Santa Muerte community for different reasons.
Devoted to Death by Andrew Chestnut
Dr. Andrew Chestnut has a Ph.D in Latin American History and has done extensive research on Santa Muerte and Her devotees. His book Devoted to Death is considered to be the most in-depth and balanced work on the History, culture, and people surrounding Santa Muerte. It is at the top of the list and the book that is always recommended for those who are just starting their exploration.
I personally loved this book. It is a beautiful blending of scholarly academics and the personal connection and depth of the practitioner. Moving from the pre-christian history into the modern era of practice, this book will give you a firm understanding to start building your foundations from.
He goes deep on the negative imagery She has gained through the drug wars and main stream media. Her journey from the Shadows into the mainstream. Touching on practices and devotions across the world and the different approaches people are taking with the Skeletal Saint. Showing the diversity of people who are being drawn to Santa Muerte, why they are being drawn, and how this is shaping a whole new landscape within Her community.
This is my top recommended book for Santa Muerte. In my opinion it is a must have and the best place to start in your exploration of Her and Her community.
There are additional links at the end where Dr Chestnut is sharing not only his perspectives and current news around Santa Muerte, but also the personal experiences and stories of other devotees.
Santa Muerte: History, Ritual, and Magic by Tracey Rollins
Tracey Rollins’s book has a heavier focus on the magical and spiritual connections and aspects. Her approach is more influenced by Chaos magic, which adds a good blending when combined with more traditional beliefs and practices of Santa Muerte.
In Her history section of the book Tracey gives us some other perspectives, especially on the pre-christian and non-Catholic beliefs and practices. Focused on the actual practitioner and the community they have developed around the Bony Lady.
Throughout the book she shares all the core basics that one would need in order to start connecting and working with Santa Muerte. It is filled with inspirations and actual practices, such as: understanding the colors of Santa Muerte and how to use them in magical practice, why the tool of the Rosary and ways to use that tool in magical practices, creating sacred spaces and what is different about Santa Muerte as opposed to some other Deities in the Pagan sphere.
Santa Muerte is very unique in my opinion. From the tools associated with Her, to the diversity of the magical practices developed among devotees, Santisima Muerte is a practice unto Herself. Tracey really captures the essence of all of this and gives a solid foundation to move from.
The two above books are the ones I personally recommend to anyone who is interested in learning more or starting to connect with Santa Muerte. I feel they will give you a lot of foundational understandings, as well as practical and magical practices to expand upon.
The Books below are more nuanced and a “flavor” of certain communities.
La Santisima Muerte: Guide for the Three Robe System by Steven Bragg
This book by Steven Bragg is a specific tradition around Santa Muerte and written in a more instructional style.
Instead of the more modern approach of working in Her rainbow of colors, he focuses on a more traditional 3 color system of the Black, White, and Red, derived from Aztec/ Mayan depictions. How they connect in devotion, practice, and daily life.
Within you will find a slew of information on his particular tradition, setting sacred space, offerings, symbols, the meaning behind the practices, and a host of prayers and rituals. This tradition is heavily rooted in Catholicism and the author is very clear that the two are inseparable. As a non-christian, that part can become a bit thick in some areas and some may find it off-putting. As a magical practitioner though, I can see the frameworks behind it and how it can be adjusted for non-christian practice.
Overall it is a good book. I enjoyed the focus on the 3 colors system as it is one that is heavily incorporated in my own practices, all be it in some different ways. It was also interesting to see some of the behind the scenes practices of those who are still heavily entrenched into the Catholic religion. This would be a great book for those who consider themselves Christian witches.
Santa Muerte: The Gnostic Bible of Holy Death by Warlock Asylum
This book first walks you through a History of perspectives concerning the relationship to Death, and Death Cults, through the lens of a variety of religions and traditions. Starting with Freemasonry, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hermeticism, and then into different social groups such as Asians, Jews, Roma, Afro- Mexican, and ancient spirituality.
As is the case with all of these books, it has various rituals, rites, and magical workings. The difference here is that it is heavily focused on the Gnostic views and within christian context. If you know much about the Gnostic tradition, it is heavily seeped in christian mythology but with the emphasis of personal relationship with Divine. So this is one I would recommend to those who still having leanings to the teachings of the church but perhaps not the organized religion aspects of it.
It is small in stature, being 149 pages, but some of the language can get thick. I want to say “If you feel you are carrying trauma from the church still, this is not a book I would recommend for you,” but I could also see how the Gnostic perspective could be healing for that too because it breaks away from the dogmatic rigidity of the organized church. So take that as you will.
Overall it was a decent book. I liked that it seemed more focused on the “why’s” behind the actions of the practitioner, giving a lot of room for personal interpretation and practice.
Secrets of Santa Muerte by Cressida Stone
This is a book I am not going to personally recommend but I see it still being one of the top English speaking books being recommended. I generally won’t review books negatively because I realize we all have our own opinions. What one person may see as awful, another may gleam as useful, and I don’t want to discourage the exploration for anyone. The reason I am including this one though has more to do with the community around Santa Muerte and this particular book.
The premise behind the book is that the author was sharing information and practices from a specific group of Mexican woman who taught her. It has some interesting stories but also had some red flags for me as well. The biggest one being when the author is talking about a secret devotional ritual with Santa Muerte that the women taught her. First, she is taking information from a specific tradition, that she was told was secret, and then shared it publicly in a book. Santa Muerte belongs to everyone, welcomes everyone, because She transcends all the divisions we (people) create – She is Death itself, and we will all come to Her in the end. With that being said, there are specific traditions and practices people have developed around Her that are theirs alone – and sharing them with the world should be their choice. So, for me, this was a huge issue. The second part of the red flag for this particular instance was the blood requirement. I am not opposed to a blood requirement, there are many valid reasons for it, but the author states a very specific way it has to be done that sounds like a bad movie troupe – you must slash open the palm of your hand for it. It just felt very “hollywood” and like it was for dramatic effect, not true practice. Could I be wrong? Sure. But it just felt all off. This wasn’t the only one, but one that has vividly stuck with me.
As far as the larger Santa Muerte community goes though, the issues with the book and author runs deeper. Many have expressed issues with stealing closed traditions, not being an actual part of the community, using the community for her own agenda and advancement and so forth. Instead of listening second hand though – if you are wanting to see the depth, this is a link that was shared with me – Conversation .
Like I said, normally I do not get into this kind of reviewing but I felt the situation warranted it. Take it for what you will.
Final Thoughts
Santa Muerte is an amazing Deity to work with no matter what flavor or background you are approaching Her from. The people I have met who are devoted to Her are the most amazing, open, and welcoming group. Over the years I have seen Her work miracles both in my life and the lives of others. The devotion and love they show Santisima Muerte is so deep and encompassing. I have never quite seen the like of it in any other group. Santa Muerte is not just about Death, it is the living life, the journey of the Soul in this life, for the deeper we go in Death, the more Life is revealed. This is a saying many Death workers use because it is the reality we experience.
The resources in English, as I said, are more sparse, but they are growing. The above books are a great way to get started. There are several English speaking devotee groups on facebook that are amazing, and a few channels on YouTube that would be a great starter point.
As always though, build your own connection with Her and let Her help guide you in finding your way to work with Her. Be inspired, hear the experiences of others, know the history and culture around Her, and experiment until you find what works for you and gives you real results.
Below is a documentary that I felt gave a lot of good context around Santa Muerte.
Other Links and Resources:
For Dr Andrew Chestnut: The Skeleton Saint website – Patheos Column – Academia Profile – Blue Sky – Instagram
On YouTube:
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