The Two Skeleton Saints – A Journey Into the Fascinating World of Santa Muerte and San La Muerte

Last updated on: December 8, 2023 at 7:02 am By Andrew Chesnut

By guest contributor, anthropologist Luciano Martucci The unprecedented ethnographic exposition in Bologna, which revealed the synergy between two unique religious expressions in Latin America, has sparked growing interest among Europeans. The exhibition “The Two Saints,” was the first of its kind in Europe, offering unique perspectives on Santa Muerte and San La Muerte in a singular exhibition in Bologna, Italy. Held at the Plug Radio Spazio Arte, Via Cartoleria 4°, the exhibition welcomed more than 260 visitors from November 14... Read more

Lost Causes and Left-Handed Favors – Saint Jude, the Most Popular Catholic Saint in Mexico

Last updated on: October 23, 2023 at 10:26 am By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

Practically unknown in Mexico before the 1980s, Saint Jude Thaddeus has catapulted to the top position among Catholic saints in the country with the world’s second largest Catholic population, which will soon surpass Brazil for the top spot. No other Catholic saint rivals the popularity of San Judas in Mexico. Only the Virgin of Guadalupe and folk saint Santa Muerte can compete with St. Jude for Mexican souls. And over the past decade or so, competition between the nation’s number... Read more

Umbanda – Religious Syncretism Brazilian Style

Last updated on: October 1, 2023 at 12:09 pm By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

Umbanda is a syncretic Brazilian religion that originated in Rio de Janeiro in the 1920s. Combining elements of African, Catholic, and Spiritist beliefs and practices, Umbanda has developed into a unique religion with its own rituals, spiritual entities, and cosmology. Umbanda emerged in the context of Brazil’s rich cultural diversity, characterized by the second largest Black population on the planet after Nigeria, Indigenous peoples, citizens of European descent and millions of multiracial individuals. During the late 19th and early 20th... Read more

Our Lady of Pride – Santa Muerte Loves Her Queer Children

Last updated on: July 28, 2023 at 10:43 am By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

By guest contributor Emma Cieslik* Content warning: This piece mentions self harm and suicide. Caption: At the 2015 Gay Pride march in Mexico City, a statue of Santa Muerte decorated in a rainbow flag cloak and butterflies as the saint for LGBTQ+ people of faith. Photo credit: Toni Francois Santa Muerte, a folk saint of death, opens her arms to all LGBTQ+ people. Although there are many queer-coded saints within the Catholic Church, from Saint Sebastian to Joan of Arc... Read more

Slave Anastacia – Folk Saint, Umbanda Spirit and Symbol of Afro-Brazilian Empowerment

Last updated on: July 5, 2023 at 1:59 pm By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

Escrava Anastácia, or Slave Anastacia, is a fascinating figure on the Brazilian spiritual landscape who serves as both a vernacular saint in folk Catholicism and a spirit guide in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Umbanda. Her story encapsulates a tragic and compelling narrative that intertwines historical accounts of slavery, racial identity, gender oppression, and spiritual resistance. While the existence of Anastácia as an actual historical figure is dubious, her legend has endured and transcended time, symbolizing the resilience and resistance of... Read more

Somebody’s Always Watching Me – Dr. Andrew Chesnut Interviews Antonio Pagliarulo on His New Book “The Evil Eye”

Last updated on: June 6, 2023 at 8:03 am By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

Dr. Andrew Chesnut: Antonio – you just published this new book on one of the world’s oldest superstitions at a time when institutional religious affiliation is waning and secularization is surging. I have to ask: Why the Evil Eye, and why now? Antonio Pagliarulo: The Evil Eye has always been with us; it’s one of the few ancient beliefs that is truly ubiquitous, present in myriad cultures and countries. In the past few years, however, there has been a... Read more

Saint of Death Santa Muerte Gave Me a New Lease on Life

Last updated on: April 25, 2023 at 10:57 am By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

By guest contributor Seamus Bellamy* I found Santa Muerte before I came to Mexico. I had seen Her many times, in many ways, over the years. I spoke to Her before I even knew her name. She was with me at times when I did harm to others. She watched over me when I attempted to harm myself. “Not yet,” and I would stay a little longer. “Not yet,” and I stayed so long that I outlived the plans... Read more

Santa Muerte Guides Me as a Death Doula

Last updated on: March 29, 2023 at 9:26 am By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

My name is Carl Orosco* and I’m a Death Doula. A Death Doula is a individual who helps someone through their dying process and also helps to emotionally support the family through the death. I am told by people all the time that they don’t know how I have the strength to do what I do because they couldn’t handle being confronted with death and dying on a normal basis. What people don’t see is that this calling for me... Read more

Amid Massive Street Protests Mexican President AMLO Tweets a Fake Elf Photo

Last updated on: March 1, 2023 at 10:02 am By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has found himself at the center of controversy following a recent social media hoax that involved a supposed elf sighting. On February 25 the president, who is known for his populism and quirkiness, tweeted “I’m sharing two photos from our directorship of the Mayan Train project: one taken by an engineer three days ago, it appears to be an Aluxe; the other (photo) by Diego Prieto of a splendid pre-Hispanic sculpture at Ek... Read more

Former Mexican Top Cop on Trial in NYC Worshiped the Devil and Santa Muerte

Last updated on: January 31, 2023 at 9:10 am By Andrew Chesnut

0 Comments

Former Mexican Secretary of Public Security, Genaro Garcia Luna, is currently on trial in a Brooklyn court on charges of drug trafficking and making false statements to federal agents. The trial, which began on January 25, 2023, is the result of a multi-year investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into allegations that Garcia Luna took millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful drug trafficking... Read more

What kind of bird did Noah send out second from the ark?