this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2025
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Santa Muerte

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Santa Muerte, or "Saint Death," is a folk saint venerated in Mexico and parts of the U.S., representing death in a way that’s deeply intertwined with both reverence and protection.

Devotees believe she offers guidance, healing, and safety, often turning to her for help in matters of life and death, especially when traditional religious routes feel inaccessible.

The imagery of Santa Muerte typically includes a skeletal figure dressed in robes, sometimes holding symbols like a scythe or globe.

Her followers range from ordinary people seeking help with personal struggles to those involved in more marginalized or dangerous lifestyles.

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Santa Muerte: Saint of the Dispossessed, Enemy of Church and State (hemisphericinstitute.org)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by UniversalMonk@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/santamuerte@sh.itjust.works
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This article shows Santa Muerte as a deeply meaningful, inclusive spiritual icon. Especially for the poor, the undocumented, LGBTQ individuals, sex workers, and others marginalized by both the state and the Catholic Church.

excerpt:

In the early years of my research, few people in Mexico would talk to me about her, and few in the US knew of her; she was either underground or unknown. Now, the Bony Lady is “out” and very visible. Since early 2000, worship has grown dramatically in Mexico and in the US, especially among migrants. I came to understand her popularity among migrants and LGBTQ communities in Mexico; she is associated with those living precarious lives and/or engaged in dangerous undertakings.

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[–] UniversalMonk@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

This article shows Santa Muerte as a deeply meaningful, inclusive spiritual icon. Especially for the poor, the undocumented, LGBTQ individuals, sex workers, and others marginalized by both the state and the Catholic Church.

excerpt:

In the early years of my research, few people in Mexico would talk to me about her, and few in the US knew of her; she was either underground or unknown. Now, the Bony Lady is “out” and very visible. Since early 2000, worship has grown dramatically in Mexico and in the US, especially among migrants. I came to understand her popularity among migrants and LGBTQ communities in Mexico; she is associated with those living precarious lives and/or engaged in dangerous undertakings.