Tuesday, March 05, 2013

La Santa Muerte (The Saint of Death) Gaining in Popularity

It seems that there is a new Saint in town coming from Mexico.

Clad in a black nun's robe and holding a scythe in one hand, Santa Muerte appeals to people seeking all manner of otherworldly help: from fending off wrongdoing and carrying out vengeance to stopping lovers from cheating and landing better jobs. And others seek her protection for their drug shipments and to ward off law enforcement.

"Her growth in the United States has been extraordinary," said Andrew Chesnut, author of "Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint" and the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. "Because you can ask her for anything, she has mass appeal and is now gaining a diverse group of followers throughout the country. She's the ultimate multi-tasker."

She does cut a quite ominous looking figure. The color of Santa Meurtes robes are supposed to symbolize what sort of thing the person prays for. Red means you want her to grant love, white means protection, gold means getting you a job, and black means vengeance.  I guess this one wants revenge on someone or something:


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