A few years ago, impressed by the Latin American cult of Santa Muerte, I described it here.
“SANTA MUERTE OR VIRGIN MARIA”
In the process of interacting with locals and in connection with my personal sympathy for this religion, I want to continue and explain something that I did not immediately understand. And I did not understand the essence of how it would seem that Santa Catarina (a woman with a skull instead of a face) gets along with the Virgin Mary. It turned out that this is not quite the Virgin Mary, or rather, not her at all.
This is the truth of the Virgin, whom they call the Virgin, she is holy, but the meaning is completely different. It has nothing to do with Jesus. Earlier, the Indians, the local population, lived on this land, however, they worshiped Spirits just as they do now (Mayan descendants). Spirits of all living things in principle: plants, animals, stones, places, etc. But the main elements were four. Earth, Water, Air and Fire. The main Gods who created all living things are Padre Sol and Madre Tierra (Father Sun and Mother Earth). When the conquistadors came, they imposed their religion, they brought the Madonna here. Mother of God.
The Indians could not “refuse”, but they could change and “adjust” to their world completely. This is how syncretism happened and the Great Mother appeared, the female womb, which united these four elements and gave birth to this World. And when they say Ave María here, Europeans and everyone who is not Latin American are very happy that the locals love their Madonna so much, remaining blissfully ignorant of what Latinos actually mean. Many songs, mantras and prayers contain words about Santa Virgen. But they have a completely different Essence. So what about Santa Catarina-Women-Sculp.
If in two words and in our way, “Gestalt-style”, then this is simply her Shadow, her reverse side. The infinity of birth and death. Here she gives Life, with the fragments of death inside, here comes Death and in it the seeds of a new Life..🧡🖤 And everything goes as it should, and there is neither meaning nor possibility to resist neither old age nor nullification. Eternity begins with two zeros, two opposites, united forever…
