Embracing The Mother of Tears: the Worship of La Santa Muerte.
Embracing The Mother Of Tears: Grief, Transformation and the worship of La Santa Muerte
Hello friends! What times we live in! Filled with conflict and change. It is in these times when nothing is certain that we reach for forces greater than us in order to feel stable and supported. Everything you are about to read is based on my book “Beneath The Veil Of Death: The Worship Of La Santa Muerte” By Mictlan MoonShadow
We as western people have a horrible relationship to Death, both as an end to life, and an agent of transformation for the living. However nobody is immune to the touch of the reaper. Be it in life when everything changes, and at the end where our journey in the physical world comes to its conclusion. Yet in the modern day Global Culture we have access to different approaches to connecting with the inevitable part of life that is Death. As such Santa Muerte, Mexican Folk Saint has come to the modern world to teach us about our relationship to life and the touch of transformation.
So with that in mind, who is Santa Muerte? Her Name Santa Muerte translates to “Holy Death” and she is the living embodiment of Death itself. In the last 25 years she has exploded in popularity online and in popular culture. Most people see her through the eyes of fear. With modern day jargon labeling her as the Non Canonical Saint who is the patron of criminals and violent people. Yet that is only very much a partial truth. Santa Muerte is the Non Canonical Saint who is the Patron of those in the outskirts of society. When nobody else cares for you she does. When organized religion has rejected you, she embraces you. When you feel judged by everyone around you, when you feel rejected. She cares not! She loves you just as you are, and has compassion for your grief and your suffering.
Often depicted as a strange combination of The Grimm Reaper and Mother Mary. She carries a Scythe that is used not just to reap the souls of the dying. It is also used to cut down the blocks to your success. It can be used to remove from your life the influence of those who would do you and your loved ones harm. She is primarily seen dressed in one of 3 colors: White, Red and Black.
Each of these colors carries deeper magical symbolism. Her white aspect is what we will focus on today. She is
“La Nina Blanca” or the White Little Girl. Her child-like disposition can bring forth a smile in us in our darkest of days. It is when we are at our lowest points when we need her the most. You see The White Robed Santa Muerte is primarily a healer. When we connect with Santa Muerte as The Mother of Tears, we are connecting both to The Reaper that takes The Souls of our loved ones to the afterlife, and also to the loving and gentle healer that embraces us when only grief can be found in our hearts and comforts us.
The touch of Santa Muerte always brings forth change. It does so with compassion for she understands that our lives are short, and we deserve happiness. It matters not what you asked for, if it is for your highest good she will grant your prayer in divine timing, however not necessarily when you expect it. Be willing to understand this is not a free ticket to consequence free life. She will grant most prayers, however you must be willing to live with the consequences of your actions.
Offer her your tears when your heart is breaking, they are her most holy sacrament. Be aware that in times when the whole world seems to be falling appart. It is in times like these that she is at her most active. Protecting the vulnerable and bringing forth the healing the world needs. However for that to happen she needs the cooperation of the mortals she loves so much.
If you have a wound when it comes to Catholicism and European Colonization of Native People in the Americas. She may be the perfect person to work with for your spirituality. Her roots are deeply embedded in the Religion of the Native People of Central Mexico. Where she began her life as Mictlancihuatl the Mexica Goddess of Death and the Underworld. Throughout History she blended with European Occultism and Catholicism, as well as The African Diaspora Traditions. In modern day Mexico and around the world she is hated by the official Catholic Church. However most of her worshipers consider themselves Catholic. Yet the Catholicism of Santa Muerte is very different from the Catholicism of The Church. It is Magical, Inclusive and Fair. It will heal your Soul from any wounds you carry.
In these times of change I invite you if you are so called to explore the magic of the Mother of tears! If you feel called by her and wish to learn more about her magic from an experienced worshiper that grew up in her culture of origin. I invite you to read the book I wrote about her: “ Beneath The Veil of Death: The Worship Of La Santa Muerte.” By Mictlan MoonShadow, I include a link on where to buy it below. Thank you for reading about the Magic of the Mother of Tears.
