Well, apparently they're persecuting the Cult of Santa Muerte. Can't be sure, the Archbishop may have been part of a kidnapping ring. What I find fascinating is that it's tied to a gang that calls itself El Aztlan, referring to the mythical home of the Aztecs. That would be like a gang called the Atlanteans, esse! The culture is hooked into its mythos a lot stronger than mine is.
So the article mentions they also had these shrines built all along the road in Nuevo Laredo, and the government and the army went out and tore down the shrines. There's an ongoing war against the cult that's ratcheting up in intensity. Some will say it's another front of drug wars between the government and the cartels, but I tell you the truth, the war between the cartels and the government is really just another front of the spiritual war between the Powers and Principalities in high places, aww yeah.
But look, folks, there's a reason Mictecaciahuatl rules the underworld, and there's a reason she is Señora de las Sombras. I think they got too public with her, and her image became profaned. I think she's cutting off the impious, those who would use her image instead of honoring it. You don't fuck around with Aztec Gods. You just don't.
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Nice wake up call Fr,
ReplyDeleteAs being of hispanic descendant, what I can say is that people who follow the cult of the Santa Muerte will deny the malefic powers they can unleash against anyone and they try to put it as a valid religion, when is not.
One thing is the cultural background of the Aztecs than the use this figure as something representative of it.
Currently, many Drug Cartel leaders, like Zetas, La Familia and others, are using rites of la "Santa Muerte" to protect themselves from the authorities, but at the same time federal authorities are using it too for protection against the Cartels!, interesting uh?
While many people, as I said above, might justify the use of such figure for good, most of them use it for evil. Being a magician and from hispanic descendant and knowing how my culture and ethnic group works, I can properly say all of this.
By the way, I'm a Rosicrucian Magician and I oppose to that cult and rite, just to clear any doubt.
Interestingly, the notion that Santa Muerte is the hypostasis of an Aztec deity is one that has been convincingly disputed. There is some rather good evidence that she was brought over from Europe where she is found in exactly the same form (three colors; red, black and white with scythe and globe) and was honoured somewhat secretively as La Santissima Morte. Tantalisingly, it has been suggested that this figure is a hypostasis of Persephone. I highly recommend the writings of the late Bryant Holman on this topic.
ReplyDeleteDitto with regards to the war between the Powers and Principalities though.
"the war between the cartels and the government is really just another front of the spiritual war between the Powers and Principalities in high places, aww yeah."
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a lot of truth in this statement. As Above and all that jazz. Part of me is curious to see both guns and rituals being used in this conflict, but the better part of me is horrified by the tragic deaths of innocents killed in this war.
@VL: Why are you opposed to the rite and cult? Is it particularly evil?
ReplyDelete@Dhr. B: When I made a crystal skull and got to Work with Tezcatlipoca, I picked up a particular "vibe" of the Aztec gods. It's sort of how Salvia Divinorum feels. I pick up the same vibe over Santa Muerte, and based on that, I'd say that regardless of the European lineage of the iconography, in Mexico today she is very much an extension of Mictecaciahuatl. What's that called, "personally received gnosis" or something like that? YMMV, take it with a grain of salt (or maybe more), etc.
@Simon, yeah, it's one thing to see it as a process of manifestation, and something altogether different to witness as a flesh and blood human being.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely with you placing the Aztec gods in the "not to be fucked with" category. There is a kind of serpentine ferocity....not sure how exactly to describe it. Definitely entities to respect.
ReplyDelete...now that I think about it, might be worth checking out some of the other local American Gods. Don't know why I haven't considered that before. Thanks for the mental poke.=)
@FRAIT: Yeah, let me know if you can tie them into the parts of earth while you're at it. :D
ReplyDeleteFr RO,
ReplyDeleteAs in most branches of magic/belief systems, the rites by itselves are not evil, since as you know, someone can use a spirit from Goetia and not necessarily for evil purposes. The same applies with the "Santa Muerte".
What I have noticed regarding the people who practice these rituals (I do actually know people), is that at least the most people I know, they use it for evil purposes, like envy; fuck someone's life just because; etc.
In Los Angeles, there's a group of people who celebrate masses to the "Santa Muerte" as in catholic masses. They meet as if in a normal church and they want to make it seem like a religion, when again, is not a religion.
@VL, thanks. I saw one article describe her as the "saint of all things seedy," meaning all the things organized crime profit from, like prostitution, drugs, human trafficking, or anything of the "underworld" or black market.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's why she's allowing the upper world to shut down her public shrines.
The followers of this "death" cult sound a lot like the early thuggees of India's Kali cult.
ReplyDeleteYou know several of my colleagues work with Santa Muerte and let me tell you she's not to be messed with. When you are on good terms with her she's loving, cool, and extremely protective and comforting.
ReplyDeleteIf you piss her off though..she's one of these spirits, deities, saints that knows how to set you straight quick. I can totally see cleaning house inside her own cult.
I've been fascinated with Santa Muerte since I first heard of her. We had a really lovely altar to her at my grove's Samhain.
ReplyDeleteAt least here in Argentina, followers of San La Muerte, a very similar cult, are all heretic catholics that pray to him (here is a him) to avoid being catched by police and gettin' a juicy bounty, not something a saint would be proud of...
ReplyDelete@Frater VL---The cult of Santa Muerte not a valid religion? Do you know the definition of religion? I hope not: enough ink never to be read has been spilled on that one. Go around flinging stones in glass houses and someone may disrepect magickians, as you do Santa Muerte. BTW, how much difference is there between "disrespting" and "fucking with"?
ReplyDeleteAs for a Goddess being able to unleash malefic powers, since when does that make a Goddess's cult invalid? Is Dianic Wicca invalid? Diana was darn malefic against Actaeon & Callisto. & how about Hermes? He nailed Prometheus to Mount Caucasus & unleashed the eagle. Angels?--Azrael & the firstborn of Egypt. Athanasius's prayers before Arius collapsed at his rostrum?--in Christ's name I bet. One of my favorite Psalms is 109: Iao (the Greeks had vowels) can be very malefic: I'll pray it tonight.
@RO---Pls don't equate all-too-human ugliness with what goes on Above. It makes Above look ugly, & anyone can do it. St Torquemada was better at it than you, had better spiritual credentials, & was a sociopathic mass murderer. & I doubt Archangels like being compared to the Federales.
The cult of Santa Muerte, Aztec Goddess, has never died out. I haven't read all the references, but they're easy to find & are mostly in anthropological journals. So you're all talking about a cult thousands of years old, still going strong, as if you know something. You don't know, so stop looking foolish.
Some of Jesus' best friends were prostitutes, tax collectors, sinners: he had a Zealot, i.e., an outlaw and a rebel, as a disciple and apostle. In Mexico such people & the Cult of Santa Muerte, which accepts them when Jesus' Church will not, are being persecuted by the Church and the State. Jesus himself I believe suffered somewhat at the hands of the State and Religious Authority. I say, Choose this day whom ye will serve. And, Judge not, lest ye be judged.
I'd quote chapter and verse, but I reckon each of you has them at the tips of your tongue.
--
Hieronimo
@Hiero: First of all, the comments are moderated, you don't need to submit it three times. It will publish when I get to it, if I decide it's worth it, and your little hissy fit about didn't make it. You've got me more than a little annoyed with your tone.
ReplyDeleteSecond, VL was expressing his opinion based on his understanding of the terms. Feel free to disagree, but he's a practicing magician with the experience to deserve more than a little respect. He's also IN THE CULTURE that most actively works with Santa Muerte. You aren't, and have your panties in a twist over shit you don't even understand.
For example, where in the fuck do you get me equating human ugliness with what goes on above? You've taken something somewhere, assuming you'e even read what I wrote, and twisted it the fuck out of context and meaning if that's what you're walking away from this post with.
And you haven't read the references, but you know the cult neer died out so it's thousands of years old? What the FUCK are you talking about? Here's a suggestion, READ THE REFERENCES you're talking about before throwing out words like "foolish." You'll see your assertions aren't as set in stone as you'd like to believe.
And what did Jesus tell the prostitutes and tax collectors, you little douche? He told them to REPENT. You know, turn from sin and back to God.
Take your issues elsewhere.
Ooh, and honest-to-god R.O. tirade. And I was worrying you'd gone soft on us ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm from Juarez in northern mexico and the Santa Muerte cult just very recently went public in the world's deadliest city. I thought it appropriate and a good thing because it could bring solace to the people who have experienced deaths in the family... then, some dude sacrified his friend to the santa muerte and i rolled my eyes.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Santa Muerte is a powerful image that can be used by magicians, it also has a social depth of serving as an excuse for doing things. In a country where magical thinking is part of our everyday lives, and regular families have a number of altars to every saint you can imagine, it isn't really all that surprising that bringing this imagery to the public has some mean repercussions.
Also, about the up above conflict as it affects the drug cartels and the govt in MEX... I had been toying around with that idea, but I can't fully grasp it, so if anyone can explain I'd love you like it's nobody's business.
Fr RO, and all,
ReplyDeleteIf you are members of the "Evocational Magic" in Yahoo groups, you will find this very interesting article, on which Santa Muerte was involved:
"An Evocation and Binding of the Dead"
Hope you read it.
The problem with the "Santa Muerte" cult, is that people in the first place, pretend to call it a religion, and second, many of these people say they're catholic/christians or whatever they call themselves, but the least thing they will accept, is to being called a "Brujo".
LVX
@PR: It was more of a mini-rant.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do understand where he got the "equating human ugliness with what goes on Above" from, but I never "equated" it. When shit's going down here below that looks like human ugliness, I believe there's something Above that's getting resolved, and people and their actions are reflections of that apparent conflict.
But it's only conflict in the way that where the magma seeps to the surface beneath the ocean looks like a war between fire and water, when really it's just the way the Earth continually reforms itself.
You don't fuck around with Aztec Gods. You just don't.
ReplyDeleteoh so true. very well said R.O