News — folk catholicism
St. Lucy Chaplet Bracelet
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This one of a kind chaplet bracelet is handmade with 5mm sapphire-blue glass beads, an ornate crucifix with a bronze-toned antiqued patina imported from Italy, a silver milagro imported from Mexico, and a holy medal of St. Lucy handpainted in bright and durable enamels. St. Lucy is petitioned for all kinds of things related to vision and light. She's the patron saint of the blind and also of electricians, and her devotees call on her when they need to see more clearly, whether literally or figuratively. By extension, she's considered a protector against the evil eye, can be called on...
From Thelema to Santa Muerte (and round one vs. the academic myth of the “Anglo-American occult audience”)
anthropology of religion catholicism conjureman ali cultural criticism folk catholicism fredrik gregorius hadean press hoodoo latin american culture literary criticism llewellyn manon hedenborg white paganism rootwork santa muerte santisima muerte witchcraft world religions and spirituality project
Reminder: this site reposts selections from the main blog. For the most up to date and complete news, follow the main blog instead. From World Religions and Spirituality Project, here’s an interview with Manon Hedenborg White, author of The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism (Oxford University Press, 2020) and co-author with Fredrik Gregorius of “The Scythe and the Pentagram: Santa Muerte from Folk Catholicism to Occultism” (Religions 8:1, 2017). I think a few different segments of folks who wander by here might find this worth a look. I had originally intended to stop this blog post at the...
Jesus Malverde Community Altar Service starts tonight
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Have a vigil light set and worked on my Jesus Malverde altar in community altar work service beginning on Monday, May 3rd, which serves as the feast day of this folk saint. There is some wiggle room and you can join up after the work starts as long as you see that there are still spots left and it doesn’t say “sold out.” Jesus Malverde, also known as the Angel of the Poor or the Generous Bandit, is a folk saint who is said to have lived and died in late 19th/early 20th century Sinaloa, Mexico. His reputation as a sort of Robin Hood figure began...
When Angels Are Saints and Saints Are Angels
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I very frequently see folks online say things like this: “Though technically speaking Archangel Michael is not a Saint [sic], sometimes this entity is venerated as one.” I’m not linking to the source for that because my goal is not to single anyone out for being wrong. Thing is, this is not an uncommon misperception. It’s pretty easy to find multiple websites and blogs that say something to this effect – even those of folks who are otherwise pretty well-versed in folk religion and/or folk magic. If this were just a couple of blogs and not a pretty widespread point...
Why Santa Muerte and Jesus Malverde Are Not Just “Narco Saints”
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I can’t count the number of references I’ve seen over the past 15 or so years to Santa Muerte being a “narco saint,” with the implication (or even the straight-up assertion) that she’s a saint for drug dealers, boom, like that’s the whole picture. This kind of statement is incredibly reductionist and oversimplified. It ignores nuance, never mind facts, and it betrays a lack of respect for the (sub)culture(s) from which she springs and a total lack of concern for understanding folk religion – in Mexico or in general. Seriously, it’s insulting and dismissive even if you *are* a drug...