News — folk religion
Sacred Heart with Thorns Nicho Altar Ornament
altar art altars art catholic iconography catholicism conjure conjure art folk art folk catholicism folk religion nichos ornaments sacred art sacred heart
Hand-cut, hammered, and shaped ornament is made with reclaimed tinplate framing this tiny print reproduction of an antique holy card featuring the Sacred Heart. After filing and sanding sharp corners and edges, I embellished it from my stash of vintage, antique, and/or reclaimed fabrics, metals, beads, and trims, including resin rhinestones, vintage lace, a satin rose, a vintage plastic faceted heart charm in a brass frame, and a tiny little curl of dried vine for the crown of thorns. Available at Seraphin Station.
Jesus Malverde Community Altar Service starts tonight
community altar work dangerous jobs folk belief folk catholicism folk magic folk religion folklore jesus malverde latin american culture mexico money narco saints poverty prosperity protection
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
ancestors angelology angels canonization catholicism communion of saints cosmology folk catholicism folk religion hoodoo theory intercession of saints mystical body of church ontology purgatory religion saints st. michael st. thomas aquinas theology
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...
Erzulie Freda as equilibrist
african diasporic religion erzulie freda folk religion francophone culture haiti religion social commentary transpossession vodou
While I will probably never stop making a little face when anybody refers to the lwa of Vodou as “gods” and “goddesses,” this is nonetheless a pretty decent little bite-sized article touching on some aspects of Freda’s expressions of femininity. Nwokocha, Eziaku Atuama. “An Equilibrist Vodou Goddess.” Harvard Divinity Bulletin v. 31:3-4 (Summer/Autumn 2013). Harvard Divinity School. Accessed 7 Feb. 2021.
recent reading roundup: poison, atchafalaya ethnology, faith healing in Louisiana
alec sonnier anthropology archaeology atchafalaya basin bayou life cajun creole ethnic identities ethnology faith healing folk belief folk magic folk medicine folk religion folklore francophone culture gens de couleur libre iberia immigration julia swett louisiana louisiana folklife lower mississippi valley native american plaquemine culture point coupee poisons prayer religion slavery southern catholicism st. landry parish superstitions traiteurs
[Remember, this blog here at the shop address is a mirror / backup of the real Seraphin Station blog here. Visit there to comment, ask questions, get responses, interact with others, see useful and interesting links and resources, and/or read all the blog posts, not just the highlights I repost here.] photo credit jclk8888, Pixabay I don't have time to summarize anything right now, but I'm hoping if I leave this here, it'll spur me to do so later. James H. Diaz. Atlas of Human Poisoning and Envenoming, 2nd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2014. Hilda Roberts. "Louisiana Superstitions." Journal...