News — religion
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...
Quick Little Catholic Iconography Lesson
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Ok, the Pinterest Pedant strikes again. Mary does not have a Sacred Heart. Mary has an Immaculate Heart. This is the Immaculate Heart of Mary: sword, flames, roses. No thorns. This is the Sacred Heart. Only Jesus has a Sacred Heart. Thorns, not roses. Pierced, but with a spear, not a sword. Flames but note the cross in the midst of them. Occasionally the Sacred Heart will be pierced by an arrow instead. This has to do with an idea that we wound Christ with blasphemy and profaning the Sabbath. The Golden Arrow Prayer said in reparation is said to...
St. Martha, from Gospel Figure to Medieval Legend to La Dominadora: Sources, Resources, and FAQs
art honey jars household woes housekeeping hyatt literary analysis madame lindsey medieval legends medieval manuscripts monsters peaceful home products religion rootwork education saints st. joseph st. martha sweetening work
St. Martha is the patron saint of servers, cooks, domestic workers, housewives, and those in the hospitality industry - those who are behind the scenes making important things go even when nobody notices.