La Flaca (The Skinny One), Nina Santa (Holy Girl), La Calaca (The Skeleton) are just some of the names given to the skeleton saint La Santisima Muerte (The Most Holy Death).
Although she is not recognized by the Catholic Church, her followers consider her a saint. Some believe that she is the Virgin Mary (specifically Our Lady of Guadalupe) representing the way she would look in death. Others believe her to be a representation of the Aztec ruler of death.
It's believed that Santa Muerte is rooted as far back as to the Aztecs, particularly to the goddess Mictlancihuatl (the Aztec goddess of death) and the wife of Mictlantecuhtli (the Aztec god of death) who together ruled over the underworld and the world of the dead.
Interestingly, the spider, the owl and the bat are associated with Mictlantecuhtli (the Aztec god of death) as they are with Santa Muerte. Because she is known as the Lady of the Dead, and for other similarities, she and Santa Muerte are considered one in the same.
Whether Santa Muerte began as the symbol of the Aztec goddess of death or the representation of Our Lady of Guadalupe will never be resolved. Today, she represents a strong influence for many followers of the Catholic Church and beyond. She can be used with or without other spirits and Saints by anyone willing to follow her. Santa Muerte accepts everyone alike. There are no rules.
Working with Santa Muerte
The beauty of working with Santa Muerte is that she is a complete and total magical system in herself. This means that she can be called upon for every single need a person may have. Unlike the Saints and other deities who can only be called upon for issues that are within their particular workings or patronage, Santa Muerte has no limits or restrictions.
Santa Muerte does not separate good and evil. There is no distinction between the two in her eyes. Petitions are just petitions, cries for help in time of need. She will respond to requests of any nature and will never cast judgment upon a person for what they ask or who they are. Santa Muerte will grant many requests that are otherwise shunned by Saints.
Gold/ orange represents…
Money, prosperity, success, spiritual blessings, asking for special favors, reaching goals and deadlines, abundance, riches, material gain, overcoming bad habits, self improvement, motivation, courage, strengthen a particular talent, gain new insight of a matter, overcoming fear, gaining new and fresh ideas, landing a new job or blessing the opening of a new business,
She is a beautiful amber resin filled with amulets in the bottom of her statue. She is approx 5" tall.
