reply to post by nine-eyed-eel
(okay, parenthetical=interpolation, everything else=translation)
...She is seen with a scythe in one hand, because it is believed that the soul has a connection with the body that takes the form of a silver cord,
and then Death cuts that cord with Her scythe...
(the silver cord is interesting, I recall it not only from 19th century poetry, but I do think both Robert Monroe + Oliver Fox mention the silver
cord as an actual observable item, at some point, in their separate accounts of astral travel/OOBEs, if memory serves)
or She is depicted with a globe of the world, in order to express Her dominion, or with a skull to represent mortality...
She is seen in different colors, depending on what it is that is being asked of Her, for example, yellow in order to obtain money...
(Freese gives gold to obtain money, yellow to combat addictions (yellow candles are also deemed to combat addiction in the similar-but-different
Argentine male-death-god cult of San La Muerte, by the way) but gold does look like yellow)
blue is for health, educational success and to obtain the truth, white is for goodness and interpersonal loyalty
(Freese gives white for purification, and prevention of envy among relatives)
and black is for black magic witchcraft, and in order to obtain an evil result ...
To Her believers, the Lady, as they call Her affectionately, is able to not only manifest Herself as an apparition, but also to take on an actual
physical bodily form...
(yeah, I failed to point this out properly before, in the youtube video already posted "FUROR POR LA SANTA MUERTE EN SALTILLO part two", near the
start, that young woman "Azul" is also testifying/making claims about Santa Muerte physically manifesting like that)
and/or She is able to imprint Her image and likeness upon whatever various place...In the books and magazines that promote Her cult, the believers
narrate the tales of Her miraculous interventions in their lives, in which the Death Saint did free them from numerous dangers and/or helped them to
figure out complicated life problems...
Many and numerous are the extant visual depictions of Death, just like Death has had many and various names down through the length of history when
many cultures already adored Death. But in the present day, it is the image of a skeleton dressed in a robe that represents Her, one can find such in
various different colors each of which symbolizes something in particular. The color of the Saint Death that should be chosen for placement on the
altar depends upon the nature of the worshipper's request. White for health
(note that they said above "blue for health" already, and Freese says white is purification and prevention of envy among relatives)
black for strength and power, purple to open the way, to clear obstacles from a path, coffee-colored to bring in spirits from the Other Side, green to
maintain unity among the loved ones, red for love and yellow for good luck ...
(again, Freese gives yellow for recovery, and it was yellow for money a minute ago (but money is like good luck), Freese says purple for health,
green for legal matters, lawyers)
It is said Her official day is the fifteenth of August, proclaimed "Santa Muerte Day" by Her faithful.
Even though the Catholic church condemns this reverence, calling it "sinful", some do still associate these practices with regular Catholicism.
Meanwhile it seems like the majority of the followers aren't bothered by the contradiction between their religion and the pagan cult of "La
Santa".
Along those lines, they organize rituals similar to Christian rituals, including processions and prayers, with the goal of gaining Her favor. Many
have come to erect their own private altar in their home, office, or business in order to feel themselves as being under Her protection. The altar
customarily tends to consist of a statue or statuette, whose measurements can run from say 15 centimeters up to actual full-human-size, surrounded by
various different offerings, among which are found flower arrangements, fruit, incense, booze, money, candy and treats, besides candles, the color of
which varies in accordance with the prayer request.
The people come up to Her in order to beg Her for miracles or favors regarding love and health and work. On the other hand, they also beg Her for
malevolent end results, like revenge or the death of another. Her flock tend to distinguish themselves by wearing some trinket or amulet with Her
image, while still others opt to carry Her likeness in a permanent form, tattooing Her on their skin. Among necessary items required are cigars, there
always should be one constantly lit, plus the unavoidable piece of bread...
Initially Her devotion was limited to criminals, including smugglers, gangbangers, thieves, robbers, and prostitutes, in the habit of praying to Her
for protection from police bullets and other bad things, like jail...
(one of the 12 Alfareria Street videos also listed homosexuals as early adopters)
Holy Saint Death is adored and Her ceremony has been prohibited and put down by the Catholic Church, a sculpted skeleton body wrapped up in a robe
receives offerings of cigars and gems and even wedding dresses, from those who invoke Her in order to attain marriage ...
The clothing that Saint Death wears has special meaning. In the first place there's Her robe, that covers Her from head to foot. The symbolism of the
robe is simple but profound. In the same way we hide our true appearance from all others. Just like the cloth covers the skeleton that represents the
Lady, we conceal our inner selves behind our flesh, our inner selves that we denounce, like humans would, and that we try in every way to disguise.
With elegantly-decorated apparel and as big as a person, the effigy of the Holy White Little Girl shows Her scythe while at the same time supporting
the world in the palm of Her left hand, from inside a glass case located in the entranceway of the Church of Pity, in Colonia Morelos.
We might think that a pretty face is pretty, because of the skin, and the color of it. But if we scratch at it we will discover the skull and that
skull has but little to distinguish it from the skulls being carried around inside our neighbor, and our partner at work, our best friend or our most
hated enemy. In there is the place that the robe of the Saint hides the destiny that we all carry around inside our bodies. In most versions the robe
of the Lady is white.
The scythe...this farm implement stands for implacable justice, not Hers and not that of the Supreme Being who governs and directs the life of all, it
is Nature itself who imposes death on us, one day, in order to complete the cycle initiated at birth. Everybody finally falls, under the scythe of
their death, and the long and sinister scythe indicates to us that on the road of death there are no distinctions. It is a symbol of equality and
harmony.
The world, its significance is very clear, the Lady has no borders, She is in all places and does not distinguish between the different men who
inhabit the earth, because all of it is Hers.
The scales ...this instrument is a clear allusion to equality, justice and impartiality. It also represents the Divine Will. Normally the scales are
used to accomplish a job, or to investigate the truth of some result.
The hourglass is the measure of your life on earth, it is an hourglass because upending it is all it takes to return you to the beginning. This is
already very important, that your life, like everybody's, is cyclical, and death is only a change, something similar to flipping over the hourglass
and starting again...
(the end got fairly philosophical there, for an academic piece,huh)
[edit on 11-9-2009 by nine-eyed-eel]
[edit on 11-9-2009 by nine-eyed-eel]
