La Santísima Muerte

On the other hand, the Santísima Muerte is one Mexican deity who is considered to be rooted solidly in the religion of the Mexican Indians, particularly that of the Aztecs, who had dual nature gods and goddesses, one of which was a goddess who had a “life aspect” and “death aspect”, one of which is the primogenetrix of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the other is that of the Santísima Muerte. In this sense, these two figures represent the same ideal as that shown in the Hindu goddess Kali, who, on one side, is shown holding a flower and an a open hand with the “fear not gesture”, and on other a sword and severed head. In this image, she represents both life and death, while the Aztecs simply had two figures who were aspects of the same deity. In a sense, the use of three separate images of the Santísima Muerte - a red one, and white one, and a black one - represents three areas ones life, or of ones destiny, which is subject to the influence of the rituals she performs - is a continuation of the Aztec practice of having separate images representing separate and distinct aspects of the same deity.

Manuela performs two types of tasks - “trabajos” (works) and “limpias” (ritual cleansings). In either of these, the making of amulets is integral.

In a limpia, the passing of an egg over the body of the subject, accompanied by the recitation of prayers, is essential. After that, the patient must carry the amulets that are made especially for her, and which will contain ingredients that she, the patient, must supply, including rice from her own cupboard at home, and her own perfume. Another essential ingredient is a particular perfume used widely by curanderas and brujas, known as “Siete Machos”.