While there will always be a legitimate form, an official version, or an orthodoxy, sometimes it seems the “unofficial,” the “illegitimate,” or the “unorthodox,” can be just as powerful, and representative of an even more potent truth. The case of Santa Muerte, the Mexican folk-saint of death, is one such enigmatic example. She is a creation of the street people, the lower class, the poor and the suffering, in one of the largest
cities in the world. She often attracts the worst: drug dealers, murders, thieves, and addicts. She also gives millions of people hope, acceptance, and, paradoxically, immense joy. In this second installment of The Cult of Santa Muerte, Drs. Micono and Morelos dive deeper into the utility and meaning of such a powerful figure
with Mexico City psychotherapist and Santa Muerte researcher Antonio Primavera.