She may look spooky but, not unlike the Hindu Goddess Kali, Santa Muerte (seen here), is not all that she appears. Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte (Spanish for Our Lady of the Holy Death), often shortened to Santa Muerte, is a cult image, female deity, and folk saint in Mexican neo-paganism and folk Catholicism. Our Lady of the Holy Death is a personification of death but, unlike other saints who originated in Mexican folk Catholicism, Santa Muerte is not, herself, seen as a dead human being. She is associated with healing, protection, financial wellbeing, and assurance of a path to the afterlife. Santa Muerte is also revered and seen as a saint and protector of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities in Mexico. Many LGBT+ people ask her for protection from violence, hatred, disease, and to help them in their search for love. Her intercession is commonly invoked in same-sex marriage ceremonies performed in Mexico. ($85) #santamuerte #santamuertefigurine #santamuertestatues #ourladyoftheholydeath #nuestraseñoradelasantamuerte #folksaint #femaledeity #neopaganism #folkcatholicism #lgbtq #lgbtqsaint #mexicanlgbtq #protection #lovemagic #afterlife #shop #nyc #unionsquare #beadsofparadise (at Beads of Paradise NYC) https://www.instagram.com/p/CS129q-rvcA/?utm_medium=tumblr