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- Jun 2, 2025
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My journey with traditional witchcraft has been, frankly, underwhelming. I learned to perform “desesperos” using candles, and—guided by an elderly woman—I even attempted an “amarre” (binding ritual) to Saint Anthony. It achieved one goal: stopping someone from leaving the country; however, it never restored my connection with that person, which was my real intent. I also tried a “retorno” spell (to bring that person back) with a green bottle and candle, but saw no results. So, my experiences so far have been mixed at best. I suspect part of the issue is that I struggle to fully grasp how these practices are supposed to function, which might influence their effectiveness for me—but that’s just my own hypothesis. For anyone interested, the specific rituals I mentioned can be found in Karen Lara’s “Recetario de magia blanca.”
After those forays, I shifted to what I now call “faux Goetia,” working with the Gallery of Magick books like “Demons of Magick,” and moved away from folk witchcraft entirely. That was, until just last week, when I met—through a friend—a woman who practices with tobacco and Santa Muerte. Her approach is incredibly straightforward: she smokes a large Cuban cigar while praying to Santa Muerte.
This got me thinking (as I often do) about the mechanics, meanings, and implications behind these practices. One thing about folk magic is that you often find yourself in the position of a supplicant—ultimately asking for a favor with no guarantee it will be granted. While I understand this dynamic, it doesn’t fully sit right with me. So I began to wonder: is it possible to approach Santa Muerte in the same way magicians evoke Goetic spirits, rather than simply beseeching her?
This line of questioning brings up a lot of difficult, possibly unanswerable, questions for me. Is Santa Muerte analogous to Azrael, the angel of death? If that’s the case, perhaps she could be worked with as one would with angelic spirits (for instance, using tools like the Almadel). If not, is she more of a chthonic entity to be treated as a spirit that must be compelled or coerced? Would traditional divine names like Adonay, YHWH, or AGLA have any authority over her? The cult of Santa Muerte is highly syncretic: sometimes she’s venerated alongside other saints or the Catholic God, other times the practice resembles hoodoo infused with elements from the orishas.
To be clear, I have no intentions to act on these ideas without better understanding—they’re purely speculative thoughts, not plans. I’m not about to risk disrespecting Santa Muerte. I just wanted to share this train of thought, lay it all out, and see what insights others might have. Beyond the basics, I admit I know very little about Santa Muerte herself.
After those forays, I shifted to what I now call “faux Goetia,” working with the Gallery of Magick books like “Demons of Magick,” and moved away from folk witchcraft entirely. That was, until just last week, when I met—through a friend—a woman who practices with tobacco and Santa Muerte. Her approach is incredibly straightforward: she smokes a large Cuban cigar while praying to Santa Muerte.
This got me thinking (as I often do) about the mechanics, meanings, and implications behind these practices. One thing about folk magic is that you often find yourself in the position of a supplicant—ultimately asking for a favor with no guarantee it will be granted. While I understand this dynamic, it doesn’t fully sit right with me. So I began to wonder: is it possible to approach Santa Muerte in the same way magicians evoke Goetic spirits, rather than simply beseeching her?
This line of questioning brings up a lot of difficult, possibly unanswerable, questions for me. Is Santa Muerte analogous to Azrael, the angel of death? If that’s the case, perhaps she could be worked with as one would with angelic spirits (for instance, using tools like the Almadel). If not, is she more of a chthonic entity to be treated as a spirit that must be compelled or coerced? Would traditional divine names like Adonay, YHWH, or AGLA have any authority over her? The cult of Santa Muerte is highly syncretic: sometimes she’s venerated alongside other saints or the Catholic God, other times the practice resembles hoodoo infused with elements from the orishas.
To be clear, I have no intentions to act on these ideas without better understanding—they’re purely speculative thoughts, not plans. I’m not about to risk disrespecting Santa Muerte. I just wanted to share this train of thought, lay it all out, and see what insights others might have. Beyond the basics, I admit I know very little about Santa Muerte herself.
