If you don’t have your Halloween look together yet, never fear. There is still time, and here is an idea that needs only some flowers, a lot of makeup and a few scarves, plus maybe a scythe if you happen to have one in the garage. Show up at the party as Santa Muerte, the patron saint of hard cases.

The skeletal saint called “holy death” is also known by several other names, some of them included here. “Santa Muerte” is pretty universal, but some devotees have promoted her to the rank of Santísima Muerte, the most holy.

Another title is La Niña Blanca because, after all, bleached bones are white. And perhaps to honor the purity of the Virgin Mary, who in this form has been adopted as surrogate mother by millions of people throughout the world. In this representation, Saint Mary has a distinct personality that not even a Pope would have dared to imagine.

This deity has an accepting and non-judgmental nature, at least in relation to those who seek her help, and will extract apologies from their enemies and even take revenge on those miscreants. She is particularly fond of society’s outcasts, and those who are just barely hanging on: the economically disadvangaged, disenfranchised, and marginalized.

As is the case with many women (and particularly mothers), her work never ends, as she is in charge of several spiritual departments, including protection, financial heath, the guarantee of an afterlife, and the career specialty most applicable to addiction, which is healing.

This leads to a crazy paradox: The Lady can heal an addict, and maybe, on occasion, guard one from harm (or from becoming an addict in the first place). And the drug manufacturers and smugglers and peddlars, the entrepreneurs who supply and encourage the addict? The Narco Saint can protect, enrich, and perhaps even heal them too.

In general, people beseech a saint in the same frame of mind with which they interview a potential defense lawyer, looking for someone with experience and wisdom to intercede, on their behalf, with a higher power. In heaven, just as in the American legal system, everyone is entitled to have an advocate.

Another appelation, La Flaca, seems equivalent to “chick” in colloquial use, but can encompass a wide range of emotional depth, implying anything from affectionate friendship to exclusive romantic interest. (Also, like “sweetheart” and some other English words, it can be used with sarcasm and scorn. But not in this case!) She may also be known by titles that translate as the Bony Lady, the Bone Mother, the Powerful Lady, and the Lady of Shadows.

This versatile saint has something for everybody, including the promise of immortality. To gain her attention and aid, offerings and promises are made; only instead of throwing oneself on the mercy of the court, a person depends solely on La Niña Blanca to understand and intervene.

Her statues wear different colors, each specific to particular requests or specific needs. The illustration on this page concentrates on green and red, so might be presumed to concern legal problems with a side order of passionate romantic love. White, as always, is for purity and peace, as well as protection; gold is for prosperity; black is for both vengeance and defense, and power in general.

Followers of the Lady do not care if she is officially condemned. They do not ask for the Church’s approval or the government’s blessing. They only know that, in a world of suffering and uncertainty, Santa Muerte is listening. And for many, that is enough. The veneration of Santa Muerte is said to currently be the most rapidly growing religious movement in the world, of which plenty of evidence can be seen online.

One Reddit correspondent communicated how they prayed to the saint before trying meth for the first time, asking for protection from becoming addicted; but got hooked anyway, then was so ashamed, they were reluctant to pray to the saint for help again. An autistic person wrote in about being addicted to cannabis, and another replied that they had gone through hell in the past quitting without prayer, but the most recent quit was made much easier through La Flaca’s intercession.

Another spelled out the exact prayer that had helped them, and specified that three candles should be burned, one each of amber, purple, and white. It is important to write with marker (or etch into the wax) of each candle, the supplicant’s name.

Then, as always, there is the marketplace. Like so many other celebrities, Santa Muerte has inspired spinoff commercial enterprises. If a person does not feel competent to pitch their own plea for help, an online service will take over and cast a proxy spell at the cost of a mere $750. The advertising for this resource is directed specifically at a particular market: addicts. Under a Product Information subheading we find these words:

Spell Service, meticulously crafted to guide individuals battling addiction… With over 34 years of spiritual practice and a proven track record of treating addiction for 25 years.

The customer receives a customized Personalized Ritual (thoughtfully performed during the moon’s waning phase, to “tap into the optimal cosmic energy”). To enhance the spell’s effectiveness, of course, the individual’s photo, full name, and birthdate should be included.

Here, a digression seems called for.

Traditionally, over the centuries, in churches, chapels and shrines where statues of Santa Muerte are found at altars, where candles are lit to honor the saint, the help-seeker’s name is carved into the candle, or attached to the offering in some other way, and this raises a question. When addressing a supernatural being who presumably knows all the secrets of the universe, both in life and in the afterlife, why must the supplicant include a return address or any other information? Would it not be more respectful to assume that the saint is omniscient, and does not need to be told such details?

Security matters a lot these days, online, where it looks like this sort of “personalized ritual” could lead to the embarrassing release of sensitive information, into a world that includes the Dark Web, government agencies, fraudsters, identity thieves, and other entities.

Fortunately, for those who wish to avoid any web-related complications, it is totally possible to proceed in the time-honored do-it yourself fashion, thanks to information sources where friendly voices offer on how to set up a personal altar at home. La Flaca’s attention can be gained with offerings of not only candles and flowers, but tobacco and liquor, preferably tequila.

The scythe often held by the saint, like a female version of the Grim Reaper, is an ancient tool with a curved blade, used for harvesting grain. But the devotee knows that La Niña Blanca can be implored to use it to cut the ties that bind you to your addiction. If you happen to be a drug dealer, lighting black candles in her honor provides protection from both rival gangs and the police.

Known as the saint who will help anyone, she is the heavenly court of last resort — so don’t insult her by petitioning other saints. Honor her by going to her first. A follower known by the handle AlchemicalRevolution warns, “She will never judge you, but she will never forgive you as well if you waste this gift of life she has provided.”

Written by Pat Hartman. First published October 24, 2025.

Sources:

“La Santa Muerte: Mexico’s Saint of Delinquents and Outcasts,” VICE.com, November 1, 2014.

“Santa Muerte: The Cult of Death and Its Connection to Cartels and Crime,” MaloriesAdventures.com, February 21, 2025.

“Santa Muerte: Dangerous superstition or empowering guardian?,” USCatholic.org, October 30, 2023.

“I need a good anti addiction spell/ritual,” Reddit.com, undated.

“Rehabilitation Stop Using Drugs, Alcohol and Give Up Bad Habits Santa Muerte Spell,” TheSyncretistRealm.com, undated.

“How to rid myself of addiction?,” Reddit.com, undated.

Image Copyright: iffany/Pixabay.