What Does It Mean to Dream of Santa Muerte?
Santa Muerte looks like a Grim Reaper with flair. While seeing her in your dream could be creepy, her complex role in cultural matters might also mean there is more to her dream symbolism than just death.
Santa Muerte Dream Summary
Santa Muerte Dream Symbolism
Black Santa Muerte, or simply Santa Muerte, is a controversial folk saint associated with death. Her following, mostly based in Latin America, includes many people who feel that they are shut out of the structures of society.
As the imagery of the Santa Muerte obviously references death, a dream of her can symbolize death, whether symbolic or literal. A Santa Muerte dream may also refer to a situation where you feel like you need to do something outside the norm to meet your needs because the paths approved of by society are not working for you.
Common Santa Muerte Dreams
- Dream of summoning Santa Muerte
- Dream of making an offering to Santa Muerte
- Dream of being visited by Santa Muerte
- Dream of Santa Muerte in different colors
Santa Muerte Dream Symbolism
Death
The name Santa Muerte literally means “Saint Death” or “Holy Death.” She resembles the Grim Reaper, who is also a symbol of death, though she is usually a bit more dolled up.
The Vintage News reports that the imagery of the Grim Reaper, a skeletal figure holding a scythe, took shape during the Black Death in Europe, when plague decimated the population. When European colonizers later came to Latin America, they brought this with them. The Grim Reaper then fused with an Aztec goddess of death to become the folk saint Santa Muerte.
A dream of Santa Muerte could therefore have the symbolism of other death and dying dreams. Such dreams are often more about something in your life ending or being transformed than they are about anyone literally dying.
Given the creative flair shown in many depictions of Santa Muerte, it is easy to see how a dream of her could refer to the destruction that is sometimes part of a creative process. You may have to get rid of something in your life that no longer serves you in order to have space to build something new.
On occasion, however, a death dream can refer to the actual impending death of someone in your life. Death dreams are also common after someone in your life has recently died, as you process what happened.
Mistrust of Institutions
Though many people who venerate Santa Muerte identify as Roman Catholic, the Catholic Herald reports that the Roman Catholic Church has condemned the worship of Santa Muerte on the grounds that “death is the antithesis of the eternal life that Jesus Christ made possible for believers through his sacrifice on the Cross.” Pope Francis, critical of the effects of drug dealing on Latin America, also spoke against Santa Muerte on account of her association with that industry.
The United States Department of Defense and Federal Bureau of Investigation have also eyed Santa Muerte with suspicion, noting her following among drug traffickers, as reported by Hemispheric Institute.
However, The Culture Trip notes, “The Santa Muerte has grown in popularity from the 1990s until today, when the situation of everyday Mexican people has been complicated by drug trafficking violence, poverty and the grind of making their way in a society that is not always kind to its lowest classes. That’s part of her appeal for Mexico’s poorest and most working-class residents.”
In short, people get involved with Santa Muerte because they feel like following the path approved of by authority figures doesn’t get them anywhere.
Dreaming of Santa Muerte may therefore symbolize a situation where you feel like you cannot trust the people who are in positions of authority to do a good job of protecting you. You might, as a result, be drawn to something outside the norm that promises to meet your needs that are not otherwise getting met, though there could be a risk of trading one set of challenges for another.
Outcasts
Hemispheric Institute notes that Santa Muerte has a following among the LGBTQ community, as well as the poor and marginalized in general.
As an independent follower of Santa Muerte says on Exemplore, “Yes, she protects gays, prostitutes, drug dealers, and everyone and anyone else, because nobody else cares about them. To me that makes her a very beautiful lady. She isn’t going to judge you for the color of your skin, how much money you have, [your] sexuality, or anything else. She isn’t going to reject pagans, or Christians, or anybody.”
A dream of Santa Muerte may therefore symbolize a situation where you are able to find companionship and protection even though you are an outsider in some way.
Common Santa Muerte Dreams
Dream of summoning Santa Muerte
In general, a dream of taking any sort of intentional action – even a destructive one, as shown in suicide dreams or shooting dreams – can symbolize that you have a proactive approach to solving your problems. Even if the way you go about it is potentially messy, you are not just waiting for answers to come to you.
Further interpreting a dream of intentionally summoning Santa Muerte might require looking at what you were hoping to accomplish by doing so. If there was a specific challenge you were attempting to get her help with, this could symbolize that you are at least making a sincere effort to solve that problem in your life, and trying is the first step toward succeeding.
Dream of making an offering to Santa Muerte
Dreaming of making an offering to Santa Muerte could symbolize that you see the world in terms of clear transactions where you get what you pay for. In this way, you could have a sense that you have control over how things go for you. While this approach can help you get things done, you might also need to look at whether you are trying to manipulate things that are not your business to influence.
Alternately, a dream of making an offering could symbolize a situation where you feel like someone has blessed you beyond what you are able to fully pay back. In this case, offering what you can shows that you feel grateful for what you have received and have a sense of responsibility to continue that positive energy’s circulation in the world.
Dream of being visited by Santa Muerte
A dream of Santa Muerte visiting you unsolicited could symbolize that you may not be able to control everything in your life. An unforeseen event might disrupt your plans, but it could also be an opportunity for you to grow, whether or not it is pleasant at the time.
Dream of Santa Muerte in different colors
Black is one of the more common colors associated with Santa Muerte. As discussed in color dream symbolism, the color black in general can provide shielding and containment. Dreaming of the Black Santa Muerte can therefore symbolize that you are protected from harm.
However, Santa Muerte can also appear with other colors emphasized. Author Tracey Rollin of the book – Santa Muerte: The History, Rituals, and Magic of Our Lady of the Holy Death breaks down the symbolism of the seven colors associated with Santa Muerte as follows: white for purification, protection, and new beginnings; yellow for help with money and energy; blue for empathy and knowledge; green for justice; red for love and lust; purple for wisdom and psychic insight; and black for protection.
Conclusion
Santa Muerte is a polarizing figure who has both admirers and detractors. Whatever your own take on her may be, seeing her in your dream can provoke reflection on the unresolvable mysteries surrounding death.