Hi everyone I have spent the last few days poring over the forum for information on this folk saint/spirit, and I found such great information! However, some of the information was over several years old, so I’m just looking for confirmation that what I found is accurate.
If you’ve ever worked with her, would you say that she is a good spirit for a beginner to work with? My understanding is that her white robe should be used first, as it’s less difficult/unpredictable for someone new. As well, I’ve heard that she accepts everyone, regardless of their background. Is this true as well? For my first “spirit contact” I’m trying to find a spirit that I find personally appealing, but also is something of a motherly figure as well.
I have a small set-up I can create for her as a makeshift altar, since I have been reading that she demands her own space. One big question I have is on offerings. I see a lot of references to things like tequila, but also to things like cigars/cigarettes. Is it okay to stick to offerings more like food and alcohol, or are cigars/cigarettes required? Asking as I don’t smoke, lol!
I think that’s all the clarification I was looking for at this time. Thank you so much for any additional insight anyone can offer I’d love book recommendations or things of that nature, too!
I only speak on my experience she is very nice and understanding I been working with her for the past 2 month and i notice the I’m always Proctect and loved by her I always offer her Apple and water but one day she gave me a dream asking for tequila so I offer it to her she is very loving caring of her childrens she even protects my Spiritual Companion for me as she sees them as a big part of my life and if you need anything just ask her but in my experience Obviously she want you to be patient every morning I wake up I say morning Holly mother and she says to me “and a good morning to you my child” she always let’s me know shes there by touching my afro and pulling my hair
I have a space for Santa Muerte (her white robe statue) that is apart from my main eclectic spiritual altar. I have been giving her a cup of high quality coffee with a dollop of raw organic honey in it the past few days. I get a pleasant tingling sensation throughout my body when I do this.
I work with LA Santa Muerte (La Negra) and keep an altar for her at home. She has helped me out a lot financially and with issues I went through with my son’s father 5 years ago. I usually give her tequila and red wine (merlot) as an offering. I smoke cigars for her during prayer. I have gifted her money and jewelry as well. You don’t have to smoke cigars for her. I only do it because it is something I am accustomed to doing for my spirits. You can find information about her online or on YouTube.com. You can buy books and prayer material at your local Botanica. Read up on her and work on establishing a relationship. My son calls her Queen and cleans her altar and statue with 7 machos. I call her madre (mother) because she has been like a mother to me. I had this apple on her altar for almost 7 months. It never rotted throughout the summer.
She has her own altar here too. I usually work with the white robe since that’s the robe I feel most affinity with. But I will work with the red or black robe when needed. The black robe, I set up a separate makeshift altar for when I need to summon her, as the black and white robes don’t tolerate each other.
As for offerings, typically she likes oranges, strawberries, peaches, rum (it’s what I usually have around the house), flowers, rose wine, chocolate, brazil nuts, bagels, cigarettes (not as a must - but if you’d rather not, you can burn extra incense for her), and floral incenses. A white candle for the white robe, red for the red robe, and black for the black robe. She also likes an aloe vera plant on the main altar. Some of these offerings are given as an ex voto e.g. wine, flowers, fruits, chocolates, etc. She also enjoys artwork being dedicated to her. I find it best to ask her what she likes as regular offerings, and what she likes for her ex voto.
Your altar looks so lovely just based on that photo! I have such a little shoebox that I’m afraid I don’t think I can swing such a large one. Is an altar to her as simple as a prayer card/statue/image and a small offering of tequila or water? I’m a bit unsure where to start, in terms of the “bare bones” aspect of it! Do you have any book recommendations or YouTube channels in particular? I want to be sure I’m getting correct information!
You sound like you have a beautiful relationship with her. I hope she becomes as a mother to me as well. That’s my dream, really, right there.
I’m definitely thinking of working with the white robe first, and then moving towards the red. I don’t think I’m anywhere near ready to work with the black robe. You mentioned that the white and black don’t tolerate each other, and I have read that elsewhere. Since I have such a small space to work with, could I keep the white and red robes on the same altar? Or does each robe need its own space?
I can definitely get most of that! Such a relief to know, lol! Aloe vera plants are also fairly easy to come by in this area, so I could try to pick up a tiny little potted one for the altar later on, if she accepts me and is okay with working with me. I admit that I had to look up what ex voto meant, so to clarify that I understand what you mean, let’s say I give tequila and water or something of that sort as a daily/frequent offering. If I petition her for money or protection, would I also give something like incense and apples at the time of that prayer, in addition to her usual tequila and water? Is that how ex voto offerings work?
I started out with the black robe out of necessity. The black robe was kind, compassionate and very protective towards me. The black robe is for baneful works - great for dealing with enemies. etc. If you need the black robe’s help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Just be sure that you use the amparo every time you call upon any of her robes. The amparo lives on the main altar. The red and white robes are fine to leave on the same altar, but when working with the black robe, you must set up a temporary altar, but this can be a basic altar.
An ex voto is a gift/reward given in exchange for her services after she’s done the work. So for each working (say you asked for help with money or love, etc), you will need to perform a tributa. A tributa is a an initial gift taken to the graveyard where you offer it to her and her spirits, and you ask them to work hard for you on something specific.
The tributa consists of a small white pot, 7 coins (any kind), 7 white flowers, and some water. So you’ll take this to the grave yard. Once you’re there, find a good spot to leave the tributa. When you’ve found one, just call (in your mind) loudly for Santa Muerte to come. She comes quickly but if you don’t sense her, it’s fine, just continue. You’ll then place the white pot on the ground, the flowers next to it. Pour the water into the pot, then pour the rest of the water into the ground around it. Then place the coins into the pot. Tell Santa Muerte that the tributa is a gift to her and her spirits. Thank her. Leave the graveyard.
The ex voto is what you’ll agree to give to her after she’s done the work. So when you petition her to do something for you, you’ll ask her what she would like in return. She will show you, if you quiet your mind. You may see images of what she wants appearing in your mind. She may tell you when she wants it. But you have space to negotiate. I always give the ex voto on her altar.
I usually buy folding tray dinner tables to create my altars. It took me a while to create her altar. I began with praying to a visual image of her and building a relationship before building an altar. I then had a mental image of the type of statue I wanted. I would visit botanicas and I was never able to find what I was looking for. I just kept telling myself it is not my time yet (I did not want to buy my statue online). One night after work, I went to the Botanica and the statue I had visualized was on display. I was like omg! This is what I have been wanting! The Santero’s wife laughed. She was like, “we don’t usually get this type of statue. It’s the only one we have.” I had the Santero “prepare” the statue for me. Since then, i always have water and tequila or merlot for her. I have bought her sugar skulls. Every-time I go to the beach my son collects shells for her or little stones. That’s why my altar is full of stones and pebbles (although you can’t see from that pic). I set apples for her sometimes. I have spiritual dressing/anointing oils that I buy and have her charge the oils for money spells, attraction, seduction, legal issues, etc. I use the essential oils for candle magik or for everyday use. I like to apply my protection oils that “la negra” has charged in back of my neck and massage the oils into my head and hair. That’s the reason I only wash my hair every 3 days. It is something I do every 3 days and it’s a process. I don’t step out of my house without her protection. I learned my lesson . As for reading material, most of the material I have is Spanish random books I have purchased at the local Botanicas. The books are okay, nothing special just basic information you can find online. What helped me in building my connection was prayer. I have been to this website a few times. They have good information.
Im big on buying mini little prayer books at botanicas. I like to keep them in my purse and car (see image below). They are usually in Spanish, but whenever I need her, I have a little prayer I can do for her. The website I provided above is good as it has an English translation. There is this good YouTube video I found a few years ago (see below). This lady is ver knowledgeable about la Santa Muerte. It’s in Spanish. Don’t know if you can translate on YouTube. But, she speaks a lot of truth of what people should know when working with La Santa Muerte.
Following this thread as I’m looking for infos on her too.
I read so many things which makes me want to try and establish a connection with Santa Muerte.
She seems to be helpful in a lot of areas
Thank you for this! I hadn’t heard of the tributa before in any of my readings, so this was an especially helpful part. Is the tributa always necessary? Or could I leave these same offerings on an altar? Or bring smaller offerings? I’m asking as the only graveyard in the city has patrols 24/7 due to vandalism, and I’m not quite sure how they would feel with me leaving things in the graveyard when I have no relatives there, lol.
Also very good to know that the black robe isn’t as scary as I had heard, too.
So to recap, a basic altar includes an image of her (statue or otherwise), water/other offerings, and the amparo?
I have a friend who speaks Spanish, so I will ask her to translate these videos for me pronto! Sounds like I may have to learn Spanish for myself, though. Daily prayer sounds like something that would jive well for me as well - I will start reciting the prayer you linked!
We have only a single metaphysical store in the city, and I couldn’t find any botanicas. Are there any reputable online options that specialize in things like this? I plan on taking a trip down to my local shop just on the off-chance something special could be there, but I’d like to have a backup just in case!
Yes. I’ll post a pic of hers later if she will allow me.
The tributa is always given at the graveyard. It literally takes 2 mins once you’re there. I usually start mentally calling her name as soon as I walk through the gates. She does arrive very quickly. I observed her arrive within seconds one time. Anyway, try to find a quiet spot to leave her tributa in between patrols. Just put her stuff down, tell her they’re for her and to enjoy them. Then leave. You’ll know when you need to give a tributa because she’ll tell you. Never start a working without one.
I’ve been working with her regularly for over a year and only once or twice has she agreed to let me leave her tributa on the altar, and even then they were taken to the graveyard at some point.
Hello,
I found out about Santa Muerte in this Forum and it seems like she could help me maybe, if she agreed.
How often do I have to offer her cigarettes or wine and what do I do with these things? Will I change them after time? Where do I put the „old“ gifts?
And when she helps me and my ex would return… how do I have to stay in contact with her?
Do I have to keep the Altar forever. (As I think my Ex-boyfriend might be wondering about it, if he would come back).
And how do I know which robe I should choose?
Is it enough to paint a picture or do I need a statue? Does she need an altar or is it okay to have a space for her where I offer her things?
She usually chooses who to work with according to another practitioner I learned from. But you would do the devotional offerings daily. A cigarette to be placed on her altar daily. Fresh incense and water to be given daily. Bread, fruits, sweets, wine, etc to be refreshed weekly. Old offerings thrown in the trash or buried. She is the kind you build a lifelong relationship with. Taking her for granted and only working with her for favours is frowned on from what I understand. And for your working, the red robe would be the one to work with. She likes floral incenses, but her black robe prefers frankincense ime. And you can print out an image of her statue. Try to get or make her statues too for her altar. You can select a space and make that her altar.
Synchronicity timing. Within 5 minutes of making a new cup of premium quality coffee with a little raw organic honey added and placing it next to the Santa Muerte statue while saying cheers and thank you to Santa Muerte, I just stumbled upon this thread.
These questions may seem silly, but I am just starting out. I have been talking to the white robe, and I just baptized my black robe. Do you talk to La Negra in the same manner that you would talk to La Blanca? Do they get their own offerings? Also, if you were speaking to La Blanca about an issue, would you have to reiterate the same information to La Negra, or would she already know what you were talking about?
La Negra and la Blanca IMO, are the same spirit so no you don’t have to do anything separate. I have a statue I handmade that has all three of her traditional colors (white, black, and red) and I have no issue calling her any of those epithets during the same commune.
I suggest the YouTube channel called “Janel Longoria”. She has a ton of videos and a large English playlist all about Santa Muerte. Invaluable information.
I have spent the last few days poring over the forum for information on this folk saint/spirit, and I found such great information! However, some of the information was over several years old, so I’m just looking for confirmation that what I found is accurate. 
. As for reading material, most of the material I have is Spanish random books I have purchased at the local Botanicas. The books are okay, nothing special just basic information you can find online. What helped me in building my connection was prayer. I have been to this website a few times. They have good information.
