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Ieri ho letto con interesse questo articolo , che mi ha veramente incuriosito. Dopo qualche ricerca in Rete ecco quanto sono riuscito a scovare su questo bell'esempio di religione popolare.

Santa Muerte o Santissima Muerte, conosciuta anche come "Flaquita", la Ragazza Magrolina, e' una Santa del folklore popolare centroamericano generata, come tante altre forme di religiosità del Nuovo Mondo, da una commistione di Cattolicesimo e credenze locali. La figura della Santa Muerte è collegata all'occulto e alla morte, appunto, e ha molti fedeli nelle organizzazioni di narcotrafficanti e in svariati other people engaged in illegal activities. The cult of Santa Muerte is structured in an official cult with a lot of priests.

is generally represented as a female version of the Grim Reaper, common representation of death itself: a skeleton dressed in a hooded cloak and wearing ornaments and sacred symbols. At shrines dedicated to religion is often portrayed as a skeleton wearing a dress with a veil.

Santa Muerte is invoked for many reasons, including love, money, health, protection and revenge. The majority of the faithful is one of those types of people that tends to marginalize the Catholic Church official, prostitutes, homosexuals, criminals various kinds, as mentioned above, but also police officers or people who for one reason or another may die a violent death. As the personification of Death, before which all are equal, Santa Muerte is not any kind of discrimination. Other believers are people who have appealed to the Santa Muerte in case of danger to life and, once escaped, they want to pay her debt by serving as a votive worship. The cult of this particular Santa is very popular in Mexico, but is also present in some areas of the United States with a large population of Hispanic origin.

should be noted that those who believe, do not consider Santa as a figure of evil, but instead as a force for good, much more affordable than the traditional saints. The followers, since they are almost all socially borderline, believe to get through the worship, a sacred protection from the many dangers they face.
Santa Muerte is probably the only form of Christianized Mictecacihuatl, the Aztec goddess of death, but there is no evidence to support this belief.
The hooded cloak with which the saint is usually depicted, may be of different colors, depending on which the sacred image is charged with different powers. For example, a picture with the white coat will be used for rites of blessing and protection, with a red cape and loving influence on issues with a black cloak will be able to remove negativity and evil eye. The multi-colored coat is seen as a powerful fetish.
Santa Muerte also has several items with different symbolic meanings:

The Sickle - symbolizes his role as a reaper of souls.

Libra - symbolizes justice, revenge, and the phrase "Death is the great equalizer."

The Globe - symbolizes the domination of the world.

The Hourglass - symbolizes the inexorable passing of time.

The Crown - symbolizes the idea that Death has power over everything and everyone.

At Santa is also, more rarely, associated with an owl or an owl, symbolizing wisdom and occult power.
Santa Muerte answers the prayers of the followers of fulfilling desires and ensuring faithful "just death." The cult is
officiated both outdoors and in sanctuaries, where the followers have to the Holy fruit, flowers (roses seem to be the favorite), liqueurs, cigars, cigarettes, candles, incense and marijuana. Often believers mounted into a home altar to Santa, complete with pictures and small statues. The Santa Muerte tattoos are very popular, as votive offerings. The folk magic, which are often used for ointments, powders and poultices, is an integral part of worship, just like anywhere else with Santeria.
The Catholic Church does not approve of the worship of Santa Muerte and does not recognize absolutely holiness. Several Catholic priests associated with the cult of Santa Muerte Satanism, and often the police dismantle Mexican sanctuaries and congregations, holding receptacles of crime.