#69 David B. Metcalfe – Folklore of the Strange

 

David B. Metcalfe, Folklore of the Strange

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Kate Valentine and Fahrusha welcome paranormal researcher, David B. Metcalfe, to”Shattered Reality Podcast”. David is currently working with former guest, Andrew Chesnut, on a follow-up book about Santa Muerte. He is also the editor in chief of Threshold: Journal of Interdisciplinary Consciousness Studies (TJICS), a new, free, online-only, open access journal of the Windbridge Research Center. You may remember the Windbridge researchers, Dr. Julie Beischel and Mark Boccuzzi from past episodes of SRP. David studied Philosophy and Folklore at Elmhurst College in Illinois. His day job is digital communications and he is a two dimensional artist as well.

We spoke about the Santa Muerte (Saint Death) cult emanating from Mexico. The belief spans the Americas today. The tradition is widespread and runs the gamut from blessings to curses, some of which can be very violent. He and Craig Williams are involved in a book project to support Haitian artists in the Voodoo style. Listener Will had questions about the definitions of Satanism and Santa Muerte which David answered. We spoke about how we in the US seldom see dead bodies whereas in other cultures such as those of Latin America and India, it is common to see the bodies of the dead. It may not be healthy for us to almost never see a dead body because it allows Americans to deny the psychological truth of Death.

Other topics covered included UFOs, abductions, To The Stars Academy, the Christian faith healing practice of praying and talking away the fire (burns), Native American Skinwalkers, Pennsylvania Dutch Pow-Wow tradition and other communal practices. In addition, David writes for Medium and runs a website about Santa Muerte with Andrew Chesnut called Skeleton Saint.

 

An example of David B. Metcalfe’s art.

 

Note: Dennis Kuchinich is the former Senator whose name we forgot.

Andrew Chesnut and Santa Muerte #30

 

 

Andrew Chesnut, author of Devoted to Death, Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint

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Andrew Chesnut, Ph.D., author of Devoted to Death, Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, joins Kate Valentine and Fahrusha for this thirtieth episode of Shattered Reality Podcast. He is the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University School of World Studies.

The worship of Santa Muerte is the fastest growing in the Western Hemisphere. Santa Muerte can be considered to be a religious syncretism between the Spanish European Grim Reaperess and the the death diety of the Aztec goddess, Mictecacihuatl.  She is widely worshipped by the very poor, drug dealers, prison guards, and the lovelorn. Devotees believe the Bony Lady to be the fastest and most efficacious miracle worker.

We also compare Santa Muerte to other folk saints both in the Americas and Europe and discuss the commonalties and differences as well as religious trends.

Andrew Chesnut will be appearing at the Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn on May 30, 2016.

Andrew Chesnut’s book, Devoted to Death, Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint