#82 Botanicas, Magick Stores and Gris-Gris Shops

Jason Mizrahi, manager, and Jack Mizrahi, founder, of Original Products Botanica Supplies in the Bronx

Click HERE to listen.

Fahrusha warmly welcomed Jason Mizrahi, manager of Original Products and David B. Metcalfe, paranormal researcher to Shattered Reality Podcast to discuss the growing business of magickal supplies around the world. The founder of Original Products, Jack Mizrahi (retired), pictured above, is the father of Jason and an incredibly erudite businessperson. He started the business with his longtime friend Milton Benezra in the 1950s upon returning home from the Korean War. Because he could speak Ladino the language of the Sephardic diaspora, it was easy to understand Spanish, as Ladino has its roots in Old Spanish. As a result of his facility with languages and innate humor and common sense, Original Products became a successful institution in the South Bronx, catering to the Latin American community’s spiritual supply needs and later to the Afro-Caribbean  community. Today Original Products’ reach spans the globe and their products are used by people of many different spiritual traditions.

Also featured on this episode is return guest, David B. Metcalfe, a prominent paranormal researcher, writer and multimedia artist focusing on the interstices of art, culture, and consciousness. He is a contributing editor for Reality Sandwich, The Revealer, the online journal of NYU’s Center for Religion and Media, and The Daily Grail. His blog is Exploring the Outer Edges of Society and Mind. He has worked extensively with Andrew Chesnut who has researched the Santa Muerte tradition and is the co-developer of the website Most Holy Death.

David B. Metcalfe, intrepid researcher of the paranormal

We had a lively discussion about emerging spiritual traditions, magickal supplies, and what it is like to be involved in paranormal studies.

Shattered Reality Podcast encourages listeners to submit their own paranormal experiences for inclusion in the “Listeners’ Corner” featured on some episodes.

 

#69 David B. Metcalfe – Folklore of the Strange

 

David B. Metcalfe, Folklore of the Strange

Listen HERE

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.

#53 Lucina Stone “Santa Muerte” Novel

Lucina Stone, author of novel “Santa Muerte” and “Shattered Reality Podcast” listener.

Click HERE to listen.

Kate Valentine and Fahrusha are proud to welcome listener and author Lucina Stone to “Shattered Reality Podcast”. She is the author of the Daniela Story series of young adult fiction. The first book of the series is called Santa Muerte and was inspired by our show “Shattered Reality Podcast”, and more specifically by the episodes dealing with Mexico. Lucina is an avid listener to our podcast. We are elated to have inspired someone to the degree that they felt impelled to write a series of books!

Lucina, from Morris County, New Jersey, was the 2016 winner of two awards of the prestigious International Latino Book Awards for Best Sci/Fi novel and Best New Author. Santa Muerte- The Daniela Story (Story Merchant Books Press, 2016 release) tackles diversity in science fiction and fantasy by using folklore and culture.  She holds a MA in Clinical Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor.

On this episode we discuss the genesis of this novel. Lucina paid attention to her dreams, which gave her some ideas for the novel. Her novel is very inclusive giving important roles within it to women, Latinas and LGBT people. We here at “Shattered Reality Podcast” support inclusivity, especially as we are both women. Much of the story is about the relationship between mothers and daughters as cultures change through time and country, but there are some surprising science fiction plot twists that will amaze the reader.

Note: Fahrusha mentioned Carlos Castaneda, the Yaqui shaman Don Juan, and the female followers of Castaneda, but could not remember the name of the one whose books she had read and found intriguing. That woman was Florinda Donner, who was actually married for Castaneda for a number of years and member of a Nagual group that surrounded him, including also Taisha Abelar. “They were known as the witches, and two of them, Florinda Donner-Grau and Taisha Abelar, vanished the day after Castaneda’s death, along with Cleargreen president Amalia Marquez and Tensegrity instructor Kylie Lundahl. A few weeks later, Patricia Partin, Castaneda’s adopted daughter as well as his lover, also disappeared.” (From the Salon article by Robert Marshall.)

The novel “Santa Muerte-Book 1 the Daniela Story”

 

Andrew Chesnut and Santa Muerte #30

 

 

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

Listen HERE

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