Every culture has its own flavor of folk magic so when I go to a new city I seek it out. Mexico City was no exception. Number one on my list was to visit the the OG skinny lady herself! Santisima Muerte is a Mexican folk saint (not recognized by the Catholic Church) who blends together Catholicism with indigenous pre-Columbian traditions. Some say she derived from the Aztec goddess of death Mictlancihuatl. Like nature Santa Muerte is neutral and impartial, the great equalizer. Part of her controversy is that she will grant requests regardless of morality and ethics. She leaves that up to the petitioner to choose. Although her popularity has been noticed since the 1940s, her first church wasn’t founded until 2001 in the neighborhood of Tepito in Mexico City. Everything I read cautioned that Tepito was dangerous and folks shouldn’t explore that area. Gooby and I went anyway. The folks at the church were lovely and blessed the statue I bought, anointing it with oils and seeds.
Around two miles from the church is Mercado de Sonora. It’s a vast chaotic market with narrow walkways. (Be aware that it can become very crowded and overwhelming and I’m a New Yorker!) There’s a large section for traditional medicine with a vast variety of plants and dried animals. If you venture to the far left side of the market you’ll find all of your magical needs, herbs, incense, oils, candles, amulets, effigies and many dried animals. I read that roughly 2000 practitioners come here every weekend to stock up on supplies. Of course our girl Santa Muerte is everywhere in the market. Some of her statues were larger than life size! All in all I had really positive experiences in both places. If you are interested in Mexican folk magic Mercado de Sonora is definitely the place to go!
As you may know, we love a roadside attraction! In honor of getting Gooby’s drivers license back (after a 3 month ordeal) we decided to take a drive down to Margate New Jersey to visit @lucytheelephant . Lucy came from the imagination of James V. Lafferty in 1881 and was modeled after the Barnum and Bailey darling Jumbo the Elephant. Standing at 6 stories high (65 feet tall), Lucy is the oldest surviving roadside attraction in America. The “Elephant Bazaar” (as she later became called) turned into a tavern in 1902 but was closed during prohibition. Lucy dodged demolition in 1969 and has since been been moved to 2 different locations. Lafferty patented his invention so no one else could build an animal shaped building in the future. Lucy had 2 sisters, one named Elephantine Colossus who became a cigar bar and brothel in Coney Island and the other short lived Elephant named the Light of Asia in Cape May. Both have been demolished leaving Lucy the only reminder of a by gone era!
(On a side note, Gooby had to jump through many hoops to change his California license into a New York one. He was even told he should fly back to California to deal with it there! What finally saved him at the DMV was the Yo Gabba Gabba pin he was wearing. Apparently the woman helping him was a fan of the show and once she heard he worked on the first season she automatically transferred his license! Proof that there is no rhyme or reason at the DMV. Our country is very weird.)
I always forget to take pictures of the wacky shit I wear but here is my sparkly look for Jamesy’s Neue Galerie bday and Moonfest at Greenwood. The top is from the Paris flea, the headscarf is antique assuit, the earrings are from an oddfellows sash, the necklace is from a Knights of Pythias lodge pin circa 1874 and I made the dress out of modern assuit scarves. I love a big sleeve!
Me n Gooby decided to go to Greenwood on their 188th anniversary. We ate magnolia cookies I made out of the petals and gave a few away to friends we bumped into along the way. (Fun fact, magnolia cookies taste more like ginger snaps than flowers!)
It’s Spring so me n Wren went cherry blossom searching! It’s definitely not peak blossom time yet but it’s always peak gossip time with this guy! I think we walked like 10 miles and never stopped talking!
Me n Wren during our walk n bitch session at Greenwood Cemetery. In case you don’t know, me n Wren make our own clothes n jewelry. My philosophy is if I can’t find pants high enough or wide enough I better sew ‘em myself. Necessity is the mother of invention! Wren has always been such an inspiration with everything he wears. This bitch is top tier!
Easter and Ostara are definitely favorites. I hate the winter. I hate the cold. I’ve been pondering going to the Easter Parade again. I haven’t been for years. It’s a weird New York tradition dating back to 1870 and has continued down 5th Avenue ever since. Originally “The Sunday stroll was particularly popular on Easter Sunday as it marked a time to show off the latest trends in fashion. Dressmakers and milliners would line the streets producing sketches of the ensembles later copied by department stores within weeks of the holiday. Hats decorated with faux flowers, tall ostrich feathers, and taxidermy birds were at the height of fashion.” I love seeing all the weirdos in their DIY finest but I don’t love all the cameras…
