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Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2002 07:15:15 -0500
From: "E Bryant Holman" (bryanth@presidiotex.com)
Subject: Mexican Milagro Symbolism

Milagros are small religious charms, which the faithful believe are endowed
with spiritual or magical powers for healing and for helping restore and
preserve well-being and balance in their lives, or the lives of those whom
they pray for.

Typically, in Mexico, the use of milagros is connected with an institution
known as the "manda". This where a person will ask a favor a saint, and
then, in order to repay the saint after the favor has been granted, one
must make a pilgrimage to the shrine of that saint, and take a milagro and
leave it there. These milagros are typically pinned to some object of
devotion in the shrine, and often a small prayer of thanks is added,
written of a piece of paper, typically.

People also might carry a milagro with them in order to get its benefit.
For instance, and curandera - a spiritual healer - might bless a milagro
and recommend that the person carry it in her pocketbook or on her person,
in order to cure a physical ailment or to ward off evil, or bring about a
change of fortune.

Milagros can represent specific objects, persons, or even animals, or they
might represent concepts that might be symbolized by the object represented
in the milagro. For instance, a head might represent a person, a person's
head, the mind, the spirit, a condition such a headache, or whatever
concept that the owner or that a curandero or curandera might assign to it.

Here are some typical milagros that are commonly used:

THE HEART

This can represent the human heart, and it might be connected with cares or
worries over a heart condition. Or, it might represent the love that one
person feels for another. It can also represent the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
or the Sacred Heart of Mary.

THE EYES

The milagro of the eyes is often connected with a popular Mexican saint -
Santa Lucia - who, in her popular image, is shown with a tray with two eyes
on it. People pray to her - and make mandas to her - about eye conditions.
The eyes can also represent the concept of watching. One practice is to
attach the milagro to the frame of the image of a deceased person, in the
belief that this might represent the concept that the spirit of that person
is watching over us, and helping to defend us from spirits from the land of
the dead, or pleading our case before the saints and the angels.

THE PRAYING WOMAN

This popular milagro can represent a woman, such as ones mother or wife,
for instance, or any other woman who is perceived as being faithful and
fervent, or it might represents the prayers of a woman, or ones own prayers
or posture of prayerfulness if one is a woman. It can also represent any
female saint, such as the Virgin Mary, for instance.

THE PRAYING MAN

This milagro can represent a man, such as ones father or husband, for
instance, or any other man who is perceived as being faithful and fervent,
or it might represents the prayers of a man, or ones own prayers or posture
of prayerfulness if one is a man. It can also represent any male saint,
such as the San Isidro, for instance, who is always shown in a praying
posture.

THE WOMAN'S HEAD

A milagro of woman's head might represent a woman, a woman's head, a
woman's mind, a woman's spirit, a condition such a headache, or whatever
concept that the owner or that a curandero or curandera might assign to it

THE MAN'S HEAD

A milagro of man's head might represent a woman, a man's head, a man's
mind, a man's spirit, a condition such a headache, or whatever concept that
the owner or that a curandero or curandera might assign to it

THE GIRL

This popular milagro might represent one's female child, or a niece, a
grandchild, or any other girl. It might also represent the childlike
qualities in anyone, such as oneself, in the sense of nurturing ones inner
child, for instance. It can also be connected with a manda to a saint,
wherein one might have prayed to have a child, and as a result of these
prayers, a girl child was born.

THE BOY

This very popular milagro might represent one's male child, or a nephew, a
grandchild, or any other boy. It might also represent the childlike
qualities in anyone, such as oneself, in the sense of nurturing ones inner
child, for instance. It can also be connected with a manda to a saint,
wherein one might have prayed to have a child, and as a result of these
prayers, a boy child was born.

THE ARM

The milagro of the arm might represent an arm itself, and some condition
associated with it, such as an injury, or, say, and arthritic condition. It
might also represent ones strength, ones ability to work - and hence ones
job - or some related concept. It might represent an embrace, and physical
demonstrations of affection that involve embracing. Any part of the arm
might be the focus of the prayers or the magic, such as the hand, for
instance.

THE LEG

This milagro might represent ones leg itself, and some condition associated
with it, such as an injury, or, say, and arthritic condition. It might also
represent ones strength, and the concept of travel, such as, not only
walking, but a journey, or even the idea that one might be safe driving
back and forth from work everyday.

THE HOUSE

This represents, normally, ones own home, and the blessings that might be
had on it, and on the family that dwells there. It can also represent the
hope of having one's home when one has not yet achieved that, or it can
represent someone else's home, wherein one prays or hopes for blessings and
well-being there - say, at ones parents' home. It might also represent any
other building that is like ones home away from home, if one sees such a
place as being such - such as ones workplace, or school, even. When
traveling, it can be a charm to insure that one will arrive safely home
again, or it can establish a connection between the traveler and the loved
ones at home.

THE HEN

The hen is actually a very powerful symbol, as are all of the animal
milagros. This one, like the others, might represent ones own hen, with one
seeking blessings so that she might always lay good eggs. Or, it might
symbolize human qualities like those of a mother hen - the concept of
mothering.

THE BULL

The bull might symbolize strength, husbanding, protection, stamina,
endurance. 

THE HORSE

The horse might symbolize the qualities of a man in being a workhorse, or
it might symbolize travel, and be involved in a prayer about a journey. 

THE SHEEP

The sheep could symbolize any of the Bible verses about sheep, such as the
parable of the Good Shepherd, or the Agnus Dei - the Lamb of God. It could
also symbolize the concept of togetherness, the fealty one feels for ones
groups, or family. It might also be used a charm to try and erase the
effects of behavior that is typically described in a negative way as being
like that of a sheep - such as giving into peer pressure with negative
results, or, say, the concern of a parent that her child my be involved
with a harmful cult or some other group that one does not approve of.

THE DOG

The family dog milagros could symbolize loyalty. It could also symbolize
protection, such as what a sheep dog affords the herd.

THE PIG

The pig could symbolize nourishment - "bringing home the bacon". It might
also be used a charm to try and erase the effects of behavior that is
typically described in a negative way as being like that of a pig, such as
perceived lack of control in ones eating habits.

Bryant