How is Mercury Used in Santeria?

 

 

Elemental mercury, azogue in colloquial Spanish, is sold in unlabeled containers in magico- religious shops called botanicas. The patrons, typically of Hispanic and Caribbean descent, use it in ceremonial rites of Santeria.

 

Mercury is believed to:

Ward off brujos, or witches and evil spirits

Bring good luck

Attract and keep lovers

Attract money

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due to sporadic governmental crackdowns on the sale of mercury without proper labeling, botanica owners tend to deny having mercury for sale when approached by non-Santeros. The lack of labeling results in an uniformed community of practitioners who are putting the highly toxic material to improper use.

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Johnson, Clyde. Elemental Mercury Use in Religious and Ethnic Practicies in Latin American and Caribbean Communities in New York CIty. From Population and Environment: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Volume 20, Number 5, May 1999. Human Sciences Press, Inc. 1999


A survey of 203 people from Latin American and Caribbean communities in New York City resulted in the following data: Fifty-four percent of those surveyed admitted to having used elemental mercury in a variety of ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Johnson, Clyde. Elemental Mercury Use in Religious and Ethnic Practicies in Latin American and Caribbean Communities in New York CIty. From Population and Environment: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Volume 20, Number 5, May 1999. Human Sciences Press, Inc. 1999
Source: Johnson, Clyde. Elemental Mercury Use in Religious and Ethnic Practicies in Latin American and Caribbean Communities in New York CIty. From Population and Environment: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Volume 20, Number 5, May 1999. Human Sciences Press, Inc. 1999

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Santeria practitioners use mercury in a variety of different ways. The most common method of usage by far is keeping mercury in closed containers in homes. Others uses include burning mercury with a candle, mixing mercury with ammonia and camphor, mixing mercury with a soapy solution, mixing mercury with perfume, mixing mercury with bath water, carrying an amulet of mercury, and sprinkling mercury in cars and homes.

 

 

Source: Johnson, Clyde. Elemental Mercury Use in Religious and Ethnic Practicies in Latin American and Caribbean Communities in New York CIty. From Population and Environment: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Volume 20, Number 5, May 1999. Human Sciences Press, Inc. 1999

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Botanica Sales

 

 

 

In 1995, a survey was taken of 41 botanicas in New York City. The following chart the percentage of mercury sales within these botanicas, the quality and quantity of the sold mercury.

Interviews of Mercury Users

 

Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To estimate how many capsules of mercury are sold every year, it is necessary to determine the midpoints of the range of the three sets of capsule sales per day and multiply that by the number of botanicas that sell that amount of mercury capsules.

Number of mercury capsules sold per day
Number of botanicas that sell this amount
Midpoint of daily capsule sales
Number of capsules sold per day
1 - 4
20
2.5
50
5 - 10
12
7.5
90
11 - ?
3
13
39

 

Report by botanica personnel of mercury sale and use for spiritual practices. Bronx, New York City. 1995 Taken from the American Journal of Public Health. Junauary 1996, Vol. 86, No. 1
Report by botanica personnel of mercury sale and use for spiritual practices. Bronx, New York City. 1995 Taken from the American Journal of Public Health. Junauary 1996, Vol. 86, No. 1

If 38 botanicas in New York City sell between approximately 2.5 and 13 capsules of mercury a day, 179 capsules are sold a day. Multiplied by 300 days per retail year, this equals 53,700 capsules a year.

Assuming that each mercury capsule that is sold will go to a different house, if 46% of mercury users sprinkle mercury on the floors and burn it in a candle, then 24,702 houses per year will be exposed to mercury vapors.

53,700 capsules/year X 46% of homes affected =

24,702 houses per year..

Calculatioins based on the 203 people of Latin American and Caribbean descent surveyed in Dr. Clyde Johnson's Elemental Mercury Use in Religious and Ethnic Practicies in Latin American and Caribbean Communities in New York CIty. From Population and Environment: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Volume 20, Number 5, May 1999. Human Sciences Press, Inc. 1999.