La Virgen de Guadalupe (week 5)

    In Los Angeles, the symbol of La Virgen De Guadalupe can be seen nearly everywhere; from murals, to votive candles, to jewelry, you can find her solemn gait pillowed in flowers and rays of light. In santería stores, tucked away in the center of one-story brick buildings, she will be printed on cards, with prayers written in suit. Churches are dedicated to her image. La Virgen is a part of Los Angeles' culture as much as the name of the city itself, and from a young age I was very conscious of her symbolic presence, noting it wherever I went.

Mural for La Virgen de Guadalupe in Los Angeles

    Though I did not grow up Catholic, my parents often displayed imagery of many different religions in our home. Next to a statue of Buddha would be Pagan runes, and in our doorway the evil eye, and hanging next to the kitchen sink, a portrait of La Virgen. This unspoken religious syncretism was very affecting for me as I grew up, and with an air of detachment, I felt I could admire and relate to all of these symbols of spirituality without the guilt of being "untrue" to one. La Virgen was an image that I was very fascinated with – I saw her as a symbol of my home city Los Angeles,  more so than an actual mother or deity. I felt a connection to a sacred sense of femininity in her essence, and whenever I discovered altars in her honor on the street, I would stop to admire the scene. Also, I believe part of my admiration for La Virgen de Guadalupe comes from my connection to my ethnic heritage, as well. In spite of a lack of communication with my extended family, I have always felt that the symbol of La Virgen connects me to my ancestors who once prayed to her image and believed in her magical properties.