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SAINT EXPEDITE SPIRITUAL SUPPLIES

in HOODOO and CONJURE
Saint Expedite is the patron saint of those who hope for rapid solutions to problems, who wish to avoid or put an end to delays, and who want general nancial success. His aid is also sought by those who wish to overcome procrastination as a personal bad habit, as well as by shop-keepers and sailors. His feast day is April 19. Expedite is typically depicted as a young Roman centurion holding aloft a cross marked HODIE ("today" in Latin) and squashing a crow beneath his right foot. Out of the dying crow's mouth issues a word-ribbon, CRAS ("tomorrow" in Latin). Thus Expedite destroys a vague tomorrow in favour of a denite today. There is a cute pun in what the crow says: CRAS CRAS CRAS is how Romans imitated the sound of crows (in English, this is CAW CAW CAW), thus crows and ravens are said to always be croaking about "tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow." Expedite, by stomping the crow, destroys the vice of

croaking about "tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow." Expedite, by stomping the crow, destroys the vice of procrastination (pro-CRAS-tination means putting things off until tomorrow). When Latin was a common language, Saint Expedite saw service as a mnemonic aid in adjuring people to convert to Christianity. Priests indicated the image of the saint with his cross and crow to warn pagans not to put off until tomorrow the religious conversion that could be accomplished today, because they might not live until tomorrow and thus would die unshriven. (As a side note, the fact that Latin crows and ravens say CRAS explains why Edgar Allan Poe had a raven -- rather than some other bird -- declaim "nevermore" in the poem "The Raven." The narrator asks when he will see his Lost Lenore again. If the raven spoke good Latin, as might be expected, he would croak CRAS -- "tomorrow" -- but he disappoints the grieving lover by croaking "nevermore" instead!) Saint Expedite is well-known in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Latin America. In the United States, he is greatly revered in New Orleans, whence he came by way of Spain. (Most people think of New Orleans as French, but for forty years, from 1763 to 1803, it was a Spanish colony.) In the Greek Orthodox Church he is given the name Agios Fanourios Here is an old, humourously apocryphal tale about the arrival of Saint Expedite in New Orleans: The story goes that in outtting the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the priests sent off to Spain for a large and beautiful statue of the Virgin, and many months later, by ship, they received TWO crates instead of one. They opened the rst and it contained the statue of Mary, which they had commissioned, and then they turned to the unexpected second crate, which only bore the legend EXPEDITE on the outside. This they opened, to nd the statue of a Roman centurion. In their simple ignorance, they mistook the shipping instructions -- EXPEDITE, meaning, "expedite this shipment" -to be the name of a saint. The story is both funny and miraculous, but it is not a true account of the origin of the image of Saint Expedite, for he can be found in other places than New Orleans, and there is no reason to think that the sculptors in Spain would have created such a gure unless asked to do so. Interestingly, as with the CRAS pun, once again, Saint Expedite is associated with word-play. Candles burned for Saint Expedite are usually red. They may be dressed with Red Fast Luck Oil or Saint Expedite Oil. If you are working with a statue or holy card of the saint and a plain offertory candle, it is customary to place a glass of water next to the image of the saint, forming a triangle with the glass at the front left of the triangle, the candle at the middle rear, and the statue at the front right. If a glass-encased votive candle with the saint's image on it is used instead of a free-standing candle and a statue, the water glass is placed to the left of the candle and the two objects are simply side-by-side. A good day to burn candles for Saint Expedite is Wednesday, the day of Mercury, the messenger god of the Romans. In fact, Expedite is not only syncretized with that ancient deity, he is symbolized by the metal quicksilver (liquid elemental Mercury), and is also associated with the African and Afro-Caribbean spiritual entities Elegua, Legba, Baron Samedi, Bonsu, and so forth, those being the messengers and tricksters in the Lukumi / Santeria, Voodoo / Vodoun, and Obeah pantheons. When Saint Expedite grants your request, his statue, holy card, or empty candle-glass is given a gift of owers or owers and a slice of pound cake. (One man from New Orleans told me that it should be Sarah Lee brand pound cake, although i think home-made would do as well.) It is often said that you must never seek the aid of Expedite unless you are prepared to give this tribute after the work is done, or he will take back all the good he did for you, and more besides. This accords with Expedite's position as an analogue to the various African messenger-trickster spirits, and is not typical of mainstream Catholic teachings about the intercession of saints. Some people also recommend publishing his name in the paper if he comes through for you, a tradition that is more often associated with Saint Jude. The constellation of ritual beliefs associated with supplications to Saint Expedite among African-American Catholics was succinctly summed up by an anonymous New Orleans informant whose instructions for working with the saint were recorded by the folklorist Harry M. Hyatt in the late 1930s: The following documentation on Saint Expedite in New Orleans comes from "Hoodoo - Conjuration - Witchcraft Rootwork," a 5-volume, 4766-page collection of folkloric material gathered by Harry Middleton Hyatt, primarily between 1935 and 1939.

IMPORTANT: If this is the rst time you have encountered Hyatt material at this web site, please take a moment to open and read the supplementary page called "Hoodoo - Conjuration - Witchcraft - Rootwork" by Harry Middleton Hyatt.

ST. ESPEDEE - FLOWERS - FOR QUICK HELP Well, St. Espedee works very quickly. His light is a red light on a Wednesday. He's fo' close scrapes -- he's fo' quick money. But then there is a call behin' him. Somebody must go behin' St. Espedee. He takes unless yo' give him owers. Yo' must give him owers because if not, then someone out of the house will pass on. [New Orleans, LA. Informant# not noted; E6:7-E19:3 = 2839-2852] {Vol. 2, Pg. 962}

PRAYERS TO SAINT EXPEDITE

Saint Expedite is front and center on the money altar at the Lucky Mojo Curio Company occult shop. Photograph by Leslie Freund.

Because Saint Expedite is largely a folk-saint, prayers to him come in several non-standard forms, ranging from generalities mentioning his martyrdom to more personal orations specically invoking his ability to bring rapid results. Here are some sample prayers to this saint that i have collected over the years:

PRAYER TO SAINT EXPEDITE #1

Our dear martyr and protector, Saint Expedite, You who know what is necessary and what is urgently needed I beg you to intercede before the Holy Trinity, That by your grace my request will be granted (State your petition) May i receive your blessings and favors. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

If Saint Expedite grants your request, place fresh owers beside his statue in your home or in the church.

PRAYER TO SAINT EXPEDITE #2

I come before you, Saint Expedite,

I come before you, Saint Expedite, To remedy economic problems in my work and my home. And to ask for your powerful support. Saint Expedite, protect my income, That i may obtain sufficient money for necessities, And tranquillity and joy will reign in my house. By your grace, Blessed Saint, I request and pray that i will achieve my desire. (State your petition) And i will give thanks for your glorious intercession. (Now promise to give Saint Expedite a specific offering if your desire is granted.) Amen.

Be sure to provide the offering you promised if Saint Expedite grants your petition.

PRAYER TO SAINT EXPEDITE #3

Saint Expedite, you lay in rest. I come to you and ask that this wish be granted. (State your petition) Expedite now what i ask of you. Expedite now what i want of you, this very second. Don't waste another day. Give me what i ask for. I know your power, I know you because of your work. I know you can do it. Do this for me and i'll spread your name with love and honor and cause your name to be invoked. Expedite this wish with speed, love, honor, and goodness. Glory to you, Saint Expedite!

As you recite this prayer, light a holy candle to Saint Expedite next to a glass of water for the Saint. Recite daily until the request is granted, then be sure to give Saint Expedite a gift. Also place an ad in the newspaper thanking Saint Expedite, so that his name and fame will grow.

PRAYER TO SAINT EXPEDITE #4

Saint Expedite, Noble Roman youth, martyr, You who quickly brings things to pass, You who never delays, I come to you in need -(State your petition) Do this for me, Saint Expedite, And when it is accomplished, I will as rapidly reply for my part With an offering to you. (State your vow or promise) Be quick, Saint Expedite! Grant my wish before your candle burns out, And i will magnify your name. Amen.

Amen.

As you say the prayer, light a glass-encased Saint Expedite candle (the kind with the saint's picture on it) next to a large glass tumbler of water for the Saint. Recite the prayer once a day for as long as the candle burns (usually several days) and when your request is granted, pour the water from the water-glass into the empty glass container that held the candle, and place fresh cut owers in the candle glass, as if it were a vase. You may also offer a slice of pound cake. Then tell someone how Saint Expedite helped you, to spread his fame.

RECLAIMING SAINT EXPEDITE

In the early 2000s, Saint Expedite begn to enjoy great popularity on the internet, and this gave rise to a cluster of "exoticized" inernet memes about this saint and his history. An unfortunate result of this newly found favour was that Saint Expedite, who is a regular Catholic saint and whose statue can be found in many Catholic Churches, especially in areas inuenced by Spanish and Portuguese colonists, rapidly became popular with people whose allegience lay outside the Catholic faith, and one "occultist" author went so far as to produce a booklet, published in England, in which it was erroneously claimed that Expedite was not a true Catholic saint, but that he was, rather, a "banned saint" after the manner of the Guatemallam folk-Catholic "San Simon," better known as Maximon. Such errors are easily disproved, and i do think that as long as this booklet remains in circulation, a source of factual information should be placed online to counter it. So here is the evidence that Expedite has long been a Catholic saint, venerated in regular clerical ceremonies in the Catholic Church. Those who think Saint Expedite is not a regular Catholic saint will now have to wrap their minds around this concept, drop the fake story they have been fed about how he is a "banned" saint, and come to understand why an otherwise very cute book on Saint Expedite will not be carried in the Lucky Mojo book department until it is revised, because it is promoting an egregious error.

The above postcard documents the celebration of the name-day of Saint Expedite on April 19, 1905 at Bayrakli, now a part of Smyrna, Izmir Province, Turkey. The construction of the future Saint Anthony Church had begun at the time this picture was taken, and Saint Expedite was to be the second patron saint of the church, with his own dedicated altar. The photo to the left is of a statue of Saint Expedite (made in Spain) in his niche in the Catholic church of Our Lady of Guadelupe in New Orleans, Louisiana. The saint's presence in this highly exoticized city has also fueled the internet meme that "other churches" or "regular churches" for some reason "don't allow" Saint Expedite's veneration and even that he is somehow connected to the Haitian religion of Voodoo.

For those who are so misled by internet memes and badly researched occultist chapbooks that they STILL can't believe that Saint Expedite is a regular Catholic Church saint, at right is a photo from the 2013 catalogue of a Spanish manufacturer of life-sized Catholic statues for installation in churches. For $9,386.00 any Catholic Church in the world can purchase a 60" (5-foot) tall St. Expedite statue from Church Supply Warehouse. The stock number is "A-180 T-1 St. Expedite size 60" and the description is as follows: "Finely crafted statuary, hand made in Spain since 1880. Manufactured of wood paste (pasta madera) consisting of plaster or gypsum, wood our, and glue. Each piece includes crystal eyes. Finish shown may vary. Please allow 3-4 months for delivery. Many styles available in berglass for outdoor use, please call for more information." Related pages of interest: Catholic Patron Saints for various occupations and conditions Gods and Saints as Lucky Figures The Relationship between Luck, Protection, Religion, and Magic Order Catholic Holy Cards and Prints from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. Order Catholic Statuary from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. Order Catholic Holy Medals from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.

Order Saint Expedite Oil from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. See all Hand-Made Herbal Catholic Oils for Conjure Ritual and Prayer How to Use Catholic Dressing and Anointing Oils in the Conjure Tradition

Order Saint Expedite Incense from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. See all Catholic Conjure Hoodoo Rootwork Incense Powders How to Use Self Lighting Catholic Ritual Incense Powders in Hoodoo Practice

Order Saint Expedite Bath Crystals from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. See all Catholic Spiritual, Rootwork, Conjure, and Hoodoo Bath Crystals How to Use Catholic Bath Crystals and Floor Washes in Ritual Conjure Practice

Order Saint Expedite Sachet Powder from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co. See all Catholic Magic, Conjure, Hoodoo, and Ritual Sachet Powders How to Use Catholic Sachet Powders in the Hoodoo Rootwork Tradition

Order Saint Expedite Vigil Light Candles from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.

Co. See all Fixed and Dressed Glass Encased Catholic Vigil Lights for Conjure and Candle Magic on Your Personal Spiritual Altar How to Use Catholic Prayer Candles, 7 Day Candles, Jar Candles, and Vigil Lights in the Spiritual Hoodoo Tradition

Order Saint Expedite Vigil Light Candles to be set on our Spiritual Altar for you See all Lucky Mojo 7 Day Candles and Prayer Candles We Can Set on the Altars of the Missionary Independent Spiritual Church How to Order Your Vigil Light Prayer Candle Service to be Set on the Altars of Missionary Independent Spiritual Church

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OTHER SITES OF INTEREST Arcane Archive: thousands of archived Usenet posts on religion, magic, spell-casting, mysticism, and spirituality Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers: psychic reading, conjure, and hoodoo root doctor services Candles and Curios: essays and articles on traditional African American conjure and folk magic, plus shopping Crystal Silence League: online prayer request network; upload your prayers here and pray for the welfare of others Garden of Joy Blues: former 80 acre hippie commune near Birch Tree in the Missouri Ozarks Gospel of Satan: the story of Jesus and the angels, from the perspective of the God of this World Missionary Independent Spiritual Church: spirit-led, inter-faith; prayer-light services; Smallest Church in the World Mystic Tea Room: tea leaf reading, teacup divination, and a museum of antique fortune telling cups Satan Service: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists Southern Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo, including ex-slave narratives & interviews Tiger Tiger: prayer flags, singing bowls, beads, ritual religious statues, and altar tools from Thailand and Nepal Spiritual Spells: lessons in folk magic and spell casting from an eclectic Wiccan perspective, plus shopping Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists Yronwode Institution: the Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology