Prayers to St. Expedite

There are numerous prayers for St. Expedite; one only need to do a Google search to discover them. However, there is something to be said about saying a heartfelt prayer as opposed to a structured prayer written by someone else.

Here is a quick prayer you can easily memorize and say to the Minute Saint, as he is referred to by an informant in the Hyatt texts, when all you have is a minute to ask for his intercession and need some quick St. Expedite lucky mojo:

Glorious St. Expedite,

I beg you to intercede before the Holy Trinity and grant me the grace of (state your petition). Answer me, and I will spread the glory of your name. Amen.

The above prayer can be said at any time without any sort of accoutrement. However, if you snap your fingers before saying the prayer you will be sure to get his attention. 

Here is another prayer that can be said for getting a job:

Glorious St. Expedite, I call upon your power, speed and ability to come to my assistance and help me to gain employment. Quickly, bring to me (state your need). Grant me my petition with haste, and I will spread the glory of your good name. Amen.

With the above prayer, burn a dual action red/green candle anointed with St. Expedite Fast Luck Oil.

For a Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite, please visit the Crossroads University blog. It is a long devotion that takes a serious time commitment out of your day, but if you need serious help in a serious hurry, then make like St. Expedite and do the Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite.

And of course, you will find many more prayers to St Expedite in the book, The Conjurer's Guide to St. Expedite.

St. Expedite Fast Luck Oil is a beautiful red oil infused with luck drawing ingredients that will amplify your petitions three fold. Simply anoint your candles, petition papers, mojos, roots and anything you wish to enhance with the Power of the Minute Saint himself. This oil is handcrafted and consecrated to St. Expedite with the appropriate prayers and ritual intent.

$9.95 for one 4 dram bottle

St. Expedite's Altar Set Up and Thundering Legion

 

In my last article I posted a diagram of how St. Expedite's altar should be set up. I thought I would post some photos of his altar in action  so you can see how you apply the information from the graphic to the actual set up of his altar.

Note that because I am not a kumbaya worker, I like to think of myself as a realist, I have him set up on a beaded mat of a skull representing the Guede, and then I have hanging on the wall behind the altar a talisman I made with Baron Samedi with a fixed horseshoe and another image of St. Expedite, as well. This is because of his association with Baron Samedi in New Orleans Voudou.  I also have a blue spray bottle of thunder water and hail that I collected during a monsoon this summer. St. Expedite was a leader of the Roman Thundering Legion where a miracle happened on the battlefield. Here is an excerpt from the book that describes what happened:

St. Expedite was the commander of the XII Roman Thundering Legion, who held its neighborhoods in the city of Melitene, capital of the Roman province of Armenia. He had 6821 Armenian Christian soldiers under his command. The name Thundering Legion came from an act of miraculous weapons. It was during the reign and in the presence of Marcus Aurelius himself. The Roman army, engaged in the arduous campaign of Germany, had become entrenched in a fortified settlement of Quades in northeastern Hungary; but, surprised by the barbarians (Germans), had left circle. It was summer and there was a drought. Dying of thirst, the Roman soldiers no longer had the strength to fight; their morale was declining rapidly. The Roman army was about to be destroyed entirely. 

Appealing to the magical omens that inevitably accompanied the troops in the field, and which predicted the good or bad end of a campaign, Marcus Aurelius ordered public prayers and offerings to the gods. While the rest of the army engaged in pagan invocations and practices, the Thundering Legion left the camp, knelt on the fields and prayed fervently to their Christian God. Seeing over 6000 soldiers kneeling, arms outstretched, the enemy took advantage and attacked.

     

At the same time their prayers were completed, the soldiers engaged the Germans. At that moment, a torrential rainstorm complete with thunder, lightning and hail began to fall. The soldiers collected in their helmets this water of Divine Providence and drank to regain their strength. Lightning riddled the ranks of the barbarians who fled under a rain of hail as big as stones while Christians were unaffected. It is in commemoration of this miracle that Marcus Aurelius gave the XII Roman Legion the name Thundering Legion. 

For this reason, thunder water and hail is sacred to St. Expedite, and if you ever have  a chance to collect hail as it falls - and don't mind your neighbors looking at you like you are bat shit cray cray - then collect it and bottle it like I did. You can use it to bless your altar, home and yourself. I use it to wipe down his statue to keep it from getting dusty too. I also keep a few bottles in the refrigerator to spritz my face when I am feeling in need...it is awesome stuff.

Thoughts Questions? Comments? You know what to do!

St. Expedite's Altar

St. Expedite’s altar is set up in a triangle pattern. Modern practitioners tend to use red candles when working with St. Expedite; but, any color can be used with him and of course the staple white candle is always an ideal substitute. Some basic guidelines (not set in stone) include petitioning St. Expedite on Wednesdays with red candles, Thursdays with yellow candles and Fridays with green candles. You can use a glass encased candle with his image on it, a votive candle, taper candle, an offertory candle or even a tea light. Whichever candle you use, place it at the back of the altar; this is the tip of the triangle formation. In the front and to the left, place an ordinary glass of water or rain water if you can get it and in the front and to the right of the triangle place the statue or image of him in the form of a picture or holy card.

In hoodoo, it is customary to offer St. Expedite pound cake, flowers, and a glass of water. In New Orleans, he is  typically offered Sara Lee pound cake, but homemade pound cake is equally as good. He is believed to grant any request within his power provided the petitioner recommends his invocation to others. Offerings are best made after requests are granted. The reason offerings are made after he grants his request is because it is payment for his services—an incentive if you will. If you pay him beforehand, he has no incentive to work quickly on your behalf.

     

Once his altar is set up and you are ready to petition him, turn his image upside down. If you are making a simple devotional, this is not necessary; but, if you are invoking his intercession for a favor to be granted, turning his image upside down signifies a work is in progress. Then, ring the bell three times while calling out his name. This is to wake him up and get his attention. If you do not have a silver bell, tap on the glass of water three times or knock on the altar table three times while calling his name. Then, proceed with any of the works and prayers in the next sections of the book. When he answers your petition, be sure to set him right side up again and give him public praise and a piece of pound cake. Do not eat the offerings you have given him. After 24 hours, throw the offerings outside under a tree and let the birds or other animals eat them. If you have given him white rum, leave it on his altar until it is consumed.

*Excerpt from The Conjurer's Guide to St. Expedite, Copyright 2014 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.

St. Expedite’s Magickal Pound Cake

The classic ritual food offering to St. Expedite is pound cake. In New Orleans, it is Sarah Lee pound cake that has become tradition, most likely because it is cheap, easy to get, and for a few bucks you can keep a loaf in the freezer ready to pull out and slice off a piece at a moment’s notice.

The second best thing to Sarah Lee pound cake is homemade pound cake. It is easy to make and you can make some for yourself. The ingredients lend themselves to a very magickal pound cake, with luck drawing ingredients like sugar and vanilla, lemon to clear away blockages, and eggs and flour to bring abundance. In fact, the ingredients of pound cake reflect well the gifts St. Expedite has the ability to bring his devotees.

But pound cake is not limited to loafs. You can get creative with your pound cakes if you are an avid baker, You can make pound cake balls, pound cakes with pudding filling, bundt cakes, layered pound cakes, and swirled pound cakes, for example.

This recipe is from the cook book, The New Royal Cook Book, which was published in 1920 and is in the public domain. The magickal attributes are my additions.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter brings wealth and prosperity)
• 1 cup sugar (to sweeten the coming year)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract (cut obstacles and clear the way)
• 5 eggs (abundance)
• 2 cups flour (abundance)
• 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder
• Reserve 2 egg whites for icing

Directions

Cream butter, add sugar slowly, beating well. Add flavoring and yolks of eggs which have been beaten until pale yellow. Beat three egg whites until light and add alternately a little at a time with the flour which has been sifted with baking powder. Mix well and bake in greased loaf pan in moderate oven about one hour. Cover with ornamental frosting, page 16, made with the two remaining egg whites.

Ornamental Frosting

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon flavoring extract
• 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder

Directions

Boil sugar and water without stirring until syrup spins a thread; add very slowly to beaten egg whites; add flavoring and baking powder and beat until smooth and stiff enough to spread. Put over boiling water, stirring continually until icing grates slightly on bottom of bowl. Spread on cake saving a small portion of icing to ornament the edge of cake. This can be forced through a pastry tube, or, through a cornucopia, made from ordinary white letter paper.


*Excerpt from The Conjurer's Guide to St. Expedite, Copyright 2014 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.
Image credit: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/09/classic-pound-cake

Introducing St. Expedite of Melitene

He could quite possibly be the most effective unofficial saint of urban legend ever to have been discovered. For a variety of reasons, the Roman Catholic Church will not officially recognize St. Expedite; but, at the same time, they won’t discount him either. That’s because he’s just too damned popular. And, according to his devotees, he’s just that damned good.

But that’s okay, New Orleans Voudou has no problem embracing St. Expedite as one of her patron saints. And hoodoos, rootworkers, conjure doctors, spiritualists and sorcerers appreciate his worth, as well. No officialities are needed in these camps. Because when a saint works as well—and more importantly, as quickly—as St. Expedite works, he is more than welcome in the wide world of conjure.

In studying Louisiana religious cultures, St. Expedite rises to the forefront as a significant icon of the syncretic relationship between folk Catholicism and Creole Voudou. His unofficial and questionable origins provide just the right amount of mystique to place him squarely on the shrines of anyone in need of a quick favor. Even in the Italian rural community of Independence, Louisiana, St. Expedito is publicly celebrated with feasting and festivities (Williams, 2011). And, in other parts of the world such as the French Island of Réunion, Argentina, Chile, the Philippines and Haiti, for example, St. Expedite can be found in varying degrees among diverse religiomagical landscapes.

Yet, popular as he may be in the pocket niches where he is found, he has spent most of his post mortem life in obscurity, comparatively speaking. Although he is very popular in New Orleans, the Catholic Church only tolerates him. In fact, some people refuse to speak of him and others downright deny his very existence. For example, he’s not even mentioned on the website for the Our Lady of Guadalupe chapel where his statue is housed. This denial does not diminish his influence among supplicants, though. In fact, it lends itself to his mystical appeal.

The use of wordplay and puns associated with St. Expedite’s name is found in virtually all discussions about him. Referred to by informants in Harry Middleton Hyatt’s Hoodoo-Rootwork-Witchcraft-Conjuration as the Minute Saint, St. Expedite is known by many other names as well, including Expedite, Expedit, Expeditus, Expedito, Spedito, Espidee, and Speedy. Never has there been a saint whose name describes so obviously and perfectly his patronage. Those invoking his intercession seek instant gratification and according to his devotees, that is the saint’s main attraction.

But, who exactly is this saint of rapidity? According to legend, Saint Expeditus was a Roman Centurion in Armenia who decided to convert to Christianity. Before he did so, it is said the Devil appeared to him as either a crow or a snake and told him to put off following through with his decision until the next day (hence, his association with procrastination). Instead, Expeditus stomped on the animal and killed it, proclaiming, "I'll be a Christian today!" Unfortunately, St. Expeditus met with the same fate as many Christian converts preceding him and was one of several other Armenian Christians—Saints Hermogenes, Gaius, Aristonicus, Rufus and Galata—beheaded in Melitene (modern day Malatya, Turkey) on April 19th, during the Diocletian Persecution in 303. As a result, he became known as Sant-Espedito di Melitene, or Saint Expedite of Melitene.

*Excerpt from The Conjurer's Guide to St. Expedite, Copyright 2014 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.