Saint Expedite; the Saint of Urgent Matters
““Hodie, Hodie, Hodie! Quick-footed dweller of the Crossroads, Crow’s Bane — Expedite! Saint of emergencies and of urgent matters, Saint of Today, Denier of Tomorrow. By waybread and soot, be thou with us.””
First and foremost, let me say that Saint Expedite is one of the most amazing spirits I have worked with — both for personal matters, and those pertaining to business. Expedite acts rapidly, is incredibly responsive, and is an immediate source of support in nearly all matters. In particular, I would like to thank Saint Expedite for helping me grow my business and audience, as well as for being a constant source of motivation, and a reminder to step upon the neck of procrastination. Let me also say that you do not have to be of any particular faith to work with Saint Expedite; he answers all petitions, no matter the faith of the petitioner.
It is my firm belief that everyone can benefit from working with this Saint of urgent matters, and I hope this post will serve as a properly sorcerous introduction to the wonderful Saint Expedite. He is a spirit I have worked with for many years, and who not once has let me down. I will not dwell on his history or nature too much — I'll leave that to the likes of Denise Alvarado and other New Orleans natives whose relationship with the Saint is both magical and cultural. I hope instead to share with you the foundational methods to work with Saint Expedite as I know them, along with a brief introduction to who he is and how he can be of help to the practitioner.
Who is Saint Expedite?
According to the story as I know it, Saint Expedite arrived to the Ursulines convent of New Orleans in an unlabeled, unidentified wooden crate marked 'EXPÉDIT'. Within it, the statue of a handsome Roman soldier without a sword, in one hand holding high a cross, marked 'HODIE', the other baring a palm frond. Beneath his right foot, the neck of a crow, from whose throat a ribbon marked with the words 'CRAS CRAS CRAS' appeared.
Unable to identify him, and without description in any book, the Ursulines took him before the bishop, who neither could tell them of his name. As such, he was placed in the convent hall and, with time, began to answer the prayers of those who would address him. Noticing that their requests were answered with haste and efficiency, the sisters quickly spread the word of Expedite's miracles.
His cult grew quickly, spreading through the Americas from New Orleans to Brazil. His cult is also prominent in Cuba and Chile, as well as in parts of France. In Voudou, he is sometimes syncretized with Baron Lacroix, serving as a mask for the gatekeeper of the dead. This aspect of Expedite is noteworthy for those who would work with him as a double-headed Saint — a Saint who does both good and bad, and whose nature can be understood as working with both hands.
I have heard the nature of Saint Expedite debated, some claiming that he was originally a crossroads spirit who took the guise of the statue, and others claiming that he is the elevated spirit of an 8th century Armenian foot soldier, or yet again a legion of Roman soldiers. To be frank, I don't think any of that truly matters. As many other folk saints, Expedite has a rich, complex history that does not need to provide a clear answer.
For those of us with magical leanings, what is important is the relationship that we can build with this Saint as a reliable member of our spiritual court. In fact, many keep a shrine or altar dedicated to Saint Expedite by the door or in the kitchen, with the intention of welcoming Expedite as a guardian of the home. In my experience, his presence manifests very similarly to the alleged behaviors of Lares — Roman household daimons.
Unlike many Saints, Expedite does not expect a relationship with the petitioner in order to work on their behalf. He will answer anyone who calls on him from the heart, and fulfill their petition — so long as they provide him with payment. A true soldier indeed!
What petitions can I present to Saint Expedite?
Before we speak of how to petition Expedite and actively work with him, let's explore the various ways in which Expedite can help the sorcerer achieve their ends.
Saint Expedite's aid can be invoked in quite a few areas: money, business, expediency, law, domination, and matters of the home. In France, he is often invoked for matters of the heart, although I do not have any experience working with him in that regards. There is also a precedent of casting death curses with the aid of Expedite and Baron Samedi. That said, Expedite was also invoked to hastily return curses to their sender.
Expedite is often petitioned to tilt the scales of justice in the petitioner's favor, or to inspire clement judgment. He is also called on to help with divorce or custody papers. In these cases, Expedite hastens the legal process and redirects the sentence to the petitioner's advantage.
Expedite is arguably most often called on for money, especially in cases where said money needs to arrive quickly. Practitioners will often petition Saint Expedite to grant them the money necessary to pay unexpected hospital bills, to afford legal dispute, or for any other reason. Unlike some Saints, Expedite does not expect the particular brand of Christian righteousness that alienates so many occult practitioners. He will answer any petition, granted payment is provided. As such, I have called on Expedite to grant me the money for a particular trip, or so that I can afford to purchase a luxury item — both petitions being answered with haste.
In terms of business, Expedite can be petitioned to draw new clients, or to encourage old clients to return. He can also 'heat up' business, generally increasing how busy the petitioner is. He also blesses the transit of parcels, and can serve to 'carry' particular items that need to arrive quickly — very helpful when you've got to order some last minute ingredients! He is generally an amazing patron of business, and will ensure that orders are flying in and out of your door.
As a rule of thumb, anything that needs to happen quickly, especially solutions to emergencies, can be presented to Saint Expedite. This includes getting stagnant matters moving, defeating procrastination, breaking through obstacles and blockages, speeding up spell results, making a letter or parcel arrive faster, drawing money and customers, hastening a love confession or marriage proposal, etc... My preferred method of working on multiple matters at once is to create a sigil shoal with Saint Expedite and ask him to bless and hasten their manifestation on this material plane. I first encountered this idea by way of Sphere and Sundry, who has an amazing article concerning Saint Expedite. I have also spoken of sigil shoals and robofish over on the Kitchen Toad blog.
One of my favorite ways to work with Saint Expedite is through domination work — for as he stepped upon the crow's neck, so shall he step upon the neck of our enemies! There is a clear affinity between Expedite and foot-track magic, whether in terms of dominating a person or situation, or the removal of afflictions absorbed through the feet. As such, Expedite can be worked with when hot-footing someone, gathering their foot-tracks for baneful or benefic magic, as well as when a rival or competitor needs to be stepped on, for lack of better term. Perhaps I will expound on foot magics and Expedite in a separate post!
Petitioning Saint Expedite
Petitioning this Saint of Urgent Matters is a simple ordeal. All you need is a glass of water, a candle and an image of the Saint, whether a medal, prayer card, statue, or printed image. This is all you need, but I recommend a pack of cigarettes and a few coins as an introductory offering. A red tablecloth can also be laid down for him.
Prepare a space for Saint Expedite which will remain untouched for at least a week. Form a triangle with your candle at the far-end, the glass of water to your left, and Expedite to your right. Center yourself and light your candle. Light a cigarette (or don't, if your living arrangement is smoke-free) and place it, with a few coins, in the center of the triangle.
Recite the Our Father before knocking on the altar three times, exclaiming the name of Saint Expedite each time. Use a prayer of your choice (of which I will be sharing many in a following post) to call out to him and make your petition, or speak from the heart, promising him payment in return for his rapid intercession. Repeat the Hail Mary thrice and leave your candle to burn down.
When Saint Expedite has completed his task, make sure to give him proper payment as promised, or it is said that he will take back all he has given. In some cases, he may decide to take the soul of a beloved with him! I will go over the various offerings to Saint Expedite in more detail in a followig post, but here is the bare minimum:
Poundcake. Poundcake is Expedite's favourite offering. Every petition fulfilled by him must be met with at least one slice of poundcake. Traditionally, Sara Lee's is preferred, but Expedite seems to appreciate the effort — and richness — of fresh, homemade poundcake just as much, if not more. Serve it as soon as it is sliceable. I have included my favorite poundcake recipe below.
Red wine. Red wine, diluted by the same amount of water, is the preferred drink to recompense Expedite for his deeds. Should you wish to work with him on a regular basis, a glass offered on Wednesday of every week is a great way to build rapport.
Public recognition. Whether in a local newspaper, on social media, or within your group of friends, spreading the name of Saint Expedite and the news of that which he has done for you is necessary to build a strong working relationship with him. In the case of a single petition, it is mandatory that you recognize him publicly, as payment for his good deeds and to avoid him taking your blessings away.
My poundcake recipe:
Adapted from Molly Katzen's recipe as given in the 'Moosewood Cookbook'
1/2 pound of unsalted butter
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of full-fat greek yogurt
3/4 cup of milk (non-dairy works fine)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a dark metal loaf pan with butter, flouring the surface.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a large liquid measuring cup, mix together your yogurt, vanilla extract, and milk.
In a large bowl, cream your butter and sugars with a hand mixer until visibly light in color and texture. This can also be done by hand, if you like a workout!
Add eggs one by one, mixing well between each.
Add 1/3 of your flour and mix until just combined before adding 1/2 of your milk mixture. Add another 1/3 of the dry mixture, and the remaining milk. Finally, mix in the last of your flour, making sure not to overwork the batter.
Pour into mold, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, checking for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer into the thickest part of the cake. If it comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, your cake is ready to take out of the oven.
Let poundcake cool for at least 45 minutes on a wire rack before unmolding. Slice into 1 inch thick slices and freeze individually for an easy offering and delicious breakfast!
The greek yogurt in this recipe helps the cake stay moist and prevents it going stale. It also adds a wonderful tang that balances out the richness of all that butter!
Cheers,
Mahigan