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.”

Saint Expedite’s Altar

Saint Expedite is the Saint of Urgent Matters and of Emergencies. No spirit acts as swiftly as he intercedes, no Saint delivers results faster than he. Expedite was beheaded for his conversion to Christianity — he could not bare to see the harm done to his fellow man under pagan rule, and as such vowed himself to the Christian faith. The day of his conversion, as he was readying himself for baptism, the Devil appeared to him in the form of a crow, tempting him to put off the rite until the next day. The Devil shouted: “CRAS! CRAS! CRAS!” but Expedite had none of it — from his core he belted: “TODAY! HODIE!” and stepped on the crow’s neck, putting an end to its temptation.

As such, Expedite is known as the patron Saint of procrastinators. He is the Saint of Today, and of that which can be done in this very moment. He does not put off his tasks, and fulfills petitions made to him with haste and expediency. For the meager price of poundcake, public recognition, and perhaps a glass of wine here or there, Saint Expedite has been fulfilling the petitions of both Christians and witches around the world.

His cult is widespread, being prominent in the French colonies, as well as in France itself. He can be found throughout Latin America, and takes a prominent role in a variety of traditions both heretical and orthodox. Although the Church no longer recognizes him as an official Saint, they remain unable to disavow his miraculous intercessions, and his cult has even made its way into the hearts of Orthodox Christians throughout Eastern Europe.

One may work with Saint Expedite through a wholly Christian context, but his cult has become nearly inseparable from American sorcerous practice, being prominent in New Orleans Hoodoo and Voodoo, as well as in Caribbean and Latin traditions. Expedite, ambivalent and valiant as he is, has made his way outside of the confines of these traditions and into the larger zeitgeist of North American sorcery, witchcraft, and folk magic. He is now venerated and called on by traditional witches, mystics, and conjurers as much as he is by vodouisants.

Expedite is what is known as a “double-headed” Saint. That is, a Saint whose nature is ambivalent, and who may be called upon to both positive and negative ends. These Saints may be seen as having their feet in hell while their hands reach towards heaven, and may take on heretical, blasphemous attributes within the specific cultural context in which they exist. This is very much the case of Saint Expedite, who through his centuries of work with conjurers, vodouisants, witches, and folk magicians, has proven capable of causing as much good as harm. Some go so far as to say that he will “expedite” the death of a loved one if offerings are promised without being delivered. This does not ring true in my own experience with Saint Expedite, but goes to show that he is not a Saint of the virtuous, but of the sorcerer.

For more information on Saint Expedite, and to learn how to begin working with him, see our article on the Saint of Urgent Matters.

A Saint Expedite Petition Bowl

Our Saint Expedite collection focuses on materia which aligns with the Saint’s quick, audacious nature. Nutmeg, Alfalfa, Coffee, Alkanet, Poundcake crumbs, Basil, Mint, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, and High John the Conqueror feature heavily in this collection. Our Saint Expedite oils, candles, and powders serve specifically to call upon the Saint and to equip him with the right tools to act as efficiently and as powerfully as possible on your behalf, but also to bring hot, fast luck, to draw money, to bolster productivity, to destroy procrastination, and to speed up any and all matter, including spellwork and petitions done with other spirits.

Each item in this collection has been perfumed with Sandalwood and Pinon Pine incense, and blessed with Psalm 23 and prayers to Saint Expedite. A nine day Novena is always prayed to Saint Expedite during the creation of the items in this collection, during which he is propitiated to lend his power to each piece of the collection and to act as a guide and intercessor for those who would use it. Each item is then left upon his altar to marinate and to gain in power by being fumigated, anointed, and having ashes of various bible verses, fulfilled petitions, etc… added to them over time.

To celebrate Saint Expedite’s dual-headed nature, and to further enrich his cult and agency within the popular witchcraft community, my dear friend B. Key and I have also put together a small bundle of items which seek to call on the devil beneath his foot. This was an idea that came in a flash inspiration to our mutual friend Sfinga, who graciously shared it with us. Through our own experimentations and through Expedite’s teachings, we have developed materia and tools used to call upon this folk devil such that procrastination and tardiness may be placed upon another. The tools of this collection are to be used in acts of maleficia to cause another to lose opportunity and to delay important matters, to put them in a state where they are out of step with time, and to relish in their undoing through their own acts of irresponsibility. Yet again, these tools may be used especially by the procrastinator, who would instead draw upon them to place the devil of procrastination beneath their foot, and triumph over their own productivity.

The Kitchen Toad x B. Key CRAS bundle is the only way to acquire these tools at this time, and though more items may be made available in the following years, we are keeping this bundle limited for the time being. Within, you will find B. Key’s incredible Double Unluck Powder and Expedite’s Shackles, as well as Kitchen Toad’s own CRAS Fixed Candle, and Crow Devil Pocket Rosaries. You will find instructions, prayers, and techniques in the document included therein.

Dust of the Quickened Foot (Left) and Expedite materia (Right)

B. Key is also releasing a limited batch of his incredible Mercury Nutmeg talismans, which I have had the chance of working with for the past three years, to amazing results. He has also released his own Saint Expedite oils and powder, all of which can be found on his site, With Cunning and Command.

Kitchen Toad’s own Saint Expedite offerings include Oil of Saint Expedite, Saint Expedite’s Fast Cash Oil, Dust of the Quickened Foot, Saint Expedite’s Fixed Candle, Rosaries of Flame and Earth, as well as Saint Expedite’ Three-Way Hot Luck Talismans, all of which can be found below.