Saints are of the Christian faith, however, many magic, hoodoo, brujería and folk magickal / spiritual practitioners also use saints in their practices and often with very good results.
For the purpose of this blog post, I will focus on a general practice and approach to saints in magic which you can adapt to your own beliefs and practices. It’s encouraged that you can do further research about how your tradition or background works with saints {if at all} and see how you can personalise your practice and relationship with them. In Slavic tradition, it’s not uncommon to hear of "dual faith” which is a practice of blending Christianity and old pagan customs. Many Slavic pagan customs and traditions have been adapted to have Christian symbolism and meaning, however, in recent years there has been a resurgence and revival of the old Slavic traditions and restoring the original meanings.
Do you have to be Christian or Catholic to work with saints?
The simplest answer is NO However, a large majority of the population is often born into a family or family lineage that ascribed to some sort of major religious faith so it isn’t uncommon for pagan or new age belief systems to have some sort of mainstream religious influence and vice versa. In part, it can also be a way to connect with ancestral faith without having to subscribe to every part of the religion which many pagans or witches have problems with that are often problematic or dogmatic. It should be kept in mind that working with Saints regardless of your personal beliefs or practices should be done with respect and dignity. While it can be common to disagree with some of the principles in a religion or religious practice, it should be done respectfully that everyone has their own personal religious beliefs. Saints often tend to focus on their gifts and that they are able to serve, however, they were once human and can express themselves and feel in a human nature at times.
There’s the term “omnism” which is the belief that all religions have truth in them and there’s also “eclecticism” which is a mixture and blending of different beliefs and practices, commonly used to describe a witchcraft or pagan tradition or custom that’s unique to the practitioner. This can also apply to all religious beliefs and practices that are blended or mixed. Working with saints which is from a main religion and mixing with pagan/folk magick can be considered along the lines of mixing, blending or loosely termed eclectic depending on your personal beliefs or practice. This blog post is given to describe working with Saints from a folk magick perspective which you can adapt to your own personal beliefs and practices depending on your own traditions, lineages or customs. The information that I give is for general informational purposes and the reader is encouraged to do more research and study to see how it fits together with or is different from their own personal background, traditions or beliefs.
Working with Saints in Magic
Saints are often associated or have “patronage” over certain areas of life or types of people or professions. Some of these patronages come from their stories and histories and some have been adapted to modern times based on the saints’ history, legacy or story.
For this writing here, we’ll cover a few common saints that can be helpful and useful, show where to find items to petition these saints and how to approach these saints in workings.
How to Work with Saints in Magic
Working with saints is unique and different depending on the saint that you are petitioning.
Some saints may only work with women; other saints demand offerings upfront, some require half of the offering in advance, then the other half later after you have received what you requested, other saints require simple offerings, while other saints may require something expensive or fancy. For most {if not all} saints, lighting a candle is one of the easiest ways to petition the saint and is often considered a requirement and very common as in most Christian or Catholic places of worship, candles are often a staple requirement for personal prayer or vespers.
To work with saints often requires a few common things such as:
Water or a beverage such as coffee or rum {water is often the best option}
Candles {each saint has a preferred colour of candle}
Flowers {some saints prefer a specific flower or colour of flower}
Food {cakes or bread are the most common offering required}
Items {e.g. keys, tokens, items representing what the saint is patron of, etc.}
Prayer {reading prayer cards, praying while burning candles, morning / afternoon / evening prayers, etc.}
These items are often to be left on an altar {a main altar or an altar dedicated to the saint} and are often left there for the duration of the candle burning. In the case of perishable foods or water/drink, the food and/or water/drink is replenished daily while the candle burns each day.
Here are a few well known saints that you can work with:
Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi is an amazing saint which I’ve had incredible results with.
Saint Francis is associated with animals and can be petitioned to heal sick animals, including pets. If you have a pet that is sick and you’re doing all that you can {taking the pet to the veterinarian, getting medical treatment, medicine, etc.}, Saint Francis can help to give an extra boost of healing and support. To work with Saint Francis is very easy and simple; he doesn’t ask for much, but working with him requires a humble heart and a love for animals and pets.
To petition Saint Francis, only a few items are needed:
A brown vigil glass {7 day} candle or a Saint Francis candle {found online in many hoodoo shops. If purchased online they can also fix and bless the candle for you}.
Filtered or spring water in a glass or bottle
Fresh bread {Italian sliced bread or a bread that’s from a bakery}
Place the items on your altar or in a special place dedicated to Saint Francis.
If you have pets that may get to the bread, it’s acceptable to place the bread in a covered dish or container to prevent pets from eating the bread. {Regular bread may not always be healthy for dogs and cats to eat – plus most people want to avoid bad behaviour from pets getting into human food.} Leave the bread and water on the altar for 24 hours, then replace and continue for as long as you need Saint Francis’ assistance. To discard of the old bread, take the bread outside, tear into small pieces and place outside in an area to feed the local squirrels and birds. To discard of the old water, if it was in a closed container or bottle, the water can be placed outside for birds or local animals to drink especially if the weather is seasonally warm or hot. As long as the water is still clean, you can also give a little bit to your own pets after asking Saint Francis to bless the water. For added blessing and protection, pets can wear a Saint Francis medallion on their collars. Saint Francis’ feast day is October 4.
Saint Peter
Saint Peter was one of the apostles and is the saint of crossroads, opening roads, business success and holds the keys to Heaven and Earth. This saint can help with business and opportunities to come your way, but he can also withhold and take away if he deems appropriate. To work with and petition Saint Peter is a little more different than Saint Francis {who is very kind and gentle}.
To petition Saint Peter, here are a few items that can be used:
Red candles {7-day glass candles will work- these can be found online. Some sources say white candles will work, but red seems to be the preferred colour.
Key(s) – having keys on the altar can be an effective way to connect and ask for Saint Peter to open pathways and doors to what you need/desire. Skeleton keys or old keys are ideal, but in a pinch any key that opens a door may work.
Crossroads dirt {purchased online}
Filtered or spring water in a glass or bottle
Bread {sweet} – best if purchased fresh from a local bakery
After petitioning Saint Peter and removing the bread after a determined time (some say 24 hours for perishable food or water), the bread can be taken to a crossroad or where any two roads meet. Trust your intuition with what you want to do with the crossroads dirt and key. If you wish to keep these items close to you, you can create a charm bag and place the key and crossroads dirt in the bag and keep with you in your bag or pocket or place by your doorway / front entrance. Some sources state that Saint Peter also protects from thievery, so keeping a charm bag containing items connect to Saint Peter in your home or near your entrance(s) can also be helpful. Saint Peter’s feast day is June 29.
Saint Clare of Assisi
Saint Clare is connected to psychics, communication and visions. Saint Clare was connected to Saint Francis of Assisi whom she met at the church of San Giorgi where she asked Saint Francis to help her dedicate her life to God. In 1253, Saint Clare governed rule over the Saint Clare’s Order of Poor Ladies and was canonized by Pope Alexander IV in 1255, two years after her death in 1253 at the age of 59 which was only two days after being put in charge of the Order. The story of Saint Clare is that when she was very ill in bed and could not attend mass, it was reported that she was able to “see” the church mass on the wall of her room. In 1958, Pope Pius XII designated Saint Clare as the patron saint of television.
Does the name Pope Pius sound familiar? In the HBO shows “The Young Pope” and “The New Pope”, there’s Pope Pius XIII played by Jude Law. How symbolic that the name Pius was used for a TV show which Saint Clare is the patron saint of television!
To work with Saint Clare, there’s a few things needed:
Blue and/or white candles
Filtered or spring water in a glass or bottle
When making a petition for a favour, it is advised to make a monetary donation to a women’s monastery or charity organization that focuses their work on women’s health, women’s shelters or women’s needs
Offerings made to Saint Clare of Assisi should be simple and not elaborate, similar to Saint Francis of Assisi. The key is to be humble in your heart and spirit with pure intentions. Saint Clare’s feast day is August 11.
Saint Expedite
Saint Expedite {also known as Saint Expedito} is quite what his name implies – he’s quick and as the speed to get things done quickly. This saint can be considered what’s called a “hot” saint that he can work quickly, but wants offerings a certain way in order for him to fulfill his service in return. Saint Expedite isn’t a saint to ask for quick favours that are trivial, but rather if you’re really in a pinch and need results immediately. This can be a saint to work with and call upon when you need to make enough money for your rent or mortgage payment or need something right away before a deadline. Saint Expedite requires certain offerings and to be approached in a respectable manner.
To petition Saint Expedite, the following may be required:
Red, white and/or yellow candle{s} {a 7-day glass vigil candle}
Flowers {red, white and/or yellow – red roses are preferred so have at least two to three red roses – the more the better}
Statue of Saint Expedite {this seems to be effectively popular}
Pound cake {this is his favourite and is necessary}
Filtered or spring water, rum or coffee {always have something to offer as one of these drinks}
Saint Expedite oil to dress candles
It’s important to give an offering before/during the petition and especially thank Saint Expedite afterwards and to also thank when you receive what you asked for. Saint Expedite is excellent for urgent matters and issues that need attending to and to work against procrastination. He’s the saint that will light a fire under your butt and put your feet to the fire to get things done! Saint Expedite's feast day is April 19.
To learn more about Saint Expedite, please check out the St Expedite Spiritual Empowerment that I channeled in 2021. Click Here for more information.
These are just a few popular saints that can be worked with and petition with candles and other offerings to help assist with daily life and other situations that arise.
More notable saints to work with are and their main colour{s} to work with them:
Saint Cecilia – patron of music and musicians {The Foo Fighters have a song named after her from their EP album “Saint Cecilia”} – colour(s): yellow.
Saint Valentine – patron of epileptics, chronic pain and love/marriage/relationships – colour(s): red, pink and/or white.
Saint Patrick – patron of banishing enemies, breaking hexes – colour(s): green.
Saint Benedict – patron of healing and protection from harmful magick – colour(s): brown.
Saint Cyprian – patron of magicians and spiritual protection – colour(s): purple.
Saint Joseph – patron of employment, trade workers, home buying/selling – colour(s): brown, copper and/or gold.
Saint Rocco – patron saint of dogs and protection against contagious diseases (especially if spread by air) – colour(s): brown and/or white.
Saint Gertrude – patron saint of cats, protection of the home from mice or rats, financial protection – colour(s): red and/or blue
Before petitioning and working with any saint, research their history, their story and patronages to learn about their personality and preferences. Although not all saints will work with everyone nor will all the saints assist with every request or petition that is made to them, many saints however will provide assistance when they deem the petition appropriate or acceptable. Some saints are easier to work with and some are more demanding than others.
If you promise to make an offering to a saint in return for granting your petition {such as making a donation, doing charity work or volunteering or providing an offering of food or drink}, you must follow through; otherwise for example, the saint may take away what was granted and you may lose any favours or communication with them.
Those who were raised with a Catholic, Orthodox or Christian background may feel some sort of nostalgia and few their past in a new light being able to mix and blend past customs and tradition with a spiritual and folk magic custom while honouring their family ancestry and lineage. If you find it difficult to work with angels or archangels, saints may feel more accessible and easier to connect and work with.
A simple and easy way to carry the energy and connection to any saint is to have a medallion with the saints image. Many of these medallions {small in size} can be worn as necklaces or carried in a pocket with the image of the saint on one side and often the inscription “Pray for Us” written on the back. Saints medallions can be found in many botanica shops, religious shops and places such as Etsy