Making My Saint Expedite Candle

SAINT EXPEDITE

There is a humourous story about Saint Expedite's arrival in New Orleans.  According to folklore, when the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe was being completed, the priests commissioned a staute of the Virgin from Spain.  When the crate containing the statue arrived another crate accompanied it.  On the second crate was written the word "EXPEDITE" and inside was the statue of a Roman Centurion.  The priest mistook the shipping instructions, "EXPEDITE," to be the Saint's name.  And so Saint Expedite arrived in New Orleans.

Saint Expedite is a folk saint, not formally accepted by the Catholic Church.  However, he is popular in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Latin American, New Orleans, and among hoodoo.  He is typically called upon to "expedite," or speed up, workings or petitions.  He is also called upon to assist in breaking the bad habit of procrastination.  A practioner will call on Saint Expedite with the vow of an offering once the petition is granted.  Typical offering for this Saint are fresh flowers, sponge cake, and red candles.  It is important to wait until after the petition has bene fulfilled and to FOLLOW through with your vow.  You can find out more about Saint Expedite from Lucky Mojo and Saint Expedite Org.

  

Saint Expedite is usually depicted as a Roman Centurion with his right foot standing on a dead raven.  From the raven's mouth there is a word-ribbon, CRAS.  The Saint also carries a cross with the word HODIE on it.  CRAS is Latin for "tomorrow," while "HODIE" is Latin for "today."  The Saint is essentially snuffing out tomorrow in favor of today.  Don't put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

Making My Candle

Where I live it is very hard to find Saint Candles.  I can find the plain white novena's, but the colored ones are almost impossible.  Therefore, when the need arose, I was inspired to create my own.

I started with plain cardstock and created a design that symbolized, to me, Saint Expedite.  ***This is my own, original work, based on tradtional symbology.:

 

My design includes the dead raven and it's word-ribbon, CRAS, along with the Cross inscribed with HODIE.  Today instead of tomorrow.  The Cross is haloed in honor of the Saint.  Around the edge reading from  the top, clockwise, it says "Protector, Martyr, Swift One, Bless Us, Amen."  For this I used Illuminati script, simply because it is something I am fairly familiar with.  I chose red for the border and internal writing because it is the color generally associated with Saint Expedite.

Traditionally, one would use a red candle for Saint Expedite, but red novenas are not easily available to me, so I chose a white novena candle instead.  I cut the design out, as seen above. Then, using clear plastic packaging tape, I carefully attached the design to my candle, making sure to cover all the paper to protect it.




Once completed, I dressed the top of the candle with Lucky Mojo Blessing Oil. Lucky Mojo also makes a Saint Expedite Oil that would, of course, be appropriate.  I rubbed a portion clockwise around the top three times.  Then I placed my candle on my altar until the time came to use it.

Setting My Master Healing and Protection Candles

*** If you are not familiar with hoodoo Master Purpose Candles please see THIS post first.  Thanks.

Tonight, due largely to the fact that I NEED them, I decided to finally set my Master Purpose Candles for Protection and Healing.  I began by chosing colors for both candles.  For protection I chose red.  I went back and forth about this because I've read may different candle correspondences calling for different colors for protection, non of them red.  Red *felt* right to me.  To me red is a less passive protective energy.  I ultimately chose it for that reason.  I'm not passive, and neither will my protection works be. For my healing candle I chose a more traditional color, blue.  I chose blue for its obvious connection to water and its healing qualities.

Next, I created seals for both candles.

  

For the protection candle I used a personal protection seal that I have used before and the Star of David. 

For the healing candle, I drew a nautilus shell.  I chose the nautilus for it connection with water, but also because of the personal connection I have with the image.  Much of the nautilus's symbolism, for me, comes from the Oliver Wendell Holmes poem "The Chambered Nautilus." To me, this poem, symbolizes a deeper healing than just the physical.  It symbolizes a spiritual and emotional healing, which I believe we sometimes neglect to think about in our work.

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea!

Below the nautilus is rough Theban that states, simply, "Heal".

I then annointed each piece of parchment with the appropriate oil in a five-face die patter, and taped them to their corresponding candle.

Now, it was time to dress the candles.  I used the same oil I used to annoint the seals.  For the protection candle I used Fiery Wall of Protection Oil and for the healing candle I used Healing Oil, both from Lucky Mojo.  I dressed both by rubbing oil clock-wise around the top of the candle three times.  Then, using a taper candle, I brought the light from my Master Candle to each Master Purpose Candle, first the protection candle then the healing.



Next, I allowed the candles to burn for a bit, creating a nice "pool" of melted wax and oil.  Then, I added three drops of my High John the Conqueror Oil to each and allowed them to burn another half hour before extinguishing their flames.