Saint joseph and Folk Magic: Selling a Home
Folk theology and magic have intertwined with each other for generations. Most of our grandparents, if not than great-great grandparents, have participated in or have facilitated folk magic without their knowing.
In folk magic, saints and spells and myths go hand and hand with each other. Pre-Christian spirits and beasts synchronize with different saints, creating a folk practice that is still seen today. Recently, for example Saint Dominic of Sora whose feast day is on May 1st, is seen parading around the cities in Central Italy, Abruzzo to be exact, covered in snakes. In his story, he is known for curing snake poison and curing the sick. However, in closer inspection, we see the connection of Angitia, a goddess in the region that centralizes on the aspect of protecting the people from snakes and curing against poisoning from snakes.
Today, we will discuss the veneration of Saint Joseph and how he is used in folk magic. Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about any magic or folk ways to speed up a process in selling their home. Now, we know that saints have their own timeline with granting intercession, and nothing is ever guaranteed. Reason being is because possibly that there is a pre-destined reason as to why something does or doesn’t happen, or it is something that is needed to be learned during the process. Magic is never a cure all and never bypasses what is needed (whether medical or mental).
Anyways, enough of the rant, Saint Joseph is venerated in folk magic immensely, depending on the situation. Saint Joseph is the saint of the church, immigrants, families, fathers, and blue collar workers, and venerated in various feast days throughout Europe and different parts of the world. In modern times, and the rise of folk Catholicism in the mainstream, Saint Joseph has been in the forefront of protection within the home.
One of the ways that Saint Joseph is utilized in folk magic is when someone would sell a house. Now, granted of course go within the proceedings of the legal manner in which to sell a home. But, there is a bit of a way to get things taken care of in a faster way. One of those ways is to bury a statue of Saint Joseph. Yes, I said it, we gotta bury the statue itself. In folk magic, having a tangible item is needed for the psychological presence, and how we can use that energy to gain the results that we are aiming for. In some pretenses, you can bury the statue wrapped in a white cloth, or cloth of your choosing, or just by itself, but the most essential part of the saint's work is to put the statue upside down. I don’t know why that is, but it’s how it’s done. In doing so, you would ask the saint to sell the house (and be specific with how much you want the house for, because of the economical state we are all in in the United States), and bury the statue next to the “FOR SALE” sign. This will allow for the magic to work in your favor. However, with working with saints, it’s a two way street. You want to provide a trade with the saint, whether it be an offering or daily devotions to the saint on your behalf. In any spirit work, it must be reciprocal.
As I write, I tend to wonder how these folk practices and the way that saints are utilized in catholicism, and folk catholicism, and how some practices have been left, and how some have been modernized. Moving forward, I will continue to do my research and understand the fundamentals of these practices that are formed from the colonization of Europe through the Roman Empire’s conquests and how it is circulated in today’s terms.
