How to petition the Saints - An Espiritista's Perspective

Within the afro-magico-religious systems such as Santeria, Candomble, Vodou and Hoodoo many Catholic Saints are petitioned for various intentions including, healing, elevation, returning lost lovers, finding lost objects, aiding in real estate and house-selling matters, to procure good fortune, attract luck, increase financial stability whether steadily or in a hurry, ensuring a peaceful home etc.

Many of these Saints have been synchretised with various Deities including Orisha, Lwa etc.
However within the tradition of Espiritismo the Saints are worked purely from a literal and Ancestral { Eggun }context, i.e. they were actual people that lived pure and miraculous lives, have now passed over into the spirit-world and can be petitioned as emissaries from God to positively affect our lives.

Each Saint corresponds with various qualities and characteristics they may help the individual to further themselves, either materially or spiritually in their lives. Various colours, numbers, herbs, flowers and offerings in general are allocated to each Saint, with the folk magico understanding that as each Saint { spirit } is invoked, an offering is given in exchange for the Saints help, thereby creating a balance between for physical and spiritual worlds.

The beauty and simplicity of Espiritsmo and what could also be termed 'Catholic Folk Magic', when petitioning the Saints, is that, unlike other afro-Caribbean traditions that can be quite labour intensive, with various religious protocols etc., Espiritsta's seek simplicity in their workings, understanding that a candle, a glass of water and a prayer can work just as effectively as any other magical, spiritual method, when it comes to creating positive influence in our lives.