Saint Joseph (San Jose in Spanish and San Giuseppe in Italian) is petitioned by many conservative Catholics as one who grants an easy death, but in the wider world of Catholic folk-magic, he is the Patron Saint of real estate matters and home sales, and as Saint Joseph the Worker, he helps people find employment. The reason given for these beliefs is that he was a carpenter who taught his step-son Jesus the carpentering trade, and he always saw to it that Jesus was well housed.
Saint Joseph is particularly popular among Sicilian-Americans, and they credit him with having saved the nation of Sicily from famine by bringing about a bountiful crop of Fava Beans and a good fish catch at a time when all other sources of food had failed. It is still the custom to prepare a meal of Fava Beans on Saint Joseph's day, and to set out a dish of the uncooked beans -- called Saint Joseph Beans -- for visitors to take home as lucky pieces. In New Orleans, where Sicilian fishermen settled, the custom of wishing on Saint Joseph Beans long ago transferred into the African American community and became a staple practice of hoodoo rootwork. Seven of the beans, locally known as "Mojo Beans" or "African Wishing Beans," are carried in the pocket for seven days and then thrown into running water over the left shoulder while making a wish.
SAINT JOSEPH AND REAL ESTATE SALES
The custom of burying a statue of Saint Joseph upside down in the yard while one's house is for sale goes back a long way in the United States -- for despite an "urban legends" page online that pseudo-authoritatively claims the custom only began in the 1970s, i have ads in 1930s hoodoo spiritual supply catalogues that offer a tiny statue of Saint Joseph in a case made to carry him upside down.
The functional opposite to Saint Joseph -- that is the Catholic entity to whom one addresses a petition when one wants to buy or rent a house -- is Our Lady of Loreto.
The following is the text of a real estate ritual and prayer to Saint Joseph that i have written, drawing upon traditional sources, and which i also offer for sale online as a complete Lucky Mojo spell kit:
REAL ESTATE SPELL KIT
Alleged to Help in the Sale of Real Estate
1 Dressed and Blessed Saint Joseph Candle
1 Statuette of Saint Joseph
1 Bottle Saint Joseph Oil
1 Saint Joseph Chromo Print
1 Saint Joseph Holy Card
PREPARATION: This spell is used to make a home or other property sell quickly once it is listed on the real estate market. It is up to you to see that the premises are clean and that the asking price is within market value. In addition to the items here, you will need a picture frame for the print (it is 8" x 10" and fits in a standard frame) and a trowel to dig. If the property has no yard, you will also need a house plant in a large pot.
DOING THE JOB: Remove the cling wrap from the Saint Joseph candle and light it. It is already dressed with St. Joseph Oil and with three herbs used in real estate spells -- Cedar, Cinnamon, and Cloves. As the candle burns, hang the print of Saint Joseph where it will be seen by those who are viewing the house. Hide the holy card of Saint Joseph among your real estate papers (deed, termite inspection notice, mortgage, etc.). Spray or dab Saint Joseph Oil in the four corners of each room, each window frame, each door jamb, and the framed print. When you are done with this, hold the statue of Saint in the your hand as you recite the following:
PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH FOR SELLING A HOUSE
O, Saint Joseph,
you who taught our Lord
the carpenter's trade,
and saw to it
that he was always properly housed,
hear my earnest plea.
I want you to help me now
as you helped your foster-child Jesus,
and as you have helped many others
in the matter of housing.
I wish to sell this [house/property]
quickly, easily, and profitably
and I implore you to grant my wish
by bringing me a good buyer,
one who is
eager, compliant, and honest,
and by letting nothing impede the
rapid conclusion of the sale.
Dear Saint Joseph,
I know you would do this for me
out of the goodness of your heart
and in your own good time,
but my need is very great now
and so I must make you hurry
on my behalf.
Saint Joseph, I am going to place you
in a difficult position
with your head in darkness
and you will suffer as our Lord suffered,
until this [house/property] is sold.
Then, Saint Joseph, i swear
before the cross and God Almighty,
that i will redeem you
and you will receive my gratitude
and a place of honour in my home.
Amen.
Now take up the statue of Saint Joseph and dig a hole in your back yard. If there is no back yard, use the front yard. If there is no yard at all, dig a hole in a large potted plant. Bury the statue upside down, head downward, facing east, in the hole and cover it over. Let the candle burn continually inside until it goes out.
FINISHING UP: When the property sells, you MUST dig up the statue, clean it, and carry it with you to your new home, where it should be kept in a place of honour. Failure to do this will lead to trouble with the sale or trouble with the new home or property.
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