Saint Peter

Saint Peter’s Feast Day is June 29th. His day of the week is Tuesday. His emblem is two crossed keys. His candle colors are red & white.

He may be petitioned for success in any endeavor, removing obstacles, better business, strength & courage, forgiveness of hurts, good luck & fortune, and miracles of compassion.

Many people also petition Saint Peter for success in artistic ventures as well as overcoming addictions. He also acts to resolve conflicts and dish out justice in moral matters.

Saint Peter is the Patron of bridge builders (both physical, emotional & mental), clock makers, fever, foot trouble, frenzy, long life, masons, net makers, ship builders, stationers, and wolves.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul are inextricably connected & share a Feast Day. It is said that they taught the Gospels together in Rome and Corinth & in Italy suffered martyrdom at the same time.

Saint Peter is always the first mentioned of the twelve apostles.

Roman Catholicism sees Peter as the first pope and assert that his ministry lays down the theological foundation for the pope's authority over the Church. In Eastern Orthodox traditions Saint Peter's ministry is also assigned special status. Here it is seen as merely a "primacy of honor", rather than the right to exercise pastoral authority.

Peter's role wasn't always based around his leadership, but around his gifts for taking care of those in need. In the Gospels Peter heals 2 individuals who cannot walk or are paralyzed as well as raising Tabitha from the dead. These acts were considered miracles of compassion.

Old Roman Catholic folk-lore proclaims that Saint Peter alleviates drought. If prayers and petitions don’t work, then other steps can be taken. The ceremony is simple: the townspeople bring an image to the riverside. The severity of the situation is explained to Saint Peter in detail. His statue is then dunked in water. It is believed that this will produce rain within 24 hours. If rain is not produced, then his statue is thrown in the river for good.

I myself, encourage that the Saint is treated with a bit more care & respect, but desperate time call for desperate measures!

In the New Testament it was indicated that Saint Peter’s real, original name was Simon. Jesus later gave Saint Peter a new name. The meaning of this name has been disputed heavily among scholars. Most agree that the overall meaning of the Aramaic name (Petros) indicates a “rough” or “tough” character. One well known Catholic theologian, Rudolf Pesch, insists that the true meaning of the name is “moving boulder”. This meaning is in harmony with the Saint’s overall attributes in folk magic which are overwhelmingly concerned with removing obstacles and opening the path.

Peter was given this name when he proclaimed Jesus as the Son of the Messiah. At this time Jesus proclaimed:

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Cephas (Peter) (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” - Mathew 16:19

Folk traditions, like hoodoo, take this passage and assign to St. Peter the ability to remove all obstacles. As a result he stands at the metaphorical crossroads and can open all doors. However, it should also be noted that he has also been assigned the ability to bind. It is usually the case that whoever can heal can also curse, whoever can unblock can also block.

Saint Peter is given the Spiritual authority and ability to prepare the ways. It is for this reason that many traditions synchronize him with their Spirits, especially crossroads Deities and gate keepers such as Papa Legba, Eshu and Ellegua.

In the Bible we are also told that St. Peter was imprisoned by King Herod. Whilst in prison Peter was freed by an Angel, his shackles fell from him, and the prison doors swung open. The keys he is often shown holding symbolize his ability to lock and to unlock, to open or to block, all of your doors and all of your roads.

Many people also fear Saint Peter. In the book of Acts he spoke a curse which caused a husband and wife (who were thieves) to drop dead on the spot. For this reason, Saint Peter may be used against serious enemies. And also for this reason, it is important to treat Saint Peter with respect and to come to him with a pure heart & good intentions. He does not abide by those who wish to steal or engage in dishonesty or corruption. Therefore, those who need to get their priorities in order should not approach Saint Peter.

It is mentioned in the Gospels that when Jesus was arrested, one of his companions cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest. The Gospel of John names Peter as the swordsman and Malchus as the victim.

Traditional Saint Peter folk Working

➤Set up a small space with his image and a glass of Water as an offering.

➤Dress a white or red candle in honour of St. Peter. Draw the oil towards you if you wish to bring new opportunities and pull the oil away from you if you wish for a door to be closed or a specific obstacle removed.

➤Fill a small bowl with crossroads dust. Be sure that you have collected and paid for it properly (there are many varying traditions).

➤Place your candle in the dirt in the center of the bowl. If you wish to add a written petition, you can fold it up and put it beneath the bowl of earth OR beneath the candle.

➤Burn incense ruled by the sun, like Frankincense, and pray to St. Peter. Ask him for what you need from your heart. There are many appropriate prayers available for St. Peter. However composing or speaking your own prayer or petition will be just as effective, if not more so.

➤Put an old key on top of the earth in the bowl or across the bowl. Pass the key through the incense smoke at least 3 times. Bless it, empower it or charge it in the way which works for you.

➤Allow the candle burn down. When it is extinguished, take the earth and wax remains back to the cross roads - throwing it behind you as you pass through. If you choose to follow this step, use a candle made from all natural wax.

➤Your key is now a powerful charm to open your roads and to call upon St. Peter.

~Blessings~