Saint Martha

***1/14/15 - looks like someone linked unauthorized to this post. There's a good chance it might be moved for it. If you are part of a forum, blog, or other site relating to magic, spellcraft, or metaphysical stuff, and you're not linked or cross promoted by yours truly, kindly ask permission to use my blog, and/or remove all links to it until you do. Undesired traffic is unwelcome traffic. I neither need nor desire referrals from a few quadrants of the internet. :) ***

Hello my Occulties,

First, an obligatory disclaimer: if you don't like saints, or you want to hurl your spaghetti monsters and sky ghost comments at me, please just don't read this article. ;) I do not discuss saints because I want to offend those of you opposed to religion or saints - I discuss saints because so many of my readers request this type of article. If YOU don't like this type of article, don't read it - it isn't meant to offend ANYONE, just to enlighten the curious.

Alright, now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time to chat about a good friend of mine, Saint Martha (sometimes called Martha of Bethany.)

Saint Martha, we are told, was a contemporary of Jesus Christ, and is often said to be the sister of Mary Magdelene (so it is believed by Catholics) OR perhaps a seperate Mary, called Mary of Bethany, (in the Eastern Orthodox and many protestant traditions,) and the sister of Lazarus.

What we can glean from the Biblical accounts of Martha is not much (she is often a supporting character who speaks bluntly but politely to Christ - even though all the while professing her faith in Him,) but it seems I could reasonably say she was, in life, a Jewish woman, probably of a relatively well-to-do family (judging from the details given of those around the tomb of Lazarus,) that she lived in Jerusalem, Bethany, or perhaps Galilee (the accounts differ a bit,) and that she often waited on and served Christ and the apostles. I cannot think of a passage which implies she was a married woman, but I think we can fairly say she probably had no spouse when she came in contact with Christ. Martha has been called "very busy about waiting and serving," and so it should come as no surprise, one of her patrongages is that of waitresses. Basically, she is a faithful follower of Christ during his lifetime, and someone who we can assume spent a good deal of time with Him.

From legendary accounts comes another story about Martha. According to this legend, after Jesus ascended to Heaven, Martha travelled to France to evangellize the people there. She travelled over the French countryside spreading the message of Jesus Christ until she arrived in the town of Tarascon where a terrible dragon lived. Martha came upon the dragon - in one account he is eating a villager, in another I know he has snatched a child and is running off with the child to eat it, - and she showed the sign of the cross to the beast. As the dragon was held fast by seeing cross and couldn't move, she poured holy water on it to smother it's fire and prevent it from ever breathing fire again. Now that the dragon had been made "safe" she tied her girdles or hair ribbons to the beast, and led in through the town, as tame as any domestic animal. The people, grateful for being saved from the dragon, and amazed by the powers of Christianty, all converted upon seeing this. Obviously it's a colorful legend, but this is why you often see Martha stepping on a dragon in depictions of her. :)

No surviving physical descriptions of St Martha survive. I have seen her portrayed as an African woman, a sort of olivey-colored woman, and a pasty white lady, too. ;) I'm going to take an educated guess and say the most LIKELY description of her would be a woman who looks to be Middle-Eastern...a dark olivey color skin with dark hair and dark eyes. Still, no one knows for sure, as no description has been left to us. All pictures in this article are different representations of St Martha I have in my possession, in fact. I recommend you simply use whichever representation of her you find is most comfortable for you.

If you would like a little more history on Martha, the wikipedia can help you get there. Please click here to see their article.

In the Catholic tradition, Martha is the patroness of domestic servants (male or female), waiters (male or female,) innkeepers, laundry workers, housewives, single women, and travellers. In Hoodoo, we often petition Martha for help in dominating another, especially in the case of women requesting help on errant boyfriends and men. This is why, sometimes, St Martha is referred to as "St Martha Dominadora," or "St Martha the Dominatrix" or "St Martha Dominator," among other similar titles.

While I've heard that St Martha "does not like men," I'm not sure I entirely agree. I think St Martha prefers helping women to be strong, powerful and assertive, and perhaps that she feels men are already naturaly imbued with these traits...so perhaps her "Dominator" aspect is set more for helping women in need of that power. This doesn't mean that St Martha is wholly inaccessable to men, or that she won't help men - still, I *might* caution men when asking St Martha to dominate a female, because St Martha loves helping women...and perhaps may prefer to do so, and I personally do not know if she takes offense if being asked to aid men in a similar manner. YES, I have heard she won't use her dominator powers for men, but I'm not sure that's true (I have no first hand reports either way.) If you're a gentleman seeking her help, I suggest you ask her to help you with an issue that does not have to do with dominating a female.

Perhaps St Martha's reputation for "not liking men," is based solely her reputation of being as effective she is at returning a wayward man, or making him do what his female partner wants, though. ;) A prayer found in the collection of prayers in the book "Helping Yourself with Selected Prayers," (revised ed. 1995, Original Publications, ISBN#0-942272-01-3) specifically aimed towards females petitioning St Martha to dominate a man goes: **"Holy Virgin Martha, who entered the mountain and tied up the beast with your ribbons, I beg you to tie up and dominate (name of man to be dominated.) Saint Martha, let him not sit in a chair, nor lie in a bed until he is at my feet. Holy Martha, hear me, help me for the love of God. Amen."

Now, as many of you know, I love St. Martha. I think of her as my patron saint. I'm a medal-wearing holy-card-carrying fan of St. Martha, and my reasons are not just because she's listened to my fears, my tears, my praise, my begging, and my thanks - and she's helped me more times than I can count, and fast (she and I have a conversation at least once a week,) but she's also been a great help to the many women I've introduced to her. If you ask anyone familiar with her, I assure you, several of those people will stand up and tell you St Martha brings results, and not just on man problems!

While it may be my humble opinion, St Martha has protected me and my family from danger and magical attack (for which I thank St Michael Archangel as well,) she has helped bring me business when I needed money, she's protected my business, she's helped me with man-problems which are Nunya Bidness, helped my clients and friends with man-problems also being Nunya Bidness, she's healed me, and I can also think of a time when I asked her to remove a curse from someone, and my St Martha medal burned on my neck so hotly I had to remove it - the person reported a marked improvement to me the very next day. As I said, she's an amazing lady, and I love her a great deal.

So, how can you make contact with St Martha? How can you ask her help?

Well, there is always more than one way to do anything of course, but since this is my blog, let's discuss my way. ;)

I was taught Martha is best petitioned on a Tuesday, and that she prefers a red candle. Classically, the saint's picture and a glass of water beside the picture are placed on the altar alongside the candle. The candle is lit, and the following prayer said:

*"Saint Martha, take me into your protection and guide me. I offer myself completely to your mercy and grace.

I offer this candle in your honor for the happiness Our Savior received in your home. I plead with you to intercede for me and my family so that all our daily needs will be provided, and may we always have love of God in our hearts.

I also ask you to obtain the infinite mercy of God in granting me this great favor. (Here ask your favor.)

Help me to overcome my difficulties as you dominated the dragon at your feet. I ask this favor in the Glory of God. Amen."

Now an Our Father and a Hail Mary is said in honor of St Martha. So, for your convenience if you don't know these prayers, I have written them below for you (I do use the version of the Our Father with the kingdom, power, glory part added, but if you use the shorter version regularly, feel free to use it here.)

"Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever and ever. Amen."

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

This prayer can be said for nine days, nine tuesdays, one day, even every Tuesday for as long as you'd like. It's up to you.

Another prayer, similar in nature (to be said on nine consecutive Tuesdays, each Tuesday offering Martha a red candle,) is:

**"Holy Martha, I surrrender to your guidance and protection, honoring your wishes. To prove my act of contrition, and actions of grace, I shall offer this light in your honor every Tuesday.

Console me in my sorrow. Bring happiness to my home in the name of our Holy Savior, Jesus Christ. Provide me and my family with all our daily needs.

I implore you with your infinite mercy to grant the great favor I ask. (Here ask your favor of St Martha.)

Today I ask you, as you dominated the Dragon at your feet, defeat all my enemies. Amen."

If you'd like to leave her offerings, I have given her red flowers, fruit, cookies, cakes, and even a coffee now and again. ;) I have no specific "favorite offerings" passed down to me really.

So, that's how I do it.

How do other people petition St Martha? I have known people to give her green, blue, and purple candles, though green seems the most common other choice outside of red. I would also say, just asking her assistance with or without a candle would be effective. There are prayers to say while offering her an oil lamp, simple prayers which can be used with or without a candle... Pretty much there are a thousand ways to do the same thing. ;) I have given you my most trusted method for asking her assistance here.

Alrightey, kiddos, while I could go on and on and on (and maybe I'll add more here soon,) it's past your occult mastermind's bedtime. ;)

~Cat

You know the drill - this is all copyright me unless otherwise noted. I didn't create the prayers, and I took pictures of other's representations of Martha, but the rest is mine so don't plagiarize. Thanks.

The book "Helping Yourself with Selected Prayers" (volume 1) is a compiliation of traditional prayers and is highly-recommended to any who wish to find good prayers for saints. You can find it by clicking here. I am not super fond of volume 2 which repeats many of the prayers given in volume 1, but the first volume is recommended by me.

*Believed to be traditional, author unknown. Found on several of my St Martha holy cards. My favorite St Martha prayer to use. ;)

**Believed to be traditional, author unknown. Found in "Helping Yourself with Selected Prayers, vol one."

Comments

[Wyatt Hall]

Hey cat, first of all let me say that i love your site. and its info. casue well wow ive not only gotten such good workings but info and such.
secondly (and more on topic lol) ive always heard that men havent gotten much when pettioning her. and altho i am a gay male and i do side with the femine..im wondering if it would be okay if i did petetion her not only for me self but for a few women who come to me as a root worker. or if it is as such that i cant so much petition her as a rootworker for myself but in the name of women who come to me that i think they would deff benifet from

[Cat]

I would be interested to see what results came of that, too. I feel that she's not against men at all, but I don't know a lot of men who have asked her assistance, so...I'm not really in a position to give much input. I have had a few gay male clients and friends who have asked her assistance, and I guess I'd want to ask their opinions on the matter.

So, while I'm not too sure what her response would be to you asking her to help you, I can say I'm pretty sure she'd be more than happy to help out any female clients or friends. She's very much about helping women. I definitely don't think she'd be offended or ignore you if you asked her to help a female - and to be perfectly fair, I've asked her to help male friends and family members for me before (not to dominate them, just asking her to help them with their particular troubles,) and I feel she did listen to me and help me.

I would be interested to know your results. I don't feel anything bad would happen if you ask her assistance, but you're right - it might be ineffective because of your sex. I'm going to check with some of my gay friends I know have asked her for help and see if they got any results, and then I'll post more in the comments. :)

[Ajah]

I wonder if I did something wrong because I have asked for help and I didn't get anything. I gave her an offering of pound cake. I used a glass encased candle that already had her image on it and did the cup of water and everything. The only thing I didn't do was the Our Father and the Hail Mary because I didn't know that I had to. Well now that I know I'll try again. Does the moon phase make a difference?

[Cat]

The moon phase is always irrelevant when petitioning a saint.

I don't get why you gave her poundcake (she's not St Expedite,) but I don't think she'd be offended by the gift...I just am interested to know where you got the idea to give her that gift.

As for helping or not helping... I'd gone over this on another post, and one thing I've found is people think just asking a saint's help will always bring help from that saint. While that may be true, and often the saint will help, if you have no relationship with them, sometimes they will ignore your request - they are less likely to help you if they do not know you. The more you get to know who you are working with, and the more you build a relationship with that spirit, the more likely you are to get help from them. Just asking a spirit who is more or less a stranger to you for assistance just isn't as effective...just like just asking some random person on the street for help is less likely to get you the help you need than making the same request of a friend.

[AM]

Cat, thanks for posting this article on Saint Martha. It makes me so happy to see others spreading her name. Saint Martha has helped me on so many occasions, and I feel blessed that she has chosen to come to my aid.

It's nice to know you share my love for her. I try to speak/pray to her daily to give my thanks for everything she has done for me and continues to do. I'm amazed at how fast she has helped with certain things. Like you, she has listened to my begging, tears, thanks and even anger at times, and I am so grateful that she has helped me.

Again, thanks for this article and everything you post for us loyal readers. Your writing style is very enjoyable to read and very educational on the subject of hoodoo.

[ST]

I was wondering what are some great offerings to give Saint Martha once she has answered your petition. I wanted to thank her for all she has done for me. Thanks.

[Cat]

I realize particular saints like particular things, but they are the exception and not the rule in regards to saints.

As I stated above I often give her red flowers or dessert foods. I've been told she likes coffee, but I'n not sure about that. Generally I just make a sizeable donation in her name to a charity.

[misty]

Saint Martha is a wonderful Saint to work with. I worked with Saint Martha for three and a half months. When I thought that my petition was not going to be granted, she came through for me and everything turned around in my favor instantly. Thank you Saint Martha for all of your help.

[Ally]

Saint Martha is a lovely Saint to work with. She and Saint Anthony are my go-tos and they both have helped me greatly lately. Saint Martha is a saint I can talk to almost like a friend. Thank you, Saint Martha, and thank you Cat for helping more people connect to her with articles like these.

[T.C]

Hi

I've recently been introduced to St.Martha and I trust her. I've talked to her everyday since. Im going thru it right now and I find comfort in having faith in what she stands for.

[Ajah]

I'm actually moving into my own apartment and I was wondering can you put Saint Martha on the same alter as another saint to work together or do you have to kind of keep them separated?

[Cat]

You can put Martha next to another saint. I have a huge altar just of saints - they don't tend to disagree with each other. Since St Martha is my homegirl, she has her own altar, but that's just because I love her so. It's not required.

[Ajah]

O ok, that's good to know.

[Denise Schiller]

Cat thank you so much for your posts and help. I was having a hard time coming across anything on Martha. She is my favorite as well. I have been working with her for about six years now and she helps out every single time. She has even come to the aid of my husband when employment opportunities were scarce....I do believe that she would help a man, as long as he was a domestic man with a family to feed. It also helps if he is humble, caring and hard working.

[Thomaspad]

How do you petition Saint Martha when trying to start a relationship with her? Do you do a name paper and is there a specific way to do one?

I have heard great things about her and have asked for her help but i wasn't sure if I asked her correctly?

What exactly did you do the first time you worked with her?

I got a red vigil candle and glued her picture on the candle and put a cup of water next to it. I have no idea if she decided to work with me or not and finding other experiences on the net is like pulling your own teeth out of your skull.. Not happening lol.. Thanks for any info you can help me with.

[Cat]

I have absolutely no idea what EXACTLY I did the first time I prayed to St Martha....honestly I can't say. That's like asking me EXACTLY what I was wearing a month ago today. I know I was wearing clothes I own, but what they were, I couldn't say. ;)

You don't need a name paper.

I find she tends to prefer to work with women....and just pray to her regularly. That's all you need to do to have a relationship with any saint. I also make offerings to them but that isn't necessary for most saints.

If you constantly doubt yourself and seek to gauge your own success by people "relating experiences" (I hope you have your BS meter fine tuned) your bigger issue is your lack of faith in yourself. Just say prayers to her. Offer her a red candle on Tuesday. She will usually help.

It's hard for me to get an idea of specifically what you want me to tell you despite you being full of questions... Doing something right doesn't mean you immediately know you did it right. ;) Can't tell you to trust the word of people posting on forums, as I don't know who's saying this stuff and whether they do/don't lead a rich fantasy life. I can't tell you if your request was one that would likely get the answer of yes or no. I can't say there is an exact way to pray to anyone, only how I do it. ...You're free to contact me and give me more details or ask more questions, I just feel I'm sort of falling short of your expectations in my answers here in the comments. ;)

[BIG TONY]

Question:
i would like to know if i can put Santa Martha and La Santa Muerte in the same location.
( Alter )or other in the 21 division

[Cat]

Not sure which 21 division you speak of. I would work with them separately, or using separate altars to be honest.

Santisma Muerte, though others can argue this with me, is not someone I'd work with without being incredibly knowledgeable about her, unless you like great risk, then by all means just jump into that relationship blindly. ;) Otherwise, tread carefully there, as you could get very hurt if you do not. Just IMHO perhaps, but a word to the wise all the same.

[Darkskinned moonmaid]

St Martha is actually associated with the afrikan Deity Mami Wata. She is also a kundalini goddess.

[Cat]

No, She's actually not, Darkskinned Moonmaid. As Martha is not the same as Yemaja or La Sirene, who are associated with Mami Wata. You are confused as the African skinned statue I have is a distributor's version of taking a Mami Wata statue and painting it green and gold.

I mean, if you have anything other than the visual picture of my statue to base the worship of St Martha on Mami Wata on, by all means, bring it here, and let me know.

So far as I know there is no connection other than someone saved themselves some time in making a different statue mold. Not uncommon with saints.

Otherwise I kindly disagree. You're confusing her with other African Diasporic spirits who do not share the same traits or correspondences as St Martha - either the Catholic/Christian version or the "Hoodoo view" thereof. I'd actually say Mami Wata is more like an incarnation of the Virgin Mary than she is of Martha.

Best,

~C

[nancy]

I have been working with santa marta for three weeks now and everything seemed to be going well.A few nights ago I had nightmares with her turning her back on me.She also had snakes at her feet biting at me.What could this mean?

[Cat]

You won't probably like my answer.

I would suggest you either feel that YOU don't believe you're asking for the right thing, or that you're somehow frightened of reprisal. I do not think St Martha is bothering you in any way.

Why do I think this?

In all the years I've lived on this planet, THE WORST THING a saint ever did, EVER - which I might add was MY FAULT because I KNEW BETTER, - was that St Expedite took back what he gave me. I never had nightmares about it. I was never ever harrassed by unseen hands. I was never in any sort of state where I felt threatened. I even asked Catholic friends of mine who regularly work with saints and they all seem to feel that the idea that a saint would give you nightmares or in some way harrass you and make you feel threatened was relatively ridiculous, especially if you'd not done anything to merit such treatment.

Furthermore, Martha is a good protector, and she WILL most definitely defend those who love her (especially if female,) but I have never ever known her to act in a gross or unkind way. Never in any day of my life upon this planet have I ever heard that St Martha attacked someone in a dream.

AND her "Serpent" is the Tarasque (an obvious DRAGON,) not a snake. The snake iconography shown above is, as I'd stated in these comments, actuallly a depiction of Mami Wata (Mami Wata being more like the Virgin Mary not Martha of Bethany) that someone painted green and gold. This is NOT going to make it a less effective representation of a devotional statue because St Martha DOES NOT live inside the statue. It is merely an image to assist in prayer and meditation. To believe that the statue is more than an image of St Martha to help us with such devotions, and is actually HER is idolatry which is greatly frowned on by the very church/es she is supposed to support.

So, I'd say what you experienced is your own fear or inner guilt and has nothing to do with St Martha. I also recommend avoiding spicy foods before dinner (gives me nightmares anyhow) or "beating yourself up" right before you fall asleep. Also, if you'd think that was St Martha doing that to you, perhaps you should find another saint who you don't project your own fears and doubts on to create some sort of "dream aggressor" to beat up on you for things you feel guilty about. Heck, perhaps you should just admit (if you're so frightened,) that whatever you asked for is something you know you don't deserve and stop asking for it.

Best,

~Cat

[Cat]

DO NOT send me "St Martha gave me a dream, please interpret it for me" posts here. You will be ignored. I'd say 95% of you are PROBABLY just letting your subconscious/unconscious babbling to itself be misinterpreted. St Martha is not a woman-beating, womb-cursing, fire-breathing, curse-making, abusive woman who also wants to insult your children. O.o Seriously, I don't know what some of you have been drinking/smoking/snorting or lying to each other about, but I have gotten a fast upsurge of absolutely nutty dreams reported to me which, were if such the norm, you'd think I'd be accustomed to it. I'm not sure why this zietgeist is going on, but to be painfully honest, it seems to me a bunch of people convinced themselves with the response above the above response that I'm 1.) a free dream interpreter (I'm not) 2. that these wild dreams are common and normal (not in my experience.) Please cease and desist leaving St Martha dreams and fantasies in the comments. Thank you.

[Spice]

This is my first time using saint martha I said the prayer on the candle and I offered her a bottle of closed verdi sparkling peach wine and an uncooked egg. I hope she is not offended by this, I am petitioning to her to bring back my lover to me.

[Spice]

I brought her white roses today and a cup of black hit coffee should the coffe be covered or uncovered ? The flame is bouncing a lot all over the place I hope and pray she is pleased with my offerings and helps me

[Cat]

I'm sure the flame is bouncing because of an undetected breeze in your home (very common in the summer when windows in the home are open,) and further don't seek signs. ;) Physics, not magic, are generally the real reason for those "candle" signs. Believe me, a flickery candle is nothing next to a few REAL candle signs - and it you're beginner enough to ask these questions, you're still too new to this to be seeking signs, or else you're just projecting them where they aren't. Look for the answer via physics first. Having burnt probably hundreds of thousands of candles, many flicker due to breeze or the fact that small air bubbles became trapped when the candle was being cast.

Why would the coffee be covered? I'm sure the offering is fine. It seems like a rather bizarre question, tbh. Traditionally, you place a candle and a glass of fresh water next to an image of a saint. Offerings are fine, but should generally not be from an animal (as in no meat.) I'd heard 5+ years ago she likes coffee, and I tend to add roses to many positive workings with saints, so both seem appropriate enough to me.

She doesn't require offerings to help you, and if she can't or won't help you, the offerings are not apt to sway this saint. If you're praying to God for her to help you, keep in mind, you're praying to her to intercede with God on your behalf, so...while that could help, it also just might be a circular sort of thing, if you get what I'm saying.

[Ms. Nanda]

I just wanted to let you know that this information was amazingly valuable. I have nothing but love, thankfulness and gratitude of the miracles St Martha has manifested. I won't go into what happened publicly...but she turned around a situation that appeared to be with little hope, and reunited a man and his child, helping to heal the hearts of both of them. Thank you so very much.