Backwoods Shamanism

 An Introduction
Introducti on to the
Old-Time American Folk Magic
of Hoodoo, Rootwork and Conjure

 By Ray “Doctor

“Doctor Hawk” Hess

 In dedication
dedicati on to my son, Caegan,
Caegan, my mother
mother,, Tammy
Tammy,, and my
 grandparents Charles and Linda Heskett. May this
thi s work bring honor to
our family names.

Part 1

In The Beginning...

As with creation itself, all things begin in darkness and void. To

understand the ways of the “backwoods shaman” we must first understand
his origins.
or igins. Here we shall explore thethe history the ment
mentali
ality
ty and
and the

2
spirituality of the Hoodoo practitioner.
It begins on a dark and stormy night, not of the earth but of the soul.
Within that deep darkness a faint flicker of light shone through like dying
flame of a candle reflecting in a pool of tears. This stubborn little shimmer 
represented the most primal origins of hope and faith which was held and
tended by shamans echoing all the way beck to pre-history. Now, a new
shaman
shaman was being called
call ed to serve
s erve.. This little
l ittle ligh
l ight,
t, when nurtu
nurtured
red by the
the
hoodoo man, oh how it would shine!

What is this “Hoodoo” that you do?

Hoodoo is a distinctly American tradition of folk magic and holistic

medicine. Some think it is just a random collection of superstitions, devoid
of spirituality
spi rituality,, others think it involves
i nvolves cavorting
cavor ting with
wi th demons
demons or using dark 
 powers to do harm harm.. This
This stigma
stigma is unfort
unfortu
unate because
because even todaytoday our 
our 
culture
culture may well
wel l benefit from hoodoo
hoodoo for many
many reasons.
reas ons. Firstly,
Fi rstly, Hoodoo
 brings
 brings so man
many y different
different traditions
traditions and beliefs togeth
togetherer in a beautif
beautifuully
synchronous fashion, encouraging unity of diverse faiths and practices.
Secondly, It is a school of “practical magic” which means it addresses day
to day concerns of the average person and typically involves tangible
substances
substances with
wi th the
the expectation
expectation of tangibl
tangiblee results.
r esults. Unli
Unlike
ke western
wes tern
mysticism and “high magick” rituals, which require secret rites of initiation
and prohibitively costly tools, hoodoo makes use of easily accessible
materials and requires no initiation beyond the call to serve. It is, in
essence, a form of independent interfaith ministry. Finally, hoodoo
represents a great wealth of wisdom completely distinct to American
culture, particularly the south-eastern states, especially the Mississippi
delta and Appalachian hills.
America is a country of many cultures. A nation of many nations.
While it has also been a nation of civil war and separatism the lower 
classes in rural areas have often banded together regardless color and
creed.
cree d. Hoodoo is a unique
unique system with influen
influences
ces from Native
Native Ameri
American,
can,
African, Dutch, Irish and Romany (pejoratively known as “gypsy”)
traditions. Isolated areas like Appalachia and the Louisiana bayous where
these
these marginal groups came togeth together
er developed
devel oped self-s
s elf-suf
ufficient,
ficient, close
clos e knit
knit
communities with a strong sense of connection between members. The
Hoodoo doctor was a respected person, not unlike the shaman of a tribe.
They were respected elders, spiritual advisers and folk magicians. They
were also healers, herbalists and midwives. Today, we may think of the
 practice in term
termss of “holistic
“holistic medicine”
medicine” which seeks to to treat the
the mind,
mind, body
body

3
 and spirit as a whole being. As such, a hoodoo doctor may be called on to
soothe a sore throat or cure someone's bad luck. Both were legitimate
complaints which required real treatment as far as they were concerned.
After all, if your crops fail and you return empty handed from too many
hunts your family could starve, so “bad luck” could be a rather serious
affliction.
Hoodoo must not be confused with voodoo. The words are often
mistakenly used
used interchangeably
interchangeably.. In truth,
truth, the
the word
w ord “voodoo”
“voodoo ” is i s derived
deri ved
from Vodou
odou which means, roug ro ughly
hly,, "way
"w ay of the spiri
spi rits"
ts" and
a nd is an
amalgamation of various African tribal traditions and ancestor cults, mostly
derived from Yoruban and Dahomean cultures. Hoodoo, on the other hand,
may be sim
si mply descri
des cribedbed as
a s American folk magicmagic and does not techn technicaicall
lly
y
have any specific religious affiliations though its methods and worldview
tend
tend to be
b e very
v ery sim
si milar
il ar to Kongo
Kongo African
Afri can tradition.
tradi tion. Voodoo takes
takes various
vari ous
gods and revered ancestors from assorted tribes (predominantly from west
Africa) and masks them under the visage of Catholic saints. Hoodoo, on the
other hand, has always had a largely protestant Christian following. In fact
many practitioners of hoodoo regard the bible as a powerful tome of magic
and count
count figures
figures like
li ke Moses among
among the the great Hoodoo conjurers of old! ol d!
Indeed,
Indeed, there
there is some
some JewJ ewish
ish mysticism,
mysticism, and some some Native AmeriAmerican can
shamanism and even some Eropean witchcraft from Celtic and Germanic
traditions. The religious affiliations, just like the magical components, are
derived, in my belief, from the core value of hoodoo tradition “Just use
what works.”
The belief among Hoodooists is that God works through them and that
their magic would not work were it not God's will. They tend to be both
 pious and
and hu
humble people not believinbelievi ng their
their abilities
abil ities mak
makee them
them particularl
particularly y
special. The concept is summed up nicely in John 14:12 “Verily, I say unto
thee, He that believeth in me, these works and, greater shall he do also...”,
in other words, it is the province of every devout Christian to perform
miracles in the name of God. That said, good and evil are more left to the
individual moral compass in Hoodoo. The belief is that if someone needs
smiting
smiting,, God wil
w illl give you the the power
powe r to sms mite them!
them! So, Hoodoo
Hoodo o is i s used for 
everything from healing and protection to cursing and domination.
Ascriptions like “black” and “white” refer to segregation of people and
have nothing to do with magic to the hoodoo practitioner, whose work has
always been decidedly “integrated.”
Hoodoo is a largely oral tradition. Many southern natives like myself 
actually find a lot of books on the subject remedial because we grew up
with
wi th these
these old
ol d “superstitions”
“s uperstitions” having learnedlear ned them
them from
from our grandparents
grandparents

4
 and such. One example is augury, the reading of omens in natural phenomena
like the behavior of animals. The old folks told me that if the cows are
laying down in the field it means its gonna rain. Scientifically preposterous,
 but
 but usually
usually true,
true, by my observation...
observation... andand it is hoodoo!
hoodoo! Many
Many of our our old folk 
remedies, most of them having now been proven to have medical validity,
are also Hoodoo. I remember any time I got stung by a bee my grandma
 breaking
 breaking open a cigarette
cigarette andand chewing
chewing the the tobacco andand putt
putting
ing the
the squishy
squishy
wad on the affected spot. The tobacco works as a counter irritant and draws
the
the sting
sti nger
er out.
out. Also,
Als o, it's
i t's a Hoodoo cure.
c ure. Another
Another one some may may have
have heard
of “gypsy cough syrup” is made by sticking onions in a jar of honey and
letting it 'set up.' It's a recipe going way back to the old Norse, believe it or 
not,
not, and its
i ts a Hoodoo
Hood oo cure. There There are hundreds,
hundreds, if not thousands,
thousands, more more and
lots of old folks kept these secrets in “recipe books” which is the hoodoo
equivalent of a grimoire or “book of shadows” in modern Wicca.
Besides the old recipe books, there are a few other tomes that are
used in Hoodoo. I have have already
alr eady ment
mentioned
ioned that the
the bible
bibl e is
i s THE bookbo ok of 
Hoodoo. Apocryphal texts such as The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses
are also used. Another must-have of the Hoodoo library is “Pow-Wows, or 
the Long Lost Friend” by John George Hohman. It contains folk magic from
the Pennsylvania dutch along with with a number of Christian prayers. Both
are highly
highly recomm
recommended to anyone anyone seriously
ser iously interested in Hoodoo. Newer 
 books
 books have been writt wri tten
en since these
these “classics,” but in my my experience
experience th they
are hit and miss. It is best to get a firm grounding in the original foundations
of the craft and then move on to explore other options so you know how to
tell the
the diff
di fference
erence between
b etween whatw hat may
may actuall
actuallyy apply to the
the tradition
trad ition and what
is complete fabrication. Not to mention the fact that simply having those
classical Hoodoo texts is believed to surround the owner with an aura of 
 power and protection
protection as each is considered a talisman talisman unto itself.
itself.
If one looks closely enough, especially at the Old Testament, it is not
hard to find magic and spells, some passages even contain instructions.
Proverbs 7 warns against adulteresses by indicating they are the ones who
 perfum
 perfume their
their beds with
w ith myrrh, aloes and and cinnam
cinnamonon.. From this
this passag
pass agee it
might be assumed that such a heady perfume acts as a sort of seduction
charm or potion. That is how the old Hoodooists would do it, anyway. The
Psalms are considered to be magical spells which, when spoken aloud,
would grant the speaker various things from safe travel to love, luck, etc.
and a great many books exist devoted to this subject alone. So, first step in
the
the path of hoodoo, read re ad your bible
bibl e and find thethe ancient magic
magic spell
s pellss
therein.
The
The best approach
appr oach to Hoodoo
Hoodoo is i s to learn
lear n by doing.
doing. Get the the major 
major 

5
 books,
 books, thethe bible, the
the sixth
sixth and
and seventh
seventh Books
Books of Moses,
Moses, “Pow Wows”,Wows”, and
maybe a good book boo k on herba
herball medicine
medici ne like “Back to Eden” by Jethro Kloss Klo ss
which has plentpl enty
y of Native
Native Ameri
American can traditional
traditio nal remedies. StudyStudy those
those
 books
 books day in and day out. out. GoGo to rural
rural comm
communities and ask the the old timers
timers
what they know of omens, superstitions, fortune telling or old country
remedies and you will be amazed at what you find. I live in the country, in
the bottom lands of west Tennessee, and almost everyone around here has a
story to tell. Hoodoo is made from this stuff. A good Hoodoo doctor is
always
alw ays lookin
loo kingg to expand
expand his or her powerpow er throug
through h expansion
expansion of knowl
knowledge.
edge.
The endless search for secrets is one of the primary components of Hoodoo
 practice. OneOne of ththe most
most wonderfu
wonderfull thing
thingss about Hoodoo is that that it is an art
that
that can never be mastered.
astere d.
The Hoodoo conjurer has a number of tools at his/her disposal.
Prayers and psalms are among the foremost because they can be memorized
and readily deployed whenever needed. The symbols and seals from “Pow
Wows” and the Books of Moses are other common tools. Some employ the
seals found in another occult classic, “The Black Pullet,” but signs and
symbols are not what Hoodoo is best known for. Hoodoo doctors may spend
a consider
c onsiderable
able amoun
amountt of timetime learning
l earning and
and mastering the the secrets
secr ets of herbs.
More advanced Hoodoo doctors will also incorporate stones and animal
 products.
 products. In classical
classi cal terms,
terms, Hoodoo is a system system predominan
predominantly tly based in
sympathetic and imitative magic.
Sympathetic magic works off of the belief that if part of an object is
taken it can continue to act on, or represent, the whole. Imitative magic
means that making a symbolic gesture, when combined with intent and will,
one can effect
effect the intended change
change on a grander scal s cale.
e. An exampl
examplee comes to
mind of Pennsylvania Dutch origin. When storms were blowing in the
 practitioner
 practitioner would take take an axeaxe outside,
outside, face
face the
the storm and symbolical
symbolically ly
“cut” the
the wind,
w ind, leaving
le aving the
the axe head buried
burie d ini n the
the ground.
ground. The belief
bel ief being
be ing
that
that doing so would
w ould “spli
“sp lit”
t” the
the storm
s torm and cause it i t to go around
around one's
 property.
 property.
By using various natural items, Hoodooists believe, one can manifest
all kinds of things in their lives. The key is in learning the “science” behind
it all. One can find some direction in books or “old wives tales,” but the
true art of Hoodoo is in the the hoo-doing
hoo-doi ng (if
(i f you
you will
wi ll forgive the pun).
pun). The
artist must learn much from hands-on practice. What it really comes down to
is is physically putting your “hands” on various herbs, stones, roots and
curios and learning what all of these items have to offer and, likewise, being
able to “feel out” the patient and understand their affliction. When doing
work for others the hoodoo doctor may have to consider several items

6
 which have been used for the same thing because one may not work for the
individual in question while the other will. For instance, many herbs have
 been used for mon
moneyey drawing
drawi ng,, mistletoe,
mistletoe, monmoney
eywort,
wort, oakm
oakmoss, just toto nam
namee
a few. Just using all of them and hoping for the best is not Hoodoo. If you
gave someone a mojo containing oakmoss and loadstone and they got the
money they needed it does not mean that the same mojo will work for the
next person asking for the same thing.
Once
Once firm
fir mly grounded
grounded in the
the traditions
trad itions and practices
pr actices of hoodoo as
handed
handed down
d own by other
other successful workers,
w orkers, thethe next
next step is
i s devel
d eveloping
oping the
the
skill to perform as described above. This “skill” is seen as no less than the
 performan
 performance ce of God's
God's will
w ill an
a nd, as such,
such, a form
form of ministry
ministry.. There
There are no
“priests” in hoodoo because it is not a religion and has no church per-se.
Rather most of us believe that all the world is a temple, and the best place
to learn because it is the only one wrought by the hand of God. Every plant
and tree and person bears the mark of God's handiwork and, as my
grandmother used to say “There can be no greater masterpiece than the art
that God creates. It is here for but a moment and then fades only to reveal
something else beautiful.” and on this note, let me share with you one
religious perspective which, I hope, reveals some of the spirit behind the
ministry.

On The Living God;

 A hoodoo man's sermon.
se rmon.

There are three ways in which God speaks to all peoples; Creation,
Inspi
Inspiratio
ration,
n, and
and Wil
Will.
l.

God Created all things, and, as such, the mark of God may be found in
everyt
ever ythin
hing
g created.
cr eated.

God grants Inspiration, that moment of pure knowing  that

 that comes like a flash
of lightening from a clear, blue sky.

God gives us Will, which often follows inspiration. It is the force by which
we accomplish all work
wor ks.

 Noth
 Nothing could
could be created withou
withoutt th
the inspiration of th
the idea and th
the will
wil l to
make it real. Ergo, when we create something, be it a building or a work of 
art, it
i t is nothin
nothing
g less than
than an expres
expressio
sionn of God in physic
physicalal form!
form!
Furthermore, since God is the source of all Inspiration, it must also be by

7
the WILL of God that this expression be made. The message here is that God
is an active, LIVING, force which desires to be expressed in many ways
and shared with the world. God is not some far-off authoritarian figure, God
is present
pres ent in our
our worl
w orld,
d, in
i n everything
everything around
around us and everyt
ever ythin
hing
g we do.
d o. WE
are the vessels through which God seeks expression, but we must allow him
to come through. Not because we are more powerful than God, but because
it is part of our test in this life to either accept him and submit to his will, or 
to struggle against him and serve our own material desires.

Life must
must be free to experience,
e xperience, learn
l earn and grow. Mistakes are ar e made, endings
endings
come
come withou
w ithoutt closure,
clos ure, yes, life
l ife can
ca n be painf
pai nful.
ul. With
With the
the pains
pai ns come
come less
l essons,
ons,
with hardships come innovations. All things have a purpose, even for God.
We are not just lumps of clay blessed with breath, we are created in God's
image. The mystery here is no real mystery, in fact it is rather obvious. We
live as spiritual being always growing, learning, inventing, and, most
importantly, progressing. As we progress, so too does God grow and the
universe expand. It is this progression that makes life worthwhile and to
live
li ve eternally
e ternally with
wi thout
out grow
growth
th or change,
change, with
wi thout
out the
the ability
abil ity to learn
lear n and
and
experience, withou
w ithoutt any outlet
outlet for new expressio
expres sions
ns or creations...
crea tions... why
w hy,, that
would be nothing
nothing short
short of death
de ath and
and perhaps
per haps the
the truest expressio
expres sionn of “living
“liv ing
hell” there could be if one takes the time to fully comprehend it.

If one were to take all the words of all the prophets of every religion in the
history of the world one would find that they are all surprisingly similar and
cohesive, yet it would stil
would  still 
l  come
 come no where near a complete expression of 
the
the utter
utter vastness of
o f God. That is because God is not only
only vast but
expansive. God is the source of all creation and, as such, must never stop
creating lest God stop being God. To wit- each new expression, idea,
creation, or concept of the human imagination that is truly “Inspired” must
 be an expressi
expression
on of God
God in at least some
some part because
because with
wi thou
outt God
God noth
nothing
ing
could be created, therefore, nothing would exist.

It is because of this knowledge, which was revealed to me at a very young

age that I must differ from many established religions on the basis of one
core belief. Namely, that which states that God begins and ends with the
gospel. To relegate all the vastness and expansiveness of God to any single
 body-
 body- be that
that a body of man
man,, of stone
stone or of words in a book-
book- is nothing
nothing short
of blasphemy, totemism or idolatry, as one might have it. The reason being
that God, as a living entity as well as a creative force, must be capable of 
expansion and expression. To cease in these acts is to cease to be alive

8
 because
 because life with
wi thou
outt expan
expansion
sion and
and progressi
progressionon is pointless. No langu
languag
agee or 
word of man, even if passed down by God, can completely encompass all
that God is because God is constantly creating, inspiring, willing myriad
forms and expressions into existence. Some are wrought by man, some by
nature, some by the very stars. We must know that God is expressed in all
things because God is the source of all things. We must seek to understand
God through the messages found in all creation, as well as through the
inspirations we are granted. We must regard all these as the sacred gifts they
are and never take them for granted. Even should we differ from one another 
in our understanding, for we are, none of us, capable of completely
unders
understan
tanding
ding God, we must always
alwa ys strive
stri ve for peace and respect
res pect among
among us.
us.
After all, we are all  God's
 God's ch
c hildren.

 I am not a racist,
racist , but Africans
Afri cans come from
fr om Africa
 A word
word on understanding the
t he zeitgeist
zeitgei st of American
American Hoodoo

Let me be blunt, I am a “white man” in as much as I lack the deeper 

 pigment
 pigment of mymy brothers.
brothers. I am a descendent
descendent of Irish, Roman
Romany y and
and Native
Native
American bloodlines more than anything. The black ancestors that most of 
my family never talked about were not slaves raped by white masters, but
legitimately married and well loved in their time. As I have often said “my
family has only been considered 'white' since the 1940's and we were never 
rich enough to own slaves” so, with that, you get some perspective on where
I am coming from.
In the south, the crux of the civil rights movement, racial relations
have always been somewhat tense. The “white guilt” and “reverse racism”
(an oxymoron meaning “blacks who hate whites because they assume all
whites hate blacks” and an offensive term in itself because racism is racism,
 period, no matt
matter
er what color thethe perpetrator is.) still ru
r un rampan
rampantt and,
and, as
such, people often get misunderstood. This brings me to the title of this
section
sectio n “I am not a racist,
raci st, but Afri
Africans
cans come from Africa” a brashbr ash and
 brazen statem
statemenent,
t, perhaps,
perhaps, but
but th
the un
unity of comm
common “blackness”
“blackness” wh w hich goes
goes
deeper than skin is part of what makes hoodoo what it is. Moreover, I won't
tip toe around terms and go out of my way to be “politically correct”
 because
 because this
this is not a political
political work
w ork and
and censorship
censorship kill
killss the
the spirit.
spiri t.
As I see it, African slaves, were African slaves. African Americans
are free immigrants from Africa, and not all of them are black. People of 
African descent who are more than 3 generations removed from someone
who got off of a boat or plane from the African continent and, especially,
those who do not even know what African country they came from are

9
 simply black and this blackness is part of the zeitgeist, the spirit of the
 people. It is not a derogatory
derogatory term
term,, I do
do not
not associate “blackn
“blackness” withwi th
“evilness” and if Hoodoo is to be consider considered ed (as it is by some)
some) to be “folk 
magic of African descendents” then I would openly say that I freely practice
“black
“bla ck magic”
magic” withou
w ithoutt apology
apol ogy.. However,
How ever, African
Afric an descenden
desc endents ts do NOT
have the
the exclusive claimclai m on hoodoo.
hoodoo.
Descendents of African slaves are not the only ones to be ripped from
their homeland, to have their names and cultural identities stripped from
them. Just as my Romany ancestors were called “black dutch” as refugees
from the holocaust (who were hated, feared and persecuted everywhere they
went even to thisthis day) and some of my my Celtic forebear
for ebearss where
w here known
known as
“black Irish” because of their darker features and political leanings (which
ultimately lead to their fleeing from the troubles in their homeland only to be
enslaved in the the countri
countrieses they
they fled to), I could easil
eas ily
y claim
clai m that
that I am “black”
in spite
spi te of my
my complexion
complexion which, if you are wondering wonderi ng,, is
i s more olive
ol ive than
than
 bleached linen
linen white. I was born with blonde hair hair and blue
blue eyes,
eyes, but
but my
my
hair soon darkened and became heavily curled. I look more like a blue eyed
Jew than a honky. I am a bastard child of many nations, as is the craft I
 practice. I am not asham
ashamed ed of who and and what I am,am, nor
nor do I apologize
apologize for 
for 
 being straight-f
straight-forwar
orward d about
about anyt
anyth hing.
ing. Decidedly ambigu
ambiguou ouss langu
language
expresses decidedly ambiguous thoughts.
Black culture and white culture have always been different. Here in
the rural south, black folks tend to be more boisterous than elsewhere. Even
among other blacks, if one speaks overly loud or acts out in a crowd they
may be called
cal led “country
“country nigg
nigga”
a” in
i n jest by their kin. These diffdi fferences
erences are
important to understand in the study of hoodoo which is geared more heavily
toward black culture and, especially, rural black culture. In their time, the
other contributing cultures to hoodoo, the Irish, Scottish, Romany, Jewish,
and Native Americans, were all considered “black” in that they were all
outcasts.
outcasts. Hoodoo is i s magic
magic from the the fring
fri ngee of Ameri
Americancan culture
culture and was bor 
of the desperation of oppressed minorities. So, the zeitgeist, the “nation
spirit” or “culture ghost” of these minorities developed into a singular 
entity. Today, blacks are developing their culture more independently from
the other fringe groups and, so, the zeitgeist has changed, but hoodoo is from
a different time and different circumstances.
Hoodoo developed during the time between emancipation of slaves
and the end of World War Two. As such, the zeitgeist we are concerned with
is specific to that time. Hoodoo is alive and well today and is still open to
everyone, regardless of racial background. However, understanding the
culture from which it derived is extremely important to the understanding of 

10
 the entire practice. These were all people who found that “freedom” was, in
many ways, harder than slavery. You went from being provided at least
minimal food and shelter to being thrust into a world that didn't want you
and left to fend for yourself. Others left their homeland, traveling thousands
of miles because they sought freedom, only to find even more hardship and
no way
w ay back.
back. Financial
Financial slavery is still slavery.
slavery.
It was in the black fire of this despair that hoodoo was forged. It was
time to throw out all preconceptions embrace the wisdom of all nations and
simply seek results by any means necessary. We retained what we could of 
our old traditions, but many whom knew them intimately had long since
 perished. TheThe mant
mantrara ringing
ringing in th
the broken hearts of us all was w as “someth
“something ing
has got 
has got  to
 to give” and the quest for personal power began. It seems selfish
and irreverent to people now, who are comfortable and happy in their 
mundane lives but, at the time, this power was not sought out of greed but
necessity for without it we would have lost what meager existence we were
able to scrape out for ourselves and our families. So, we asked around our 
comm
communities
unities and those
those who could read looked to rare r are and offbeat
offbeat books.
boo ks.
Those
Those who were w ere migrants
igrants and
a nd understood
understood other langl anguag
uages
es were
we re of great
help here because many useful books had not been translated yet. The near 
obsession with secrets and constant search for new magics and formulas
 became
 became an integral
integral part of hoodoo at this this time.
time.
We still tend to integrate information from various sources and seek to
expand on what we know and how we practice. However, out of respect to
the hardships which were endured by our forebears, we try to keep their 
work in tact and differentiate between what is “traditional” and what is
“additional” from our personal quest for power. Because hoodoo was
origin
ori ginall
allyy practiced
practice d by protestant
pro testant Chri
Christians,
stians, much
much of that
that has been retained
re tained
thoug
though h hoodoo
hoodoo technicall
technically y has
has no religious
rel igious affiliations.
affili ations. It was because
everyone had a bible and the bible seemed to be full of spells if you looked
at it right, that it became a part of the hoodoo library. Anything that could be
used to unlock mysteries and increase power became a sort of “good luck 
charm” that could benefit us just by having it around by increasing our aura
of accum
acc umulated
ulated power.
po wer.
Hoodoo workers found other books as literacy increased. Titles
steeped in thethe ceremon
c eremonial
ial traditions
traditi ons of European “high magic” magic” and
a nd
freemasonry
freemasonry soon came on tthe he scene. However,
How ever, as hoodoo folk had little li ttle
time
time for all that
that “pomp” and could scarcel
sca rcely y afford
afford all that
that “fancy stuff”
stuff”
needed for rituals, they did what poor country folks do best and improvised.
Sacred seals which needed to be cast in magical electrum (a mysterious
alloy of elemental metals) or embroidered in velvet with silk thread were

11
 simply etched out as near as possible on paper and tossed into a mojo hand
with other items. There were no wands or circles or special knives used to
cut throu
through
gh the
the veil
ve il between
betwee n realities
real ities.. There wasw as no summ
summoning
oning of spirits
spir its
with hand made bells and exotic incense. We used what we had and made
up for the rest with pure will. Hoodoo became adaptive, innovative, and
fiery as our
our rage
r age at our
our oppressors
oppres sors increased.
Today, some regard hoodoo as a novelty and, even if they do have
some faith in its efficacy,
efficacy, believe
bel ieve that
that it is
i s more  faith
 fait h than the actual work 
that
that bring
bri ngss about
a bout the
the desired
desi red changes.
changes. As such s uch,, many
many distribut
distri butors
ors will
wi ll
 peddle “alleg
“alle ged” goods
goods which are noth nothing but but anim
animalal bi-product
bi- productss and
mislabel
isl abeled
ed herbs meant to to take advantage
advantage of the client cli ents'
s' ignorance,
ignorance, or 
curiosity
curiosi ty,, as the
the case
ca se may be. Those of us who w ho are authen
authentictic still
s till seek out
our own components in the backwoods or grow them in our gardens when
 possible.
 possibl e. As such such,, “city hoodoo”
hoodoo” may may be considerabl
considerably y different
different from
“country hoodoo” which is how I personally practice. If you have access to
legitimate suppliers, by all means, use them. Just be aware of the frauds. We
are still oppressed to this day, you see, by the financial slavers who would
take
take advant
adv antage
age of our desir
des iree to im
i mprove
prov e our lotl ot in life
li fe throug
through h the
the use of 
o f 
magic. We would not have traditions, or go to such lengths to acquire what
we need for our work, if there were not some truth to the power inherent
therein.

The ancestor altar 

One African tradition found in most of the diaspora traditions and still
applicable to hoodoo is the construction and use of the ancestor altar. It is
said that hoodoo is a “loose collection of superstitions with no real doctrine
of faith” but that is not entirely true. We have faith, we just believe that faith
is a personal experience and hoodoo is more of a profession or skill than a
religion. We are still quite aware that the powers we invoke through the
 practice of hoodoo
hoodoo are inexorably
inexorably tied
tied to th
the world
worl d of Spirit and depen
dependendentt
on the will of a Creator. This belief is held by all true practitioners of 
hoodoo.
Furthermore, we are all respectful of our forebears who have crossed
the veil between worlds. The obvious reason being we literally could not
exist without them and the things they taught us in life helped make us who
we are. We do not just “believe” but KNOW that even in death they are with
us, that
that they
they care for us, and can relate
r elate to us in ways
wa ys that
that other
other spiritual
spi ritual
 beings
 beings cannot.
cannot. This
This gives them
them a ununique ability to act as interm
intermediari
ediarieses
 between us and th the Spirit and to comm
communicate on our our behalf.
behalf. Some
Some of us us

12
 think of them as angels or aspirants to some ascended form in the realms
 beyon
 beyond d this
this life.
li fe. Th
This is reflected in the
the Vodou relig
reli gion where
where any of th the
dead may one day join the gede
the  gede who
 who are not quite lwa (the
lwa (the spirits served
through
through Vodou who are ar e not actual
actually
ly gods and are assa ssoci
ociated
ated with
w ith saint
sai nts)
s) but
are more than just “ghosts” or humans.
The Celts, the Norse and many, many other pre-Christian cultures
revered, and continue to revere, their ancestors. Small household altars are
maintained as a place to communicate with them and any other spirits who
watch over us. Since there is a historical connection with this practice and
nearly every other culture which contributed to the current incarnation of 
hoodoo I feel compelled to describe it here.
There
There are no hardhard and fast rules when it comes
comes to erecting
ere cting your
your aaltar,
ltar,
 but
 but th
there are a few guideli
guidelin nes;
Firstly
Fir stly,, your
your ancestors (along
(al ong with
wi th any
any other
other spiri
spi rits
ts you choose
choose to
represent on your altar) deserve respect. They are not “junk” to be crowded
in with an assortment of nick-knacks. Your altar should be devoted to
spiritual purposes ONLY, not half-heartedly thrown together on the corner o
a coffee table
tabl e or on back of a vanity behind
behind your
your make-up
make-up and pictu pic tures
res of 
your cat. Remember, everything on the altar is for the spirits, not you. Do not
use the altar as a decoration or conversation piece and, likewise, if you
need a table for your own spiritual work (a “working altar” I call it), make
sure it is separate from the ancestor altar.
The furniture you use does not matter much, but it should be of a
comfortable height for you to stand, kneel or sit at (depending on what
 position you
you are more
more comfort
comfortable
able in) for
for indeterm
indeterminat
inatee periods of time.
time.
The idea is to use it as a place of daily meditation, reflection and spiritual
communion, so chose the size, shape and location with that in mind.
Construct the altar in a low traffic area of the house, but someplace where
you won't neglect it, and attend it daily.
You will need at least one dish, bowl or cup for offerings and several
may be better if you are dealing with multiple spirits at once. Traditional
offerings for the spirits in general include water, coffee, liquor or beer,
cigarettes/ci
cigarettes/cig gars and
and grain based foods likel ike cornbread or porridge.
por ridge. Dispose
of old offerings at a cross-roads or property line and renew them often.
Even just a little nibble of whatever meal you prepare that day can show
your consideration for the spirits. It is a physical act of welcoming and
incorporating them in your daily life and that matters a lot to them. When
working with specific ancestors of your own you may offer them things you
know they liked in life. You also need representations of those spirits you
wish to communicate with. Photographs, favorite objects or jewelry, scraps

13
 of clothing, and grave dirt all serve as fine connective mediums.
Most like
li ke to keep
keep a candle to “li“ ligh
ghtt the
the way”
w ay” and to carry
carr y the
the energy
of your
your int
i ntent
entions
ions and your
your words
w ords to the
the next
next world.
wor ld. Do not blow out
candles on youryour altar. Breath
Bre ath contains
contains power
pow er and blowing
blow ing thin
things
gs has
meaning. Better to let candles burn out on their own. Some think it is okay to
snuff them, but I don't even do that as this action also has meaning, usually
negative. Some will burn incense, resins or herbs or oils at the altar for 
scents to please the spirits. Scent is also the sense most deeply tied to the
memory centers of our brain, so it makes sense to make use of at the
ancestor altar.
al tar. Just be sure to find suitable bases b ases for anyth
anything
ing you
you may
may leave
 burnin
 burningg.
When a time comes that you need something, use a symbol of some
kind to represent your request along with your offering at the time of your 
devotional service. A few coins for money, a broken bone for healing, a
napkin with a lipsti
li pstick
ck mar
mark k for
for love
l ove...
... Vocali
oca lizeze your
your need to them as you
would confide in them in life. You don't need rhyming incantations and
 barbarous words of power in hoodoo. hoodoo. These
These are your
your own kin kin you
you are
talking to and they want to see you grow, prosper and be happy. That is one
of the
the beaut
bea utiful
iful thing
thingss about
a bout hoodoo,
hoodoo, we don't force spir s pirits
its to do our 
 bidding,
 bidding, we simply ask for for help from
from those
those that
that already care about us and, i
so doing, remain connected to them even after they have transcended the
mortal coil.
coi l.

Two-headed Doctors and the Devil at the Cross-Roads

Some conjure workers are described in this way because it is

 believed they
they are guided
guided by a spirit,
spiri t, be it of an angel,
angel, djinn or ancestor
ancestor as
the
the individual
i ndividual tradition
tradi tion migh
mightt have it.
i t. Such workers are sometimes
sometimes
mysteri
ysteriously
ously compell
compelled ed to do
d o things
things in a certain
c ertain way
w ay or may place
plac e great
emphasis
emphasis on seemingly
seemingly tritrivial
vial thing
thingss at times.
times. They
They are powerful
pow erful conjure
workers, but their lives are never easy. This condition is not chosen but is
 part of an old shaman
shamanic ic survival, foun
found in African
African,, Irish and
and Native
Native
American traditions, carried over into hoodoo. This would be the closest
thing to a “priest” to be found in hoodoo. Though, the reader is reminded
that there is no hierarchical structure, no congregation and no temple for 
hoodoo. The relation is made only by the fact that such a worker will face
the
the gateways of initiation
initiati on found
found univer
universal sal by multiple
multiple anthropologists,
anthropologists, these
these
 being crisis,
crisi s, exile, tribulation
tribulation,, revelation and and emergen
emergence.ce.
The "crisis" is the time when one is "called" by the spirit. It typically
manifests as a near death

14
 experience or a prolonged period of general strife and misfortune. This
comes because the person must be forced to confront their destiny and often
they will not be able to see, or fully accept it, until they
are forced to seek
se ek council
council of a spiri spi ritu
tual
al authority
authority.. Once they understand
understand
what must happen and that it
cannot be undone or changed, they enter into exile. This means complete
dislocation of the person from
all they know and are comfortable in. It is the "liminal space" wherin all
familiar structures are
questioned, preconceptions fade and the ego dies allowing the self to give
way to the spirit. This
comes
comes with
wi th no
no small struggle
struggle as the the exile
exil e typically
typical ly means
means being
bei ng left
completely to the harsh realities of 
the
the worl
w orldd while
w hile facing
faci ng the
the deepest,
dee pest, darkest
da rkest facets of the mind.
mind. ToTo have no
community, family, or other body to turn to for help with even basic things
like food, clothing and shelter. To starve for days with only what you can
find to eat and to have no medical attention, much less anyone to even talk to
when you are bored or lonely. You lose yourself completely, but one must be
lost in order to be found.
In time the initiate will truly understand the meaning of "let go and let
God" (a favorite phrase of my grandmother's) as I did. With this, the spirit
will reveal to them the path and purpose, the deal is struck, and the link 
 between worlds
worl ds is permanen
permanently tly established as the the initiate
initiate dies unto
unto th
the self 
and is reborn unto spirit. Thus they re-enter the world as a body with "two
heads" one of self and one of spirit. In modern society, this means they
maintain a normal life, tending to mundane concerns, while also using their 
unique power to fulfill a higher purpose. In tribal societies these people are
known as shamans and are well taken care of by the tribe but for the hoodoo
man/woman, as I have said before, life is hard and if it wasn't, it just
wouldn't be hoodoo.
The physical act of initiation for the conjure worker often takes place
at a crossroads
cross roads because it i t phy
physically
sical ly represents
represents the spiritual place in i n which
which
the
the person
per son is operating
oper ating.. They find find them
themsel
selves
ves in a state
s tate of flux where there
there
are roads all around them, but they have no where to go. Something is
keeping them from moving and that is the spirit whom they must meet to be
given direction.
direc tion. The
The spir
s pirit
it is
i s their guide
guide and companion
companion and and the person
pers on must
must
face the reality
real ity that
that they
they belong to to the spiri
spi rit,
t, not to
to themsel
themselves.
ves. The
The spir
s pirit
it is
is
sometimes described as "the devil" but it is clearly understood by
 practitioners
 practitioners that
that th
this is most certainly
certainly not
not th
the christian
christian conception
conception of Satan
Satan
or an incarnation of purepure evil.
evil . The confrontation
confrontation can be a terri ter rify
fying
ing one,
one, of 

15
 course, because it involves the initiate being forced to face their own
demons or the "shadow self" or "id" as it is described in modern
 psychology
 psychology.. This
This is,
is , however,
however, more
more than
than a mere
mere psychopom
psychopomp. p.
The spirit of the crossroads is known in many traditions and is very
real. In hoodoo, aside from “Devil” he is also called “the Dark Man” or 
“the black man” being understood that this is not a reference to his skin
color, which is often deathly pale or albino, but rather to his color of dress
and his black hollow eyes. In African diaspora religions he is Papa Legba,
Elegua and Exu, and it is only by his leave that the connection between the
 phy
 physical and spirit
spiri t worlds is made possible.
possibl e. Perhaps a more more fitting
fitting
comparison would be to Met Kalfou (literally “master of crossroads”) or 
Sassabonsam, spirits who are considered very dangerous guardians of lost
ways and forgotten places who also possess the greatest secrets of magic
 but
 but bestow
bestow them
them only
only uponupon a few theythey deem worthy of mak making
ing a deal withwi th..
He is the
the Catholic St. Peter who watches w atches the
the gate between
betwee n heaven
heaven and earth ear th,,
the
the Celtic
Cel tic Pwyll
Pw yll who
w ho was the the first
fir st mortal
mortal to be adm a dmitted
itted to anwnn,
anwnn, the
underworld, and be allowed to return and the Norse God Odin who gave his
own eye for foresight and was crucified like Jesus, wounded by spear, so
that he could enter the realm of Hel (freom whence we get our word “hell”)
to bring the secrets of magic back to the world of men to help us in our time
of need.
By whatever
whatever name name wew e know
know him,him, he is,
is , as he has
has always
alw ays been, the
Great Initiator who forges the bond between the mortal mind and the mind o
God. Though none of us may truly know that mind, we can become an
instrument thereof. For the hoodoo worker, that means having a guiding hand
in their work, a voice to whisper to them the secrets of plants and a light to
reveal the hearts of men. This power (as is often the case when power is
seemingly
seemingly great)
great) is more burden than than boon as the wonders worked wor ked for 
others
others are seldom
sel dom,, ifi f ever, recipr
re ciprocal
ocal.. One migh
mightt ask; “Why
“Why go to the the trouble
of being initiated? Why bother doing this work only to make others happy?
If there are no great rewards, why bear the burden?” and the answer is
sim
si mple. If you
you are called,
call ed, you must
must answ
answer.
er. It is not choice
choice,, it
i t is destiny.
destiny. I
explain these
these thing
thingss here not to to instill
i nstill a desir
de siree in
i n others
others to go to the the
crossro
cros sroads,
ads, but to
to inf
i nform
orm those
those who have been bee n called
calle d of what
w hat they
they must
expect to do. The time
time has longl ong passed
pass ed that there
there were
we re people
peopl e com
co mmon in
every community to guide us in this. I had to figure it out on my own and it
took half of my life to do so. I just hope these words will reach others in
time to help them along.

16
 Part 2

Root work 

The
The use of herbs,
herbs, roots,
r oots, woods, seeds and and flowers as well w ell as
minerals, animal derived items, and other assorted curios is all lumped into
one
one category
category called “rootwork” and and some Hoodoo doctors are called root
workers
wor kers because they they speciali
speci alize
ze in this
this particular
parti cular area of Hoodoo. There There
are numerous works in publications devoted entirely to the subject of 
Hoodoo root work. Herbal medicine is also als o an aspect
aspe ct of root work
wor k and it is
highly
highly recomm
recommended that an indivi individual
dual int
i nteres
erested
ted in this aspec
a spectt of Hoodoo
make a serious
seri ous study of herb herbalalis
ism
m. The medical edi cal com
c omm
munity
unity has
has been
be en
 publishing
 publishing “PDRs” or “phy “physician
sici anss desk references”
references” specifically for for herbal
medicine for many years and it is a must have for the root workers library.
Where
Where magical and spiri spi ritu
tual
al matters are concerned, the effects that that an herb
has on the
the body is believed
beli eved to stem from from thethe effect
effect it has on the
the spirit.
spir it. So,
 by knowi
nowin ng what an herb does in th the body we can draw conclusions
conclusions about about
what magical
magical uses to which they they may
may lend their their power.
pow er. For instan
i nstance,
ce, if
i f an
herb works as a purgative, emetic or laxative then it will likely work for 
spells to get rid of unwanted people or spiritual influences.
Hoodoo also works heavily with something called “the doctrine of 
signatures” which represents the belief that God left us clues about what
objects or herbs can be used for what purposes if we only know how to
look. If an herb
herb or flower
flowe r is heart shaped
shaped then it shouldshould in
i n some
some way wa y be
related
rel ated to matters
matters of the the heart,
heart, be they
they physic
physical al health or love-r
lo ve-rela
elated.
ted. If 
somethin
something g looks like
li ke an eye
eye then it is likely
li kely a natural
natural ward
w ard against the the “evil
“e vil
eye” which is a curse that befalls a person if someone looks on them with
enough
enough hate
hate and evil in theirtheir heart. Sweet
Swe et thing
thingss swee
s weeten
ten affections,
affections, sour 
s our 
thing
thingss turn them
them sour or “cut “ cut”” spiri
spi ritu
tual
al inf
i nfluences.
luences. Hot thingthingss stir
s tir discor
di scord d or 
“heat thing
thingss up”, while
w hile earthy
e arthy thing
thingss bring
br ing wealth and fertility
fertili ty or repres
rep resent
ent
the hom
homee and fideli
fide lityty.. Minty or “green”
“ green” tasting
tas ting things
things often bring
bri ng money
while “airy” herbs (those which are highly aromatic or register heavily in
the nose) are used for uplifting of spirits and bitter, astringent herbs are used
for protection. OnceOnce you know know how to read the signs signs you will
wi ll be
b e correct
corr ect in
determining
determining what an herb or root is for. For instance, galangal galangal or “low
ohn”
ohn” root is a relati
r elative
ve of ging
ginger
er and is also
als o called
call ed red ginger
ginger by some.
some. It is

17
 used in Thai food and has has a strong
s trong hot-but-earthy
hot-but-ear thy flavor.
flav or. It has a stimula
stimulantnt
effect causing thethe blood
bloo d to pum
pump harder. It is traditionall
tra ditionally y chewe
chewed d for 
 power to break down barriersbarri ers in gengeneral.
eral. It is used in gambling
ambling andand court
court
case
cas e charms. Maybe that that just seem
see ms obvio
obv iousus to meme but, if you
you take
take the time
time
to think about it, you will get it, too.
Some
Some of the traditional
traditio nal uses of o f various
vari ous animal
animal charms
charms and
a nd other 
other 
curios are a little trickier because many of them are derived from tribal
knowledge or spiritual traditions with which the reader may not be familiar 
and that
that go
go back centuri
centuries
es.. That is whyw hy it is im
i mportant
por tant to also
als o study the
the
wisdom
wi sdom of old by reading about about them
them or asking
a sking elders.
elde rs. Most of the the uses
uses of 
these
these item
i tems,
s, however, are still
s till based
b ased on the
the law of signatu
signatures
res.. Think
Think of each
object
obje ct as a sym
symbol unto
unto itself. What
What does it resemble? What What shapes
shapes do you
see?
se e? What
What does it remind
remind you
you of? TryTry observi
obser ving ng the
the animal
animal itsel
its elf.
f. What
What
does
doe s it do? What
What do those
those actions
acti ons sym
symbolize
bol ize to to you?
you? Cultivation
Cultiva tion of this
this
kind of associative thinking is critical to the aspiring root worker.
Remember, God grants us the power and has given us the tools to use it and
the
the skills
skill s to learn
lea rn the
the secrets.
sec rets. It is up to us us to seek
see k out
out the
the hidden knowledge
knowledge
and put it to use.

 Applying
 Applying the doctrine
doct rine of signatures
s ignatures

A fundamental skill in hoodoo rootwork is to be capable of finding

out how
how to use vari
va rious
ous ingredients by using the
the doctrine of
o f sign
si gnatu
atures
res.. I
spent many years honing my abilities by venturing into nature and closely
observing everything about different plants. It is more than just shapes and
colors but how and where it grows, when it bears flower or fruit, what
times of year it sprouts or dies back, what plants it grows near, how it
smells and tastes and what medicinal benefits, or even poisonous properties
it may have. Leave nothing out. All plants, ALL of them, have some place in
conjure. Just because it is not listed in a book of “magical herbs” does not
mean it is void of spiritual properties. It would be utterly impossible to list
every single plant with all of their metaphysical properties. Indexes such as
the
the one found
found ini n this
this book serve
ser ve as guides
guides to help you fam
famililiar
iarize
ize yourse
yourself 
lf 
with the various applications of ingredients. Some uses are not immediately
apparent and some are found only by trial and error. Rootwork, like any
other
other scien
sci ence,
ce, applies the
the scientific
scientific process
proces s as we will
w ill see in the
the followin
followi ng
example. Once one has learned what to look for and how to make
associations between physical and metaphysical characteristics the entire
natural world becomes filled with magic and one is seldom found wanting
for ingredients when a need arises. We do not always have the prescribed

18
components for an important piece of work, but necessity is the mother of 
invention and hoodoo, above all other magics, is one born of necessity.

Subject of analysis; Kudzu

This vine will one day consume all of the American south, and,
 believe iti t or not,
not, I am hardly kidding
kidding.. It was im i mported from
from Asia, quickly
quickly
naturalized, and took over everything in its path. Though it has no natural
 predators, as it were, the the root and
and you
youn ng greens are edible by hu humans
ans and
the mature greens a good fodder for many domestic animals such as pigs,
and goats. The flowers are an attractive purple and smell of grape jelly.
Some southern counties have annual “kudzu festivals” with food and crafts
made from
fro m the
the plant
pl ant in order to encourage
encourage local l ocalss to cut it back. The
The root
r oot can
grow to thethe size
s ize of a man and,and, aside
as ide from being a nutritious
nutritious veget
ve getable
able,, is
is
also being studied as a cure for alcoholism. Taken daily, as a powder, it has
 been foun
found to reduce craving cravings for alcohol
alcohol while repairing
repai ring liver damage.
damage. It
may also help prevent heart problems, high blood pressure, and some
cancers. Some call kudzu “mile-a-day plant” because it grows at such an
alarming rate. Jack's bean stalk could easily have been a kudzu vine and it
does, in fact, produce a bean pod, which is the one inedible part of the
 plant.
 plant. It is an oddly smallsmall thing
thing for ththe size of thethe plant,
plant, and
and covered in
reddish-brown hairs. In my practice I have found that these can be carried
as a curio for perseverance and personal strength, or added to other 
formulas for “fast growth” with persisting effects as one might desire in
money or business form for mulas. Kudzu
Kudzu is not “tradi“traditional”
tional” in
i n conjure,
conjure, but is soso
abundant
abundant in our our region and so uniqueunique in i n its characteris
character istics
tics that
that there
there is no
reason
reas on not
not to use it. As a “new comer” comer” to the the scene,
s cene, others may find
additional
addi tional uses for it i t in time,
time, but the
the doctrine
doc trine of sign
si gnatu
atures
res reveals
reve als much.
uch.
The leaves are three lobed, a sign of the trinity and, thus, divine power. The
flowers are purple, the color of royalty, and they grow high and in clusters,
symbolizing abundance. The leaves, stems the beans are both hairy, a sign o
masculine power
po wer or “mars“mars energy”
energy” as one migh mightt have it, even
ev en more
more so since
the color of the hairs on the bean pods is red. The vines are woody and
strong, more evidence of masculine power. The rate of growth (literally
over a foot per day) and its all-consuming nature show it to possess a
dominant nature while the size and depth of its root indicate strength. The
medicinal
edic inal eff
e ffects,
ects, along
a long with the the fact that it is a nutritious
nutritious food-stuf
food- stuff,
f, proves
prove s
kudzu to be a plant which “cares about humans” even in spite of its
aggressive appearance. As such, I would classify kudzu as a fortifying plant
which can be used to empower and speed up most works, particularly those

19
 of beneficent nature. Beans of all kinds have often been used in money
work, so it would stand to reason that kudzu beans would do for this task,
especial
espec ially
ly when taking
taking into
into consideration
consider ation thethe proli
pr olific
fic growth
grow th of the
the plant.
Flowers with sweet scents are common in love work. Being royal purple,
and coming from such a massive plant, it is likely that they carry a slight
 bent
 bent toward
toward dominat
domination
ion mag
magic.
ic. It is lik
li kely th
that kud
kudzu
zu flowers wou
w ouldld do well
wel l
when thee is call to control one's partner. The link to sobriety and health
would seem to indicate it is a plant of hope and restored vitality, so it would
 be most
most appropriate in either
either contex
contextt of wealth
weal th or dominan
dominancece when thethe need
need
was great and prospects seem bleak at best. For this reason, it may also be
seen as a “block buster” herb for overcoming obstacles and crossed-
conditions.

 More Than Just Magic

Magi c

Though hoodoo is largely known for the “mojo” or metaphysical

workings it employs, it is also about medicine and ministry. There is a
reason that hoodoo workers are called “doctors” after all. In the old days,
and in the
the out of reach commun
communities ities where theythey still reside
res ide and practice,
practi ce,
these people were the most accessible source of relief to the ails of their 
neighbors.
neighbors. Most couldc ould not afford
afford the
the cost
co st of hospital visits
vis its or
o r make
make the long
drive
dri ve to see
s ee a modern doctor. Often times times it simply
s imply was not worth the the effort
for many minor complaints, which still needed to be addressed before
 progressing intointo a more
more seriou
seri ouss problem. Hoodoo doctors doctors helped with these these
 problems,
 problems, often
often with a little
little dose of faithfaith and
and hope,
hope, just
just for
for good
good measure.
measure.
A visit with your root doctor is a visit with an old friend, a friend
who happens to know know a thing
thing or two about herbs herbs and thethe spir
s pirit.
it. Some
doctors are known
known for their
their “sigh
“si ght”
t” which gives themthem thethe ability
abil ity to see
 beyon
 beyond d the
the phy
physical and isolate the the source of a problem even when the the
 patient
 patient is unaware.
unaware. OthOthers migh
mightt have
have a special talent for divination,
divination,
allowing them to guide a person to the path God has set for them. To some,
this
this seems like
li ke “witch
“wi tchcraft”
craft” but to the the hoodoo worker,
w orker, this
this is ministry,
inistry,
 because
 because it all comes
comes from the the Holy Source
Source and is delivered with w ith a hum
humble
ble
regard to the true origin of all power.
It is difficult to convey to the modern, urban-ized mind the different
 perspective we have out out in thethe count
country ry.. Thing
Thingss are quieter
quieter here and and we tend
tend
to notice subtle things that city folks miss out on. Because of this, I believe,
we have a heightened awareness of certain influences and energies and that
we are more profoundly moved by these things than those who are
continuously bombarded with unnatural influences that come with city life.

20
So, just as our idea of ministry seems witchy and primitive, so too our idea
of medicine might come off as seemingly “magical” to others. Remember, in
hoodoo work, the treatment of body, mind, or  spirit
 spirit are all just part of 
standard medicine for us. Quite
Quite often, we end up treating all three
three
sim
si multaneously
ultaneously because, to us, they
they are not separated. Indeed,
Indeed, if they were,
wer e,
that
that would be a most seri
s erious
ous issue
is sue in need of intensi
intensive
ve and imi mmediate
edia te
treatment!

 Preparation of natural medicines

m edicines

Knowing how to prepare medicine from herbs, roots and bark are part
of the S.O.P (standard operating procedures) of a hoodoo doctor. Truthfully,
I almost forgot to add this section because this is such basic knowledge I
nearly took for
for granted
granted that the
the reader would know
know it. Forgive
For give my
my
assumptions if you will, and likewise, if the following seems too remedial,
feel free
fre e to move along.

 Infusion-
 Infusi on- this is the method most commonly employed in herbal
 preparations. ItIt is comm
commonly
only knknown as “mak
“making
ing tea” to
to put
put it plainly into
into
 perspective. The
The purpose
purpose of ththis meth
method
od is to draw out vital essences from from a
material by the application of heat into a carrier agent, typically water.
Sometimes the active ingredient is not soluble in water, so oil or milk may
 be used.
used. Likewise,
Likewise, some
some constitu
constituenents
ts migh
mightt be soluble
soluble in one
one carrier,
carri er, but
but not
the other, and using the right carrier will give you the ingredients you want
while leaving
leav ing out
out the
the ones you don't.
don't. Prepari
Pr eparing
ng an infusi
infusion
on usually
usually consists
consi sts
of bringing the carrier to just shy of boiling and then pouring over the
material and allowed to slowly cool. For stronger infusions, the container is
covered so that
that the
the evaporating oils will
wi ll cool and precipitat
precipi tatee back down
into the carrier. Using vitamin E oil after preparation will help keep oil-
 based infu
infusions from
from spoilin
spoili ng.

 Decoction-
 Decoction- this is similar to infusion, but the point is typically to
remove a
remove a volatile portion which may be toxic, or too concentrated for safe
use. This method is more commonly used with roots and woody substances.
The carrier is brought to a full boil and the substance is “cooked” in it. The
more volatile elements will evaporate into the air while more stable
components will remain in the carrier. Decoctions are a lot less stable than
infusi
infusions
ons and are typica
typicall
lly
y prepared
prepar ed at the time
time of use. In my experi
experience,
ence,
decoctions seldom keep for more than a few days, maybe a week if 
refrigerated.

21
  Maceration-
 Macerati on- this is the extraction of vital components through
alcohol, and yields the most stable and lasting medicine. Grain alcohol,
vodka or brandy are most commonly used. It must be strong, no less than 80
 proof or 40% alcohol
alcohol by volum
volumee with high
higher
er being preferable. Herbs are
 placed in a tigh
tightly
tly sealin
seali ng contain
container
er and the
the alcohol poured
poured over. I typicall
typicallyy
use just enough to cover, plus half over, maybe twice if the material is
absorbent, like fruit. I leave strong spices for one week, dried herbs for two
weeks, woody or fresh herbs for three weeks and fresh fruits for a month or 
more. Truly, the longer you let them go the stronger they become and the
alcohol makes it impossible to spoil. The resulting liquor is strained off and
the solid material squeezed out and filtered. This liquid is known as a
“mother tincture” and is diluted with water when used.

Calcination-
Calcination- This is an archaic process
proce ss that,
that, truthf
truthfully
ully,, I only use
use for 
one thing, but is worth mention here. Calcination is the application of heat to
remove practically all volatile components, leaving behind a dust of the
more basic elements. Simply put, it means roasting. To do this with herbs,
 place them
them in a metal
metal or glass
glass dish
di sh and
and apply indirect
indirect heat.
heat. For a small
small
 batch,
 batch, someth
something
ing as simple as a candle
candle will
wi ll suffice.
suffice. When
When the
the herb
herb is all
al l
dried out is should powder quite easily. Another use of calcination, and the
one I personally employ, is for hard, animal-based materials such as
hooves, bones and antlers. The process for these is different, however.
Rather than roasting in a dish, they are hung over vats of boiling water and
allowe
all owedd to “swea
“s weat”
t” out their
their mucil
mucilage.
age. This makes
makes them much easier easi er to
 powder for medicine.
medicine. I use this
this process
proces s for egg
eggshells to produce
produce cascarilla
also known as “peace powder” which has many spiritual uses as well as
 being a fast acting
acting antacid
antacid when taken
taken internally
internally..

 Drying - the most common way of keeping raw herbs is by drying

them. The best method is the “bundle method” which I personally use for 
nearly all my herbs. Harvest fresh plants, gathering as much of the whole
 plant as you can. Lay themthem all in
i n the
the same
same direction andand gath
gather
er them
them up in
handfulls around the bottom end. Tie a piece of twine or string around them
tightly, then begin to wind it round all the way to the top. When the plant
material
ateria l gets
gets thin, fold the tips over
o ver and start winding
w inding back up toward
towar d the
end where you started. You do not need to wind it too tight, leave room for 
air to flow through. You should be able to squeeze the bundle without bits
falling
falli ng out,
out, but still see plenty of the
the plant materi
material
al between
betwee n your
your bindings.
Tie the string off at the end and hang them in a cool, dry place where little to

22
 no sunli
sunligh
ghtt will
wi ll reach
reac h them
them.. Do NOT allow
al low any direct
dir ect contact with
wi th sun or 
you will lose the vital components. When you only want one part of the
 plant,
 plant, such as leaves or flowers,
flow ers, place them
them in a box
box and
and poke
poke holes
holes on all
sides for air to flow through and shake the box daily until thoroughly dry.
Dried herbs arear e far more potent than
than fresh ones, which
w hich contain
contain more
more water,
which dilutes the medicinal oils. To wit; dried herbs use one teaspoon per 
cup of infusi
infusion,
on, fresh herbs
herbs are one tablespoon
tables poon per cup of infusio
infusion.
n. Truly
Truly
dried herbs should crumble to the touch, and these can be put in jars or bags
for later use. It is preferable to keep them as whole as possible, as crushing
them will release the oils, as should be immediately evident to the nose.
One final note, do not use the bundle or box methods for juicy, succulent
herbs like dock, jewelweed, and jimsonweed. They simply putrefy and drip
a tobacco-spit looking liquid down the leaves. These must be dried with
heat, between 100 and 200 degrees
de grees Fahren
Fa hrenheit,
heit, with
wi th some
some kind of 
ventilation allowed. Remember, jimsonweed is poisonous and
 psychotropic,
 psychotropic, so please do this this outside
outside if you plan to to work with it.

atural salve base-

base- because it is needed for so many formulas, I thought I
would share my own method for making salves that keep well without using
any nasty chemicals. Begin by heating your herbs in olive oil using a crock 
 pot, dou
double boiler
boil er or bain-marie.
bain-marie. You
You want to watch carefully
carefully and
and notnot
“cook” your herbs but heat them gently and slowly for as long as you can to
draw out the essences. Strain the herbs from the oil and keep it over a low
heat. Add a half teaspoon of vitamin E oil for every 10 ounces or so of olive
to help it keep longer. Next add pure beeswax in one inch chunks little by
little
li ttle and stir until
until completel
completelyy integrated.
integrated. Next to
to you pot keep
keep a large
lar ge spoon
on ice. Using your stirring spoon drip but a single drop on the back of cold
spoon and see if it solidifies. If it does, rub it between your fingers and see
how it i t feels. If too
too thick and
and waxy
w axy,, add more oil,
oil , if
i f too thin,
thin, or if it
i t runs
runs off 
o ff 
the
the spoon.
sp oon. add more wax.w ax.

 Some basic medicinal

m edicinal formulas
formul as

“Gypsy cough syrup”

Though I do not like the pejorative name, the old southern cure for a
troublesome cough
cough is to take
take a whole “onion” and stick it in
i n a jar of honey
honey
for a month and take the resulting liquor by the spoonful. The “onion” here
would be more appropriately a leek or shallot as we use a sort of “country
onion” which I cannot attest to the specific species of but it is certainly not a
supermarket whit, red or yellow onion. Theoretically any would do, but this

23
 is just what I know.
know. The onion we use has flat leaves
le aves,, not the
the hollow
holl ow tubes
tubes
you find on commercial onions. The bulb is white but no bigger than the
 palm of ththe hand
hand and
and has
has a rather
rather sweet,
sw eet, almost
almost apple-like flavor.
flavor. In my ow
formula I add a cupfull of elderberries and some monarda to help break the
fever. Some
Some cloves
cl oves would also
als o help to soothe any inflamm
inflammation
ation in the throat.
throat.
The wonder of this is it is perfectly safe, even for children, and doesn't taste
as bad as
a s one
o ne migh
mightt think
think.. Since
Si nce honey
honey is a natural
natural preserva
pres ervative
tive the herbs
need not be removed (it will only get stronger) and it will keep indefinitely
with
wi thout
out refrigeration.

Drawing salve
all the grandmothers in my day kept this stuff handy and used it for just
about everything. Since many of the younger folk may have never heard of 
this, it is called “drawing salve” because it draws out things in the skin, be
it a splinter
spl inter,, venom from
from a sting,
sting, or infection.
infection. The basic
basi c formula
formula is sim
si mple
activated charcoal in a stable salve medium. Most commercial formulas use
 petroleum
 petroleum jelly
jell y for a base because
because it is cheap and
and stable, but
but my
my natural
atural
alternative above works as well and is what most homemade formulas use.
They also used to add menthol and/or camphor to make it smell and add a
natural pain killer. Clove and lavender work as well and may be preferable
to some scent-wise.

Laborer's Linement
This is one of my own formulas that works like a charm on
overworked muscles. I suppose it would be just as well for someone trying
to get pumped at the gym, but I use it after long days of cutting wood, hauling
water and the like. Simply infuse the oil of your choice (olive, palm, peanut,
mineral,
ineral , if
i f you
you must)
must) with
wi th dried leaves
lea ves of the
the swee
s weetg
tgum
um and beauty berry
berr y
trees. It has a pleasant, subtle spicy scent with no irritating “freeze” or 
“burn” like commerci
commercial
al products for the
the sam
s amee purpose,
purpos e, just
j ust nice,
nice, soothing
relief. I have torn muscles, rubbed this on, and gone right back to work many
times.

Poison ivy and bite

bite relief 
In a basic salve base, jewelweed with ground ivy. Works wonders on
many types
types of skin irritations
irr itations and typically
typicall y cures
cures poison
pois on oak and
and ivy
i vy with
wi thin
in
24 hours depending
depe nding on how
how sensitive you are to it and how soon
s oon after 
exposure you apply the
the salve
s alve..

Flu relief 

24
 make a tincture of clove, star anise, ginger, elderberry and citrus
 peels. Add to a glass
glass of warm water
water with
wi th honey
oney and
and lemon
lemon and
and take
take 3-4
times daily. Supplementation with four thieves vinegar for immunity and
carmelite water for fever (both found in formulary) will expedite recovery.

Turmeric and black peppercorns for everything

The
The spicy
spi cy yellow
yellow root powder that
that serves as a base for curries has
numerous health benefits from healing the damage caused by peptic ulcers to
fighting and preventing cancer, memory loss and obesity. It can also be used
for fighting infections caused by fungus, bacteria and viruses as well as
inflammation both internal and external. Black pepper has many similar 
 benefits
 benefits and
and increases the
the bio-availabili
bio-avail ability
ty of curcum
curcumin,in, th
the active chem
chemical
ical
in turm
turmeri
eric.
c. Use them as a tincture
tincture internally or in linim
li niment
entss and
a nd salves
salv es for 
external application as for arthritis, cuts and sores.

Gen
Ge ne ral pur
purpose
pose salve
For cuts,
cuts, burns,
burns, boils,
boil s, chapping,
chapping, chafing and and hemorr
hemorrhoids
hoids com
c ombine
bine
yarrow, plant
pl antain
ain and mullein
mullein ini n a salve
sal ve base.
ba se. It is gentle
gentle enough
enough to use on
 babies for diaper rash
ras h but
but strong
strong enou
enough to stopstop bleeding on the
the spot, even
from fair
fairly
ly bad woun
w ounds.
ds. I have also
als o used it
i t for mouth
mouth sores myself because
the ingredients are food safe and edible, so you don't have to worry about
the kids getting poisoned by it.

Powerful slee
sle e p tinctur
tincturee
Insomnia runs in my family, and we get it BAD. Many commercial
supplements are available, most contain valerian, which smells like feet and
never worked
w orked for me anyway.
anyway. Melatonin is another
another popular one, but since
we also suffer from depression from a serrotonin deficiency, melatonin can
actually exacerbate our symptoms. One remedy I found to work rather well
is a tincture of hops (like those used in beer) with skullcap and
 passionflower (mayp
(maypop)
op) leaf. If
If cham
chamom
omile
ile and lavender
lavender have th
the calming
calming
effect they do on some, make a tea and add a dropperfull of the tincture to it.

Part 3 Conjure

 Divining
 Divining the will
w ill of God 

As stated before, all work in hoodoo is considered an extension of 

God's will
wi ll into the
the worl
w orld
d through
through the
the worker.
w orker. We
We have no qualms
qualms with
w ith
doing harm when it is a punishment ordained by God. There is no reason to

25
 fear bringing someone under submission when their obedience is unto the
Lord. The shepherd protects his flock with both rod (a bludgeon to fend of 
 predators) and staff
staff (a guide
guide and a hook
hook to keep
keep those
those who stray on course)
course)
as the
the good book
boo k says.
Some would ask “but who are you to decide what is or isn't the will
of God?” and the answer is “not but a humble servant” which is why we
 practice divination.
divination. ConContrary
trary to what
what some
some zealots
zealots would havehave you
you believe,
all forms of divination are not strictly forbidden by the bible. Rather it is
only those which make supplications to lesser gods. We have already
discussed how hoodoo is not strictly christian anyway but even for the
majority of rootworkers who are also christians, there is no dispute betwee
the practice and their faith. The practitioner of hoodoo is meant to be in
constant
constant contact with
wi th their
their higher
higher power
pow er and sometim
sometimes es it behooves
be hooves one to
have an external representation to help differentiate between true spirit
commun
communic icatio
ationn and int
i nter
ernal
nal monologu
onolo gue.
e.
Most workers today use the familiar tarot deck for their readings. The
trumps
trumps of
o f the
the tarot
taro t or taken right
right out of the
the biblica
bibl icall book
b ook of Revelations
Revelati ons so it
seems rather appropriate. However, oldtime conjures used more mundane
methods more often than not. Growing up I used to hear my grandparents
talking about all kinds of signs. Most people are familiar with old sayings
like “your ears must be burning” meaning someone is talking about you or 
superstitions like “when a broom falls you have worn out your welcome”
 but
 but when
when it comes
comes to deciding wheth whether or not to perform
perform some
some type
type of 
magical
agical work, we need direct dir ect answer
answers.s.
There are two divinitory tools I know of that are connected with
oldtime conjure, bones and a nd playing cards,
card s, each
e ach having various
vari ous meth
methods
ods of 
use. For bones sets, some use chicken bones while others use those of a
 possum.
 possum. Some
Some will
wil l include
include other
other curious
curious such as seashells or sm s mall keys.
keys.
With the cards some will use a full poker or bridge deck including both
“big” and
and “little” jokers wh w hile others will
wi ll use a striped
stri ped or “piqu
“pi quet”
et” deck 
including only the cards 7-10 and the face cards. It is these which we will
 be addressin
addressi ng shortly
shortly as th the tarot has been th thorough
oroughly covered by numerous
authors while relatively little is written about playing cards other than to
correlate them with the tarot (which is not exactly how I have come to
unders
understan
tandd them being used used in hoodoo) and practical
prac tically
ly nothing
nothing is written
wr itten
about bones,
Before we get to it, let us talk briefly about how we approach
readings in hoodoo. It is not some cheap parlor trick or game for a bit of 
spooky entertai
entertainm
nment
ent.. We
We dod o not do “cold
“col d readi
r eading
ngs”
s” or use overly
over ly generi
genericc
terms
terms which
w hich could
could easily
easi ly apply
appl y to everyone in any situation. When When we write
wr ite

26
about the proposed meanings of the signs that come up in divination, we
must use
use fairly
fairl y broad terms
terms to convey
c onvey an overall
over all idea,
idea , but in the
the actu
ac tual
al
reading we strive to make this concept fit into a given situation in as precise
a manner as possible. That is why we first must have a very clear question
in mind. If a client wants us to do work to bring back a lover who has gone
astray,
astray, first
fir st we
w e must
must determine whether
whether or not these
these people
peop le should
should even be
together. That is a clear and simple “yes or no” and a fine place to start. If 
the answer is “yes” however, we must then find out what caused them to
stray, what they are up to, and how best to approach bringing them back.
Domination, souring or sweetening are all viable options (which we will
describe in full later) but not all are justified or in keeping with the will of 
God.
For this we will do a more in-depth reading and continue to pursue
specific questions until we find the right answer, which is not always
(seldom even) the answer we think  we  we want at the beginning. That is
another pitfall in this line of work. Many people will go to several different
readers until they get the answer they hope for, some readers will stretch the
meanings of the signs they see right in front of them to give those answers
and many
many who readre ad for them
themsel
selves
ves will
wi ll strain
strai n to make
make their
their reading
readi ngss fit their 
desires rather than looking objectively and accepting the obvious.
It takes time and practice to develop the skills to do a proper reading.
It is for precisely that reason that I recommend to all of my students before
they even begin to attempt any sort of conjure or rootwork that they choose a
method
ethod of divination
di vination and start practici
pr acticing
ng with
wi th it every sing
si ngle
le day.
day. I find a
“daily forecast” and a small notebook to keep track of both the results of 
your readings and what actually happened that day can go a long way
toward getting a handle on what the various signs actually mean. The next
step is to start asking questions, specific but more or less inconsequential
ones and allowi
all owingng your
your divi
d ivinat
nations
ions to guide
guide your
your decis
d ecisions.
ions. Again, noting
noting
the result, keeping in mind that sometimes even seemingly unfavorable
outcomes can be “blessings in disguise” which is why we keep a running
ledger to look back on. In time you should get enough information to modify
and refine your interpretations enough to apply them to specific
circumstances as is our goal.

 Bone readings

Divination with bones is about as hoodoo as it gets. Likely derived

from ancient African tribal practices it is not known how bone reading came
to its current incarnations in American hoodoo. Those practiced in Africa

27
 are often quite elaborate having many detailed components. In the states,
 bone
 bone reading is mu much more quaint
quaint and
and the
the meanin
meaning gs or the
the signs
signs are mainly
mainly
intuited by the reader.
There are two main versions of hoodoo bone reading. One uses a
small set of chicken bones, the other a full set of possum or armadillo
 bones.
 bones. Thou
Thoug gh not all practitioners
practitioners do so, those
those who hon
honor
or the
the spirits
spiri ts in
more traditional ways will use the bones of an animal that was sacrificed
and prepared as a ritual meal, the better portion of which is offered to the
spirits. It is by way of this offering that the bones are made sacred rather 
than being little more than rubbish scavenged from the waste bin.
The chicken bone method makes use of a large bone, a small bone, a
long bone, a broken bone and a wish bone. One can immediately see that
this method is very broadly defined. The large bone indicates someone's
strengths. The small bone, their shortcomings. The long bone represents time
and delays. The broken bone signifies problems, strife and broken bonds or 
 promises.
 promises. The wish bone bone indicates wishes and and blessin
blessi ngs. The
The bones
bones are cast
on a surface,
surface, usually
usually a wide, shallow bowl or shell, which w hich is divided
di vided into
zones corresponding to different areas of life, mind or spirit as is most
relevant to the question. An example of the different zones and their 
meanings
eanings can be seen in i n the
the follow
fol lowing
ing illustration.
ill ustration.

Some practitioners will use more bones and be more specific in their 
selection. For instance they may use a wing bone for travel and a left rib for 
matters of the heart. This gets to be more like those methods using possum
 bones.
 bones. In more recent practice, armadill
armadillo
o bones
bones have come
come to be used in ththe
same way because they are an invasive species which can be hunted at any
time of year and most game wardens do not even mind them being hunted

28
 with
wi thout
out a license.
lic ense. Both possum and armadillo armadill o are ar e “poor
“po or folk food” thoug though hI
can personally attest that armadillo tastes much better than possum... but I
digress.
When reading with possum or armadillo bones, the bones are selected
from different parts of the body and the meaning is derived from free-
associa
ass ociation
tion between body par partt and symboli
symbolicc meaning
meaning.. For example,
example, a thighthigh
or pelvic
pelv ic bone may may relate
rel ate to matters
matters of sex,s ex, sexuali
sexuality ty,, fertility
fertil ity and
and child
chil d
 birth.
 birth. A tooth
tooth may represent eith either aggressi
aggression on OR talk/gossip.
talk/gossip. BonesBones from
the spine could represent the central pillar of a reading, matters of greater 
importance, or relative fortitude in a given area depending on the
 positioning
 positioning of th the bone.
bone. TheThe skull
skull for thethe mind,
mind, rib for the the heart,
heart, breast bonebone
for things
things that
that are protected, leg for travel tra vel and knu knuckle
ckle bones for physi physicalcal
works. Any or all bones may be used provided that the reader can keep up
with the meanings behind them.
Once the bones have been selected they may be soaked in hydrogen
 peroxide or left out out in the
the sun to be bleached
bleached and and dried. It is easiest
easi est to
to
acquire the bones initially if the animal is stewed or slow-roasted so the
meat falls
fall s free.
fre e. Remember
Remember not to to waste
w aste the meat meat and to share a portion por tion with
wi th
your spirits, giving thanks to both them and the animal for its sacrifice. You
must behave honorably if you want the oracle to speak true.
Before casting
ca sting the
the bones, it is i s good to spends pend some time time in
i n meditation
meditation
on the question. Prepare a clear reading surface if you are not using a bowl.
Cup the bones in your hands and move them over your casting surface in the
sign of the crossroads. That is, from top to center, bottom to center, left to
center and righri ghtt to center.
center. Remem
Remember ber it is
i s not a “cros
“c ross”
s” made in two
movements but a “carrefour” which brings all directions to a central point.
Once the sign is made bring the bones to your face and speak your question
into them then breath a breath of life over them and cast.
The bones are read by first looking at the overall concentration and
arrangement which some call a “constellation” because it is interpreted as i
one were
wer e gazing
gazing at stars and nam naminging their
their shapes.
s hapes. This constellation
constellatio n
 becomes
 becomes the the tone
tone and
and backdrop
backdrop of th the reading and and is then
then broken down and and
further details derived from smaller shapes formed within the constellation,
where in relation
rel ation to thethe casting
ca sting surface
surface thethe land
l and and thethe meaning
meaningss ascr
a scribed
ibed
to those regions and which bones connect with or overlap each other. Bones
that “cross” or overlap indicate “crossed conditions” or the influence of one
 bone
 bone over anoth
another. er. For
For instance
instance in th the simple
simple chicken
chicken bonebone meth
methodod if th
the
 broken bone
bone crossed the the big bonbonee it may
may indicate
indicate a feeling
feeling of 
 powerlessness,
 powerl essness, lack of streng strengthth or an illn
ill ness. If thethe little bone
bone crossed the the
 broken bone
bone however
however that would mean mean thatthat troubles
troubles were small or trivial

29
and not to be worried about. If many bones cluster in a particular region it
means that a great deal of energy is going into that area, which may mean
imbalances or neglect in other aspects of life.

 Playing card reading 

Divination with playing cards may have entered hoodoo through the
Romany
Romany who were w ere well
wel l known
known for their
their practices
prac tices of fortune
fortune telling
telli ng using a
variety of methods. As a nomadic people, they picked up a great deal of 
knowledge on their travels but seldom had much in the way of material
goods beyond what they were able to carry with them. This made cards a
great source of entertainment and income on the road being lightweight,
common and inexpensive. Tarot has always been very popular but decks
were not always available or affordable to the common folk. Furthermore, I
have found (like many of my peers) that playing cards tend to be more
“people friendly” easily approachable and more direct in their 
communications than the tarot.
Some believe that the poker deck is simply a stripped down tarot
deck, having the trumps and knights removed. Those more familiar with the
tarot wil
w illl simply correlate
corre late the meaning
meaningss ofo f the
the cards
car ds substituting
substituting hearts for 
cups, diamonds for pentacles or disks, spades for swords and clubs for 
staves. However, it is likely that the decks were actually developed
independently. Gaming with cards was common throughout Europe and the
old worl
wo rld.
d. Different
Different decks were used for different
different games,
games, tarot was used in
a number
number of different games,
games, sometim
sometimes es stripped
stri pped of certain
cer tain cards
card s in the
the
same way that we may remove the jokers for a game of spades, or the 2's-8's
for a game
game of euchre. Though
Though a “strippe
“s tripped”d” tarot
tar ot deck certainly
cer tainly bears some
some
resemblance to the poker deck does not make them the same any more than
stripping paint off a wall makes it a door.
There
There are some not-so-
not-so-subtle
subtle differences
di fferences between
betwe en thethe metaphy
metaphysi sical
cal
correspondences in the poker deck that give the cards a whole new voice
compared to the tarot. Firstly, the meanings are much more blunt with the
 poker
 poker deck. We do not not waste tim
timee with flowery lang language and and evasively
 broad definition
definitions. s. The
The simplest
simplest readings
readings with
wi th the
the poker
poker deck can be done done
with one card. Ask a question as you shuffle then draw the first card. Red
means “yes” and black means “no” simple as that.
You want more details? No problem. Clubs mean you have to work on
something and that it will likely not come out as you desired, Diamonds
means there
there will
wi ll be som
s omee materi
materialal or mundan
mundanee benef
be nefit,
it, hearts means it wil
w illl

30
all be rosy
r osy and spades
spade s mean just
just the opposite!
opposi te! No muss,
muss, no fuss,
fuss, no
nonsense.
nonsense. That is how divination
di vination with
wi th playing
playing cards goes. ToTo advance
adv ance
further we need to delve deeper into the metaphysical principles behind the
suits, the numbers and the face cards. Once we are familiar with these we
can consider thethe speci
s pecial
al meanings
eanings of certain
c ertain cards
car ds and
a nd then
then begin to
to use
them in various layouts to address most any question or gain insights into
any aspect of life

 Hearts
 Heart s Diamonds Clubs Spades
Water Fi r e Air Earth
Summer Spring Fall Winter  
Feelings Thoughts Actions Trials
Phlegmatic Sanguine Choleric Melancholic
Circulatory  Nervous
 Nervous Muscular  Skeletal
system system system system
Love, Economics, Labor, Troubles,
familial and  business
 business career, plans limitations
social ventures and and
relationships and  practical hardships
art and material concerns
recreation concerns
Blessings Earnings Works Sorrow s
Spiritual Human Transform- Acceptance
transcend- endeavors ative labor  of fate
ence
Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes
indicate indicate represent represent
wishes or  structures, crops an a nd magical
wishful  phy
 physical or  productivity
 productivity..  people or 
thinking and, otherwise. Many clubs works. May
therefore, Many may also indicate the
the
neglect of  diamonds indicate  presence of 
the practical may obsession a spell
and
and indicate and failure worker or 
mundane. rigidity. to notice the the need for 
fruits of  one.
one's

31
 harvest.

# Me aning Spe cial me anings

Aces Beginnings
Beginnings or  The ace of spades
the raw, may indicate a death
unformed  but
 but only
only when
when flank
flanked
essence of   by two other
other spade
something cards
2's Vows,
ow s, deals
dea ls The
The two of hearts
and exchanges does not always
indicate marriage or 
love affair, but must
 be present if th
there is
one much like the ace
of spades and death.
3's  New growth,
growth, The 3 of hearts does
first fruits or  not always, but may
“a small indicate pregnancy.
amount” of 
something
4's Fixed, 4 of clubs is a place
unchanging or  outside the home
stable things made speci
s pecific
fic by the
the
other
other cards
car ds it
combines
combines with
wi th..
5's Physical body See the suit
and health correspondences for 
information on which
 bodily system
systemss the
the 5
may refer to.

32
6's As the six pips A six flanked by two
on the card sevens is a clear 
form a indicator
indicator of crossed
cros sed
“straight and conditions and calls
narrow” sixsi xes for road opening or 
represent
repr esent the
the  block bustin
bustingg work.
 path before th the
client, a road
that cannot be
strayed from.
Inevitable
 progression
toward a
destined end.
7's As 6 is a road, The
The seven
s even of 
7 is a “bump” diamonds may be
or block along calling the reader's
the path which attention to astrology
is equally or refer to some
inevitable and astrological
ascribed by  pheno
 phenom mena.
ena.
fate.
8's Mental and In general 8s refer to
intellectual the farmstead and
concerns, livestock. Productive
matters of  animals like laying
education or  hens and milk goats
exchanges of  are diamonds,
diamonds, those
those
ideas with
wi thin
in a meant for slaug
sl aughter 
hter 
group or  are spades, working
community. animals like mules
and horses are clubs
and companion
animals like dogs are
hearts.
9's Change, 9 of hearts is “the
 progression or  wish
wis h” in larger 
a “great spreads it tells if a
num
number”
ber ” of  wish
wi sh will come
come to

33
 som
someth
ething
ing. pass
pass with
within the span
span
of the time addressed
 by the
the reading
10's End of a cycle 10's refer
r efer to travel
travel
or completion when linked with a 6
of someth
s omething
ing and the suit will
indicate the type or 
nature thereof.
J's  News and Also used to
children represent
repr esent unm
unmarried
arr ied
men or women
Q's Truth and Also used to
wisdom represen
represe nt marri
married
ed or 
 previously married
women
K's Power and
and Also used to
authority represen
represe nt marri
married
ed or 
 previously married
men
Joker The “wild Some decks contain a
card” an “big joker” and “little
element of   joker” one one red and the
the
chaos or  other black. Judging
something the meaning is easier 
wholly when both are
unexpected. included
included since “red is
Indicates good and black is
limitless  bad” as a gen
general
eral
 possibility
 possibi lity and
and rule.
 potential,
 potential, the
the
arrival of a
fateful stranger 
or the
influence of a
spirit.

It should go without saying, but before doing a reading the deck 

should be thoroughly shuffled. I Like to cut and bridge shuffle (flipping two

34
 handfuls of cards into each other by the corners then pushing them together)
them 13 times myself, but you can use your own “lucky number” and shuffle
any way you please. If you are reading for another person have them cut the
deck once shuffled, otherwise lay the pack down and cut the deck yourself.
It is important that the deck be cut and the cards be drawn with the left hand 
for a reading.
Readings are done with one, three, or nine cards most often. One card
readings are quick and many can be done in a session. These work best
when clear and focused questions are presented. Three card readings are the
middle
iddl e ground
ground and probabl
pr obably y the
the most comm
common because they they are still
stil l fairly
fairl y
easy to interpret but give greater detail. In this format the color pattern is
noted
noted first,
fir st, then the
the suits
s uits and finally the
the num
numbers,
bers , all
al l of which are woven
wove n
together
together to formfor mulate a meaning.
The center card in a three card layout is the focal point of the reading
and the cards to either side give it definition. So if the pattern is black-
 black-red it meansmeans ththere is a time
time of trouble
trouble th
that soon will
wil l pass. If the
the suits
suits
are spade-club-diamond it means the trouble is related to work and money.
If it is a 5 of spades it probably means someone was sick. Of clubs means
that this caused things at work to be delayed. A 3 of diamonds therefore
would probably indicate a new hire or that some productivity will
otherwise be increased because someone came to realize a mistake in the
sick person's absence leading to positive change in the work place. If the
client were to say “well I can't see how that is, I was the sick person and
they
they fired me!” you you simply say “well “wel l then it is a positive
pos itive change
change OF
workplace instead!” and that's how we do a three card reading.
The nine card format is more advanced but follows the same basic
concept. The center card remains the central point of the reading but you
now read the cards both horizontally and  vertically  verticall y. Some
Some readers
reader s also
al so
count the rows as “past, present and future” but typically this is one reading
done
done to address one one question
question andand all cards are read
r ead as a sin
si ngle answer with wi th
chronology as an afterthought if anything. The middle row and the middle
cards
card s of the top and bottom rows row s are
ar e the most
most im
i mportant. TheThe first
fir st and last
la st
cards of the top and bottom rows only serve to clarify the meanings of the
first and last cards of the middle row, they are not read diagonally. The
overall ration of black to red cards is observed first firs t to set th
the tone,
tone, positive
or negative,
negative, for the reading
readi ng.. The greatest and least
lea st num
number of individual
indivi dual
suits is
i s consider
c onsidereded next.
next. If they
they are mostly black
bla ck cards,
cards , a mix of clubs and
spades, but all the red cards are hearts then it shows that a person has been
either indulgent or neglectful of practical concerns. If there are clubs on
either side of a ten of hearts it means that playtime is over and it is time to

35
get back to work. If there are spades above and below that ten of hearts it
means that troubles
troubles have already
al ready begu
be gunn to manifest.
manifest. Further
Further details
detail s are
a re
derived
deri ved from the
the num
numbers and relations
rel ations between
betw een the
the rem
r emaining
aining cards.

 Mirror
 Mirr or Magic

Mirrors have been a source of magical fascination since the first

hum
human contem
contemplated
plated their
their reflection
reflec tion in a pool of water.
wa ter. The
The first
fir st mir
mirror
rorss
were made of precious metals and were often possessions of only the elite
and upper class. Polished hunks of obsidian were used by Aztec priests to
make contact with Tezcatlipoca, a god of powerful magic and necromancy.
Ancient Egyptian priests bowls filled with precious water to which they
added black ink and oil, carefully poured to form a solid sheet. These they
used to divine
di vine the futu
future
re and the
the fates ofo f Phaeroes. Not all magic mir mirror
rorss
were black. Some medieval and renaissance age magicians used metals
associated with the planets for specific kinds of magic; Copper mirrors for 
Venus and love, tin for Jupiter and money, lead for Saturn and death. These
may also be engraved with magical squares with series of numbers as
astrological
astrol ogical runes
runes to imbue
imbue them withwi th the
the spir
s pirit
it of the planetary intell
intelligen
igence.
ce.
Hoodoo, as we have seen, is more practical and simplistic. Any old
mirror will
wil l do so lon
l ong
g as it fits our
our practical
pr actical considerations for size and and
shape depending on its intended application. Mirrors are used to “reflect”
things and, as such, are ideal for return and reversal spells. They are also
used in other ways such as to enhance psychic focus and vision through a
technique called “scrying” which is the same as using a crystal ball. Mirrors
have also been used to send, receive and record information as well as
serving as doorways and windows for dealings with spirits from other 
worlds. These actions are more advanced and rarely seen in common
hoodoo practice. Still,
Still , there
there are
ar e those
those workers
w orkers who do it.
Mirrors are magically attuned to lunar energy because the moon
reflects the light of the sun. When we look at the moon, we see “moonlight”
not sunlight, even though scientifically we know it is in fact the light of the
sun. The moon reflecting that light transforms it and this transformation stirs
some great mystery in the depths of the mind. Mirrors represent the moon
and that
that transformative,
transformative, reflective
reflec tive property
prope rty.. We
We know
know that
that we
w e are
a re just seeing
see ing
the reflection of light off the things on our side of the mirror, but everything
is reversed and somehow otherworldly. This may seem like primitive
thinking but remember that “primitive” side of our mind is where magic was
first born
b orn and where many of the the core
co re mysteries thereof
thereof still
s till exist waiting
w aiting to
 be rediscovered.
rediscover ed. All of tho those
se primal thothou ughts
ghts and
and feeling
feelings we have aboutabout

36
 the
the moon are a part
par t of the
the spir
s pirit
it of lun
l unar
ar magic, and therefore, mirror magic.
She is mysteri
ysterious,
ous, changing
changing,, beaut
be autiful
iful and otherworldl
otherwor ldlyy. Her ligh
li ghtt is soft,
her gaze is cold, not like the blinding hot glare of her brother the sun. All the
 principles of mirror
mirror magic
agic are hidden within her characteristics.
characteristics. To
To
understand it better, meditate, reflect and receive.

 Scrying 

The best place to begin with mirror magic is the practice of scrying.
For the longest time it was considered a simple parlor trick for fortune
tellers to fleece the gullible. The exciting new scientific fact is that the
 practice actually
actually increases
increases commcommunication between right right and
and left
hemispheres of the brain thus enhancing cognitive function and increasing
our ability to process sub-conscious thought. People who practice scrying
soon find that
that their
their dream
drea ms becom
be comee more vivid
vi vid and lucid, their memoriemorieses
increase and their
their stress levels
l evels redu
r educe
ce in their
their daily lives.
lives . From a
spiritualist's standpoint, this means enhanced psychic functioning, more
comm
commonly prophetic dream dre amss and
a nd greater
greater ability
abil ity to perform magic
magic ini n spite of 
o f 
the pressures of mundane life. Yes, scrying can be can be used for divination,
especially by those already gifted with “the sight' but it has benefits for 
everyone and may help unlock latent skills you didn't know you had.
I find that for myself and most people black mirrors are the best place
to start. Normal mirrors, crystal balls and water all show too many
reflections. The clarity and sharpness of these reflections is not helpful in
scryin
scr ying.
g. Even the the distortion
distor tion caused by the the curve of a ball
ba ll or runnin
running g water 
are not enough to get the conscious mind out of the way. If anything they
force the conscious mind to try harder to process and translate those
reflections
reflec tions into somethin
something g that
that makes
makes sense,
se nse, which
w hich is exactly what we are
trying to get away from with scrying.
A simple
simple black
blac k mir
mirror
ror can be made by obtaining a normal normal picture
frame with a glass face. Lay this piece of glass on a few sheets of newsprint
and clean
clea n the
the surface
s urface with
wi th a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol.
alc ohol. Making
Making sure
there are no oil smudges or debris present, spray the glass with a high gloss
 black enam
enamel el spray paint.
paint. I find
find it best to do this
this from some
some distance,
distance, very
slowl
sl owlyy, to make
make sure
s ure no bubbles form.form. You
You will
wi ll have to let
le t it dry
dr y completel
completely y
and do several coats before you have a solid black surface. This is one of 
those cases where patience is definitely rewarded. When the surface is
solid
sol id and the
the paint
pai nt is dry
dr y carefully cut a felt backing if your your fram
fra me did
di d not
come with one and place the glass back in the frame with the NON-painted
side facing out toward you. Place this frame in a plate stand or use the

37
 standing legs of a desk top style frame to set your mirror up and you are
ready
read y to start scryin
scr ying.g.
You want a dark dar k room with little to no light showingshowi ng.. Place
Pl ace candles
c andles on
either side
si de of
o f your
your mirmirror
ror and adjust the angleangle of your
your mirror
mirr or and
a nd
spacing/placement of the candles so that the frame is surrounded by the
glow of candleligh
candleli ghtt but thethe mirr
mirror
or itself
itsel f shows no reflection.
reflectio n. Look
Look into thethe
mirror. Not just at it, but into it.
into it. You almost want to look through itthrough it as if you
are focused on the center of the stand behind the mirror rather than the
mirror itself. Just gaze, breath and relax, Put out all thoughts and
expectations of what may or may not happen and simple gaze into the black 
void of the mirror. Let your mind wander and trail off, giving no single
thought any great deal of attention nor fighting too hard to push them out.
Eventually what will happen is your conscious mind will try and create
 pictures
 pictures for you
you to focufocuss on because it is used to to turnin
turningg inform
information
ation from
your eyes into something it can understand. Because there is literally nothing
to focus on your conscious mind is left with no information to draw from, so
it gives way to the sub-conscious mind which is full of impressions and
ideas and quite adept at drawing things out of the intangible.
Most wil
w illl start
s tart off with
wi th “static”
“s tatic” like
li ke that
that on a T.VT.V. with
wi th no signal, or o r 
“clouds” which may seem like amorphous, colored blobs. Some people go
straight into seeing pictures, some surreal, others more realistic. Sometimes
the
the im
i mages move,
move, sometimes
sometimes theythey don't. Others,
Others, still
s till will
wi ll get impres
impressisions,
ons,
feelings, even hear voices or smell phantom scents. The point is to remain
open and simply allow the impressions to come. You will find that the more
you focus on something the quicker it runs away, either that or you will
 begin
 begin toto superimpose
superimpose conscious
conscious thou
thougghts
hts and desires
desire s onto
onto it.
it. Resist ththe urge
urge
and simply let the information flow. You can take the time to try and analyze
it later. In time, the impressions will come with their meanings and there
will
wi ll be no need to mull mull it over, this is your
your subcon
s ubconsciscious
ous mind
mind taking
taking over 
and your conscious mind giving way to it. Don't be upset if you don't get
results
res ults on your
your first
firs t attempt.
attempt. Give it 5-10
5- 10 minut
minuteses a day
da y and
and keep at it.i t. Even
if you do not see visions during your sessions, the additional benefits of 
scrying
scrying will still kick in.

subliminal message mirror spell 

The
The very
ve ry definition of simplicity
simplici ty when it comes to magic
magic is the
the use of 
a mirror as a passive projector of recorded energies. Sure, that sounds
compli
complicated,
cated, but bear with
wi th me.
me. In magic,
magic, mirrors
mirror s do
d o not only reflect, the
the  see
and what they see they remember. It sounds insane, but I have known

38
 witches who communicated with each other through their makeup compacts.
Mirrors, being aligned with lunar energies, can serve as a psychic link 
 because
 because it is simply in th their nature
nature to
to do so. There
There is no great
great and
and my
mystical
approach to this, it is simply a virtue of the object which is known and
utilized by magical folk. To try this experiment you need only find a mirror 
which is used often by a particular person. Better if it is used almost
exclusively by them as it will have more of their energy recorded in it and
the message is not likely to get cluttered by other people's energies. All you
need to do is steal a moment or two alone in front of the mirror. Gaze
intently into the mirror, not just at but through much
through much as you would with
scrying. You want to gaze at it in such a way that you loose your own
reflection. This can be a bit disturbing because it can make your face look 
like a blob of color or a burning cloud, pay no mind to this, it is just your 
eyes loosing focus and your conscious mind trying to compensate. Anyway,
ust stay focused on your message, any message will do as long as it is clear 
and focused. Something sweet like “you are beautiful” or fun like “you want
cheesecake” wilw illl do fine. Keeping
Keepi ng the
the im
i mage of your
your target
tar get (the
(the person
per son the
the
mirror belongs to) in your mind speak the message aloud into the mirror.
Repeat 9 times because 9 is traditionally the number of the moon, and by
extension, of the subconscious and change. You may repeat this exercise
over a series of days (or nights) but before long you should notice a change
in the person or may even hear them repeat your message in some form.
Once you have succeeded with this experiment you will see the many
 practical application
appli cationss of it. You can take
take any
any mirror
irr or or reflective surface
surface
and turn it into your own subliminal message projector. You can use your 
own mirror to influence your thoughts ant feelings, curing depression or 
overcoming anxiety for instance. You can also use this trick to remind your 
family how you feel about them, or get your husband to pick up his dirty
laundry!
laundry! Advanced variations
var iations of this
this trick can even
ev en put you
you in contact with
wi th
 past lives or spirits
spi rits of th
those who have
have passed from this
this life.
li fe. Th
The techn
technique
is very similar, gazing, repetition of a request (or name) and a limber and
receptive mind are all that it requires. Sure you can use magic squares,
talismans and specially blended incense if you want to, but I certainly never 
needed them, they just help to set the scene and create ambiance.

The mirrored-box spell for infinite return/reversal 

A popular hoodoo trick, likely derived from Romany magic, is the

mirror
irr or box spell.
spel l. You
You use
use this
this for enemies
enemies who have been
bee n sending out
troubling magics against you or just generally giving you a hard time. This

39
 spell
spel l causes everything
everything they they send out, everything
everything they they say or do or project
proj ect in
in
any way, to be reflected back at them on an endless loop. That means all
their
their negativi
negativity ty,, all
al l their
their wicked
wi cked thoug
thoughthtss and
a nd hatefu
hatefull feeling
feeli ngss will
wi ll build and
swarm around them until they are consumed by it or you release them from
their self-imposed prison. Some would shy from this kind of spell as it
would seem to be vengeful and spiteful but in reality it is probably the best
type
type of justice
j ustice spell
sp ell there
there is. You see, if the personperso n is not sending
sending outout any
kind of evil, then there is no evil to bounce back at them. You build the box,
 but
 but th
they make theirtheir own
ow n pun
punishmen
ishment. t. Pretty
Pretty fair I'd say.
say. So, toto do this
this you
will
wi ll need a box, mirror, and som s omee perso
pe rsonal
nal items
items ofo f your
your target
tar get.. These make
make
up the main body of the work. Now, you want to affix the mirror to all sides
of the
the int
i nteri
erior
or of the
the box. YouYou can have
have mirror
mirro r piece
p iecess professi
pr ofessionally
onally cut toto
fit, use a glass cutter, or just break the damned thing and use the shards. Your 
safety and your level of desperation are your own concerns, I am just here to
describe
descr ibe thethe spell
s pell.. Anyway
Anyway,, once you have have thethe box allal l mirrored
mirr ored up but thethe
 personal items
items inside. Blood (try bandag bandages, es, shaving
shaving tissue scraps or 
tampons)
tampons) hair hair and nailnail clippi
cl ipping
ngs,
s, worn
wor n clothing scraps,
scr aps, pictu
pic tures
res,, whatever 
you can get. Best of all would be a small doll containing all of the above.
 Next
 Next comes
comes the the seasoning
seasoning. It is not necessary to take take this
this step as placin
placi ng the
the
 personal items
items or doll in i nto th
the box already mean meanss the
the target
target is alone with
themselves and surrounded by what they send out. However, if there are
specific things you want to accentuate, now is the time to add the
appropriate items. For instance, if they burned you on a money deal, cut a
 penn
 penny in halfhalf and
and stick it in there.
there. If they
they broke you yourr friend's heart,
heart, add a
tissue soaked in her tears. If they have been sending curses, add black 
 peppercorns, black mustard ustard and poppy
poppy seeds and th the hair
hair of a black dog.
dog.
Adapt and refine as suits your needs then “activate” with a reading from
Psalm
Psal m 7 verses
ver ses 10-16 upon completicompletion on of which you you will
wi ll shut
shut the
the box
bo x and
and
seal it by whatever means you have chosen. A box with a latch that can be
 padlocked is most most satisfy
satisfying
ing in th
this case. Should
Should thethe afflicted
afflicted eventu
eventually
ally
repent you may unseal and/or destroy the box and release them.

Container
Container spells

Container spells can be made to suit most any purpose where a

constant or passive effect is desired. The honey jar is a prime example
comm
commonly employed
employed for reconcilia
reco nciliation
tion and love work.
wor k. Witch
Witch bottles, for 
 protection,
 protection, are anoth
another,
er, and,
and, of course,
course, the
the all famili
familiar
ar mojo
mojo bag. Wooden
 boxes
 boxes are also
als o used
used as are brass
bras s urns
urns and any
any other
other vessel you can think
think of.
Even voodoo dolls are, arguably, a type of container spell. This family of 

40
 hoodoo work is so popular because it gives you a tangible focal point whic
can be used alone, incorporated
i ncorporated into otherother work
wor k and,
and, most importantly
importantly,,
customized to suit even extremely specific needs when constructed by a
 practiced hanhand.
d.
There is a general formula for container spells which applies to all
sorts. You begin with the main body of the work. What is this to be used for?
If there is a specific person or persons involved you will want to begin with
their personal effects. If it is to be a passive or ambient sort of spell then
you will want to begin with elements specific to the condition it is to be
used for. For instance, if it is a protection spell, sharp, menacing things like
nails, thorns and shards of broken glass are added. Next comes the part I
like to call “the seasoning” because it involves adding elements, often herbs
and spices, to enhance and customize the “recipe” or spell. A bit of ginger 
for heat and damiana for lust, or maybe it is tobacco and urine for control
and dominance. I find that it is best to keep things simple at first until you
know
know just how different
di fferent element
elementss work
wor k togeth
together.
er. Even thethe best
be st reci
r ecipe
pe can
c an be
ruined by one too many seasonings. Stick with the classics, then modify and
embell
embellishish carefully
ca refully using fam famil
iliar
iar ingredi
ingredient
ents.
s. I have had many
many a client
cli ent
come
come to me withwi th a spell
spel l gone awryawr y because they got over zealous with w ith the
the
seasoning. Trust me, in spite of what the new age books say, “intent” is NOT
all that matters.
The final stages are sealing and “activating” the spell. Now, on rare
occasion, there are container spells which are meant to be re-opened on
occasion. Most cases, however, require a sealed vessel which must never 
 be opened
opened un unless you want to release the the spell and end end its effects.
effects. The
The way
it is sealed is mainly a practical matter. You seal jars and bottles with wax,
 bags
 bags with
wi th string and boxes
boxes withwi th melted pine
pine resin, a sort of natural
atural glue,
glue,
 because
 because wax tend tendss to flake.
flake. You
You could,
could, however,
however, tie a ribbon or yarn around around
the box, put pine pitch around the top of a bottle, or simply screw the lid on
to a jar and be done with it. The point is only that the vessel is sealed. The
“activation” is more of a metaphysical act which is difficult to describe in
words. With jars and bottles they are sometimes shaken as if to “wake up”
the
the magic
magic contained
contained therein. Often times times this
this action is revisi
revi sited
ted for a set
number of days or periodically when the magic needs to be re-awakened.
Some will burn a candle on the lid of the container, allowing the wax to drip
over and completing
completing the the activation
a ctivation and seali
s ealing
ng at once. Obviously
Obvi ously,, this
would be dangerous on a wooden box or cloth bag which would surely
catch fire, and impractical on a brass urn with a domed or pointed lid. Glass
 bottles
 bottles can crack under heat, heat, but
but a candle
candle can be stuckstuck into
into the
the neck
neck of the
the
 bottle,
 bottle, burned
burned down to to the
the rim,
rim, then
then capped off snuff
snuffing
ing the
the candle
candle and

41
sealing it shut with the hot, melted wax. Bags, are commonly activated with
a “breath of life” as one would do when consecrating bones for use as an
oracle.
orac le. Cup
Cup it
i t in your
your hands
hands and breath life
li fe into it, feeling
feeli ng the
the magic
magic flow
out of you and through the cloth of the bag. Obviously, this would not work 
with impermeable containers, so just use your better judgment.

witch bottle for protection

The most standard type of container spell, seen all over from old
Europe
Europe to moder
modern n Ameri
Americaca and even South Ameri Americaca and the the Caribbe
Car ibbean an
Islands is commonly known in the English language as a “witch bottle”
 because
 because it was believed
beli eved that
that “witches”
“witches” in th the old-world
old-w orld context
context of “people
who cast evil spells against others” could be blocked and their demon
minions trapped by these talismans. You begin with a bottle, any bottle as
long as it has a tight fitting cap or cork. Some prefer colored glass, others
 prefer clear. Traditionally
Traditionally the
the main
main body of the the work involves
involves imitative
imitative
magic for “trapping
“trappi ng”” malevolent
malevol ent spirits.
spir its. So, comm
common ingredi
ingredient
entss may
include pieces of fishing net, barbed wire, brambles and thorns, and for an
agg
aggressive
ressi ve edge, nails, blades and and bits of broken glass. Mirror shards are
especially effective because of their dual purpose of cutting, by way of their 
sharp edges, and capturing by virtue of mirror's “recording” capability as
we will explore in the following section. Now, not everyone does this, but
as I learned
lear ned it witch
w itch bottles usually contain some some liquid
l iquid medium.
edium. I honestly
honestly
cannot say why this
why this part is necessary and will not insult the reader with my
suppositions.
suppositi ons. The fact is no one one ever
eve r told
tol d me why,
why, iti t is just somethin
something g we
do. The liquid medium may be holy water or oil (you can have your priest
do the blessing or do it yourself as we always did) or for a potent edge of 
dominance,
dominance, your your own
o wn urine. Fill
Fil l the bottle up to the top with wi th liquid sos o that
there
there is
i s as little air as possible.
poss ible. You will likely need need to do this this a litt
li ttle
le at a
time because the bottle should be rather packed with solid material and the
liquid will need some time to find all of the pockets. If you were going to
add any herbs or spices I would introduce them through the liquid medium
ie an oil infused with hot pepper. Solid items should either be place in the
 bottle
 bottle periodicall
peri odically y as you are filling it with thethe glass,
glass, nails, etc or tied to to the
the
 bottle
 bottle as part of th the sealing portion of constru
construction
ction.. As th this is a passive typetype
of protective talisman there is no “activation” necessary but if you wish it
Psalms 5, 91 and 125 are all good choices for recitation as you seal the
 bottle.
 bottle.

42
 hot sauce bottle to chase someone off 

If you
you have
have a particularly
partic ularly troublesom
troubles omee individual
i ndividual that
that you would likeli ke
to get rid of, or a few people you want to create strife between so that they
disperse, on old bottle of pepper sauce will do nicely. We always made our 
own from fresh cayenne peppers soaked in vinegar. We used this stuff on
fried fish and taters and it's good for clearing the sinuses or to help with
circulation and rheumatism too. Be sure and use a glass bottle with a plastic
lid for this operation, best it be one actually made for pepper sauce because
this stuff has been known to eat through metal and cheap, thin plastics. If you
would rather buy it, Chinese chili oil works good too. To your bottle you
add pers
p ersonal
onal concerns of the person(s)
per son(s) you wish
wi sh to target. With
With the
the main
 body of work completed
completed feel feel free to embelli
embellishsh with thing
thingss like black 
mustard seed, poppy seed, asafoetida, valerian, sulphur, poke root, and
devil's snuff (the brown spore stuff from mature puffball mushrooms
comm
commonly founfound d in
i n fiel
fields
ds and
a nd roadsides
roads ides in the
the fall)
fall ) before sealing
seal ing.. Some
folks like to add a petition to the bottle, a little scrap of paper on which is
written
wr itten a specific
speci fic request,
r equest, naming
naming the
the target(s)
target(s) and including a prayer
pr ayer to
God and the Powers that be to smite them in their wickedness. With this
done, seal the
the bottle and give
give it a good shake.
shake. Close
Cl ose your
your eeyes
yes and continu
continuee
shaking vigorously, speaking and cursing the name(s) you have placed in the
 bottle.
 bottle. Contin
Continu
ue repetitively until you you find
find a rhyth
rhythm m. Keep going
going.. Shake
Shake and
and
sing your curses until you feel a trance coming over you. Let your head lull
and your body convulse, do not fight it, embrace the fatigue. When you feel
as if you can go no more, push just a little further then let yourself and the
 bottle
 bottle come
come to rest. This
This shaking
shaking trance
trance is imperative
imperative to a successfu
successfull work
wor k.
Once this is done, a quick shake in passing will be fine to keep the spell
working or give it a little nudge. Revisit the shaking trance in a week or so
if it seem necessary. You can bury the bottle under their doorstep to keep it
working in a passive way or destroy it if you feel it is time to release them.

The Spirit Bottle

Popular
Popula r am
a mong Haitian
Hai tian Vodouisants
odoui sants spi
s piri
ritt bottles may be thought
thought of 
like the common myth of the “genie in a bottle” itself derived from Arabic
mythical djini(plural
djini(plural form of djin).
djin). Simply put it aims to create an attractive
housi
housing
ng for an incorporeal
incorpor eal spiri
spi rit.
t. Now, in the
the Vodou religion
rel igion this
this is a sacred
sa cred
act as the bottles are consecrated to the lwa and constructed by initiates to

43
 the tradition. However, hoodoo spiritualists may also make bottles which
they use to house ancestral spirits or free-roaming nature spirits and other 
“lesser” forms. Spirit bottles are not filled, unless they are used to contain
offerings to a specific spirit. Generally it is the outside of
outside of the bottle that is
important, leaving the inside nice and roomy for the spirit to dwell in. Since
it is not recommended that one attempt to invoke the lwa to their bottles we
will not concern ourselves with vévé orvévé or sacred color schemes. Instead I
invite the student
student to try and intuitive
intuitivelyly create
cre ate the bottle using colors,
color s,
symbols
symbols and patterns whichw hich feel 
 feel  right
 right to them. Chances are there are already
spirits around you who would be happy to see you doing work to please
them. You may also seek out a sacred or “haunted” place where you can
form a bond with a spirit. If you are open to it, you will receive hints in
visions, dreams and signs in everyday life to learn what items, symbols and
colors your spirit likes. Decorate a bottle with felt cut outs, colored sequins
or beads, painted or printed images, or various natural objects tied or glued
on. Most spirit bottles end up being completely covered with fabric, paint
or string. Some even incorporate a “head” portion into the cork or top
making
aking the
the whole
w hole thing
thing resemble a sortsor t of doll.
doll . The bottle, once com c ompleted,
pleted,
is placed on the ancestor altar or taken to the sacred place where the
 practitioner
 practitioner will
wi ll hold an all night
night vigil for ththe spirit
spiri t to
to show ththeir true
devotion. If the spirit accepts, the pact is made and the bottle serves as a
totem through which to work with your spiritual ally. The bottle must be
carefully tended and never opened or broken. Should a time come for the
spirit to be released, it must be done in a respectful way which befits the
spirit.
spiri t. How exactly
exactly this
this is done
done will
w ill depend
depend on the the spirit
spi rit itself.
itsel f.

honey jar to reconcile with a lover 

I have done an awful lot of these and I just want to say right now,
 before going
going any
any furth
further
er and chan
chancing
cing any
anyone
one actually
actually performing
performing this
this spell
spel l
ust exactly what
exactly what it does. As I have said many times, if a person is gone
from your life, there is usually a good reason. Sometimes misunderstandings
happen and mistakes are made, true. Quite often these are lessons meant to
 prepare you for th the futu
future
re and when
when a lesson goes
goes unlearn
unlearneded sometim
sometimeses one
feels compelled to re-read a chapter in their lives that they should have
turned the page on. No matter what you THINK you know or THINK you
feel I have found that 99.999% of the time those who do this spell are
ignoring a vital lesson. Do not let this discourage you because if it is needed
then it is needed. I just want to make perfectly clear that those thoughts of “I
 NEED
 NEED him him/her
/her back”
back” or “but it is MEANT
MEANT TO TO BE!
BE!!!
!! are, more
more often
often than
than

44
 not,
not, delusions
del usions thatthat goad one into relivi
rel iving
ng a regrettable
r egrettable situat
s ituation
ion for the sake
of a lesson they refused to learn. In short, you cannot, I repeat CAN  NOT 
change
change the the nature
nature of a perso
pe rson
n because they were
wer e created
cr eated in i n God's im
i mage, or 
a portion of it at least, and what they are is the part they play in the grand
design
desi gn.. In short, it is bigger
bigger than
than you
you and
and your
your desires
desi res.. As such,
such, the choice is is
only toto revis
r evisit
it and change
change yourself in
i n such a way
w ay that
that is needed to fit
together with the other person, or to fully realize what is wrong, why it does
not work and what it is about yourself that you are simply unwilling or 
unable to compromise and then use that knowledge to move on and find
someone more in tune with, or complementary to your own spirit. There is
no middle road, there is no third option, these are the only two choices so
 be prepared to mak makee one.
one.
 Now, with th that bit exh
exhaustively
austively spelled out,
out, here
here is how you you make
ake a
honey jar; Take a new jar of pure honey. The more “raw” the better. To this
add personal concerns of yourself and the individual you wish to reconcile
with
wi th.. It is important
important to keep these
these in balance.
bal ance. One for one. Even better if  i f 
they be of the same type ie your hair, their hair, a scrap from your 
underwear, a scrap from their underwear. If this is not possible, just keep
the numbers even. The total number does not matter so long as there is not
more of one than the other. Two photos of him and a photo and lock of hair 
from herher will
wi ll not do but a photo
photo and a piece
piec e of cloth
cl othing
ing from
from himhim will.
wil l.
Okay, once the personal concerns are collected it is time for the written
 portion.
 portion. Take
Take a piece of parchm
parchment
ent or a brown paper bag and and tear it so ththat
you had a scrap
s crap with
wi th no
no cut edges, it
i t must
must be torn on all sides.
si des. Write
ri te your 
your 
intended's full name 9 times, repeating in lines going down. Turn the paper 
CLOCKWISE and do the same with your own name over theirs. The result
should look something like this

45
 Note
 Note that
that you
yourr own nam
namee goes
goes ON TOPTOP of ththeirs and that
that their
their nam
namee is
moving TOWARD you. These elements are vitally important. If your 
 personal items
items are very small
small and you
yourr paper is large
l arge enou
enouggh you may place
them in the center to make a packet with the following step. Fold the paper 
from top to bottom (again moving TOWARD yourself), turn it clockwise and
fold again in the same manner, repeating this two more times until you have
folded toward yourself from each of the four directions. If you were unable
to combine all personal items into a packet pile them all up now and wrap
the
the lot
l ot in red thread
thread,, yarn or ribbon,
r ibbon, winding
w inding it round
round a num
number of times
times so
that
that it holds togeth
together
er well
wel l before tying
tying it down with
w ith a firm, but
but not overly
tight knot. Push this down into the honey jar then proceed with your 
seasoning. For sexual feelings, try ginger and damiana. Many people use
cayenne
cayenne peppers
pepper s for this,
this, I have never known
known it to work
wor k out
out well.
wel l. Cinnam
Cinnamon
on
is okay for sexual heat too, especially if money is an additional factor (it
works for both), but be sure not to use it AND ginger as these may make it
“too hot” and result in backfire. Bay leaves are good for triumph and
admiration with an additional benefit toward monetary gain making it a
good choice for the aforementioned purpose in lieu of say allspice which,
again, would add heat and risk backfire. For tender, loving feelings try pink 
rose petals, or white if you know you made a mistake. Red and white clover 
flowers work well for this too. If there was a history of abuse toward a
woman, add queen anne's lace or black-eyed suzan flowers to protect her. If 
the woman needs more power and control over the relationship use a whole
queen Elizabeth root, or, if the woman was overbearing on a man, use High
John the Conqueror. Lavender, caraway and cardamon are good for both
heterosexual and homosexual couples. When all is done, screw the lid on

46
 tight and commence the shaking trance described above. As soon as you
have recovered, anoint a candle and place it directly on the lid of the jar.
Use a few drops of wax to make the candle stand if necessary and let it burn
all the way down. If you have a talent for it, you can divine clues about the
factors bearing on the spell or the progress of it by looking for shapes in the
melted wax. Since it often drips all the way down the jar, I suggest putting a
 plate un
under it so as to avoid damag
damagee to you
yourr tabletop or cloth
cloth. Honey
Honey jars
work more slowly than sugar jars, but have more lasting effects. They will
continue to work indefinitely and new candles of different colors or 
anointed
anointed with
w ith different oils can be burned to help steer
s teer things
things in
i n different
directions as things progress. If the reconciliation is successful and you
want to keep the effects fixed bury the jar in your back yard. If you have
need to release the spell throw it into running water which flows away from
your
your house. If this
this is not possible,
possi ble, bury it at a cem
ce metery or sm
s mash it at som
s omee
forgotten crossroads.

vinegar jar to sour a relationship

In diametric
diametric opposition
opposi tion to the
the honey jar is the
the vineg
vi negar
ar jar. It is
constructed, activated and used in exactly the same way only the
componen
components ts are
ar e different
d ifferent.. Obviously
Obvi ously we use vineg
vi negar
ar instead of honey and
and
our “seasonings” are those used to bring strife, loss and discord rather than
sweetn
sw eetness
ess,, gain and harmon
harmony y. I prefer
pr efer white
w hite vinegar
vinegar for this because
be cause I like
li ke
the
the flavor
flavo r of
o f cider and wine
wi ne vinegars
vinegars and useuse them
them more
more in food and
medicine.
edic ine. That being said, I have favored my medic medicinal
inal “four
“four thieve
thievess
vinegar” (based in apple cider vinegar) for situations in which one or both
 parties are causing
causing “sickness”
“sickness” in one
one form or anoth
another, be it to th
themselves
emselves or 
those around them. The name paper is a little tricky with this one. You want
to write the names in “mirror writing” from right to left, with backwards
letters as if you were looking at it in a mirror. Write the full name of one
 person 4 tim
times
es then
then turn
turn th
the paper COUNTE
COUNTERCL RCLOCK
OCKWI WISE
SE a fu
full 180° and
repeat with the other name. Finish by putting a dashed line between them to
represent separation and severed ties. It should appear thusly;

47
 If working on a single person, or if you only know one name, you may
cross
cros s the name
name with
w ith wavy lines
li nes to sign
si gnify
ify their
their getting
getting lost
los t or confused,
confused, or 
cross the name with three X marks to represent crossed conditions. As to the
seasonin
seas oning,
g, try poppy,
poppy, mull
mullein
ein and black
bla ck pepper for confusio
confusion n and
and spir
sp iritual
itual
discord, tobacco for domination, combination of black dog and white cat
hair for argument
arguments,
s, gunpow
gunpowderder for general
general strife
stri fe and “explosive”
“explosi ve” hate,
hate,
scorpions or snake sheds for back-stabbing and double-crossing or poke
root and/or
a nd/or Epsom salts for purging negat negativi
ivity
ty.. Activate
Activa te with
w ith a shak
s haking
ing
trance naming and cursing the names of your targets then anoint and burn
 black candles
candles on the
the lid. To
To maint
maintain
ain a constan
constantt effect
effect bury
bury th
the jar on you
your 
r 
ENEMY'S property, never your own. Dispose of/destroy the jar AWAY
from your
your home
home to relea
r elease
se it. If your
your eenem
nemies
ies have gone
gone their separa
s eparate
te ways,
w ays,
they are not likely to return even if you destroy the jar.

wishing box 

48
 The wishing box is fairly similar to the spirit bottle in construction in
that it is once again the outside that
outside that matters. The difference is that rather 
than housing a spirit it is more a means of communication with the spirits.
We begin, obviously, with a box. Any kind of box will do, though I am
 personally fon fondd of the
the little wooden ones
ones with
wi th latches
latches you find
find at hobby
hobby
stores.
stores . If you have
have woodwo
woo dworking
rking skills
skill s then
then makin
making g your
your own
ow n is the
the best
be st
way to go. Unfortunately, I do not. Cardboard boxes have been used by
some but, as this is really meant to be a permanent fixture, I think something
a bit
bi t sturdier is worth
wor th the
the investment
investment.. Now, the main main body of work
w ork here
involves creating a resonant field of spiritual energy around the box until it
virtually hums with power. How you do this will largely depend on you,
your
your spir
s pirits
its and what methmethods/
ods/item
itemss respond
r espond best
bes t to you.
you. Many people
peopl e use
stones
stones or crystals,
crystals, others use use sigils
si gils or barbarous
bar barous words of power writtenw ritten in
magical scripts. Personally, I like runes because I have studied them
extensively and become quite adept in their use. I have also used
astrological and alchemical symbols, as well as other spiritual and natural
images to weave a beautiful spell in the form of artwork. I use a wood
 burnin
 burning g pen for mine,
mine, but
but you
you may use paints,
paints, fabrics, or whatever suits suits you
you..
I suggest that you incorporate things which resonate both with you and your 
ruling spirits. For instance, you may create a sigil by combining your sun,
moon and rising
ris ing signs
signs to repre
r epresent
sent the
the celestia
cel estiall powe
p owers
rs that
that rule you. If that
that
is too deep. Try using your sun sign and ruling planet combined with your 
initials. By joining all these symbols into one, you create a personal sigil to
represent your own spiritual essence. If you are into numerology, then use
your life path number or the number of your name and weave them into your 
design
desi gn by incorporating
incorpor ating multiples
multiples of thing
thingss which corres
cor respond
pond to those
numbers. Do the same with things which represent your honored ancestors
or other
other spiri
spi rits
ts that
that work
wo rk with
wi th you.
you. Basicall
Basica llyy you
you want this
this box to shout
shout out
to all who have a vested interest in you and your happiness. After all, the
object of this operation is to have your wishes granted and that simply will
not happen if you are demanding help from spirits who have nothing to do
with you. Once you have finished decorating place the box on your altar 
surrounded by three candles arranged in a triangle. Asperge (that is a fancy
spiritualist term for sprinkle) with holy water or sweet perfumes such as
Florida water or bay rum. Pass through the smoke of sacred incense such as
frankincense, myrrh and hyssop, temple incense or any other perfumes or 
herbs which are sacred to your spirits and finish with a dash of sea salt or 
kosher
kosher salt.
sal t. With
With this
this you have incorporated
incorpor ated the fourfour basic
basi c elem
el ement
entss and
a nd are
now ready to awaken the spirits with breath and word, which basically

49
 means you pray out loud. Try not to get too fancy, people always want to
make a show but I find it is best to just be clear and straightforward.
Remember, when you are talking to your spirits you are talking to family. No
need to be all pompous unless that is how you were raised to talk. Call them
out by name and ask them to lend their power to this box, that whatever you
 place inside you want to see returned
returned with abun
abundance
dance and
and haste
haste because
because it is
something which you have need of. Make a deal with them that you will give
 back a portion of whatever
whatever th they bring you or otherw
otherwise
ise do someth
something
ing in
their honor to show your appreciation for their help. For a biblical sealing
recite Psalm
Psal m 65:4, Psalm
Psal m 92:12-13, or The Lord's
Lord's Prayer (Matth
(Matthew
ew 6:9-13)
and make the sign of the cross three times over the box in the name of the
father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Allow your candles to safely burn out.
Do not snuff them or blow them out as this is a sign to the spirits to disperse.
Once all is said and done you should keep the box on your altar or in a
special
speci al place.
plac e. To
To use iti t you need only find
find a symboli
symbolicc repres
r epresent
entation
ation of your 
your 
need or write a petition and place it in the box. Recite another prayer and
light a candle to announce your need to the spirits and await their response.
Always be thankful, even if you do not always get what you ask. Sometimes
our troubles serve
ser ve us better
be tter than
than our blessi
bles sing
ngs.
s. That being said, I have found
found
that
that the
the use of these boxes
bo xes is more effective than prayer candles alone.
Better still, you can have more than one request running at a time without the
fire hazard. I have also used these boxes to consecrate talismans and imbue
ewelry
ewel ry with spiritu
spiri tual
al power.
pow er.

box spell to have someone think of you fondly

You may begin by ornamenting your box with symbols of love such as
hearts, joined
j oined ring
r ings,
s, glyphs for the moon
moon and Venu
Venuss as
a s well
w ell as personal
pers onal
sigils
si gils representing
repr esenting youryour names,
names, etc. The main
main body of work
w ork consists
consis ts of 
 placing a photo
photo of each of you you in the
the box.
box. Mak
Makee sure th
that no
no one
one else is in
either of the photos. Whoever is to be the “active” party of this spell should
 be placed in th the top ofof th
the box.
box. This
This is the
the person who
who you you want to do ththe
thinking and the seeking out. The “passive” party, the one waiting to be
sought and who likely already has fond feelings for the other, is placed in
the bottom. If both are at odds just place the one whom you wish to be more
“dominant
“dominant”” in i n the
the relati
r elationsh
onship
ip on top. A mated
mated pair
pai r of
o f loadston
loads tones
es helps inin
drawing the two together. Be sure to “feed” them some iron shavings from
time to time to keep them working. A sprinkling of powdered sugar creates

50
 soft, sweet feelings as do a few pink rose petals. Whether for love or not,
take a page from the bard, “rosemary for remembrance” will also add a hint
of feminine power to the mix where the woman is meant to hold sway.
Forget-me-nots should be self explanatory. When a woman needs to have
greater control and aims to catch and keep him, place a whole Queen
Elizabeth root dressed with her menstrual blood or sexual fluids in the box
wrapped in a paper with his name and a petition such as “be mine forever”
written on it.. For friendships, throw in some things that remind you of good
times together, a ticket stub from a movie you both loved or the corner of a
 playing
 playing card from your our poker
poker nigh
nights. If
If it is your
your ex, throw
throw in i n you
your weddin
weddi ng
 band
 band or one
one of ththose mem
memen entos
tos you
you know you held on to to for longlonger than
than you
should. Use a trillium root if someone has been messing around with your 
mate or a jezebel
j ezebel root
r oot if you are the one doin' the mess
messin'in' 'roun
' round.d. Viol
Violet
et and
vervain are also good love herbs. Once you are done seasonin' seal up the
 box with a simple
simple prayer,
prayer, makin
making g sure to
to use
use their
their full
full name
name and and include
include a
clear request regarding your desire then light a pink, red or white candle.
Remember to let it safely burn out on its own. Use this box in other love
work or revisit on occasion with other prayer and candle vigils. If you
manage to get them in bed with you, place the box under the bed and, when
they aren't looking, soak a handkerchief in your co-mingled sexual fluids.
Place
Plac e this in
i n the
the box later
la ter and seal
se al with
wi th anoth
another
er prayer to keep them them wanting
wanting
you. When your work is done, dispose of as usual; bury in your back yard to
keep it going or toss in running water to let it go.

 Mojo Hands

Also known as gris-gris, toby, or, simply “mojos” these simple

talism
talis mans have long been on onee of the most
most popular
pop ular of Hoodoo
Hoodo o baubles.
baubles .
Traditionally all mojo bags were made of red flannel but some modern
 practitioners
 practitioners use specific colors relatin rel ating
g to th
the intent
intent.. A small
small square of 
cloth is sufficient but sewn and draw-string bags are also used. The bag is
filled with various items all of which are meant to work in harmony with
one another
another (and withw ith the
the user) to help draw
dr aw the
the needed energies to manifest
manifest
the
the desir
des ired
ed outcome.
outcome. As mentioned
entioned before,
before , but I really
real ly cannot
cannot stress
stres s the
 point enou
enoug gh, some
some items
items (particularly stonstones,
es, man
man-m
-madeade items
items and color 
componen
components) ts) wil
w illl work
w ork differently from one individual
individ ual to another.
another. It is up to
the
the practitioner
pr actitioner to figure
figure out which ingredi
ingredient
entss and item
i temss to use on a case
cas e by
case basis. Once the items are selected in brought together the bag is tied or 
sewn shut, a breath of life is breathed into it. The mojo itself is not just a
collection of ingredients, rather those ingredients resonate together to draw

51
 in a “lesser spirit” which comes to inhabit the vessel that is the mojo bag.
Some people go so far as to name their bags and it is for this reason that
some workers recommend any newly acquire bag be carried for a
 prescribed
 prescri bed nu
number of days
days to fam
famili
iliarize
arize th
the spirit
spiri t and
and the
the possessor with
wi th
one another. Because the mojo bag is believed to house a living spirit, it is
important
important to “feed” them so as to remain on goodgood term
ter ms or
o r to release
rel ease them
them
when they are no longer needed. To do this, the bag is simply opened and
the contents poured out, preferably at a crossroads or property line.

 For Gambling
Gambling Luck 
In a green cloth bag place cinquefoil, high john
root and a gator
gator tooth along with the
the ace
ac e of 
spades (the corner piece showing the symbol
will
wil l do) for luck in cards, a pair of dice for 
dice games, slot token for slots, or a silver 
dime or wheat
w heat penny
penny for general
general luck.
luck. Use all
al l of 
o f 
them if you like to play different games. Dress
the
the bag
ba g with whiskey or Hoyts cologn
col ognee weekly
w eekly
while reciting the 65 th  psalm. When you play,
hold the bag and say the psalm again.

 For Love Drawing 

Drawing 
In a red cloth bag place a cowrie
cowri e shell,
a raccoon penis bone, catnip, rose petals
and
and coriander seeds. Dress with
w ith drop of 
semen or menstrual
enstrual blood and carry
carr y to
attract a mate. Sprinkle sugar or whiskey
over it to keep it charged.

 For Protecti
Protection/Safe
on/Safe Travel 
In a black cloth bag place ash leaves,
mugwort and comfrey root. Tie it up
with a St. Christopher medallion and
keep it close
cl ose while
w hile traveling for easy
 journey
 journey with
wi th no troubles
troubles or wear.
w ear.
Charge it with a few drops of holy
water or spring/well water while
reciting the 22 nd  psalm
reci ting the

 For general domination and influence

inf luence

52
 In a red flann
fla nnel
el bag combine
combine low
l ow john,
john,
high john, dixie john, five-finger grass
(cinqufoil) sweetflag (calamus) rhizome,
licorice root, and pipe tobacco. Carry
in your front pocket or tucked in your 
wasteband for seven consecutive days
and feed with bay rum weekly, feeding
again and
and breathin
br eathing
g your
your desir
des ires
es into it
when you want it to help you accomplish
something in particular. Psalm 23 and the
“Our Father” (Mathew 6:9) are helpful in
charging this
this amule
amulet.
t.

 For enhanced psychism and dreaming 

dreaming 
In your mojo bag combine lavender, mugwort,
anise seed, jasmine, bay leaf, mullein, dill, a
small possum bone and a pinch of camphor for 
a total of 7 herbs and 9 overall ingredients, both
numbers associated with psychic power and the
moon. Feed this bag with Florida water and sleep
with
wi th it under
under your
your pil
p illow
low at night
night..

cursing mojo
Mojo bags are not always used for drawing kind
spirits. In a black bag combine black peppercorns
 black mu
mustard seeds, poppy seeds, red pepper 
flakes, a piece of sulfur and some snake sheds.
Feed with four thieves vinegar and plant it in or 
near your enemy's home/workplace.

 Jack balls

A simple yet potent talisman made from common items is the jack-
 ball. Little
Little more
more than
than wax and
and string,
string, man
many y claim that
that th
they are one of th
the
most powerful and effective hoodoo items they have ever used. Jack balls
can be made for most ant purpos
purpose,e, but always
alw ays tend toward domination,
domination,
control and influence. They may or may not be made to influence other 
 people, but
but also outcom
outcomes
es and situation
situations.
s. They
They are sometim
sometimeses used for 
for 
finding things out by acting as a sort of pendulum being “fixed” to the person
about which one is inquiring. The origin of the jack ball is unknown, but it

53
 seems related
re lated to the
the African
Afri can “ju-ju”
“ju-j u” talism
talis man made
made by combining
combining materi
materials
als
into a bizarre sort of bauble which was believed to confer protection or 
ward off evil spirits.
Jack balls are used in one of two ways. As a pendulum, as mentioned
above, they can give yes/no answers by the way that they swing when held
in the hand with the arm at rest, or they can be held over charts and allowed
to point to different letters or symbols exactly as one would divine with any
 pendu
 pendulum
lum.. The
The other
other way is to “work” th the jack in a whipping motion
swinging it by the tail in a “come to me” sort of movement as it drops from
the hand, swings forward from the hip and is caught again in the upturned
 palm.
 palm. The
The same
same jack can be used
used in both
both of th
these ways, but
but th
they can only
only be
used to the purpose which they are fixed to by way of the ingredients mixed
into the
the core.
co re.
The core is formed of roots, herbs, or other items along with personal
effects like hair and nail clippings, soiled clothing, etc. The personal effects
are vitally important as it simply would not be a jack ball without them. If 
you are trying to obtain something like gambling luck, money, business or 
love then it is your own personal effects which are added. If it is influence
over a person then
then you
you will add there's
there's as well,
w ell, but
but all jack balls are fixed
to the user because it is not a passive sort of magic as one would find with
some mojo hands or dollies but an active and assertive form of magical
influence. The core is molded into a ball of wax then wrapped with red yarn
and finally pierced through with a needle to create the tail. Some may wish
to experiment
experiment with
wi th other
other colors
col ors for diff
di fferent
erent purposes,
purposes , but, traditionally
traditio nally,, the
yarn is alway
alw ayss red.

 xamples of jack balls

ball s for various
vari ous purposes.

For love- Dress Queen Elizabeth aka orris root with your sexual
fluids and sprinkle with “true love powder” adding a hair of the one you
desire to the core of your jack ball. Hold it by the tail and, with calm
confidence
confidence say
s ay to it “show
“s how me
me yes” until
until it begins to swi
s wing
ng in a definite
de finite
 pattern.
 pattern. Next
Next do the
the same
same for “no”
“no” to establish
establish you
yourr control.
control. Once
Once you
you have
have
clearly defined your parameters you may then ask questions about your 
 beloved regarding their
their feelings,
feelings, faithfu
faithfulness,
lness, etc.
etc. If your
our beloved should
should
ever stray you need only work the jack while repeating their name each time
you catch the ball in your hand and they will have no choice but to think of 
you and be drawn
dr awn back.
bac k.

To get what you want- combine High John the conqueror root,

54
tobacco, and a pinch of gunpowder in a cloth dowsed in your own urine.
Roll this into a ball of wax and wind with red yarn, always wrapping
toward yourself. As a pendulum it will lead you toward your desires and
when worked it will draw them to you. This is a very “raw” talisman so you
need to be specific, but brief, when reciting your wishes.

To draw money or business- crush together alfalfa, sassafras, five

finger grass and pine resin with a pinch of dirt from a crossroads. Mix this
into your
your jack
jac k ball core and work
wor k it when about town
town or minding the
the shop.

To be more attractive and approachable- combine sugar (powdered if 

you are very fair, raw
r aw sugar
sugar if you are medium
medium complec
complected,
ted, brown
br own if you are
very dark) magnetic sand, catnip and black cat hair in a white cloth dowsed
with your sexual fluids and wind into a jack ball to become irresistible to
others.

To draw spirits to you- Mullein, calamus, licorice, High John root,

anise seeds and a pinch of grave dirt combined with your hair or nail
clippings in a jack ball will draw in spirits like a vacuum, giving you an
aura of power and influence over stray entities in an area.

For faith and virtue- if you are turning over a new leaf or simply
trying to draw in more positive spiritual blessings try a jack ball made with
mustard seed, hyssop, and rue in a cloth soaked in your own tears. Recite
the Lord's Prayer as you work the jack.

 Hoodoo Dolls

Perhaps the
the most well
wel l known
known of Hoodoo tools is the the Voodoo/Hoodoo
oodoo/ Hoodoo
doll also known as a “poppet” in Europe.
Europe. Spell dollies
dolli es are
ar e such a big part
of Hoodoo because they were used in almost all of the different traditions
from which Hoodoo is derived. The common misconception is that they
were always used for hurting or controlling people. While they certainly
could be used for such purposes, where tradition is concerned it is more the
exception than
than the
the rule.
r ule. People
Peopl e may keep dolls
doll s of
o f them
themsel
selves,
ves, or of their 
their 
children
childr en and loved ones in order
or der to protect and supplem
s upplementent heali
healing
ng.. They do
not have
have too look like
li ke the
the person
pe rson they represent
repr esent and indeed they seldom
sel dom did.
Instead, some personal item would be added to the doll in order to make it
work properly. That item may be hair or nail clippings, a bit of blood or a
 photog
 photograph,
raph, bu
but th
that is a last resort and
and the
the least effective
effective of all. The most
most

55
 potent
 potent personal
personal item would be menst menstrual
rual blood or semen.
semen. Such
Such personal
things would be hard for any outside party to obtain which is why the dolls
were a personal object, not something easily made and used for ill by
another. One could acquire a “blank dolly” from a hoodoo shop and then
“fix” it by adding personal items but making one of your own is simple and,
some say, more effective.
The
The use of
o f spell
spel l dollies
doll ies is a type of sympathet
sympathetic ic magic. That meansmeans
that the doll is seen as a representation of the soul of the individual on
whom it is based. Having a dolly of your own meant that you could keep
yourself from harm by keeping it safe. Should it fall into the wrong hands,
though, you could have serious trouble. These dollies had many, many
 positive uses however.
however. By using pins and and needles
needles to direct and and focus
focus your 
your 
intent you can heal effected areas of the body. Hurting is done in much the
same way,
way, so
s o from the
the outside looking in one one could
co uld scarce
sca rce tell thethe
difference. Most use stick pins with different colored ends to represent the
type of work they were doing, ie white for healing, red for love and black 
for hurting or banishing. Tying one doll to another is a way of binding two
souls togeth
together
er and was once a com co mmon wedding
weddi ng tradition.
traditi on. Binding
Binding a doll
dol l
with rope or twine in whichwhich a series
seri es of knots
knots was tied while reciting
r eciting a spell
spel l
might be used to “trap” them or bind their power, turning their spells, words
and actions back onto them. Some would say that it is “all in the intent” but
there are some subtle differences in method as well and failing to observe
these differences in practice does, in fact, cause the spells to go awry.
The most traditional dolls are very rustic and do not require a great
deal of talent. It is a common misconception that “real voodoo dolls” are
made of cloth and stuffed. These are more a type of kitschy folk art sold for 
tourists. The old way is to make them of sticks, wax or clay, each
origin
ori ginating
ating in a different culture
culture but all belonging
belonging to the
the traditions
tra ditions of 
southern hoodoo. What's more is that not all dolls need be “fixed” to a
 particular
 particular person
pers on but,
but, instead,
instead, are used
used to hou
house
se spirits
spir its or comm
communicate you your 
r 
needs to them. There are wishing dolls you place tokens in to represent
things you want to come back to you, worry dolls you tell your doubts, fears
and woes to, the belief being that they go forth by night to avenge and
 protect you.
ou. Some
Some dolls act as a sort of receptacle
receptacle or idol,
idol , being an
amalgam of many items all meant to draw in helpful influences such as
fertility, protection, or love. These may be buried in gardens as symbolic
sacrifice, posted by doors as guardians,
guardians, or placed
pl aced under
under the
the pillow
pil low to help
help
you “dream true.”
The way dolls are used depends a lot on their purpose and in what
way they are “fixed,” be it to a living person, a spirit or a special need or 

56
desire. The simplest way to explain it is to use them just like any other doll,
talk to it, “play” with it, put it through the motions of things you want to
happen. The more real you make it the more you bring the desired intent into
the physical sphere of reality. Love or reunion spells may involve two dolls
which have been fixed to the individuals concerned being bei ng brought
brought closer 
clos er 
and closer together night by night as you burn an anointed candle. Idol type
dolls may be kept in a safe place and be “fed” with gifts such as the first
fruits of the
the harvest,
harves t, or an occasional
occasi onal shot of whiskey
whis key or cigar. Remem
Remember 
ber 
the doll is not just a doll, it is a vessel. Your prayers and “breath of life”
upon construction make it a living analog. The hoodoo conjure part of the
work comes from your God given ability to create a being in your image as
He did with us.

 Examples of patterns
pat terns for
f or Hoodoo dolls
doll s

Stick dolly

Begin with two sticks, or bundles of sticks. forming a cross shape.

The
The horizon
hori zontaltal bar
ba r place
p laced
d more than
than half-w
half-way ay up
up like
l ike in a crucifix. Tie themthem
together in this position by first knotting the string just above or below the
cross
cros s bar,
b ar, then
then wrappi
wr appingng diagonally switching
sw itching from one one side
s ide to the
the other and
then knotting it again tightly. Place a bit of hair or a cloth soaked in
menstrual blood, semen, sweat or saliva over the crisscross of the string and
wrap
wr ap it
i t again at least
le ast three more times before
be fore tying the
the final knots
knots and
cutting the string.
 Next,
 Next, tak takee a piece of heavy
heavy cloth and
and fold it in half
half toto cover the
the lower 
 portion of youyourr stick dolly.
dolly. Cut
Cut it so that
that it is as wide
w ide as thethe cross bar with
w ith
about an inch to a half inch to either side. Cut a hole in the center and push it
over the top piece. Wrap and tie the lower portion with a string “belt” to
form a crude body. Sew a small rectangle with one open end and stuff the
 bag with
wi th Spanish
Spanish moss moss or other
other filler, using
using some
some other
other personal effecteffect if 
desired, and put it over the top of the dolly. Tie it up to form the head.
Finish it up by painting a face and decorating and embellishing as
desired. You may want to mark representations of the vital organs on the
 body to give
give you someth
something
ing to point
point you
yourr stick pins at.at. If it is to represent a
spirit you will want to use colors and symbols associated with that spirit to
make it a pleasing
plea sing vessel
vesse l for them
them.. The work
wo rk is completed
completed by performing
performing a
mock baptism anointing with holy water/oil and giving it a name, not
neglec
neglecting
ting the
the all
al l im
i mportant “breath of life”
li fe” before you are done.

57
Clay poppet 

An ancient European method: form a crude human shape out of clay.

Form a hollow inside and fill with various personal effects. Other symbolic
items may be added to confer blessings upon the individual it is intended
for. Examples include acorns for wealth and fertility, heart charms for love,
clover for luck, etc. Seal up the hollow and inscribe the name of the
intended into the clay. Place it on a grate over a raging fire and consecrate it
in the name of the intended by saying the following three times.

“As God created Adam

 from the clay of the
t he earth
 so too do I create (name)
(name)
in the name of Jesus, Mary
and God Almighty Amen”

Allow the dolly to harden over the fire for a day and a night, or as
long as is needed. When it is finished, it should be kept someplace secret
and no harm will come to the intended. The blessings of the charms and
 blessin
 blessi ngs given to it will
wil l be with
wi th the
the inten
intended
ded for as long
long as they
they keep the
the
dolly. If pins and needles need to be used on the dolly they are used before
consecrating it by fire. Should the dolly get broken the remedy is for the
intended to swallow a tiny bit of the clay after it has been crushed into
 powder, oth
otherwise
erwi se the
the soul could
could wander leading to negnegative
ative spiritual
effects.

Wax effigy

The wax doll is much like the clay doll but is made with a more
forgiving medium. Rather than hardening in fire you take wax and melt it,
mixing in various elements needed to “fix” the doll to your intent, or 
intended as the case may be. This, I find, is best done AFTER the wax
 begins
 begins toto cool, or with
wi th pieces picked off of a burnin
burningg pillar
pill ar candle as it
 burns
 burns th
through
rough the
the center
center and
and leaves soft bits
bits of wax along thethe sides. The best
medium is pure bees wax because, with a little effort, it can be made
malleable simply by working it between the hands. Beeswax is softer and
easier
easi er to push pins through
through with
wi thout
out cracking,
cracking, but paraffin
para ffin is more durable
durabl e
and comes in different colors, which some may find desirable. This is
 perhaps notnot th
the best choice
choice for an idol type
type doll as time
time and
and temperatu
temperature re
may deteriorate
deterior ate it, but
b ut it is quite good for reveng
re venge,
e, banishin
banis hing g and
and jinx
j inx--

58
 breaking
 breaking spells because
because it can be burned
burned or melted
melted down.
down. It could
could also be
formed around a wick and used as a candle for a love spell. Just be sure not
to overdo it on the herbs and powders as these may cause it to gutter out as
it burns.

Candle Burning 

Traditionally, candles are believed to carry our prayers up to heaven

and serve as a sort of beacon on earth for spirits/angels to take notice.
Candles may be dressed/anointed with oils which are easily made by
soaking herbs in olive, safflower, jojoba or other natural oils for no less
than a month
month.. When
When youyou wish
wis h to draw
dra w certai
ce rtain
n energies
energie s into your
your life
li fe you
you
dress the candles by rubbing TOWARD you, when you are sending energy
or banishing negativity you dress AWAY from you. Always dress candles
from wick to base in either case turning the candle toward or away from
yourself as necessity dictates.
Always let a candle burn ALL THE WAY OUT and take safety
 precautions
 precautions as needed
needed to allow this.this. If a candle
candle goes out
out DO
DO NOT
NOT RE-RE-
LIGHT IT, this is taken as an omen that either God/the spirits are not behind
your
your work
w ork or, less
le ss often,
often, that there
there are
ar e outside forces sabotaging youyou and
and
they need to be dealt with first. If you burn a jar candle and it turns black, it
means forces are against you. If it becomes clear at the bottom it means they
cleared up and no further work is necessary. If it starts clear then becomes
 black at the
the bottom
bottom,, the
the contrary
contrary is true and you need to clear those
those crossed
cross ed
conditions before trying again. Lighting candles regularly simply to honor 
the spirits will help your relationship with them.
Candle color is something I have a bit of a pet peeve about. I will
give a basic list, however I must stress the following: USE WHATEVER
COLOR SEEMS MOST RIGHT TO YOU FOR YOUR PURPOSE . Do not let
this, or any other book tell you what is or is not correct when it comes to
color choices for magical purposes. If it does not feel right to you then, for 
God's sake, don't do it!i t! Becoming
Becoming aware of your your personal
pers onal connection
connection to the
the
energies around you and working with themwith them to influence things in a desired
way is the entire point of magic. It is not just about “this equals that” but
about understanding the real and tangible connection between all things.
White candles can substitute for any purpose in a pinch, especially if 
there is great need. Taper candles are preferred but, again, any will do when
you have no other alternative. In the end, God grants us the power to make
changes in our lives. The type and color of candles and the rituals we go

59
throug
through
h are more for our benefit than
than God's. The
The spir
s pirits
its and
a nd powers
powe rs that
that be
are sympathetic to the plight of the human condition and will not mind if we
have to make substitutions when the need is great.

 Example of candle color/use

color/us e correspondences:

 Pink - Romance/reconcili
Romance/reconciling
ng love.
 Red - Sex and desire
White
White - Blessing 
 Blue - Serenity
 Black - Banishing/binding
Banishing/ binding evil 
 Purple - Power and dominati
domination
on
Orange - Breaking through barred conditions
Yellow - Success
Green
Green - Money
 Brown
 Brown - Legal work 

Personally, I use white candles for general work, prayers, blessings

and road opening. Red candles for block breaking, power, aggressive
 protection,
 protection, control/influ
control/influen
ence,
ce, love and
and sex. Black candles
candles for dominat
domination,ion,
cursing, passive protection and reversal. Yellow candles, in spite of their 
common associations, I use for disease and sickness, either to inflict or to
appeal to the spirit causing the affliction and remove it. Other issues like
money, legal work, peace in the home, etc I see as falling under one of the
above categories.
categories . For instance if you need
need legal help and you are guilguilty
ty then
then
obviously you need control and influence over judge and jury. If you are
innocent, you need a white candle to clear your name. If you are out of 
money and need work you need either a white or red candle to clear your 
 path to employm
employment
ent but
but if you just cant seem to get
get ahead
ahead because
because everyone
everyone
turns
turns you down nono matter
matter how qualified you are thenthen it is possibl
poss iblee you have
have
a spirit plaguing you and so a yellow candle will help to draw out the
disease just as it would a physical
physical illn
ill ness.

 Spiritual
 Spirit ual Baths

One of the most common hoodoo prescriptions for clients and

workers alike is the spiritual bath. It may be because among those old
Chri
Christian
stian rootworkers
roo tworkers many of them
them were, and still are, Southern
Southern Baptist for 
the spiritual bath is most certainly rooted in the rights of baptism, rites
which actually predate Christianity and have been part of many ancient cults

60
 for a very long time. The ancient Greeks had already been practicing
 baptism,
 baptism, as hadhad the
the Egy
Egyptians
ptians and Babylonian
Babylonians. s. Wh
When John came
came outout of the
the
desert, he was not preaching anything new or unfamiliar. It is likely that he
got it from the Essenes who were one of the many ancient Christian fringe
cults who followed an Appocryphal gospel and Gnostic path which put
heavy emphasis on ritual purity and austerity. Like many versions of early
Christianity, the aim was not just to worship Christ,
worship Christ, but to become christ-
like and
like and live as he lived. The word “christ” means “the annointed” and
ritual bathing is and always has been a means of anointing the body to make
it a pure vessel in which to receive the higher powers. Just as the cult of 
Enki used waters to remove spiritual impurities, the cult of Isis prepared her 
 priests by sym
symbolic reenactmen
reenactmentt of Osiris'
Osiris ' drowning in ththe waters of th the
 Nile, so too do we prepare and pu purify ourselves
ourselves in ththe blessed waters.
w aters.
Most people do not know this, but water has always been a sacred
thing
thing in the
the rural southeast
southeast from Appalachia to the the Missis
Mis sissip
sippi.
pi. Once
Once upon a
time there was a booming business for the well-to-do folks of privilege
centered around estates which kept artisan wells. They called them
“sanitariums” and they were something akin to a combination of modern day
spas and celebrity rehab centers. Itineraries were given which included a
variety of low-impact physical exercises, mental and emotional relaxation,
and all punctuated with a prescribed number of glasses of water from the
wells
wel lspri
pring
ngs.
s. It was
w as comm
common belief
beli ef that
that the
the waters
w aters had heal
healing
ing,, rejuvenat
re juvenating
ing
and age-defying
age-defying properties.
propertie s. Indeed, the mineral
mineralss unique
unique to each
ea ch area would
have had many health benefits over the common drinking water of the time,
even if one dism
di smisissed
sed the
the beli
be lief
ef in some metaphy
metaphysi
sical
cal elem
ele ment imparted
imparted by
the land.
The astonishing truth of the matter is that water does indeed have
memory, and can be programmed by the energetic forces to which it is
exposed, including thoughts and emotions. Masaru Emoto garnered much
fame/i
fame/infnfam
amy y with
wi th his
his experiments
experiments involving
i nvolving observation
observa tion of ice crystals
formed in water samples into which people projected various feelings.
True, many have since attempted to debunk the results, but there is certainly
a consistent “feel” to the images which anyone having a modicum of 
sensitivity can immediately sense when looking at the images. I do not
 believe the
the ice crystals need
need to be uniform
uniform in all reproductions.
reproductions. Wh Why would
they be when each person will clearly have different reactions and ways of 
expressing any given emotion or reaction to an idea or memory? What's
more is that seedlings, which grow on water, have also shown rather 
consistent changes in growth and health based upon their exposure to
emotion as well. One can even duplicate the experiment at home should they

61
 choose. For me, there is i s no doubt thatthat water
wa ter does
doe s in
i n fact respond to energy.
energy.
So, it is through the addition of various “charged waters” or raw
herbal and/or mineral ingredi
ingredient entss that we aim to impart
impart a certain
certai n energy
energy to
to
our spiritual baths. Such a simple thing most of us do every day can become
a powerful rite of empowerment with the simple understanding that there is
more to it than is immediately obvious. Ever notice how bathing makes you
feel refreshed? Relaxed? Ready to meet the day? Ever come home from an
unpleasant day at work or taxing family event just feeling “yucky” and
 bogg
 bogged down? Wh What is the
the first th
thing many
any of us
us want to do when we feel
like that? Take a bath/shower of course! It is actually common knowledge
and practice
practi ce to this day
d ay,, we
w e just
j ust fail to see
s ee the truth
truth that
that is righ
ri ghtt in front of 
us. Bathing
Bathing is not just about physical
physical cleanliness,
cle anliness, but spiritu
spiri tual,
al, mental
ental and
emotional health as well. Hoodoo is a holistic practice and bathing is a
holistic experience, so why not get the most out of it by employing other 
elements
elements to tailor
tail or your experience
experi ence to your
your needs of the the time? Here follow
some exam
examples
ples of hoodoo spiri
spi ritu
tual
al baths
baths to try yourself.
yourself.

General
General rules for
f or spiritual baths

When bathing to remove  an influence or energy, such as in uncrossing,

inx-br
inx-breaking
eaking and road opening,
opening, always
alw ays wash
was h and towel off 
working down from head to feet, giving
givi ng extra attention to the back 
bac k 
of the
the neck which is regarded as a major energ
e nergy
y exchan
exchange.
ge. Blockages
Blockages here
are
ar e often felt and can cause energy to becom
bec omee backed
bac ked up in the
the
 body,
 body, leading to illness and
and dis-ease,
dis-eas e, or can interrupt
interrupt connect
connectionion with
spiritual forces, leading to a sense of detachment from the divine, spiritual
crisis and confusion. It is also recommended that you do something to invite
some positive
posi tive influence
influence as by anointing
anointing with
wi th spiri
spi ritu
tual
al
oils/perfumes, lighting a candle for blessings and thanksgiving, and that you
avoid any immediate contact with other people until you have done such a
thing because nature abhors a vacuum and your energy field will pick up the
first thing it connects with.

When bathing to draw  spiritual influences or energies such as love,

luck,
luck, money
money and peace, alwaysalw ays air dry and wear light, comfortable clothes
after. It is also recommended that you do something lighthearted and
mundane after such as listening to happy music or eating a nice meal so as to
avoid
avoi d int
i nterr
errupt
upting
ing the
the subtle
subtle forces currently in motion.
motion. Results are
ar e not
immediate.

62
 Prescriptions that involve saving of bath water are best done using
two buckets, one to stand in and one to pour the w ater from. Using
si ng
a large
lar ge bowl or cup to
to “ladle”
“ladl e” the
the water over you is also a good idea. When
When
disposing of the water it must be done at a crossroads, graveyard, or a
source of runnin
runningg water
wa ter such as a creek
cree k or river
riv er which runs
runs away
from your house.

The
The best
be st way
w ay to make
make clean-u
clea n-up
p easy
eas y when usi
using
ng botanicals in spiri
spi ritu
tual
al
 baths
 baths is to place them
them in a mu
muslin
sli n or organza
organza sack or toto tie th
them in
cheese cloth. Make sure the bag is large enough to hold the herbs without
 being packed
packed too tigh
tight. Han
Hangg the
the bag over your
your faucet
faucet so that
that the
the water 
runs over
ove r and thro
throug
ugh
h the bag. When
When the bath is full
full,, put the
the bag in
the water and let it float. I recommend using pure hot water to make a sort o
“tea” to steep the herbs in and letting the air cool the water until it is cool
enough to get in, this way your water becomes thoroughly infused
with the botanicals. I also like to use the bag itself as a sort of sponge,
squeezing the water out over my body and inhaling the essences of the herbs.
It is also good to use this “herbal sponge” to cleanse the back of the neck as
described above.

 Powerful jinx-rem
jinx- removing
oving bath

Cook a whole poke root in a 2gal stock pot of hot water with the lid
on for 30 minutes. Discard the root and add this water to a clean 5gal bucket
into which another
another 2gal of water
w ater and 2 cups of Epsom salts
sal ts has been
bee n mixed.
mixed.
Wash with this same
this same water  for
 for 7 consecutive days and dispose of it
accordingly.

asy jinx
ji nx removal 
removal 

When conditions are less severe, a simple one day bath with a whole
 poke
 poke root in the
the water has proven sufficient
sufficient.. Regu
Regular baths
baths in Epsom
Epsom salts
(about once a week) is also a common practice to keep negativity from
 buildi
 buildinng up. Both
Both poke
poke root and
and Epsom salts are purgative
purgative if tak
taken
en internally
internally
which accounts for their spiritual use.

 Dual action road opening and blessing bath

When it seems you simply can't get ahead, can't find your path or the
strength
strength to
to walk
w alk it, simply
s imply add Carmelite water
w ater to your bath, wash
was h the
the back 
ba ck 

63
 of your
your neck, and allow
all ow yourse
yourself lf to air
ai r dry after.
after. The main
main ingredient is
melliss
ell issaa or lemon balm and this
this herb maymay be added
adde d to the bath
along with some grave
gravell root
r oot if you do not have
have any carmelite water 
w ater 
 prepared.

Simple blessing bath

Hyssop is one of the herbs mentioned in the bible and is very popular 
among
among hoodoo practitioners
pra ctitioners for general
general blessi
bles sing
ng,, anointing
anointing and
and spir
s piritual
itual
fortitude.

 Psychic potency and true-dream

true- dreaming
ing bath

To enhance psychic prowess and invite prophetic or lucid dreams

combine bay leaves, star anise, and coffee beans in a spiritual bath. Make
sure to wash both the back of your neck and  center
 center of your forehead with the
water and to air dry afterwar
afterward,
d, sleeping
sl eeping nude if possible.
pos sible.

Woman's empowering bath

To enhance female powers to get what you want and have influence
over men, bathe in waters
water s infused
infused with
wi th juniper
juniper berries
berr ies,, rosem
ros emary
ary
leaf, orris
orri s root,
r oot, and
and mag
magn
nolia flowers.

an's empowering bath

To enhance masculine energy, confer confidence and strength take a

 bath with high
high john the
the conqu
conqueror
eror root, pipe tobacco, yarrow,
yarrow, cloves and
cedar.

 Lustful bath from your kitchen cupboard 

cupboard 

 Not all mag

magic
ic needs exotic
exotic ing
ingredients. To
To attract
attract sexu
sexual attention
attention or 
enhance passions infuse the bath water with coffee beans, coriander seeds,
cinnamon and vanilla

 Floral love drawing bath

bat h

To attract a lasting
las ting and faithfu
faithfull love combine
combine the flowers
flower s of red
r ed
clovers, pink roses, lavender apple and magnolia every night from the new

64
to full moon.

oney drawing bath

To bring steady money and success in business take a bath with fresh
 pine needles
needles or a wh
w hole green pine cone.
cone. For added streng
strength combine
combine with
thyme, gravel root and sassafrass.

Spice cabinet protective bath

To protect
pr otect yourse
yourself
lf and ward
w ard off undesira
undesirable
ble influences
influences you need
need look 
l ook 
no further than your spice rack. Combine marjorum, basil, oregano, sage,
fennel and a few black peppercorns in a spiritual bath and air dry to gird
yourself in strong spiritual armor against all comers.

To bring
bri ng peace, harmony and ease

Combine
Combine red
re d sum
s umac
ac berr
be rries
ies and groun
groundd ivy
i vy with
wi th a can of beer in your 
your 
 bath water to cleanse
cleanse yourself
yourself of troubles
troubles and
and concerns
concerns while equally
equally
inviting blessings and casting off any bad mojo you may have picked up to
cause the affliction.

 Additional modes of deploy

depl oyment 
ment 

Hoodoo cures can be administered in a number of other ways

corresponding to the type of work being done. These operations are largely
 based on old African custom
customss and are also foun found in Vodou (voodoo)
magical workings. Hoodoo, however, leaves out the traditional African
religious traditions, for the most part, and accepts a wider arsenal of 
magical curios and herbs borrowed from other cultures. There is also a
degree of improvisation allowed in hoodoo that would be unheard of in
other,
other, more
more strict
stri ct traditions.
tradi tions. Truly
Truly,, it
i t is not so much
much “improvisation”
“improvis ation” as it is
acceptance and experimentation with other methods that may be found in
foreign cultures. As I have said repeatedly, it is ultimately about what
works.
wor ks. Suffice
Suffice it
i t to say,
say, these are
ar e som
s omee of the traditional
traditi onal meth
methods
ods of 
deployment of conjure formulas, tricks and cures. A selection of formulas
will be given later on but, ultimately, you will have to use what is available
to you in the most efficient way you can.

Washes- teas can be brewed in quantity and used alone or added to other 

65
cleaning products for ritual floor wash. These are often used in the home, on
the
the door
do or step or sidewa
sid ewalk,
lk, dependin
depe ndingg on the
the type of working
w orking.. Typicall
Typicallyy they
they
are used in matters
matters involving
i nvolving hom
homee or business. They can be used to cleanse
c leanse
and purge unwanted conditions and influences, or to draw something in. The
difference being
be ing what they
they are composed
composed of and thethe directi
di rection
on of the
the action.
a ction.
If you
you are washing
w ashing somethin
something g out,
out, always
alw ays work
w ork toward
towar d the door or street. If 
drawing in, do the reverse.

Track lay
l aying/t aking-  “poisoning by feet” is one of the most ancient tricks
ing/taking-
deeply rooted in African traditions. To lay magical “poisons” such as kufwa
(goofer dust) or “hot foot powder” in someone's footprints is one method of 
administeri
administering ng such a curse. They can also be deployed
de ployed by placing
pl acing items
items
under the doorstep of the intended or making marks (with powders and the
like) over where a person has stepped or will step. Commonly some crude
symbolism is used here such as “wavy lines” to signify trouble and
confusion, spirals for wandering, or X marks (sometimes “stacked” in
sign
si gnificant
ificant num
numbers which appear
appea r aass hatching
hatching)) for “crossi
“cro ssing
ng”” or cursing.
Tracks can also be taken by scooping up the dirt containing the intended's
footprint and using it as a base powder or personal link in a secret working
on them.

 Douche- perhaps
 per haps not the
the most popular topic
topi c but some
some charged waters
w aters and
magical teas are mixed with vinegar and used as a douche, particularly in
sex magic.

 Dressing-  teas and charged waters are used to dress all kinds of objects
from candles
candles to gris gris. They can also
als o be used on clothing or body.
body.

 Spitti ng- some herbs are chewed and spit on floors or in tracks to impart
 Spitting-
their influences. This is typically done when one is trying to secretly gain
influence or dominance.

retties- Some
Some item
i temss are
a re kept, as sout
s outhern
herners
ers say “for pretty
p retty”” with
w ith or 
without knowledge of the magical effects they generate. Bundles of herbs
hung
hung from doors
door s or placed
plac ed in
i n dried arrang
arr angem
ement
ents,
s, pomanders
pomanders and sachets
that scent rooms or clothing from closets or chests, so called “witch bottles”
and gazing
gazing balls,
balls , all
al l of these
these and more
more are examples
examples of magical
magical items
items
hidden in plain
pla in sigh
si ght.t.

66
 Relate
Re lated
d Trad
Traditions
itions

Hoodoo is i s one
o ne of many
many spiri
spi ritu
tual
al traditions
traditi ons to come
come out of thethe African
Afric an
Diaspora. Each colonial settlement found other cultures and religious
traditions with which to co-mingle. For one reason or another, certain tribal
groups seem to have held more sway in different colonies as well. The
result has been a wide range of spiritual movements all growing from
common roots yet often surprisingly different from one another.
It is important to note that it was not only synchretism with the
religions of the slave masters but also the interwoven beliefs and practices
of native cults in each are which lead to this diversity. The unique blend of 
oppressi
oppre ssionon and subversion,
subversi on, thethe shat
s hattering
tering and
and forging of bonds
bonds between
 peoples and th the long tale of tragedy
tragedy andand trium
triumph is the
the heart
heart and
and inherent
inherent
 beauty
 beauty of ththe African
African Diaspora. I choose,choose, therefore,
therefore, to accentu
accentuate ththat which
which
 bring us togeth
togetherer rather
rather than
than tears usus apart.
Far too often we find battles raging in communities about these richly
historic traditions being “appropriated” by the “wrong people” and I hope I
can do some small part to remedy that. There is an appeal to these traditions
which resonates
re sonates deeply
de eply with
w ith practicall
practi cally y everyone. WeWe must
must rem
r emem
ember
ber to
 proceed with
wi th respect for both both the
the history
history AND
AND th the futu
future
re of these
these traditions.
traditions.
Rather than “blending” different traditions on your own, I submit to you that
there is likely an established tradition out there which fits nicely with your 
own core
cor e beli
be liefs
efs and still
stil l has much
much more to teach you. you.
I encourage
encourage any reader who feels that that hoodoo isi s lacking
l acking or not quite
quite
right for them to seek further information and never stop searching. Find
your spiritual home and still always seek to learn more, to understand better 
and to find common threads through which to form bonds with your fellow
human beings. This day and age we are all drawing from numerous
 bloodlines. Best we do respect to to those
those who mademade possible
possibl e the
the miracl
miraclee of 
our existence by seeking harmony and honoring the magic that flows in our 
common blood and all the spirits carried within it.

Obeah and Myal 

In the Caribbean islands, particularly in Jamaica, there exists a unique

and secretive spiritual movement known as Obeah. Practitioners, called
“obeahmen”
“obeahmen” were
we re once credited
cre dited with
wi th having
having such intim
intimate
ate knowl
knowledge
edge of 
magic and herbalism, particularly in the use and manufacture of poisons, that
the
the whole
w hole movem
movement
ent was made illegal
il legal and, as of
o f the
the date
da te of this
this writing
wr iting,,
remains so. Obeah was believed to be the driving force behind the

67
 revolution in Jamaica, yet native inhabitants even today regard it with
fearful respect. Perhaps it is due to its association with evil magic and pacts
with
wi th a demonic
demonic entity known known as “Sassabonsam
“Sass abonsam”” who w ho supposedly
supposedl y inhabits
inhabits
the
the wilds
wi lds and terrorizes hapless wanderers, or the the residu
resi dual
al fear lik
li kely
imposed by the slave masters of the old days who came to live in dread of 
its power.
It is believed that Obeah is a power that is inherited rather than given
and that it is found in the bones and blood of the practitioner. Should
someone wish to become and obeahman who has not inherited the power 
they must seek Sassabonsam himself, but the journey does not end there. If 
this dangerous spirit of the wildwood should favor you, then several other 
spirits will also come to test and attune you to receive the power of obeah.
The catholic figure of Anima Sola, the lady of solitude who burns forever in
 purgat
 purgatory
ory,, the
the Aftican
Aftican folklori
folkloricc figure
figure of Anan
Anansi,si, the
the spider, and
and other
other spirits
spir its
deeply
deepl y connected
connected with wi th ancient
ancient animism
animism and ancestor cults all a ll become
intimately familiar to the initiate of obeah through dreams, trials and
tribulations. Each contributes a unique power to the initiate and each does
so by first breaking a portion of the spirit and psyche to be rebuilt in their 
own image.
It is a process very similar to the more traditional forms of shamanism
now only remembered by small societies at the far reaches of the world and
vastly different from the romanticized concepts promoted by the modern
neopagan movement. Perhaps it is for this reason that obeah remains one of 
the
the most illusive,
ill usive, and
a nd possibly
possi bly thethe most important
important of the the African
Afric an Diasporic
Diaspo ric
cults. So much has already been lost and so much more may yet be forgotten
should we let this mysterious and powerful, if somewhat “spooky” tradition
disappear.
Due to the criminalization of obeah, another tradition arose called
“Myal”
“Myal” or sometim
sometimes es “myalism”
“myalism” which is considered
consider ed the beneficent “white
magic” counterpa
counterpart rt to obeah.
obe ah. It may
may be that Myal
Myal is actuall
actually
y derived
deriv ed from
the
the ancient priestly
pri estly class
cl ass from thethe Mother
Mother Land
Land and that obeah is deri d erived
ved
from the “witchcraft” which was outlawed even then under tribal law. The
fact remains that both obeah and myal combine grimoire magic, solomonic
sigils and Jewish cabalah in their practice to heal, bring luck, and banish
negativi
negativityty.. The difference, if i f indeed there is i s one,
o ne, is that
that obeah does not shyshy
away from work which aims to control or harm because, at its core, it is a
weapon to snatch victory from the jaws of most dismal defeat. Because of 
this the obeahman must undergo the aforementioned trials while the
myalman must submit to the mentorship of a priest.
Their
Their most valuable
val uable and unique
unique servi
se rvicece of either
e ither may
may be that of 

68
 disposing of “duppies” or shadow beings which are made up of all the
negativi
negativityty in a person
pers on which may may be releas
re leased
ed upon their
their physic
physical
al death. It is
interesting that
that the
the phenom
phenomena ena of “shadow people”
peopl e” is
i s known all over thethe
world in practically every culture, yet only in obeah and myalism are they
directly addressed or dealt with. There are two main ways of dealing with
duppies. One is to create bottles filled with various symbolic and magical
items
items in
i n which to trap the spi spiri
rits.
ts. The other,
other, which
w hich is employed for more
 powerful shadows,
shadows, is to have
have a practitioner
practitioner conjure
conjure and “catch”
“catch” the
the spirit
spiri t
which they then nail to a tree or post, there to remain until the sunlight
comes
comes to dissol
dis solve
ve them as it does
doe s the darkness of night.
night.
Like hoodoo, obeah and myal make use of herbal, animal and mineral
components for making various powders, sprays and elixirs to address
 practically every possible
possibl e hum
humanan concern.
concern. Personal
Personal items
items too, such
such as
 blood, nail
nail and hair
hair clipping
cl ippingss may
may come
come into
into play.
play. An obeahm
obeahman may even
capture a person's shadow and use it to fuel their own power or bestow
upon them the sort of dread protection that comes from being fractured in
such a way in life.
Both obeah and myal can be used to remove illness through either 
magical ritual or natural
natural rem
r emedy
edy and both can divine the the origins
or igins of any
affliction through direct communication with the spirits which cause it.
Practitioners may enter a trance and remove “thorns” which injure the spirit
of the afflicted which they believe can cause physical and mental illness.
They may also prescribe powders or tonics just as any folk healer would.
They
They craft magical
magical talism
talis mans both as dictated by various
vari ous tomes
tomes of magic
magic as
well as sim
si mple natural
natural objects believed
beli eved to house
house a spirits
spiri ts either
either conjured
conjured or 
native to the object's place of origin. This combination of primitive and
modern magical practices along with beliefs clearly rooted in some of the
world's oldest traditions is what makes obeah and myal so fantastically
fascinating.

 Hexwerk
 Hexwer k and Trolldom
Trolldom

Far from these shores, in northern Europe, there dwells a folk 

tradition that bears striking similarities to American hoodoo called
“trolldom” which roughly translated means something like “the ways of 
country dwellers” with an implication of “non-christian” practices.
Trolldom has been around for ages and is more common in rural
communities of Sweden, Finland and Norway, though the practice has
slowl
sl owlyy begun
begun to spread
spr ead to other
other countries
countries,, inclu
i ncluding
ding Ameri
America.
ca. Elem
El ement
entss of 
o f 
trolldom
troll dom include
include the use of herbs for magical cures, im i mitative magic using

69
 simple tools, and divination with playing cards. Practitioners, called
trollkarlen (singu
(singular; trollk
troll karl),
arl) , will
w ill sometim
sometimes es consort withwi th spirits
spiri ts called
weights or elves which are believed to be descendants of Adam and Eve
which were kept hidden from God and so were cursed to remain hidden or 
invisible in the world forever after. Stones, wood carvings and even beans
are sometimes used to house certain spirits which can then be called upon to
help in all manner of human endeavors. One method of obtaining a spirit is
to bury the prescribed item (different spirits like different vessels) at a
crossro
cros sroads
ads for a num
number of days then return and and dig
di g it up. Spells
Spell s may be
spoken aloud or written as petitions. One unique aspect of trolldom is the
use of “runes” in written spells. There is a runic alphabet which was once
used for both writing and magic throughout northern Europe but the “runes”
used in trolldom are not always part of those alphabets (there are several
variations) but rather symbols or elaborate sigils.
Back in the U.S there are communities of Dutch who maintain a
traditional
traditi onal way
w ay of life. Though
Though most are ar e very
ver y strictly Christian
Christia n theythey also
 practice a traditional
traditional form of folk
folk mag
magicic called
call ed hex
hex or pow wow. w ow. Prayers
Prayers
are common in this practice as is the use of herbs. Bible magic is very
important in this tradition and nearly every spell contains somewhere in it
an invocation to God, Jesus,Je sus, Angels
Angels or the the Vir
Virgin
gin Mary
Mary.. Its roots
roo ts are
ar e in
in
colonial era Christianity where many fringe sects developed with their new-
found
found religiou
reli giouss freedom
fre edom.. Many of thesethese sects incorporated
incorpor ated elemel ement
entss of 
mystici
ysticism
sm,, gnostici
gnosticismsm and
and apocrypha.
ap ocrypha. These peoplepeo ple truly believed
belie ved that
that faith
in God and their devotion
de votion to Christ made them them capable of perform
perfor ming
miracles on their behalf. It was only natural progression that these beliefs
should
should blend with w ith ancient
ancient folk knowl
knowledge
edge and custom
customss to create
cre ate a new
magic.
Hexenmeisters as they are called are most common in the northern
states, particular
pa rticularly
ly Pennsylvania,
Pennsylvania, but b ut as with
wi th all things
things ini n the
the inf
i nformat
ormationion
age the practice is becoming more widespread. The most destinctive
element
element in hex-cr
hex-craft
aft is the
the hex sign,
sign, a piece
piec e of folk art
ar t which, whenw hen properl
prop erly
y
crafted, holds talismanic properties. Any person can paint a hex sign, but
only a hexenm
hexenmeiseister
ter can
ca n empow
empower er it. Stars,
Stars , bunches
bunches of grapes,
grapes , oak leaves
le aves
and “distlefink
“dis tlefink”” or gold finches
finches are comm
common images
images in these sign si gns,
s, each
e ach
having magical significance. Even embellishments like scalloped edges or 
triangle patterns influence the nature of the enchantment. All elements are
carefully selected right down to the color and number and placed in one of 
several zones of influence. The sign is painted on a round plate of wood, or 
directly
dir ectly on the
the exterior of the
the barn
ba rn or house.
house. Once
Once “activated”
“ activated” by the the
hexenmeister and put in place the sign works as a tailor-made blessing on

70
the farm or homestead.

 Santeria and Brujeria

Brujer ia

First and foremost, let it be known that I only use these terms because
they are more commonly recognized. I say this because they are actually
somewhat derogatory and and feel I must
must apologize to devotees
d evotees of Rgela
of  Rgela De
Ocha and
Ocha and Lucumí 
 Lucumí  as
 as they are properly called. Palo is also referred to as
“santeria” where it is practiced. The name was applied as a blanket term for 
all “backwards” spiritual traditions in Latin countries which synchretized
Catholi
Catholiciscismm with
wi th their
their native and
a nd folk tradi
traditions.
tions. Namely
Namely it is i s the Catholi
Catholicc
saint
sai ntss who
w ho are synchretized
synchretized with
wi th the
the Yoruban
Yoruban tribal spiri
spi rits
ts known
known as the the
orishas hence
orishas hence the name “santeria” meaning “saint worship” essentially. The
are more appropriate label would be Orish Oris ha Traditions.
Traditions.
As in other African Diaspora Religions, the Orisha traditions have but
One Supreme Deity known, in this case, as Oludamare. Oludamare. Again, as with w ith most
most
ATRs this Deity is far too vast and incomprehensible for humans to deal
with directly, so it is by way of the Orishas that believers interact with the
Divine. Candlelight vigils and prayers are primary means of connection.
Many devotees will also keep prayer cards and saint medals about their 
home,
home, work,
w ork, vehicles
vehicle s and
a nd persons
pers ons to invoke thethe protection
pr otection and guidance
guidance of 
their Orisha.
The
The word
w ord “orisha”
“ori sha” mean
meanss “select
“s elect head” as it refers to a spiritspir it which
enters the “head” of the individual. Everyone has an Orisha who is with
their
their soul from thethe moment
moment of conception.
conception. A speciali
speci alized
zed diviner-pri
divi ner-priest est
called a Babalawo
a Babalawo must
 must be called upon to determine which Orisha is
connected to the person's head. Once This is done a secret ritual may be
 performed
 performed which consecrates
consecrates the
the individual
individual to mak
makee them
them “clean” enou enouggh to
receive the Orisha. From this point on they will be guided by their Spirit
and expected to behave in accordance with all responsibilities and taboos
that come along with it.
Brujeria is also a foul term which translates directly as “witchcraft”
and carries with it all the negative implications thereof including
demonology, satanic pacts, and doing harm to others just for the fun of it.
The
The legitim
l egitimate
ate practice
pr actice comm
commonly called
calle d “brujeria
“br ujeria”” among
among Spanish
speaking communities can be best understood as “Mexican hoodoo” to put it
simply. The more appropriate term is Curanderismo which
Curanderismo which means “the
cure-person's art” or folk healing. Like hoodoo, Curanderismo is a system
of holistic medicine
edic ine design
des igned
ed to treat
tre at body,
body, mind
mind and spiri
spi ritt by means
means of 
natural
natural and supernatural
supernatural technologies
technologies..

71
 There are specializations within the practice of Curanderismo.
Practitioners, known as curanderos/curanderas, who work primarily through
 prayer and
and candles
candles are called
cal led oracionistas(os) while
oracionistas(os)  while those who take a more
 phy
 physical approach
appr oach throug
through h massage, chiropractic
chiropractic and laying
laying on of hand
handss are
called sobaderos(
called sobaderos(as).
as). Then
 Then there are the yer
the  yerberos(
beros(as)as) w work
ork primaril
primarily
y with
 plant materials. A yerbera
yerbera maymay administer
administer a teatea or tinctu
tincture
re for physical
physical
ailments, or place botanical items in a glass vial with oil or holy water to
create a powerful, specialized talisman for spiritual concerns. Some
yerberos have a special relationship
relationship with a particular plan pl ant,
t, or more
specifically the spiri
the spirit 
t  of
 of a particular plant, and thus have access to special
abilities with plant. These yerberas are known by names according to their 
 plant such as tabaqueros who
tabaqueros who work with tobacco and ayahuasqueros who
ayahuasqueros who
 brew the potent
potent drug
drug ayahuasca from
ayahuasca from plantsplants like
l ike the
the sacre
s acredd yage vine and
others and guide people on profound spiritual healing and cleansing
ourneys.
ourneys. Many curanderos practice
prac tice a com
c ombination
bination of the the above.
ab ove.

Vodou and Voodoo

Vodou is the
the primarily
pr imarily Haitian
Haitia n tradi
tradition
tion of Afri
African
can Diaspora
Diaspor a reli
re ligion
gion
drawing largely from Dahomean tribal practices. Contrary to popular belief,
it is
i s NOT a polytheis
polytheistic
tic reli
r eligion
gion but
but recogn
reco gnizes
izes one suprem
s upremee deity
dei ty known
known as
 Bondye who
 Bondye who is beyond the reach of humans and is only honored as the
spiritual essence on which all existence is dependent. A great many spirits
known as lwa are
lwa are honored in private and community rituals of vodouisants
as practitioners are known. There are three main groupings of lwa. The
rada are
rada are “cool” spirits who are considered the most beneficent and gentle.
The petwo
The petwo are  are “hot” spirits who work with explosive energy and may be
called
call ed upon for thing
thingss like
l ike domination,
domination, control
control and vengeance.
vengeance. This has lead
to them being unfairly labeled as “evil” by some writers. Let me just say
that as a religion born out of slavery, it is hard to consider these things in
any way evil.
evi l. Revolution
Rev olution is not pretty.
pretty. Pain
Pai n and
and bloodshed
bl oodshed are
ar e bound to
happen. These spirits embody the spirit of the people and the people
remember
remember and honor honor BOTH sides si des of their
their history.
history. The final camp is called
call ed
the guede
guede and
 and they exist somewhat outside the “hot” and “cold” spectrum.
They are basically the spirits of the dead or, more specifically, the honored
and forgotten dead. Ancestors are remembered and some may even be
considered
consider ed ascended. Simply being dead is i s not enoug
enough h to become guede.
guede.
They are lead by a lwa known as Bawon or Baron who is as much their 
chief as their warden. Because some of the dead are long forgotten or 
nameles
nameless, s, they
they can be troublesom
troubles omee at times. This is i s why
w hy they
they are considered
consider ed

72
 among the ranks of the guede and paid respect, to keep them happy. Baron
himself is known for his boisterous and sometimes lewd behavior reminding
 both the
the livin
livi ng and
and the
the dead to enjoy them
themselves
selves and not
not tak
takee thing
thingss too
seriously. However, he can also be stern when there is call for it.
Baron is very popular in New Orleans where there has been a thriving
 practice for a longlong time
time now
now of secret ceremon
ceremoniesies and ritual
ritual possession
possess ion as
well as a black market trade in folk magic. This practice is commonly
known as voodoo and the spiritual revival of African Traditions has brought
it closer
cl oser and closer
close r to Haitian
Hai tian Vodou over the the course of generatio
generations.ns.
However, many years ago some practitioners would have disagreed, saying
that their practice was actually hoodoo. Being that Louisiana was a French
settlement and more catholic than protestant the syncretism went in a
different direction
dire ction than
than it did further
further north in Tenn
Tenness
essee
ee and Missis
Mis sissip
sippi.
pi.
However, Native American traditions would blend into the tradition as well
creating some variance from the practice as it is found in Haiti. The
resulting hybrid is sometimes known as NoLa tradition or New Orleans
Voodo
oodoo. o.
Ceremonies are held in a special outdoor temple called a peristyle.
They
They involve drumm drumming,ing, call
ca ll-and-r
-and-response
esponse singing
singing of special
speci al songs
songs and thethe
drawing of elaborate spiritual symbols known as ve-ve to ve-ve to call in the
 procession
 processi on of spirits in accordance
accordance with th the secret traditions
traditions of ththe hou
house.
se. A
 priest heads up up the
the ceremon
ceremonies ies with
w ith ranking
ranking initiates
initiates serving various
 positions to to assist the
the priest in th the condu
conduction
ction of th
the ceremon
ceremony y. Devotees
Devotees
will dance to the point of exhaustian and enter a trance wherein the spirit
takes possession of their body. This is known as being “ridden” and the
devotees are sometimes called “horses” by extension. During possession the
spirit may grant blessings or speak prophecies using the horse's body as a
vessel. Some spirits are given offerings to please them while others are cast
out by a priest because they may be dangerous. Ceremonies may only be
 participated in by initiates
initiates thou
thoughgh sometim
sometimes es minor
minor rituals
rituals are held in public
public
view in New Orleans.

 Palo

Palo is an afro-cuban spiritual tradition based largely in African

Kongo tribal beliefs and practices. It was born of the exchange between the
African Bantu-speaking groups and the native Taino peoples, not unlike how
hoodoo draws
dra ws heavily from thethe influen
influences
ces of Native Americans. Many
 people split
spli t Palo into
into two
two categories-
categories-  Palo Christiano
Christi ano or
 or “Christian
“Christian Palo”
and Palo
and Palo Judio w
Judio  wh hich translates
translates as “Jewish
“Jewi sh Palo” which really implies
implies

73
 “unbaptized” ie non-Christian. The later is sometimes assumed to be “evil”
 because
 because initiates
initiates mak
makee pacts with “evil” spirits.
spi rits. The
The fact is there
there are three
three
main “sects” if you will within Palo which are called “ramas.” Mayombe is
the
the first
fir st and most
most conservative
conser vative of the
the three. According
Accor ding to to som
s omee this tradition
trad ition
can only be passed through the ancestral line. Briyumba is where we first
 begin
 begin to to see sychretism
sychretism in Palo bring
bringing in elemen
elements ts of Cath
Catholocism
olocis m andand the
the
Yoruban religion
rel igion of Ifa. Kimbiza
Kimbiza or quimbasa
quimbasa is thethe most syncri
syncristic
stic of all
the ramas, uniting many other schools of African spirituality but still
remaining firmly grounded in the Kongo traditions. All of them require
covenants and while some houses may find the covenenats of other houses
questionable, nont of them should be considered inherently “evil” as there is
no such concept in Palo. There is only what agrees with your soul and what
disagrees with your soul. Morality is a personal concern derived from
God's direct
dir ect influence
influence on your
your own
o wn spiri
spi rit,
t, most
most commonly
commonly called
calle d a
conscience.
Regardless of which rama one belongs to, the only way into Palo is by
initiation which is granted ONLY by a Tata and Tata and Yaya, a priest and priestess.
Initiatio
Initiationsns are conducted
conducted by both togeth
togetherer and each has specific
spe cific roles
rol es in the
the
 process. The specific rites of initiation
initiation are a closely
closel y guarded secret but but
involve a series of trials which connect the initiate to the ancestral spirits
and the suffering inflicted upon them as slaves. Bloodletting is also a part of 
the initiation and blood offerings are also made to many of the spirits or 
mpungos served
mpungos served in palo. Other offerings may include things like cigars, rum
infused
infused with
wi th hot
hot peppers,
peppe rs, toasted corn,
cor n, coconut,
coconut, red wine
wi ne or honey,
honey,
depending on the spirit. Offerings are usually left at a sacred place
connected with the particular spirit being served.
In addition to the “ascended spirits” or mpungos Palo also regards
spirits of nature and the dead. Everything has spiritual power to the palero,
which is what initiated practitioners are called. Every stone, tree, plant,
river
ri ver and moun
mountain
tain has
has is an extension
extension of the
the Great
Gre at Creator called
call ed Nzambi
Nzambi
who is regarded as the raw spiritual force which flows through all things.
Every mpungo is an extension of Nzambi as is everything and everyone else
regardless of color, creed or religion. When one is initiated or “scratched”
as it is sometimes called (a reference to the bloodletting) spiritual force
within them is “activated” so to speak and the palero is “born” which is
why both tata, father, and yaya, mother, must be present. From this point
forward the palero is able to communicate with and “activate” spiritual
forces present in nature which is how all magic in Palo is performed.
A central point in every Palo house is the nganga or
nganga or shrine. This is
usually a large pot or cauldron which contains many things. Among the

74
 things placed in the nganga there may be earth from sacred places or 
graveyards, branches cut from sacred trees (which are regarded much as the
 bones
 bones of hu humans)
ans) and, yes,
yes, even actual
actual hum
human bones.
bones. People mistak mistakee these
these
seemingly
seemingly gri grizz
zzly
ly objects
obj ects as evidence
evide nce of hum
human sacrifice
sacr ifice and grave
desecration. The fact is Palo has been defamed and demonized for years in
effort to stamp out traditional spirituality and, indeed, to rip the very spirit
from, the people and strip them of their ancestry. It is no wonder they seem
angry! The nganga may look to the casual observer like something that
 belongs
 belongs in a witch's
witch's hut
hut but
but it is actually
actually an object of great veneration
veneration.. It is
regarded as a microcosm
microcos m, a tiny model of the the univer
universe,se, containing
containing all the
majesty and mystery of creation within it. All its contents are collected with
great honor and respect. To do anything else would be blasphemy in the
highest, as if to say the universe is built of ugliness and disgrace.
In the house the nganga is commonly called a prenda a  prenda which
 which is spanish
for “jewel” shedding some light on the level of respect with which the
object is treated. Originally paleros of the Mayombe rama would only use
the
the bones of their
their own ancestors,
ancestors , but this
this has become rather rare r are today.
today. The
 prenda contain
containss man
many y thing
things,
s, but
but a chief
chief compon
componen entt is the
the muerto a
muerto a “ghost”
for lack
l ack of better descrip
desc ription,
tion, which is why the the elem
el ement
ent of hum
human an remains
remains is
so important.
important. This
This muerto serves
muerto serves as the intermediary between the palero
and the spirit realm. Also found with each Palo house is the  firma  fir ma which
 which is
a sort of spiritual calling card similar to the ve-ve in
ve-ve in vodou. Every house
has their own fir
own firma
ma and
 and there is a spiritual science to drawing them which
allows communication with the spirits of the house. By way of the  prenda
the muerto and
muerto and the firma
the firma the
 the palero
paler o has a means of direct
di rect com
c omm munica
unication
tion
with the spirit realm. It is not just a religion, but a lineage and a way of life.
It is an entire culture and history encapsulated by tradition and allowed to
 penetrate
 penetrate every aspect of th the practitioner's
practitioner's life,
l ife, mak
makinging it a deeply involved
and, for those whose souls resonate in agreement, rewarding spirutality.

Special thanks to Malik Kimbiza, and Chris Baldyga who were kind 
enough to provide me with a the perspective of a true initiate and priest 
of the Palo traditions.
Closing

You may be asking at this point “so, is this stuff for real?” Well I am
 prompted
 prompted to
to first state
state th
that old Hoodoo
Hoodoo adage
adage spoken throug
through
hout
out “voodoo
shops,” spiritual supply houses and botanicas th
botanicas thee world
wor ld over: “There
“There are
no guarant
guarantees.”
ees.” That
That is just
j ust good
good horse sense,
s ense, reall
rea lly
y, and a statement
statement
worthy of meditation. Remember that in Hoodoo it is believed that magic

75
 works only when it is in line with the will of God and that no working can
 be successfu
successful if it is not not God's
God's will
w ill.. Hoodoo conjuconjurere may
may be thou
thougght of like
a “super
“s uper prayer”
pr ayer” which
w hich brings
brings int
i nto
o harmony
harmony mind, body and spiri spi rit.
t. To
To do so,
there
there must be earthly
ea rthly element
elementss (such
( such as plant
pl ant,, animal,
animal, mineral,
ineral , color
co lor and
shape), mental elements (thought, will, words, intent, psychic energy), and
the all important spiri
important spiritual tual  element.
 element. Properly performed, hoodoo conjure
opens a channel
channel to God which w hich penetrates
penetrates all levels
leve ls of being simultaneou
simultaneously. sly.
The
The piety
pi ety of the
the person
pers on makin
making g the
the prayer
pr ayer comes into play pla y here,
here, as well
we ll as
the justness of the request and character of the one making it. Above all,
God's will is the deciding factor and all the herbs and curios in the world
cannot overcome that. What must be, will be and what can be changed is
changed
changed only when the the necessary
necess ary conditions are ar e met.
met. The power
pow er does not
come from the conjurer, nor from the materia used materia used to cast the spell. Rather 
it all
al l works
wor ks on the the basis
bas is of symboli
symbolicc langl anguag
uagee and harmoniou
harmoniouss energies
e nergies put
in place by God for us to utilize in our times of need.
Rules
Rules like
li ke “the
“the doctrine
doc trine of sign
si gnatu
atures
res”” are
ar e the basis
basi s of that languag
language, e,
the belief that even an illiterate person could see the symbols place in nature
for those whow ho truly sought
sought them
them.. This “secret
“sec ret lang
l anguag
uage”e” was the
the basi
ba siss of 
o f 
nearly all our medical theories at one time. It was thought that if a plant had
some characteristic that reminded one of a particular organ or ailment, it
would be a good medicine for it. Seems like ridiculous primitive thinking,
yet it is interesting just how often it was proven true. In spite of all the
mystici
ysticismsm so hotly disput
disp uted
ed by “rational” people peopl e eth
e thnobot
nobotanists
anists cont
c ontinu
inuee to
 be contracted
contracted by pharm pharmaceu
aceutical
tical compan
companies ies to research “mag“magical
ical formulas”
formulas”
to find out if they could be used in modern medicine. One tale of particular 
interest is that of Wade Davis and his experiences in Haiti as recounted in
 both book and film titled “The “The Serpent and and the
the Rainbow,”
Rainbow,” which
which th this auth
author 
highly recommends. Indeed much of modern medicine is owed to the root
doctors and medicine men of old indigenous cultures and much more stands
to be learned from them. Sadly, those old ways are dying out at an alarming
rate and
a nd if we do not work wor k now
now to preserve
pres erve them
them so muchmuch of that
that ageless
wisdom
wis dom willwil l be lost
l ost completely
completely..
You might say “sure herbal remedies may work but all that
sympathetic magic stuff is crap right?” but then again we once thought the
earth was flat and gravity was an illusion. Today we have theories about
worm
wor mholes in space-ti
spa ce-timme and
a nd still do not completely unders understan
tandd magnet
magnetis ismm
and bio-elec
bio- electric
tric fields even thoug
though h we know them to be quite q uite real.
real . We
We have
always resisted change and slandered radical ideas, but it is my sincere
 belief that
that if people would take take the
the time
time to stu
study magical
agical phenom
phenomen enaa
seriously we would make all kinds of breakthroughs in understanding the

76
world and our relationship to it. Modern people expend more energy trying
to disprove things
disprove things while becoming more and more dependent on technology
which, itself, is a form of magic. Perhaps it is out of fear, for all the gadgets
and gizmos (along with the international industries that produce them) may
well become outdated if we would just try to look at things differently for a
change. I have ranted many a time about the plight of modern man and the
virtues of “organic technology” (which is, in large part, what we now call
“magic”) over “synthetic technology” (machines, computers, chemicals,
etc.) and I will spare the reader my ire... this time. For now, I implore you,
do not just take my word on it. Hoodoo is all about results,
results, after
after all.
all . So just
give it a shot and see what happens. If you don't set out to simply prove to
yourself that it isn't  real
 real you may just be surprised at what is.

 Appendices

1. Lunar correspondences
By sign
By phase

2. Psalms

3. Ingredients
Personal
Animal
Mineral, resin and man-made
Botanical

4. Formulas
Smoking and fumigant
Waters
Powders
Oils

77
 5. Glossary of terms

1
Working By The Moon

 Astrological
 Astrologi cal Signs

Sign Body Dome stic Spiritual

Aries Head, Barren. Domination,
face, Good for  healing or 
 brain,  plowin
 plowi ng and inflicting
teeth, eyes weeding. emotional pain
Harvesting
will bring
bring
longest
longest shelf 
s helf 
life.
Taurus Throat, Fruitful. Love, fertility,
neck, Transplant acquisition and
 jaws,
 jaws , for strength. visionary work 
tonsils, Plant seeds
thyroid or root
crops. Prune
to
discourage
growth.
Gemini Arms, Barren. Public
Public relations,
hands, Good for  knowledge and

78
 shoulders, weeding
wee ding and
and intellect,
lungs  pruning
 pruning to eloquen
eloq uence
ce and
discourage confusion
growth.
Harvest
herbs and
roots.
Cancer Breast Most fruitful. Psychic and
stomach, Above emotional
emotional work,
w ork,
ribs, ground introspection
introspecti on and
and
womb, crops, prune meditation
diaphragm to encourage
growth.
Leo Heart, Barren. Influence,
upper  Prune to leadership
spine, discourage, attraction,
 blood and
and cultivate  prosperity
 prosperi ty,,
circulatory soil, control
control  performing
 performing arts.
system  pests.
Virgo Digestive Barren. Till, Education,
and
and cultivate, healing, finding
nervous compost and the hidden.
systems, destroy Especially
intestines weeds andand  powerful for 
for 
and
and spleen
spl een  pests. dreams.
Libra Kidneys, Semi- Legal matters,
skin, fruitful.  peace mak
making
ing,,
adrenals, Good for  creative
 butt
 buttock
ocks,
s, annual visualization and
lower  flowers andand manifestation
spine, vines. Pick 
flowers for 
longest
longest life
l ife
Scorpio Sex Fruitful.
Fruitful. Best Sexuality
organs, time for  sensuality,
 bladder  seeds, good
good seduction,
urinary for root secrets, violence.
tract, crops. Prune

79
 colon, to encourage
 prostate growth.
Sagitt
Sagittariu
ariuss Hips
Hips Semi-barren. Travel, wish
thighs, Good for  making,
liver, garlic and affluence,
 pelvis, onions. Also imbuing
sciatic good time to talismans with
nerve harvest for  energy.
shelf life.
Capric
apricor
orn
n Knees,
ees, Semi-barren. Business,
 joints,
 joints, Strong but discipline,
cartilage, unproductive grounding.,
skeletal  plants
 plants but domination,
system, ideal for  subjugation and
 bulbs,
 bulbs, tubers
tubers killing
and
and
rhizomes.
Aquariu
rius Ankles,
les, Barren. Higher/collective
calves, Cultivate consciousness,
circulation and
and weed.
w eed. transition, far-
to Harvest for  reachin
reac hing
g goals
goals,,
extremit- long storage. healing, group
ies work.
Pisces Feet, toes, Fruitful. Divinat
Divi nation,
ion, inn
i nner 
er 
lymphatic Transplant, travel, psychic
system sow seed awareness.
ideal for  Loneliness and
root crops. dread.

 Lunar phase correspondences

Phase Energy Favorable workings

workings
type
 New Potential
Potential Beginnings
Beginnings and ending
endi ngs,
s,
embry- thanks giving and
onic releasing of energies from
 previous working
workings. Also
malevolent
alev olent (banishing,
(banishing,

80
 crossing,
cros sing, binding)
binding)
workings where maximum
energy is required.
Wax-ing Growing Drawing,
Drawing, increase,
cres- fetal attraction. Ideal time
time for 
cent workings where sustained
growth (ie money,
influen
influence,
ce, etc.) is desired.
desire d.
Also ideal for love and
attraction when no
 particular partner
partner is
sought, but rather a
general air of desirablity.
Waxing Aware, Health, happiness, love.
half  child All workings which are
focused on positive or 
increasing
increas ing energies
energies that
that
requires some sort of 
equilibrium or balance or 
which involve
involve two people
peopl e
or poles.
Waxing Budding, Success, ambition,
ambition,
gibbous adolescent manifestation. All
workings where strong
energies
energies are coupled with
wi th
a sense of urgency or 
desire.
Full Fruiting, Protection, prophecy,
prophecy,
adult dreams,
dreams, pray
pr ayers
ers or 
 benevolent
 benevolent workings
workings
where maximum power is
required.
requir ed. Thank
Thankss giving
for past workings.
Waning Seeding, Recovery from addiction
gibbous maturity or long-term malady, any
workings where sustained
and steady release
releas e or 
dismissal
dismissal of energies
energies is

81
 required over time.
Waning Wise, Re-sending, reversing,
half  middle  justice.
 justice. Workin
Working gs where it
age
age is not harm but balance
that is sought. Sending
negative
negative influences
influences back 
b ack 
to their source. Also time
to pay dues for successful
s uccessful
or sustained workings.
Waning Releasing, Banishing, repelling
crescent old age destruction. Think of it as
"gibbous darkness" rathr ather 
er 
than waning light. Most
 powerful timtimee to perform
perform
works
wor ks against enemies
enemies
when coupled with a
sense of urgency. Also
ideal
idea l tim
ti me for letting go of 
negative influences.

Psalms and Their Uses

In addition to the psalms, one might consider keeping their own prayer 
 book for conjure
conjure work. To To this
this I would recomm
recommendend transcription
transcription of any
any
 prayers fou
found in oth
other books
books of ththe bible that
that could
could be usefu
useful for conjure
conjure
work
wor k (there
(there are many).
any). Try to look
loo k at the
the words
w ords from a mystic's
mystic's or 
conjurer's perspective. If a verse mentions “snakes” it may be good for 
drawing
draw ing out
out poison.
pois on. If a verse
vers e mentions
mentions “eyes” it may
may be good for curing
eye problem
probl emss or granting
granting the
the gift of “sigh
“si ght”
t” or psychic
psychic awareness.
awa reness. Original
 prayers or variations on traditional
traditional ones can be usefu
usefull too, as can isolating

82
 specific verses from a longer chapter. All of these notes can be kept in your 
 personal prayer
prayer book and,
and, in time,
time, the
the book itself will serve you as a
talisman and battery of magical energy. The bible is traditionally considered
the fir
the first 
st  place
 pl ace to look for conjure work,
w ork, mainly
mainly because it i t is somethin
something
g that
that
everyone would have.It is not forbidden, nor was it ever uncommon to seek 
inspiration from other sources, even those used by other religions. The
literate work
wor kers of old wou
w ould
ld take pride in
i n possession of medieval
medieval
grimoires and texts associated with demons and devils as much as they
would those
those dealing
deal ing with angels.
angels. Remember
Remember that
that hoodoo is about what
works not
works not about who said it or where it came from. We do not judge, that is
God's domain. We only seek to do righteous works in God's name. A person
must know their own heart and follow it above all, because God speaks
throug
through h the
the heart. Keep God in i n your
your heart and you will
wi ll always
alw ays be lead to the
the
righteous path and, if there is every any doubt, try psalm 145.

1- Prevention of premature delivery

2- Safety from
from storms
storms at
a t seas,
seas , cure headaches
headac hes
3- Cure severe headaches or backache
4 - Change
Change unlucky patterns
5- To flush out enemies
6- To turn a curse
7 - Protection from enemies
enemies
8 - Successful business transactions
9- To overcome
ove rcome obstacles
obstacl es and give thank
thankss for successful conjure again
a gainst
st
enemies
10 - Used to rid of demons from a person
11 - Protection from evil
12- To stop slander and gossip
13- To open roads
14 - Protection from enemies, slander and mistrust
15- For general success and influence
16 - Change enemies into friends
17 - For a safe travel
18- For protection and to destroy enemies
19 - For a safe childbirth, and for guiding children to a successful life
20 - To avoid persecution and jail from a judge
21- To protect another 
22 - For safe travel
23 - Good luck, success, and fortune
24- To reveal new opportunities or bring new customers to business

83
 25- For purification after a destructive working
26 - To release
rel ease a prisoner from prison
27- To
To dispel sorrow
28 - Reconciliation with an enemy
29- To have influence and power over all
30- for healing
31 - Protection from slander 
32- To undo magical work when a mistake has been made
33 - For protection of a newborn child (to be recited before and during
 pregnan
 pregnancy
cy))
34- Protection from enemies
enemies
35 - Protection from lawsuits
36 - Protection from slander 
37 - Protection from enemies and slander and gossip
38 & 39 - Protection from slander and the law
40- For fast luck and help
41- For blessings of protection and healing on someone in a protective
 profession (police, doctor,
doctor, etc)
42- To heal depression or other mental/emotional distress
43- For victory in court
44- To seize victory from the jaws of defeat
45 & 46- Used to make peace in the marriage. 45 is spoken over the
husband
husband and 46 over the the wife
w ife while
w hile anoin
a nointing
ting them
them with oil.
47 - To be loved and respected by all
48 - To protect from jealousy and envy
49- To curse someone
someone who flaunts
flaunts their wealth
wea lth
50- To bring
br ing justice
justice and balance
51 - To be cleansed of sin
52 - To reverse hurtful slander and deceitfulness
53 - To quiet enemies
enemies and slander 
sla nder 
54 - To revenge the enemies from psalm 53
55- To be rid
ri d of wickedness
w ickedness from someone
someone near you
56 - To help protect the self from committing a sinister act or habit
57 - For success and fortune in all matters
58- To curse someone
someone or banish evil influences
influences
59- To dispel evil influences and chase the source of them away
60 - For protection of a military person
61 - For blessing a new home
62- Against sleeplessness (v1-8) and to bring balance in maters of 
 prosperity
 prosperi ty (v 9-12)

84
63- For love
64- For protect
pr otection
ion
65 - For success and fortune in all matters
66- To have power
pow er and influence
influence
67- For abundance
68- To cast out evil. Verses 1-3 in particular when using wax dollies.
69 - To be freed of bad habits
70 - For quick help or resolution to pressing matters
71 - To free a prisoner 
72- For wisdom and abundance
73-75- To reverse
rever se crossed
cr ossed conditions
conditions
76- To force someone
someone to make
make good on their
their word
wor d or collect
coll ect on delinqu
deli nquent
ent
debts
77- To bring guidance to the lost
78- For revenge
79- For protect
pr otection
ion
80- For healing
81- To gain the affections of one who is bound to another 
82- To destroy
des troy evil influences
influences of supernat
s upernatural
ural or magical nature
nature
83- To chase someone
someone awayaw ay
84- To bless the home or property
85 - To be reconciled with a former friend who has since become ill with
you
86- To be delivered from debt
87- To bless a child
88- To curse someone (insert their name in place of personal pronouns)
89 - To expedite healing
91 - To
To release
releas e a prisoner 
pri soner 
92- To cast out evil and demons in a person
93- For protection when by sea
94 - Protection from enemies
enemies
95- To keep someone faithful and curse their nature should they stray
96 - 98 - For peace, joy and happiness in i n the
the home
home and famil
family y mem
members
bers
99 & 100 To have prayers answered and success in conjure
101- To be free of evil influence.
102- verses 1-17 for healing or money in desperate circumstances. 19-20
for release of a prisoner 
103- For domination (particularly from verse 19 on)
104- To bring rain and successful harvest
105- To blight the crops and works of another 

85
106- To clear self imposed/inflicted crossed conditions
107- To restore fertility
108 - For successful Business
109 - For revenging an enemy
110- For success and victory
111- To add power to conjure that is still being worked
112 - For luck in money matters such as getting a new job, grant or loan
113- For a happy home
114 - For success in Business
115- To take away an enemy's power (particularly v1-8)
116- To give thanks for healing conjure
117- In thanksgiving for love conjure
118- In thank
thanksgiving
sgiving for business/pr
busi ness/prosper
osperity
ity conjure
119- as a whole study to unlock the mysteries of conjure
 –  to
 to cure unnat
unnatural
ural ill
i llness
ness
 –  to
 to empower spiritual baths
 –  to
 to heal the eyes
 –  for
 for road-opening and unblocking
 –  for
 for spiritual fortitude
 –  for
 for victory in legal matters or dealings with
authority
 –  to
 to cure night
night terrors
terror s
 –  to
 to receive blessin
blessi ngs
 –  to
 to heal diseases of the organs
 –  for
 for blessings
 –  to
 to overcome wrongful persecution
 –  to
 to give thank
thankss for victory
victor y for
for the
the above.
abo ve.
 – for “righ
“ri ghtt handed”
handed” work,
wor k, divine
divi ne guidance,
guidance, healing,
healing,
 phy
 physical labors
l abors or afflictions
afflictions thereof 
thereof 
 –  for
 for spiritual protection or to cast out spirits
 –  for
 for “left handed” work, cursing,
subversion,
subversi on, or any affliction caused by such work 
wor k 

86
  –  for
 for spiri
s piritu
tual
al cleansing
cleansing
 – for victory
vi ctory and strength
strength
 –  to
 to receive guidance in dreams
 –  to
 to perform
per form healing
 –  to
 to have luck in games of chance
 –  for
 for general empowerment and healing
120 – against slander 
121 – For safe
s afe travel
travel
122- For peace and prosperity in the home
123- To have cont
co ntrol
rol over another 
another 
124- In thanksgiving for protection conjure
125- To drive away unwanted people and influences
126 – For a safe pregnancy and safety for children, to protect from Lilith
and her ilk 
127 – For safety for newborn child and children
128- For safety for
for pregnant
pregnant woman
129- To
To bless a person or place
130- To call for help with unsuccessful conjure
131- To give thanks for blessings of wealth and abundance resulting from
conjure
132 – For forgiveness for breaking your word or lying and to prevent from
doing so again
133 – To protect friendships and relationships and gain more friends
134 – For students to be successful
135- To return the evil eye and restore luck 
136- For lasting love
137- To curse an enemy
138 – To gain love and friendship
139 – To hold onto loving marriage
140 – To reconcile a marriage
141 – To rid the self of fear 
142- Cure pains in the thighs
143- Cure
Cure tearing pains ini n the
the arm
ar ms
144- healing of broken arm
145- To ease fears and banish evil spirits
146- Expedite healing of injuries caused by deadly weapons
147- To cure poisoning from animal venom

87
148 & 149-
14 9- Safety from
from fir
firee
150- To give thanks for successful conjure.

Index of ingredients

Some curios, roots and herbs are used for different purposes in other 
traditions. The descriptions given here are those most typical to the practice
of southern conjure/hoodoo and those I have found efficacious through my
own practice. You might find slight variations from one book to the next,
even when both are about hoodoo, and that is because this practice is not
ust about theories and lists of “alleged” uses. It is about what WORKS, and
what works
wor ks for som
so me practitioners
pr actitioners may be sligh
sl ightly
tly different from
from others
others
from time to time. We tend to find that things work in roughly the same ways
in most
most cases,
cas es, but the
the only way to find
find out is to test it. There is a reaso
r eason
n the
the
old hoodoo grim
grimoires
oires were called “recipe books”
books” because, just like with a
cooking recipe, most folks will make personal tweaks here and there until
they get it just right. If you are considering pursuing hoodoo work with any
seriousness (and if you have read this far I should hope you are) I highly
recommend you start yourself such a book immediately. Record everything,
down to the last detail, because you never know when one of those little
details will be useful in another recipe. In time, you will find yourself 
studying your own recipes for ideas on how to improve other works. On that
note, remember not to neglect the traditional works of those who came to the
craft before you. Regardless of your religious leanings, you will find many
examples of magic and spells in the bible, as well as other books, if you
look with the right kind of eye

 Personal effects
eff ects

The ancient metaphysical principle known as “the law of sympathy”

 posits that
that any
any object conn
connected toto a greater
greater body will
wil l continu
continuee to influ
influen
ence
ce
that body, even when separated from it. Krilian photography would seem to
indicate some validity to this belief as it has shown that a leaf, cut in half,
will continue to show the “aura” of the separated portion, as does an
amputee, when photographed in this way, emit an aura of the missing
appendage. It is often dismissed,
dismissed , yet is a consistent
consi stent phenom
phenomenaena with
wi th
consistent physi
physical
cal evidence
evide nce to support. I suspect many
many “magical”
“magical”
 principles could be recorded andand docum
documented
ented in this
this way
w ay if approached
approached

88
 seriously, but, I digress.
From times immemorial, shamans and conjure workers of all kinds
have util
utilized
ized repre
r epresentat
sentations
ions of the body they they wish
wi sh to influence.
influence. The science
scie nce
may be questionable at this time, but the tradition has been in use longer tha
the science. To that end, it has been found that the more “intimate” the
representation, the stronger the sympathetic link. Using a combination of 
objects
obje cts can
ca n also ampli
amplify fy the
the connection
connection by way w ay of harmonic
harmonic resonance.
r esonance. In
some kinds of work, certain objects may not be practical, so others are
used. One example would be using “name paper” folded into a dollar bill
and dressed with oil for money conjure. Though this is not the  strongest 
representation of the person, it is ideal for the specified purpose. Likewise,
hair would be preferable in knot-tying spells (a European import in which a
certain
certai n num
number
ber of knots
knots isi s used to bind magical
magical intentions)
intentions) and strips
s trips of 
clothing might
ight serve
ser ve well
w ell as the
the knot-ty
knot-tying
ing materi
materialal itself
itsel f but nail
nail clipping
cli ppingss
or totems
totems simply
s imply would not do and name name paper
pap er would just crumple.
crumple.
The use of personal effects binds the energies, represented by the
other elements used in the working, directly to the individual. Good or ill
have no bearing
beari ng on the
the preferre
pr eferred d form of representation
repr esentation,, only practicali
practi calityty..
Mind you, when we say “practical” we are talking about both the physical,
utilitarian aspect and  the the metaphy
metaphysi sical,
cal, symboli
symbolicc aspect
as pect thereof. For 
instance, work involving sexuality would obviously have a stronger 
connection
connection withwi th undergarm
undergarment entss or
o r bedcl
b edcloth
othes
es while
whil e those involving
i nvolving
 business
 business migh
mightt be better
better served by a business
business card with
wi th a compan
company y logo.
The later being a ready made “name paper” with “totemic representation”
included thereon which happens happens to have a directdi rect conn
c onnection
ection to the
the aspect
as pect
life you wish to effect through your working.
That being said, here follows a list of personal concerns which may
 be used
used to represent a target/client
target/client in order of streng
strength,
th, in th
the gen
general
eral sense.
Use your better judgment as to which would be most practi most  practical cal  (as
 (as explained
explained
above) for your working. Any of these can be used to “fix” a spell by
solidifying the connection. Once this is done, it can only be undone by
destroying the spell object itself. Jar or bottle spells containing charged oils
or waters along with personal effects come immediately to mind. Love wor 
sometimes uses candles (often with names carved on) and the wax may be
mixed with
w ith sweeteners
swe eteners and hair, nail or cloth cutting cuttingss then buri
buried
ed or hidden.
In time, the objects may deteriorate on their own. This is not really a bad
thing as all things must eventually end so that transition can take place and
 progress can be made made possible.
possibl e. As suchsuch,, some
some times
times it is good to to use
use
components that will release on their own so that you do not have to go
looking for it when the time comes. This bit of advice I have never seen in

89
 print,
 print, but
but is a lesson I learned th
through
rough personal practice is that
that once
once a spell
has done its work you MUST release it.

Blood and sexual fluids- the strongest of all because blood contains the
se xual fluids
essence of a person as well as their ancestry and sexual fluids represent the
generative forces of the same. Blood can be tricky to acquire. In the case of 
women, used menstrual pads or tampons are handy. For men, a bandage or 
tissue used to staunch
staunch a shaving cut cut could do. Obviously,
Obviously, it is
i s best
b est if
i f this
this
sacrifice be made voluntarily, but, in some cases where a person is a target 
 but
 but not
not a client,
client, it is necessary toto kn
know where to look.
look. Menstru
Menstrualal blood has
long been used to inspire fidelity and co-mingled sexual fluids are another 
way to bind
bi nd two people
peo ple togeth
together.
er. The fluids
fluids of one party or the other can be
used to represent the person's sexual nature allowing the worker to influence
their desires.

Hair/nails - hair pulled from brushes and combs or locks freely given and
clippings from either hair or nails are the next best thing to blood, and far 
less painful to acquire. These are quite commonly employed in all kinds of 
work.

Worn clothing- someth

somethinging that
that is well
w ell soiled
soi led is best. Any cloth that
that may
may
contain bodily fluids or skin cells will serve well and the more the better.
You do not need the whole garment, but a piece that is filled with the most
“juice,” if you will pardon the expression, is preferred. For instance, a
cutting from the under arm of a work shirt or from the crotch of the
underwear. You are not looking for something that is simply “dirty” but
which has been worn for a length of time, ideally during a period of heavy
activity or at least an activity related to your working. For instance, if you
want to influence someone's dreams, you might choose night clothes. If you
want to sweeten
sw eeten their
their feelings toward
towar d you, use
use a clippi
cl ipping
ng from the
the clothes
worn when you went out together. To bring someone to your door, or to send
them away, use the insole of their shoe.

Photograph- a pictu
pi cture
re containing
containing only the
only the image of the individual and no
other. If the picture is from a time or place that has some deep meaning to
the
the individual,
i ndividual, all the
the better. Often
Often the
the photograph
photograph also
al so serves
ser ves as “name
“name
 paper” by writin
wri ting
g inform
information
ation on the
the back of it,
it, which will
wil l strength
strengthen
en the
the
 bond.
 bond. Pictures
Pictures and paper are thethe ideal media
media for working
workings which employ
employ
charged waters
water s such
s uch as “four
“four thieves vinegar” meant
meant toto cause
ca use damage
damage to a
 person because
because they
they will
wil l slowly
slow ly fade
fade and
and dissolve
dissol ve therein.
therein. They
They are also

90
 used in “folding magic” where objects are folded together to bind their 
energies. Sometimes they are folded into a packet with herbs or powders
 placed inside.

Personal object s- belongings or parts of belongings like a favorite

Personal objects
necklace or pillow stuffing. A cutting from a bed sheet would be especially
good for work
w ork involving
involv ing intimacy
intimacy,, sexu
s exuali
ality
ty or fidelity
fidel ity and wedding
wed ding rings
rings
all the
the bett
be tter
er for fidelity
fidel ity.. Clean
Cle an clothing
clothing would be counted
counted under
under this
this
category as iti t does not contain
contain more
more than
than traces of bodily
bodi ly concerns but is
still personal property with a fair amount resonant energy. However,
 because
 because laundering
laundering can interfere
interfere with electrom
electromagagn
netic charge,
charge, anyt
anythhing
freshly laundered shou s hould
ld be overlooked
overl ooked when
w hen someth
something ing from
from the
the clos
c loset
et or 
around the house could be used instead. A condom from a man's wallet
could be used to influence
influence him sexuall
sexually y as could
co uld the
the lips
l ipstick
tick from a
woman's purse. The closer the object is to the person and the period of time
they spend around it are the determining factors to how effective a
representation
representation it will be.

Name paper- a commonly employed trick when nothing more personal can
 be obtained.
obtained. A slip of paper with
wi th the
the  full  name,
 name, first, middle and last, as
well as any nick names or aliases if they are known. The more detailed the
 better.
 better. I have actually
actually gon
gonee as far as including
including address and phon
phonee nu
number 
where I could and it certainly did not hurt. Business cards often contain
much of this information but, as they are “public” concerns they are less
effective. On the other hand, a name written by the targeted individual in
their own hand, such as on a letter or envelope, can be very effective.

ote mic represe ntation- Not in the sense of a “spirit guide” but rather 
Totem
some object which
w hich signifies
signifies the
the individual
i ndividual in
i n some
some sym
s ymboli
bolicc way
w ay.. If a
 person is a carpenter,
carpenter, th
then a new
new hamm
hammer migh
mightt be used,
used, if th
they are called
call ed
“bear” or “hoss” (old southern for “horse”) then toy or statue of the animal
would suffice. This is about as far away as you can get and you will be
casting a wide net unless you add something else to make your target more
specific. For exam
example,
ple, som
s omee specialty
speci alty retailers sell candles
candles molded to
resem
res emble
ble man and woman
woman for these purposes and they they are typica
typicall
llyy
inscribed with the name of the individual when used unless it is a generic
“drawing” sort of work where there is no specified target. Sometimes it is
only certain traits are desired and totemic representations are the best way
to target an abstract rath
r ather
er than
than an individual.

91
  Animal Objects

Ants - used in
i n what
what are called
call ed “wan
“w andering
dering spells” wh
w hich cause
cause a person to
wander in mind or body. Captured live and placed over foot tracks or 
 personal effects.
effects.

Armadillo- their shells make great baskets and bowls which may be used in
divination as with bones, stones, nuts etc. Because they are heavily armored
their greatest power is obviously that of protection of all kinds and their 
 bones
 bones and scales may be used
used in mojos
mojos for that
that purpose.
purpose. They
They are also
known for carrying leprosy, so use caution when handling and do not mix
fluids.

Badger Teeth and Claws - talisman of Germanic tradition to bring luck and
 potency
 potency.. Recite th
the 23 psalm while handling
handling the
the charm
charm to win at gam
games
es of 
chance. Like the gator tooth, these are sometimes “loaded” with herbs, oils,
resins, etc.

Black Cat- fur or bones of black cats are said to be potent gambling
charms. One barbaric ritual which I will not recount here was said to
 bestow upon
upon the
the user
user the
the power of invisi
invisibili
bility
ty and
and was popular amon
amongg more
nefarious types. None the less, black cat bones, fur or charms can also be
used in cases where subversive activity and stealth are necessary.

Black hen- The eggs of black hens are used to jinx or cross enemies, the
feathers are used for purification and clearing of crossed conditions.
Feathers are hung up or worn as charms to ward off evil and a duster made
 by bun
bundling them
them togeth
together,
er, or a fan
fan made from a dried wing
w ing,, can both be
used to sweep away negative energies from a person or place.

Cat's Eye Shell- the shell of the salt water turbo snail. Used as a talisman
to ward off the evil eye because of its eye-like appearance.

Chicken Foot- charms made of chicken feet, a common waste item, are
imbued with powers for protection, spiritual strength, and luck. They are
adorned with bits of cloth, beads, feathers etc. that are colored to
correspond with the desired intention. Prayers are then said while passing
them through smoke of corresponding incense/herbs and they are dressed
with corresponding
corresponding oils on a regular
regular basis.

92
 Cooter Shell - “Cooter” is a southern term for what is commonly known as
the red eared slider, a kind of river turtle common in these parts. Their 
shells are commonly found lying about. Such shells have been used by
 Native
 Native Americans
Americans to mak
makee rattles,
rattles, bowls,
bowl s, cups, offerin
offering
g dishes and
and other 
other 
objects. They called the land “turtle island” and envisioned the world as
setting atop the shell of a giant turtle. Shells may be painted or decorated as
charms for protection and holiness.

Cowrie Shell - used to represent woman because of it's resemblance to the

Cowrie
female
female genitals
genitals.. Also
Als o used in
i n a form of divination from Africa in which theythey
are carefully cut so as to open the “belly” side of the shell. There is a four-
shell type
type of divination
di vination throug
throughh which the
the ancestors
ancestor s speak
s peak and a 16-shell
16- shell
type which can only be used by the initiated. Since both are more closely
rela
re lated
ted to the
the reli
re ligion
gion of Vodun and not Hoodoo
Hoodo o folk magic
magic I will
wi ll refrai
re frain
n
from further discussion here. Cowries with gold bands or a greenish hue are
used for money spells and cats-eye cowries, which are brown and purple,
are used to protect against the evil eye.

Dog hair- Some traditions hold that a BLACK dog is the devil's favorite
companion. In others, it is a WHITE dog. The fur of a black dog is used to
represent the diabolical in various formulas, for good or ill. For example,
“black arts oil” is used for working with dark forces while “black destroyer 
oil” is used to banish them. Both formulas contain black dog hair. Some
conjure workers
w orkers use strands of dog fur
fur to represent
repr esent an unf
unfaithf
aithfulul person
pers on and,
in these
these cases,
case s, the dog should
should correspo
corr espond
nd to the
the gender of the person.
perso n. It can
 be used
used in working
workings to bring
bring them
them back,
back, or to incite
incite infidelity
infidelity.. In Celtic
tradition
traditi on the
the cwn anwnn or
anwnn or “hounds of hell” are white dogs with red ears
who seek out souls on all hallows eve. On the other hand, some think that
this association with malefic forces makes white dogs symbols of luck in
much the same manner as the black cat. The logic stemming from the old
 belief that
that witches
witches work
wor k with th
the devil, therefore
therefore all thing
thingss associated
associ ated with
the devil are good mojo for those who work magic.

Egg Shell - crushed egg shell scattered outside the door is said to keep the
law away. Likewise, eggshell can be used in mojo for protection. Eggshell
 powder called
cal led cascarilla is
cascarilla is a sacred
sacre d object used in rituals
rituals of Santeria.
Santeria.

Gator Foot or Tooth - common waste objects of the bayou where they are
hunted for food. Used as talismans for protection, strength, luck and
longevity.

93
 Mud Wasp Nest - Mud wasps are non aggressive cousins of the red wasp.
Most southern folks don't mind them. In Hoodoo their nests are sometimes
gathered up and made into powders. They represent diligence labor and the
home.
home. Used in charms
charms for successful
s uccessful business or, mixed
mixed with
w ith offensive
offensive
 powders,
 powders , to stir up strife
strife in th
the hom
homee and
and cause
cause people to move
move away.
away.

Opossum- bones used in divination. The skull is fragile but can bring luck.
Their
Their front paws look very
ver y much
much like
li ke hum
human
an hands
hands and work
wo rk well
we ll in
gambl
gambling
ing moj
mojos.
os.

Personal Effects - hair, nails

nails,, sweat,
sw eat, blood (especiall
(es pecially
y men
menstru
strual
al blood)
bl ood)
and semen are all used to connect an individual to an object or spell.
Obviously it is easiest to use your own, but many people take special care
not to let any such personal concerns fall into the hands of others who may
use them to do harm. Scraps of clothing or pictures or simple paper with the
target's name are used when more intimate items cannot be obtained. The
further
further from the
the person
perso n it is,
is , the less
les s poten
po tent.
t. For example,
example, clothing is
considered to be better if it has been worn by the person and not washed.

Porcupine Quill - may be used as stick pins for dollies or worn in the
hair/fashioned into charms for protection

Rabbit Foot - the most well known of all Hoodoo fetishes the rabbit foot is
used for gambling luck and dressed with corresponding oils.

Pe niss Bone - this curious fetish has origins in Native American

Raccoon Peni
tradition. They are used for love and seduction, dressed with oils and
carried in mojo bags. Unlike humans, most animals have a penis bone. The
raccoon's is hooked at one end like a cane and it is this hook-like shape that
likely lead to its reputation as a love curio capable of “hooking a partner.”

Snake  - bones, rattle, shed skins. Rattlesnake rattles are talismans for 
courage and power. Snake vertebrae are fashioned into jewelry which can
increase
increas e magical
magical potency.
potency. Snake are, them
themsel
selves,
ves, symbols
symbols of sexual
 potency
 potency,, rebirth, healing and subversion.
subversion. Their
Their shed skins
skins represent the
the
death aspect of their life, death, rebirth cycle and so are used in powders for 
causing trouble and harm.

Toad Stone  - a curio from European tradition, sometimes called a bezoar . It

94
is a sort of stone formed in the organs of some animals which is believed to
have all sorts
sor ts of magical
magical properties
prope rties.. Some claim
clai m that
that the
the magical
magical stone must
must
come
come from a toad, an a n anim
animal
al strongly
strongly associa
ass ociated
ted with
w ith witches and
a nd
witchcraft in some cultures. Others say it is the stone of another animal and
that it is called “toad stone” because of the color and appearance of it. In
Europe it was believed to cure all poisons, grant power over others, make
one
one invisible
invisibl e at will
wi ll and
and help in conjurin
conjuring g spirits. Hoodoos consider itit a
general good luck charm.

 Mineral,
 Mineral , resin
resi n and man-made products.
product s.

Alum - protection, stops gossip, seizes influences.

Ammonia - Cleans, purifies and banishes evil influences. Can create

noxious fumes, use with caution.

Bay Rum - comm

commercial
erci al fragrance with
wi th strong
strong spicy masculi
masculine
ne notes.
notes. Used
for personal power.

Benzoin – a resin also called  styrax w

 styrax  which
hich should
should not be confused
confused with
w ith
 storax w
 storax  which
hich comes
comes from a different source. Benzoin
Benzoin is used in
i n perfumes,
perfumes,
charged oils or burned as incense for luck.

Borax - boric acid, a pesticide and laundry

laundry booster used
used for clearing
cl earing away
negative influences and running people out. If mixed with alcohol or thrown
in fire it makes
makes brigh
br ightt green flames
flames which can have a mood altering
alter ing or awe
aw e
inspiring effect, nice for setting abeyance for rituals.

Buffalo Nickel - used as a talisman to keep the law away. The Indian head
on the
the front serves
serv es as a “scout
“s cout”” while
w hile the buffalo
buffalo is
i s a symbol
symbol of strength
strength and
and
 power. Also employed
employed as a gengeneral
eral good luck
luck charm
charm..

Camphor - purification, wards off disease, promotes psychic visions

Coffin Nails - characteris

characteristic
tic flat, rectang
rectangular wood nails also used in
in
roofing. Because of their associations with death they are mostly used in
spells to cause harm or to “kill” a relationship. However, a cross made
from coffin nails can work as a talisman to ward off evil and to connect one
with the spirit realm.

95
Copal –  black
 black or white. One of the spiritual resins burned over coals to gai
favor of spirits and to enhance spiritual power. White copal is more bright
and purifying while black copal is more dark and empowering. The later is
sacred to the Aztec God Tezcatlipoca “lord
Tezcatlipoca “lord of the smoking mirror” and
keeper of all magics.

Crossroads dirt- just as grave dirt is used to work with spirits of the dead,
crossroads dirt can help when dealing with the living. It should be ritually
harvested out of sight of others with an offering of tobacco, whiskey or 
money given to the
the spir
s pirit
it of the crossro
cros sroads
ads in fours
fours or multiples of four.
four. Dirt
so harvested may then be used to draw people from all corners to a place of 
 business,
 business, open roads of opportun
opportunityity or bring back one
one who was lost.

Dragon's blood- Resin from an exotic tree which exudes a deep red sap
used in medicine, dyes and as ritual incense. It is employed in love drawing
work as well
w ell as driving
dr iving away evil spirits
spiri ts and
and unwant
unwanted
ed energies.
energies.

Epsom Salts - magnesium sulphate. Used for cleansing and purification, the
 base ingredient
ingredient for bath
bath salts to which
which herbs
herbs and oils are added for mag
magical
ical
 baths.
 baths.

Florida Water - a comm

commercial
erci al fragrance based mainly on lemon
lemon balm
favored by old time root workers. Used for blessing and dressing mojos and
as a charm for gambling and success

Frankincense  - one of the biblical holy resins. Used to draw upon holy
might for blessing, empowering rituals, summoning spirits, and enhancing
mojos, charged waters and oils

Graveyard Dirt  - dirt which is ritually taken from a grave at night. Fresh
graves are preferred
prefer red by some
some but real magical potency comes
comes from taking
taking
dirt
dir t from the
the grave of a loved
l oved one. Permission
Permissi on must
must be asked and offerings
of money, food or drink are always left in payment whether you knew the
 person or not.
not. Grave
Grave dirt is used in rituals
rituals for conn
connecting
ecting with th
the spirits
spiri ts of 
the dead when their advice is sought. May be kept near the home altar to
maintain a strong link with those
those who have passed
pas sed on. Like
Like salt,
sal t, it can
ca n do
what you tell it to. By mixing
mixing grave dirt
di rt with
w ith other
other powders
pow ders and herbs you
can create what is commonly known as “goofer dust” which is primarily
used for causing trouble. I do not feel comfortable betraying the formula for 
such a powerful tool of ill will. Yes, sometimes a person is trouble and

96
 needs to be dealt with, but there are better ways. Don't be misled by the
name, it comes from an African word for “to kill” which is why I avoid it.
However,
Howeve r, the
the formula
formula can be easily
easi ly devised
devi sed from the
the information
information I have
 provided throug
throughhout
out th
this text
text and
and it you
you need it th
that badly,
badly, God will lead
l ead you
you
to the answer.

Gunpowder - Adds “fire” and “spark” to mixes and powders, increasing

their
their speed and efficac
efficacyy.

Hoyt's Cologne - commercial fragrance, used for gambling charms and luck 

Kananga Water - a commercial fragrance based mainly on ylang-ylang

used to draw positive influence from the other side. Especially pleasing to
spirits of the dead/ancestors

Loadstone - a naturally magnetic ore used in mojos and oils for drawing in
general
general.. Place
Pl ace in
i n a love mojo to draw
dra w love,
love , money
money for
for money,
oney, etc. Write a
 person's nam
namee on paper and wrap it around
around a loadstone
loadstone to draw someon
someonee
specific to you. Charge an oil with a small loadstone and herbs for luck to
attract good fortune. Loadstone mojos should be “fed” periodically with
iron shavings. Those same shavings, when magnetized, can be used in
drawing powders.

Lye  - an old time protection charm involves “red devil” lye buried at the
corners of your property to ward off witches. Like other cleaners and
corrosives lye is used in spells to run out evil influences.

Myrrh - one of the biblical resins (actually an oil) myrrh has a dark, rich,
musky/spicy aroma. It was once used for embalming and so it is sometimes
associa
ass ociated
ted with
w ith the
the dead
de ad and com
co mmunicati
unications
ons with
wi th the
the other side.
s ide. It is used
as a perfume or anointing oil in work for sexual love. Combined with other 
holy resins in takes on a protective and warding role.

Mercury Dime - wards off evil influences and affords one luck in games of 
chance.

Oil - blessed oils work the same as blessed waters. They may contain herbs
or other objects ju
j ust like charged
charged waters.
w aters. Essential
Essential oils can be acquired
from some places which are used as perfumes or dressing candles. Making
your oils at home may not result in equally fragrant products but they will

97
serve the same purpose.

Pyrite  - money, gambling, luck, success

Red Brick Dust - used in charms for protection. Also used to represent a
 place of business
business and
and by adding herbs, oils,
oil s, powders etc.
e tc. With
With it one
one can
draw certain influences to the place.

Salt - sodium chloride. Used mainly for blessing and consecration. “Salt
does what you tell it to” asa s we
w e say
s ay.. It is used as a general enh
e nhancem
ancement
ent for 
for 
all kinds of spells. Binds together the energies of herbs and minerals.
Consecrated salt is used in rituals for protection and to establish sacred
space. Some
Some prefer to use special salts su s uch as dead sea or kosher
kosher salt.
s alt.
Black salts
sal ts are
ar e som
s ometim
etimes
es used in jinx
ji nxing
ing,, cross
cr ossing
ing and
and banishin
banis hing.
g.

Saltpeter - think of it as “fast salt” used in much the same way, for blessing
and purification mostly, but with the added quickness of gunpowder.

Storax - resin of the sweet gum tree. Used in perfumes, charged oils or 
 burned
 burned as incense
incense for
for purification
purification and driving away of evil in
i nfluen
fluences
ces while
lifting the spirit and bringing a sense of peace.

Sulfur - driving out evil, strife, discord, jinxing, crossing,

Sweeteners - granulated sugar, powdered sugar, honey, corn syrup and

molasses are all used to sweeten a persons affections whether for love,
friendship or success in personal dealings. Primarily used in old gypsy “jar 
spells” which involve taking a glass jar and filling it with all kinds of 
 personal effects
effects and
and sym
symbols represent
repr esenting
ing the
the person and
and you
yourr inten
intention
tionss
with them. When it is all done the jar is sealed up and kept someplace safe
or buried.

Turpentine - a dang
da ngerous
erous chem
c hemica
icall used in the
the most dire of circum
cir cumstances
stances
to remove strong evil influences. It would be dangerous to use as a floor 
wash, better to use ammonia for that (just be sure the windows are open).
Turpentine
urpentine is highly
highly flamm
flammable
able and could be used to “burn” or “dissol
“dis solve”
ve”
various effects associated with the individual who does you harm or the
affliction itself when the source is unknown. DO THIS WITH GREAT
CAUTION

98
 Two-Dollar Bill - believed by some to be a lucky charm for fortune and, by
others
others,, a sign of misfor
misfortu
tune.
ne. It has
has old associa
ass ociations
tions with
wi th prostitution
prostitution and thus
thus
the true meaning behind it is payment of “lady luck” with a “whore's wages”
which could be seen as good or bad. It has been bee n a tradition
tradi tion in my
my famil
familyy for 
several generations
enerations to keep
keep a two dollar bill behind
behind a child's first
firs t picture
picture to
 bring them
them luck.
luck. I have
have heard
heard it said that
that doing
doing so insures
insures “they
“they will
wil l never 
go broke” but there is another side. Other folks say the two-dollar is bad
luck and that you need to get rid of it as soon as possible. They say you gotta
rip a corner off it before you spend it so it don't come back. I can't say for 
one or the other. I know that I have been broke, but I also took my two dollar 
 bill out from
from behind
behind my
my picture.
picture. Maybe
Maybe it is all in
i n how you look at it. MayMaybe be
the
the picture over  the
 the bill represents dominance or overcoming bad luck and
 poverty.
 poverty. UnUnfortu
fortunately,
ately, it was never explained
explained toto me.
me. So, I present what I
can for the reader's consideration.

Vinegar - the opposite of a sweetener but used in the same ways. As

sweeteners strengthen affections and draw people closer, vinegars will sour 
emotions and cause strife between them. Cider vinegar, distilled white
vinegar, red/white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar may be used by
them
themsel
selves.
ves. In conjure, four thieve
thievess vineg
v inegar
ar is comm
commonly preferred
preferre d because
bec ause
it contains herbal components that help with the job.

Water - water
w ater absorbs spiri
s piritu
tual
al powers
pow ers sim
s imilar
ilarly
ly to
to salt. If you
you place water 
in sun or moon light for a full day/night it will be charged with their 
associated magical
magical properties. The The sun is for worldl
w orldlyy success
success and
and active
 power whw hile the moon is for spiritu
spiri tual
al my
mysteries and passive power. Herbs,
crystals, minerals and stones may also be placed in water to charge it with
their
their inherent
inherent powers. Flower
Flow er waters
w aters are particularl
particularly y favored
favored in love
spells. Water from natural springs and artisan wells has long been held in
high
high regard by rural and moun
mountain
tain folk who believe
beli eve it to have curative
 properties. Holy water
water is often used in magical work for for banishing
banishing evil or 
 blessin
 blessi ng, consecrating
consecrating and
and sanctify
sanctifying
ing objects or places. Most Hoodoo
Hoodoo
workers don't care much for the Catholic Church though and choose to
consecrate
consecra te their
their own holy waters
water s by
b y marking
marking the
the cross
cr oss three
three times
times and
saying prayers over the vessel containing it.

Whee at Penn
Wh y - used as a charm for luck and money.
Pe nny

Whiskey - sex, money, used as a dressing for mojos and as a libation to the
spiri
spi rits.
ts. Also
Als o used to make
make herbal extracts
extracts which can then
then be drun
dr unk
k as

99
 potions.
 potions.
 Botanical ingredients
i ngredients

Alfalfa- as a nutritious foodstuff for both humans and livestock alfalfa has a
long history off association with sustainable living. As such, it is used in
conjure to keep steady money and never go wanting.

Angelica- A whole host of medicinal effects make this herb one of the most
revered of all. It can induce menstruation, fend off illness, kill bacteria,
relieve
rel ieve digestive
di gestive and
and respiratory
respi ratory complai
complaint
nts,
s, cure anem
anemia,
ia, stimulate
stimulate the
the
appetite and even prolong
pr olong male
male sexual
sexual performance.
performance. As the name
name imi mplies,
pli es,
the root is used to invoke angels and angelic influences such as holiness,
grace and faithfulness. It promotes healing and brings peace to the home.

Anise- not to be confused with STAR anise which some claim is

interchangeable
interchangeable but, in my
my practice,
practice , I have found
found otherwise.
otherwi se. Medicinally
Medicinall y it
has many
many uses such
s uch as easing
easi ng digestive and respir
resp iratory
atory complai
complaint
ntss and
helping to balance hormones and increase sex drive. In conjure it is
considered especially appealing to the spirits of the dead and is employed
in spirit communication and psychism formulas.

Apple-  commonly associated with the “forbidden fruit” though theories

abound as to which fruit truly represents this, if it were an actual fruit at all.
Apples are one of the sweetest fruits and not nearly as good for us as old
saying would have us believe. Cut an apple in half perpendicular to the stem
and you will find a pentagram, sacred symbol of Venus, in the center. For 
these reasons, all parts of the apple tree are used in love conjure.

Ash tree- The wood

woo d of this tree was
wa s once highly
highly prized
pri zed for makin
makingg
weapons and, in modern times, is commonly used for sporting equipment,
 particularl
 particularlyy bats. The
The leaves and bark are astringen
astringentt and
and used
used for tan
tann
ning
leather as well
wel l as staunchin
staunchingg hem
hemorr
orrhag
hage.
e. European folk magic
magic uses ash
wands for healing and divination. The winged seeds known as “ash keys”
can be used for food like capers and are a curio for love magic.

Basil-  is a sacred herb in some religions. In medicine it is used for a

 plethora
 plethora of ailmen
ailments.
ts. It
It can quickly
quickly break a fever,
fever, cure
cure headaches
headaches and
muscle aches,
a ches, reduce
re duce cholesterol,
cholester ol, even out blood sug
s ugar,
ar, reduce
red uce the
the negative
negative
 phy
 physiological effects
effects of stress,
stress, freshen breath and
and heal
heal mou
mouthth sores. It is a
“tonic” herb, “good for what ails you” as they say. I hoodoo work it is

100
employed much the same way as it medicinally. For home, family, love,
luck, etc. it keeps bad energy out and promotes good energy within.

Bay- sometimes used as a seasoning for meats and stews, this tree was once
held in highest esteem by the Romans as a symbol of honor and godhood. It
is rich in vitamins A and C as well as several needed dietary minerals. It is
a natural
natural insect repell
re pellent
ent and
and anti-inf
anti-i nflamm
lammatory
atory externall
externallyy, and helps relieve
rel ieve
symptoms associated with ulcers and indigestion. In conjure work it is used
as a general ward and to clear crossed conditions. Some traditional
Europe
European an uses
uses of the
the herb include
i nclude psychic
psychic enhancem
enhancement
ent and
and love
l ove spell
s pells.
s.

Bee Balm- A woody, spicy smelling herb with showy red blossoms that
attract bees,
bees , butterfli
butterflies
es and hum
humm mingbir
ingbirds.
ds. It is used, as the
the name
name im
i mplies,
pli es, in
 balms
 balms for the
the skin providing both relief
reli ef for
for irritation
irr itation and beautif
beautifyin
ying
g effects.
effects.
The tea is a stimulating and warming tonic and the dried herb can be used to
spice food and is very good on game. It has antiseptic properties as well,
making it a good wash for mouth sores and sore throat. In conjure, think of it
as the “hot” sister to melissa, aka lemon balm. Where melissa is gentle and
 pure,
 pure, bee balm is rough
rough andand dirty.
dirty. She
She has
has a comm
commanding
anding power to her
her and
tends to “get noticed” drawing all the attention. Use it to spice up a love mix
or boost your aura and allure when seeking new lovers and opportunities, or 
to remind someone what they are missing.

Blackberry-  Medicinally
 Medici nally used for fluid retention,
retention, gout,
gout, and prevent
preve ntion
ion of 
cancer and heart disease. In conjure work it is employed to returns curses.

Black Eyed Susan- A bight harvest yellow colored autumn wildflower 

Eye d Susan-
which has immune-boosting abilities to rival its cousin ecchenacia. It may
 be used
used in conjure
conjure to
to control
control the
the hom
home.
e.

Ble
Ble ssed Thistle- The proud symbol of Scotland stands tall among the
sse d Thistle-
wastes and fields. The leaves and stems are blanketed in tiny spines that
 pierce the
the han
hand.
d. Noneth
Nonetheless
eless,, the
the plant is edible
edibl e when cut and peeled and
 puts
 puts one
one in mind
mind of a nu
nutty
tty flavored celery.
celery. It was once used
used to fen
fend
d off 
 plague
 plague and
and has
has been used
used in medicine
medicine to
to treat diarhea and
and digestive
digestive
complaints, as a poultice to staunch wounds and to promote milk flow. It is
employed in hoodoo as a consecrating agent to bring in holy influences and
 protect from threats.
threats.

Bloodroot-  heart shaped leaves envelop small white flowers. They grow in

101
damp
damp and desolate
des olate bogs, pushing
pushing them
themsel
selves
ves out of the
the soil and following
follow ing in
a line along their shared root, which, as the name implies, oozes blood red
when cut. This herb shows its nature quite clearly. It is and herb of familial
love,
love , bring
br inging
ing peace and streng
s trength
thenin
ening
g bonds.
bonds. Medicinally
Medici nally it is
i s most
valuable as an ingredient in mouth wash or tooth paste because it helps to
remove decay and heal gums. It has narcotic and locally paralytic effects in
doses over a few milligrams, so internal use should be avoided.

Blue
Blue Mistf lower-- A beautiful “Weed” found often near water and in waste
Mistflower
 places. Its Latin
Latin name
ame calls it i t “celestine”
“celestine” which brings
brings to mind
mind the
the old
 proverb “ad astra per aspera” or “to the stars throug throughh hards
hardships”
hips”
especially considering the desolate places it likes to spring up. This is an
example
example of nature
nature telling
tell ing us
us what
w hat a plant is used for. This
This relative
rel ative of the
the
aster and bonneset is employed as a substitute for “gravel root” which is
used in to conjure up jobs and bring in work. The flowers and leaves are
also used to bring hope to the hopeless and to “open roads” to new
opportunities while casting out shadows of doubt, fear and negative
influences.

Calamus- also sweet flag  this this mars

marshh gras
grasss is
i s used in domination
domination work.
wor k. The
The
rhizome is the most prized part and Native Americans would chew it as a
sort of tonic to produce a greater since of well being. The American FDA
has classi
cla ssified
fied it
i t as “unsafe”
“unsafe” for internal use sigh
si ghting
ting risk
ri sk of kidney
kidney damage,
damage,
seizures, and some cancers.

Cardamom- The seeds are a strong flavoring used in cooking and

confections.
confections. The oils
oi ls that
that impart the
the strong
s trong flavor and fragrance
fragrance reduce
r educe
spasm
spas ms in
i n the
the digestive
di gestive tract and,
a nd, as such
s uch,, it
i t is an effective
effective treatment
treatment for 
for 
digestive troubles. In love and sex conjure it is used for attracting new
 partners.
 partners.

Catnip- a comm
common andand easy
ea sy to grow garden
garde n herb
herb favored by cats for its
musky aroma. It has been used as a mild sedative for humans and, as such,
can also help with dream work. Magically it is used for enticing members o
the opposite sex.

Cedar- Red cedar is something of a “sacred tree” in my family. We have

always lived near them and, any time we moved to a new place, would
often plant one in the name of our kids. My grandfather did it for me. The
shaggy
shaggy bark of these trees makes wonderfu
w onderfull tender
tender for fire
fir e starting
s tarting and
and can

102
 also be rolled and braided into rope. It has proven antimicrobial, anti-
fung
fungal,
al, antivi
antiviral
ral,, im
i mmune-bo
une-boosting
osting and
and insect
i nsect repell
rep elling
ing properties
proper ties and has
 been used in folk
folk medicine
medicine for
for a wide
wi de variety of oth
other application
applica tions.
s. It is one
of the
the sacre
s acred
d “sm
“s mudge”
udge” herbs of the
the Native Ameri
Americans
cans and is burned
burned to
drive out evil influences as well as confer a powerful aura of protection.
Hoodoos employ it in mojo hands and washes for the same purposes.

Celandine - Traditionally celandine was used to remove warts and treat

eczema. The tell-tale yellow sap indicated to old herbalist an effect on
“yellow bile” by increasing the flow thereof, which has been confirmed.
However, it may also be dangerous to the liver in high or frequent doses. In
hoodoo it is employed as a general ward against evil.

Cinnamon- a warm, rich spice that improves circulation and relieves

muscle and joint pains. Because of the way it can “heat up” the body, it is
used for similar purposes in conjure. It can speed up money work,
strength
strengthen
en passions
pass ions in
i n love work,
w ork, or “burn out”
out” bad influences
influences when
w hen used
with
wi th cleansing and
and purify
puri fying
ing herbs
herbs and roots.

Cinquefoil- otherwise known as “Five finger grass” is a woody vine with a

distinctive leaf pattern found in waste places in the south-east. Medicinally
it can be used to treat diarrhea, stomatitis, gingivitis and hypertension. It
also
als o has woun
w oundd healing
heali ng and imm
immune
une boosting
boo sting capabilities
capabil ities.. Such a valuable
and versatile plant. So often underfoot and overlooked. In conjure, too, it is
employed
employed ini n a wide
wi de vari
va riety
ety of workings
workings includin
i ncluding
g gam
gambli
bling
ng,, general
general luck 
and success in business. It is both an herb of acquisition and of warding,
carried or placed in the home for protection from all manner of evils. It can
also enhance formulas for purification and removal of curses or crossed
conditions, helping
helpi ng both to destroy the cause and
a nd restore
restor e your luck.

Clove- A comm
common cooking
cooking spice,
spice , especi
es peciall
allyy for
for holiday confection.
confection. Clove
Clo ve
oil is an analgesic and topical anesthetic (numbs and kills pain) and is a
wonderful digestive aid that also kills germs and freshens breath. An old
Romany (gypsy is a derogatory term) remedy for the evil eye and other 
crossed condition
conditionss wh
w hich leave the
the bearer saddled withw ith some
some evil spirit
spiri t or 
energy is to pierce whole cloves with a needle and light them in the flame o
a white
w hite candle the wave
wav e them in an arc over the the head and shou
s houlder
lderss of
o f the
the
 patient.
 patient. Wh
When they
they pop, it indicates
indicates and
and evil presen
pres ence
ce still remains.
remains. WhWhen
 burned
 burned throu
throug
gh with no
no sound
sound it indicates
indicates the
the evil has gon
gonee and
and furth
further 
er 
measures are taken to insure the patient is freed, healed and sealed against

103
its return. Cloves are also employed in conjure work for money.

Clover-  A prolific weed in lawns and gardens, it is an important fodder for 

animals and the flowers can be used in tea to aid with feminine concerns.
Hoodoo is concerned with more than just the lucky four-leaved mutations,
White clover is used to banish and protect from evil while red clover is
used in love drawing work.

Cocklebur-  an obnoxious weed known for it's football shaped seeds which
stick to cloth
cl othes
es and mat
mat the
the fur of animals
animals.. The roots and leaves
leave s of
o f this
this plant
are used for removing negative conditions which are blocking happiness
and success from home and business. The root is also made into a decoction
for use as a sooth
s oothing
ing liniment
liniment for
for arthritis and muscle
muscle pains
p ains and the seeds
are a curio employed for success in business and “snagging” customers.

Coltsfoot- Once a common pipe herb favored in Celtic countries, it is

seldom used in modern herbalism due to possible danger to the liver. In its
time,
time, it
i t was renowned for curing lung lung ailm
ail ments
ents and
a nd respira
resp iratory
tory complai
complaintnts.
s.
Rootworkers
Rootwor kers som s ometim
etimes
es use coltsfoot
col tsfoot to enhance
enhance formulas
formulas for increasing
increas ing
 psychic
 psychic abilities
abili ties and
and for clarity in scrying
scrying,, dreaming
dreaming and other
other such
visionary work.

Coriander/cumin- Three culinary herbs in one, the leaves are known as

cilantro or “Mexican parsley” and the seeds are called “cumin” when
ground,
ground, or “cori
“ coriander”
ander” when
w hen whole. Medicinally
Medicinall y, cumin
cumin is known
known to help
relieve digestive complaints of all kinds. It is believed by some to be an
aphrodisiac, which accounts for its use in hoodoo love conjure.

Dill- Dill is used in medicine to reduce the risk of cancer, reduce

inflammation of the mouth and throat, relieve gas and digestive complaints,
and to help prevent bacterial infections. It also has a mild muscle relaxing
effect. In native Russia and the Mediterranean it was used to repel witches
much as garlic was believed to ward of vampires. In American conjure the
seeds are used as a ward against jinxes and to enhance love and luck 
formulas by keeping off influences that could be blocking you.

Dock - Large leaves with frilled edges grow in bunches from the earth.
These leaves are tart edible green in the family of rhubarb. That sharp
flavor comes from oxalic acid, found in many other plants, and must be
reduced by blanching if the greens are to be eaten in quantity. The plant

104
sends up tall spikes of yellow flowers which then turn to edible seeds that
can be used for flour. The
The large
l arge taproot
taproo t has been used to mak
makee a tonic
tonic which
cleanses the body and purifies the blood. This root, when found to grow
with a natural fork, has been employed in doll magic due to its human-like
appearance. Because of the large green leaves and lofty golden spikes dock 
has been used in money conjure and the cleansing effects of the root tea
make it especially good for floor or doorstep wash when drawing of money
or business is desired.

Dogwood-  a diminutive tree with pretty white blossoms, pierced at the tips
of their four petals, which yield a red, inedible, fruit. It is said that the true
cross was made of dogwood and that the pierced petals represent Christ's
wounds, their white color, His purity, and the red berries, his blood. The
tree is said to have been cursed to never grow large enough to crucify
another man. As such, parts of this tree are used in workings geared toward
holiness and hope.
hope. The
The only known
known medic
medicinal
inal value
v alue is
i s that a decoction
decoc tion of 
the bark yields a strong laxative.

Elderberry - The flowers are sweetly scented and are battered and cooked
into fritters. The berries are rich in antioxidants and make a good jelly or 
wine. The hollow shoots of this tree were used in European folk magic for 
making musical instruments believed to attract spirits and influence the
weather. I use a screwdriver or coat hanger to push the soft pith out and
carve a fipple, or simply play them as panpipes with satisfactory results. In
traditional
traditional conjure, the
the leaves
l eaves and wood
w ood are both used as a powerfu
pow erfull ward
against unwanted
unwanted inf
i nfluences
luences and peopl
p eople.
e.

Fennel- This herb can be grown in the garden and eaten as a vegetable, but,
in America, we mostly see the seeds sold as a spice. All parts of the plant
contain medicinal compounds that support the immune, digestive and
cardiovascular systems. The seeds can be eaten whole or taken as a tea after 
a rich
r ich meal
meal to aid digestion and to reduce
red uce stomach
stomach upset, heartburn,
heartburn, and
other common issues. In conjure, fennel is an herb of influence employed for 
a host of purposes from strengthening resolve (especially for women),
 protecting
 protecting from prying
prying eyes
eyes and warding off any troublem
troublemak
akers,
ers, from “evil
spirits”
spiri ts” to the
the law.

Fern- The “fiddle heads” of some fern species are a valuable and
delectable wild
wi ld edible.
edi ble. The prolific so called
cal led “male
“male fern” is not edible but,
but,
in correct doses, can be used to expel intestinal worms in humans and

105
animals
animals.. Male ferns and maide
maiden n hair
hair fern used to repre
r epresent
sent man
man and woman
in love mojo. Ferns are also employed as protective talismans. The “seed”
or fiddle head of a fern is a traditional European curio to this effect. It was
also said to impart
impart invisibility
invisibil ity,, luck,
luck, and to draw faeries, good spirits
spir its wh
w hich
can help improve your luck though, sometimes, through mischievous means.

Flax- Seeds are rich in oils that have shown promising results in enhancing
 brain fu
function.
nction. Th
This is interesting
interesting because
because it has
has been used
used in tim
times
es long past
to help
help in
i ncrease psychic
psychic abilities.
abi lities. In conjure
conjure work, it is used as a ward,
wa rd,
especially in the case of children.

Ginger- Used to treat stomach ailments and aid digestion. Also helps with
circulatory
cir culatory problem
probl ems,
s, which
w hich is likely
l ikely the
the root
r oot of any sexual
sexual enhancing
enhancing
effects. In conjure, ginger is used to “heat up” love mixtures, adding an
element of passion and urgency.

Goldenrod- showy yellow flowersflow ers that

that bloom
bloo m around the
the sam
s amee time as
ragweed and are commonly confused for the culprit of seasonal allergies.
Tea of this plant is a tonic for cleaning the kidneys and urinary tract and as a
remedy for gout or to purify the blood. Any part of this plant may be
employed
employed ini n works
wor ks for money
money and attracting succes
successs and happiness.

Ground Ivy- also called gill-over-the-ground, tunhoof and jordreva

(Swedish) this is a very common plant in yards, ditches and abandoned
fields across America. It has a round leaf with scalloped edges, looking
somewhat like a little
l ittle green doylie growing
growi ng along trailing
traili ng square-stem
square- stemm med
vines. It bears
bear s tiny purpl
purplee flowers
flow ers in the
the spri
s pring
ng-sum
-summ mer and has a strong
s trong,,
somewhat minty, herbacious odor when cut or bruised. It was an important
 part of the
the U.S
U.S pharm
pharmacopoeia
acopoeia up ununtil at least th
the mid
mid 1800's before being
abandoned and forgotten along with so many other important medicinal
herbs as the commercial pharmaceutical industry began to rise. Like many
other herbs in the mint family it has many medicinal applications such as
staunching wounds, soothing the digestive tract and purifying the blood. It
makes a refreshing and pleasurable tea to drink any time. I love it sweetened
with
wi th honey
honey and
and served
s erved over ice. It was once comm commonly used used to clari
cla rify
fy and
and
 preserve beer an a nd it is by exten
extension
sion of this
this that
that we begin
begin toto discover its
i ts uses
uses
in hoodoo. It is a “clarifying” and “preserving” herb equally at home in
formulas
formulas to bring
b ring peace of mind,mind, calm
cal m troubles between
b etween famil
families
ies and
friends, or to convey protection and ward off evil influences.

106
 Hickory-  Prized for its strong wood, it also produces an edible nut, much
like a small, smooth walnut, which tastes simply wonderful when roasted
over an open fire until the points split open like mussel shells. In conjure
work, like most nuts, they are used to represent virility and wealth,
 particularl
 particularlyy when the
the idea is for lasting and
and stable results. Likewise,
Likewise, the
the
leaves,
leav es, bark and wood
w ood may impart
impart an air
ai r of
o f authority
authority and
and streng
s trength
th.. Not so
much dominatio
dominationn as influence.

Honey locust- A great and terrible tree with enormous, wicked, thorns
growing in clusters all along its bark. The wood is particularly strong and
resilient, making excellent tools and building material. The blossoms are
honey yellow and fragrant. They yield a long, twisted, bean pod that sounds
like a rattlesnake when shaken and contain a sweet, edible pulp between the
 pod and
and seed. These
These pods are a curio for warding off evil. However, the the
thorns (aside from making good fishing hooks) are said to be the very thorns
which Christ wore
w ore at the
the crucifixion
cr ucifixion.. They can often
often be found
found in a perfect
per fect
cross shape and
and these,
these, especiall
es peciallyy, are a powerfu
pow erfull protective
protective cu
c urio.

Huckleberry-  or “high bush blueberry” is a wild blueberry shrub found in

the south. It is simi-evergreen and produces a sweet, dark fruit fall through
winter which is high in antioxidants and reduces the effects of aging and
risks of some cancers. The leaves are employed for dream visions and luck,
especially with money.

Hyssop- Another of those “holy herbs” that has a whole host of medicinal

uses. In short, hyssop
hyssop is essent
ess ential
ially
ly a broad-s
broa d-spectrum
pectrum antibi
antibiotic,
otic, killing
killi ng all
kinds of nasty things that hurt the body and boosting immunity. It is even
 being researched in the
the treatm
treatment of HIVHIV. It has also been used
used in treatm
treatmenentt
of common complaints like cough and colic. The medicinal history of it
lends to the hoodoo use for purification.

Irish Moss- An undervalued “cure all” in medicine, Irish moss is a sort of 
“super food” containing much needed vitamins and minerals seldom found
in the
the modern diet. Rich
Ric h in Iodine, it works
w orks to rid
r id the
the body
bod y of heavy
heavy
elements
elements and, as such is one of the moremore effective ways
w ays to prevent
pre vent cancer.
cancer. It
has been used ini n tradi
traditional
tional medicine for com
c omplai
plaintntss of
o f the
the lun
l ungs
gs and uri
urinary
nary
tract. In conjure, it is used for attracting money.

Jewelweed- pretty orange slipper shaped flowers resembling tiny orchids

hang from this succulent-stemmed herb along trails in the southern woods.

107
Often found right next to the nuisance plants poison oak and ivy, the juice of 
this herb will literally CURE  the
 the rash caused by those plants. This I can
attest to personally
pers onally as I use
use it often both fresh and as a tincture.
tincture. It is not
traditional in hoodoo conjure, but is common enough in some areas to be
worthy of exploration. It is a species of impatiens which
impatiens  which could indicate use
in “speeding
“spe eding up”
up” of som
s omee kinds of conjure work.
w ork.

Jimsonweed-  a toxic and psychotropic native with an acrid odor. The fruits
of this plant are covered in sharp spines and known as a curio called
“devil's apple” which is used in malicious workings to hurt and drive
 people mad.
mad.

John Root- There is i s an
a n old folk
fol k hero
hero known
known as “High John John The
The Conqueror
Conqueror””
who inspired a number of fictional characters, and was known for his
indomitable spirit. It is said that he will possess certain roots that he may be
invoked by thethe faithful
faithful in times
times of
o f need. There are ar e three roots
r oots which
w hich bear his
name and they are among the most highly revered in all of hoodoo rootwork.
Wild ginger/galangal- “ Low Low John” a breath freshening germicide
and digestive used to win w in court cases
case s and
a nd make
make enemies
enemies yield to you.you. Note
that
that wild
wi ld ginger
ginger and galangal
galangal are NOT the the sam
s amee plant
pl ant,, but are still
stil l used for 
the
the sam
sa me purposes
purpos es and both maymay be called
cal led “Low John” in rootwork.
rootw ork.
Trilium-  “Dixie John” a pretty swamp plant that
Trilium- “Dixie that stops bleeding
blee ding used
used
to attract lovers or keep love strong and faithful.
 Bindweed/jalap-  “High John” a relative
 Bindweed/j alap- “High rel ative of
o f morning
morning glor
glory
y that
that bears
bear s
a large
l arge tuber or taproot. It is a strong
s trong laxative anda nd not
not to be taken
taken internall
internally
y.
It is good,
is good, however,
howeve r, for overcomin
ove rcoming g obstacles
obstacle s and to grant general
general luck and
and
success in all things. It is carried as a curio or infused in oil and used for 
anointing or as a perfume.

Juniper- The berries of this tree are best known as the flavoring agent of 
gin. They have a host medicinal uses. In ointments and rubs it is soothing to
muscles and joint
joi ntss as well
w ell as to the
the respir
res piratory
atory system.
system. Internally
Internally teas andand
extracts
extracts are administere
administered d for upset stomach,
stomach, heartburn,
heartburn, bloating
bl oating,, to stim
s timulate
ulate
appetite and
a nd cleanse thethe kidneys
kidneys and
a nd uri
urinary
nary tract
tract of ston
s tones
es or infection.
infection.
They are found in conjure powders, oils and mojo hands for love and sex
appeal.

Lavender- a humble shrub with an unmistakably strong aroma. Used most

widely
widel y as a very mild
mild sleep aid and relaxant,
relaxant, lavender also has
antimicrobial qualities. It is employed in conjure for love, both in finding

108
new partners and enriching or restoring active relationships.

Magnolia- Great white flowers with a heady perfume dot these semi-

evergreen trees making the southern summer all the sweeter. They give birth
to a blushing, felted artichoke-like fruit with strongly scented lipstick red
seeds bursting forth
forth from them
them.. The pulp surroun
s urrounding
ding the
the seeds
seed s is
i s edible
edib le and
the dried cones are “loaded” with herbs for love and blessings to marriage
and relationships. Such amulets can be made quite decorative and “hidden
in plain sight” as decorations to the bedroom. Likewise, the leaves are used
in incense and mojo bags, in combination with other ingredients, to the same
effect.

Marjoram- Well known as a culinary spice. Like many plants in the mint

family marjoram is used for digestive and respiratory complaints. It has also
 been used to treat
treat dizzin
dizziness,
ess, mood
mood swin
swi ngs, migrain
migraines
es and depression
depressi on.. It was
once held sacred to Aphrodite and may be employed in love-related
workings,
workings, particu
par ticularl
larlyy where fidelity and
and peace are desired. It is also
als o used
as a ward
w ard against
against ill will
wil l and bad luck.
luck.

Maypop- properly known as passionflower, these wonderfully exotic

 blossoms yield
yield and equally
equally wonderfu
wonderfull and exotic
exotic fruit
fruit that
that I personally
anticipate harvesting every year. The dried leaves and flowers are a fairly
strong sedative. It is employed for workings to draw love and promote
happiness in the home.

Melissa- Commonly known as lemon Balm, this mint relative has a notably
citrus fragrance that repels pesky insects like mosquitoes. It is also used in
 beauty
 beauty products
products and perfum
perfumery and
and is excellent for th
the skin as well
wel l as for 
dressing wounds or using as a compress. It has a cleansing effect when used
in the bath and draws in new love and positive vibes.

Mimosa- fluffy
 fluffy pink
pink flow
flowers
ers the
the sm
s mell of rich
ri ch perfume
perfume on a tree
tre e with
w ith
feathery leaves. The bark of this tree, especially of the roots, contains DMT
a chemical known as “the God molecule” with psychotropic properties and
has been proven to cure drug addiction. The Chinese know mimosa as “the
tree of happiness” and it is employed in workings for beauty and attraction,
as well as love and domestic bliss.

Mint- A common analgesic (pain killer), cooling agent and breath freshener,
as well as remedy for digestive and respiratory complaints and as an

109
ingredient in confections and teas. Mints come in a wide variety of flavors
and it has a rather large
l arge famil
familyy, with
w ith many
many relatives
rel atives used for oth
o ther
er types
types of 
conjure. The “cool” varieties of mint are used to put out “fires” caused by
evil influences or bad mojo put on you. It has also been employed in money
and business drawing work, but this is more likely due to its ability to ward
off evil, this allowing goodness to flow in.

Mistletoe-  A poisonous parasitic plant once noted, by a Roman historian, as

sacred
sacr ed to the druids.
druids . It is most widel
w idely
y known
known for kissing
kissi ng under
under during the
the
holiday season. It is an evergreen, so it gives the appearance of a small
“spark of life” on the otherwise “dead” looking deciduous trees it hosts on,
which are dormant at this time. As such, it was supposedly (according yo
Pliney) attributed with the power of immortality. In southern conjure, it is
employed
employed for overcom
overc ominging...
... not exactly “dominan
“dominance”
ce” nor is it preci
pr ecisel
selyya
“ward” but rather adds an element of power similar to that of “John the
Conqueror” root to overpower negative influences when added to other 
ingredients to represent the intent and focus of the working.

Mugwort-  The leaves

lea ves are quite bitter, but are a comm
common culi
culinary
nary seasoning
in some parts of the world. The tea or tincture thereof has been used as a
tonic
tonic to promote general
general health and
and well
w ell being. Poultices of
o f mug
mugwor
wortt can
ease itching and irritation from burns or scars. The root has been used in
 preparations to
to combat
combat depression and and anx
anxiety.
iety. Mu
Mugwort is a high
highly
ly prized
prized
magical herb by European cultures that is said to enhance psychic powers
and is used to consecrate devices used for scrying, such as black mirrors
and crystal balls. Romans used to wear mugwort in their shoes to ward off 
fatigue. This may have given rise to its alternative use in safe travel mojos.

Mullein- Easy to identify by its large, oval-shaped fuzzy leaves and great

spikes of yellow flowers piercing the heavens from roadsides and waste
 places. Mullei
Mulleinn is a high
highly valuable
valuable respiratory
respi ratory aid that
that heals
heals cough
coughs and
expresses phlegm. It is also known as “witches candles” and has been used
to summon spirits and compel others.

Mustard- mustard greens are a valuable and nutritious food enjoyed by

many in the south. The seeds are the source of the common condiment and
also the most widely employed in hoodoo. They come in white (yellow) or 
 black variety.
variety. The
The white mu
mustard seed is a symbol
symbol of faith
faith,, virtue
virtue and
and
commanding power as illustrated in the bible verse in Luke 17 and is also
used for protective work. The black variety is used to cause troubles
cause troubles and

110
strife, inducing confusion and fear in enemies.

Nutmeg- An exotic
exotic spice
spi ce seen mostly in holi
holiday
day confections.
confections. It can help to
treat emotional and mental disorders like stress, anxiety and depression. It
also relieves toothache and muscle/joint pain. Whole nutmegs are carried as
a curio for gambling luck. They can be “loaded” with other herbs and curios
for added potency. Like other exotic spices once “worth its weight in gold”
it is considered a good money mojo.

Oak- Acorns are the seeds of mighty oaks and have long enjoyed a
reputation as a curio for luck, money, strength and virility. They are also
edible when hulled and the excess tannin is leached out either by boiling in
several changes of water or soaking in water for at least 24 hrs. They may
then be roasted with salt/sugar or pounded into flower for baking. The
tannins, also found in the leaves and bark, are responsible for the healing
 power of oak,
oak, which quickly
quickly staun
staunches
ches wounds.
wounds.

Oregano- Anoth
Anotherer mint relative
rela tive used in cooking,
cooking, this savory
sa vory herb treats
tre ats
sore throat, coughs, indigestion and heartburn as well as having
antim
antimicr
icrobia
obiall propertie
pro pertiess when used
used int
i nternall
ernallyy or externally.
externally. In conjure it is
used for keeping away trouble, as from the law or other meddlers.

Pepper- black, red, white, chili, etc. all of these are used to “heat up” a
mixture and are most often employed in “hot footing” which is a kind of 
trick used to drive people away or get their influences out of your life.
Black pepper is more of a cursing agent, for confusion and discord. White
 pepper is a corn pepper like black pepper, consider
consider iti t th
the less “angry”
“angry” of 
the two. Red peppers, like cayennes and other chilis, are the “fast acting”
variant and whole ones are sometimes used in sexual work as a phallic
symbol.
symbol. Medicinally
Medicinall y they
they are used for their disinfectan
dis infectantt and circulation-
cir culation-
increasing properties.

Perilla-  a common “weed” found in the American south with fragrant

leaves, square stems, and blossoms in the distinctive spikes seen in most
mint relatives. It is known as “shiso” in Japan, and “Chinese basil”
elsewhere, and is fairly common in cuisine of many Asian countries. It may
 be dried and used
used as a seasoning
seasoning, cooked
cooked into
into soups,
soups, or eaten raw. The
The
leaves lose much of their pungency after drying. In Chinese medicine it has
 been used for respiratory ailmen
ailments
ts and
and to realign the
the natu
natural
ral energies
energies and
correct
corr ect im
i mbalances
bala nces of the mind-body-spi
mind-body-spiriritt connection.
connection. The herb may be

111
used in hoodoo work
w ork to overcom
over comee loss
l oss and grief, encourage
encourage both hum
humility
il ity
and a more positive outlook and remind lovers of all they have to be
thankful
thankful for.

Periwinkle-  In carefully administered doses periwinkle can help heal the
 brain and
and increase ment
mental
al productivity
productivity.. It has shown itself to
to lower blood
bl ood
 pressure, but
but shou
should
ld be avoided if you
you already have
have low blood
bl ood pressure.
Conjure workers have employed it to bless and mend loving relationships.

Pine- Pine needle tea has a zesty, refreshing flavor like limes and is rich in
vitamins A, E and C making a wonderful tonic. The dried sap/resin is
heated and used
used as a “natural
“natural glue”
glue” and
a nd burning
burning the
the resi
r esin
n as incen
i ncense
se has a
 powerful purify
purifying
ing effect.
effect. By
By virtue
virtue of it being an evergreen tree, parts of it
are also
als o used in conjure for money,
oney, prospe
pr osperity
rity and long
lo ngevity
evity.. A perfect,
closed cone found on the ground is a lucky charm for the home. Throw it out
and get a new one if it begins to open. This may also indicate forces
working against you, so a good cleansing may be in order.

Plantain- not the banana, but a common “weed” found in lawns throughout
the south. It should not be taken for granted medicinally because it is one of 
the best wound dressings I have ever used, and readily available since it
grows practically everywhere. It was once used in charms to ward off fever 
and is still
stil l employed
employed in
i n deflecting comm
common, petty,
petty, evils
evi ls like
li ke jealousy
jeal ousy and
and
theft.

Poke wee d- the tender

Poke weed tender young
young leaves
leav es of this
this plant have been a staple
s taple food
for poor folks in rural communities for ages. However, it must be boiled
thoroughly in three changes of water to remove toxicity. If not, it is a strong
 purgat
 purgative,
ive, and that
that is what the
the root is used
used for in hoodoo. It
It is employed
employed in
mixtures for removing “crossed conditions” such are curses etc.

Raspberry- The fruit is well known and enjoyed by many, however, it is the

leaf with which we concern ourselves. Teas and tinctures of raspberry leaf 
are used to treat painful or “stopped up” menstruation and to ease in child
 birth.
 birth. For this
this reason
reas on,, it shou
should
ld be avoided by women
women who are pregn
pregnant
ant or 
trying to become pregnant. It is also a good antioxidant and is taken as a
 purify
 purifying
ing tonic
tonic for health
health and
and well-being
well -being.. Conjure
Conjure workers use
use it to keep
keep
fidelity in relationships.

Rose- The red fruits of the wild rose, called rose hips, are high in vitamin C

112
and good for the immune system. The fruit of domestic roses never seems to
develop fully in my experience. The petals of both wild and domestic roses,
however, can be coated with sugar and egg white and candied, or brewed
into tea, wine or jelly. In conjure, the are commonly employed in work for 
love and romance.
romance.

Rosemary- Used for dyspeptic complaints and as a rub for muscle and joint
inflammation. It also has powerful antimicrobial properties and repels
insects. Rosemary is high in antioxidants, which reduce the harmful effects
of “free radicals
radi cals”” thus
thus promot
p romoting
ing health
health and reducing the
the appearance
appear ance of 
aging. As such, it used in numerous beauty products for its cleansing and age
defying properties. For this reason, it is also recommended in ritual baths.
Root workers consider rosemary to be a potent ward that promotes peace
and enhances feminine power. When burned it clears the mind and purifies
the room. A study done by the University of Maryland found that a sachet of 
rosemary and lavender decreased test taking stress in students and improved
concentration.

Rue- It is called “herb of grace” because it is the most bitter of all plants
and reminds us to be humble and pure. It is a symbol of purity in some
cultures and worn by virgin brides. It is also highly aromatic, especially
when dried, and was once extensively used in food and drink, albeit quite
sparingly. It's yellow flowers remind us of the sun and, like the celestial
 body,
 body, it may
may be employed
employed to
to cast out
out th
the darkness
darkness and evil influen
influences.
ces.
Because of its associations with purity, it is also used in lovers' blends and
fidelity mojo. In very small amounts, it has the medicinal power to flush out
the menses and, as such, has also been used for abortions within the first
trimester. Women who are pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant
should avoid taking it internally.

Sage- One of thethe most effective

effective and versatile
vers atile medicinal
edic inal herbs.
herbs . It stimulates
stimulates
apatite, reduces bloating, cools and soothes the skin, muscles and joints, and
kills many forms of bacteria, making it powerful in combating infections. It
is an excellent cleanser for hair and scalp, even helping to reduce graying of 
hair and
a nd wrink
wri nkli
ling
ng skin! It
It is no wonder the native americans coun
co untedted it
among the wakan or “holy” herbs. Second only to tobacco. Because a wise
 person may
may be knknown as “an old sage” it is sometim
sometimes es employed
employed in conjure
conjure
when wisdom
wis dom is required or desired. It is also
als o employed
employed in reversal work 
to turn the curse back to the sender.

113
Sassafras- Sassafras bark tea has been taken to relieve chronic rheumatism
and painful menstruation. The leaves can also steeped in oil or water and
used as a rub for muscles, joints and skin. Sassafras should be avoided in
large doses or over a prolonged amount of time. In the south, it is ground
into powder it is used to thicken soups and stews as a flavorful roux. It is
used in conjure for money.

Slippery Elm- The nutritional inner bark of slippery elm can be brewed into
Slippery
teas or added to syrups for the treatment
treatment of sore throat
throat and cough.
cough. It is
employed in conjure to stop gossip and bad-talking that damage your 
reputation.

Smartweed- also known as knotweed and water pepper this is an edible

 plant that
that is sometim
sometimes
es used as a substitu
substitute
te for
for pepper. It
It is fou
foun
nd in conjure
conjure
as an herb to help with money, especially when it is not so much the flow as
the management of funds because it also has an effect on the mind.

Snakeroot-  many herbs bear this name or some variation thereof. All are
used in conjure for protection and warding off of evil influences.

Spicebush- a shrubby tree found growing along paths and in the shade of 
other trees. It bears a bright red fruit that is an old time substitute for 
allspice, the leaves for bay, and the bark for cinnamon. In conjure, it may be
used the same way, as a wild gathered replacement for all the above. We do
this
this because most of us cann
ca nnot
ot afford or obtain foreign
forei gn and exotic
exotic spices,
spi ces,
and because some
some of
o f us believe
bel ieve that
that gatheri
gathering
ng ingredi
ingredient
entss from the
the wild
wi ld
(known
(known as “wil
“w ild-cr
d-craftin
afting”)
g”) makes
makes them all thethe more poten
po tent.
t.

Staghorn Sumac- Often seen dotting

dotting the
the highways
highways and roadsi
road sides
des even in
urban areas, this spindly tree has distinctive deep red “wooly” berries that
rise from the tips of branches like inverted grape bunches. They are an old
southern
southern favorite
favori te for making
making “pink lemonade”
lemonade” and also
als o produce
pr oduce a lovely
l ovely
elly. High in vitamin C they can help boost immunity and, traditionally,
cough syrups have been made from them. In conjure they have been used as
a last resort when a person is guilty of a crime to get a reduced sentence.
Because of the association with deer, the branches, roots and leaves may be
used as a hunter's mojo to bring success on the hunt.

Star Anise- a relative of the magnolia whose pods are used in Asian
cuisine. It has a scent and flavor much like anise but with a slightly more

114
 cinnamon-like tone. It is high in shikimic acid, which has been used as a flu
treatment
treatment.. In conjure
conjure it
i t is used for money
money drawing
draw ing,, to develop
dev elop and improve
improve
 psychic
 psychic abilities,
abili ties, ward off ththe evil eye and
and attract
attract gen
general
eral lu
l uck and
and
 prosperity
 prosperi ty..

Sweetgum tree- recognized by the seed pods which resemble medieval

weapons known as “gumballs” because the resin of this tree is the natural
source of flavoring for bubble gum. This resin is also known as benzoin and
is comm
commonly made
made into a tincture
tincture for use as an antimicrobi
antimicrobialal skin protectant
and balm. It is also taken orally to reduce inflammation of the mouth and air 
 passages, heal
heal mou
mouthth sores, and as an expectoran
expectorantt to
to break up
up and
and flush
flush out
out
 phlegm
 phlegm and
and mu
mucous
cous from the
the lung
lungs. The
The infertile
infertile seeds (white/y
( white/yellow
ellow as
opposed to the black and winged) gathered before the cones open are a
 potent
 potent source
source of shikem
shikemicic acid wh
w hich is a powerful
powerful anti-flu
anti-flu medicine.
medicine. The
The
leaves and bark contain some as well and are also used in preparations
(balm or liniment) for aches and pains and are also effective as an insect
repellent. In conjure the resin incense, also known as storax or styrax, is
used for cleansing and blessing a new home and promoting peace and for 
home and family.

Thyme-  Thyme is a common culinary herb found in most spice cabinets. It

is surprisingly valuable as a medicine too! Thyme is anti-microbial, soothes
muscle spasms, relieves gas, calms the stomach, relieves hoarseness and
sore throat, and is a diuretic disinfectant of the urinary tract. Believe it or 
not, it even fights tooth decay and bad breath! In conjure it is employed as a
minor ward that stills the mind. It can help ease distress and usher in
 prosperity
 prosperi ty while providing
providi ng some
some basic protection.
protection.

Tobacco-  a stimulant and irritant used for smoking and as a remedy for bites
and stings. Tobacco was the most highly regarded herb in some Native
American traditions and was a common form of payment to the shaman for 
services. In hoodoo it is most commonly employed in workings for 
influence and control, as in drawing back an errant lover or being picked for 
a job. In Native American traditions it was believed to unify the mind-body-
spirit connection allowing our prayers and thanks to flow to God and,
likewise, for God to flow into us.

Verbena- also known as vervain this is one of the sacred herbs of the

ancient druids which
w hich made
made its way
w ay into
into hoodoo via
v ia Europea
Europeann influences.
influences. It
is believed by some that the lemon-scented variety of this plant was once

115
 the key ingredient of the traditional “van-van oil” form
oil” formula,
ula, an all-ar
all -aroun
oundd
anointing and blessing oil used in a plethora of conjure applications.
Because the scent fades when added to a carrier oil, workers began using
exotic
exotic Asian grasses
grass es (nam
( namely
ely lem
le mon gras
grass,
s, ginger
ginger grass and others
others)) in
i n this
this
formula
formula to the same
same effect. The herb
herb is still
stil l used to add an element
element of 
 blessin
 blessi ng to conjure
conjure work in much the the same
same way as sweetgrass
sweetgrass isi s used in
 Native
 Native American
American tradition.
tradition. In medicine it has
has been used
used to increase
increase the
the flow
of milk in nursing women, especially combined with fenugreek seed. It can
also
als o help to balance
bala nce out fem
feminine
inine energies and help withwi th hormon
hormonalal
imbalances.

Violet- We are referring here, not to the exotic African violet, but rather to
the
the wild
wil d or sweet
swee t violet
viol et which adorns south
southern
ern lawns and
and fields as one of 
our harolds of spring time and warm weather. Aside from use in waters,
vinegars, salads and confections, it has a few medicinal uses. The
Cherokees seemed to be quite fond of it, using the leaf and flower as a
compres
compresss for headaches, the tea for dysentery and
and digestive
di gestive complaints, the
root for skin ailments and water in which the root has soaked as a starter for 
corn seed to repel insects. The tea of the aerial parts of sweet violet has
shown effectiveness in thinning and breaking up of phlegm, making it a good
 prescription
 prescri ption for coug
cough and cold. Conjure
Conjure workers often
often employ
employ violet in
love work.

Water locust- a somewhat less daunting relative of the honey locust. She
has white flowers that smell positively wonderful and are a great joy in the
 blooming
 blooming season because
because they
they can also be made
made into
into wines, fritters
fritters or other 
other 
edible
edib le confections.
confections. The thorn is muchmuch small
smaller
er than
than her
her relative,
rel ative, about like
that of a rose bush. The wood is very strong and resilient to water, pollution
and poor conditions makin
making g it an ideal building
buildi ng material
ateria l in the
the marshy areas
area s
of the
the sout
s outh.
h. It was for this
this wood
woo d that they
they were
wer e plant
pl anted
ed all
al l around the
the sout
s outh,
h,
including in mymy own back yard. The traits of this this tree tell
tel l us that she will
wi ll
lend her favor to those
those who are
ar e in
i n great
great need and must
must persevere
perse vere throug
through h
dark times.

Wormwood- European conjure herb for calling spirits. In medicine it is

used, as the name implies, for expelling worms and parasites. It is the
second most bitter herb on the planet (next to rue) and the oil is dangerous to
the kidneys in large doses. It is best known as the key ingredient in the
infamous
infamous liqueu
li queurr “absinth
“abs inthe”
e” which contains a host of other
other mildly
il dly
 psychoactive
 psychoactive herbs
herbs and spices.

116
Yarrow- also known as millifoil  and  and herb of mars its Latin name means
“Achilles' thousand-leaf” and it is an herb most renowned for its wound
healing abilities. It has also been used to break fever and to stop minor 
internal bleeding
ble eding issues,
iss ues, such as stom
s tomach
ach ulcers.
ulcers . Because of its knight
knightly
ly
history, it is found in conjure for overcoming fears and breaking through
obstacles and jinxes. It is sometimes found in psychic and healing mixes as
well. My theory is that yarrow, being a “champion” of sorts, can add a little
extra “umph” to most any spell, giving a sort of “rallying call” or “battle
cry” to the other energies being put to work.

Formulary

Most of the following are my own formulas which I have used in my

 personal practice with sufficient
sufficiently
ly satisfy
satisfying
ing results. Some
Some are traditional
traditional
formulas
formulas dating
da ting “back to Moses”
Moses ” as they
they say.
say. Whil
Whilee som
s omee of conju
co njure
re work
wor k is
“inspired” or guided by God, it is important to be well grounded in tradition
 before you
you start experim
experiment
enting
ing.. Not because it is necessarily
necessaril y dang
dangerous
(though it certainly can be)
can be) but because it is arrogant and a hoodoo worker 
must be humble. Rather than tweaking and “improving” formulas based on
 personal conjectu
conjecture,
re, take
take the
the time
time to get
get to
to kn
know wh
w hat has
has already been
established and build upon that knowledge when you have sufficiently
mastered it. Learn to keep an open channel to the Divine and let the hand of 
the Creator guide you more than your own mind. This is the first step to
 becoming
 becoming a true
true hoodoo
hoodoo doctor.
doctor.

 Smoking herbs

Most herbs can be burned on charcoal along with specially blended

ritu
ri tual
al incense to impart their
their virtu
vir tues
es via smoke
smoke and aroma. I have
have known of 
some traditional shamans to blow the smoke into or over affected areas of 
the body to cure them. This is known as “fumigation” and is uncommon
anymore, but not unheard of. Other times an herb, or blend of herbs, was
smoked as part of a communal ritual to share in a bond between people and
Spirit. Such herbs were more seldom psychotropic than some might think.
Some herbs are burned in bundles and the smoke is fanned about the patient
to cleanse,
cle anse, purify and bless
bles s them by way of interaction with
w ith their
their energy
field and this
this is called
cal led “smudgin
“smudging” g” and is equally common
common when working

117
with spaces and objects as with
wi th people.

Cedar, sage and sweetgrass

 Native
 Native Americans
Americans traditionally
traditionally burned
burned ththese herbs, either
either togeth
together
er or 
separately, in bundles lit at one end and fanned with sacred feathers. Cedar 
is the “Brave Warrior” which defends from and chases off evil, Sage is the
“Holy Man” who brings healing and wisdom, Sweetgrass is the “Beloved
Woman”
oman” and confers bles
b lessings
sings of peace,
peac e, love
l ove and harmoniou
harmoniouss energies.

Ve rvain and mistleto

istle toee

Those who favor European traditions, specifically those of the druids, will
use these in similar fashion to those listed above. Vervain confers blessings
and has the virtues of a feminine nature, while mistletoe dispels and
conquers
conquers and is of a more masculi
masculinene character.

Tobacco

This
This herb was
w as held in highest
highest regard by som
so me Native Ameri
Americancan groups
groups to
the point that it has been considered an entheogen (substance which connects
the physical self with God) though it is commonly abused today without the
slightest consideration for its sacredness. As such, the stigma associated
with habitual smoking might make it hard for individuals to use it in their 
own conjure work without corrupting the energy in some way. Traditionally,
tobacco opens a channel between heaven and earth and produces an air of 
sanctity and community. For this use, pure, organic, unfiltered, unadulterated
tobacco is preferred.
pr eferred. If it can be acquired in a twist
twis t or braid,
brai d, all the
the better.
better.
Combined with other herbs, it was once smoked in rituals of the Sioux
Indian. The blend is called kinnick kinnick  and
 and I have included the recipe I
have personally employed.

 Basic kinnick kinnick 

ki nnick 
Yerba santa
Osha root
Bear berry leaf 
Red willow bark 
Tobacco
Combine
Combine these in
i n whatever amoun
amountsts suit
s uit your
your personal
per sonal tastes. I prefer 
to somewhat favor
favor osha root
roo t for its
i ts strong flavor and fragrance.
fragrance. Crush
Cr ush them
them

118
as fine as possible with mortar and pestle and blend well. Smoke from a
natural pipe, with reverence and respect, when seeking guidance.

Other herbs used in smoking, fumigation and incense;

scullcap- mild sedative

damiana- mood enhancer/aphrodisiac
wormwood- mild psychotropic
wild lettuce- mild psychotropic
mullein- lung purifier, cool burning flavor enhancer 
mugwort- mild psychotropic
coltsfoot- flavor enhancer 
hops- mild psychotropic, moderate sedative
 passion flower
flower-- moderate
moderate sedative
calamus- mood enhancer 
lavender-
lave nder- anxiety
anxiety reducing
red ucing aromatic
asmine- anxiety reducing aromatic
catnip- mild sedative
tagets- mild pschotropic
star of bethlehem- mood enhancer 
valerian- sedative
 poppy-
 poppy- sedative
yellow loosestrife- anxiety reducer 
celandine- unknown
marjoram-
arj oram- flavor
flavo r enhancer 
enhancer 
motherwort- unknown
calendula- unknown
st.johns
st.johns wort-
wor t- mood enhancer 
enhancer 
wood betony- unknown
yerba santa- unknown
uva ursi- unknown
yarrow-
arrow - mild
mild sedative
yohimbe- psychotropic
chicory- flavor enhancer 
gotu kola- unknown
muira puama-
puama- mood enhancer 
enhancer 
uniper
uniper-- psych
p sychotropic
otropic (not recommended
recommended for int
i nternal
ernal use, high
high doses could
kill)
willow
wil low bark- flavor enhan
enhancer 
cer 
oak- flavor enhancer 
enhancer 

119
angelica- unknown
sweet grass- aromatic
aromatic
clove- analgesic (reduces burn) flavor enhancer 
mints- analgesic
analgesi c flavor
fla vor enhancer 
enhancer 
sassafras- flavor enhancer, possible mild psychotropic
nutm
nutmeg-
eg- flavor
flav or enhancer,
enhancer, possibl
poss iblee psych
p sychotropic
otropic
lemon balm- calming flavor enhancer 
licorice-
licor ice- flavor enhan
enhancer 
cer 

Waters

“Charged waters” are commonly employed by practitioners of old

world and new age magics, but the term can mean different things depending
on which witch you ask. New-agers think of them as simple water from a
river, spring
spr ing,, or rainfall
rainfall during
during a particular
particular season or astrological
a strological cycle.
The belief is that the water has a sort of “memory” and records energy or 
intent from the practitioner. In hoodoo, however, “water” is the name given
to most formulas which are of liquid base infused with various other 
ingredi
ingredient
ents.
s. They are used as washes
was hes for bodybod y and
and home,
home, worn
w orn as perfume,
perfume,
 poured
 poured in libation to spirits, used
used to dress objects or sprinkled
sprinkled in
tracks/aroun
tracks/ar ound d room
r oomss to curse or to bless
bl ess.. In Obeah they
they are comm
commonly used
used
in the form of sprays. Waters can be formulated for myriad purposes,
including medicinal, and it is a good idea to make and keep them stashed
away for use when needed. They are best kept in tinted glass bottles or jars
with good
good sealing
seal ing lids and stored
stored in
i n a cool, dark place.

Carmelite water

For spiritual cleansing, road opening, “cut-and-clear” work and to

invite blessings.

1 qt neutral grain spirits such as vodka or gin

¼ cup mellissa/lemon balm
¼ cup monarda/oswego tea
1 teaspoon angelica root
1 tablespoon spearmint
1 teaspoon whole cloves, lightly crushed

Macerate for at least 2 weeks for optimal potency. This is an old world
medicinal formula named for the nuns who made it. There are many

120
variations
vari ations floating
floati ng around but this
this one is
i s my personal
pers onal formula
formula which I have
updated based
base d on modern medic
medicinal
inal knowledge.
knowled ge. It has
has many applications
applica tions
such as curing fever and dispeptic complaints (gas, bloating, upset, etc) as
well
wel l as having a general
general uplifting effect on the
the spirit
spir it and calm
cal ming the
the nerves
nerves..
Take internall
internally
y by the
the spoonful
spoonful as a rem
r emedy
edy or use as a spray
s pray or in baths for 
spiritu
spiri tual
al work.
w ork.

Consumable Florida Water

Made food safe for medicinal benefits while retaining its traditional
spiritual uses as a spray, splash or bath additive for purification, to please
the spirits and to invite blessings of love, money, joy and peace. The
ingredients are listed along with their medicinal uses.

Florida
Flor ida Water is
i s so
s o named
named for the
the legen
l egend
d that Magellan
Magellan searched
se arched for the
the
fountain of youth in Florida. As such, it is meant to be an age defying elixir 
and has been used historically as a skin toner and cooling body splash. I
was sure that this popular commercial toilet water had hidden health
 benefits
 benefits which
which could
could be utilized
utilized simply
simply by using raw botanicals
botanicals rath
r ather
er than
than
essential oils and basing them in grain alcohol and distilled water.

Food grade rose water

w ater and orang
orange blossom
blos som water serve
se rve as a base. They are
well known for their abilities to tone and cool the skin and they actually
increase
increas e the power
powe r of
o f each other
other when used
used togeth
together.
er. To
To this we
w e add
ad d a
tincture of the following;

Bergamot is apparently the signature in some commercial Florida waters.

It's
It's prized for it's weigh
w eightt loss potential
potential because it lowers
low ers cholesterol
cholesterol and
 boosts metabolism
metabolism.. Apparently
Apparently it has
has legitimate
legitimate anti-depressant
anti-depressant abilities
along with *lavender and *mint, both cooling and toning to skin as well.

Clove came up repeatedly in comparative recipes. It is analgesic, somewhat

antibacterial and is an alleged aphrodisiac. It also boosts metabolism.

Star anise is spicy, sweet, heavily scented and full of shikemic acid, a
renowned flu cure.

Citrus peels, with the white, for quercetin content, essential to potent
activity
activi ty of shikh
shikhem
emic
ic acid.
acid .

121
Pine. Anticancer,
Anticancer, antiaging,
antiaging, reduces
r educes lipi
l ipids,
ds, high
high in A and
and C for general
health and feeling well, shikhemic acid, relieves and reduces symptoms of 
menopause.

Cardamom is richly fragrant and helps lower glucose and regulate insulin. It
also
als o detox
de toxifies
ifies via the
the kidneys, inhibi
inhibits
ts the growth of some pathogen
pathogens,
s,
relieves flu symptoms, is rich in antioxidents (reduces aging), is renowned
in Ayurveda as an antidepressant and is yet another purported aphrodisiac.

Angelica or orris root for fixative. Angelica helps regulate hormones.

4 Thieves Vinegar

For protection,
protectio n, heali
healing
ng,, cleansing
cl eansing,, wardi
w arding
ng,, hexing
hexing and
and banishin
ba nishing
g

1 qt. cider, red wine or balsamic

balsamic vinegar 
vinegar 
6 cloves garlic
4 tsp. red pepper 
4 tsp. worm
wor mwood
4 tsp. rosemary
4 tsp. hyssop

Combine and leave in a dark, cool place for no less than 7 days before use.
The waxing moon may help to draw out the potency of the herbs more
effectively.
effectively. This form
for mula is also
als o a potent tonic
tonic and can be used internally to
ward off illness or expedite recovery. I use 1 tablespoon a day when
something is going around and will take that 3 times a day if I am already
sick.
si ck. The
The herbs are all powerful
pow erful immun
immunee boosters
boo sters and germ fighters.
fighters. Think 
Think 
of it as a natural broad-spectrum antibiotic with similar metaphysical uses.

War Water

For protection, battle and magical defense.

Pure water 
 Nails (NON-galvaniz
(NON-galvanized)
ed)
5 Thorns of honey locust
your own blood

Fill
Fil l the jar with
wi th nail
nailss then add water.
wa ter. Burn
Burn the
the locust
l ocust thorns
thorns and crush
cr ush them
them

122
then add the ash to the jar. Finally, while concentrating on your intent (battle,
enemy, or general protection of home, family, etc.) cut or pierce your skin
and add some of your own blood to bind your spirit with the water. Keep in
a cool dark place for 1 month and strain off water into bottles. Some would
choose to prepare this during a new moon and then strain and bottle at the
next new moon.

Water of Mars (War Water 2)

Rain water collected during a thunderstorm

Cinnamon
Sulfur 
Dragon's blood
Salt
Cast iron skillet scrapings

On a Tuesday, powder together sulfur, dragon's blood resin and cinnamon

using a mortar and pestle. Combine with water, salt and cast-iron skillet
scrapings in a jar and store in a cool, dark place. Use to repel magical and
 psychic
 psychic attack
attacks.
s. Write
Write the
the nam
namee of an enem
enemyy in the
the center
center of an inverted
inverted (one
 point down) pentag
pentagram
ram on paper or back of a small
small photo
photo and
and freeze
freeze in a
container with this water to render them powerless against you and yours.

Aggressive War Water

White vinegar 
Carbon steel knife
knife
Salt

Heat the
the vineg
vi negar
ar to almost boiling
boil ing,, add a fair amoun
amountt of salt
sal t to it and stir to
dissolve. Place the knife in the jar and store someplace out of the way. This
will not work with stainless steel knives like modern kitchen knives.
Carbon steel is harder and is commonly found in heavy duty knives such as
those
those used for hunting
hunting and combat.
combat. This versi
ve rsion
on is more appropri
appro priateate to
cursing and magical warfare.
May Wine

123
 To honor the Fae and the Goddess at May

Harvest fresh dandelion heads at midday. Place in a large stock pot and add
enough water to cover twice-over. Bring to a boil and cover, then let cool.
Strain and squeeze out flowers. Add 5 cups of sugar per gallon of water 
then
then heat
heat and stir constantly
constantly unt
until
il sugar
sugar dissol
dis solves.
ves. Allow to cool again unt
until
il
at least blood-warm. Add yeast then cover pot with a damp towel. Leave
overnight and check to see fermentation has started. The mix should be
 bubbling
 bubbling and froth
frothing the
the nex
nextt mornin
morning g. Siphon
Siphon into
into bottles
bottles and stretch
stretch
 balloons over the
the tops. Wh
When the
the balloons deflate
deflate siphon into
into new
new bottles
with a sprig of sweet woodruff and cap. Store in cellar and open come
Beltain.

Bay Rum

for luck, love, sex, and prophetic dreaming.

Also
Als o good for offeri
o ffering
ngss to som
s omee Voodoo
oodo o Lwa.

1pt. Dark Rum

7 bay leaves
7 sprigs
spr igs catnip
catnip
7 grains sweetgum resin
1 finger-sized
finger-si zed stick cinn
c innam
amon
on
25 whole cloves
5 whole allspice berries

Crush all dry ingredients togeth

together
er with
wi th morter
morter and pestle. Add to rum
r um 7 days
 before the
the full
full moon
moon then
then drink beneath
beneath her lig
li ght for
for mag
magical
ical dream
dr eams.
s. Strain
off liqud and rebottle with a whole bay leaf and two allspice berries for 
future use. Also used as a dress for lucky mojo hands, to feed fetishes and as
a hand wash while gambling.

Wild-crafted Bay Rum

1 qt jar of dark liquor 

leaves, twig
twi gs and berries
berri es of spicebu
spic ebush
sh shrub-
shrub- 12 each

Combine
Combine ingi ngredi
redient
entss when
w hen the
the moon is new and keep in a dark, cool
coo l place
p lace..
Place the jar in moonlight every night and move at sunrise. Ready for use
after it has bathed in the full moon.

124
Spirit water/Ghost water

Anise seeds (French, not the Asian “star” variety, which has a different
 purpose)
 purpose)
Clear drinking alcohol like vodka or white rum
Pure spring or rain water 

Pour alcohol over anise seeds and lightly crush the seeds in the liquor.
Allow to macerate for nine days away from sunlight before straining out the
seeds.
Combine a bit of the sweet-scented liqueur with water, about 1 shotglass
full to a pint.
Place on the ancestor altar or on a grave under the light of the full moon and
remove before sunrise.

Use for bless

bl essing
ing,, anointing,
anointing, consecr
consecrating
ating and offeri
offering
ngss (in
( in ancestor rituals,
r ituals,
seances, etc.)
etc.) to draw good spirits
spir its to a place or to compel
compel evilevi l spirits
spi rits to
leave. The belief being that the good spirits bound to the water will work 
for you in a manner similar to using grave dirt.

 Powders

Powders are primarily used in foot-tracking, a type of old African

magic which
w hich involves mixing the the powder
powd er with
wi th the
the dirt
dir t from a target's
footprint and
and laying
l aying it back
bac k in the
the track. The conjurer may also tracetra ce sign
s ignss in
in
the
the dirt
di rt to indicate
i ndicate a variety
vari ety of conditions
conditions they wish
wis h to infli
inflict
ct on the
the target
and then sprinkle the powder over them in a place where the target will step
on or over themthem.. Powders
Powder s are
ar e also
al so used for other
other purposes,
purposes, sachet powders
for the body, blowing powders for consecration of sacred space, dusting the
home,
home, placi
pl acingng in four
four ccorners
orners of a room
r oom for
for protection,
protectio n, or adding
add ing potency
potency to
container and candle spells.

Base powders

Grave dirt- used for protective and consecrating purposes, or for cursing,
inxing and killing curses, depending on the source. Grave dirt is ritually
harvested from a graveyard and payed for with copper, silver, tobacco or 
alcohol. I take a metal spade with me and "knock" either on the gate of the
graveyard or on a metal cross I take with me and call on the aid and

125
 protection
 protection of Baron Samedi.
Samedi. I annannoun
ounce mymy inten
intention
tionss and let th
the spirits
spiri ts
guide me to a "good grave" for my purposes. Other sources say simply to
take dirt from any fresh grave. I would advise to, at least, consider the
 person whose
whose grave youyou take
take the
the dirt from.
from. An ancestor's
ancestor's grave, or from
from a
 policeman,
 policeman, fireman
fireman,, etc. will
wi ll provide
provi de the
the best protection,
protection, th
the grave
grave of an
evil person, murder victim, executed person or someone who otherwise
"died bad" will work best for darker purposes. Since a known grave may
not be available, asking for protection and guidance is ideal, and is still a
good practice even if there is.

Dirt Dauber Nests- because mud wasps, aka "dirt daubers" continually
 build
 build their
their chimen
chimeny y-lik
-li ke nests
nests from the
the groun
groundd up
up and
and from generation
eneration to
generation, their nests can be used for works involving diligence,
 productivity
 productivity and
and invocation
invocation of ancestral
ancestral powers.
power s. Used
Used "raw" for luck in
 business
 business and
and hom
home,e, or combined
combined with other
other ingredients
ingredients for
for controll
controlling
ing and
domination. With sugar, it keeps a lover coming back, with domination
herbs like
l ike mullein
mullein or calam
cala mus, it makes
makes som
so meone your
your slave
s lave.. Do this in
i n the
the
name of your ancestors and they will add their power to yours. Mixed with
water, they make a folk salve for skin inflammation.

Red brick dust-

dust- powdered
powder ed red bricks. Also, traditionally,
traditionally, red ochre
ochre or 
clays. Used for banishing and warding off evil influences. Also used for 
veves and sigils.

Cascarilla-
Cascaril la- powdered
pow dered egg shells. Known
Known as "peace powder"
powder " used
used as a body
 powder as a sort
s ort of "spiritu
"spiri tual
al armor"
armor" and
and sprinkled
sprinkled about the
the hom
homee to
 promote
 promote peace andand serenity therein.
therein. Also
Also used for
for veves and sigils
sigils..

Corn starch, rice flour, white flour and corn meal- simple base powders that
are essent
es sentiall
iallyy neu
neutral
tral and used as carrier
car riers,
s, particu
par ticularl
larlyy for
for those powders
used to "feed" gris-gris. These have also been used in voodoo rituals for 
making veves, sacred “calling cards” to the spirit world.

Salt- it is said "salt does what

w hat you
you tell
tell it to" and
and it is used as a carrier
carr ier agent
agent
for many
many purpos
purposes.
es. It is used by itself asa s a sim
si mple consecrating
consecrati ng agent.
agent.
combined with other ingredients for various purposes such as with red
 pepper and sulfu
sulfur for "hot
"hot foot
foot powder" to to chase
chase someon
someonee away,
away, black 
 pepper and cross-roads
cross- roads dirt
dir t for
for "crossin
"crossi ng powder" or a wh w hole chopped
snake or shed snake skins for "snake powder" used to remove jinxed or 
crossed
cros sed conditions. The kingsnak
kingsnakee isi s prefered
prefere d for the
the latter
l atter use, though
though some

126
claim rattlesnake is required while others claim any snake will do.

Talc- used mostly as a carrier for purpose oils and fragrances so that they
can be dusted on the body or blown, either in four directions for blessing
and consecration, or at an enemy for cursing.

Sugar- used to "sweaten" love spells and feelings from people. Combined
with
wi th other
other ingredients depending on if it is for attracting or controlling
controll ing..

Kufwa powder;

"kil
"killi
ling
ng powder"
pow der" AKA "goofer'
"goofer'ss dust" for cursing
c ursing,, crossi
cr ossing
ng,, jinx
ji nxing
ing

1 qt jar 
Dirt from the grave of wicked person or that of someone who "died bad"
(such as by murder, execution or gruesome accident or illness) or a
namel
nameless
ess grave if you haven't the luxury
luxury of know
knowing
ing anyth
anything
ing about the
 person. ThThe idea is not just to have
have dirt from a grave,
grave, but
but the
the energy
energy of an
angry or violent spirit.
6 tbsp. Asaphoeteda
6 tbsp. Black mustard seed
6 tbsp. Black pepper 
salt
several live snails or slugs

optional: dung,
dung, snake
snake sheds,
s heds, snake blood,
blood , anvil dust, saltpeter,
sal tpeter, sulfur,
sulfur,
gunpowder,
gunpowder, red
r ed ants, bone powder,
pow der, insect exoskeletons, Devil'
Devi l'ss snu
s nuff
ff (the
(the
 black spores of a matured
atured puffball
puffball mu
mushroom),
shroom), mu
mullein,
llei n, valerian
valeri an (aka
vandal root), The seed pods of the jimsonweed plant, otherwise known as
“Devils'
“Devils' apple”

Pour salt over snails/slugs and grind into a paste. Allow to dry and then
scrape out powder. Add to other ingredients to fill jar. Best performed on a
new moon. Scatter over doorsteps, pour in footprints or blow into the face
of an enemy that they may lose all luck and joy they have in the world and
grave misfortune be upon them. Pour onto their doorstep and then sprinkle a
 bit at every crossroads between th
their house
house and the
the nearest
nearest graveyard
graveyard to
to
“lead them to their grave.” Other ingredients are sulfur, salt peter or 
gunpowder, which add speed and strife to the curse, or red ants for pain and
madness, these uses oppose the slugs in the above recipe which are for 

127
 slowing, sickening and wasting away of material success. Dung may be used
to increase potency, but undesirable to work with. Asaphoeteda is known as
“devil'
“devi l'ss dung”
dung” and isi s used as a substitu
s ubstitute.
te. Vandal
Vandal root
r oot causes misfortu
is fortune
ne and
adds an element
element of control, especi
es peciall
allyy in conjunct
conjunction ion with
w ith mullein
mullein which
w hich
can help to compel spirits to plague the victim. Slag or "Anvil dust" is the
 black detritu
detrituss drawn
draw n out
out from
from forging
forging and
and can be added to cause weakn weakness
and ugliness of a person to show through. Snake sheds or blood are to
increase
increas e the "poisonin
"pois oning"g" effect
effect and cause
ca use "live
"li ve thing
thingss in
i n you"
you" if ingested.
The later effect is also caused by crushed insect chitin. Powdered bones
introduce the spiritual essence of the creature to the mix. For instance, owl
 bones
 bones will
wi ll cause hau
haunnted dreams
dreams and sleepless
sleepl ess nigh
nights, rat bones
bones will
wi ll cause
loss
los s throug
through h theft
theft or being "ratted out" while also als o indu
i nducing
cing fear and
night
nightmmares in those
those who are
ar e phobic of rats.

Kufwa #2

An alternative recipe for a fast and ugly curse may look like this;

Base; Grave dirt from the grave of a wicked or angry spirit

Black powder
pow der (that is, gunpow
gunpowder,
der, not the
the modern smokeless
smokeless kind,
kind, which
w hich
contains sulfur, salt peter and charcoal, all cursing and speeding
ingredients)
Powdered red pepper 
Powdered rattlesnake skin, tails or heads
Powdered Jimsonweed
Jimsonweed

Hot Foot Powder

To drive someone away without causing them excessive harm sprinkle

this powder in their footprints or on their doorstep.

Salt
red pepper 
sulfur 

additional ingredients; dirt from the grave of a protective spirit, crushed

glass, stinging nettles.

128
Confusion powder;

To confuse
confuse enemies
enemies and keep
keep unwanted
unwanted people/
peop le/spi
spiri
rits
ts off your
your trail
tra il..

 black mu
mustard seed
 black pepper 
 black salt

There is a natural black salt, but many use blessed salt (kosher salt) mixed
with iron skillet scrapings to make their own.

Warding powder

To set up protective barriers.

salt
cast iron skillet scrapings
red brick
br ick dust
dust

Combine
Combine and blend
bl end ingredi
ingredient
entss with
w ith mortar
mortar and pestle. Place
Plac e pinch
pi nches
es of the
the
 powder in
i n the
the corners of rooms,
rooms, makmakee lines in front
front of doors or 
windowsills,
windowsi lls, or make
ake protect
pr otective
ive circles
circl es around
around represent
r epresentation
ationss of whatever 
whatever 
or whomever you wish to protect.

War Powder

For magical combat

combat and defense

Rusted
Rusted nails
nails,, railroad
rai lroad spikes, or cutting
cutting tools (saw blades, sh
s hears, etc.)
Red Pepper 
Sulfur 

Use sand paper to remove and carefully collect powdered rust from metal
tools. Combine with equal parts red pepper and sulfur powder.

Fiery Wall of Protection powder

Simply combine war powder and warding powder for a powerful

 protective
 protective formu
formula that
that will reveal
r eveal and harm
harm any
anyone
one with ill inten
intention
tions.
s.

129
 Make a line over thresholds or place a pinch in the corners of a room or 
 property.
 property. Surroun
Surround
d a photog
photograph,
raph, nam
namee paper or other
other personal concerns
concerns in
a circle of the powder to keep someone safe from harm.

Fiery Wall of Protection #2

Gunpowder 
Red brick dust

A simple and straightforward variation for those who have need of it but
may lack other ingredients.

True Love Powder

This
This is a purely
purel y Europe
European
an recipe
reci pe som
s ometim
etimes
es used by southern
southern conjure
workers to inspire and draw true
true love.

Elecampane root
vervain herb
mistletoe berries
berr ies

Crush well and add to a base of talcum and powdered sugar in a 4:1 ratio
favoring talcum. Use as a blowing powder to dress the bedroom or as a
sachet to dust the body before setting out.

Jinx-B-Gone powder

Use to clear away crossed condition from home and business while
drawing in prosperity and peace.

salt
cocklebur 
dirt dauber nest

Gather fresh cocklebur and crush leaves, stems, seeds and roots together 
into a pulpy mess. Cover it well with kosher salt and work it again in the
mortar and pestle. Spread this out in a thin layer and let the salt desiccate
the herb for a few days. Work it over again, adding more salt if it still feels
damp. When it seems dry to the touch, sift it through a wire mesh and set
aside or discard the large pieces. You should have a nice, fine powder 

130
about the color of money. Add to this a small dauber nest and crush it all
togeth
together
er until
until well
we ll blended and
a nd uniform
uniform.. Sprink
Spr inkle
le this
this powder
pow der around the
the
home or business, in the corners of rooms, or throw it at specific areas
where you think tricks may have been laid or “pockets” of negative energy i
you are able to sense them.

Oils

Conjure oils are used for dressing candles, mojo bags, jack balls,
adding
addi ng to spiri
spi ritu
tual
al baths, weari
wea ring
ng as perfume
perfume or anointing
anointing yourself
yourself or
o r your 
intended.

Base oils
oils

Jojoba oil- absorbs into

into skin and
and evaporates quickly
quickly

Almon
Almond d oil-
oil - absorbs
abs orbs easily
eas ily and has
has a sweetness to it which lends
lends itself well
w ell
to love and comanding blends

Safflower oil- lighter than olive oil, safe for body and food

Extra
Extra virgin
vi rgin olive
oliv e oil-
oi l- comm
common and
and good for skin and hair
hair but can cover 
aromas and feels greasy on skin. it is good for healing and blessing.

Sunflowe
Sunflowerr oil
o il-- Their great size and int
i ntimat
imatee associ
as sociation
ation with
wi th the
the sun makes
the sunflower highly attuned to formulas for influence and success.

Grape seed oil- a nice green colored oil

oi l wh
w hich lends itself well to formu
formulas
for money and abundance.

Mineral oil- the base component of baby oil. fine for skin and has a soothing
effect but
but being
bei ng "mineral
"mineral"" rath
ra ther
er than
than vegetable, I feel that
that it int
i nterfere
erferess with
wi th
the energy of some botanical components and do not typically employ it in
my own work. One exception is in the rare occasion where a mineral
component (such as loadstone, pyrite, sulfur, etc.) is the focus of the formula
rather than the botanicals. Some urban workers use mineral oil as a carrier 
for costly essential oils which they stock because they take up less space in
a shop than bags and jars of dried herbs used by traditional, rural workers.

Vitamine
itamine e- sim
si mple, neutral
neutral oil good for hair and skin. not too
too greasy
greas y and

131
 can be used as a preservative when using vegetable or plant based oils as a
 base.

Other oils- Coconut, and hemp seed oil are used by some workers, but, to
date, I have not personally employed them.

Uncrossing Oil;

For clearing away jinxes and crossed conditions.

Olive or sunflower oil.

Poke root
Rue
Rue
Cedar 

Place all ingredients in a jar or bottle and allow to sit up in the sun for one
month. To use, anoint the body by marking the sign of the cross over the
 brow, th
the heart,
heart, th
the han
hands
ds and the
the feet in that
that order. If
If a person's
person's natu
nature
(sexual organs) may have been crossed, or the source of the condition was
an ex lover, anoint the
the groin
groi n area as well,
wel l, and do this before
be fore marking
marking thethe
feet. Finally, mark the back of the neck and have the patient (or your self)
walk
wal k away withou
w ithoutt looking back unt
until
il they
they reach a lim
li minal place
p lace,, such
s uch as a
 property line, cross-roads,
cross-roads , or river bank.
bank. There,
There, pray for
for God toto take
take away
your burdens and you will be freed of even the most persistent of curses.

Magdalena Oil;

Use to enhance sexual attraction and sensuality of the user while

inspiring fidelity in others.

spikenard
myrrh
 patchou
 patchouli
li

Mix equal parts essential oils in a carrier. If using raw herbs infuse in low
heat for 24 hours then strain out solids. Add a few coriander or fennel seeds
to the bottle when done.

132
Fast Luck Oil;

When quick results are required in matters of money and sex.

grapeseed oil
cinnamon bark 
mint leaves
 pine needles
needles
ginger
ginger root
ro ot

Infu
Infuse
se over low heat duri
during
ng a waxin
w axing
g moon.
moon. Use
Use sparing
spar ingly
ly and always
alw ays repay
rep ay
immediately after obtaining results by way of some selfless or charitable act
or will backfire.

Van-Van #1

A general
general purpose anointing
anointing oil

This is simply lemon verbena herb in a carrier oil. It has ties to the ancient
druids who held vervain (verbena) in high regard. Along with mistletoe and
oak it was part of their “holy trinity” of herbs similar to the Sioux affinity
for cedar, sage and sweetgrass. It is used for blessing, dressing and
anointing, especially in the case of clearing away bad conditions, drawing
 positive influen
influences
ces or consecrating
consecrating newly
ewl y made mag
magical
ical item
i temss such as
talism
talis mans or mojo hands.
hands.

Vanvan #2

A New Orleans formula also known as “five Asian grasses” and

“Chinese
“Chinese wash”
wa sh” used for general
general increase
increas e and expediency
expedie ncy or turning
turning around
luck.

ginger grass
lemon grass
 palmarosa
 palmarosa
citronella
vetiver 

Combine essential oils (or raw herbs if you can get them) in jojoba or other 
neutral carrier. Strengthen with bits of pyrite, flakes of gold, chips of 

133
 cinnamon bark or, more rarely, a small piece of sulfur in the bottle. The
sulfur accentuates the road opening and protective qualities of the oil while
adding “heat” or speed to the manifestation of intent. Cinnamon is similar,
 but
 but with more emph
emphasis
asis on mon
money
ey and
and sex Gold and
and pyrite
pyrite (aka “fool's
“fool's
gold”) are, rather obviously, for money work.

Domination
Domination Oils;
O ils;

 Note;
“Domination” magic is any working designed to give the worker 
 power to overcome
overcome a situation
situation,, particularl
particularlyy when their
their will
w ill is
i s pitted against
against
that of another. It can also mean having a means of asserting oneself or a
self-empowered approach to situations. Domination workings vary in
intensity from simply giving the worker an air of confidence to the utter 
deconstruction of anoth
another
er person's
pers on's free will
wi ll.. The language
language can be conf co nfusing
using
and often differs from one worker to the next. So, for clarity's sake, I will
give my
my definitions
definitions to the
the terms in regards
re gards to conju
c onjure
re work.
wor k.

To COMPELL someone means to turn their eye and mind to you or to

something you want them to do. It is the least aggressive and malicious of 
the
the three and typically
typicall y works in i n those
those situ
si tuations
ations where
w here the target already has
the
the desir
des ired
ed int
i ntent
ention,
ion, just has not chosen a specific
spec ific path. Anoth
Another
er way to
look at it is as a mild form of domination with no specified target. “Follow
me boy” isi s a traditional
traditio nal example
example of a com co mpelling
pell ing formu
formula
la where the
the original
or iginal
intention
intention was to help prostitut
pr ostitutes
es draw in customers
customers.. Modern folks may use it
when going out to bars and night clubs to “hook up.”

 An
 An all around compelli
compelling
ng formula;

Sweet almon
almondd or olive oil
ang
angelica root
vervain/verbena herb
cedar wood chips

 follow
 foll ow me
me boy

grape seed oil (for abundance) or sweet almond oil (for sweetening)
ang
angelica root
catnip herb
damiana herb

134
 fennel
fennel seed
see d
coriander seed

 Next
 Next step
step up
up is COMMANDING which  w hich means
means to give the
the target a direct
di rect
order which they must follow whether they want to or not. It is more
coercive and, therefore, more likely to have negative side effects. In
commanding formulas, if the person resists they will have hard luck and
troubles until they obey. This may lead them to do what you want, but with
contri
contrition.
tion. Comm
Commanding oils are domination
domination formulas
formulas infused
infused with
wi th specific
intentions such as "law away" or "boss fix" which are rather self-
explanatory. They are not used to enslave a person, just put them in their 
 place or get them
them to stop
stop causing
causing you trouble.
trouble.

 Basic commanding oil;

Almond oil
Licorice root
Sweet flag (calamus) root

To the above, add ingredients that suit your desired command such as;
For entici
enticing
ng and attracting people-
peopl e- catnip
For sexuali
sexualityty-- damiana
damiana
For fidelity
fideli ty-- coriander 
cor iander 
For law problems-
problems- “low“l ow joh
j ohn
n” or wild
w ild ginger 
ginger 
To reverse
revers e power poles (as ( as in “boss fix”)- vetiver 
To obtain
obtai n favors- five finger grass
For business- pinpi ne

CONTROLLING  requires a specified target. It is a strong and aggressive

kind of domination magic wherein the target is bound to the will of the
worker. The target becomes almost worshipful and will continue to do as
the worker wishes until the spell is broken. They should do so willingly and
enthu
enthusia
siastica
sticall
llyy, not realizing
real izing they
they have
have been coerced
coer ced until
until it inevitably
i nevitably
ends. Controlling formulas come in varying degrees of intensity from "stay
with me" used to keep a mate faithful to "bend over" which is meant to
 practically enslave
enslave anoth
another. Th
The novel
novel names
names and range
range of perfu
perfumes foun
found
comm
commerciall
erci ally
y seem to to know
know no bounds
bounds but
b ut I prefer a more direct
di rect approa
a pproach.
ch.
The following is my own formula designed surround the target and subject
them to your will on every level.

135
  Hoodoo slave oil;
Base oil (any kind will do)
Licorice
icori ce root
r oot (to control
control people)
Calamus root (to control situations)
Mull
Mullein
ein leaf
l eaf (to control
control any spirits
spiri ts surroun
s urrounding
ding them
them))
Poppy seeds (to demoralize and break the spirit)

“Fix” this oil by adding personal concerns of your intended such as

hair, nail clippings, blood, picture, name paper, etc. and keep the vial with
you in a pocket giving it a shake from time to time if they act up.

Anoth
Anotherer kind
kind of powe
p owerr that
that migh
mightt be considered
consider ed “gen
“ general
eralized
ized dom
do minance” is
what I call INFLUENCE which I do not include as a form of domination
magic. Working
Workingss which
w hich impart
impart this powe
p owerr aare
re sim
si milar
il ar to what I refer to
above as “compelling” but with no specified target or intention. It is for this
reason I do not consider it domination, because, in my opinion, there must
first be som
s ometh
ething
ing to
to dom
do minate. High John the
the Conqueror oil is a traditional
trad itional
example of an influence enhancing formula. It tends to simply make things go
your way.

 Potent general influence

i nfluence formula;
for mula;

Sunflower oil
High John the Conqueror root chips.
A pinch of tobacco snuff 
A few hairs of a solid
s olid black cat

Infuse in sunlight for one month. For a “quick fix” use a crock pot on
low heat for 24 hours.

Crown of success oil;

Olive oil
Bay leaf 
Frankincense resin
Vetiver
etiv er herb
Sandalwood
Sandalwood chips
chips
Lingum aloes chips

Infu
Infuse
se in sunli
sunligh
ghtt or with
wi th low heat. Use to overcom
over comee obstacles
obs tacles and

136
obtain your desires. Anoint the head, hands and heart with the oil while
reciting the 112 th  psalm
 ps alm before settin
s etting
g out
out to do your business.

Glossary of Hoodoo Terms

Condition- a state created by a spell. Commonly seen in reference to

malicious work as in "to clear 
crossed conditions" but it is equally a term for desirous states or influences
such as those imparted by magical oils, conversely known as "condition
oils"

Conjure- another word for hoodoo, used in the sense of the worker or the
work done.

Curio- any object, natural or man-made, of fascinating or unique

appearance
appear ance that
that may
may be used in
i n conjure
conjure work.
wor k.

vil Eye- a common form of crossed condition produced by the negative

energy transmitted
transmitted by the
the ill
i ll will
wi ll of an onlooker or onlookers. It can come
from a single confrontation of great intensity or can accumulate over time.
Likewise, the sender may be one person or several people. Envy, jealousy,
resentment and hatred are often the source of this curse and the effects of it
can be extremely varied.

Fix - either to dominate someone in some way (as with "boss fix" oil) or to
 bond
 bond a mag
magical
ical formu
formula to an individual
individual or intent
intent (using
(using sexual
sexual fluids
fluids to
"fix" a jar spell to a couple). It is the equivalent to the
Europe
Europeanan witch
wi tchcraft
craft term "bind" as ini n "binding someone
someone to your will
wi ll"" or 
"binding
"bi nding something
something together"
and it is interesting to note the common expressions "in a fix" or "in a bind"
 both of which
which mean
mean "to be
caught in a difficult situation" as it would seem to follow that the meanings

137
go hand in hand.

oodoo- anything to do with magic. A practitioner of magic is “a hoodoo”

and one who practices professionally for others is a “hoodoo doctor” and to
cast as spell on someone is “to hoodoo them” and to be affected by
metaphysical forces is “to be hoodooed”

nfluence - eeither
ither a condition of general
generalized
ized and unspec
unspecified
ified dominan
dominantt
energy imparted by a spell or 
the
the sources
so urces of
o f a condition as in "repelli
"repel ling
ng negative
negative inf
i nfluen
luences."
ces." In the
the later 
case, the term may refer to
real people who may or may not be intentionally causing the condition, or to
metaphysical influences
such as negative thought patterns or even incorporeal entities or spirits.

 Job- another name for a spell in hoodoo, especially in the case of 
 professional work such
such as “Conjure
“Conjure doctor
doctor did a job to improve
improve my
my luck”
luck”

ay- to put a curse on som

so meone, especia
esp eciall
llyy when putt
putting
ing down track and
 path crossing
crossi ng spells
spell s as in th
the phrase
phrase “he laid roots for
for me.”
me.”

ojo- a term of unknown origins most commonly referring to a type of 

talisman consisting of a bag filled with a number of items meant to produce
a desired effect and then sealed by sewing or tying shut. Mojo is also used
in the
the com
co mmon vernacular to descr
d escribe
ibe a perso
pe rson's
n's radiant
ra diant magical
magical energy.
energy.
Someone
Someone with
w ith great
great charm
c harm and charism
charis ma might
might be descri
des cribed
bed as having
“strong mojo”
mojo” where someone
someone who
w ho often
often goes
goes unnot
unnoticed
iced or is easily
easi ly taken
taken
advantage
advantage of has “weak
“w eak mojo”
mojo”

ature- as in “one's sexual

sexual nature”
nature” meaning
meaning their
their fertility
fertili ty,, viri
vi rili
lity
ty and
and
sexual drive. Usually seen in reference to “taking a man's nature” meaning to
make him impotent or unable to get an erection with anyone but the intended
 partner.
 partner. Th
There are also
als o spells for restorin
res toring
g and streng
strengthen
thening
ing someon
someone's e's
nature.

oot work - conjure work using plant and animal components

 Sighted-  to possess a gift of natural psychic prowess. To be “sighted” or 

“have the sight” does not always refer to clairvoyance (literally “clear 
seeing” meaning to have psychic visions) but may refer to any number of 

138
 psychic
 psychic gifts.
gifts. Some
Some “seers” are ar e simply
simply made
made to knknow thing
thingss by the
the grace
grace of 
some higher power and are prompted by no other sensory input. Others may
 perceive unk
unknown th things
ings via somesome psychic
psychic extension
extension of ththe natu
natural
ral senses,
commonly touch or sensation. It is not unheard of for people to psychically
receive
rece ive throug
throughh taste or sm s mell.
ell . Furthermore,
Furthermore, som
so me hoodoo people
pe ople may have
have
a special talent for scrying (crystal or mirror gazing) or reading cards
(common playing cards are more traditional to hoodoo than the tarot decks
 popular
 popular with
w ith Europeans.)
Europeans.) and and any
any and
and all displays
dis plays of psychic
psychic talent or 
oracular
oracular power is sti
is  still 
ll  called
 cal led “sigh
“si ght”
t” among
among hoodoos.

 Spirit,
 Spirit , spurrit,
spurri t, ghost,
ghost , gast, geist,
gei st, haint,
hai nt, hag, bugabur, devil,
devil, angel,
angel ,
enie- All
Al l manner
anner of incorporeal
incorpor eal entities
entities may be encountered
encountered in hoodoo
work. Benevolent spirits may be called angels, djinn or genie depending on
the christian or muslim background of the speaker. Ghost, gast and geist all
mean an unquiet or restless remnant of a dead person. Haints and hags
essentially equate to “evil witches” and may refer to an evil or unpleasant
 person, a person who has has someh
somehow ow acquired great
great infern
infernal
al powers
power s or to a
non-phy
non-physicsical
al being which troubles people
pe ople and feeds off of their
their energy.
energy.
Bugaburs are malicious spirits usually found in nature and, especially,
dreary
drea ry and forgotten
forgotten places.
plac es. My grandfath
grandfatherer “captured” one in the
the swamps
s wamps
once and it remains housed in a cypress knee here in the family home as a
 protective
 protective totem
totem.. Devil is just anoth
anotherer name
name for a spirit and
and is usually
usually
malicious, except in the case of the cross-roads initiator who is an
imposing,
imposing, but not neces
necessar
saril
ilyy mali
malicious
cious figure.
figure.

Throw- to cast a spell, most commonly a malicious one. Example “I got a

hoodoo man to throw a curse on my ol' lady” or “imma throw roots on him
to cross his nature”

Trick, jinx, hex, vex, cross, hurt - a negative or malicious spell. It should
 be noted
noted th
that "hex
"hex work"
is actually a dutch term for any kind of magical work and is, more or less,
yankee
yankee hoodoo. Likewise,
Likewis e, "to vex" is antiquated/pos
antiquated/poshh English
English for "to annoy
annoy
or cause distres
di stress"
s" and
a nd the
the term may
may follow with
wi th "hex
"hex"" as being more
more of a
European/white/yankee term. Southern black folk tend to use language like
"she put a hurt on him and tricked his nature so he could love no one else."
Being "jinxed" or "crossed" are fairly universal terms used commonly by
whites and blacks alike. The phrase "to cross one's path" has a dual meaning
in hoodoo as it refers to both the physical act of meeting in passing as well

139
as to laying malicious spells in foot tracks.

Turn- to send a spell back to

to the
the one who cast it.
it. also called
c alled "reversal"
"rever sal"

Two-Headed - someone who works with an angel, devil or spirit to do

conjure, tell fortunes, etc.

Work - the act of casting a spell ("working") or and interim period of a spell
("let it work for six
days") and sometimes the act of putting components together while charging
them with your own spiritual and physical energy ("work them together with
a mortar and pestle")

Sources;
Most information
information herein comes from personal
perso nal experience
experi ence and first-han
firs t-hand
d
accounts and any resemblance to other works, fictional or otherwise, is
 purely
 purely coincident
coincidental
al or the
the result of traditions
traditions passed down throug
through h history
which are bound to be repeated by authors addressing the same, or related
subject matter.
matter. Some
Some inf
i nformat
ormation
ion was
w as deri
d erived
ved from
fro m peer researc
res earch.
h. Among
Among
those published works used for reference are;

oodoo Herb and Root Magic,

Magic, Catherine Yronwode

Obeah, a sorcer
s orcerous
ous ossuary,
os suary, Noch
 Nocholaj
olaj De Matos
Matos Frisvold
Fri svold

WebMD

PDR for herbal medicine, second edition

University of Maryland (website)

Suggested Reading:

oodoo Herb and Root Magic,

Magic, Catherine Yronwode

The Black Pullet - Anonymous

The 6th  and 7th  Books of Moses - Anonymous

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Pow-Wows or The Long Lost Friend – George Hohman

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