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Sacred Lucky W Hoodoo & Sacred Manufacturers and Distributors of Hoodoo and Conjure Supplies: Oils, Powders, Incense, Baths, Southern Candle Herb Yronwode
Sex Amulets The Blues Landscape Washes, Herbs, Resins, Colognes, Roots, Minerals, Curios, Books, Candles, Statuary, and Amulets. Spirits Ministry Magic Institution
FLORIDA WATER
and
KANANGA WATER
Florida Water is a 19th century formula for a commercially-prepared toilet water (see below for a definition of toilet water) that blends an array of floral
essential oils in a water-alcohol base. The name refers to the fabled Fountain of Youth said to have been located in Florida.
A similar toilet water is Kananga Water, which is built upon a foundation of essential oil of Cananga odorata, also known as Ylang Ylang (which may be
closer to its pronunciation in its native growth region of Indonesia and adjacent areas). Commercial kananga plantations were established in Jamaica in the 19th
century by the British.
Although both Florida Water and Kanaga Water have the word "water" in their names, it should be noted that they are actually alcohol-based Colognes -- unlike
such products as Willow Water, Rose Water, and Orange Water, which are made from distilled water with added botanical fragrances.
Both Florida Water and Kananga Water are widely used in rituals of home protection and spiritual cleaning, to scent bowls of water set out for the spirits of
the dead, as a basis for making an ink-dyed scrying water, and for other ritual and cosmetic purposes among people of African-diaspora descent in the United
States and the Caribbean. A third 19th century commercial perfume with a long history of magical associations is Hoyt's Cologne, which is used among
African-American hoodoo practitioners to draw gambling luck.
The specific blends of essential oils found in Florida Water and Kananga Water used to vary from maker to maker so there is no "one and only" way to make up
these mixtures. Typical commercial formulas for both products can be found in any standard formulary in your local public library -- such as "Henley's
Formulas," or "Fortunes in Formulas" by Hiscox and Sloane. (See below.) These days i know of only two commercial sources for Florida Water, Lanman and
Kemp and Two Girls (a toiletry company in China) and two commercial perfumeries supplying Kananga Water, the Vandi Perfume Co. and Lanman and Kemp.
I used to make my own Florida Water and Kananga Water from recipes in commercial formularies, but i find that the Lanman and Kemp products are perfectly
satisfactory and the labels are very familiar to users, so i now sell that brand in my shop and online.
Murray and Lanman Florida Water Cologne (actually now manufactured and distributed by Lanman and Kemp) has an old-fashioned Victorian-era style label -- very floral and rococo in
slightly out-of-register pinks, reds, blues, and gold. It depicts a hodge-podge of isolated figures on a white background -- the Fountain of Youth, a woman with a bird perched on her hand, a
troubadour with a lute, two parrots, two wreaths of flowers, flowers in a basket, ornamental leaves, etc. The bottles still have an old-fashioned long-necked shape, are embossed at the
shoulder with "Murray & Lanman Florida Water -- New York," and are wrapped and sealed with silver foil on which is imprinted a spiral black-and-white trade mark notice in Victorian
display lettering with a spread eagle in a stamp plus a handwritten signature ("Lanman and Kemp").
Lanman and Kemp also manufacture Florida Water Soap. This high-quality beauty bar has the same familiar floral aroma as the cologne and is wrapped in paper featuring the same lovely
graphics as the famous bottle. Florida Water Soap can be used for physical as well as ritual cleansing of the skin.
Another brand of Florida Water -- Two Girls, from China -- also has a cool-looking label, featuring two girl children in Chinese costumes in a floral landscape, but i have never been able to
get a wholesale line on it, and so i sell the Lanman and Kemp variety in my shop.
Murray and Lanman Kananga Water Cologne (now made by Lanman and Kemp) is similar in quality to Vandi Kananga Water, but the label is more attractive, so that is the brand i carry in
my shop. It is another Victorian-rococo confection of floral motifs and scroll-work, centered on an image of a bunch of flowers and a waterfall. The container is less ornate, however, being
a simple long-necked plastic bottle without embossing on the shoulder or foil wrapping on the neck.
Order Florida Water Cologne from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Order Kananga Water Cologne from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Order Florida Water Soap from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
"Florida Water" and the associated graphic label are registered trademarks of Lanman and Kemp. It is against the law to manufacture and market a product of that name or bearing that image. However, formulas for a variety of
products once marketed as Florida Water have been published since the 19th century, and i get many requests for formula information from would-be mages who want to save a few cents and make their own. For the record, i think
that making Florida Water or Kananga Water at home is somewhat of a fool's errand, because the Lanman and Kemp products, available from any good occult supply store, are of impeccable quality and reasonably priced. However,
the following technical information is presented for the use of readers who wish to try their hands at perfumery. It is expected that before you begin such a task you familiarize yourself with the terminology, systems of measurement,
and methods used in a laboratory. Please do not email me with requests for help in locating essential oils or lab equipment; i will not reply.
TOILET WATERS
From "The Ancient Book of Formulas" by Lewis de Claremont comes this basic information on how to distinguish perfumes, colognes, and toilet waters based on their relative percentages of essential oils, alcohol, and water:
From Hiscox and Sloane's "Fortunes in Formulas" comes this basic information on the proper type of alcohol to use in perfumery:
COLOURING
It is traditional to dye Florida Water a pale aqua-green and Kananga Water a pale orange. These dyes are not necessary to the formulas, but if you intend to show the results of your experiments to others, their use will greatly
enhance viewer recognition.
The formulas for Kananga perfumes below contain grain musk and/or civet. Hiscox and Sloane's "Fortunes in Formulas" provides the following basic information on the proper formulation of such ingredients in liquid perfumes:
FLORIDA WATER #1
oil of bergamot 3 fluid ounces
oil of lavender 1 fluid ounce
oil of lemon 1 fluid ounce
oil of cloves 1 1/4 fluid drachms
oil of cinnamon 2 1/2 fluid drachms
oil of neroli 1/2 fluid drachms
essence of jasmine 6 fluid ounces
essence of musk 2 fluid ounces
alcohol 8 pints
rose water 1 pint
FLORIDA WATER #2
Note: Bouquet Canang, Kananga Perfume, and Extrait d'Ylang-Ylang are strong perfumes and as such may be diluted with 10% to 25% distilled water as outlined above to make them into Kananga Water Cologne.
Order Florida Water Cologne from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Order Kananga Water Cologne from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Order Florida Water Soap from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Here are some other LUCKY MOJO web sites you can visit:
OCCULTISM, MAGIC SPELLS, MYSTICISM, RELIGION, SYMBOLISM
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by cat yronwode: an introduction to African-American rootwork
Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by cat yronwode:a materia magica of African-American conjure
Lucky W Amulet Archive by cat yronwode: an online museum of worldwide talismans and charms
Sacred Sex: essays and articles on tantra yoga, neo-tantra, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
Sacred Landscape: essays and articles on archaeoastronomy and sacred geometry
Freemasonry for Women by cat yronwode: a history of mixed-gender Freemasonic lodges
The Lucky Mojo Esoteric Archive: captured internet text files on occult and spiritual topics
Lucky Mojo Usenet FAQ Archive:FAQs and REFs for occult and magical usenet newsgroups
Aleister Crowley Text Archive: a multitude of texts by an early 20th century occultist
Lucky Mojo Magic Spells Archives: love spells, money spells, luck spells, protection spells, and more
Free Love Spell Archive: love spells, attraction spells, sex magick, romance spells, and lust spells
Free Money Spell Archive: money spells, prosperity spells, and wealth spells for job and business
Free Protection Spell Archive: protection spells against witchcraft, jinxes, hexes, and the evil eye
Free Gambling Luck Spell Archive: lucky gambling spells for the lottery, casinos, and races
POPULAR CULTURE
Hoodoo and Blues Lyrics: transcriptions of blues songs about African-American folk magic
EaRhEaD!'S Syd Barrett Lyrics Site: lyrics by the founder of the Pink Floyd Sound
The Lesser Book of the Vishanti: Dr. Strange Comics as a magical system, by cat yronwode
The Spirit Checklist: a 1940s newspaper comic book by Will Eisner, indexed by cat yronwode
Fit to Print: collected weekly columns about comics and pop culture by cat yronwode
Eclipse Comics Index: a list of all Eclipse comics, albums, and trading cards
ONLINE SHOPPING
The Lucky Mojo Curio Co.: spiritual supplies for hoodoo, magick, witchcraft, and conjure
Herb Magic: complete line of Lucky Mojo Herbs, Minerals, and Zoological Curios, with sample spells
Mystic Tea Room Gift Shop: antique, vintage, and contemporary fortune telling tea cups
PERSONAL SITES
catherine yronwode: the eclectic and eccentric author of many of the above web pages
nagasiva yronwode: nigris (333), nocTifer, lorax666, boboroshi, Troll Towelhead, !
Garden of Joy Blues: former 80 acre hippie commune near Birch Tree in the Missouri Ozarks
Liselotte Erlanger Glozer: illustrated articles on collectible vintage postcards
Jackie Payne: Shades of Blues: a San Francisco Bay Area blues singer
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