The following is all from... http://www.luckymojo.com/spells/recipes.html
ATTRACTION OIL #1 -- Malbrough
Mix equal parts of
Lovage Herb,
Grated Lemon Peel or Lemon Flowers.
A small piece of lodestone is added to each bottle.
Add 2 Tbls. of this mix to 2 oz. of oil.
You can add tincture of benzoin to keep to any oils listed to keep
them from going rancid.
from "Charms, Spells, and Formulas" by Ray Malbrough
© 1999 Ray Malbrough
posted by Jellyface (d1684@strato.net)
-----
Compare this with a traditional Attraction Oil recipe
that i collected:
ATTRACTION OIL #2 -- Traditional
Lovage Root Chips (for love)
Cinnamon Chips (for money)
Lemon Peel, grated
Essential Oil of Sweet Orange
Essential Oil of Lemon
Piece of Lodestone
Piece of Pyrite
Top with carrier oil
(e.g. almond oil which has been dosed with Vitamin E to
prevent rancidity. I use a "glurp" of same to each gallon of
almond oil and mix well.
cat yronwode, Ms. Oily Fingers of 1999 (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 1999 catherine yronwode
-----
And here is a third Attraction oil, very good to the nose,
but with less tradition behind it, since it only symbolizes
love-attraction and not money-attraction, whereas the typical
Attraction oil of hoodoo usage draws both money and love.
ATTRACTION OIL #3 -- Arthurs
Blend equal parts
Rose oil
Lavender oil
Vanilla oil
Sandalwood oil
Touch to pulse points when in the presence of the one you
want to attract.
Suzanne Arthurs (ankhbrat@aol.com)
© 1999 Suzanne Arthurs
============================================
BAT'S BLOOD INK #1 -- Skater
dragon's blood resin
myrrh resin
cinnamon oil
indigo color
alcohol
gum arabic
No instructions are given, although I suppose you steep the
ground resins in the alcohol till dissolved, then add the
cinnamon oil, indigo, and ground gum arabic. Filter and
bottle.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
Copyright © 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "Cat" (cat@hotmail.com)
For "indigo color" i presume Herman Slater intended to use
synthetic dye; true indigo requires a complex process of
repeated oxygenation and steeping to produce a blue tint,
which would darken the orange and rusty reds of the other
ingredients listed.
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
-----
BAT'S BLOOD INK #2 -- Traditional
Slater's formula is useful, but of course, real,
authentic Bat's Blood Ink is made by slitting the
throat of a bat and using its blood to write with.
But most people don't like that idea, so they use a
convenient substitute. Any high quality red ink with
Cinnamon and Myrrh essential oils or scent added is
appropriate to use as Bat's Blood Ink, in my experience.
© 1999 catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
============================================
BEND-OVER OIL See ESSENCE OF BEND-OVER
============================================
BLACK ARTS OIL #1 -- yronwode variation
There are many recipes for Black Arts Oil. Here's a quick one:
half a dropper essential oil of patchouli
half a dropper essential oil of black pepper
a pinch of valerian root
a pinch of black poodle dog hair
a pinch of black mustard seeds
a pinch of spanish moss
a pinch of mullein
a pinch of powdered sulphur
nine whole black peppercorns
Blend into one half-ounce carrier oil such as almond.
Colour dark brown.
catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
Lucky Mojo Curio Co: http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html
The Lucky W Amulet Archive: http://www.luckymojo.com/luckyw.html
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
BLESSING OIL #1 -- Malbrough
2 parts Frankincense
1 part Benzoin gum.
Add 2 tablespoons of this mix to 2 ounces of oil.
from "Charms, Spells, and Formulas" by Ray Malbrough
Copyright © 1999 Ray Malbrough
contributed by Jellyface (d1684@strato.net)
-----
Ray Malbrough's recipes tend to be traditional but rather
stripped down in terms of ingredients. Here is a more
complex formula for Blessing Oil that i collected.
BLESSING OIL #2 -- yronwode variation
Frankincense Tears
Benzoin Gum, crushed
Essential Oil of Frankincense
Essential Oil of Benzoin
Rose scent, which can be one or more of these:
Essential Oil of Roses (Rose Otto)
Essential Oil of Rose Geranium
Rose Fragrance (synthetic)
Rose Petals
Top with carrier oil
(e.g. almond oil which has been dosed with Vitamin E)
You can also add Vitamin E oil for the same purpose. I use a
"glurp" of same to each gallon of almond oil and mix well.
cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
CHINESE WASH #1
Find a whole page on the history of and uses for
Chinese wash at
http://www.luckymojo.com/chinesewash.html
Start with whatever combination of essential oils of
Oriental Grasses you normally use for compounding Van Van
oil concentrate
http://www.luckymojo.com/vanvan.html
(e.g. citronella grass, lemongrass, gingergrass, palmarosa
grass, khus khus grass, and vetivert grass, singly or
together). Cut a bunch of broomcorn straws (from a natural
broom, or from broomcorn plants, if you happen to grow them)
and place the straws in a bottle. Add a goodly squirt of Van
Van oil concentrate and a small lump of frankincense gum,
then top with your own (or any commercial) preparation of
liquid oil soap. Dilute in water before use, of course.
cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
COME TO ME OIL #1 -- Hansen
Try pure essential oil of sweet pea. It draws people
to you. Diluted with perfume diluant and used on the
clothing it will help you pick up girls in bars. It is
very nice, but it draws all kinds of people, and you
have to pick which ones you want to stick around.
John M Hansen (jmhansen@erols.com)
© 1999 John M Hansen
-----
COME TO ME OIL #2 -- Slater
rose
jasmine
gardenia
lemon oil
color: red
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "Cat" (cat@hotmail.com)
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
-----
COME TO ME OIL #3 -- yronwode theories
Recipes vary from person to person. They are
generally floral in tone and usually red in colour.
Scents used in such an oil may include sweet pea and
narcissus (usually only available as synthetic fragrances,
not as essential oils), rose (available as a real essential
oil -- called otto or attar of roses -- but so expensive as
to be prohibitively costly for most people, who therefore
use a synthetic fragrance instead), rose geranium (a real
essential floral oil that has a very good rose scent), and
other floral synthetics, such as wistaria, honeysuckle,
violet, and the like.
Herbs mixed into in the finished, fragranced oil may include
catnip leaf (to entice a lover), saffron stamens (for
love-drawing), rose petals, (for love-drawing), damiana leaf
(to increase passion) and/or patchouli leaf (ditto). Queen
Elizabeth Root (used to attract men) may be added to the
mixture if the person using it is a female or a gay male.
One difficulty many folk-magicians have with floral scents
as a basis for magical perfume oils is that so many of our
favourite flowers do not produce a great deal of essential
oil. When this is the case, the oil is very expensive.
But that is not the greatest hurdle we must overcome. Some
flowers, no matter how lovely they smell, do not produce
stable essential oils at all. Whenever that is the case,
essential oils from these flowers are unavailable at any
cost and synthetics are the only recourse one has.
The question then becomes one of deciding whether to go with
an artificial fragrance that mimics a given floral scent to
a greater or lesser degree -- or to forgo that scent in
favour of one that is available in actual flower-derived
form.
Is the magic in the herb itself -- or in the aroma?
How do we decide?
We all agree that attar of roses is beyond the financial
reach of most working people.
We all agree that rose geranium oil comes from a geranium --
not a rose. But it SMELLS as much or more like certain types
of roses than synthetic rose oils do.
So... is a good, natural rose geranium essential oil
magically more effective than an artificial rose scent? Or
is substitution of any kind an automatic obviation of the
magical working? Shall only wealthy people have access to
the magic of rose oil?
I tend to choose natural essential oils over synthetics or,
if i must, mix them half-and-half. But that's just me ...
your mileage may vary.
catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
CONFUSION OIL #1 -- Malbrough
2 parts of Rue Herb
1 part of Guinea Pepper
Add 2 Tbls. of this to 2 ounces of oil
from "Charms, Spells, and Formulas" by Ray Malbrough
© 1999 Ray Malbrough
posted by Jellyface (d1684@strato.net)
-----
CONFUSION OIL #2 -- Slater
Vetivert
Lavender
Galangal
Burnt knotted shoelace
color: black
Confuses those who are trying to cast a spell on you. Breaks
all forms of hexes. Acts almost instantaneously. Works
better when hex is new, but it is a good idea to keep some
on hand for emergencies.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
contributed by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
-----
Next, here are two formulae that i personally think are
good for sowing confusion and dissent.
CONFUSION OIL #3 -- yronwode variations
usage:
Causes enemies and opponents to lose their way
essential oils for stock formula:
1 part Vertiver
1 part Marjoram
2 parts Patchouli
herbs for all products:
Guinea Pepper Grains
Poppy Seed
Black Mustard Seed
Top with carrier oil
(e.g. almond oil which has been dosed with Vitamin E)
-----
INFLAMMATORY CONFUSION OIL #4 -- yronwode variations
usage:
Enemies and opponents fight each other instead of you
essential oils for stock formula:
1 part Patchouli
1 part Essential Oil of Capsicum (dilute! dilute!)
herbs for all products:
Guinea Pepper Grains
Red Pepper
Black Pepper
Poppy Seeds
Black Mustard Seeds
Top with carrier oil
(e.g. almond oil which has been dosed with Vitamin E)
-----
CONFUSION and INFLAMMATORY CONFUSION -- yronwode commentary
A comparison of the above four formulae shows that Ray
Malbrough and i work closer to the old-style hoodoo
tradition than Herman Slater did, for i know Galangal as
Little John to Chew and consider it primarily a court case
root, and lavender is something i use for love, not to cause
confusion. Ray and i both include Guinea Grains in our
confusion formulae, the latter coming out of the African
tradition.
cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
DAMNATION POWDER # 1 -- Slater
Burnt ashes from palm leaves
Holy water
Beer
Myrrh
Lavender
color: Black
Another very powerful powder used for hexing an individual
you dislike. Sprinkle on burning incense while repeating his
name nine times. Use with extreme caution.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
-----
DAMNATION POWDER #1 -- yronwode commentary
This is one of the more bizarre formulae in Herman Slater's
book. It carries obvious religious implications, but they
are BACKWARDS from common practice.
In Catholic families, it is common to carry home palm leaves
from the church services for Palm Sunday (the Sunday before
Easter). These are kept in the home all year. The next year
they are burned to ash. Just as the ash from burned Pal
Sunday Palm leaves is used by the priests to mark the
foreheads of parishioners for Ash Wednesday, so are the
burned ashes of the home-kept Palm leaves used for
protection of the home and the person. Mixing them with Holy
Water from a church, would provide a carrier medium -- but
not a POWDER, as any child should understand. Adding beer,
another water-based fluid, will not create a POWDER either.
The addition of Myrrh hearkens back to Biblical formulae,
but the Lavender is simply Slater's "gay love" trademark.
(Many of the recipes he and his close associates devised
contain Lavender -- see
Errata to Herman Slater's Magickal Formulary by John M. Hansen
for more on that topic).
Whether the Myrrh and Lavender are used in the form of
essential oils or dried plant matter is probably not
important, because no matter which form you use, they cannot
be added to beer and Holy Water to make a "Powder" -- and in
any case, the idea of using Holy Water and the ashes of Palm
Sunday leaves as ingredients for "Damnation" is simply
ridiculous, and probably offensive to Catholics as well.
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)]
============================================
DOVE'S BLOOD INK #1 -- Slater
dragon's blood resin
cinnamon oil
bay oil
alcohol
gum arabic
rose oil
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "Cat" (cat@hotmail.com)
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
---
DOVE'S BLOOD INK #2 -- Traditional
Slater's formula is interesting, but of course, real,
authentic Dove's Blood Ink is made by slitting the
throat of a white dove and using its blood to write
with. But most people don't like that idea, so they use a
convenient substitute. Any high quality red ink with
rose scent added is appropriate to use as Dove's Blood,
because most of the time this magical ink is called for,
it is used to write love-talismans and pacts, and rose is
one of the primary love-essences.
© 1999 catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
============================================
DRAGON'S BLOOD INK #1 -- Slater
dragon's blood resin
alcohol
gum arabic
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "Cat" (cat@hotmail.com)
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
-----
DRAGON'S BLOOD INK #2 -- yronwode commentary
People often ask me. "If Dove's Blood Ink used to be made
with the blood of Doves and Bat's Blood Ink used to be made
with the blood of Bats, what did Dragon's Blood Ink used to
me made with?"
The answer is that "Dragon's Blood" does not refer to the
life-fluid of mythical beasts -- it is the name of the dark
red sap or dried resin from a species of palm tree, the
Dragon Palm.
Herman Slater's formula, given above is quite good, if
you want to make your Dragon's Blood Ink from scratch.
However, if ink-making is too much trouble for you, any high
quality red ink with chunks of Dragon's Blood resin added to
it is appropriate. Most of the time this magical ink is used
to write luck- or protection-talismans and pacts, and the
resin itself is also carried on the person or burned as
incense for the same purpose.
© 1999 catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
============================================
DRIVE-AWAY SALT #1 -- yronwode
Drive-Away salt, also known as Get Away Salt,
is essentially Hot Foot Powder made with
ordinary table salt replacing the talcum powder.
For more information about the African roots of this family
of magical compounds (plus the lyrics to Blind WIllie
McTell's "Drive Away Blues") check out these pages
Hot Foot: http://www.luckymojo.com/hotfoot.html
Salt: http://www.luckymojo.com/salt.html
Drive Away Blues: http://www.luckymojo.com/seerockcity.html
© 1996 catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com), Ludwig Prin
============================================
EASY LIFE POWDER #1 -- Slater
Gum Mastic
Cloves
Ginger
Lemon
Orange peel
Cassia
color: Brown
A special blend which allows you to relax while others do
your work. Sprinkle on any person you wish to gain control
over. Lets you dominate their thoughts.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
-----
EASY LIFE POWDER #1 -- yronwode commentary
In some ways, this is a "hotter" version of a famous old
Attraction Powder formula. (See above.) You could substitute
cinnamon for cassia if needed.
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
============================================
EASY WRATH POWDER #1 -- Slater
Ashes
Red Pepper
Rose
Jasmine
Sandalwood
color: Blue
Toss on any person who is angry over something you have
done. Eliminates all feelings of animosity. Also good for
overcoming hatred.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
-----
EASY WRATH POWDER #1 -- yronwode commentary
One thing about Herman Slater's formulae is that he
always liked things to smell nice -- and this one surely
does!
The ashes seem to symbolize an end to flames -- but i
am unsure why he called for red pepper in an anger-calming
powder, which "eliminates all feelings of animosity."
Generally, red pepper is used to heat things up and
to create discord. And think about it -- if you go around
throwing red pepper powder on angry folks and it gets up
their nose or in their eyes, they'll be mad as hell!
Well, Herman is gone, and i can't ask him why he added that
odd ingredient, but i would recommend something sweeter,
like powdered sugar, in place of the red pepper in this
recipe.
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
============================================
EAU DE COLOGNE #1 and #2
This comparison began in usenet when i posted formulas for
some traditional colognes from some standard mid-20th century
manuals of perfumery in my collection. Those recipes are now
archived at
http://www.luckymojo.com/floridakanangawater.html
-----
EAU DE COLOGNE #3 -- Booth
Kirsten Rowe then wrote in response:
>
> From "Perfumes, Splashes and Colognes" by Nancy Booth
>
> Claims to be an American version of the original Eau de Cologne
> introduced in this country in 1808:
>
> 2 c. distilled water
> 1/4 c. vodka or grain alcohol
> 6 drops essential oil of lavender
> 2 drops essential oil of clove bud
> 8 drops essential oil of bergamot
>
> Mix all ingredients in a sterilized glass container. Seal the bottle
> and store in the refrigerator for two weeks for the scents to blend.
> Use within two months if refrigerated, two weeks if not.
>
> Kirsten
>
> No offense to the author of the first recipe.
-----
EAU DE COLOGNE #3 -- yronwode commentary
None taken, for sure! -- i was not the author of those recipes
-- i was simply passing along commercial (not new-age or
home-made) formulas for Florida Water and Kananga Water.
And no offense to you, Kirsten, but i would like to point
out that the Nancy Booth recipe given above is too weak even
for toilet water -- 2 cups of water to 1/4 cup vodka results
in a mixture that must be refrigerated for preservation and
then will only keep for two months. That is not the way
perfumes are handled in real life -- we all know that a good
perfume will keep its scent for decades, unrefrigerated.
Some ancient Egyptian perfumes sealed in tombs were found to
be still fragrant after millennia!
Also, i think that the use of Vodka is not a good idea. I've
tried it, myself -- it's so darned easy to get -- but, as i
quoted from Hiscox and Sloane's formulary when giving their
recipes, spirits of wine supply subtle fragrances of their
own which Vodka lacks -- and Vodka supplies a rather icky
(to me) "eau de potato" fragrance that can contrast
unfavourably with the subtle delicacy of floral oils.
Booth's recipe is obviously NOT "the original Eau de Cologne"
introduced in 1808. I have three commercial formulas for
Colognes, including one also said to be "the original," and
i'll gladly post them if anyone wishes to pursue this
further. For now, suffice it to say that Eau de Cologne is
similar to the Florida Water version #1 i gave in my post --
that is, it is a complex blend of a variety of floral and
spicy scents (not just 3 scents as above) and it is
alcohol-based, not water-based.
Thanks for taking the time to post this recipe, and, as i
said, no offense was intended. I find this discussion very
interesting because the use of perfumes and perfumed incense
is important in several branches of magic and religion, yet
few people stop to ask what is included in the scents they
use.
Cordially,
cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 2000 Kirsten Rowe
© 2000 Nancy Booth
© 2000 catherine yronwode
============================================
(ESSENCE OF) BEND-OVER OIL
There are three recipes here -- or are there?
-----
BEND-OVER OIL #1 O'Hara
rose
frankincense
honeysuckle
vetivert
(No specific quantities given)
This oil is intended to bend another to the will of
the magickal practitioner, this oil is well suited
for anointing candles or fith faths (voodoo dolls)
from "The Magick of Aromatherapy" by Gwydion O'Hara
© 1999 Gwydion O'Hara
posted by "Cat" (cat@hotmail.com)
-----
BEND-OVER OIL #2 -- Slater
rose
frankincense
honeysuckle
vetivert
(No specific quantities given)
Makes other people do your bidding. Use to break any
hexes; used to order evil spirits to return to their
sender. Said to be extremely potent.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
-----
BEND-OVER OIL # 1 and #2 yronwode commentary
Interesting how the Gwydion O'Hara recipe exactly mimics
the Herman Slater recipe. :-)
Slater's formulary, although not without its own flaws,
has been used as a source-book by many people working
in the Neo-pagan tradition.
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
-----
ESSENCE OF BEND-OVER #3 -- yronwode variations
I wish to take exception to the above recipe as given by
both Slater and O'Hara. I also find Herman Slater's
explanation of its use in regard to breaking hexes and
affecting evil spirits to be typical of his "fingerpainting"
and fakery in matters of hoodoo.
First, for more information on one way Bend-Over is used in
actual hoodoo practice, see my web page on Spells of Female
Domination at
http://www.luckymojo.com/femaledomination.html
That will give you some idea of its value in love and sex
magic; but there is more to the formula than this.
For examples of how it is used to rule and control a boss,
see my web page on Essence of Bend-Over at
http://www.luckymojo.com/essenceofbendover.html
Next, let's look at the ingredients given by Slater and
O'Hara, shall we, and see how (or rather IF) they relate to
the work at hand, namely to bend someone to your will. The
ingredients they list are
rose
frankincense
honeysuckle
vetivert
These scents may be okay for use in AROMATHERAPY-style
domination, but magically speaking, the herbs in that list
have long been assigned other meanings in MAGICAL herbology.
Rose is used for love magic. Real essential oil of roses
(rose otto or attar of roses) is so expensive that most
people use either essential oil of rose geranium or
artificial rose oil as a substitute. Rose has nothing at all
to do with raw power or domination.
Frankincense is a spiritual scent and is also used for
power. It could be used in Essence of Bend-Over, but it is a
little on the "nice" side for it to carry the entire weight
of true domination work in this formula.
Honeysuckle is primarily used as a fragrance, and, being
floral, it is a frequent ingredient in love potions. The
plant itself is a vine that has no strong magical
connotations that i know, and what's stranger, real
essential oil of honeysuckle is unstable, so most makers use
the artificial, synthetic aroma. Looking at honeysuckle from
the perspective of the "doctrine of signatures," one could
say that it grows upon trees and somehow dominates them, but
it certainly does not make them bend to its will -- and
other vines of similar twining habit, such as periwinkle,
are always used in love-and-marriage formulas, because of
their clinging natures. In short, honeysuckle might be good
for love-domination (as an ingredient in Follow me Boy Oil,
for instance, but it would hardly be expected to work on
your boss!
Vetivert is one of the five "Asian Grasses" that is used (in
a very small proportion) in Van Van Oil and, as such, it is
a spiritual cleanser and luck-changer. It is not
particularly associated with efforts of will or domination.
So this recipe for Bend-Over, although very commonly
encountered in the Anglo-Saxon world of aromatherapy and
playful spell-cookery -- and despite its wonderful fragrance
-- is not exactly what i'd call a powerful aid to domination
or willful control of another's mind or activities through
the doctrine of sympathetic magic as developed by
root-workers.
A look through any good magical herbal will reveal that
there are three herbs often recommended for control and
domination. They are
calamus root
licorice root
bergamot leaf or essential oil of bergamot
Calamus root produces an essential oil and it is also
available as chips or powder, which can be steeped in a
carrier oil.
Licorice root is available as chips or powder, to steep
in carrier oil
Bergamot is a citrus-relative. Its essential oil must be
diluted in a carrier oil because some folks are
skin-sensitive or allergic to it in strong concentrations.
Calamus root is white and licorice root is a deep
yellow-brown. When the two are placed with essential oils of
bergamot and calamus root and a few grains of frankincense
in a carrier such as almond oil that has been tinted a rich
yellow-orange, the result is impressive both visually and
in terms of fragrance. What is more to the point, magically,
it will also fulfill the requirements sought in such an oil.
You can add all the artificial honeysuckle and rose fragrance
you want then, and you'll be on the right track.
Contrarianly,
cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
FAST LUCK INCENSE / OIL / FLOORWASH / POWDER / BATH #1A -- Slater
Patchouli
Rose
Juniper
color: green
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
Copyright © 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "Cat" (cat@hotmail.com)
DOUBLE FAST LUCK INCENSE #1B -- Slater
Same as Fast Luck with powdered dollar bill added
color: green
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
contributed by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
Exact quantities for making these formulae are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
-----
FAST LUCK OIL #1A and #1B -- yronwode commentary
Thanks very much for posting thiese formulae by Herman
Slater, Cat and inept1! Here we have (if we needed it!)
clear evidence that Herman Slater was "fingerpainting" his
formulas, like a kid with a bunch of colours and not a lick
of direct knowledge.
Authentic hoodoo recipes for Fast Luck Oil are very, very
well known. They do not contain what Slater says they do.
The evidence i'd like to present is from Zora Neale
Hurston's "Mules and Men." Ms. Hurston, world famous as a
novelist, was also a folklorist, and, because she was
African-American, she did her best folklore work among black
folks in Florida (her home state) and New Orleans (a hotbed
then and now of professional rootworkers). In material she
collected in the mid 1930s and published first in 1935, you
can find two recipes for Fast Luck. One is the standard
(even commercial) recipe and the other is probably a
personal formula or a mistake, as explained below.
I am going to start with the more well-known of the two
formulas Hurston gives, which she calls "Red Fast Luck."
This is the formula one would get if buying Fast Luck Oil
today from a manufacturer such as myself.
--------------
RED FAST LUCK OIL #2 -- Hurston
Oil of Cinnamon and Oil of Vanilla, with Wintergreen. Used
as above to bring luck.
-- Zora Neale Hurston
--------------
RED FAST LUCK OIL #2 -- yronwode commentary
Cinnamon (in powder and chip form) is widely used in
African-American folk-magic to draw business and bring
money-luck, hence its use as an essential oil makes good
sense in this formula. Vanilla appears in numerous formulas
for love-luck, so again, one is not surprised to find it in
Fast Luck. Wintergreen is an oddity, though -- it has very
few magical ascriptions, and it seems to function, in my
experience, primarily as a fragrance that mediates and
blends the rather contradictory aromas of Cinnamon and
Vanilla. In any case, without it, one does not get the
characteristic "Fast Luck" smell.
Hurston does not tell what makes her informant's Red Fast
Luck Oil red, but i was taught to colour it with Alkanet
root, a few flakes per 1/2 oz. bottle. If you use too
little, it stays pink; too much makes it bloody-brown. The
colour does not develop instantly, as it would from a
synthetic dye, so work carefully and add more root flakes
only if your first batch doesn't colour up red in a day,
after a thorough shaking. Alkanet root has magical
properties of its own, namely it draws luck and protects
your money, and the red colour indicates increased
love-luck, so it is a better colourant for Fast Luck than
any synthetic dye could ever be. I also add crushed pyrite
to my Fast Luck Oil, for money-drawing purposes.
To make Fast Luck Oil, simply add the formula above to a
carrier oil such as Almond Oil. Essential oil of Cinnamon
can be irritating to sensitive skin, so wear protective
gloves as you work, don't rub your eyes or nose, and dilute
the product to a useable strength before applying it to
anything you might touch.
For an entire web page on (Red) Fast Luck, please see the
Lucky W Amulet Archive at
http://www.luckymojo.com/fastluck.html
Next we come to Hurston's other Fast Luck recipe. Frankly,
although someone may have genuinely given her this formula,
i personally have never bought any Fast Luck products made
according to this recipe. For reasons explained below, i
think there may have been some confusion in the mind of
Hurston's informant, or perhaps Hurston herself got the
formula attached to the wrong name.
--------------
FAST LUCK #3 -- Hurston
Aqueous solution of Citronella. It is put in scrub water to
scrub the house. It brings luck in business by pulling
custmers into a store.
-- Zora Neale Hurston
--------------
FAST LUCK #3 -- yronwode commentary
Hurston's Citronella-based Fast Luck formula is actually in
the family of recipes usually given for Chinese Wash and Van
Van Oil. These products, more than any other, are to be used
as house and doorway scrubs. I have never seen this
citronella recipe sold as Fast Luck, but i am not surprised
that someone used it as such. I give a good Van Van Oil
recipe below (under the letter V (which contains the five
closely-related Asian grasses Citronella, Lemongrass,
Vetivert, Palmarosa, and Gingergrass), and, for comparison,
i here append Hurston's very simple Van Van Essence formula:
--------------
ESSENCE OF VAN VAN (VAN VAN #1) -- Hurston
10 per cent Oil of Lemon Grass in alcohol. (Different
doctors specify either grain, mentholated, or wood alcohol),
used for luck and power of all kinds. It is the most popular
conjure drug in New Orleans.
-- Zora Neale Hurston
--------------
ESSENCE OF VAN VAN (VAN VAN #1) -- yronwode commentary
Those who work with these essential oils know how similar
Citronella and Lemongrass smell. Folks with botanical
knowledge will also realize the close relationship between
Citronella, Lemongrass, Vetivert, Palmarosa, and Gingergrass
(in fact, Gingergrass is simply the lesser quality second
pressing of Palmarosa grass!). As my Van Van recipe
indicated, the addition of Vetivert (Khus Khus), Palmarosa,
and Gingergrass was to be in very small quantities compared
to the Lemongrass and Citronella, which means that both
Chinese Wash and Van Van Oil smell predominantly of citrusy
fragrances, with smoky undertones.
It is possible that someone Hurston talked to had mistaken
this ubiquitous New Orleans formula-family for Fast Luck ...
or, as i said, Hurston herself might have made the error. In
any case, the Fast Luck i know is the Cinnamon, Vanilla,
Wintergreen one.
For an entire web page on Van Van Oil, please see the Lucky
W Amulet Archive at
http://www.luckymojo.com/vanvan.html
For an entire web page on Chinese Wash, please see the Lucky
W Amulet Archive at
http://www.luckymojo.com/chinesewash.html
For more on the intertwined history of Chinese Wash and Van
Van Oil, please see the Lucky W Amulet Archive page on
ritual baths and floor washes at
http://www.luckymojo.com/baths.html
-----
DOUBLE FAST LUCK INCENSE #1B -- yronwode commentary
Now, as to "Double Fast Luck" -- here Slater has given a
strange twist to things. He adds a powdered dollar bill (why
not? although filings from a silver dime would be more
likely in hoodoo, and crushed pyrite even more apropos),
and then he colours the oil green.
He has, i believe, confused DOUBLE POWER (add more
ingredients) with DOUBLE LUCK (make the item work two ways).
The two concepts are quite different in hoodoo conjuration,
and Slater's formula is only a doubling in POWER of his
already highly inaccurate formula, it is not two-way or
DOUBLE LUCK
True Double Luck formulas work for both money and love.
Thus, Double Fast Luck should work for money and love -- in
a hurry.
During the 1990s, i interviewed a man named LaRue Marx
who had been an employee of the Lucky Heart Company in
Memphis, Tennessee from the 1930s - 1960s, and he gave me
the company's formula for Double Fast Luck. It is simplicity
itself:
--------------
DOUBLE FAST LUCK #4 -- Marx
Use a tall, thin bottle. Fill it halfway up with a basic red
Luck oil. Top it off with an alcohol-based Luck perfume that
has been coloured bright green. The red oil (symbolizing
love and passion) will separate from the green perfume
(symbolizing monetary wealth). To use, shake the bottle
until a temporary purple emulsion is created and sprinkle it
out. It will separate between uses.
-- LaRue Marx, Lucky Heart Co.
--------------
DOUBLE FAST LUCK #4 -- yronwode commentary
The above, i believe, will give complete satisfaction to
those in search of Double Fast Luck.
cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
Lucky Mojo Curio Co. http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html
Spells Archive ----------------- http://www.luckymojo.com/spells.html
Lucky W Amulet Archive --------- http://www.luckymojo.com/luckyw.html
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
FIVE HOLY WATERS
See PEACE WATER
============================================
FLORIDA WATER
For an entire web page on Florida Water, please see the Lucky
W Amulet Archive at
http://www.luckymojo.com/floridakanangawater.html
catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 2000 catherine yronwode
============================================
FOUR THIEVES WINE -- FOUR THIEVES VINEGAR #1 -- Hansen
This formula dates from the fifteenth century, when it was
developed as a healing formula. As an inoculation against
epidemic diseases it actually works. Its use in magic came
about much later, as with many other substances it became
useful in the magical arts.
While the Bubonic plague raged through southern France in
the 1450s the number of bodies so overwhelmed the grave
diggers that they called upon the municipal authorities for
assistance. Four thieves who had been jailed together were
released on the condition that they assist in burying the
dead. They agreed, and served so well at their gruesome task
that they were later pardoned on the condition that they
left town.
One of the magistrates asked them how they had managed to
appear to remain so healthy, even though they have been
burying those who had did of the plague. They told him the
secret of the four thieves vinegar, which was made from
bottles of cheep wine, which begins to turn to vinegar in a
few days if left opened. They filled the wine bottles with
garlic, and allowed it to stand for a while, and then drank
a wineglass (2 Oz) with every meal. They continued this for
a bit over the three or four months that they had been
engaged in burying the dead.
Four Thieves Vinegar is made in the following way: Burgundy
(red) wine is divided between two bottles, and both bottles
are filled with peeled, and occasionally crushed, garlic
cloves. The bottles are placed in the refrigerator or spring
house for a week. Then two ounces of the wine (possibly on
the way to becoming vinegar) are taken twice or three times
a day. During the 1917 flu epidemic my grandfather used it
on all his family, beginning as soon as he heard of the
epidemic. None of the family became ill, although the
neighbors on both sides of them had deaths in their
families.
My father gave it to me every summer, when the Polio
epidemic was raging around us. I was never ill from that or
any of the other epidemic diseases of the time. In fact, our
house was never quarantined, but four thieves vinegar was on
our menu from the time we were children.
In magic it is used for getting rid of people. It works
there as well. I have also used it for protection, when I
thought malochia was in the offing. I put about two ounces
in a bath, soaking for about five minutes in the tub. I use
it when I suspect that I am about to see a particularly evil
minded client. It has a variety of other uses, in both
magic and healing, as well.
John M Hansen (jmhansen@erols.com)
© 1999 John M. Hansen
-----
FOUR THIEVES VINEGAR OZARKS VARIANT -- yronwode commentary
Thanks, John.
The major difference between our recipes for Four Thieves
Vinegar is that i have been told that it must have four
spices in it, one for each thief -- the four additives being
garlic (crushed or whole),
red pepper (crushed),
black peppercorns (whole), and
black mustard seed (whole).
Also, in the Ozarks, i was taught to make it with apple
cider vinegar, not red wine vinegar. This is probably a
regional variant based on the fact that wine vinegar is
uncommon in the Ozarks. In California, we have plenty of red
wine vinegar and i like that much better as a base; however,
either way, it tastes great!
In addition to providing personal protection from disease
and magical attack, Four Thieves Vinegar is used to send
away unwanted people or to make a family quarrel and fall
out among themselves. It can be sprinkled or dashed against
an enemy's doorsteps, but it can also be served to an enemy
family as a condiment, which to me justifies the "thieves"
part of the name -- it is a sneaky way to protect yourself
while you get them out of your life.
For an entire page on Four Thieves Vinegar, go to
http://www.luckymojo.com/fourthievesvinegar.html
catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
GODDESS BATH #1 -- Grey
Erzulie Freda is the Vodou lwa (something like a
"goddess") of love, luxury, and wealth. I'd like to give
you all a "recipe" for a bath made to please Erzulie Freda
and attract love and wealth into your life. And no, you
don't have to "believe in Vodou" and this won't make
anything scary happen to you - but it might make that new
boyfriend or girlfriend warm up to you, or make your spouse
much more affectionate in a hurry!
Obtain as many as you can of the following ingredients.
If you can't find each and every one of the ingredients
don't worry, do what you can.
Florida Water [floral cologne]
Fresh basil
Champagne
Rose petals
One small can of evaporated (NOT condensed) milk
Vanilla extract
Coconut milk
Orange leaves
Fresh lettuce
Fresh aloe
The fresh herbs and the lettuce should be thoroughly
crushed in a basin of water which is then strained as it is
poured into the bath. The Florida water, champagne, a few
drops of vanilla extract and coconut milk can be poured
dirctly into the bath water. Scatter the rose petals on the
water's surface.
Light a white or pink candle and bless the water before
you bathe. Keep the water pleasantly cool, or at least not
too hot. Frolic in it, splash and play. Ask Erzulie Freda,
the Spirit of Love, to refesh you and cleanse you, and to
give you happiness and abundance.
When you get out of the tub, dry with a clean, newly
washed and dried white towel, one you haven't used since it
was last washed, you know? Put on a little cologne or
perfume, and dress yourself in spotless white. Tie your
head with white or pink.
© 2002 Mambo Racine Sans Bout / Kathey Grey
(racine125@ol.com)
GODDESS BATH #1 -- Rock commentary
The use of Florida Water Cologne for this purpose seems
idiosyncratic to the above source. In my house, for that
type of bath you would want something very sweet, and
Florida is too spicy/musky due to the bergamot, clove,
cinnamon, and lemon in it. We would use Pompeiia Perfume,
Rose Cologne, Rose Water, or other sweet scented perfume
instead of the Florida Water.
© 2006 Mike Rock (mojomiguel@gmail.com)
============================================
HARVEY'S NECROMANTIC FLOORWASH #1 -- Filan
This preparation is used to clean and prepare areas and
tools used in Necromancy.
Hyssop [herb]
Florida Water [floral cologne]
Kolonia 1800 Sandelo (Sandalwood cologne)
5 hot peppers [herb]
Thyme [herb]
Vervain [herb]
Lemon Juice
Sugar, a pinch
Kananga Water[floral cologne]
Mullein [herb]
Mistletoe [herb]
Black Pepper [herb]
Ammonia, a few drops
Olive Oil, a few drops
("Not too much ... we ain't making salad here")
Fey Kapab [twigs]
(aka Florida Boxwood: used a lot in Haitian magic)
Nutmeg [powdered spice]
Cinnamon [powdered spice]
Allspice [powdered spice]
3-4 cups spring water
© 2001 Harvey, c/o Kevin Filan (mrharwer@excite.com)
============================================
HAITIAN LOVER OIL (FOR MEN ONLY) #1 -- Slater
Cinnamon
Anise
Orris
Clove
Sassafras
color: Red
An excellent formula for men only. Very effective when used
on a red female figure candle.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
HAITIAN LOVER OIL (FOR MEN ONLY) #1 -- yronwode commentary
This is one of Slater's more unusual concoctions. The
aroma is great. In African-American hoodoo tradition,
however, cinnamon and sassafras are used for money-drawing,
so one might consider this to be a gigolo's formula as well
as a man's love-drawing oil. Remember that cinnamon oil
needs to be cut with a carrier oil before it can be applied
to the skin -- and even then, i think it should be used only
as a candle-dressing oil and not as a genital-dressing
oil.
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
============================================
HENRY'S GRASS OIL See VAN VAN OIL
============================================
INFLAMMATORY CONFUSION OIL See CONFUSION OIL
============================================
JOHN THE CONQUEROR OIL #1 -- yronwode
John the Conqueror Oil traditionally consists of broken
pieces of John the Conqueror root (Ipomoea jalapa or I.
purga) steeped in Almond or another vegetable carrier oil
that has been tinted purple (or yellow); it is customary to
add essential oils as fragrance to suit. The oil can also
be made with powdered I. jalapa root. Some folks strain it
afterward; i don't.
To enhance the actual weird scent of John the Conqueror
root, from which no essential oil can be extracted, i
compound a "woodsy blend" scent, which smells quite a lot
like the John the Conqueror root itself. This fragrance is
NOT part of the "magic" in the oil, but it does serve as a
re-enforcer of what the real root smells like.
Let the root fragments and/or powder sit in the oil blend at
least a week before use -- a month is better. The root is
traditionally left in the bottle as it is used. If you are
making up small bottles (e.g. a dram vial or 1/2 oz.
bottle), you should put two or three pieces of root in each
bottle. If you work out of a large stock bottle (e.g. 4 oz.
or 16 oz.) be sure to refresh the root with new pieces each
time you top up the bottle.
BEWARE commercial John the Conqueror and High Conquering
oils! They rarely have the root in them. I will not name my
competitors whose products are made thus -- but all you have
to do is LOOK IN THE BOTTLE: If there is no root in it, and
it was made in a factory, it's very likely a fake.
For a picture and more information on Ipomoea jalapa, its
lore, and its role in the making of mojo bags as well as
oils, please see the Lucky W Amulet Archive page on John the
Conqueror root at
http://www.luckymojo.com/johntheconqueror.html
Cordially,
catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
KANANGA WATER
For an entire web page on Kananga Water, please see the Lucky
W Amulet Archive at
http://www.luckymojo.com/floridakanagawater.html
catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
© 2000 catherine yronwode
============================================
LOVE BATH #1 Courtesan's Pleasure -- Unknown author
Mix together a handful each of the fresh or dried herbs:
lavender flowers
rosemary
mint
crushed comfrey root
thyme
celandine
Put the mixture in an earthenware crock and pour 1 quart of
boiling water over it. Let stand covered for 20 minutes, and
then pour the clear portion into the tub. Get in and just
relax for 15 minutes. Take the phone off the hook, light
some candles, and dim the lights...Mmmmmmm.
author uncited, © 2000 unknown author
posted by Witchwoman / Lyz / Chandralyn / Elizabeth Mack
-----
LOVE BATH #2 Waterfall for Two -- Unknown author
Take one ounce each of the following:
rose buds
acacia flowers
orange buds
jasmine flowers
bay leaf
rosemary
myrtle
thyme
Add 1/2 teaspoonful of musk
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and add 1 ounce of the
mixed herbs (save the rest in an airtight jar for your next
liaison). Lower the heat and let simmer for about 10
minutes. Then turn off the heat and half fill your tub with
warm water. Strain the mixture and pour the clear liquid
into the tub. Add 25 drops of ambergris tincture and get
into the tub. Then, invite your True Love to come and soak
with you. If this doesn't get him in the mood...check his
pulse.
author uncited, © 2000 unknown author
posted by Witchwoman / Lyz / Chandralyn / Elizabeth Mack
-----
LOVE BATH #1 and #2 -- yronwode commentary
Note: Witchwoman failed to credit the original author, but
i suspect these recipes came from a book published in the
1970s or 1980s. The names of these baths, the chatty patter
about sex, and the unusual use of ingredients (e.g. using
Comfrey root in a love bath!) imply a post-modern, hippie,
or New Age author. Comfrey root had a great vogue in
popularity as a health and beauty aid beginning in the late
1960s. Prior to that time -- and since the 1990s -- its
major use in folk-magic was and is as a safe travel amulet
ensuring the helpfulness of those among whom one sojourns.
This is based on the doctrine of signatures, because Comfrey
can strike roots anywhere. -- cat
============================================
MAGIC MASSAGE OIL -- Unknown author
Mix:
6 drops of rose essential oil
4 drops of jasmine essential oil
4 drops of bergamot essential oil
8 drops of sandalwood essential oil
blended in 50cc of a massage oil base (I would use sweet
almond oil). Begin by massaging yourself until the aroma,
warmed by your body, gets to him. Then start to massage him.
Let him massage you. Soon the magic mixture will have the
two of you singing love's old sweet song.
author uncited, © 2000 unknown author
posted by Witchwoman / Lyz / Chandralyn / Elizabeth Mack
-----
MAGIC MASSAGE OIL #1 -- yronwode commenatry
As far as i can tell, this is another of ELizabeth Mack's
voluminous uncited plagiarisms from New Age and Neo-Pagan
books of the 1970s - 1990s. --cat
============================================
MARIE LAVEAU'S PEACE WATER
See PEACE WATER
============================================
MONEY DRAWING OIL #1 -- Malbrough
Mix equal parts of
Frankincense,
Myrrh
Sandalwood.
Add a piece of bayberry to each bottle
Add 2 Tbls. of this to 2 ounces of oil
from "Charms, Spells, and Formulas" by Ray Malbrough
© 1999 Ray Malbrough
posted by Jellyface (d1684@strato.net)
-----
MONEY DRAWING OIL #1 -- yronwode commentary
It is unclear in the above recipe for Money Drawing Oil if
what is added is bayberry leaf or bayberry root, or if the
frankincense, myrrh, and sandalwood are the essential oils
or the actual plant parts (gums and wood chips). -- cat
-----
MONEY DRAWING OIL #2 -- hoodoo shop formula
Bayberry Root
Bayberry Oil (usually only available as a synthetic)
Pyrite Chips
Top with carrier oil
(e.g. almond oil which has been dosed with Vitamin E)
cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html
© 1999 catherine yronwode
-----
MONEY DRAWING OIL #2 -- yronwode commentary
Here is an easy-to-make recipe, from my own collection. I
got this formula from a hoodoo shop owner in the 1970s. It
is simpler than the oil of the same name i make in my own
shop, but it was being sold under the same name for a number
of years.
============================================
PEACE WATER
MARIE LAVEAU'S PEACE WATER
FIVE HOLY WATERS
SEVEN HOLY WATERS
You can read an entire page about Peace Water at
http://www.luckymojo.com/peacewater.html
And you can order Peace Water from the Lucky Mojo
page of Baths and Washes at
http://www.luckymojo.com/mojocatbaths.html
If you want to make your own quick subsitute for Peace
Water, mix a little Olive Oil with Florida Water and Spring
Water and shake it up before use. Not much oil, just a
little. The idea is to spread oil upon troubled waters, you
see.
Also, there is another item that some folks call Peace Water
-- but more properly is called MARIE LAVEAU'S PEACE WATER or
FIVE HOLY WATERS or SEVEN HOLY WATERS, depending on how they
prepare it.
MARIE LAVEAU'S PEACE WATER or FIVE HOLY WATERS consists of
equal parts
Holy Water from a church
Spring Water
River Water
Rain Water
Ocean Water
-- five waters altogether, with no fragrance and no oil.
SEVEN HOLY WATERS is an elaboration of FIVE HOLY WATERS,
containing equal parts
Holy Water from a church
Spring Water
River Water
Rain Water
Ocean Water
Cologne (Florida Water or Hoyt's Cologne)
Whiskey
-- seven waters altogether, with some fragrance.
Marie Laveau's Five Holy Waters is used for the same
purposes as alcohol-water-and-oil blend recipes called Peace
Water, and i think that's how the name got transferred to
it. I have no idea if Marie Laveau used it or invented it --
or if "Marie Laveau" is just a name that got put on the
combination of five waters -- but she did live in New
Orleans, where there is a river and an ocean, so she could
have made it. I could make it too, come to think of it,
because i live near an ocean, but i have never offered it
for sale and no one has ever asked me for it. It's very
old-fashioned, and Catholic, to boot.
Don't buy so-called Peace Water that comes in a plastic
bottle and is thick and off-white, like hand lotion. That's
all it is -- hand lotion. Labelling hand lotion "Peace
Water" is something that dates back to the 1980s or so; i
first encountered it in L.A. in cheap botanicas back then.
It is gross.
© 2002 catherine yronwode
============================================
Q PERFUME OIL # 1 -- Slater
Myrrh
Peppermint
Carnation
color: Red
A highly stimulating oil used to entice anyone you deeply
desire. Impossible to resist.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
-----
Q PERFUME OIL # 1 -- yrownode commentary
The carnation oil in this would be, perforce, a synthetic
fragrance, because carnations, while delightfully aromatic,
yield no essential oil. The use of peppermint in (primarily
male) sex-drawing formulae is not unique to Herman Slater --
a popular recipe for "erection cream" also uses this scent.
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
============================================
SEPARATION POWDER #1 -- Slater
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Galangal
Black Pepper
Iron Filings
Vetivert
Bitter Aloes
Use when you desire to break any relationship. Creates
animosity between lovers and business associates. Forces an
eventual separation.
from "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
© 1999 Herman Slater
posted by "....." (inept1@usa.net)
-----
SEPARATION POWDER #1 -- yronwode commentary
This is probably the most traditional hoodoo-style
formula in Herman Slater's Neo-Pagan collection. I would
substitute ground-up lemon peels for the cinnamon (the
latter is more commonly found in money-drawing formulae,
while the former is one of the "cut and clear" scents) but
other than that small quibble, i think this is a good one,
and heavily symbolic, too, because Galangal, a.k.a. Little
John Chew or Court Case Root might land the couple in
divorce court!
Exact quantities for making this formula are
available in "The Magickal Formulary" by Herman Slater
for sale at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
-- cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
============================================
SEVEN HOLY WATERS
See PEACE WATER
============================================
VAN VAN OIL -- yronwode commentary
Van Van is essentially a lemongrass - citronella - palmarosa
- gingergrass - vetivert blend. The five species are closely
related Asian grasses, long cultivated for their fragrant
roots.
SIDE NOTE ON THE ERROR OF USING POPULAR NAMES TO DESCRIBE PLANTS:
Some people think that because it is named Van Van, this oil
must contain vanilla, but such is NOT the case.
Not only does Van Van never contain vanilla, the "rosa" in
palmarosa does NOT refer to roses, the "ginger" in
gingergrass does NOT refer to ginger roots, the "lemon" in
lemongrass does NOT refer to lemons, and the "citron" in
citronella does NOT refer to citrons!!! These are all simply
common names for species of ASIAN GRASSES.
To further complicate matters, vetivert, the last-named of
the above Asian grasses, is also known commercially as
khus-khus but it is not related in any way to the Moroccan
food product called cous-cous, made of wheat and chickpea
flour ... and chickpea flour is not in any way derived from
chickens. :-)
It's a common trap. Don't fall into it.
END OF ADMONITORY SIDE NOTE
These days, palmarosa oil and gingergrass are difficult
to obtain, but they can be found if yoiu are persistent.
The ingredients for Van Van Oil have always varied from
maker to maker, but the absence of any one or two of the
Asian Grass oils will not hurt the results much, for usually
the blend will focus on citrusy lemongrass and citronella,
with only a hint of musky vetivert, floral palmarosa, and
spicy gingergrass.
Here is Zora Neale Hurston's very basic Van Van Essence
formula:
--------------
ESSENCE OF VAN VAN #1 -- Hurston
10 per cent Oil of Lemon Grass in alcohol. (Different
doctors specify either grain, mentholated, or wood alcohol),
used for luck and power of all kinds. It is the most popular
conjure drug in New Orleans.
-- Zora Neale Hurston
--------------
Here's a better variation, made up as an oil:
--------------
VAN VAN OIL$ $2 -- variation
16 parts lemongrass oil
8 parts citronella oil
1 part vetivert oil
1 part palmarosa oil
1 part gingergrass oil if you can get it
Mix together and let sit for at least week. This is your
stock oil. Do not apply it directly, for like all uncut
essential oils, it can be a skin irritant to some people.
Therefore:
In each 1/2 oz. bottle of VAN VAN OIL to be made up, place
a pinch of dried lemongrass leaves
a pinch of crushed pyrite crystals
one full standard dropper-full of the above stock blend
Fill the bottle with undyed almond oil as a carrier
This is an old, authentic formula for VAN VAN OIL and i
vouch for it in every way.
--------------
A highly simplified, cheap version of Van Van Oil is
sometimes found under the name Henry's Grass Oil.
--------------
HENRY'S GRASS OIL #1 -- hoodoo shop, 1980s
lemongrass oil
a pinch of dried lemongrass leaves
Put a dropper-full of the essential oil and a pinch of the
dried leaves in a 1/2 oz. bottle and fill the bottle with
undyed cooking oil as a carrier.
--------------
For an entire web page on Van Van Oil, please see the Lucky
W Amulet Archive at
http://www.luckymojo.com/vanvan.html
For more on the intertwined history of Chinese Wash and Van
Van Oil, please see the Lucky W Amulet Archive page on
ritual baths and floor washes at
http://www.luckymojo.com/baths.html
catherine yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html
© 1999 catherine yronwode
============================================
YULA PERFUME OIL / YULA DEATH OIL -- Slater
HooDooBear (hoodoobear@aol.com) wrote:
> Papa Jim sold a formula called "Yula". Its caption read
> "Never use unless the death of an enemy is desired." I don't
> know what might be in it, but I also saw it listed in a file I
> downloaded called "Magical Formulary." This is what it gave -
>
> ------------------------------------------
>
> YULA PERFUME OIL #!
>
> Black
>
> Melon
> Rose
> Lavender
> Wisteria
>
> Never use except when the death of an enemy is desired.
> Will reverse its mighty power if used for any other reason.
>
> ------------------------------------------
>
> Looks more like a love potion to me. Has anyone ever
> heard of it?
-----
YULA PERFUME OIL / YULA DEATH OIL -- yronwode commentary
"The Magickal Formulary" was written by the late Herman
Slater, the proprietor of a now-defunct occult shop in
New York City called The Magickal Childe. Since the
author's death, it has been circulating widely on the web
without his name attached.
There is a also web site run by two brothers, one of
whom was Herman Slater's store manager for a while. They
claim exclusive rights to the book and are publishing it in
print form, keeping Herman's name on the book. Their site
is at http://www.angelfire.com/ego/magickalchilde
I believe that Herman had no heirs, so this may be a
case of their grabbing at something left unattended and
trying to make a buck -- or perhaps Herman did make them his
literary executors ... who knows? I asked them and they
refused to tell me, and that's all i know about that.
[Disclaimer: My only connection to Herman Slater is
that i used to sell him self-interpreting astrological chart
blanks of my own devising and design, which he sold in his
shop.]
The Slater "Magickal Formulary" itself, regardless of its
disputed copyright status, is a completely mixed bag. For
one thing, very little, if any of it, was written by Herman
Slater (who also ripped off other works by other authors and
placed his name and copyright notice on them). I have been
in contact with several of his ex-employees who claimed to
have "made up" certain formulas in the book or who named
other people and the formulas they created. T
he book contains some genuine old-time hoodoo formulas
similar to ones i use, some very good (and
expensive-to-make) resin-and-sandalwood-based incense
recipes Herman must have obtained from an old-timer with a
background in Indian-style incense compounding, some
comeplety faked-together attempts to recreate Medieval
perfumes for which better and more accurate formulas can be
found in other books, and some truly stupid weirdness which
looks like his attempt to satisfy customers who asked for
oils by names for which he or his store personnel had no
formulas. These latter bear no resemblance to the way those
oils were prepared in other shops or by other manufacturers
during Herman's lifetime, and they contain no link to the
attributions or symbolisms bfound in European-American or
African-American plant-lore or natural magic.
Take Slater's supposed recipe for the "death" oil,
Yula Perfume Oil. The ingredients are:
> Melon
> Rose
> Lavender
> Wisteria
Symbolically, fragrant melons such as cantelope and
musk melons are traditional offerings to the Orisha Oshun,
an African goddess or nature spirit whose home is in
fresh-water rivers, and whose aid is sought in matters of
love. However, these fruits do not yield up an essential
oil, and thus "Melon" is an artifical scent. Melon fragrance
appears in some modern fruit-scented shampoos, like Finesse.
Its use in this oil marks the Slater formula as fairly
recent. To roughly date it, i looked through my library.
Melon fragrance is not mentioned at all in the 1907
Henley edition of the 1897 English translation of "Perfumes
and Their Preparation" by Furst, Askinson, and Rice. (And
this book, by the way, does contain formulae for magical
perfumes like Kiss Me Quick and such!)
The earliest recipe for synthetic Melon fragrance i found
in my own library appears in the 2-volume 1932 4th edition
of "Perfumes, Cosmetics, and Soaps With Especial Reference
to Synthetics" by William A. Poucher; the numbers to the
left of the ingredients are weights in grammes:
----------------------------
Melon Base No. 1349
150 Ethyl acetate,
100 Ethyl formate
150 Ethyl butyrate
400 Ethyl valarianate
50 Ethyl pelargonate
4 Benzyl acetone
5 Eugenol
1 Gamma undecalactone
100 Ethyl sebacate
30 Lemon oil
10 Vanillin
------
1000
----------------------------
I don't know about you, but i wouldn't offer that mess of
chemicals to a river goddess and i wouldn't associate it
with "death," either.
Rose is a traditional love herb. It produces a natural
essential oil called Rose Otto or Attar of Roses. Rose Otto
is very expensive, so many modern compounders use a
synthetic in its place. Some folks, like me, who are
traditionalists-within-a-budget, mix genuine Rose Otto into
a larger batch of synthetic rose scent to produce a
synthetic-natural fragrance blend that is affordable yet
still retains the herbal essence that should be there.
Lavender is used in magic for love and friendship, and
also has medical uses, for instance, as a revivifier for
those suffering from headaches. It produces a natural
essential oil that is relatively inexpensive and easy to
acquire.
Wisteria (more properly spelled Wistaria because it
was named after a botanist named Wistar) is a large
flowering vine in the pea family. The flowers are fragrant
but they cannot be used to distill an essential oil,
therefore chemists have created an artifical compound to
smell like Wistaria flowers. This artificial Wistaria became
popular in the 1920s, as i mentioned here recently, and was
especially noted as the scent in a then-extremely-popular
brand called Vantine's Wisteria Incense, which was burned to
draw luck.
To get a tentative date on the intrioduction of synthetic
Wistaria fragrance, i again consulted my perfumery books:
Wistaria fragrance does not appear in the 1907 Henley
edition of the 1897 English translation of "Perfumes and
Their Preparation" by Furst, Askinson, and Rice, but,
decades later, it can be found in the 2-volume 1932 4th
edition of "Perfumes, Cosmetics, and Soaps With Especial
Reference to Synthetics" by William A. Poucher.
So my dating Wistaria to the 1920s seems accurate,
within the limited research i was able to conduct.
In Poucher's book you will find this recipe for creating
Wistaria fragrance; the numbers to the left are weights in
grammes:
----------------------------
Glycine No. 1127 (Wistaria)
180 Hawthorn No. 1937
[itself a synthetic compound containing such
yummy things as Phenylacetic aldehyde -- cat]
50 Eugenol
100 Methyl Ionone
120 Hydroxy-citronellal
70 Ylang oil -- Bourbon
80 Rose centifolia No. 1091
[a synthetic blend, not Rose Otto -- cat]
190 Jasmin No. 1055
[another synthetic blend -- cat]
100 Terpinol
40 Coumarin
60 Heliotropin
30 Musk ketone
-----
1000
----------------------------
Well, that's "Wistaria" -- which Herman Slater did
not make up from scratch, of course, but bought from some
fragrance supplier.
So this supposed "death" oil consists of two
love-herb-based essential oils (for one of which the maker
probably substituted a cheaper synthetic scent), a synthetic
floral scent, and a synthetic fruit scent, plus black dye.
I dunno, but even with the black dye, this list of
ingredients doesn't smell like "death" to me.
I mean, if Herman Slater or Papa Jim were going for
a death smell and death ingredients with their Yula Oil,
where's the Asafoetida, the Sulphur, the Patchouli, the
Vandal Root, the Hot Chilis, the Snake sheds, the Spiders,
and the Graveyard Dirt?
Were they out to kill someone with this mess or just
mix up a batch of sweet-and-fruity shampoo?
© 2002 catherine yronwode
Hoodoo Herb & Root Magic
http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodooherbmagic.html
----------------------------
YULA DEATH OIL and HERMAN SLATER IN MEMORIUM #1 -- Wilson commentary
The Magickal Formulary" was plagiarized and assembled by
Herman Slater. He was first and foremost a thief and a
con-man.
I had dealings with him back in the very early 70s, when
he was often referred to in the emerging neo-pagan community
as "Slurman Hater" because of the viciousness with which he
attacked anybody who questioned him. He took whatever he
could find and offered it as his own creation, his primary
purpose to sell through his shop. He could care less where
it came from or how accurate it was.
An example is "The Book of Pagan Rituals" which was
actually written as a collaborative effort by Ed Fitch,
myself, and two others. We circulated the entire thing for
the price of postage. Slater took it, claimed it as his
own, and got Weiser to publish it. There are also other
things that we created that he appropriated for himself.
He was a contemptible piece of shit and I hope he rots
in hell.
© 2002 Joseph B. Wilson (papabear@shamanist.net)
----------------------------
YULA DEATH OIL and HERMAN SLATER IN MEMORIUM #2 -- Hansen comentary
Herman Slater opened his original store in Brooklyn New
York, calling it the Warlock Shop, in or around 1969. He
was associated with a guy named Edward Buszinski (sp) at the
time, and the association continued for quite some time.
Herman Slater moved his business to Manhattan, and later
changed the name to the Magickal Child. His goal was to
become more accepted, as the idea of the 'Warlock Shop' put
too many people off. By 1975 he was established in
Manhattan. He hired any number of people who came through
his shop, learned what he could from them, and ditched them
as soon as he could. He also sponsored a number of
different groups, covens and so forth. He sponsored the
only nude mixed sex Pagan Way grove I have ever heard of,
about 1972. I have no idea how long it lasted.
He stole anyone's material that he could. He sold
material whenever he could to others to publish for him, and
he published the Necronomicon, first a transcription of a
Babylonian religious text, in cunic Babylonian, and later a
written edition which he claimed was 'authentic' that he and
some friends had written while high one night. (Or one
weekend, I disremember which)
He sold the rights to the Pagan Way material to Donald
Weiser for $500.00, because he needed the money. Don
Weiser had no idea where the material came from. Slater
often identified himself as the publisher and originator of
the "Crystal Well," a witchcraft magazine of the '70s. In
fact, he had nothing at all to do with it.
He was diagnosed with AIDS in 1979, and this was the
eventual cause of his death. By the time of his death he
had sold the Magickal Child to a British guy, who seems to
have lost it or failed in the business.
Joseph Wilson has described Herman's personal character
better than I could. Professionally, I will say that he was
a cheat, liar, fraud, and a fake.
He is not missed in the community of those who practice
the arcane arts as he was never a member of it.
Best Wishes,
John M Hansen
© 2002 John M Hansen (jmhansen@erols.com)
----------------------------
YULA DEATH OIL and HERMAN SLATER IN MEMORIUM #3 -- Wilcom commentary
Well, actually I hesitated to say he was a contemptible
piece of shit because I didn't want anybody to think I
thought he had any redeeming qualties.
Joseph
© 2002 Joseph B. Wilson (papabear@shamanist.net)
----------------------------
YULA DEATH OIL and HERMAN SLATER IN MEMORIUM #4 -- yronwode commentary
I try to be very circumspect with my wording in any posts
commenting on the magical formulae of Herman Slater -- i
received childhood training to not speak ill of the dead --
but Joseph B. Wilson and John M. Hansen just came right out
and said what they think. I have included their comments
as a fitting tribute to the work of Herman Slater, because
people often ask me if his recipes are any good -- and where
he got them. Henceforth i shall refer querents about Slater
to the YULA DEATH OIL section of the archive, than which no
better memorial can be found.
© 2002 cat yronwode (cat@luckymojo.com)
----------------------------
YULA DEATH OIL and HERMAN SLATER IN MEMORIUM #5 -- Hansen commentary
See also
Errata to Herman Slater's Magickal Formulary by John M. Hansen
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