Hoodoo, Rootwork, Conjure
HERB POWDERS AND SPRINKLING BLENDS
Scattering herbs and powders is a common way of invoking the
influence of the herbs to achieve your magical intent. They are dusted around
places of business to improve sales, scattered in bedrooms to light the spark
of love, and sprinkled over people to bless or protect them. Powders are
particularly common in traditional American folk magic and hoodoo where there are
hundreds of them in common use. They are a relatively easy product,
scattering herbs are single herbs or blends that are spread around a
home, store, property or other sort of place to produce a magical intent.
Powders are finely ground dried herbs, mixtures of herbs, or oils added to a
base of talcum powder. A coffee grinder is useful in grinding the herbs
finely to make powders although you may use a mortar and pestle. You want the
herbs truly powdered, a very fine mixture without large bits scattered
through it.
Any recipe for oil may be made into a powder by adding the oil blend
to a small quantity of unscented talcum powder or a blend of Kaolin clay (
available at most heath food stores) and cornstarch, or rice flour.
Some recommend using powdered tempura paints for color, but I don't like
that idea if you are planning on burning the powder, I don't trust the
chemicals in the paint to be safe enough to breathe. I prefer to color my powders
with food coloring. Most sachet blends may be made into powders by finely
grinding them. I would avoid grinding those that have resins in them
however since they gum up your coffee grinder. Although using a bit of
alcohol in the grinder with the resins does help keep it gum free. I would grind
those separately, then clean the grinder and powder the rest of the
ingredients if you wish to powder your resins this way. It is easier to purchase
finely ground resins for use in powders than to grind them yourself.
Consider also that some things will tend to stain items they are dusted on such as
turmeric, saffron, dragon's blood resin, and avoid them or use them only
outside or on objects which won't be damaged. Also, some resins leave
a sticky residue when sprinkled such as pine. With most powders a light
touch is preferred when sprinkling, if you can see a green path through your
living room, you may have been a bit heavy handed.
Powders may be dusted onto your altar to enhance your magical
workings, sprinkled onto ritual objects to strengthen the connection to your
magical intent, or blown into the air to spread their magical influence
through a room or place. You may add a protection powder to the casting of the
circle ritual, sprinkling it around the sacred space. Using powders is
something you will need to use your imagination for. If you plan to dust the
powder on yourself it would be a good idea to test a bit of it on a small patch
of skin to see if you may be allergic to any of it's ingredients first.
That love powder won't work as well if you have hives!
Below there is a table that gives some traditional uses of scattering
herbs and below that are some recipes for powders. They all must be
dedicated to the magical intent through ritual to bring out their power. You should
invoke their power via ritual and visualization with a proper
consecration to your magical purpose, utilizing the appropriate day and time
correspondences. This is important if you want them to work properly.
Herbs Traditionally Scattered for Various Magical Purposes
Magical Intent Herbs
Exorcism Avens, Bay, Black Pepper with Salt, Chili Pepper, Cumin, Garlic, Horehound, Horseradish, Hydrangea Bark, Lilac, Nettle, Pine Needles, Sandalwood, Tamarisk, Yarrow Love Basil, Orris, Rose Petals, Vetivert, Witch Grass Lust Deerstongue, Galangal, Periwinkle Peaceful Home Dragon's Blood, Dulse, Eryngo, Gardenia Blossoms, Lavender, Loosestrife, Meadowsweet, Olive Leaves, Passion Flower, Purslane, Rose Petals Prosperity Alfalfa Ashes, Cinnamon, Ginger, Orange Peel, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Sarsaparilla Protection Ague Root, Angelica, Ash Leaves, Barley, Basil, Betony, Buckwheat Flour, Burdock, Chamomile, Chili Pepper, Dragon's Blood, Grain, Ivy, Mustard Seed, Tumeric Purification Bay, Betony, Basil, Chili Pepper, Cumin, Dragon's Blood, Horseradish, Loosestrife, Mint, Nettle, Sandalwood, Wintergreen
Scattering herbs and powders is a common way of invoking the
influence of the herbs to achieve your magical intent. They are dusted around
places of business to improve sales, scattered in bedrooms to light the spark
of love, and sprinkled over people to bless or protect them. Powders are
particularly common in traditional American folk magic and hoodoo where there are
hundreds of them in common use. They are a relatively easy product,
scattering herbs are single herbs or blends that are spread around a
home, store, property or other sort of place to produce a magical intent.
Powders are finely ground dried herbs, mixtures of herbs, or oils added to a
base of talcum powder. A coffee grinder is useful in grinding the herbs
finely to make powders although you may use a mortar and pestle. You want the
herbs truly powdered, a very fine mixture without large bits scattered
through it.
Any recipe for oil may be made into a powder by adding the oil blend
to a small quantity of unscented talcum powder or a blend of Kaolin clay (
available at most heath food stores) and cornstarch, or rice flour.
Some recommend using powdered tempura paints for color, but I don't like
that idea if you are planning on burning the powder, I don't trust the
chemicals in the paint to be safe enough to breathe. I prefer to color my powders
with food coloring. Most sachet blends may be made into powders by finely
grinding them. I would avoid grinding those that have resins in them
however since they gum up your coffee grinder. Although using a bit of
alcohol in the grinder with the resins does help keep it gum free. I would grind
those separately, then clean the grinder and powder the rest of the
ingredients if you wish to powder your resins this way. It is easier to purchase
finely ground resins for use in powders than to grind them yourself.
Consider also that some things will tend to stain items they are dusted on such as
turmeric, saffron, dragon's blood resin, and avoid them or use them only
outside or on objects which won't be damaged. Also, some resins leave
a sticky residue when sprinkled such as pine. With most powders a light
touch is preferred when sprinkling, if you can see a green path through your
living room, you may have been a bit heavy handed.
Powders may be dusted onto your altar to enhance your magical
workings, sprinkled onto ritual objects to strengthen the connection to your
magical intent, or blown into the air to spread their magical influence
through a room or place. You may add a protection powder to the casting of the
circle ritual, sprinkling it around the sacred space. Using powders is
something you will need to use your imagination for. If you plan to dust the
powder on yourself it would be a good idea to test a bit of it on a small patch
of skin to see if you may be allergic to any of it's ingredients first.
That love powder won't work as well if you have hives!
Below there is a table that gives some traditional uses of scattering
herbs and below that are some recipes for powders. They all must be
dedicated to the magical intent through ritual to bring out their power. You should
invoke their power via ritual and visualization with a proper
consecration to your magical purpose, utilizing the appropriate day and time
correspondences. This is important if you want them to work properly.
Herbs Traditionally Scattered for Various Magical Purposes
Magical Intent Herbs
Exorcism Avens, Bay, Black Pepper with Salt, Chili Pepper, Cumin, Garlic, Horehound, Horseradish, Hydrangea Bark, Lilac, Nettle, Pine Needles, Sandalwood, Tamarisk, Yarrow Love Basil, Orris, Rose Petals, Vetivert, Witch Grass Lust Deerstongue, Galangal, Periwinkle Peaceful Home Dragon's Blood, Dulse, Eryngo, Gardenia Blossoms, Lavender, Loosestrife, Meadowsweet, Olive Leaves, Passion Flower, Purslane, Rose Petals Prosperity Alfalfa Ashes, Cinnamon, Ginger, Orange Peel, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Sarsaparilla Protection Ague Root, Angelica, Ash Leaves, Barley, Basil, Betony, Buckwheat Flour, Burdock, Chamomile, Chili Pepper, Dragon's Blood, Grain, Ivy, Mustard Seed, Tumeric Purification Bay, Betony, Basil, Chili Pepper, Cumin, Dragon's Blood, Horseradish, Loosestrife, Mint, Nettle, Sandalwood, Wintergreen
