The Spellcaster's Source Hoodoo and Voodoo Witchcraft Blog of Talia Felix

Many hoodoo formulas are related to one another, sometimes very closely. Some formulas, Lovers formula versus Love formula, are just manufacturer specific names for what is essentially the same product (or at least a product meant to get the same result.) Sometimes people wonder, what's the difference between Uncrossing and Van Van ? What's the difference between Road Opener and Blockbuster ? First things first: Road Opener, aka Abre Camino, is not a traditional hoodoo formula, it's a Latin American loaner that has come in relatively recently along with a lot of Santeria and Brujeria practices. This is why it seems to cover the same ground that several other old hoodoo mixtures do. Blockbuster might also be in this same boat, though my evidence on this is less sure -- nonetheless it does seem to be a newer formula, in relative terms ( the word "blockbuster" is only datable to around 1940 ) and often sold with an alternate Spanish name "Arrasa con T...

Historical recipes of Van Van indicate it was originally one of the standard alcohol perfumes of conjure , and due to its power evolved into being made up as oils, powders, etc. It can be hard to adapt some of the old time recipes for this reason -- for example, Van Van oil doesn't dissolve in water like some of the recipes expect, and doesn't light easily on fire (this procedure was used to add strength to candles: one would light the flame of the candle wick from the Van Van perfume set on fire.)  A straight perfume that can be used like old time Van Van, or applied in other creative ways like sprayed on your hairbrush, on your cloth covered clothes-hangers, on a plain piece of paper in your briefcase or school-bag, on your clothing before wearing it, etc. Shampoo or soap in a Van Van scent is a great way to remove and keep off curses, hexes, jinxes and other negative influences. Scented sachet bags like this can be laid wherever you store clothing or bedding to gentl...

In very traditional old time hoodoo magic, virtually all troubles were attributed to somebody having placed a jinx or curse on the subject to create problems for them. Consequently, curse removing formulas and recipes were used to cure these kinds of ailments -- mixtures like Uncrossing or Van Van being amongst the earliest hoodoo formulas for the purpose. Modern hoodoo tends to feel differently and expects that a certain amount of struggle and misfortune is natural in a person's life; but for those cases when one does not wish to be held back anymore, there is a formula called Blockbuster which can be employed to bust down obstacles and clear the way to happiness and success. Blockbuster is usually used with a black candle, and it is said by some that it should be combined with another cleansing formula like Van Van or Purification for best results because it is designed to only break blockages but not to clear them away. I personally like to always mix Blockbuster with...

The original recipe for cologne was reputedly given to St. Elizabeth of Hungary by an angel -- the concoction was known as "Hungary Water" and was used primarily as a medicine, rather than just a mere fragrance. Charles Godfrey Leland remarked that it therefore was appropriate hoodoo practitioners would use such a substance for feeding their conjure bags and other talismans. The term cologne actually comes from a later preparation, Cologne Water (named for the German city.) The original Cologne Water is a spirit-citrus perfume launched in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina (1685–1766), an Italian perfume maker from Santa Maria Maggiore Valle Vigezzo, Italy. In 1708, Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain". He named his fragrance Cologne Water, in honour of his new hometown. The Original Cologne Water composed by Farina was used on...

With the modern hoodoo tradition, there's a pre-made formula for near everything.  Some folks accuse this of being done "just to sell products" but note that this is in fact a longer ongoing tradition than modern Wicca. It's no more done "just to sell products" than a cookbook is "just to sell groceries." It is how these spells are performed. Those with very little money can struggle with this fact. Now, it's not to say that using pre-made formulas is the only way to practice, and there are also many old workings that can be done with plain herbs . However, if you live in an urban environment as most people do nowadays, you will probably still have to purchase the herbs, and in many cases it's actually cheaper to just buy the made formula than to buy all the herbal ingredients individually.  For those who really don't like to buy specialty ingredients, I have collected several spells in my book Homemade Hoodoo that can be done using co...

I don't use a lot of commercially made magical powders. Frankly, it is usually cheaper and often easier to just grind up my own herbs or else multitask a bit of incense powder for the purpose. However, in cases where one needs to influence another person, and has access to them, I have discovered powder to be the best mode of working on them. If all you're able to do is long-distance work, stick with candles and incense; but if you are working on someone you can visit in person, or at least access their personal effects or their home or work, this is where powder becomes a value. It can be deployed in various ways: sprinkle the floors, drop a bit in the corners of the building, blow it around the room, and so on. It has been my own experience that putting it on something they will touch is the strongest method to work this. Why should an identical oil formula not work just as well for this? Well, it's a good question. My guess is that it's because oil is sticky and...