Friday, October 13, 2017

Friday the 13th: Myth, Superstition, or Reality?



One of my earliest memories about Friday the 13th as a day other than what is commonly portrayed in the media was when we were in Germany at an army base where my father was stationed. I remember it well; it was a sunny day and I was sitting on the grass outside. A soldier whom I did not know walked by me, looked at me and said “Happy Red Day.” I remember thinking to myself...what is he talking about? And then I remembered it was Friday the Thirteenth, and it must be something about this day that he is referring to.
     
But why did he say that to me? I still don’t know the answer to that question; but, what we did find out was that he was the resident Satanist who was on a mission to infiltrate my life at the ripe young age of, oh yeah, did I mention...13?
     
Sounds like the beginnings of a scary movie, right? Well, nothing crazy happened, we did get to know him a little and get inside the thinking of a Satanist in the army in Germany at that time. My mother never allowed me to be alone with him and instead engaged in a useful dialogue that prompted me to learn more about the meaning of this “Red Day.”

The Origin of Friday the 13th


Apparently, there is no definitive date for the origin of the dreaded day of special misfortune. While there is evidence to suggest that the number thirteen was considered unlucky prior to the 20th century, there is no definitive link between Friday and the number 13, or so “they” say. I used to take that at face value, but not so much anymore. Actually, when you consider all of the origin stories, there are all kinds of connections between Fridays and thirteens.

There are some who insist that Friday the 13th is a modern conceptual invention. According to this theory, the first recorded mention of a Friday the 13th occurred in 1907 with the publication of Thomas W. Lawson's popular novel, Friday, the Thirteenth. The storyline of the book tells of a stockbroker who exploits the superstition to create a panic on Wall Street on Friday the 13th. Obviously, it doesn’t make sense that this book is the first mention of Friday the 13th because the author had to draw from earlier superstitious beliefs about Friday the 13th to propel the plot of the novel. In my mind then, this origin story is crossed off the list.

So, what’s the deal then? Well, another theory is proposed by Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina. According to Dossey, who is also a folklore historian, the phobia associated with Friday the 13th is the result of an ancient combination of two separate negative associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. Okay, so if something bad happens on a Friday, and it happens to be the 13th, then...that make Friday the 13th a day for bad luck? Well, considering bad things have happened to people on every other day of the week and on every other date as well, there’s got to be more to it than that. But, I do understand the psychology behind this explanation.

Some suggest Friday has always been considered to be an unlucky day. For example, there is the reference made by Chaucer in his 14th-century book The Canterbury Tales, where he states Friday is considered a day of misfortune and ill luck: “...and on a Friday fell all this mischance.” Another explanation is based on the Christian belief that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. I can certainly agree this was a bad day for Jesus.

But wait, there’s more! We can’t overlook Wall Street’s perpetuation of the superstition for decades. On Oct. 13, 1989, Wall Street experienced what was at the time the second largest drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in history. As a result, the day was nicknamed the Friday-the-13th mini-crash.

And finally, we can’t let Hollywood off the hook. “Fridays will never be the same again” was the tagline to Paramount Pictures 1980 release of Friday the 13th, starring Jason, every horror movie buff’s favorite slasher. Born on Friday the 13th, Jason chooses to make that day even more meaningful by seeking revenge on folks who are similar in behavior and appearance to those who allowed him to drown in Crystal Lake.

But long before the Friday the 13th mini-crash of 1989, Lawson’s 1905 novel Friday the Thirteenth, and Jason, for that matter, we find peculiar associations with the number 13. For example, it is curiously omitted in the list of laws in ancient Babylon's (circa 1772 BC) Code of Hammurabi. No one seems to know what the reason was for the omission. And, there is an age-old myth that if 13 people dine together, one will die within a year. The myth is said to derive from both the Last Supper when Jesus dined with the 12 Apostles prior to his death and a prevalent Norse myth.

Blame it on Loki

Okay, so let’s blame it on the trickster. Apparently, twelve gods were having a dinner party at Valhalla, the majestic Norse hall presided over by Odin and where half of those who die in battle go to upon death. An uninvited 13th guest arrived, the mischievous Loki. Ever the trickster, Loki manipulated Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot the god of joy and gladness, Balder the Beautiful, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.

After Hoder shot Balder, the whole earth grew dark. Balder died and all of Earth mourned. It was an awfully unlucky day. Since then, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding.


The Da Vinci Code

Loki could be the end of it, but just for shits and giggles let’s take a look at a theory made famous through the DaVinci Code. In the book, a connection is drawn between the slaughtering of the Knights Templar by the Church and Friday the 13th. The Knights Templar were the wealthy, powerful and legendary order of warrior monks formed during the Christian Crusades. Historically, the arrest of Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, did occur on Friday, Oct. 13, 1307. The event marked their demise by the Church and state for fictitious crimes such as heresy, blasphemy, various obscenities, and homosexual practices. Hundreds of members of the Order died excruciating deaths by torture and burning at the stake.  Friday the 13th was indeed an unlucky day for the Knight’s Templar.   

Obviously, it is impossible to determine the exact origin of the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th. That said, there are innumerable superstitions related to this day and date that warrant mentioning simply because people observe them—a LOT of them—and they aren't going away any time soon. But what about good luck? Is there anything lucky about the number 13?

Is There Such a Thing as Lucky 13?


Consider this, despite its bad luck associations in superstition, the number 13 is considered in a positive light in esoteric traditions. It is the number of mystical manifestation. For example:
  • The teachings of Jesus are centered on the formula of 12 + 1 (Jesus plus his 12 disciples). According to Pythagoras, one added to 12 creates the unlimited number of 13. It is this formula that allows miracles such as the multiplication of fish and loaves.
  • Thirteen is the number of the Great Goddess, represented by 13 lunar cycles to a year.
  • Contemporary witches consider thirteen to be a lucky number. 
  • In the Kabbalistic system, numbers are equated with letters, and the number 13 is equated with love and unity since the Hebrew letters for love and unity both equal 13. 
  • Thirteen is the cosmic law of destiny: death through failure and regeneration. 
  • And hey, let's don't forget the Baker's Dozen...Okay, so that's not esoteric, but it is a good thing, right? I mean, who doesn't like an extra donut?


Superstition or Reality?

Clearly, there are many explanations for the association between Friday and the number 13; yet, none of them adequately answer the question regarding the absolute origin of the superstition. We’ve looked at origin stories and superstitions and beliefs, both bad and good. Its prevalence is undeniable. However, the whole topic warrants another question. Is there anything to it?

Indeed, inquiring minds want to know. Friday the 13th has been the subject of formal research. One way to measure whether or not an actual phenomenon exists is to analyze statistical data related to the prevalence of traffic accidents and hospital admissions that occur on Friday the 13th as compared to other days of the week.

According to research completed at the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics in 2008, there were fewer accidents and reports of theft or fire on Friday the 13th than on other Fridays.

On the other hand, there is this bit of information published on News.com.au website:

One of the few reputable research papers on the matter - published in the British Medical Journal in 1993 - found that there was a higher risk of road accidents on Friday the 13th than on other Fridays. It found the risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent on Friday the 13th, compared to Friday the 6th.

Another study on the topic, conducted by Professor Simo Nayha from Finland's University of Oulu in 2004, found women, in particular, were at higher risk of dying in a road accident on Friday the 13th, compared with other Fridays. And he offered this conclusion: "Friday the 13th may be a dangerous day for women, largely because of anxiety from superstition.


Whatever—don’t get me started on the female focus of the latter research which is annoyingly reminiscent of the 19th-century-no-longer-recognized medical diagnosis of female hysteria. The problem with conducting research on Friday the 13th, aside from possible gender bias, is that it is impossible to control specific variables. For example, some people take extra caution when doing anything that day, whether they are driving or taking a shower. Still, others simply avoid going out altogether. Surely these conditions would affect the outcome of any research regarding the incidence of accidents on Friday the 13th.


Friday the 13th Remedies

Friday the 13th always occurs at least once a year in the Gregorian calendar and can appear up to three times in any one year. In 2017, there are two incidences of the dreaded day: January 13, and October 13. So, is there anything that can be done to prevent possible bad luck for believers?

Fortunately for paraskevidekatriaphobics, a number of remedies exist. You can escape to high ground, stand on your head and eat a piece of gristle (yum!) or burn all of your socks with holes in them for protection from inevitable. Or, you can carry a Friday the 13th lucky talisman.

Talisman magick goes back infinitesimally in the civilization of humankind, or by some estimates over 4,120 years. A talisman is a small amulet or other object, often bearing magical symbols, worn for protection against evil spirits or the supernatural. 

There are the interesting talismans that are said to protect us from the evils of Friday the 13th. An 1896 Illinois newspaper article reports on the sale of rabbits’ feet decorated in gold to help ward off the “voodoo of Friday the 13th.” Another form of talisman is the magic square. A magic square is a 4 x 4 square with the sum of each of 4 rows, 4 columns and 2 diagonals always the same, "magic" total. They are found in a number of cultures, including Egypt and India, engraved on stone or metal and worn as talismans, the belief being that magic squares have astrological and divinatory qualities, their usage ensuring longevity and prevention of diseases.

Bonne chance and good luck on Friday the 13th, wherever you are!



References
Guiley, R.E. (1999). The Encyclopedia of witches and witchcraft. New York: Checkmark Books.
Roach, John. "Friday the 13th Phobia Rooted in Ancient History", National Geographic News, August 12, 2004, p. Page 1. Retrieved on July 13, 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th



*The above article is excerpted from Hoodoo Almanac 2014-2015.




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Sunday, February 8, 2015

Stupid Belial Worshiper, Jambalaya and Sweet Tea

An endearing message received today from
Arnis Osis, Gods love him, who not only thinks its a good idea to send a
photo of his young child to a complete stranger, it seems he's
unknowingly doing a little conjurin' himself.
Read more at http://www.voodoomuse.org/#grPOMZpzAppvUZhw.99
The Voodoo Muse Online Magazine of Sweet Tea

Thursday, January 15, 2015

High Desert Hoodoo: Tumbleweed Conjure



WHEN I FIRST MOVED OUT TO THE SOUTHWEST, I didn’t think I would be encountering much Hoodoo like we see in the Louisiana. After all, it is Native American and Latino cultures that predominate out here—swamps and other bodies of water are conspicuously absent. The ground is dry and arid and there is a marked absence of greenery; instead, dust devils and tumbleweeds abound. Granted, it is not like this everywhere in the state of Arizona, and that is one thing I love about it here. There are mountains and forests and high deserts and low deserts, dry river beds, lakes and rocks and stones of all kinds. In fact, it is geological heaven out here.

The icon of the American southwest, the tumble weed, however, is actually not American at all. Its origin is in Russia, and apparently made its way here sometime in 1873 or 1874 vis-a-vis a contaminated shipment of flax seeds. The seeds were sown on a farm in South Dakota and the rest is botanical history. Called Russian thistle or Salsola, each mature Salsola plant has over a quarter of a million seeds on it, and each seed is protected by tiny thorns. Trust me, they are impossible to touch without being stuck in a nasty way. Tumbleweed is like the cockroach of the botanical world. It is impervious to all manner of destruction, and if you enter into a battle with it and think you will win, you are sadly mistaken. They come back bigger, badder, and stronger than ever, with a million tiny thorny troops on their trail.




Tumbleweeds disconnect from the earth once they die and give themselves to the wind which blows them around the country, with no real rhyme or reason. They come in all sizes and shapes and some folks have taken to using them as decoration. I’ve seen snowmen made from them and created in various outdoor artistic folk sculptures. People making art out of tumbleweeds have ceased to fight the futile fight, instead choosing to make lemonade out of the lemons.    

Using the Law of Similarities, we can apply these natural observances as magickal correspondences for tumbleweeds in hoodoo and rootwork. In hoodoo, tumbleweeds can be used to make a person move from place to place, dry up and whither away, become isolated from others. Or, they can be used to spread something far and wide, whatever that something (your intention) may be. Even better is their use in defensive and offensive magic. They are indestructible, regenerate at unprecedented rates, and hurt when you come in contact with them. Their seeds (your ideas or intentions) cannot be remove from them.
      
I find the best way to work with them is to break them down into small pieces and use in defensive magic.

I have been blessed with the seeds of the Russian thistle in my yard and I have harvested them and bagged them. If you would like some, I sell little bags for $10.00 by special request. Your other option is to get out there and find your own, get stuck up and earn your scars and stripes yourself.  

Contact me on my FB page if interested in adding some tumbleweed to your conjure.


*Article is excerpted from Hoodoo Almanac 2014 and 2015, copyright 2014 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

St. John the Baptist Water




To keep the law, bill collectors, landlord and enemies away from your door, make some St. John the Baptist Water. On St. John the Baptist Day, June 24th, collect some water from a river into a bottle while reciting the Lord’s prayer. If you are in the New Orleans area, get some water from Bayou St. John.

Lay the bottle on its side with the head of the bottle pointing out of the door. When the law, your landlord or any undesirable person comes, call out to St. John and Marie Laveaux and ask them to help you keep the undesirables away. While doing that, take that bottle full of St. John the Baptist water and roll it with your foot to the front door. If they come to your door, when they leave roll the bottle with your foot back to its position with the mouth of the bottle pointing out the front door. This bottle of water is to be kept from year to year and never emptied out.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Hoodoo Almanac 2014 & 2015




SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! 

We did it again, y’all. For the third year in a row, we bring to you the hidden cultures of the southern swampers, urban hoodoos and hill folk in our highly successful annual publication HOODOO ALMANAC 2014-2015. An entertaining and educational collection of conjure and practical information for rootworkers, folk magicians, folklorists, researchers and spiritualists, HOODOO ALMANAC 2014-2015 contains herbal cures and medicines, tarotscopes, conjure formulas, calendars of notable days, numerology, lucky lotto tips, gardening tricks for rootworkers, Who’s Who in Hoodoo History, and conjure works of all types and varieties. And that’s just the tip of the root!

The HOODOO ALMANAC 2014-2015 is the third edition of the very first almanac published in the world that focuses on southern folk magic, conjure and rootwork, Native American conjure and African-derived traditions. A veritable treasure trove of facts and information for conjurers and the curious alike. For example, we have expanded out calendar section to include the following calendars:

Civic Holidays and Observances. This is our calendar of days formally recognized by the federal government such as Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Popular Holidays and Observances. This calendar includes days that are recognized by a large segment of the general public, like Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day.

Pagan Sabats, Esbats and Observances. This calendar includes observances of the Western hemisphere such as lunar cycles, seasons, the 8 sabats and the pagan deity festivals celebrated by pagans, Wiccans, and Witches.

Religious Holidays and Observances. This calendar includes religious holidays and observances of the Christian, Jewish, Islam and Buddhist faiths.

Voudou Holidays and Feast Days. This calendar includes feast days of the loas and orishas as observed by Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voudou. These days my vary according to individual houses and temples; however, the ones we provide are commonly recognized.

Hoodoo Notable Days and Observances. Of course, we are the first to introduce a Hoodoo calendar and so our calendar is subject to those days we feel are important to African American history as it relates to the practice of Hoodoo and rootwork. We have included birthdays of notable people in Hoodoo history as well as some of the saints and folk saints found on altars of practitioners nationwide.

Spiritualist Feast Days and Observances. This calendar includes the feast days and observances of the Spiritualist Churches. There are variances between Churches depending on the specific spirits served in the respective Churches; but, we have included those days that seen to be common among all Churches and in particular those found in the New Orleans area.

Calendar of Catholic Saints. We anticipate this particular calendar to be among our most popular as it is the most heavily requested category of information through our website. Because there are literally thousands of saints there is no way to include them all here, so we have focused on those saints that are among the most popular with Catholics, New Orleans Voudouists and Hoodoo practitioners who incorporate them in their practice.

Calendar of Folk Saints. Since the calendar of Catholic Saints is so extensive, we have separated the folk saints into their own category. We have expanded our inclusion of Latin American folk saints - both those who are not recognized by the Catholic Church and others who have a history of cultural relevance in their regions of origin.

Rootworker Conjure Calendar. This is our calendar of general information of gardening tips and conjure tricks with plants, herbs and roots. Depending on where you live, of course, will determine the best times for growing and harvesting herbs in your area so you will need to take that into consideration.

Beyond our awesome calendar pages, we have our seasonal lore and miscellany and several articles on numerology, lucky lotto and a special guide to dreams and lucky numbers. We've got herbal tea remedies courtesy of Celeste Heldstab, our guest contributor, prayers to the seven saints of New Orleans, old-tyme conjure dirts and dusts, traditional methods for preventing conjury, communicating with spirits, weather lore and proverbs and a plethora of tips and tricks for the modern day practitioner. 

But wait! That's not all! We have profiles of notable African Americans Susie King Taylor, Sarah Breedlove Walker and Henry Bibb!

AND

An introduction to Honey Jars, conjure oil formulas, curious conjure receipts and down home southern recipes with a magickal flair!

And just when you think there can't possibly be anything more, just wait until you see just how much more we have waiting for you!

If you are a serious lover of authentic southern folk magic and folk lore, you will love the Hoodoo Almanac 2014-2015. If you are simply curious, you will be forever entertained by the Hoodoo Almanac 2014-2015. On thing is for certain, and that is whoever has a copy of the Hoodoo Almanac 2014-2015 will have the edge on their competitors and will surely fill up their personal trick bags. Because we have information in this book that you won't find in one place anywhere else in the world.

Hoodoo happens outside the ordinary person’s comfort zone. But, in the HOODOO ALMANAC, we don’t hide conjure. We parade it in the streets and give it a sweet tea. 

 

MAGIC, PURE MAGIC. THE HOODOO ALMANAC 2014-2015.


by Denise Alvarado, Carolina Dean and Alyne Pustanio

With contributions by Celeste Heldstab.



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$19.95 +$2.00 shipping


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

March 19th, Saint Joseph's Day







St. Joseph is highly venerated in New Orleans. On St. Joseph’s Day (March 19th), he is honored with lavish altars, good food, and celebration. He stands beside Black Hawk and Moses in the Spiritualist churches as a patron saint of social justice. 

New Orleans was a major port of entry for Sicilian immigrants during the late nineteenth century and they brought the tradition of St. Joseph altars with them. Between 1850 and 1870, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there were more Ital­ians concentrated in New Orleans than in any other U.S. city, which explains why the tradition of St. Joseph is almost exclusive to New Orleans. 

Within the Roman Catholic tradition, St. Joseph is the husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus Christ, and is honored as the patron saint of families, fathers, expectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, crafts­men, engineers, and working people in general. Joseph is also the unofficial patron against doubt and hesitation. Because Joseph died in the arms of Jesus and Mary, he is considered the model of a devout believer who receives grace at the moment of death. Thus, he is considered the patron saint of a happy death.

The Feast of St. Joseph is a citywide occurrence. Both public and private St. Joseph’s altars are traditionally built. The altars are usually open to any visitor who wishes to pay homage. The food is distributed to charity after the altar is dismantled.



There are also parades in honor of St. Joseph and the Italian population of New Orleans that are similar to the many marching clubs and truck parades of Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day. Some groups of Mardi Gras Indians stage their last procession of the season on the Sunday prior to St. Joseph’s Day, otherwise known as “Super Sunday,” after which their costumes are taken apart.

Over the years there developed a tradition of St. Joseph having a special power in real estate transactions and home sales. However, the formal tradition of bury­ing St. Joseph in the earth began hundreds of years ago in Europe. When an order of nuns needed more land for a convent, they buried medals of St. Joseph in the ground and prayed to him for help. They were apparently successful, and so, hoping for a little heavenly intercession, thousands of home sellers and real estate agents nationwide perform a ritual where a statue of St. Joseph is buried upside-down on a property to make it sell very fast.

The first St. Joseph altar was built in New Orleans in 1967 by members of the Greater New Orleans Italian Cultural Society (GNOICS). The tradition expanded to his feast day and continued yearly until it became the citywide event it is today. The origin of this practice can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when starvation was rampant and Joseph was petitioned for relief. The altars were an act of grati­tude for his intercession. The families of farmers and fisherman built altars in their homes to share their good fortune with others in need. Tradition dictates that no expense should be incurred to build the altar, and no profit should be made from it. 

Altars created for St. Joseph are typically large, three-tiered, and elaborate, and have many food items on them. The different food items have special symbolism and meaning to the Church. Because the Feast of St. Joseph occurs during Lent, there is no meat on the altar. Instead there is fish. The fish represent the twelve Apostles, Jesus, and the miracles of the loaves of bread and fish. The fish also serves as a reminder of the Last Supper. In addition to fish, there are fruits, vegetables, salads, wine, cakes, cookies, blessed breads, fava beans, and symbolic pastries. The blessed bread is created in symbolic shapes and is edible, while the symbolic pastries are not. It is said that during terrible storms, a piece of this blessed bread from the altar of St. Joseph can be tossed outside, a prayer recited, and the storm will subside. 



Fava beans are considered lucky, and a bowl of these lucky beans is kept on the main altar. Petitioners are given one to take the luck and blessings of St. Joseph with them. Fava beans are kept in the kitchen to ensure a pantry full of food, or in the pocket to ensure a wallet full of money. These are the perfect curio for a lucky mojo or gris gris bag, or can simply be carried alone in a pocket or kept on a home altar.

Another tradition is the hammer and nails. Hammers and nails are given out to those attending the feast, along with instructions to hammer the nails into the frames of their front doors to receive the blessings of St. Joseph for their homes.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Celebrating Zora Neale Hurston



 

 Jump at de Sun:The Life of Zora Neale Hurston

by Alyne Pustanio

Novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston is widely considered to be one of the preeminent African-American writers of the twentieth century. Born January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama, Hurston was the fifth of eight children. When she was still a toddler, her father John, a Baptist preacher and farmer, moved the family to Eatonville, Florida; for Zora, Eatonville would always be home.

The rural community was established in 1887 near Orlando and was the first incorporated black township. Eatonville was a quiet community (Hurston once wrote that it had no jailhouse) and was a place where the doctrine of racial inferiority was never present. Hurston was everywhere surrounded by black role models: black men, including her father who later became mayor, made the laws and enacted city policy; black women, including her mother Lucy Ann, taught in schools during the week and on the weekends guided the coursework of Sunday schools. Black men and merchants comprised the town’s business class; their mothers and wives passed the time telling colorful stories, preserving a rich oral tradition in the town’s culture. Hurston’s childhood was, by all accounts, a happy one, though she often clashed with her father, who considered her somewhat capricious. But Hurston could always rely on the support of her mother who frequently encouraged her and her siblings to “jump at de sun,” as Hurston later wrote.

In her lifetime, Hurston’s works were relegated to near obscurity by a society and an African American community saturated by political correctness and bristling at Hurston’s use of dialects and ideas that many modern blacks considered demeaning.

Alice Walker’s article, In Search of Zora Neale Hurston, published in the March 1975 issue of Ms. magazine, is largely credited with bringing about a revival of interest in Hurston’s life and work. The article coincided with the appearance of other authors, such as Maya Angelou and Walker herself, that celebrate the African- American experience without focusing solely upon racial issues.


Source
Pustanio, A. (2013). Jump at de Sun: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston in Hoodoo Almanac 2013 Gazette, Prescott Valley, AZ: Creole Moon Publications.
 
Read the whole article in Hoodoo Almanac 2013 Gazette


Zora Neale Hurston, photo by Carl Van
Vechten, 1938, p.d.












 

Paraphernalia of Conjure

From Zora Neale Hurston’s Mules and Men

 

(Editor’s note: I have made some minor grammatical and formatting changes for easier reading. Most is left intact verbatim to retain its ethnographic and folkloric value).

It would be impossible for anyone to find out all the things are being used in conjure in America. Anything may be conjure nothing may be conjure, according to the doctor, the time and use of the article.

1. Fast Luck: Aqueous solution of oil of Citronella. It is put scrub water to scrub the house. It brings luck in business, pulling customers into a store.

2. Red Fast Luck: Oil of Cinnamon and Oil of Vanilla, What is set down here are the things most commonly wintergreen. Used as above to bring luck.

3. Essence of Van Van: Ten percent. Oil of Lemon Grass. Alcohol. (Different doctors specify either grain, mentholated or wood alcohol), Used for luck and power of all kinds. Is the most popular conjure drug in Louisiana.

4. Fast Scrubbing Essence: A mixture of thirteen oils. It is burned with incense for fish-fry luck, i.e. business success. It includes: Essence Cinnamon, Essence Wintergreen, Essence Geranium, Essence Bergamot, Essence Orange Flowers, used also in initiation baths Essence Lavender; used also in initiation baths Essence Anise, Essence St. Michael, Essence Rosemary.

5. Water Notre Dame: Oil of White Rose and water. Sprinkle it about the home to make peace.

6. War Water: Oil of Tar in water (filtered). Break a bit of it on the steps wherever you wish to create strife; is sometimes made of creolin in water.

7. Four Thieves Vinegar. It is used for breaking up homes making a person run crazy, for driving off. It is sometimes put with a name in a bottle and the bottle thrown into moving water. It is used also to "dress" cocoanuts to kill and drive crazy.

8. Egyptian Paradise Seed (Amonium Melegrcta). This is used in seeking success. Take a picture of St. Peter and put it at the front door and a picture of St. Michael at the back door. Put the Paradise seeds in little bags and put one behind each saint. It is known as "feeding the saint."

9. Guinea Paradise seed. Use as above.

10. Guinea pepper. This may also be used for feeding saints; also for breaking up homes or protecting one from conjure. White Mustard seed. For protection against harm.

11. Black Mustard seed. For causing disturbance and strife.

12. Has-no-harra- Jasmine lotion. Brings luck to gamblers.

13. Carnation, a perfume. As above.

14. Three Jacks and a King. A perfume. As above.

15. Narcisse. As above but mild.

16. Nutmegs, bored and stuffed with quicksilver and sealed with wax, and rolled in Argentorium are very lucky for gamblers.

17. Lucky Dog is best of all for gamblers' use.

18. Essence of Bend-over. Used to rule and have your way.

19. Cleo May, a perfume. To compel men to love you.

20. Jockey Club, a perfume. To make love and get work.

21. Jasmine Perfume. For luck in general.

22. White Rose. To make peace.

23. French Lilac. Best for vampires.

24. Taper Oil: perfumed olive oil. To bum candles in.

25. St. Joseph's Mixture:

26. Buds from the Garden of Gilead

27. Berries of the Fish

28. Wishing Beans

29. Juniper Berries

30. Japanese scented Lucky Beans

31. Large Star Anise

32. Steel dust is sprinkled over black load stone in certain ceremonies. It is called "feeding the he, feeding the she."

33. Steel dust is attracted by a horseshoe magnet to draw people to you. Used to get love, trade, etc.

34. Gold and silver magnetic sand. Powdered silver gilt used with I magnet to draw people to you.

35. Saltpeter is dissolved in water and sprinkled about to ward off conjure.

36. Scrub waters other than the Fast Lucks (See above 1 and 2) are colored and perfumed and used as follows: red, for luck and protection; yellow, for money; blue, (always colored with Copperas), for protection and friends.

37. Roots and Herbs are used freely under widespread names:

38. Big John the Conqueror. Little John the Conqueror. It is also put in Notre Dame Water or Waterloo in order to win.

39. World wonder Root. It is used in treasure hunts. Bury a piece in the four corners of the field; also hide it in the four corners of your house to keep things in your favor.

40. Ruler's Root. Used as above.

41. Rattlesnake Root

42. Dragon's Blood (red root fibers). Crushed. Used for many purposes.

43. Valerian Root. Put a piece in your pillow to quiet nerves.

44. Adam and Eve Roots (paid). Sew together in bag and carry on person for protection.

45. Five-fingered grass. Used to uncross. Make tea, strain it and bathe in it nine times.

46. Waste Away Tea. Same as above.

47. Pictures of Saints, etc., are used also.

48. St. Michael, the Archangel. To Conquer.

49. St. Expedite. For quick work.

50. St. Mary. For cure in sickness.

51. St. Joseph with infant Jesus. To get job.

52. St. Peter without the key. For success.

53. St. Peter with the key. For great and speedy success.

54. St Anthony de. Padua. For luck.

55. St. Mary Magdalene. For luck in love (for women).

56. Sacred Heart of Jesus. For organic diseases.

57. Crosses. For luck.

58. Scapular. For protection.

59. Medals. For success.

60. Candles are used with set meanings for the different colors. They are

often very large, one candle costing as much as six dollars.

61. White. For peace and to uncross and for weddings.

62. Red. For victory.

63. Pink. For love (some say for drawing success).

64. Green. To drive off (some say for success).

65. Blue. For success and protection (for causing death also).

66. Yellow. For money.

67. Brown. For drawing money and people.

68. Lavender. To cause harm (to induce triumph also).

69. Black. Always for evil or death.

70. Votive candles. For making Novenas.

71. The Bible. All hold that the Bible is the great conjure book in the world. Moses is honored as the greatest conjurer. "The names he knowed to call God by was what give him the power to conquer Pharaoh and divide the Red Sea.