Sachet Powders

Condition powders in tin cans and silver foil packs. 


Highly-scented sachet powders or conjure powders are compounded blends of powdered mineral and vegetable starches, finely powdered leaves, flowers and roots, and essential and fragrance oils. These powders can be used in personal care, as bath powders, or to surround yourself with the aromatic energy and powerful intention for which the powder was created. They may be sprinkled or blown about the room or into pillows and bedsheets, clothing, or shoes to inspire the psyche of the people you want to influence or cause magical conditions. They may be used to dress cards, letters, or paperwork, thus affecting the recipient of those papers.

Like most, if not all, Hoodoo spiritual practices, sachet powders can be traced back to the native traditions of West Central Africa. Among other beliefs, the people of this region brought to the New World the concept of sacred white earth called "mabele" or "luhemba" in Kongo and Yombe, "nzu" in Igbo, "ndom" in Efik and Ibibio, "eko" in Edo, "shile" in Akan, "calabar" in Bamileke and Bamum and "efun" in Yoruba. They believe this sacred substance, primarily collected in streambeds, termite mounds, or even from compounded shells, could protect an individual against evil as it is associated with the land of ancestors.


Traditional African Kaolin Clay.


Kaolin clay is a naturally occurring material composed of shells and may contain relatively quartz crystal fragments. This type of clay is adaptable and contains unique mineral elements that have health benefits. Ritualistically, this white powder, along with red clays, was usually applied to the cheeks, temples, and attributes such as hats, bracelets, necklaces, and anklets, as well as the portion below the feet of the Kongo power figures called "nkisi." In some tribes, they were used for ritual writings, marking bodies during ceremonies, as offerings to spirits, and as a powerful spiritual medicine. It is also known that this material is consumed in some West African countries for pleasure and by pregnant women as a cure for nausea. This practice is called 'geophagia' and has also been observed within a small population of African-American women in the Southern United States, especially Georgia.


White pigment on the face of the Dallas Museum's mangaaka. (Photo courtesy of Ellen Howe of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)


In some offerings, rituals, and formalities, powder-like substances, commonly cornmeal, wheat flour, and wood ashes, are also used.



Cornmeal and cornstarch are presented as ebo to spirits and forces of nature in Yoruba and Igbo traditions. 


Enslaved Africans, however, were cut off from their ancestral lands, so they sought substitute materials that could achieve the same effects. This came in cascarilla or eggshell powder, chalk, vegetable starches, and talcum. The traditional kaolin clay was clearly transformed into the African-American use of talcum powder - a white clay mineral, often in combination with cornstarch, widely used as astringent powder.

The oldest of these Hoodoo powders are those that derived their power from powdered minerals, natural dust, and dried compounded herbs such as Hot Foot powder which is composed of sulfur powder, red ant's nest and red pepper flakes, and Goofer Dust which is made from graveyard dirt, dried snake skin, powdered animal bones and curios, and mullein. Peter the Doctor and Dinkie, Goopher King of Voudoos, were both known to have made magical powders for the slaves to be rubbed against their skin and on their garments for their protection and empowerment. Peter the Doctor was one of the prominent figures in the New York Slave Revolt of 1712, along with Peter the Porter and John Harris. Meanwhile, Dinkie was a slave on a plantation in Missouri. Although he had been many years in the Gaines family, he never worked like the other slaves. He would work, eat, rest, travel, and sleep as he pleased without any interference and objection from his masters as he was greatly feared and respected by both Whites and Blacks. This was because folks were aware that he was exceptionally skilled in voodooism, goopherism, devil-working, and fortune-telling. 

On the other hand, the term sachet was borrowed from European herbal sachets. Perhaps the most common magical technique regularly used by European practitioners is that of herbal sachets or cushion bags. These consist of small pouches of herbs that center the power of the psyche or mind on a given outcome. Some earliest sachets were worn for scent and not magical purposes. Small herbal pouches were placed in bed and lingerie drawers to scent the sheets or underclothes with floral, fruity, or herbal aromas. In the old days, it was customary for women to wear a 'bosom sachet' - floral-scented packets between the breasts. There were sachets too that people used to carry to prevent diseases, such as the "aseffitidy" (asafoetida) bags that were said to be efficient in warding off bubonic plague and other contagious diseases.


A European sachet cushion bag of the 16th century.


Sachets could be any cloth bag, and according to my mentor, they were times when people made sachets with the cut-off feet of pantyhose or knee-high trouser socks; they just tied the tops or closed with rubber bands, and they were good to go. However, most people used muslin culinary bags or, if they were gifts, pretty mesh bags with ribbon ties.

One of the old-fashioned herbal sachets is the sleep pillow sachet which offers subtle support for better quality sleep. The recipe below was given to me by my mentor, but it could be adjusted to suit your individual preference.  My mentor doesn't recommend adding essential oils to this particular sachet. The body's heat will release the sachet's gentle scent, which is enough for these purposes.

I use a base of mugwort in all my sleep sachets; mugwort promotes the remembrance of significant dreams and supports the body's journey into that deep, deep sleep where dreams occur - which is the best sleep the body can get. The following are some of the herbs I use in sachets and why they are included:

- Rosemary - although this herb has some stimulating properties, it's excellent in a pillow sachet for promoting restful sleep.
- Chamomile - most folks know how well chamomile supports sleep when taken as a tea, but add some to a pillow sachet, and it does the same thing. Do both (tea and sachet) as a remedy for insomnia.
- Rosebuds or petals (any type, organic) - particularly useful if the cause of sleeplessness is related to matters of the heart, such as worry over a loved one, difficulties in relationships, grief, etc.
- Lavender flowers (any type, organic) - soothing and calming when anxiety or nervous tension is the issue.
- Couch grass root - does not have a significant scent. This herb has wonderfully protective energy, so it's great for those who struggle with bad dreams, nightmares, or night terrors.
- Lemon balm - another good one for anxiety or nervous tension, this is also an excellent choice for folks who struggle in their sleep, tossing and turning. Lemon balm also has protective energy that can help the body relax from being 'on guard.'

During the 19th century, love powders became popular, as witnessed in the writings of the renowned African-American occultist and physician Paschal Beverly Randolph:

"More than that: in this matter of sympathetic art, I know that a pair of twin rings, containing each other's hair, one worn by the loved, the other by the lover, will blend the two in magnetic rapport to an astonishing degree. The whole thing is magnetic -- another word for magic. So it is also of the "love-powder" business, for although most of the charlatans who pretend to deal in them are conscienceless swindlers, it is possible to prepare and charge certain materials so that they will retain the nerve aura of one person, and impart it to another, kindling up magnetic love between them, just as a little yeast will leaven a whole barrel of flour."

The love powder business refers to the prevalence of Hoodoo sachet powders.

By the early 20th century, the Jewish-owned mail-order houses and some other pharmacies and cosmetic companies began manufacturing Hoodoo sachet powders like Kiss Me Now! and Look Me Over - products that conveyed the idea of Victorian bosom sachets. They usually put them in foil packs or small plastic pouch bags. Within a few years, order houses and some candle and occult shops started carrying a full line of Hoodoo talcum-based powders with names like Boss Fix, Attraction, Fiery Wall of Protection, and Money-Drawing.

Making Sachet Powders

Making sachet powders is the most challenging job in my working area. Here are some tips to make your work easier.


A Hoodoo practitioner compounding herbs, roots, and minerals.


To make your own powders, you need to have some tools for grinding and compounding, such as:

  • Hand-cracked or electric flour or grist mill
  • Hand-cracked or electric coffee grinder 
  • Mortar and pestle

Buy two of the following - one for toxic herbs and minerals and one for edible herbs.

Ingredients for making sachet powders:

  • Mineral powders and natural dust - talcum powder, red brick dust, salt, saltpeter, sulfur, laundry bluing, gunpowder, magnetic sand, pyrite grits, iron oxide (rust), ash, charcoal powder, graveyard dirt, crossroad dirt, dauber's nest dirt, etc.
  • Zoological powders and particles - cascarilla or eggshell powder, black cat's hair, black dog's hair, crab shell powder, snail shell powder, snakeskin shed powder, bone powder, lizard head powder, etc.
  • Botanical powders and vegetable compounds - starchy bases such as arrowroot powder, rice flour, cornstarch, and other powdered herbs and roots.

All the herbal associations in Conjure and Rootwork come into play and help to create a compelling way of reinforcing the will and achieving the desired result. Herbs do not work just because they have intrinsic magical value in themselves but because they are thought of as corresponding to certain areas of life. They are, in a way, symbols of things one may want to realize. By focusing on the symbol, you attune to its properties, creating powerful associations in the mind that reinforce the resolve to follow through on an intention.


Mixing an uncrossing powder.


Most sachet powders are made by grinding the ingredients like herbs, roots, minerals, and sometimes, animal curios together, mixed with talcum powder as the base and other vegetable starches such as corn, arrowroot, and rice powder, to produce a neutral-colored powder that blends inconspicuously with almost anything. Other practitioners believe that it is not just the ingredients that have symbolic importance; the choice of the color of the dye for tinting the powder is also significant. They believe that different colors affect the mind, so they use very little dye so as not to stain clothing. Sometimes, I do this, but most of the time, I don't tint my powders anymore. Most practitioners use powdered synthetics, while others use cosmetic clays when making their powders.

To integrate essential and fragrance oils with your powder, you must put them in your chosen vegetable-based carrier compounds first, then fill them with your ground or powdered herbs and minerals before mixing them with the talcum. Slowly blend the scented mixture with talcum powder by stirring it with a spoon. (Always wear a face mask when mixing talcum!)

Of course, like in any other spiritual supply, blessings are spoken over the sachet powders and directed towards them as a sign of a cross. Other practitioners may bless them using saltwater, blessed water, or Church water. Entirely what is done is up to you, but it is important to do something, for it imprints in one's mind that the powder symbolizes something significant and valuable.


Tim + Neal Curio Co. Conjure powders.


How to use Hoodoo sachet powders?

Here are the significant ways to deploy powers in Hoodoo and Rootwork:

  • Sprinkling or laying out a line while walking backward for protection, cleansing, love, money, or luck drawing.
  • Blowing to the four quarters for getting rid of evil and blessing. 
  • Blowing toward a person or place for blessing, cleansing, and luck-drawing.
  • Drawing patterns on the ground or floor for crossing or enemy works (cross marks, crosses in circles, devils, and wavy snake lines), blessings, and protection (crosses or stars like pentagram or Star of David).


Wavy snake lines and a devil are drawn on the floor for the Inflammatory Confusion spell.

Quincunx patterns and arrows are drawn using Hot Foot powder.

  • Drawing patterns on the altar for love-drawing (heart), banishing or hot foot (arrows), road-opening (triangle or cross mark), money drawing (dollar sign), success (crown), etc.


Talk to Me powder for Communication Spell.


Crown of Success powder was used to draw a heart pattern for a successful love-drawing spell.


Several conjure powders were laid down for Cut and Clear spellwork.


  • Dressing candles, petition papers, etc., for various conditions. 


Boss Fix powder is sprinkled on the petition paper.


  • Dressing one's body 
  • Dusting target's things or possessions
  • Dusting gifts, letters, etc., for sneaky tricks.

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See, What Our Path Is

Being immensely interested in African diaspora religions and Folk Catholicism, we primarily honor our ancestors, Church saints, angels, folk saints, and Afro-Caribbean spirits such as loas and orishas. If we absolutely have to put a label on ourselves, we prefer the label of “Folk Judeo-Christian” as we live according to the customs and traditions of conjure workers and root doctors from the Deep South and syncretic followers of Christ in various nations of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Our spirituality includes West African-based Caribbean-style tradition as well as Esoteric Christianity and Yoruba religion. Generally, we practice Gullah folk magic popularly known in the Deep South as Hoodoo or Lowcountry Voodoo; the ancient wisdom founded by Orunmila in Ile-Ife called Ifa, and a bit of Lihim na Karunungan (Filipino Esotericism or Philippine Mystery Tradition).

Respect, What Hoodoo Is

Despite visible evidence of Central West African, Islamic/Moorish, Native American, Judeo-Christian, European, and even a few East Indian/Hindu, Chinese, and Latino/Caribbean retentions, influences, and admixtures, this does not mean that Hoodoo is an open and unrestricted system of eclectic magic.

Conjure, and Rootwork is rooted in African-American culture and Folk Protestant Christianity. Any practitioners of Hoodoo who did not grow up within African-American culture should still have a fuller understanding and high regard for its origin.

In the beginning, the early conjure doctors were entirely Black. The students were all Black, the elders were Black, the teaching was Black, and they focused only on Blacks as their audience. But other races were accepted when they had also been brought into the Hoodoo community and learned the tradition. Even so, we should still acknowledge that Hoodoo, Conjure, or Rootwork is not ours but only belongs to the Black community. We are just believers who are grafted into their rich yet humble tradition and, by word and deed, embrace genuine African-American folk spirituality and magic. This is all we can do for all the blessings we received from God and our Black ancestors.

Hoodoo's lack of religious structure and hierarchical authority do not mean that any person or group can appropriate or redefine it. If one cannot respect Hoodoo as it is and for what it is, then please, do not play with it.



Learn, How Conjure Is Worked On

Authentic Conjure is not all about blending and selling oils and casting spells online to make money. Hoodoo has its own spiritual philosophy, theology, and a wide range of African-American folkways, customs, and practices which include, but are not limited to, veneration of the ancestors, Holy Ghost shouting, snake reverence, spirit possession, graveyard conjure, nkisi practices, Black hermeneutics, African-American church traditions, the ring shout, the Kongo cosmogram, ritual water immersions, crossroads magic, making conjure canes, animal sacrifices, Jewish scriptural magic, enemy works, Seekin' ritual, magical incorporation of bodily fluids, etc.

Unfortunately, they are currently missing in marketeered or commercial Hoodoo, as they are being removed, disregarded, or ignored by unknowing merchants who simply want to profit from an African-American spiritual tradition, thus reducing Hoodoo to just a plethora of recipes, spells, and tricks.

Tim and I are completely aware that we are not African-Americans, so we are doing our best to retain and preserve the customs and traditions of the slave ancestors to avoid unnecessary conflict with the larger Black-Belt Hoodoo community and prevent them from labeling us inauthentic outsiders and our practice as mere 'cultural misappropriation.'

Accept, Who We Are

The byproduct of eons of slave history, Black supremacists believe that only people with African or African-American blood are real Hoodoo practitioners and are often inclined to consider themselves as the elite of the Hoodoo community; a place in which they believed that Whites, Latinos, Asians or any other races who do not have Black ancestry do not belong. Black supremacists are prone to be very hostile towards both “outsiders” and those accepting of them, fearing that their promotion and acceptance would dilute or even negate the Black identity of Hoodoo.

Although we do understand why some Blacks hold this stance, since a lot of people nowadays are misappropriating many aspects of Hoodoo and teaching the spiritual path even without proper education and training (for purely monetary purposes), we would, however, want to say that not all non-Black Hoodoo practitioners are the same.

WE respect what Hoodoo is, and we never try to change it, claim it as our own, disregard its history, take unfair advantage of it, speak against the people who preserve it, and mix it with other cultures (like our own) and call it Filipino/Pinoy Hoodoo, Gypsy Hoodoo or Wiccan Hoodoo because there are no such things.