Hoodoo Herbal Baths

We all know that magical cleansing is a big part of Hoodoo, and that many conjurefolk will take a spiritually purifying bath before rootworking. Here are a collection of four traditional Hoodoo baths to better one's luck, increase your wisdom, purify the spirit as well as the body and remove negative influences. All of these baths should be irritant free, but if you see an herb on here that is dangerous, even after it's been dispersed into a bathtub full of water, please don't hesitate to let me know! Getting these old formulas right is a real labor of love, and if anyone has any suggestions to improve upon the formulas, by all means let me know and we will incorporate those changes!

For each of these herbal baths, the total amount of herbs should fit in the palm of your hand, and weigh a little over an ounce.

7 Herb Bath

A bath that betters your luck (Lucky Number 7) in love, money and gambling.

1. Chamomile
2. Bayberry
3. Red Clover blossoms
4. Five Finger Grass
5. Rose
6. Patchouli
7. Hibiscus

To prepare the bath, add equal amounts of these 7 herbs into a pot of boiling water and let it steep for 7 minutes. Strain out the herbs and add it to your bath water. While bathing, immerse your head seven times, and each time recite the 23rd Psalm of David (“The Lord is my shepherd...”) while concentrating on your desire for Luck, Wealth, and Love. Lots of folks like to use this bath once a day for seven days.

9 Herb Bath

A bath to grant wisdom, insight and personal mastery.

1. Angelica
2. Life Everlasting
3. Master of the Woods (Sweet Woodruff)
4. Sage
5. Yarrow
6. Bay leaves
7. Verbena (Vervain)
8. Wintergreen
9. Solomon's Seal Root

To prepare the bath, add equal amounts of these nine herbs into a pot of boiling water and let it steep for nine minutes. Strain out the herbs and add the liquid to your bathwater. While bathing, immerse your head nine times, and each time recite Solomon’s prayer from 2nd Chronicles 1:10-12 (“Give me now wisdom and knowledge...”) while concentrating on your desire for wisdom and success.

Like the 7 Herb bath, lots of folks repeat this bath 9 days in a row.

I already added the 13 Herb Bath as a blog post, but here it is again.

13 Herb Bath

A spiritual bath to purify both body and spirit, as well as clear away any crossed conditions, negate hexes and break jinxes.

1. Agrimony
2. Angelica
3. Burdock
4. Devil's Shoestrings
5. Dill
6. Fern
7. Hyssop
8. Five Finger Grass
9. Mint
10. Oak Bark
11. Patchouli
12. Solomon's Seal root
13. Verbena (Vervain)

To prepare the bath, empty entire packet into a pot of boiling water. Steep for 13 minutes. Strain out the herbs and add liquid to your bath. As you bathe, immerse your head 13 times. Recite the 37th Psalm after each immersion. For maximum results repeat bath 13 days in a row. Can also be used as a house cleaning wash to clear away evil.

3 Mineral Bath**

1. Salt
2. Salt Petre
3. Blueing/Epsom Salts*

Use for purification and jinx removing. Add to bath. Wash downward to remove all evil influences. Can also be used to sprinkle around the house for spiritual cleansing.

*Note: For blueing, I use Reckitt's Crown Blue squares. You might also use Blue Laundry Balls, or just say to heck with it and use Epsom Salts, which are dirt cheap and available practically anywhere.

**Note: The 3 Mineral Bath is reproduced here from cat yronwode's book Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic.

Tags: bath, bathing, hoodoo, purification, ritual

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Flammeous {De Empress} on May 25, 2011 at 9:30

O' thanks for this!

Numbers are important in hoodoo.

I can't wait to get my copy of Cat Yronwode's book. I hinted it as a present for my birthday. ;)

Permalink Reply by Rachel Ann (EisHexe) on May 25, 2011 at 9:32

I hope you get it! It's a really great book. My copy is already looking beat up because I use it for reference so much, and I've only had it for a few months! I should have coughed up the cash and bought the hardcover version instead of the paperback!

Flammeous (Rebel Spirit) said:

O' thanks for this!

Numbers are important in hoodoo.

I can't wait to get my copy of Cat Yronwode's book. I hinted it as a present for my birthday. ;)

Permalink Reply by Asdea (Jasper) on June 1, 2011 at 13:14

I have her book on PDF, ebook. I like it, cause I can carry my laptop with me (which has my spiritual library in it (upwards of 40 different books)) and be able to read it and reference it when ever and where ever I am. On another note. I do not have a bathtub, and for those who dont have a bath tub, so I take a cotton rag, a cut up white t will work, and fill it with my herbs and salts, and then I wash with it. Rinsing it in water and then wiping it down my body. This works just as well as a bath, in the purification departement, though I wish it were as relaxing as laying in a tube and just releasing tension.

Rachel Ann (EisHexe) said:

I hope you get it! It's a really great book. My copy is already looking beat up because I use it for reference so much, and I've only had it for a few months! I should have coughed up the cash and bought the hardcover version instead of the paperback!

Flammeous (Rebel Spirit) said:

O' thanks for this!

Numbers are important in hoodoo.

I can't wait to get my copy of Cat Yronwode's book. I hinted it as a present for my birthday. ;)

Permalink Reply by Oakthorne on August 17, 2011 at 13:30

Traditionally, conjure-style spiritual baths aren't done soaking in a tub, actually. Remember, at the time when conjure was very formative, most of the folks who used it were basin-bathers. They are also traditionally done before dawn, and before you talk to anyone that day.

The best way to do this is to put the bath mixture and hot water into a big bowl, and just take it into the shower with you. Set the bowl down between your feet and with a coffee mug or other cup, scoop some of it out and pour it over yourself as you say one of the Psalms, or otherwise pray. Pour it from your head down if you are getting rid of something, or from your feet up if you are bringing something in.

Then, when you've poured it 3, 5, 7 or 9 times, "X" yourself off. That is, if you're getting rid of something, cross your arms over your chest and then "squee-gee" yourself off, uncrossing your arms as you do so, saying something like "BEGONE!" at the point where they uncross. If you're bringing something in, place your hands on your knees and draw them upwards, almost like you're scooping the water up and spreading it further onto your body, crossing your arms at mid-body and ending with them crossed over your chest, as you say something like "COME!" Do this once for each time you poured the water.

Afterwards, step out and move between two lit white candles (tealights are perfect; you can light them and just set them on the edge of the tub). Keep the water that remains in the bowl there, and let yourself air-dry. Don't towel off the hard work you just did! Finally, when you're dry and dressed, take the water outside, and throw it toward the west if you're getting rid of something, or toward the east if you're bringing something in.

Permalink Reply by Rachel Ann (EisHexe) on September 3, 2011 at 20:10

Thank you Oak!!!

Oakthorne said:

Traditionally, conjure-style spiritual baths aren't done soaking in a tub, actually. Remember, at the time when conjure was very formative, most of the folks who used it were basin-bathers. They are also traditionally done before dawn, and before you talk to anyone that day.

The best way to do this is to put the bath mixture and hot water into a big bowl, and just take it into the shower with you. Set the bowl down between your feet and with a coffee mug or other cup, scoop some of it out and pour it over yourself as you say one of the Psalms, or otherwise pray. Pour it from your head down if you are getting rid of something, or from your feet up if you are bringing something in.

Then, when you've poured it 3, 5, 7 or 9 times, "X" yourself off. That is, if you're getting rid of something, cross your arms over your chest and then "squee-gee" yourself off, uncrossing your arms as you do so, saying something like "BEGONE!" at the point where they uncross. If you're bringing something in, place your hands on your knees and draw them upwards, almost like you're scooping the water up and spreading it further onto your body, crossing your arms at mid-body and ending with them crossed over your chest, as you say something like "COME!" Do this once for each time you poured the water.

Afterwards, step out and move between two lit white candles (tealights are perfect; you can light them and just set them on the edge of the tub). Keep the water that remains in the bowl there, and let yourself air-dry. Don't towel off the hard work you just did! Finally, when you're dry and dressed, take the water outside, and throw it toward the west if you're getting rid of something, or toward the east if you're bringing something in.