Van Van oil

How to Use It

Witchcraft & Folk Magick

• Dress a white candle to clear away a run of bad luck.
• Wipe down tools and altar surfaces as a quick cleansing.

Hoodoo & Rootwork

• Dress a lodestone or lucky coin to clean and power it up.
• Add to a floor wash for clearing a house of bad luck and stagnant energy.
• Anoint mojo bags and amulets to wake them up before use.

Ceremonial & Occult Magick

• Anoint a talisman after its consecration to keep it clear of outside influence.
• Wipe the frame of a scrying mirror before use.

A Simple Working

• Take a white chime candle and a bowl of water.
• Add a few drops of Van Van oil to the water.
• Wash your hands in the water, from wrist to fingertips, saying that bad luck leaves you.
• Dress the candle with the oil from wick to base.
• Light it and set any charm or lucky piece you carry in front of it.
• When the candle has burned down, anoint the charm with one drop and carry it again.
• Pour the water out at a crossroads or off your property.

Pairs Well With

• Lemongrass, the herb most associated with Van Van.
• Lodestones, which old workers fed and dressed with Van Van.
• Pyrite, for luck and money.
• Road Opener or Unblocker oil, for clearing a path.
• White candles, for cleansing.

What You Receive

Van Van oil, available in 2 dram, 1 oz and 16 oz bottles.

Origin & Lore

Van Van oil is a standard New Orleans hoodoo formula, an all-purpose oil for clearing away crossed conditions and drawing luck in their place. It is used to cleanse charms, dress lucky pieces, open the way and protect a home, and many workers use it as a general base for other formulas.

Ask a New Orleans conjure worker what to use when nothing is going right, and there is a good chance the answer is Van Van.

Van Van is one of the signature formulas of New Orleans conjure, and many writers trace its name to a Creole pronunciation of vervain, the old European herb of cleansing and luck. It appears in the lists of spiritual-supply companies through the 20th century and remains one of the most widely used hoodoo oils.