Ask an old New Orleans conjure worker for something to clear bad luck and the answer has long been Van Van, a formula built on the bright, grassy scent of lemongrass.
Origin & Traditional Use
Cymbopogon citratus is a tall tropical grass from South and South-East Asia, now grown throughout the tropics. It is essential to Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian cooking.
In the Caribbean it is brewed as fever grass tea, traditionally used for colds and fevers.
Uses by Tradition
Hoodoo & Rootwork
- Van Van: lemongrass, alone or with related scented grasses, is steeped in oil or alcohol to make Van Van for uncrossing, clearing and luck.
- Floor wash: a strong lemongrass tea in the mop bucket, in the manner of Chinese Wash, clears a home or business of crossed conditions.
- Mojo work: add to a luck bag or use the tea to cleanse a lodestone before feeding it.
Witchcraft & Folk Magick
- Psychic tea: herbals of magick record drinking lemongrass before divination to open the inner sight.
- Garden ward: grown around the house to keep snakes away, an old belief that also reads well as warding.
A Simple Working
- Steep a handful of lemongrass in a quart of just-boiled water for fifteen minutes.
- Strain into a bucket of warm water with a pinch of salt.
- Light a white chime candle by the front door.
- Wash the front door and threshold from the inside outward, speaking out what is blocking your road.
- Then wash the front steps toward the door to draw luck in.
- Pour the remaining water out at a crossroads or in the street.
Pairs Well With
- Vetiver: grounds and deepens Van Van-style work.
- Citronella: a related grass used in the same washes.
- Sea salt: strengthens any uncrossing wash.
- Lodestone: lemongrass cleanses it for luck work.
- White chime candle: for clearing and opening.
Lore & History
Van Van oil and its relatives became fixtures of the New Orleans spiritual supply trade in the twentieth century and spread from there across Southern conjure.
In the nineteenth-century perfume trade, lemongrass oil was sold under the name Indian verbena.
What You Receive
Cut dried lemongrass, available in 1 oz, 2 oz and 1 lb.
Did You Know?
Citronella oil comes from close cousins of lemongrass in the same genus, chiefly Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus.
| Weight | N/A |
|---|---|
| Size | 1 oz, 2 oz, 1 lb |
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