Patchouli oil

Patchouli first reached European noses on Indian shawls: merchants packed the cloth with dried leaves to keep moths out, and buyers came to take the smell as proof the shawl was genuine.

Origin & Traditional Use

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) is a bushy plant of the mint family from tropical Asia, grown mainly in Indonesia and the Philippines. Its leaves are dried and fermented before distillation, giving the oil its rich, earthy depth. It became a staple of nineteenth-century textiles and perfumes, and later the signature scent of the 1960s counterculture.

Uses by Tradition

Hoodoo & Rootwork

• Money drawing: dress green candles, wallets and money mojo bags with patchouli, often with a pinch of cinnamon or a few drops of bayberry.
• Lust and love: wear it or dress a red figure candle for sensual, grounded attraction.
• Graveyard work: patchouli’s earthy smell has long been used as a substitute where graveyard dirt is called for but cannot be gathered.

Witchcraft & Folk Magick

• Prosperity: anoint the four corners of a dollar bill and keep it folded in the wallet.
• Grounding: rub a drop on the soles of the feet after spirit work to come back to the body.
• Fertility and growth: dress seeds or a potted plant set on the altar for a growing venture.

A Simple Working

• On a Thursday, take a green chime candle and carve a dollar sign or the amount you need into it.
• Dress it from wick to base with patchouli oil, pulling towards yourself.
• Roll it lightly in ground cinnamon.
• Set it on a dollar bill dressed at the four corners with the oil.
• Light the candle and say plainly what the money is for.
• Let it burn down, then fold the bill towards you and keep it in your wallet.

Pairs Well With

• A green chime candle: the classic colour for money work.
• Cinnamon: to speed up money drawing.
• Vetiver oil: another earthy root note for money and luck.
• Dark musk oil: for a heavier, sensual blend.

Lore & History

The name is usually traced to Tamil, from words meaning ‘green leaf’. Cunningham assigns patchouli to Saturn and Earth, lists it for money, fertility and lust, and notes its use as a substitute for graveyard dust. In the late 1960s it became tied to the hippie movement, partly because its heavy scent was popular in shops and gatherings of the time.

What You Receive

Patchouli oil in 2 dram, 1 oz and 16 oz (1 lb) sizes.