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LADY LUCK — Similar in some ways to Fast Luck (see above), Lady Luck is somewhat fierier in design and has particular applications in desperate financial situations. Many New Orleans gamblers consider burning this incense as essential prior to games of chance. In addition to inspiring lucky events, this recipe is also alleged to attract romance! Use with green candles (for financial success) or red candles (for love and romance). Lady Luck may be used in combination with other incenses such as Success, Patchouli, Lucky Dog, and Seven African Powers. (O)

LA FLAMME — This notorious New Orleans lust oil was used by prostitutes. Based on an original French recipe, the fragrance translated nicely to these shores and has a wide reputation for inciting passion in even the most quiescent of men. Wear or use with red candles. (O)

LAVENDER — One of the main ingredients in all the oils designed for uncrossing, Lavender is alleged to have a number of highly positive qualities — love, protection, chastity, longevity, happiness, peace, and purification. In my view, there is no better oil to bring peace and tranquillity to a tumultuous situation than Lavender. Use with white, pink, yellow and blue candles. (EO)

LAW STAY AWAY — If you’re up to some illegal hanky-panky, this oil is considered an excellent protection against legal intervention into your business. Although honesty is always the best policy, this oil is believed to provide a shield for those occasional times when you must do something that isn’t kosher. If this potion doesn’t work, see Jury Winning (above). Use with purple candles. (O)

• LEMON — Lemon is associated with friendship, purification, love, and longevity in most traditions. This tropical fruit also has some negative traits, however, when mixed with mean-spirited oils (such as Black Pepper). For the most part, though, it casts a vibration of joy and happiness. Use with white or yellow candles. (EO)

• LEMONGRASS — Herbalists know that Lemongrass is helpful for repelling snakes from the garden, but in magical circles it is associated with evocation of lust and the development of psychic powers. Wear or use with white, red, yellow and purple candles. (EO)

• LEMON VERBENA — Traditionally associated with healing and purification. Lemon Verbena is one of the ingredients in Uncrossing oil. Lemon Verbena’s uncrossing abilities are especially helpful in resolving love problems. Use with white, yellow, or pink candles. (EO)

• LILAC — Lilac is not just one of the nicest floral fragrances, it is also very powerful to do good. It is widely prescribed for purposes of protecting and exorcism because it is said to banish demons quickly. Lilac’s fragrance is said to clear a haunted house and in colonial New England lilacs were planted to keep evil away from one’s property. Use with white, pink, yellow or orange candles. (I, EO)

LILY — Although lily has long been associated with purity and high spiritual vibrations, its most common magical employment is to break love spells cast by someone who doesn’t interest you. If you think someone has nailed you with a love spell, carve your name on a white candle and anoint with Lily oil. (Another way to handle the same situation, albeit more powerfully, is to carve the name of the person who cast the spell on a black or red candle and use Love Breaker oil. If the person who cast the spell on you used commanding oils, it will take Love Breaker to shut his or her spell down.) (EO)

LILY OF THE VALLEY — Lily of the Valley is a potent uncrossing oil with reputed abilities to enhance happiness and to clarify and expand mental powers. Use with white or yellow candles. (EO)

LIME — Within most Caribbean traditions, Lime is associated with love, healing and protection. Although it may be used alone to good effect in any of these areas, more commonly Lime is mixed with other oils to add a tangy fragrance. Use with white, green or yellow candles. (EO)

• LOBBAN — If you’re seeking a potent luck formula with built-in uncrossing and protection components, Lobban may be what you’re looking for. Use with green, yellow or purple candles. Many practitioners burn Lobban in combination with one of the commanding oils such as Bend Over. (I, O)

LOST & AWAY — Similar to Get Away and Hot Foot, this oil is used when you want someone to move far, far away. Use with orange, purple, or black candles, depending on how badly you want the individual to vacate the premises or neighborhood. (O)

LOTUS — As you might expect, Lotus has a reputation in just about every tradition for being highly spiritual and protective. However, a less commonly known attribution for Lotus is that it is reputed to open locks. These “locks” can be literal or metaphorical. Use with white candles. (EO)

• LOVE — This is a delightful Haitian recipe that seeks to inspire long-term love as opposed to inducing a “quickie.” Use with red or pink candles or wear it out on the town. A truly seductive fragrance that can be used by either sex. This oil also makes a wonderful massage potion when mixed with Jojoba oil. (O)

LOVE BREAKER — This is used to put an end to extramarital affairs and, when employed in this way, is white magic. It can also be used, however, to break up marriages or relationships and when employed in this manner, it is strictly black magic! Another use is to rid yourself of someone who is displaying unwanted attention towards you. Use with purple or red candles. Burn alone or in combination with recipes such as Party’s Over, Spikenard, Commanding, Obeah, or No. 20 Love. (O)

LOVE ME — See comments under He’s Mine for use of this potion. This is a subtle, provocative “seduction” oil which may be used by men or women to attract romantic partners. Use with red or pink candles. Burn alone or in combination with a love incense. (O)

LOVERS — There are three basic kinds of love recipes in the New Orleans tradition — potions designed to attract love, smooth love, and enhance sex. Lovers falls into the latter category and is often recommended to married couples who find that some of the connubial magic has slipped away over time. Use with red candles. (O)

• LOW JOHN THE CONQUEROR — See Galangal and Ju Ju (African). (I, EO)

• LUCK AROUND BUSINESS — This New Orleans classic is used by business people throughout the South. Use to anoint above entrance door, around cash register, and in other areas where customer traffic is desired. Also use to anoint green or yellow candles. (O)

LUCKY DOG — Similar in effect to Fast Luck, Lucky Dog is a Haitian recipe. Use with green or yellow candles. New Orleans gamblers are very familiar with this potion and believe it brings luck to dog races or virtually any “hands on” form of gambling such as cards or dice. Some people use it as a meditation incense when they are trying to come up with lucky numbers for the lottery. (O)

LUCKY LOTTERY — Anoint your tickets with this to increase your chances of winning Lotto. You should also wear this oil when purchasing lottery tickets. Use on yellow or gold candles to “charge” a ticket you’ve purchased. (O)

• LUCKY 7 — This exceedingly complex New Orleans recipe is the strongest luck oil I know of, but it is designed to ensure a continuous stream of luck rather than to inspire a sudden lucky break. It is useful for all games of chance, but its most important function is to surround its user with a wide range of opportunities. Use with green or yellow candles. (O)

• LUV LUV LUV — This Caribbean-inspired recipe is said to attract love and ensure that it lasts. It works by casting a sensual magnetic allure around the user. It may be worn or used with red or pink candles. (O)

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• MAGNET — Similar, but stronger than Attraction, Magnet is a potent attractant recipe mostly used for worldly success. This formula is not recommended for love spells. Burn in combination with Money, Crown of Success, Fast Luck, or any other positive potion. Use with yellow, red, purple, or green candles. Because Magnet is non-specific in terms of what it pulls to you, it is important to have your goals clearly symbolized by the other ingredients in your ritual. (I, O)

MAGNETIC BLADE — A potent attraction oil for gay men. This is a fairly modern recipe, most likely from England. Wear or use on red candles. (O)

MAGNOLIA — Magnolia has a singular, but very important magical attribution — fidelity. In the New Orleans tradition it is often used to help control marital infidelity. Use with pink, red, or purple candles representing the person who is thought to be cheating. (EO)

MANDRAKE — Here’s a nasty little hexing oil that’s widely used, often with devastating results. Mandrake’s reputed function is to set loose a demonic spirit in a person’s life which causes all manner of pain and strife. This oil is not recommended to novices and should be reserved only in situations where no other remedy is available. Use with black candle. (O)

• MAN TRAP — Having trouble finding an eligible man? Try wearing Man Trap out on the town and see who you run into. This oil is said to be particularly effective for those who have gone without a relationship for more than a year. May also be used to anoint red, pink, or orange candles. (O)

MARJORAM — Marjoram is one of those wonderful multipurpose magical herbs used to invoke protection, love, health, money and happiness in general. Use alone or in combination with other oils on white, pink, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple candles. (NOTE: Marjoram oil is only available in a pharmaceutical grade oil and costs $6 per quarter ounce. This oil does not qualify towards discounts.) (EO)

MARRIAGE — If you’re getting sick and tired of waiting for your dreamboat to pop the question, try wearing this oil on your next date. Also use to anoint a pink candle representing your intended. (O)

• MASTER — This is a sexual domination oil to be used by men only. Similar to King of the Woods, it is worn by men, but may also be used as a sexual commanding oil with red candles. Some practitioners have told me that Master is useful sometimes to put a stop to a “fatal attraction” love situation, but there are safer oils to use for this purpose (such as Love Breaker or Lily). I do not recommend the use of this oil due to its coercive tendency, which has no place in any relationship. (O)

MELON — Although Melon is classically a love oil, said to work particularly well on women, it can also be used banefully to place impediments in someone’s path. When employed for this purpose against an enemy or someone who wishes you harm, carve the villain’s name on a black candle and anoint with Melon and Black Pepper oil. Because Melon is relatively mild, it usually only inflicts a mild slap on the wrist to the offending party. If something stronger is required, consider Flying Devil. When employed for love, use on a red or pink candle. (EO)

MERCURY — The planet Mercury governs the realm of thought, communication, and swiftness. This oil is composed of several herbs related by tradition to Mercury and is believed to facilitate these areas when used on combination with other oils. Use with blue or yellow candles. (O)

MISTLETOE — From the Druidic tradition comes this remarkably versatile fragrance associated with love, protection, fertility, exorcism, health and hunting. Of these, probably protection is the most common use for Mistletoe. Use with white, green or yellow candles. (EO)

• MONEY — Its name says it all! Alleged to attract money to a person, it is often used in combination with one of the success formulas, Fast Luck, African Ju Ju, Magnet, Versatile, Venus, and Patchouli. Use with green, brown red or yellow candles. (I, O)

• MONEY DRAWING — This oil is often used in combination with Money and one or more of the luck oils. Used by business people to anoint checkbook, cash register, and above entrance doors to an establishment. Use with yellow or green candles. (O)

MOON — The Moon rules the emotions, the home, and our subconscious. It is the most psychic of the planets (with the possible exception of Neptune). Use this to enhance psychic powers, to cope with problems around the home, and to bring a sense of psychological well-being. (O)

MORNING GLORY — Associated with peace and happiness, this oil is also alleged to help control nightmares. Use to anoint white, yellow or blue candles. (EO)

MOVING OUT — If you have a problem tenant or are besieged by a friend who has overstayed his/her welcome, rub a bit of this oil on the inside of their shoes or anoint a purple candle representing them with this oil. This oil is said to create a strong desire in them to move along. (O)

• MUSK — One word says it all: “LUST.” Musk is one of the strongest sexual commanding oils (along with Civet and Ambergris) and works equally well on men or women. Use with red candles. Because Musk is so powerful, I suggest you combine it with some of the gentler love oils or you may end up invoking something more than you bargained for! (EO)

• MYRRH — Myrrh is used in candle rituals for protection, spirituality, and healing. It is also said to have the power of exorcism. Often used in combination with Frankincense. Use with brown, white, and yellow candles. (EO)

MYRTLE — Aside from drawing love and money, Myrtle’s legendary powers include the restoration of youth and fertility. It is also said to have a harmonizing, tranquilizing effect on situations. Use with white, yellow, green, pink, and orange candles. (EO)