Removing the

“Oogah-Boogah”

from Magic

Over the years, a number of people have expressed surprise that I am so interested in candles, incense and oils. Many think it’s inappropriate for an educated person to find such seemingly superstitious tools worthy of study, equating them with “voodoo” or “witchcraft.” Frankly, when I first stumbled upon the recipes that form the Extrascentsory Apothecary, I shared this conceit. In fact, I almost tossed them into the garbage!

My involvement with the New Orleans formulary began one afternoon in 1977 when I decided to clean out a storage closet in the herb store I had bought an interest in. We needed more room for new inventory, and my partner suggested we toss out the contents of the closet to accommodate the supplies that were coming in. Mostly the closet was filled with junk and old financial records, but near the bottom of the cabinet, I found a battered file folder labeled “New Orleans.”

When I opened it, I discovered some 300 recipes for classic oils, incenses and powders. I asked my partner what it was and he recalled that several years prior he had employed a young man named Clinton (first name). After years of mixing oils for a major root worker in New Orleans, Clinton had moved to New York and set up a small oil and incense business. At one point, he ran his operation out of the back of the store, attracting a large clientele. But then Clinton moved on to greener pastures, leaving a copy of the recipes behind when he left. Since no one connected with the store had any idea of the tradition represented by these potions, the manuscript had been stuffed into the closet and forgotten until the day I unearthed it.

I took the file home with me that night and began to study it. It didn’t take long to realize that it contained a sophisticated system of herbal magic, but at the time there was very little information about how to use the potions. The few books available on the subject were pretty crappy, largely written for an uneducated audience.

Fortunately, however, I ignored the existing “literature” and focused my study on the recipes. In that process, I discovered a remarkable consistency about how the herbs were used. For example, I discovered that luck recipes often employed certain herbs again and again. Love recipes also tended to use certain herbs in various combinations. Through this investigation, I realized that whoever devised these recipes employed a specific and internally consistent set of herbal attributions.

I broke down the recipes into their various components and discovered that for the most part they conformed to a uniform magical system. However, some recipes seemed to defy classification due to the uniqueness of their ingredients. I then realized that there were at least two herbal traditions represented in the collection — the New Orleans southern “voodoo” tradition and several recipes which I later discovered were Haitian in origin. The Haitian recipes employed completely different ingredients, often incorporating fruits and unique roots.

Around this time, I heard about a man named Thessalonia DePrince. DePrince was a very famous magician within New York’s black community. His reputation for performing miracles was the talk of the town in the late 1970s and although I wasn’t interested in becoming a “magician for hire,” I knew that DePrince made several hundred thousand dollars a year for his services.

I had heard that DePrince used herbs and oils in his practice and frequently saw his full-page ads in black newspapers offering his magical expertise to that community. In these ads he always appeared wearing a turban, looking very ominous, seated in a throne chair, surrounded by crystal balls, Egyptian statues, and the other paraphernalia of his trade. I assumed he was probably a con artist, but thought perhaps I should call him to see if he could give me more information about the recipes. I ultimately decided not to contact him because, judging from his ads, he looked quite unapproachable.

One day I was in the store when a slender, elegantly dressed black man entered. He was wearing a three-piece suit, his hands were bedecked with gold and diamonds, and an enormous stretch limousine waited for him outside. He looked vaguely familiar to me, but it took me a few minutes to realize it was DePrince.

He purchased a few herbs and roots and I struck up a conversation with him. Far from being aloof, DePrince turned out to be bright and charming with a warm sense of humor and a friendly spirit. In the course of that conversation, I showed him the recipes and noticed that his eyes bulged with excitement as he thumbed through it.

“Do you realize what you have here?” he asked.

“Not really,” I replied

“There are people who would kill to get their hands on this!” he gasped. “How did you get ahold of these?”

I recounted the story of the discovery and DePrince said, “Look, I gotta run now, but I want to talk to you about this.” We swapped phone numbers and two days later he called and we made an appointment to meet.

We spent about an hour together, and in that short time I received a mini-education into the background of the recipes. It also became clear to me in the course of our conversation that although DePrince knew how to use all the potions, he didn’t have the recipes! I suggested that if he were willing to teach me the tricks of the trade, I’d provide him with a complete copy of the formulary. We shook hands and I began my journey into learning the techniques of candle and herb magic.

DePrince was a good teacher, and I turned out to be an apt pupil. We met every Sunday afternoon for several weeks and he divulged the secrets. He also gave me some impromptu demonstrations of his magical abilities which I won’t describe here because few if any of you would believe me if I did.

After DePrince, I had several other teachers who honed my skills and deepened my understanding of candle magic. These teachers came from several traditions – Yoruba, Macumba, Santería, Wicca – and each contributed greatly to my comprehension of this magical system.

However, I am something of a maverick when it comes to accepting any one approach to the spiritual realm, and began to devise my own approach to employing the potions. Since I have an abiding mistrust of all dogmatic religious systems – pagan or otherwise – I started to strip away much of the “oogah-boogah” from candle magic.

It struck me that each tradition had its own dogma regarding incantations, spirit names, gods and goddesses, Moon phases, candle colors, and ritual designs. Despite these differences, all of the practitioners obtained results. This caused me to realize that the candles and oils transcend all traditions. I came to understand that the potions and candles are psychic tools, that have become encrusted by doctrine over the centuries. I managed to offend quite a number of people by eliminating the trappings of religious beliefs from the candleburning art, but persevered nonetheless.

While I have no problem with people who want to work within a specific belief system, that approach doesn’t jibe with my nonconformist sentiments. About the only elements of traditional magical practice that I maintained were considerations of karma and Moon phases.

I view candles, oils and incense as tools to help focus our natural psychic abilities. If one wishes to shroud these tools in religious and ritualistic dogma, I think it limits one’s flexibility. I believe that the more we cast away superstition, the closer we get to the freedom that these tools are meant to confer. Candles and oils are a means of empowerment, a way to tap into the psychic realm in order to effect meaningful change in our lives. They provide a way of handling situations that might defy orthodox solutions.

For example, if someone has stolen from you but you don’t know who did it, a bottle of Thief oil and a red candle will probably be more helpful than calling the police. If you suspect that someone is lying to you, a bottle of Untruthful and a white candle will often expose the lie. If you are feeling a temporary sense of unexplained malaise, then a white candle anointed with Uncrossing may be more efficacious than a visit to a therapist.

Candle magic gives you a simple and inexpensive instrumentality for becoming proactive in your own life. There is nothing worse when the chips are down than to sit helpless and despairing. Instead, summon up your courage and get a candle going. I’ll be the first to admit that candles won’t solve every problem in life, but quite often they do provide amazing potential for change.

How do they do this? Simple: the candles and oils focus our own inner psychic power onto a goal. Every time we walk by our candle, we are reminded of our objective and that centers our thoughts on that area. Through our innate telepathic skills, we begin to formulate and manifest our aim on the external plain. It may take us a single candle or three dozen candles to maneuver ourselves to our intentions, but each time we light one, we take a step closer to success.

From time to time, however, there are situations we can’t change with candles. However, I find that more often than not this is due to negative attitudes. Never forget that a few moments of negativity and doubt can cancel weeks or months of candle work. Obviously, if you are confronting a depressing situation, such as lack of money, it is easy to slip into negative thinking. Your primary job, when conducting candle ceremonies, is to guard against doubt and to discipline yourself not to embrace the “cup half empty” mindset.

Another important point is patience. Human nature is such that we usually want instant gratification, and often that wish is granted. However, when we are working on long-term goals, such as success, health, and love, we must learn to relax and wait for our results. Since impatience is the major reason for “cup half empty” thinking, it is vital that you recognize that it may take time for your dreams to manifest.

The final piece of advice I want to give you in this regard is to remain open-minded regarding the nature of your results. If you define your intention too strictly, you may miss what the universe is trying to give you. I often see this pattern in love and success rituals where we often have highly specific goals in mind. However, the universe may have other ideas about where our success may lie or who our lover should be. If Judy remains too fixated on Rex, she may fail to acknowledge the arrival of Ted in her life. If an accountant is too fixated on joining one of the big accountancies, she may fail to consider the job at the smaller local accountancy that comes her way.

There are dozens of books about candle magic available in New Age stores, and all of them assiduously avoid the mention of the word “voodoo.” Because of the negative connotations of that word and the pejorative spin film and television projects normally project onto magical practices, I don’t blame today’s authors for eschewing the term. Despite the fact that many practitioners still refer to candle magic as “voodoo,” technically they are incorrect. Voodoo is an Afro-Caribbean cult with a complete system of gods and goddesses and as much ritual cant as any other formal religion. To apply the term to candle work is both erroneous and misleading. The only thing that candle magic has in common with voodoo is the use of candles, herbs and oils.

I suspect the reason this term got attached to candle magic is that many of the oils and incenses we use today originally came out of the black community. Ironically, many of today’s young black men and women have abandoned their own traditions, deeming these practices as outmoded or superstitious. I consider this a grave mistake, but I accept that times change. I think it is quite paradoxical that I, a white man, ended up in possession of these recipes. Over the years, I have made it a point to return the formulas to black practitioners and to persuade them that these practices are an important part of the African heritage. Certainly my most important magical teachers have been African-Americans and I consider it a privilege to have researched and helped restore their herbal formulary.

To return to the theme of this article, removing oogah-boogah, I believe that this has been my major contribution to this art. By redefining candle magic as a technique for psychic focusing, I have stripped away a lot of the meaningless superstitions surrounding these practices. While it doesn’t matter to me if people want to attach various ritualistic traditions to their candle work, I prefer to keep things simple and detached from dogmatic restrictions. I started out by performing candle rites using traditional approaches, but one by one, I eliminated various doctrinal elements from my workings.

If you read some of the books about candle magic, you may be struck by how complicated some rituals are, employing several candles, half a dozen oils, and an array of incenses. Personally, about 90 percent of my rituals employ only one candle, one or two oils, and perhaps a couple incenses. One of the reasons many spell books call for such complexity is that the same people who sell you the products write them. Obviously, from their point of view, the more products you think you must buy, the higher their incomes.

I can’t say that complex rituals are never called for, but most of the time a simple approach is best. When I see a practitioner with a half dozen candles, a bunch of oils, and a room clouded with incense, I normally assume he/she doesn’t know what they’re doing! By cutting through to the gist of a procedure, more often than not a single candle and a couple judiciously selected oils and/or incenses will suffice.

Since I do not derive most of my income from the oils and incense I make, I do not have a vested interest in hawking unnecessary products to practitioners. The only reason I make these potions available is because I’ve found that they are almost impossible to find in their authentic form. Because I have the recipes, I know how the various formulas are supposed to smell, and am dismayed by how many bogus products are on the market.

I once had four different bottles of commercial versions of Fast Luck oil, none of which smelled even vaguely like the correct recipe. Two of them smelled like cherry, one smelled like baby powder, and the fourth smelled like lemon. Since Fast Luck is a combination of Juniper Berry, Patchouli and Rose, none of these oils was authentic. The sole advantage of these spurious oils was that they sold for around $5 an ounce, but that’s no bargain if you aren’t getting the real thing!

I know that some of you are interested in the healing power of aromatherapy, and I believe that there is a link between the fragrances used in candle magic and the results we achieve. Certain fragrances recur in many traditions, and tend to have similar meanings. For example, in every tradition Frankincense is regarded as both highly spiritual and as beneficial from a financial standpoint. Over the years I have experimented with various recipes by eliminating one or more ingredients to see if the effects will be the same. I find that when I tinker with them, I wind up getting less than satisfactory results. This is why I decided a few years ago to start making my own oils and incenses – to ensure that they are authentic.

I have about 100 recipes I don’t produce because I cannot find certain ingredients. While I could probably substitute herbs with similar meanings, I choose not to alter the original formulas. If I am correct that certain fragrances stimulate our psychic abilities in specific ways to generate focused effects, this is all the more reason why these recipes must be diligently prepared.

Sometimes, of course, I create my own oil recipes. I do this to experiment with fragrances that lie outside the New Orleans tradition. For example, none of the recipes I have call for Pomegranate or Ylang Ylang, but my experimentation with them confirms that they are both potent “love pullers.” I am presently experimenting with Ginseng oil to determine its precise effects and have found impressive results in terms of amplifying personal energy and as an enhancement for luck. It also appears that Ginseng has strong uncrossing abilities, but I haven’t investigated this adequately to be certain.

I often wonder about the people who originated the recipes in my file. Unfortunately, their names have been lost. However, after years of studying these potions, I am struck by the remarkable consistency of the herbs that are used. Much of my knowledge of individual herbs comes from careful study of the recipes they occur in. For instance, by listing all of the recipes containing Bay, I quickly observed that it was the preëminent power and protection oil in the New Orleans tradition. When I listed all the recipes containing Dragon’s Blood, I discovered that it was not only a potent protection oil, but also a sexual energizer!

This study, which I’ve been involved in since 1977, has served to remove a lot of the “oogah-boogah” and mystery from the formulas. On the other hand, it has elevated my respect for the men and women who created the recipes. Their understanding of the power of fragrance to manipulate inner and outer reality was profound. Although many have faulted me for taking a scientific approach to the study of these potions, I do not think that there is any reason to reject a rational investigation of magic. Ultimately I am a pragmatist – either something works or it doesn’t.

Through a conscious effort to simplify candle procedures, I have eliminated much of the ritualistic claptrap in an effort to cut through to the core of the system. While I certainly respect those who prefer elaborate incantations, multiple candles and oils, and adherence to various gods and goddesses, none of these elements are essential to obtaining success. As I noted earlier, the only two traditional elements I have maintained are some attention to Moon cycles, and a respect for karma.

But even there I am something of a renegade because although Moon cycles have some degree of influence over results, they are not absolutely essential. I have had good results with success rituals during waning Moon cycles despite the fact that tradition says that success workings should only occur during the waxing Moon cycle.

When it comes to karma, I am more cautious, but have discovered that there are certain contexts where even the nastiest oils may be used without penalty. For example, as I discussed in my newsletter about protection (available on my web site), baneful oils and incense may be used without worry when legitimate self-protection is an issue. If someone is threatening your life or safety, almost no oil is off limits for defensive purposes. Indeed, when I dissected the hexing recipes, I discovered that most of them are merely power formulas and often contain the same herbs as protection recipes.

To me there are only a few things you need to do to conduct successful candle rituals:

• Have your goal clearly in mind.

• Select the correct candles, oils and incense.

• Spend some time with your candles while they are burning, focusing on your goal.

• Maintain patience and confidence that the candles will produce the result you want.

This said, I want to remind you that not every spell you cast will have an obvious result or be successful. While it is rare to get a complete failure, sometimes there are situations where the candles appear not to work.