Lodestones

Everything you need to know about lodestones and their use within the
hoodoo/conjure/rootwork tradition: from their science and history through to baptising
and working them.

Contents

What is a Lodestone?
Lodestones in Hoodoo
Baptising a Lodestone
The Care and Feeding of Lodestones
Bathing and Cleaning Lodestones
Working Lodestones
Working Lodestones for Money
Working Lodestones for Love
Lodestones and Other Spiritual Supplies
Lodestone Grit
Lodestones For Sale!
Lodestones and Spirits
Lodestones, Not Honey Jars
Supplies Mentioned In This Article

What is a Lodestone?

Lodestones are a naturally occurring form of iron oxide which is magnetic. It is one of
the few minerals known to have magnetic properties. The oxide itself, Magnetite, is a
common iron ore and is usually processed into steel. Lodestones, however, exhibit all
the properties of a magnet and are less common. They have been used for millenia for
both mundane and magical purposes, primarily for navigation.

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 Heres field biologist and science teacher Brian Erickson explaining:

Lodestones in Hoodoo

Lodestones are used in the

hoodoo/conjure/rootwork tradition to attract and draw things. This takes advantage of
the magnetic properties of the lodestone. Lodestones are used to bring in luck, money,
and love. For luck and money, they are used singly. For love, they are used in matched
pairs.

Lodestones are named, worked, fed, cared for, and treated exactly as you would a living
thing: because in hoodoo, that is exactly what a lodestone is considered to be. If they are
treated well and worked correctly, lodestones can bring in a great deal of good fortune.

Lodestones have been used for a long time in hoodoo, they are a longstanding and very
traditional curio. They have survived the numerous changes and evolutions of the
hoodoo/conjure/rootwork tradition with their function and methods of use largely
unchanged, and they arent going away any time soon.

Baptising a Lodestone

Male lodestone Female

lodestone
The very first thing that needs to be done once a lodestone is acquired is to baptise it. A
lodestone needs a name, it needs something to respond to when you call on it to
work. Its name will depend on two things: its intended function, and its gender.

Lodestones come in male and female form. Male lodestones are pointier, somewhat
tetrahedroid in shape. Female lodestones are flatter, smoother, and more cuboid in
shape.

The main uses for lodestones are to draw

luck and money (singly) or love (in pairs). A lodestone for money might carry a name
like Benjamin (on the USA $100 bill), Plenty OCash, something as simple as Gold,
or the name of the current billionaire at the top of the rich list. As long as its associated
in some way with money. For luck, it might be something clever like Bunny Foote, or
simple like Lucky. Kiwi Mojos 13lb giant lodestone is called General Fortune, as an
example.

Lodestones for love are worked in pairs, and their names will depend upon whether you
are drawing a particular love interest to yourself, a non-specific person to be your lover,
or working a pair for general love and attraction.

To work a pair to draw a specific person to yourself, you would baptise one lodestone of
the appropriate gender with your own name, and another of the appropriate gender of
the person you wish to draw with their name. To draw in an appropriate lover when no
specific person is in mind, the other lodestone (of appropriate gender) would be named
something along the lines of my ideal lover or my perfect partner. If the stones are
being worked on behalf of two other people, their names would be used instead.

When lodestones are worked to draw love generally (usually by experienced

rootworkers who use them on behalf of clients), they carry names which reflect their
purpose, much like money and luck lodestone names. A male/female pair could be
Romeo and Juliet due to their immediate association with love, a male/male pair could
be Adam and Steve, and a female/female pair could be Ellen and Portia after the famous
celebrity couple.

Once a name has been chosen, the lodestone needs to be baptised. This is a baptism in
the Christian sense of the word, where God is called upon and the name is bestowed
upon the stone. The prayers used can be as elaborate or as simple as required, from a
complete recitation of the Baptism Rite of the church through to a short and simple
prayer. As this is being done, a liquid is poured over the lodestone. This could be
whiskey, Hoyts Cologne, or Holy Water. If using Holy Water, the lodestone will need
to be dried immediately. This is because lodestones are primarily composed of iron, and
they rust if exposed to water.

Here is an example:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
I baptise you <name of lodestone>.
With this <liquid> I baptise you
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
And the name I give you is <name of lodestone>.
I baptise you <name of lodestone>, so that you may bring <function of lodestone>
to me/us/this house.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

The Care and Feeding of Lodestones

As mentioned above, lodestones are living things. Therefore they need to be given food
and drink on a regular basis, and also bathed. How often this is done will depend upon
how hard you work your lodestone. Feeding lodestones once a week is a good
guideline. More if the lodestone is working hard for something specific, less often if
its only being used by one person for general purpose.

Lodestones are fed with magnetic sand, which is

sometimes known as anvil dust within the hoodoo/conjure/rootwork
tradition. Magnetic sand is actually iron filings, and anyone who studied magnetism in
science at school will probably recall having used these.

To feed a lodestone with magnetic sand, a small pinch is sprinkled over the
lodestone. It is important to pray as this is done, and to reference the fact that the
lodestone is being fed, the magnetic property of the lodestone (the magnetic sand will
cling to it), and the purpose of the lodestone. The prayer can be elaborate or simple,
depending upon the preferences of the individual. Here is an example:

<Name of lodestone>, I feed you with magnetic sand.

I feed you with magnetic sand, so that as this sand clings to you
 and covers you, so may good fortune in all matters related to <purpose of lodestone>
Cling to me/us/this house, in Jesus name
Amen,

Giving drink to a lodestone is very similar, a small amount of liquid or oil is poured
over the stone while a prayer is said. Lodestones are commonly given whiskey or
Hoyts Cologne to drink, or condition oils. Lodestone Oil, a mineral based oil, is a
common oil which is given to lodestones. Another common combination with
lodestones is Van Van Oil, a general purpose lucky oil which is very traditional to use
with lodestones. Any condition oil or cologne which suits the purpose of the lodestone
may be given to it to drink. The important thing to remember when giving drink to
lodestones is that the drink must be alcohol or oil based. Anything water based will
cause the lodestone to rust, which should be avoided.

Instead of pouring liquid, some practitioners prefer to spray liquid onto their lodestones
with their mouth. This is fine if the lodestone is being fed whiskey or other alcohol, but
is not recommended for colognes (they taste awful), and doesnt work at all with oil.

A simple prayer like the one above can be prayed over the lodestone while it is being
given drink, only the reference to the magnetism between the iron filings and the stone
needs to be omitted. Again, the prayer can be as simple or as elaborate as the
practitioner wishes. Heres an example:

<Name of lodestone>, I feed you with <name of liquid>.

I feed you with <name of liquid>, so that as this <liquid> pours over you
and nourishes you, so may good fortune in all matters related to <purpose of
lodestone>
Nourish me/us/this house, in Jesus name
Amen,

A less common way to feed lodestones

is with cigar smoke. This is a definite carryover from the African Diaspora
traditions, and may not fit with everyones style of practice. The tobacco serves to
strengthen the lodestone, the stones command over what it draws in, and the
practitioners command over the stone. To feed a lodestone cigar smoke, a cigar is cut
and lit as normal. When the cigar is well lit and going strong, it is reversed so the lit
end is in the mouth, clamped carefully between the teeth. Smoke is then blown through
the cigar onto the stone. A prayer can be recited once this is done:
 <Name of lodestone>, I feed you with this smoke.
I feed you with this smoke, so that as this smoke covers you and strengthens you,
so may good fortune in all matters related to <purpose of lodestone>
Cover and strengthen me/us/this house, in Jesus name
Amen,

Some practitioners feed their lodestones with honey, which brings sweetness to
everything the stone attracts. The stickiness of the honey combines with the attractive
properties of the lodestone well, but there are some issues to bear in mind when feeding
honey. The first is that it is sticky, and may well attract ants. The second is that it will
end up being kind of gross, and you will need to clean it more regularly. Also, as most
lodestones tend to be kept with other objects, those will probably end up being sticky
with honey as well, and will also need to be cleaned. The best time to feed honey is
probably right before a lodestone is bathed.

Heres a video we created which shows how to feed a lodestone, featuring General
Fortune.

Bathing and Cleaning Lodestones

Lodestones need cleaning. They get covered in too much magnetic sand, they get sticky
with oil, they gather dust and dirt. Cleaning lodestones is simple, and should be done
on a regular basis. How often will depend upon how hard the lodestone is
worked. Annually is generally enough for a home lodestone, working practitioners who
work their stones hard on behalf of clients will be cleaning theirs much more often.

The first thing to do is to pick all the dust bunnies and obvious bits of dirt and fluff off
the stone, and then scrape off the magnetic sand. This can be put into a jar and reused
to feed lodestones, or kept to add to mojo hands containing lodestones.

Once this is done, the lodestone itself can be cleaned. Some practitioners do clean their
lodestones with water, but this can cause the lodestones to rust, so water isnt
ideal. Washing the lodestones in alcohol is much better for them. The same alcohol
used to feed the lodestones can be used to wash them, whiskey or Hoyts Cologne is
traditional. The lodestone doesnt need to be scrubbed down and made pristine, it just
needs to be rubbed with the alcohol to remove any obvious stickiness and grime.

Once the lodestone is clean, it will need to be fed right away with magnetic sand. Then
it can be put back in its usual place and put back to work.

A great deal of disinformation regarding the cleaning of lodestones has popped up on

the internet lately. Everything from soaking it in a jar of Florida Water with a candle
on the top (this is a HUGE fire hazard) to cleaning with lemon juice (acid + iron oxide =
rust). Soaking the lodestone seems to be the most prevalent misinformation out there,
and it is a waste of liquid and totally unnecessary. All thats required is a quick
cleaning, just to get rid of any sticky or dirty stuff clinging to the lodestone. The other
piece of misinformation regards lodestones needing cleansing. A lodestone is a living
thing, and you cleansing the spirit right out of the stone is going to be detrimental.

Working Lodestones

Lodestones are easy to work. Once the

routine of feeding and caring for them is established, lodestones just go on working and
working and working. They wont stop, they work long term, and as long as theyre fed
and cleaned regularly they will keep working.

Lodestones attract what is around them, so it is typical for most workers to set up a plate
or an altar for their lodestone. This doesnt have to be anything fancy, it just needs to
contain the lodestone and all its accoutrements. The main thing to remember is that the
plate or container the lodestone is on/in should be made from a non-magnetic
substance. Ceramic, plastic, non-ferrous metal, etc. The colour can match the intended
purpose of the stone (green for money, pink for love, etc.), but it isnt necessary.

The items around the lodestone can be herbs or botanical curios appropriate to its
purpose, small lucky items, statues, pictures, holy cards, or whatever else seems
appropriate. Some workers will have nothing more than a plate with a few curios,
others will have full blown altars for their lodestones. Most people will end up
somewhere in between.

Once the lodestone has been set up with all the surrounding items in place, it can be
worked. It can be fed with a condition oil appropriate to what needs to be drawn,
petitions can be placed beneath it, candles lit and prayers said.

To work a lodestone for general luck drawing, it can be fed with whiskey, Hoyts
Cologne, Lodestone Oil, Van Van Oil, or another lucky-type oil. Dice can be placed on
or near it for gambling luck, small heart shaped items for luck in love, botanical items
such as cinnamon or allspice for money drawing, and any lucky items can be placed on
or near the lodestone.

Lucky charms that are carried upon the person can be placed upon the lodestone so that
each lends its properties to the other: the lodestone draws more luck, and the lucky
charm gets better at drawing luck in.
A very common use of lodestones which draw good luck is to place lottery tickets
beneath them. This is done with lodestones dedicated specifically to bringing luck in
gambling too, and with money drawing lodestones.

Working Lodestones for Money

The number one rule of working a lodestone for money is that lodestones draw what is
placed around them, so real money needs to be used. In the USA, $2 bills are often
used in magical work due to their rarity in general circulation, and these arent
uncommon to see around lodestones. Any amount of cash will do, however, and the
larger the amount the better. The cash should be in the currency the worker uses,
although cash from around the world can be included, at least one piece of native
currency should be there. In addition to actual cash, play money or Monopoly money
can be added. This should not take the place of actual currency, however.
Other money drawing and money related items can be added, such as cinnamon and
allspice to draw wealth, Hotei Buddha figurines for money luck, pyrite to draw gold,
confetti or tokens depicting dollar signs, or shredded bills (which the lodestone can sit
on if required.) Mojo hands to draw money or business can be placed near the
lodestone when not carried upon the person, so that the lodestone and mojo enhance
each others qualities.
To work a lodestone to draw a specific amount of money, write the amount needed on
either a low denomination banknote or a piece of brown paper, dress it with money
drawing powder or oil, fold it towards you, and place it beneath the lodestone. Then
pray over the lodestone, feeding it, and asking for the amount needed. Psalm 23 is very
commonly used when praying for money, but any appropriate prayer can be used. Once
the request has been fulfilled, the petition paper should be buried.
Business cards can be placed near a money lodestone to draw money to a business, and
a smaller lodestone can even be placed directly into the cash drawer of a shop to draw
money into it.
Money placed near or under lodestones can be taken and spent as normal, but the money
retains some of the magnetic properties of the lodestone. This is particularly true if the
money has been trained, but any money from around a lodestone is though to be lucky
and will bring home more of the same.
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Working Lodestones for Love

Lodestones for love are always worked

in pairs. Paired lodestones are usually sold that way, and the pair will be similar in size
and will fit together as well as cling together magnetically. Male/female, male/male,
and female/female pairs are all commonly available: the individual should purchase
what they need according to personal sexual preference.
Lodestones for love dont need to be worked in order to bring a long lasting
relationship. If someone wants to work a pair for a marriage, they can do so. But if
someone wants to bring in a constant stream of sexual partners, they can do that too. It
all depends upon how the lodestone is prayed over, what it is fed, and what petitions
and objects are placed with it.
To work a lodestone to draw a partner, one stone is baptised in the name of the
individual and the other in the name of the person to be drawn to them (or a generic
term such as my ideal lover). The stones are placed apart from one another, and
gradually moved closer together over the course of several days. A week is common,
and at the end of that week the lodestones will be touching. Petitions can be placed
under these lodestones in exactly the same way a petition would be placed under one for
luck or money, and in the case of drawing in a lover with particular qualities, these
should be listed and placed beneath the lodestone before the work is begun.
To work a pair of lodestones to maintain attraction within an existing relationship, the
stones should be baptised in the names of the couple. They should be kept together, and
surrounded by items which promote romance, fidelity, and love. They should be fed
together, and can be given love-type oils. Mementoes from the relationship can be
placed on or near the lodestone pair. This is an excellent way to help maintain a long
distance relationship, and ensure that the attraction remains strong and constant over a
distance.
To work lodestones to draw love in a more generic fashion, such as to keep the
relationships of everyone in a family strong or to bring love to anyone whose petition is
placed under the lodestones, the pair should be kept together and fed together. They
should be surrounded by generic love and romance related items, and not be baptised
with anyones specific names.
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Lodestones and Other Spiritual Supplies

In addition to the use of herbs and other botanical curios, lodestones can be used in
conjunction with powders, incenses, oils, colognes, and a number of other commonly
available conjure or spiritual supplies.

Lodestones can be fed with condition powders in the same way magnetic sand is fed,
and can be dressed with condition oils the same way liquid is fed. Colognes can also be
fed the same way one would any other liquid, and fixed candles or incense can be
burned next to a lodestone while it is being prayed over to add extra strength to the
prayer.

Specific uses for drawing money might include using a Steady Work oil to draw more
money through a business venture, or Fast Luck oil to get money to come in
quickly. Lucky lodestones might be given supplies specifically to enhance their
efficacy at bringing in gambling luck, or dressed with Crown of Success to bring luck in
passing a test.

Paired lodestones are a little different, because not each has to be used with the same oil
or powder. For example, someone who wanted to maintain the upper hand in their
relationship might dress the lodestone named for them with High John the Conqueror
oil. Someone whose spouse had been known to stray might dress the stone named for
them with Stay With Me oil. For a steamy night of passion, both stones might be
dressed with an oil or powder specifically designed to encourage just that.

Lodestones for Sale!

Lodestones were a popular item offered for sale in the novelty company catalogues of
the early 20th Century. They were offered alone, in pairs, in oils, in incense, in
perfume, and in curio bags and assortments. They were often offered for sale in
combination deals with spiritual supplies such as High John the Conqueror Root and
Van Van Oil: items which were and are commonly used in conjunction with lodestones
to enhance their effectiveness.

Although the mail order companies were run by Jewish apothecaries, they very
obviously knew their audience. Although the advertisements make claims such as, A
Lodestone has been held in high regard by the Ancient Romans, Chinese,
Mahomadeans, and other people as a Powerful Amulet and Good Luck Charm(King
Novelty Co. Catalogue), these are appeals to antiquity and exoticism designed to entice
the buyer. In reality, and as reflected by other advertisements for lodestones in similar
catalogues, the lodestone was in common use among the hoodoo/conjure/rootwork
practitioners of the American South.

This advertisement from K.C. Card Co. Blue Book, a catalogue of gambling supplies
published, has a similar but less colourful advertisement, the text of which reads:

Used as a Luck Charm by Many People Who Believe That it Causes Them to Be Lucky
in Almost Everything They Undertake to Do. This peculiar magnetic Stone or Ore has
been used for ages as a Luck Charm and is now carried by many people who have
implicit faith in its power who would not be without a pair of them.
 It is sold in pairs, as many believe that one piece drives evil away and the other draws
luck. However, this is, of course just according to your own belief, and our only
guarantee is that we sell only High-grade, genuine magnetic loadstone. We buy our ore
direct from one of the best mines. It is selected at the mine and again by us, giving you
the best grade awe can obtain.

We enclose it in neat chamois bags convenient to carry in the pocket, or strings can be
attached and worn on any part of the body.

This advertisement tells us two very important things: first that there was an industry for
mining lodestones and the demand was sufficient to sustain that industry, and secondly
that lodestones were considered to be a lucky pocket piece on their own, whether
combined with a curio/oil or not. They were definitely associated with gambling, as
this advertisement is found within a catalogue of loaded dice, marked cards, trick
gambling supplies, and other items for cheating at cards and dice. The company was
based in New Orleans, and was well placed in the centre of of the burgeoning urban
hoodoo/mail order company boom of the early 20th century.

A later development in the sale of lodestones was to offer them in colours, which had
similar colour associations to candles and oils in use at the time. Gold, silver, and green
lodestones were used to draw money. Red were used to draw love. White lodestones
were used to draw protection and blessings. Blue lodestones were used to draw peace
and comfort, and black lodestones were used to draw dominating power over
others. Coloured lodestones were not popular until the mail order catalogues,
particularly the colourful and variety filled Kings Novelty Co. catalogues, began to offer
them. Modern practitioners of hoodoo still use coloured lodestones, although the
practice is less common now than it was in the early 20th century. Most people prefer
to colour their own lodestones, and pre-coloured ones are rarely found for sale. Most
good conjure supply stores, however, still stock lodestones singly and in pairs.

Lodestone Grit

Lodestone Grit is the name commonly given to tiny,

gravel sized pieces of lodestone. The larger pieces are usually placed into mojo bags,
and the smaller usually used in Lodestone Oil or other condition oil which may require
them.

Like larger lodestones, pieces of grit are used singly or in pairs depending upon their
function. Single pieces are used in money or luck mojo hands, while paired pieces are
used in love mojos.
Pieces of grit are often placed atop larger lodestones, in order to attract the power of the
larger stone into the grit. Those pieces are then incorporated into work for the same
purpose as a larger stone.

For a simple and easy way to attract money, a piece of grit can be folded into a
banknote and kept in the wallet or pocket.

Lodestones and Spirits

Some rootworkers work with Catholic Saints, others

dont. Some rootworkers also practice religions alongside hoodoo, but do not
incorporate the two. Knowing when and how to incorporate lodestones with spirits can
be tricky, but not impossible. It depends upon the knowledge the worker has of both
lodestone work and the spirit/s in question, and their level of comfort when it comes to
placing their lodestone.

Firstly, hoodoo uses many images of spirits from other faiths as good luck charms or
tokens. Ganesh and Hotei Buddha are excellent examples of this. Its perfectly in
keeping with hoodoo traditions to place a lucky Buddha or Ganesh next to a lodestone
for luck or wealth, or even a statue of Venus next to a pair for love. Problems only
occur if the spirit is being served by the rootworker.

There is some crossover between the African Diaspora traditions and the conjure
traditions of the American South. The working systems are similar in some cases, but
the systems should mostly be kept separate. Some experienced members of the
priesthoods of these religions may sometimes place lodestones on their altars next to
their spirits, usually gatekeeping spirits to ensure a constant open door for any luck or
blessings the lodestone pulls in. The lodestone is not served or worked in conjunction
with the spirit, it is merely placed in an advantageous location. Its fine to have a
lodestone on an altar purely for considerations of space and convenience, as long as
things arent being mixed up. If in doubt, speak to an experienced member of the
priesthood of your particular tradition.

Rootworkers who utilise Saints in their practice may pray to one to help work a
lodestone, or to grant a petition placed under a lodestone. This will depend upon that
rootworkers particular practice, and the relationship they have with the Saints in
question. Working with Saints has become more common in the
hoodoo/conjure/rootwork tradition, but hoodoo itself has always been Protestant
Christian derived. As such, rootworkers ask for things in the name of Jesus, and it is
always appropriate to have a cross or crucifix near a lodestone to draw the blessings of
Our Lord.

Lodestones, Not Honey Jars

Honey jar spells have become very popular in modern hoodoo, to the point where a
number of people misuse them for purposes where a lodestone ought to be used. Honey
jars are used to sweeten a particular person, to influence their thoughts so they are better
disposed towards the worker (or client). Lodestones draw general blessings as well as
specific requests, and do so through their magnetic properties and no by influencing the
thoughts of another.

People have begun to use honey jars to do things like draw money, but money has no
mind to sweeten to you. A honey jar can be used indirectly to bring money, such as by
sweetening a particular person to give you gifts of cash or to pay a debt, but it cant pull
in the cash the way a lodestone can. A lodestone attracts things to it like a magnet, so
will pull in money if thats what it has been trained to do.

Honey jars are fantastic at what they do, but they arent suitable for everything. The
same applies to lodestones. Both are excellent when used correctly, but they only work
at what theyre supposed to do.

Lodestones have centuries of tradition behind them, they are one of the most commonly
found items in hoodoo, and they arent going away any time soon. Dont use a honey
jar when a lodestone will do.

Supplies Mentioned in this Article

A list of the spiritual supplies mentioned above which are available for purchase in the
Kiwi Mojo online store.

Allspice
Condition Oil
Condition Powder
Fixed Candles
Mojo Hands
Van Van Oil

We do not yet carry lodestones or magnetic sand in the online store, but may be able to
meet any requests if contacted at info@kiwimojo.com. We will have both items in
stock later this year.

https://kiwimojo.com/home/hoodoo/lodestones/