One of the first steps I took when I started writing my own spells was to incorporate herbs. They add a very earthy element to spellcraft and I am obsessed with small, assorted glass bottles. I continue to work with these herbs because they are steeped in tradition and reinforce my intent in powerful ways. I see no difference between using herbs to make your food taste better and using them in your magic. Add a few choice herbs, and you achieve a delicious meal.
Do the same for your spells, and you create a different kind of magic. Slightly less delicious, but no less satisfying. Soon, I was using multiple herbs in each spell, always searching for ways to better solidify my intention. The natural next step was to make herb mixes that were ready for whatever spell I was doing, and because of the ease of use, these powder mixes came in handy for many applications.
Today I’m going to share my favorite recipes and I encourage you to tweak them as you see fit. Though they work very well for me, a witch’s magic is tied tightly to their personality, so tailoring tools and ingredients to your personal taste is always a good idea. Hopefully, this will be a good starting point!
Powder Recipes!
Moolah Powder (Money Drawing)
- Nutmeg
- Clover
- Cinnamon
- Mint
- Cinquefoil
- Chamomile
- Cloves
- Ginger
- Lavender oil (a few drops)
Best time to make this powder: Full moon, Thursday
Aphrodite Powder (Love Drawing)
- Dried apple skins
- Dried pomegranate seeds
- Cocoa powder
- Dried hibiscus flower
- Dried rose petals
- Chamomile
- Passionflower oil (a few drops)
Best time to make this powder: New Moon
Lucky Duck Powder
- Clover
- Star anise
- Calamus
- Cinnamon
- High John
- Bay leaves
- Basil
- Orange peel
- Chamomile oil (a few drops)
Best time to make this powder: Waxing moon
Wild West Powder (Banishing)
- Cloves
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Chili oil (a few drops)
Best time to make this powder: Waning moon
Note: Wash your hands thoroughly after handling this powder!
Pyramid Powder (Success)
- Cinnamon
- Frankincense
- Chamomile
- Ginger
- High John
- Lemon balm
- Mustard seed
- Sandalwood oil (a few drops)
Best time to make this powder: Waxing moon
Using Your New Powders
Combining powders: While trying to jam too many intentions into a spell will ensure it fails, using key powders together only strengthens intention by making your spell more specific. Using luck powder together with money powder would make a good gambling sachet. Using success powder together with money powder would focus more on business endeavors. Powders with similar ingredients have similar intentions and will go together more smoothly.
Adding cayenne pepper or sugar: As you can tell, I love chamomile. It gives a boost to any spell and its main use is manifesting success, hence why I use it a lot. Chamomile isn’t the only herb that can help a spell succeed, though. Cayenne pepper can quicken results and sugar can sweeten them, or act as an attractant. That said, cayenne pepper is typically associated with “negative” spells, like banishing, and sugar is associated with “positive” spells, like love and money. While these are great additions to powders, you should be careful about your intention before adding them in an effort to limit wonky results.
Candles: Dressing candles in powder, whether for spells or altar work, should be done with accompanying oil. I include oils in my powders because it adds a “lifeblood” element. However, I still recommend dressing candles with a carrier oil of your choice before dusting on the powder. Please be careful when burning oils. The candle flame usually burns through the oil quickly, but it can get out of control in a flash if not supervised.
Drawing: Pouring the powder on your altar or workspace in a specific pattern or shape to reinforce intent. A common shape used is a star, but depending on your spell or altar, these shapes are up to you.
Dressing: Things like lottery tickets, business contracts, job applications, money, love letters, and tax forms can all be dressed with specific powders to help bring desired outcomes. People even add powders to their clothing and skin, especially those seeking new relationships and luck.
Sprinkling: Until recently, I didn’t realize there was a right and wrong way to sprinkle powders. You are meant to walk backward while you do it, taking an odd number of steps. With banishing powder, it’s common to sprinkle it in the path of the person you wish to banish to send them away. With protection powders and money powders, you can sprinkle some powder in your doorways or the soles of your shoes.
Sachets: These are great little bundles you can take anywhere and keep the herb magic with you. These can be used for spellwork on the go, or just little talismans in the vein of gris-gris bags, that you keep on your person to keep the powder working for you all day long.
Activating powders: I like activating the tools I use in spellwork and focusing their power, and powders are no different. However, though my preferred method of activation is with fire, obviously, this would be difficult with powders. One way to achieve activation is by charging the powder in sunlight. Another way is creating a sigil with the sentence of intention, focusing on how the powder works for you, then adding the sigil’s ashes to the powder. So, if you wanted to use the luck powder, but “luck” is a little too broad for you, add some sigil ash to the powder with your line of intention being something like “this powder brings me luck in finding a job.”
If you’re new to using spell powders and herbs in your magic, these kinds of instructions can come across as somewhat vague. As a teacher, I try to make my work accessible to everyone but herb magic is advanced stuff! So many witches are missing crucial knowledge when it comes to working with herbs effectively in their magic and this lead to lackluster results from their spells. If you feel like your herb magic is missing some oomph, then this is for you. Experienced practitioners know that there are a few key steps to really getting the energies of these plants to work with you. Just tossing some herbs in a bowl and saying a few words doesn’t cut it! If you’re ready to start getting real results from your herbal magic, then my Magical Herbalism course is for you. In this class, I’m able to fully dive into the complex theory behind working with plants and give you the key steps that you need to take to really make your herbal magic pop!
Quick Powder Spells
Money drawing powder: Dress a green candle every Thursday with money powder and arrange 3 or 5 pyrite stones around this candle. Draw a money sigil on the candle and be sure to light this candle at the same time each week, redressing the candle as needed.
Love drawing powder: Light a red candle and dust a freshly cut rose with the powder, then float the rose in a bowl of water containing a few rose quartz stones and a pinch of sugar. When the candle has burned down, remove the petals from the rose and add them to the water. Let this water sit for a day (rose quartz included!) then strain and collect only the water in a little jar. Keep this jar under your bed, or by a mirror that you use often.
Luck drawing powder: Add this powder to a sachet along with a piece of aventurine, amethyst, and jasper and leave outside in the sun for a day to charge. Each week, on the same day and at the same time, light some incense and waft the sachet occasionally in the smoke. Carry with you or keep by your desk.
Banishing powder: Take a picture of the person you’d like to banish or write this person’s name on a piece of paper. Fold this paper in half, adding a little powder in the crease, then fold it over again. Using a needle and black thread, pierce the paper through the middle once, then secure the entire little package with the black thread, wrapping around each edge, ensuring it can’t be opened or untied. Wet this paper thoroughly in a bowl of water, then hide it in the back of your freezer.
Success powder: Dress a yellow candle in success powder and light. Place the Six of Wands and Eight of Wands side by side in front of the candle. Add a strand of hair (cut into short pieces) to the melting wax as the candle burns. Make a wish for the thing you want to succeed at, close your eyes, and blow out the candle.
Pro Tips!
- Do not ingest any of these powders.
- Much like cayenne and sugar, I add basil to a lot of powders when I use them for spells and not to the main batch. Typically associated with love and money, basil is also protective. In my experience, basil is a very lucky herb and I’ve had a lot of success with it — especially when paired with tarot cards and salt. Although the dried stuff is easier to come by, freshly cut leaves work better.
- Like I said earlier, powders can be modified and though I consider these complete recipes, you can add or subtract ingredients to suit your needs. One of my favorite things to do is make a batch of the powder, and when I need a little for a spell, I add something personal to the mix just to put my “signature” on the powder — especially if something in my life is the focus of the spell. I usually use sunflower petals because I grow them (my sigil seeds!), but anything that gives the powder your personal flavor will work. If the focus of your spell is another person, add something for them. Hair is an excellent choice if the person is willing!
- As always, journal your results.
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Updated on June 18, 2024 by Avery Hart
Wow!!! I am a baby witch trying to figure out how to walk so that I can run and you’ve helped so much! Wonderful content chok full of info but simple enough to not confuse or raise more questions. Can’t wait for my emails!!!
I’m thrilled to hear it!! I wish you all the best on this amazing journey 🙂
Very much appreciated! Baby witch here learning away thanks for welcoming me
Hello, wanted to ask if these herbs/spices are ground from whole herbs or do you buy the herbs in powder form. I didnt see how to actually create these powders or create powder form
Powdered herbs are dried from fresh or purchased dried and then ground into a powder. Traditionally, this is done with a mortar and pestle but most modern witches use something like an electric coffee grinder to get the desired consistency.
Hi! First, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and experience. I have a question regarding candles. I’ve always been drawn to candles and would like to start incorporating them into my spell casting explorations but have just moved to a cottage on a farm where I am not allowed to light candles (my home backs up to a horse barn and is less than 20 feet from the hay storage so it’s a safety thing that I am completely on board with). Do you have any experience with LED candles? I’ve bought some just because I love the feeling I get from candle light and am hoping (once I find my stash of AAA batteries) that these will be a suitable substitute. Could they work in place of a real candle? Maybe if I used oils and put them on the “flames?” Also, my only heat source is a propane “wood” stove. The flame is not accessible but I’m thinking that I might be able to use the heat on the top of the stove and would welcome your thoughts on that?
Thanks so much!
Tricia
This was super helpful and clarified a LOT for me…wow I miss 2018…2021 friggen sucks.
I have been studying for a long time now and have many tools and herbs but I still am really stunned. I feel I need more direction.
Thank you for the recipes. I will try one soon.
This is really awesome! I am looking for something that will help me more with anti-stress and confidence. Is it possible to put lavender (for anti-stress) and Bay leaf (for confidence) together and get a sort of elixir or tea if that would help me?
I’ve got to use the freezer banishing to help my first love. His current spouse is abusive and I need to freeze her actions