How To Make and Craft Mojo Bags

A mojo bag is a powerful tool in the magic of Hoodoo. One of the most potent and simple methods for connecting with our magical guides is to carry a well-prepared mojo bag. It is widely believed that mojo bags are the man-made manifestation of a spiritual being and that they contain life-like properties.

The primary amulet of the Hoodoo religion, a mojo bag is essentially a flannel bag containing magical items of significance to the owner of the bag. The word mojo is thought by some to be related to the West African word "mojuba," meaning a prayer of admiration and protection, as it is a "prayer in a bag" - a hex you can carry with you.

Another possibility is that the name comes from the Kongo word "mooyoo," which means the ashes and crushed bones of an ancestor. These remains were usually placed in the front of a N'Kisi Ndoki statue, a type of fetish statue that resembles a human or animal. It is quite common for mojo bags to contain the bones of humans or animals.

While a mojo bag is a staple talisman in the Hoodoo tradition, it appears in other magickal traditions as well. It is characterized as a flannel bag, usually red in color, containing one or more magickal items. Although most mojo bags are made of red flannel, some magickal practitioners prefer the color symbolism associated with candle magick and will match the color of the mojo bag to their goal. Other names for these charms include gris gris, nation sack, mojo hand, toby, and conjure bag. The practice is most commonly attributed to Hoodoo and rootwork but has also gained much popularity in modern Shamanic and New Age groups.

Crafting Your Mojo Bag

Each practitioner has his or her own method of preparing and fixing a mojo bag. Certain steps in the process are considered universal. The ritual for preparing and fixing a mojo bag is usually performed on an altar or other sacred place and will often be accompanied by the burning of candles and incense.

The first step in creating your mojo bag is to select a cloth bag whose color resonates with your intention. Here is a list to help you choose the most appropriate color for your mojo bag.

• Red. passion, sexual energy, protection, martial energy, courage, working with Mars
• Orange. vitality, success, endurance, swiftness, adaptability, encouragement, working with Mercury
• Yellow. creativity, self-expression, joy, charisma, clarity, decision-making, learning, working with the Sun
• Green. prosperity, wealth, "luck," employment, fertility, healing, working with Venus
• Blue. healing, peace, tranquility, philosophy, wisdom, intellect, eloquence, working with Jupiter
• Purple. spirituality, karmic healing, divination, power, psychic abilities, justice
• Pink. emotional healing, self-love, friendship, relationships, beauty, art, romance
• White. cleansing, purification, new beginnings, soothing, psychological healing, angelic guidance, peace
• Grey. balance, stability, mystery, secrets, becoming "invisible," illusion, neutrality
• Black. banishing negativity, protection, discipline, absorption, working with Saturn
• Silver. meditation, yin/goddess energy, receptivity, dream work, feminine energy, working with the Moon
• Gold. prosperity, yang/god energy, success, inspiration, working with the Sun

Once you have selected the proper bag, you must empower it. Begin by marking a candle with your goal. Impale the candle with nine pins, asserting your desire with the insertion of each pin. The ninth and final pin should be inserted directly through the candle's wick. Light some incense and then light your candle.

What To Put Inside Your Mojo Bag

What you put in your mojo bag is as, if not more, important than the color of the bag. Fill the bag with the corresponding herbs, stones, and symbols of your intention. For example...

• For protection, fill your bag with lodestone, black tourmaline, morning glory, and basil. Place a circle of protection amulet in the bag.
• For good luck, fill your bag with lucky hand root, a pinch of five-finger grass, some John the Conqueror root, and a sprinkling of Fast Luck oil. For added luck, place a rabbit foot in the bag.
• For wealth and prosperity, fill your bag with a lodestone, a seal of antiquelis medal, a pinch of sugar, and a High John the Conqueror Root. Dress the bag with prosperity oil.
• For love, fill your bag with a matched pair of lodestones covered with magnetic sand. Add a piece of rose quartz and some rose hips to the bag. Dress the bag with seduction oil.
• To remove a jinx, stop crossed conditions, or drive away evil, fill your bag with a pinch of five-finger grass, uncrossing salt, and poke root. Spray the bag with jinx-removing spray and sprinkle with uncrossing oil.
• For health and healing, fill your bag with angelica root, eucalyptus leaves, and a piece of clear quartz. Add some Healing Oil and a Saint Lazarus Medal for enhanced healing energy.
• For court cases and legal matters, fill your bag with Calendula Flowers, High John the Conqueror Root, and Deer's Tongue Leaves. Place a Seal of Solomon Amulet in the bag and dress it with Court Case Oil.
• For psychic development, fill your bag with mugwort, an amethyst stone, and star anise to enhance clairvoyant abilities. Include a piece of opal tumbled stone to further boost your spiritual connectivity and anoint with Fennel oil.

Remember, the contents of your mojo bag should be personal to you, so don't hesitate to include any ingredients that "feel right," even if they aren't listed above.

Once you have added all pertinent items to your mojo bag, close the drawstring tightly and tie the strings into a knot, holding the bag shut. Tie the two ends into a second knot, tucking the ends underneath themselves.

As you tie the bag, repeat the words “With these knots, I bind you to this purpose.” After you have secured your bag, you must "feed" it by anointing it with a corresponding magick oil. As you sprinkle or rub the oil on the bag, say “With this oil, I give you strength to accomplish your purpose.”

If you prefer, you can buy a blessed mojo bag from Original Botanica, that has already been prepared, energized, and blessed by our resident Santero/Houngan Jorge Obba.

How To Use Your Mojo Bag

Start by spending a week getting personally acquainted with your mojo bag. Keep the bag with you during this first week. Carry your mojo bag during the day and place it by your bed or under your pillow at night. This builds a strong connection, boosting the bag's effectiveness. You can also start "feeding" your mojo bag daily to strengthen your link to it. You should try feeding your mojo bag at the same time it was made. Feeding can include either anointing it with specific oils or exposing it to the smoke of sacred herbs. This helps align the bag's energy with your intentions.

After the first week, your routine can become less strict, but you should still continue to care for your mojo bag. Switching to a weekly feeding schedule for the next month, on the same day of the week it was crafted, will help keep its strength alive. This care routine should include bathing the bag with incense smoke as well as applying ritual oils to the outside and inside of the bag. In this way, you will be meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of your mojo bag.

After the first four weeks, the frequency of feeding your bag can drop to once a month. Try to align your feedings with the phase of the new moon, which is seen as a potent time for new beginnings and renewal. This care, though less frequent, will still keep your mojo bag alive and in tune with the cycles of the moon.

The location where you keep your mojo bag is also key. During the day, it should only be worn below the waist, and at night, you should place it under your pillow to enable energy exchange, fostering a deep connection between your subconscious mind and the bag’s hidden powers. This attentive and respectful care not only unlocks the full potential of the mojo bag but also integrates it as a very personal charm for your spiritual workings.

Remember: your mojo bag is only for your eyes and hands. No one else can touch or see it. Your mojo has its own name that you can use to speak to it and ask for its direct assistance at any time. This potent manifestation tool will empower you in a myriad of ways to easily and effortlessly obtain your desires.

Refreshing Your Mojo Bag

Over time, your mojo bag may need to be refreshed. This is often done in late September, near the fall equinox. This period of balance between day and night is seen as ideal for revitalizing your bag’s energies. The refreshing process is not just a routine but an important ritual that helps to reconnect your mojo bag to its spiritual purpose and the desires you hope to manifest. It involves carefully taking the bag apart, preserving the durable items like the stones or talismans that carry long-term energy, while replacing the organic components like the herbs or roots that have likely lost their power.

This refreshing process should be done thoughtfully. After all of the items have been replaced, the refreshed bag should be consecrated with prayers specific to your spiritual goals, and "fed" with appropriate offerings like oils or incense to "wake" its spirit and align it with your energetic field.

While some practitioners swear by a yearly renewal to maintain the mojo bag’s effectiveness, others believe the bag should only be refreshed if its power has waned. This approach speaks to the special relationship between the bag and its owner. It acknowledges that a mojo bag's effectiveness can change depending on how it is used and the owner's personal energy. That means that deciding when to refresh a mojo bag is a very personal choice and should be made carefully, considering how well it works and its importance in your spiritual routines.

Respectfully Retiring Your Mojo Bag

Retiring a mojo bag should always be approached with the utmost respect and thoughtfulness. This disposal process begins by cleansing the bag, traditionally using smoke from the burning of sacred herbs like white sage or palo santo. This act clears any lingering energies and sets the stage for the bag's respectful retirement. After your bag has been cleansed, take a moment to reflect on the magic that your mojo bag has provided. It's important to acknowledge its role and express gratitude, either through prayers spoken aloud or through quiet meditation, fostering a sense of closure.

Next, it's time to start dismantling the bag. Remove each item carefully, considering how to dispose of these materials. Organic components such as herbs or roots can be returned to nature, perhaps buried under a tree or scattered in a garden, where they can decompose naturally, merging back with the earth in a cycle of renewal. Non-biodegradable items should be handled according to their nature; metals might be buried or repurposed, whereas stones could be cleansed and saved for future spiritual work.

Finally, the bag itself should be handled according to its condition. If it is still intact, it might be burned in a ceremonial fire, transforming from a solid state back to the ethereal as smoke, symbolically releasing its essence back to the spiritual realm. But, if the fabric is worn out and not suited for burning, burying it allows the earth to reclaim the bag's material, grounding the spiritual journey of the mojo bag. Throughout this process, focus your intentions of peace and release, ensuring that the bag's retirement honors its contributions to your spiritual journey.

The Mojo Bag: A Highly Personal Talisman

In Hoodoo and other spiritual practices, a mojo bag is more than just a container for magical items—it's a powerful link to the spiritual forces of the universe. These small but powerful bags hold the essence of the practitioner's desires, whether for protection, love, wealth, or deeper spiritual insight. Remember, the real strength of a mojo bag comes not just from what’s inside it, but also from the beliefs and intentions placed into it.

Creating, using, and eventually retiring a mojo bag is a deeply spiritual process that mirrors the bag owner’s personal and spiritual growth. Each mojo bag tells the story of its creator's journey, serving as a mobile sacred space that bridges the everyday world with the mystical. As you use and eventually let go of your mojo bag, let it inspire you to harness your ability to bring about change in both the visible and the invisible realms around you. This way, your mojo bag leaves behind a lasting spiritual legacy that resonates beyond its physical existence.