Hey there folks,
In relation to my last post on taking back control in 2019, I thought I'd talk a little about the herbs that are controlling in nature here. That's a subject that gets talked about some, but its not enough for my liking.
There are more than a few out there, so I'll be starting with a short list of herb names, their Latin identifiers where possible, and their virtues so that new & practiced hands alike can make use of the information herein.
High John
For starters, we've got the old standard known as High John Root or High John the Conqueror. Its a staple of many hoodoo-centric conjure practices, and as a result it can be a bit difficult to find. From what research I've done, High John is a member of the Ipomoea family of herbs, though which specific subspecies tends to be a subject of hot debate. I've had really good luck with Ipomoea jalapa and Ipomoea pandurata, but your mileage may vary and you should use what you've got access to locally where possible.
These are a relative of sweet potatoes and Morning Glory varieties, so there's a fair bit to work with here. If you cannot gain access to one of the two specific Latin names mentioned above, look for a Morning Glory type with flowers that are colored according to your needs. If you're looking to straight up control another person in a general sense, pick purple flowers. If you're looking for financial growth, and thus want to inspire your boss to be kind during your reviews, go with a Blue or Yellow Morning Glory. Love? Pink and Red.
The seeds should not be ingested, as they have a substance in them that can cause you to hallucinate. Bear that in mind if you have small children or animals around.
If you can get the roots, they should remain whole, as its from their wholeness that they derive their power. You can place a whole High John root into an oil and consecrate it as a means of creating a Compelling Oil.
The seeds should be crushed before use, as the act of macerating them seems to wake up the spirit within and make it more compelling my nature. This is likely owed to the hallucinogenic properties thereof, and once crushed they can be mixed into a fixing powder to be used with candle magic or placed in a sachet to be worn around the neck to create the ability to compel others to do as you ask.
High John works by causing others to want to impress someone of greater perceived power. It doesn't threaten others or anything of the kind, it just inclines others to believe that you are of great spiritual weight and worth adhering to the wishes of.
For a controlling herb, it is actually quite gentle. Powerful, but not aggressive, per se. My two cents, anyway.
Rue
Next up, we have Rue, also called Ruta graveolens. Its a compelling herb that works by way of inspiring others to do as you ask because if not, discomfort will be had by all. Its not an aggressive herb, per se, but its influence is felt poignantly.
When you use this to control another person, you're telling them "if you don't do this, you will be uncomfortable". Only do this if the thing you want them to do is going to be more comfortable by comparison to the spellwork's effects. Otherwise, it will be a wasted effort and won't get you much in the way of results.
Bear this in mind, as too much Rue will seriously unbalance your work and create more trouble in the process. Used correctly, it can be used to cut some of the excess sweetness from sweetening rituals, for instance, as a means of making for longer-lasting results.
I'd recommend using it as an additive to oils and satchets, rather than as the base component of the Work.
Devil's Claw
Devil's Claw, or Harpagophytum procumbens is a controlling herb that grasps the attention of a person, place, or thing. It controls the mind and the processes the mind gets up to, and can thus be used to get someone stuck on an idea or a concept. It incentivizes the idea of going along with a plan, rather than upon resisting the idea or goal, and can thus smooth the road when used in an interviewing process or as a means of generating the attention of another.
For instance, if your crush has a hard time paying attention to you, use some Devil's Claw with Rose petals, Rosehips, and crushed Guarana seeds to cause them to be energized by communicating or interacting with you. Carry it in a sachet that contains the person's photo for best results.
Devil's Shoestring
This is another old favorite, and it is otherwise referred to as Black Haw or Viburnum prunifolium. This is a controlling herb in the surest sense of the word, but engages in this role not by controlling the mind, but rather by controlling what others have the ability to do. Its a constraining herb in this sense, and can be used to create difficulty in getting away from whatever duty or aim you seek to have this person achieve.
As an example, if you've got a partner that's trying to divorce you, use Devil's Shoestring in conjunction with a disruptive herb like Mustard seeds to keep them from being able to get the help they need to do so. You can then follow this with works meant to assist reconciliation, causing leaving to be much more difficult than staying, thereby buying you time to sort out all but the most irreconcilable of differences.
It works beautifully in powders and oils. Do yourself a favor and keep it out of alcohol, as while technically you can extract the good parts by doing so, it creates a more War Water-like concoction that will not help you as a controlling herb.
Solomon's Seal
Solomon's Seal is a member of the Polygonatum family, and I've had best results with the multiflorum and biflorum varieties. This herb is consumed as tea in places like Korea, and its works wonderfully as a controlling herb when used to seal access to things. In essence, it acts as a kind of ID card, imprinting your image and intent into things.
If you use this, for instance, with Dragon's Blood (Croton lechleri), it creates a kind of sticky insistence that the person abide your wishes. When appropriately blooded and applied, it essentially acts as a "Read Only" effect on your spellwork, making it more difficult to undo or muck about with.
Combined with High John seeds and Frankincense, it can be used as a manifestation base for spirits and inclines them towards fulfilling your aims provided they are realistic. No spirit's going to be willing or able to do ridiculous things if they're outside of the realm of possibility, so bear that in mind.
When mixed with crushed Copal and Palo Santo, Solomon's Seal works wonderfully as a negativity-dismissing concoction, either sprinkled or burned. Its a kind but firm way of claiming a space as yours, and works wonderfully as a floor wash.
Calamus
Calamus, otherwise known as Sweet Flag or Acorus calamus is a domination herb that works by bending the mind towards a specific task. It must be accompanied by other herbs that guide its process if you want the ritual work to be stable and effective over the long term.
It causes the target to obsess, slightly, over their directed focal point, creating neurosis and a fixed need to achieve that aim. It can be ignored, but its influence creates substantial anxiety, meaning its not a very kind herb in this respect.
Its stubborn and insistent, overpowering other herbs used alongside it, so bear that in mind when portioning out ratios to use. If its outnumbered, it'll start to tame ever so slightly. Otherwise, expect that the person will just be dominated and left without real direction, meaning that a set and forget spell can often be a bad idea with this herb.
There are more controlling herbs out there in the world, but this is enough to get you started.
Enjoy,
SE
In relation to my last post on taking back control in 2019, I thought I'd talk a little about the herbs that are controlling in nature here. That's a subject that gets talked about some, but its not enough for my liking.
There are more than a few out there, so I'll be starting with a short list of herb names, their Latin identifiers where possible, and their virtues so that new & practiced hands alike can make use of the information herein.
High John
For starters, we've got the old standard known as High John Root or High John the Conqueror. Its a staple of many hoodoo-centric conjure practices, and as a result it can be a bit difficult to find. From what research I've done, High John is a member of the Ipomoea family of herbs, though which specific subspecies tends to be a subject of hot debate. I've had really good luck with Ipomoea jalapa and Ipomoea pandurata, but your mileage may vary and you should use what you've got access to locally where possible.
These are a relative of sweet potatoes and Morning Glory varieties, so there's a fair bit to work with here. If you cannot gain access to one of the two specific Latin names mentioned above, look for a Morning Glory type with flowers that are colored according to your needs. If you're looking to straight up control another person in a general sense, pick purple flowers. If you're looking for financial growth, and thus want to inspire your boss to be kind during your reviews, go with a Blue or Yellow Morning Glory. Love? Pink and Red.
The seeds should not be ingested, as they have a substance in them that can cause you to hallucinate. Bear that in mind if you have small children or animals around.
If you can get the roots, they should remain whole, as its from their wholeness that they derive their power. You can place a whole High John root into an oil and consecrate it as a means of creating a Compelling Oil.
The seeds should be crushed before use, as the act of macerating them seems to wake up the spirit within and make it more compelling my nature. This is likely owed to the hallucinogenic properties thereof, and once crushed they can be mixed into a fixing powder to be used with candle magic or placed in a sachet to be worn around the neck to create the ability to compel others to do as you ask.
High John works by causing others to want to impress someone of greater perceived power. It doesn't threaten others or anything of the kind, it just inclines others to believe that you are of great spiritual weight and worth adhering to the wishes of.
For a controlling herb, it is actually quite gentle. Powerful, but not aggressive, per se. My two cents, anyway.
Rue
Next up, we have Rue, also called Ruta graveolens. Its a compelling herb that works by way of inspiring others to do as you ask because if not, discomfort will be had by all. Its not an aggressive herb, per se, but its influence is felt poignantly.
When you use this to control another person, you're telling them "if you don't do this, you will be uncomfortable". Only do this if the thing you want them to do is going to be more comfortable by comparison to the spellwork's effects. Otherwise, it will be a wasted effort and won't get you much in the way of results.
Bear this in mind, as too much Rue will seriously unbalance your work and create more trouble in the process. Used correctly, it can be used to cut some of the excess sweetness from sweetening rituals, for instance, as a means of making for longer-lasting results.
I'd recommend using it as an additive to oils and satchets, rather than as the base component of the Work.
Devil's Claw
Devil's Claw, or Harpagophytum procumbens is a controlling herb that grasps the attention of a person, place, or thing. It controls the mind and the processes the mind gets up to, and can thus be used to get someone stuck on an idea or a concept. It incentivizes the idea of going along with a plan, rather than upon resisting the idea or goal, and can thus smooth the road when used in an interviewing process or as a means of generating the attention of another.
For instance, if your crush has a hard time paying attention to you, use some Devil's Claw with Rose petals, Rosehips, and crushed Guarana seeds to cause them to be energized by communicating or interacting with you. Carry it in a sachet that contains the person's photo for best results.
Devil's Shoestring
This is another old favorite, and it is otherwise referred to as Black Haw or Viburnum prunifolium. This is a controlling herb in the surest sense of the word, but engages in this role not by controlling the mind, but rather by controlling what others have the ability to do. Its a constraining herb in this sense, and can be used to create difficulty in getting away from whatever duty or aim you seek to have this person achieve.
As an example, if you've got a partner that's trying to divorce you, use Devil's Shoestring in conjunction with a disruptive herb like Mustard seeds to keep them from being able to get the help they need to do so. You can then follow this with works meant to assist reconciliation, causing leaving to be much more difficult than staying, thereby buying you time to sort out all but the most irreconcilable of differences.
It works beautifully in powders and oils. Do yourself a favor and keep it out of alcohol, as while technically you can extract the good parts by doing so, it creates a more War Water-like concoction that will not help you as a controlling herb.
Solomon's Seal
Solomon's Seal is a member of the Polygonatum family, and I've had best results with the multiflorum and biflorum varieties. This herb is consumed as tea in places like Korea, and its works wonderfully as a controlling herb when used to seal access to things. In essence, it acts as a kind of ID card, imprinting your image and intent into things.
If you use this, for instance, with Dragon's Blood (Croton lechleri), it creates a kind of sticky insistence that the person abide your wishes. When appropriately blooded and applied, it essentially acts as a "Read Only" effect on your spellwork, making it more difficult to undo or muck about with.
Combined with High John seeds and Frankincense, it can be used as a manifestation base for spirits and inclines them towards fulfilling your aims provided they are realistic. No spirit's going to be willing or able to do ridiculous things if they're outside of the realm of possibility, so bear that in mind.
When mixed with crushed Copal and Palo Santo, Solomon's Seal works wonderfully as a negativity-dismissing concoction, either sprinkled or burned. Its a kind but firm way of claiming a space as yours, and works wonderfully as a floor wash.
Calamus
Calamus, otherwise known as Sweet Flag or Acorus calamus is a domination herb that works by bending the mind towards a specific task. It must be accompanied by other herbs that guide its process if you want the ritual work to be stable and effective over the long term.
It causes the target to obsess, slightly, over their directed focal point, creating neurosis and a fixed need to achieve that aim. It can be ignored, but its influence creates substantial anxiety, meaning its not a very kind herb in this respect.
Its stubborn and insistent, overpowering other herbs used alongside it, so bear that in mind when portioning out ratios to use. If its outnumbered, it'll start to tame ever so slightly. Otherwise, expect that the person will just be dominated and left without real direction, meaning that a set and forget spell can often be a bad idea with this herb.
There are more controlling herbs out there in the world, but this is enough to get you started.
Enjoy,
SE
