SWEETEN OFFICERS OF THE LAW

Sometimes the cops get called. Growing up, they were at our house a lot, called by some of Mama's enemies in the neighborhood. But each time they walked in and walked out with a smile, leaving tracks in the salt and cinnamon dust sprinkled on the floor. Officers were also called out to houses that sold liquor secretly, under the guise of a party going on. At these points, powders may be sprinkled to sweeten up law enforcement, and the liquor was hidden. Some folks just get nervous by the law or don't want them around to begin with. To sweeten officers of the law:

Powder angleworms and lightning-struck wood together with sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Fill a poke bag with the mixture and bury it beneath the doorstep, sprinkling some of the powder in the hole before placing the bag on top. Cover with a layer of dirt, sprinkle more powder, then more dirt and more powder. Finally, cover it completely with dirt and spit on it three times in the name of the Trinity, saying, “Every officer of the law that here should trod shan't take me away till this root by worms be gnawed.”

Sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon, black pepper, and sugar around the room before opening the door. Don't take too long, though, and make sure to sprinkle some at the doorway.

KEEP OFFICERS OF THE LAW AWAY

Maybe you don't care to sweeten anyone up and you'd rather they all just stay gone and far away. These are for that:

Nail four Indian Head pennies above the doorframe of the front door outside. Papaw wore an Indian Head penny in his bolo tie when he went drinking, in case any trouble started. If bad business takes place in the home, nail nine pennies instead of four.

Take three fronds of bear's-bed or Christmas fern and lay them parallel to a dried corncob that has been dusted with baby powder, black pepper, and anthill dirt. Tie the fronds around the cob to make a long bundle. Make sure the fronds are tied tight so the cob doesn't fall out. Sprinkle the bundle with olive oil while reciting the Lord's Prayer (see page 86). Place it in a large bucket or crock outside your door that has been filled with ditchwater. Cover this up and stir it on the first of every month while repeating your prayers that the law stays far away from your property and won't cause any trouble.

Make a hex bag to carry on you or put in your car, which consists of cattail root, cinnamon, Chewing John (galangal root), grapevine bark, and black mustard seeds. While making this bag, say: “Officer John and Samuel Doe, come hither and stub your toe; roll down the hill and in the creek, can't wash off, can't get clean. Don't come back, now nor ever; til my horse gives birth to a red and black heifer.” Feed the bad with a powder blessed the same, made up of Chewing John, black pepper, and salt every Friday.

Take the same powder given above and sprinkle it in the four corners of every room. Dust yourself with it as well as any merchandise.

Take the footprint of an officer, when you're able to; pick it up from heel to toe. Use the dirt if that's what you're able to get; if it's a moist napkin, let it dry then burn it to ash. Add some of this to a powder like the one above for added potency in keeping all local law enforcement away.

Take dirt from a police station and mix it with black pepper, black mustard seeds, deer's eye root (black-eyed Susan), and hair from the left hind foot of a white rabbit. Divide mixture into four parts and place each part into its own cloth pouch. Hang each pouch in the four corners of the home.

BRING DOWN THE LAW ON SOMEONE

There have always been those few individuals who seem to get away with everything, or when they get caught, they're simply sent away with nothing but fines and a slap on the wrist. However, Justice always shows up where and especially when she is needed. The following recipes are ones I have personally found effective in putting the law on someone's heels.

Take some horsehair and river clay. Mold these into a ball, mixing in the person's foot track with it. If this or some other concern is unavailable, use a photo of them. If they have been arrested before, it's more effective to use their mug shot. Once this is made, wrap the ball in white fabric (white to bring everything to the light of day, no secrets) and sew it together. (This is tougher than tied string.) Saturate the ball with water in which you have washed your feet against this person. When you wash, pray against them, naming the bad deeds they have committed against you or others, and pray for the full force of the law to come down upon them. Bury the bag where you know they will walk over it.

Take some cattail root and angleworm powder. Mix these with flour, black pepper, and guinea pepper. Place this in a glass bottle filled halfway with vinegar and something of theirs. Wrap some black electric tape around the bottle to keep out the light of day. Write down the address of your local jail on a piece of paper and roll the bottle toward it every day as the moon wanes.

Take some dirt from the police station and jail and mix it with black pepper and snuff. Bury this mixture on the person's property or where they will walk over it.

Carve the person's name into a candle. Roll the candle away from you and powder it with black pepper. Burn this while praying Isaiah 24:21–22 five times to fix them there. Burn as the hand of the clock goes down.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

HAVE FAVOR IN COURT

There does come a time when you are brought before the judge, either by your own doing or that of someone else. Whether you are in the right or wrong is subjective when it comes to folk magic and conjure. Many a judge and jury have been swayed by the pull of the town's root man for his client, and many have spoken self-convicting truth to the rhythm of his teeth grinding roots. No power has stood a test to that of the conjurer in the past, regardless of race, authority, or entitlement. The conjurer is a self-ruler and bows before no judge, except the Just Judge, whose badge shines brightest. Judgment and revenge may be the Lord's, but what was carried out for those by the Devil has been shifted to the root man's works. While God has the final say, the root worker makes that path. God says justice comes upon you and the conjurer decides how. Remember, in order for this stuff to not backfire on you or be sent back, it's got to be justified! No matter your situation or the work at hand, keep this in mind when continuing further down this path.

Take a corn husk and write your name in the center with the twelve names of the disciples surrounding it (Matthew, John, Peter, Andrew, James, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas). Go to a graveyard and buy dirt from a baby's grave by exchanging the dirt for three shiny dimes and some candy. Come to and leave the graveyard alone. When buying dirt in a graveyard, keep your head covered and wash the bottoms of your shoes in vinegar before re-entering your home. You're buying dirt from a baby's grave for their innocence. A baby has never been convicted of anything. Place this dirt in the husks and fold it toward you three times, turning it to the right between each fold, and bind it with white thread. Make sure to fold the ends in as well to prevent the dirt from coming out. Carry this with you when going to court by hanging it around your neck with white thread.

Made candied Chewing John by simmering it in sugar water until most of the water has evaporated. Leave them to dry on a towel. When you head to court, take a few of these pieces with you and pronounce over them, “From roof to ceiling, all tongues speak with me, not against me, as true as every tongue got to confess in the end.” Chew the root when you enter the building and be chewing it as you stand before the judge. Chew discreetly, as some courthouses don't allow chewing gum.

Take some Chewing John, mayapple root, and Queen Elizabeth root (orris root) and bind them together, wrapping toward you, and tie with a red string. Soak them in whiskey overnight while the moon is in the heart (Leo). Dry them out and powder them with a mixture of black pepper and dirt from a baby's grave. Powder it while praying Psalm 5 three times:

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.

2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Do this every morning for three days before the court date.

Take a purple taper candle and carve your name on one side and “Judge” on the other. Anoint the candle with blessed oil (see page 86). Rub sugar into your name and black mustard into the other name. Set out a glass of water for the spirits. Set the candle on a clean plate by letting the wax drip in the center, then fix the bottom of the candle to it to hold it. Put a tiny dab of Vicks VapoRub on your left ring finger and anoint the outer edges of the plate. Pray that the candle lights the way for justice (make sure you're in the right or that there's a way out), that the sugar sweetens you up, and that the black mustard dissuades the judge from having any adverse thoughts about you. Pray Psalm 5 seven times (see page 139) while the candle burns as the sun goes down. Burn it in increments each day for three days, so the candle finishes the day before your court date.

As you approach the courthouse, rest your dominant foot on the first step going up and say, “May the Lord bless this house, from the floor to the ceiling. May my word be above all those within, and their words be under my foot.”

Carry these words on paper: “Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judearum.” On the way to the courthouse, recite the following three times, ending the third time with the names of the Trinity:

I, [name], appear before the house of the judge.

Three dead men look out the window; one having no tongue,

the other having no lungs, and the third sick, blind, and dumb.

BRING THE COURT AND JURY AGAINST AN OPPONENT

I assume none of us are blind to the fixed system in some places where bad people get a slap on the wrist or justice isn't properly served. These cases can cause a lot of distress—especially if the person being tried is a murderer or something of that sort. Mind you, when we got caught up in the modern judicial system, we didn't hand over every course of justice. Behind closed doors and drawn blinds, folks would take the spirit of the court into their own hands to bring the law down on a deserving soul. Here are a few ways that's done:

Take a new bottle bought for this purpose and fill it halfway with apple cider vinegar over the person's name, photo, or foot track. Add a pinch of snuff, a tablespoon of alum, and a tablespoon of guinea pepper. Add thirteen nails one by one, inserting them headfirst and naming each one for the judge and jury: “I name thee the judge of the court”; “juror number one, juror number two, juror number three,” and so on. Once all of this is done, spit in the bottle while calling the law and court down on their head. Pray that lies fall short in the room and their true nature be shown. Cap the bottle. If the cap is a cork, seal it with wax. If it is plastic, melt the cap with a lighter so it won't be able to be taken off. Every day up until court and until it is completed, shake the bottle three times a day while praying the person will be caught up and justice served.

Make a mixture of snuff, salt, and alum. Take the person's photo and fold the mixture into the photo, folding away from you, then bind it with a blue string. Place this in a bottle of vinegar and bury it upside down where they'll walk over it or pass by it.

Gathering the person's foot track works best for this next trick, but you can also take their photo or a paper with their name on it. Burn the paper to ash or take their footprint and mix it with dirt from a police station, a courthouse, and a crossroads. Place this in a jar of vinegar and bury it upside down at a crossroads as close to the center of town as you can get. This will turn the court on them, but it can also be used to get the police to catch up to someone.

CONJURE BAG FOR COURT