Mardi: Herbal-Wise

The Jezebel Root, a form of iris bulb, is much favored in the more shadowy practices of hoodoo magick.  Virtually ignored by Wiccans, Roma and Druids, the root is a favorite of prostitutes of both sexes who wear it as an amulet to insure a continuous flow of good – and relatively safe – business.

The root is, of course, named for the Biblical figure of Queen Jezebel.  In the Bible, Jezebel’s only crime is her pagan religion but she has come down to us as a nymphomaniac, cannibal witch.  Not at all unusual if history is clinically observed.  The conqueror almost always turns the conquered into abhorrent beasts good only for execution and Jezebel faired no differently than Druid priests, European wise women or African houngans and mambos.

The most famous, and controversial, root work done with the Jezebel Root is known as the Curse of Jezebel.  This jinx is flexible and can harm men or women but it is most powerful when performed by a woman.  Many variations have been added to the original version that smack of popular imagination “black magic” trappings not the least of which are black candles and inverted Crucifixes.  The core root work has no such baggage but it is a powerful working in the right hands and should only be attempted when one is absolutely certain that the target of the jinx is the source of the harm.  Otherwise, as with all workings of vengeance, the full force of the magick could come back to the root worker.

Hold a Jezebel Root in your left hand for two hours, concentrating on the destruction of your enemy for the entire time.  Do not talk, sing, hum or make any other noise during this period of meditation.  Some root workers say that even coughing, sneezing, burping or hiccoughing nullifies the magick.  At the end of the two hour meditation, place the root in a jar full of your own urine and close the lid tightly.  Now take the jar to a river or to the ocean and toss it in with your left hand.  Turn and walk away without looking back.  The jinx will manifest within three days.

Jezebel Root is sometimes confused with Queen Elizabeth Root.  Unscrupulous botanicas may also sell certain pine barks as Jezebel Root.  This is just another example of the fact that knowing your supplier is as important as knowing what to do with your herbs.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Dream of the Hungry Ghost by Colette Calascione