When looking through the large catalogue of condition oils for conjure, the sheer number of them can be overwhelming, and it can sometimes seem to be impossible to have ALL the blends on hand for all the different kinds of work. For instance, let’s say you need some income, and you look in your home apothecary. The spell calls for Prosperity oil, or Money Stay With Me oil, or Fast Money oil, or…well, you get the idea. Unfortunately you don’t have any of those oils on hand, and since you’re in need of money, you don’t have the money to run out and buy the appropriate oil. You’d also really like to do some Protection work along with the financial work, since there have been layoffs you want to stay shielded from– but that calls for Steady Work oil, or Protection oil, or…and here we go again! And it would be great if you had a Love-Drawing or Attraction oil to wear as a personal power scent when you go to your friend’s birthday party since there are going to be lots of singles to mingle with. What is a budget-minded conjurer to do?
Hoodoo is nothing if not practical, and it understands that many people do not have a great deal of money to burn on heaps of supplies. Having something on-hand which can be used effectively for nearly any purpose can be an extremely important factor in one’s successful conjure practice – especially since often situations arise unexpectedly which need to be dealt with right away. Having to wait for supplies to be delivered, or simply not having the luxury of being able to buy new oils for every new circumstance that arises should NOT keep one from being able to work when the work needs doing!
That is where Special Oil #20 comes in!
This traditional all-purpose formula - also called Wick Oil or Brown Oil (as it is coloured brown by those who tint their oils) – uses a blend of essential oils that each can be used for a variety of different positive works. While exact ingredients vary from practitioner to practitioner, patchouli and vanilla are two of the scents that you will generally always find within the bouquet of Special Oil #20.
Just by examining the magical properties of patchouli we can see how this special formula could be used for many separate works. Firstly, Patchouli is an extremely Earthy herb, linked strongly to the (go figure) Earth element, it can aid in the manifestation of nearly any goal or desire related to the physical plane of existence – both positive and negative.
Patchouli has an exotic musky floral scent that is famous as an aphrodisiac for its ability to inspire passion and incite lust – but since it tends towards the more physical elements of attraction, it is best tempered with herbs and roots that encourage romance and lasting love when used for love-drawing purposes, unless one is just looking for a “good time”. (As an aside, the vanilla present in Special Oil #20 encourages a sweet, romantic energy between two people – so a harmonious balance of amorous intentions is blended right in.)
Patchouli also has strong ties with fertility magic, and in magical circles fertility is not just related to making babies, but to fertility and abundance of one’s resources as well. This amounts to monetary fertility – attracting, making, and growing money and wealth. Patchouli is commonly found in money magic incense, oils, and powders.
It is also used within conjure to help break jinxes, and provides a level of protection against crossed conditions and negative energy, as well as aiding in the lifting of hexes already thrown.
Because it can work equally as powerfully to attract love and money, as well as providing some defence against negativity, it is added to some luck and gambling condition products as well to increase the probability of good things befalling the user.
So you can see that patchouli is a perfect all-purpose herb. There are several other herbs that each similarly cover many magical bases, which are blended into the Special Oil #20. One works for love, money, luck, and also adds a bit of speed for when you may need it sooner rather than later. Another aids in bringing in lasting money, or lasting love, which helps balance the quickness of the other essential. Each ingredient comes at the goals of love, luck, money, success, protection, and more from a slightly alternate angle, making the depth of the energy of Special Oil #20 much more complex and sophisticated than you might expect from a multi-purpose recipe.
Special Oil #20, which also uses fairly inexpensive essentials happily keeping the blend as cost-effective as possible, can enable the frugal practitioner to have access to a near complete and potent herbal conjure formulary by owning one single bottle! It also happens to smell AMAZING (magically delicious, I say) - both men and women could easily wear this as a personal fragrance that would attract all manner of good fortune.
As with other condition oils, it is prayed over and empowered by the rootworker during its creation to bring the spirit of the herbs are working in alignment with the intention of the formula. My Queen of Pentacles' Special Oil #20 was prayed over as it was blended, and then left to mature on my altar for a period of time, during which candles were burned and additional prayers said to strengthen the energy inherent within it. It was bottled only once a divination showed that its time had come to go out into the world and aid others.
Special Oil #20 was originally developed as a candle-dressing, but can be used in any situation in which condition oils can be deployed. Anoint petition papers, dress herb blends for bottle spells or mojo bags, and more. It can be used alone, or it can be added to any other condition oil when dressing a candle in order to give it an extra boost of potency. All you need do is pray or affirm your intent as you apply the oil.
Queen of Pentacles Conjure Shop and Village Witchery is happy to offer our own Special Oil #20 in an extra generous 3/4oz bottle. We know you are going to find a never ending number of situations in which to employ Special Oil #20, and so saved you the trouble of having to constantly order new bottles by packaging it in our largest available oil bottle! Even still, the usefulness and efficacy of, not to mention the olfactory bliss you’ll experience while using it, this oil will have you coming back to us for more time and again.
