Bats Head Root

Bats head root is one of the more striking curios on the Hoodoo shelf, a dark, horned pod whose silhouette really does resemble a bat or a horned head. It takes its name from that shape, not from any animal: the curio is the dried seed pod of the water caltrop (Trapa bicornis). In Southern folk magic it is carried and worked for protection and for luck, especially gambling luck and getting your way.

This is a single bats head root curio, ready to cleanse, name, and carry or set to work. It is a ritual curio for external use, not a food, and the horned pod is for working and carrying rather than eating.

Key Features of Bats Head Root

A protection curio. Carried or set out, bats head root is worked to guard a person or a space and to turn away harm.

A gambling and luck root. It has a long reputation in conjure for drawing luck, especially at games of chance, and for helping you get your way.

Named for its shape. The curio is the horned pod of the water caltrop (Trapa bicornis), called bats head for its bat-like silhouette, not an animal part.

Product Details

• Curio: dried water-caltrop pod (Trapa bicornis), known as bats head root
• Tradition: Hoodoo and Southern folk magic, for protection and gambling luck
• Form: a single whole horned pod; size and shape vary piece to piece
• Use: mojo bags, carried curios, altar and protection work
• For spiritual use only; a ritual curio for external use, not for ingestion
• Storage: keep dry in a cool, dark place, away from children and pets

The Spiritual Significance

In Hoodoo, the African American folk magic of the American South, bats head root is prized as much for its dramatic look as for its work. The dark, horned pod, which is the seed of the water caltrop, is read through the doctrine of signatures: its bat-like silhouette is taken as a sign of power over the unseen, and it is carried for protection, to turn away harm and hostile work, and to give the worker the upper hand.

Its other great reputation is for luck, especially gambling luck, where players carry it for a winning edge, and more broadly for getting one's way in a difficult situation. It is worked in mojo bags, dressed with condition oils, and kept on the altar or the person. Plentiful Earth sells it strictly as a ritual curio for external use, not as a food or remedy, and it is not for ingestion.

How To Use Bats Head Root

1. Cleanse and name it. Pass it through cleansing smoke or leave it under the moon, then hold it and state plainly what you want it to do.
2. Carry for protection. Tuck it into a mojo bag, dressed with a protection oil, and carry it to guard yourself and your space.
3. Work gambling luck. Carry it to games of chance, dressed with a luck oil, for a winning edge.
4. Set it to guard. Place it on your altar or in your space as a protective curio.
5. Store it dry, sealed in a cool, dark place, away from children and pets.

Pairs Well With

• Protection Oil: dress the curio or its mojo bag for the guarding side of the work.
• Fast Luck Oil, 2 Dram: dress it for gambling and quick-luck work.
• High John, 1 oz: mastery and power behind a protection or luck working.
• Florida Water Cologne: cleanse the curio and your hands before you begin.
• Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham: build a wider curio practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is bats head root used for?

For protection and for luck. In Hoodoo it is carried to guard against harm and hostile work and to give the worker the upper hand, and it has a strong reputation for gambling luck and for getting one's way.

Is this an actual bat?

No. Bats head root is a plant curio, the dried horned seed pod of the water caltrop (Trapa bicornis), named for its bat-like shape. No animal is involved.

How do I use it?

Cleanse it, name your intention, then carry it in a mojo bag, dress it with a condition oil, or set it on your altar. Speak plainly to the curio about what you want it to do, as with all conjure work.

Can I eat or brew it?

No. It is sold as a ritual curio for external work only, not as food, tea, or medicine. Keep it for carrying and altar work, and store it away from children and pets.

Will mine look like the photo?

Each pod is a natural object, so the exact size and shape vary from piece to piece. The horned, bat-like silhouette is consistent, but yours will be one of a kind.