Devil's Shoestring, Whole, 1 oz

A protector. The knotted lengths are worked to trip up the devil and guard against harm, jinxes, and ill will.

An employment curio. A classic Hoodoo curio for getting and keeping a job, carried to interviews and work.

Luck and power. Devil's Shoestring is worked for gambling luck and for gaining the upper hand in a situation.

• Botanical: Lily family (Liliaceae), dried stem form
• Tradition: a Hoodoo and rootwork curio
• Form: whole dried stems
• Weight: 1 oz
• For spiritual use only; not a food, drug, or supplement, and not for ingestion
• Storage: keep sealed in a cool, dark place

Devil's Shoestring takes its name from its long, thin, stringy lengths, imagined as the laces that trip up the devil before he can do you harm, and that image is the whole of its magic. In Hoodoo and rootwork it is first a protector: the lengths are knotted, carried, or hung to guard against harm, break jinxes, and keep enemies and ill luck stumbling rather than striking. From that protective footing it does practical, get-ahead work, and it is best known as an employment curio, carried to job interviews and kept on the worker to land a position and hold onto it.

It is also worked for gambling luck and for power, for gaining the upper hand and staying a step ahead of trouble. It is a wiry, cunning, defensive curio, named here honestly within its Hoodoo tradition. Plentiful Earth sells these stems strictly for ritual and spiritual use, not as a food or remedy, and they are not for ingestion.

1. Carry it for work. Keep a knotted piece on you for a job interview, or at your workplace, to land and hold a position.
2. Guard your footing. Add Devil's Shoestring to a protection mojo to trip up harm and break jinxes.
3. Draw gambling luck. Work a piece into a luck or gambler's charm.
4. Gain the upper hand. Use it in power and mastery work to stay a step ahead.
5. Store it sealed, in a cool, dark place between workings.

• High John, 1 oz: mastery and power to back a get-ahead working.
• Five Finger Grass Cut, 1 oz: luck and protection for the mojo hand.
• Money Drawing Oil: dress a piece for a job or money working.
• Protection Oil: anoint a protective charm.
• Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham: build a wider herb practice.

What is Devil's Shoestring used for?

In Hoodoo it is a protection curio that trips up the devil and breaks jinxes, a famous employment charm for getting and keeping a job, and a worker for gambling luck and gaining the upper hand. The knotted pieces are carried, hung, or kept in mojo hands.

What plant is it?

This one is sold as the whole dried stems of a plant in the Lily family. Other suppliers sell the roots of Viburnum shrubs under the same name. It is a Hoodoo and rootwork curio named for its long shoestring shape, which gives the charm its trip-up-the-devil meaning.

How do I use it to get a job?

Carry a knotted piece with you to an interview, or keep one at your workplace, naming the position you want to land or hold. Many practitioners dress it with a money or work oil to feed the charm.

Can I take it internally?

No. Plentiful Earth sells these stems strictly for ritual and spiritual use, not as a food or remedy, and they are not for ingestion. Use them in charms, mojo hands, and dressings instead.

How should I store it?

Keep the whole stems sealed in a cool, dark place, away from heat and moisture. Dry whole stems hold their potency well, so a sealed jar will supply many protection, job, and luck workings.