Quick Specs
- Size/Quantity: 16 oz
- Type: Ritual Aroma Oil (Espiritu)
- Best For: Road opening, clearing crossed conditions, blessing mojos and tools, good luck workings
Van Van Oil: The All-Purpose Formula of New Orleans Hoodoo
If you’re building a Hoodoo practice and you only keep one oil on your shelf, most rootworkers would tell you it’s Van Van. This formula has roots deep in New Orleans Voodoo and has become a cornerstone of American folk magic more broadly. It’s built around lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides), two plants with a long history in spiritual work across African diaspora traditions. Lemongrass carries the clearing, road-opening energy; vetiver grounds it and adds staying power. Together, they produce something that works.
Van Van is classified as an all-purpose formula, which sounds like a shortcut but isn’t. It earns that classification because it genuinely addresses the full range of conditions a practitioner runs into: clearing what’s crossed or blocked, opening roads that feel closed, drawing luck, blessing tools and mojo bags, and supporting positive change in almost any area of life. I stock the Espiritu line because these are ritual aroma oils with real staying power in the tradition, and the Van Van formula in particular has been consistent for years. You can browse my full 16oz Espiritu ritual aroma oils to see what else is available at this working size.
The 16oz bottle is a practitioner’s quantity. It makes sense if you’re doing regular candle work, floor washes, or keeping a mojo bag fed over time. You’re not going to run out in the middle of a working. If you’re newer to Hoodoo or want to explore the broader tradition before committing to this size, take a look at the Voodoo, Hoodoo, and Santeria collection for related supplies that pair well with Van Van in practice.
How to Use Van Van Oil
Three core ways to put Van Van oil to work in your practice.
- Anoint Your Candle or Tool
Apply a small amount of Van Van oil to a candle, mojo bag, or ritual tool before your working. Dress the object from base to tip to draw energy toward you, or tip to base to push something away from you.
- Clear a Crossed Condition
Add a few drops to a floor wash or bath to break through stagnant or crossed conditions. Work from head to toe, letting the lemongrass and vetiver scent signal your intent to clear and reset your path.
- Feed Your Mojo Bag
Place a few drops of Van Van oil directly onto a mojo bag or charm to keep it active and fed. Hold the bag in both hands, breathe your intention into it, and carry it close to your body for best results.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry Espiritu oils because the formulas are consistent, the distribution is limited to specialty shops, and they don’t show up on the shelf at every general retailer. Van Van in particular is a formula that has to hold up to comparison with what serious practitioners already know, and this one does. These are ritual aroma oils, not essential oil extracts. They’re built for intention-setting and ritual work, not aromatherapy diffusers. If you need a botanical lemongrass or vetiver essential oil, I carry those separately in the essential oils section. What Espiritu does is different, and for the purpose of Hoodoo oil work, it’s exactly what you want.
One practical note: a 16oz bottle goes further than you’d expect if you’re applying with a dropper or fingertip. It’s easy to over-apply when you’re new to working with condition oils. Less is more, especially on candles. The scent should be present but not overpowering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Van Van is one of the most versatile formulas in the Hoodoo tradition. It opens roads, clears crossed conditions, draws good luck, blesses tools and mojo bags, and supports almost any positive working you have in motion.
This is a ritual aroma oil, fragrance-based rather than an essential oil extract. If you need a botanical essential oil for aromatherapy, I carry those separately. What Espiritu does is different: focused ritual scent built for intention work.
Van Van has a clean, grassy, citrus-edged scent rooted in lemongrass, with a grounding base note from vetiver. It is bright but not sharp, and most practitioners find it energizing without being overwhelming to work with.
The 16oz size is a working quantity for practitioners who use Van Van regularly. It suits floor washes, batch candle dressing, and keeping mojos fed without running out. It is the serious practitioner size for a formula you will always use.
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