Quick Specs
- Brand: Murray & Lanman
- Size: 7.5 oz (221 ml)
- Type: Eau de cologne, spiritual cologne
- Best for: Ritual cleansing, floor washes, ancestor offerings, personal use
Two Centuries of Use in One Bottle
Murray and Lanman Florida Water has been produced continuously since 1808, making it one of the oldest commercially available fragrance products in the United States. It began as a distinctly American cologne, lighter and more citrus-forward than the European eau de colognes of the era. Robert Murray, the perfumer behind the original recipe, drew on sweet orange, lemon, lavender, cloves, and cinnamon to create a scent that worked equally well on men and women.
Over time, Florida Water was adopted independently by several traditions and is used for spiritual cleansing in hoodoo, Santeria, Espiritismo, Vodou, and Andean folk practice. Hoodoo is one of several users, not the origin. Many people also use it as an offering, a floor wash ingredient, and a personal cologne, and this use continues in active practice today. The brand’s iconic label has remained essentially unchanged since the 1800s.
How to Use Murray and Lanman Florida Water
Florida Water has dozens of traditional uses. These are the three most common starting points for practitioners.
- Wear It as a Personal Cologne
Pour a small amount onto your palms, rub them together, and apply to your neck and wrists. This is the oldest use: Florida Water as a light cologne, used before meetings or rituals when you want to feel refreshed and mentally clear before beginning.
- Use It as a Floor or Surface Wash
Add a splash to your mop water when cleaning your home. This practice has roots in 19th-century households and is also used as a way to clear a space and set a fresh tone in the home.
- Offer It on an Ancestor Altar
Pour a small amount into a dish and set it on your ancestor altar as an offering. Florida Water is an accessible offering for ancestral spirits. Change it weekly when maintaining an active altar practice.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock the original Murray and Lanman formula because there is no substitute that carries the same historical continuity. This is the same product that practitioners in several traditions use for spiritual cleansing. The 7.5 oz size is generous enough for regular practice without being unwieldy. Find more ritual staples in my spiritual supplies section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Murray and Lanman introduced Florida Water in 1808. Perfumer Robert Murray created it as an American answer to European cologne. The formula, built on sweet orange, lemon, lavender, clove and cinnamon, has stayed largely unchanged since.
It has a citrus-forward scent led by sweet orange and lemon, with floral notes of lavender and spice undertones from cloves and cinnamon. Most people find it clean, light, and unisex. It is noticeably lighter than most conventional perfume colognes.
Florida Water is used for spiritual cleansing in hoodoo, Santeria, Vodou, Espiritismo, and Andean folk practice. Many people also use it as a floor wash, an offering liquid, or a personal cologne, and its adoption in these practices continues in active use today.
Yes. Its high alcohol content makes it practical for wiping down altar tools, ritual objects, and working surfaces. Many practitioners use it as a quick cleanse between different workings to clear residual energy from tools between sessions.
Product quality: Good
Always gr8 for spirtual cleansing ur self and entire house ive even put in a diffuser