Quick Specs
- Form: Whole dried stem
- Size: 2oz
- Plant family: Commonly sold as Viburnum species (Viburnum lantanoides); also known under the same folk name from Nolina and related genera depending on regional sourcing
- Traditional uses: Protection, hex-breaking, enemy-tripping (crossing), binding, luck, and empowerment work
- Tradition: Deep roots in American Hoodoo and Louisiana Voodoo practice
The Herb That Trips the Devil
Devil’s Shoestring has been a fixture in Hoodoo practice for generations, and the name tells you exactly what it’s supposed to do: trip up the devil. In folk magic, “the devil” is often a stand-in for any harmful force coming at you, whether that’s a crossed condition, a spiteful person, or your own bad luck running rampant. The image is almost charming in its directness. You string this herb across a doorway, tuck it into a mojo bag, or knot it with intent, and the idea is that anything coming to harm you stumbles and falls flat before it reaches you.
What I find genuinely interesting about this herb is that it lives in more than one category. I stock it under banishing and hex-breaking because that’s where most protective workers will look for it, but it’s also a legitimate crossing herb. The same imagery that makes it useful for defense, tripping things up, can be turned outward. Rootwork has always been honest about that duality. A tool is a tool. The tradition doesn’t pretend otherwise, and neither will I.
A note on plant identification: “Devil’s Shoestring” is a folk name, not a single botanical species. Depending on your source, it may refer to Viburnum lantanoides, Baptisia species, or even Nolina microcarpa root. What you’re getting here is the dried stem form as used in American Hoodoo practice, which is the relevant frame for how this material works in the tradition. Two ounces is a working quantity, enough to supply multiple sachets, knotted cords, or a serious mojo build-out.
How to Use Devil’s Shoestring for Protection
Three grounded ways to put Devil’s Shoestring to work in protection practice.
- Prepare a Protective Threshold
Lay a piece of Devil’s Shoestring across your front doorstep or beneath a doormat. State your intent aloud: name what you are keeping out. Refresh it monthly or after any household conflict.
- Build a Protective Mojo Bag
Add a short length of Devil’s Shoestring to a red or black flannel bag along with a pinch of salt and a personal item. Dress the outside of the bag with a protection oil and carry it on your person.
- Work a Knotting Cord Spell
Cut a length of stem and tie nine knots into it, naming your intention at each knot. Seal the cord with a drop of condition oil and store it in a place only you can access.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock dried herbs because I want to offer working-quality material, not the dusty pantry variety that’s been sitting in a warehouse for three seasons. My herb supplier runs consistent quality checks on moisture content and visual integrity, and I check every shipment myself before it goes up on the site. Devil’s Shoestring is one of those herbs where form matters: you want the whole stem, not a crushed powder, because the knotting and tying applications require it. What you’re getting in this 2oz bag is stem material that can actually be worked with, cut to length, knotted, tucked, or tied.
If you’re building out a fuller protection or hex-breaking practice, pair this with something from our banishing and hex-breaking herb collection for complementary plant allies, or explore the broader Voodoo and Hoodoo supplies section for candles, powders, and condition oils that work alongside this material.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both uses exist in the tradition. Most practitioners use it defensively to trip up enemies and break crossed conditions. It also appears in crossing work. This listing does not specify intent – that part is yours.
The folk name covers several species. Viburnum lantanoides is most common in Hoodoo sourcing. Baptisia and Nolina are also sold under this name regionally. The tradition uses the folk name, not the botany, as the defining frame.
Yes. Whole stem form is specifically what you need for knotting spells and threshold placements. Powdered Devil’s Shoestring works differently. This 2oz bag gives you enough material for several separate workings.
Two ounces is a solid working supply. You can outfit two or three mojo bags, lay a threshold, and still have stem left over for knotting work. It is a serious quantity meant for practitioners who use this herb regularly.
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