Quick Specs
- Brand: 1618 Gold
- Type: Dried herb, cut (Podophyllum peltatum)
- Size/Quantity: 1oz packet
- Best for: Charm bag filling, poppet stuffing, personal protection altar work
- Sourcing: SQF & Kosher certified supplier
I source this herb from a supplier that’s both SQF, Safe Quality Food, certified and Kosher certified, meeting real, audited quality standards rather than just a label. What’s in this packet is sourced from that supplier, but American mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum) contains podophyllotoxin and is toxic, so it is not a kitchen or tea herb and should not be taken internally.
American Mandrake in Charm Bags and Poppet Work
Mandrake is one of the most mythologized herbs in the Western occult tradition. The European species, Mandragora officinarum, has been surrounded by lore since antiquity, referenced in ancient Greek and Roman texts and in medieval herbals as a plant of extraordinary magical virtue tied to its vaguely humanoid root shape. The American species, Podophyllum peltatum, commonly called mayapple, is an unrelated North American plant. It is also used in hoodoo love and money charms, while the humanoid-root and screaming-plant lore belongs to the European species.
In hoodoo, American mandrake is used in love charms, such as a poppet made to win love, and in money charms, where the root is rolled in paper money. Many practitioners also pack it into red or black flannel bags alongside lodestone, other herbs, and a personal concern to create a carried charm. It’s a popular poppet-stuffing herb too, used when a cloth figure is made to represent a specific person in a working. It is often said to amplify the practitioner’s own will, which makes it a choice for works of personal power and self-protection. Browse my full herb collection for companion roots and resins.
Personal Charm Bag and Altar Piece Applications
The 1oz format is the right size for the way mandrake is actually worked: in small, deliberate quantities as a focal ingredient rather than a bulk base. A full poppet stuffing uses roughly half an ounce, and a charm bag typically calls for a teaspoon or less, so one ounce covers a complete working with material left over for a follow-up or refinement. This is Podophyllum peltatum, the North American variety, and it is sold for ritual and metaphysical use only, not for any internal application.
How to Use Mandrake 1oz
Three applications for a 1oz packet of dried mandrake in personal power and protection ritual.
- Personal Protection Charm Bag
Fill a small red or black flannel charm bag with a teaspoon of dried mandrake, a piece of lodestone, and a pinch of sulfur to create a personal protection charm. Dress the bag with commanding oil, tie it shut with nine knots, and carry it daily.
- Poppet Filling for Ritual Work
To use mandrake as a poppet filling, pack a cloth figure with the dried herb along with a personal concern such as a hair clipping or name paper. Dress the figure with appropriate oil for your working, whether for protection, luck, or love drawing.
- Altar Candle Anchoring Ritual
Place a small portion of dried mandrake root at the base of a black candle on your altar to anchor a banishing or protection ritual. Let the candle burn down completely, then wrap the spent wax and remaining herb in black cloth and bury it offsite.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock mandrake in a 1oz packet because it’s an herb that practitioners typically reach for in small, intentional doses rather than large quantities. The 1618 Gold cut is clean and dry, which matters when you’re stuffing a poppet or packing a charm bag where texture and bulk affect the finished piece. For pouches, bags, and flannel squares to house your working, browse my bags and pouches collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mandrake (here Podophyllum peltatum, the American variety) is used in charm bags, poppet stuffing, and altar work for protection, personal power, and fertility magic. It is also used in hoodoo love and money charms.
A 1oz packet contains enough dried mandrake for one full poppet filling, two personal charm bags, or several altar dressings. It’s the practical quantity for a focused working rather than buying a larger amount that may not be used quickly.
Mandrake pairs well with dragon’s blood resin for added power in protection work, with John the Conqueror root for domination spells, and with graveyard dirt in banishing bags. It’s a popular ingredient in charm bag blends.
In European tradition, mandrake is associated with Mercury and Saturn. Work with it during the dark moon for banishing, or during the waxing moon when setting intentions for protection and strength.
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