Five-Finger Grass

“dat’s one of de luckiest grasses in de world – jes’ like yore han'” So said a Savannah doctor who had been shown his herbs by the spirit, night after night, before he began to work (Hyatt 797 · Savannah, Ga. · informant 542).

Five-finger grass is a small, low plant, but in Hyatt’s records it does big work. Hyatt gave it its own heading in his first volume. His informants carried it for luck, for jobs, for favour with the boss and the judge, and for protection against tricks.

What it is

Five-finger grass is cinquefoil, a creeping plant whose leaves split into five parts like a spread hand. That shape is the whole key to it.

A Waycross man described a piece given to a gambler: “It’s like a flower grows – it grow in de shape of five fingers” (Hyatt 2740 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1143).

The hand that grows from the ground is a hand that grabs, holds and does. Informants called it five-finger grass, five-fingers, five-finger weed and five-finger root, and they used it fresh, dried or powdered.

What Hyatt’s informants said

Above all, five-finger grass brought favours. In Sumter it was mixed with Southern John de Conker and Hearts Cologne and rubbed on the face and hands before going out: “Yo’ kin git favors from anybody wit five-finger grass” (Hyatt 2007 · Sumter, S. Car. · informant 1351).

It was a job root. In Snow Hill, Maryland, if the boss would not hire you, you got a piece of the grass: “You put a piece of that in your pockit , go to him the next day. See don’t he hire yuh.” (Hyatt 11645 · Snow Hill, Md. · informant 93)

It was also protection. In Wilmington, the 23rd Psalm was written on light paper and tied up with the grass in a clean cloth, worn against the skin, so that “no one can’t harm you with any tricks and things.” Hyatt noted that this little package is a hand (Hyatt 1262 · Wilmington, N. Car. · informant 217).

The variations

• Pocket piece. Carried alone or with lodestone and John de Conker in a red flannel bag for luck (Hyatt 737 · Brunswick, Ga. · informant 1175).
• With the Psalms. A verse of the 119th Psalm read, High John used, and the grass carried in a handkerchief to ask for a job as a favour (Hyatt 1861 · Washington, D.C. · informant 628).
• Holy oil. High John and five-finger grass made into an oil, rubbed on the hands and behind the ears at the employer’s door (Hyatt 2006 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1168).
• Job charm. Dragon’s blood, High John, devil’s shoestring, five-finger grass, Adam-and-Eve and King Solomon root together, to get a job, hold it and turn enemies friendly (Hyatt 2045 · Washington, D.C. · informant 628).
• Rabbit-foot hand. The left front foot cut from a live rabbit, which was then turned loose; the foot was wrapped in devil’s shoestring with five-finger root, sewn in red cloth and fed Hearts Cologne as a hand for a job (Hyatt 12721 · Brunswick, Ga. · informant 1224).
• Love and luck bath. Eve-and-Adam root, Queen Elizabeth root and five-finger grass bound and soaked seven days in whiskey, then used to bathe and anoint the body (Hyatt 10629 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1104).
• At the faucet. A Vicksburg informant put the grass under the faucet and went to the boss chewing John de Conquer (Hyatt 11646 · Vicksburg, Miss. · informant 776).

What it was used for

• Luck and gambling.
• Getting and keeping work.
• Winning in court.
• Drawing customers to a business.
• Protection from tricks.
• Drawing a person close: a Charleston worker mixed it with other roots into a dose sprinkled in the house, so the person would always want to see the worker (Hyatt 12774 · Charleston, S. Car. · informant 525).

In their own words

“de judge, de jury or de magistrate cannot convict yo’.”

(Hyatt 11647 · Brunswick, Ga. · informant 1174)

“Hang it up anywhere in yore place of business.”

(Hyatt 11648 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1168)

How it’s worked today

Five-finger grass is still one of the standard herbs of conjure. Workers use it in mojo hands, washes, oils and powders for money, luck, jobs, favour and court cases.

The reasoning has not changed since Hyatt’s day. It is the hand that grabs what you want. The five fingers are often read as five blessings: luck, money, wisdom, power and love. It is still commonly paired with High John, lodestone and the Psalms.

Learn the work

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Source: Harry Middleton Hyatt, Hoodoo – Conjuration – Witchcraft – Rootwork, 5 vols., 1970-1978. Numbers refer to Hyatt’s own item numbers; the town and informant number follow. Written by Hoodoo Witch in our own words, with short quotations from Hyatt’s informants for reference.