Lodestone

A lodestone is natural magnetite, a stone that pulls iron to itself. In conjure it pulls whatever you set it to: money, a lover, luck, a judge’s mercy.

Hyatt heard about lodestones hundreds of times. He also saw them sold by mail, and noted that they were sold in pairs, “a he and she” (Hyatt Vol. 1, introduction).

Drawing money and treasure

• “Lodestone is only for attractin’ money, finding money,” and finding where someone buried treasure before they died (Hyatt 410 · Norfolk, Va. · informant 466, Doctor Paul Bowes).
• A cemetery tree said to carry lodestone in it, used to find buried silver (Hyatt 409 · Fayetteville, N.C. · informant 1394).
• A lodestone held near the bones of a black cat draws out the lucky bone (Hyatt 327).

Luck and protection

• Wrapped in flannel with silver money and a lucky bone, carried for luck and to keep people from bothering you (Hyatt 276 · Little Rock, Ark. · informant 896).
• Sewn in red flannel with graveyard dirt, dragon’s blood, John the Conqueror and Adam and Eve root (Hyatt 586 · Charleston, S.C. · informant 509).
• Kept with a bottle of Hearts Cologne. Hyatt explains that anointing a hand like this is called feeding it (Hyatt 264 · St. Petersburg, Fla. · informant 1042).

Court

Go into court with the lodestone in your hand, and the judge “will make yore fine light” and may dismiss the case (Hyatt 292).

Love

Used with a root and love-drop perfume: “If yo’ use those two things an’ love-drop perfume, yo’ kin take any kind of woman” (Hyatt 731 · Little Rock, Ark. · informant 887).

In darker work

• Mixed with graveyard dirt, sulphur and dirt from a whirlwind and planted, so a person drifts away for good (Hyatt 186 · Memphis, Tenn. · informant 1527).
• Rubbed with turpentine as part of a working (Hyatt 590 · Charleston, S.C. · informant 521).

How it’s worked today

• Lodestones are still sold and worked in pairs for love and partnership, and singly for money.
• They are fed: sprinkled with magnetic sand (iron filings) and dressed with whiskey, cologne or a condition oil, often on a Friday.
• A lodestone that stops being fed is said to go to sleep.
• They go into mojo bags, honey jars and money jars, and sit on the altar under petitions.

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 for reference.