How to Use Petition Papers and Name Papers Questions and Answers

[catherineyronwode]

There are dozens of traditional ways to write out a petition paper.

one single name

two single names, side by side (usually cut apart after preparation)

two single names, back to back (usually cut apart after preparation)

two single names criss-crossed, enclosed in a circle of words

two single names criss-crossed, enclosed in a square of words

three single names forming an equilateral triangle

three single names forming an equilateral triangle, enclosed in a circle of words

three single names forming an equilateral triangle, enclosed in a square of words

one name repeated line after line

one name repeated line after line, covered by a command

one name repeated line after line, criss-crossed by a command

two names repeated line after line in two columns (usually cut apart after preparation)

two names repeated line after line, one name covering over the top of the other

two names repeated line after line, one name over the top of the other in reversed direction

two names repeated line after line, one name criss-crossed over the top of the othe

two names repeated line after line criss-crossed, enclosed in a circle of words

two names repeated line after line criss-crossed, enclosed in a square of words

Et cetera.

This is not something that can be quickly explained in a forum. Basically, there are symbolical reasons as well as the weight of traditional behind these ways of writing, You can study a number of different ways of writing petition papers in my book, "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic," where they are illustrated. The theory behind these variations, with examples of how to use them in different situations is covered in depth, and gets an entire chapter, in my "Hoodoo Rootwork Correspondence Course."

Also, this post should not have been in the section "Ask for Help with Your Situation." Writing out a petition paper is not a situation, in the sense that a love affair, a divorce, a job change, or getting a mortgage refinanced is a situation. I will move it to the proper section.

Good luck.

[missyd915]

Hi All
I was wondering how many times to write a name/command on a paper. I had read somewhere its either 3, 7 or 9 times. What is the difference between these i.e. is one for drawing, another for commanding or jinxing etc. In most of my spells i have tended to write the name/command 9 times. Any input woul be much appreiciated!
Thanks

[catherineyronwode]

Trying to make up or pass along rules about numbers is completely bogus. The guess you made that the variations in number possibly being due to variations in intention (drawing, commanding, or jinxing) are unfounded in fact.

A name paper is a certain type of petition paper, and i have seen such papers written out by African American conjure practitioners from 1961 to the present and their instructions have included writing the name any number from "once" to "fill the entire paper with his name written over and over on both sides." Each spell is different, intentions vary from spell to spell, and each person will tell you what they know to the best of their family's knowledge or according to the particular spell you are asking about.

I suggest that if you have no family traditions in conjure, you may wish to study with someone who does, or who can pass the tradition along to you, instead of you trying to pick it up piecemeal from an internet forum. I teach a one-year course in hoodoo and it does cover name papers. There also at least four different traditional variations of how to write a name paper shown in the illustrations to my book "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic" which costs only $16.00.

[maduro01]

Is there a petition that anyone can share for a love drawing bath? I don't know where to begin once I begin my request, while in the bath. I'll be happy with a petition where I can insert my own specific request.

Thanks in advance!

[starsinthesky7]

http://www.luckymojo.com/cometome.html

Go down to the bath crystals part where it is recommended to read psalm 23. If you do not want to do that, then you can simply say something like...please draw all the single men/women to me, or please draw John Doe to me. Keep it simple...it does not have to be some long book to say.

[starsinthesky7]

Cat,

Are 3, 7, 9, and 13 associated with certain kinds of work? I learned that 3 was the minimum number you should work a spell. 7 is more associated with drawing work and positive works. 9 is the magical number and a powerful number which is good for commanding, and crossing types of works, 13 is great for crossing, and more even drawing, success work more powerful. I guess what is the significance of these numbers in hoodoo is what i would like clarification on. Thanks.

[catherineyronwode]

Nah, all that number stuff is totally specific to whoever tells you whatever they tell you.

Look in HHRM, see the "Faithful to a Trust" payback spell name paper -- one time each way for the names -- and that is how i was taught it about 30 years ago. It is an authentic spell, a real spell, not some cheap-ass joke of a spell. And the name is written TWICE.

This whole rule-making thing about odd numbers has sprung up in the last two years -- no longer! Just two years!

The rule-making fantasy purports to tell newbies to conjure some inflexible rule about the number of ingredients in a mojo, number of times a name is written on a paper, number of oils on a candle, et cetera.

If we went by this super-special odd-number theory in everything, then we'd expect Psalms 3, 7, and 9 to be the really important ones -- but they are not!

And if the super-special odd-number hooey applied to lucky numbers in traditional African American numbers play then we'd expect 3, 7, and 9 to be super hot numbers -- but they're not. Most old-timers will tell you that the lucky gig is 4-11-44. Everyone knows that!

See, this is all some kind of recent meme that some folks are spreading around the internet and it literally has no connection with the history of African American folk magic. Sure, lots of baths have three ingredients in them and so do lots of old-time mojo hands, and some people do prefer odd numbers -- but many old-time traditional workers not only don't prefer odd numbers -- they don't even count the ingredients at all!

And now -- this year -- all over the internet people are starting to ask me to endorse this thing they've been taught somewhere, which is to assign invariable and inflexible MEANINGS to the use of these odd numbers -- one odd number to signify drawing work, another odd number to signify jinxing work, and a third odd number for God knows what-all.

I will not endorse it.

Sure, numbers have meanings. Three reminds of us of the Trinity. Nine is a lucky number in Africa and seven is lucky in Europe. Thirteen is edgy and unlucky but can be turned on its head and made lucky. But notice -- the only polarity there is LUCKY <--> UNLUCKY. But there's nothing about a special number of times you have to write a name for crossing or a different number of time you have to write a name for getting love.

About fifteen years ago I was down in a conjure shop in Oakland and i watched as the owner of the shop, Bishop Whyte, told a man to write his name "21 times." He didn't question her. He did it. She took the paper to use in a job-getting spell for him. Does this mean that 21 is going to become the new special "job-getting" number now that i mentioned it? NO. It means that Bishop Whyte wanted him to focus on writing his name 21 times. Okay?

Now, guess what? The writing tablet she handed to him was a memo pad that had lined paper. There was room for -- 21 lines.



If she'd have given him a smaller piece of unlined paper -- and i saw her do this too, with other customers -- she might have said, "Write your name three times" or if it was a larger price of paper, she might have said "Write your name seven times."

[starsinthesky7]

Interesting, I know I read about numbers on an AIRR person's blog...around last year. That is why I asked. I remember reading it, and at the beginning when I learned I remember being so particular with using 9 ingredients for this and that. But as I started to make my own spells I got away from the number thing. Nice to know that things are not so rigid.

[catherineyronwode]

Well, last year is when this idea fixee took off.

[ConjureMan]

I think also that some people bring in numerological associations into hoodoo that come from other sources. People who don't have this as part of their family tradition often approach it from the perspective of an outsider and bring in things they've learned elsewhere. For example, in certain forms of Cabalistic magick (Cabalistic being the name to denote the Christian attempt to appropriate Jewish QBL) the number 7 is associated with drawing works of love and money because it is the numerological association with Netzach, the sphere of Venus. It is best to be aware of those concepts that are brought from "outside" of hoodoo.

[catherineyronwode]

Good point, ConjureMan. In hoodoo, the numbers 7 and 11 are winning numbers because they are winning numbers in the African American game known as shooting dice. (A commercialized variation of shooting dice is known in casinos as the game of craps). Likewise, 21 is a winning number in the card game called blackjack. So 7-11 is lucky to those who shoot dice and 7-11-21 is a general lucky set for gaming. But the referents are not classical, Hebrew, or esoteric -- they come from everyday game play.

[Winter Sun]

missyd915

In my experience, the number is more important to the practitioner than it is to the spell. Your belief is the key to making it work. If writing it 9 times helps you, write it 9 times.

[magickalpisces]

Well this is my two cents for what they are worth; I read it once in a book. The idea behind using the mother's maiden name is that it is the only way to ensure that the person whom you are casting a spell is really the actual person. That is because the father of the person may be another however the mother (unless the person is adopted) is usually the parent regardless of who the father is. I think it is sort of silly because the mother's maiden name is also her father's last name, which means that in the end you will be chasing your own tail when it comes to the last name. I always use the person's full name, date of birth, zodiac sign and a picture if I have it available. Also focusing on the person whom you are casting the spell while doing the actual work is very helpful too. Is about intention.

[ConjureMan]

Folk-magick is very focused on influencing targets through a link, sometimes called by anthropologists as "sympathetic magick." You influence a representation of that person, you target them through a physical like like clothes, hair, sexual fluids, you influence them through their name and birthdate. The idea is a link that identifies that person--that is connected to them. For example in the Near Eastern magick (Jewish and Arabic) you will often find spells targetting so-and-so the son of so-and-so who is the son of so-and-so. Name and geneology being identifying links to the target.

Hoodoo continues this tradition so you find conjures using people's names and birthdates as links to the person. However, you will find that things like foot-tracks and personal concerns as important links as well and it should be understood that in hoodoo a name is great, but a strand of hair is even better . Why is this? Because hoodoo is elegantly straight forward. What can be more solid than a physical piece of that person?

Combine the powerful link of an intimate personal concern with the link of their name and you've got some solid magick that strikes like an unerring arrow.

[citizenrule]

I RECEIVED THIS STUFF LAST WEEK...which crystal in what ways makes it more powerful??

[jwmcclin]

If you are referring to the sampler pack of love bath crystals...each serves the purpose to draw, dominate, love, or 'enhances' the purpose. For example,

Adam and Eve brings about a condition of ideal love, in which the participants are as naturally suited to one another as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden;

Come To Me draws a lover of the opposite sex closer;

Dixie Love is used to foster romance, love, and marriage;

Fire of Love keeps happiness and passion in a long-standing relationship.

Follow Me Boy is designed to dominate a person you know to follow you around like a dog;

Kiss Me Now is to bring about immediate sexual luck (like wham bam, thank you mam), and

Love Me is used to draw a person of the opposite sex closer and cause him or her to openly declare feelings of love (and man does it work).

Again, all of these products are used to dominate, control, enhance, or draw according to your intentions.

[path2success]

This is a very helpful summary jwmcclin! Thank you!

[LUCKY7]

thanks ConjureMan , I happen to have my targets full name and his mum and dads first names ,his own date of birth ,his zodiac sign,and his photographs...but no physical items yet.....lets hope i get some success

[kittynmoon]

It would be lovely if someone made a pre-printed paper with the circle printed so you can follow the lines of the circle and the names in the middle.

[Devi Spring]

You can easily trace a circle onto a piece of paper if you want a guideline.

[cherish]

Hello! I need help with a petition paper to attract a new lover. I usually find this part of my spell work to be the easiest. But, when it comes down to love/romance petitions, I get stuck. I don't know how to start it off.

I want I guy that's younger than me, cute, sexy, nice body, dress nice, has great hygiene, great personality, has a job, & has a nice car.

Could someone please write me an example of a simple petition paper?

Thank you in advance!

[Miss Bri]

When I do petition papers like this, I like to begin with your name, say Jane Smith.
Jane Smith
Jane Smith
Jane Smith
Turn the paper clockwise 90 degrees and over the name Jane Smith you can write something like:
May the mate come to me who possesses the following qualities...(list your qualities). May he come to me freely and desire a committed relationship (if that's what you want), a quick sexual fling (if that's what you want), etc, etc. These things I ask in Jesus' name Amen.

You can also write your name, turn your paper and write the qualities you wish your new mate to possess and then diagonally across the paper write a prayer from your heart.

Good luck,
Bri

[ConjureMan]

I do things slightly different than our dear Miss Bri. She presents a great way to write a petition paper and I know plenty of people who've worked that way with great success.

The way I do it is that I start with the list of qualities and characteristics, or just "my perfect mate" written a number of times. Then I turn this 90 degrees clockwise and write my name or my client's name the same number of times, covering and crossing the petition or list.

I find this way works wonderfully because it puts you on top of the situation, not unlike when you cover and cross someone's name with yours on top.

Hope that helps.

[glamor]

have been searching the site for parchment paper, but cant seem to find, maybe I am not looking in the right place, how can I order this or where do I go to order. Can I use the same parchment paper that I use for baking? or do I have to order them from you? I am in the process of ordering some other items and would very much like to add these to my cart. please advise

[starsinthesky7]

http://www.luckymojo.com/mojocattools.html#parchment


Yes you can use the same paper you would for baking, or you can use a brown paper bag.

[glamor]

@ starsinthesky7...Thanks Alot.

[ladydawn]

I'm performing a spell for my guy friend to get this girl to fall for him, but I'm somewhat unsure about how to write the name paper. Do I write her name first and cross over it with his name or the other way around? I want the girl to fall for the guy

[jwmcclin]

He wants to control the relationship? His name goes on top.

[starsinthesky7]

Put his name on top. And then you can encircle it with a command "come to (friend's name here or petitioners name)" or a command of your choice written over and over until its a complete circle. You will do this without lifting the pen, and dotting the i's and crossing the t's after. If you lift up the pen you have to star over.

[MissMichaele]

And just for extra zap, there are a couple alternatives for the paper itself:

The most traditional (and easily available) is a square torn from a brown paper bag. Modern workers, drawing on influences from other magical traditions, sometimes print out or draw a magical seal from the Key of Solomon or the 6th and 7th Books of Moses, and use that for the name paper. Some even use the little paper Tibetan Prayer Flags that you can get from Lucky Mojo (another item for my shopping list, though I mostly prefer the brown paper).

Miss Michaele

[catherineyronwode]

And if the petition is for a lover who has money, folks often write the lovey words on paper money, too.

[ladydawn]

when you say you "use" the name, photo, birthdate and astrological sign, what do you mean by that? do you mean all on the petition/name paper and if so where? or carved into the candle?

[preppieroots]

Hi ladydawn, you can write the target's name on the back of her/his photo, along with the date of birth and astrological sign. Carve the target's name on the candle, and if you want to , it would be fine to carve the astrological sign as well. Personally, I would go with the astrological symbol rather than the written word, ie the symbol for Scorpio not the word scorpio.

[ladydawn]

thanks for clearing that up preppie. if i were to put it on the photo, would i use that as the petition/name paper or would I just put it under the candle along with the petition/name paper?

[preppieroots]

Hi, yes you use the photo as the petition paper in this case.

[Caedryn]

I just started using the Hoodoo style petition paper.

I have see different and differing methods.

1) For example, some use continuous writing around the cross of names. But the way I see it, this would mean the paper would have to be turned counterclockwise as you write, thus moving away from what you want to occur.

2) Also, some write their want/need, and cover it with their name, while others do it the reverse, ie. their name, covered with what they want.

3) One more question please, if you are doing a paper to draw something to another person, do you still fold it towards you, or would it be away from you.

Thank you...your input is greatly appreciated.

[catherineyronwode]

Caedryn, there are so many ways to write out petition papers that a whole book could be made of them. The three you noted below barely even touch on the variety of authentic and time-honoured methods.

1) You are WRITING clockwise; that is simply the way it is when using a Latin-style alphabet. The writing is more important than how you move the paper.

2) True, and the difference seems to rest on what they consider the power dynamic: the dominating force goes on top.

3) Yes, you would fold toward yourself as the proxy of the person on whose part you are performing the work.

See more types of petitions than you listed here in my book "Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic," including multiple names, and a cross within a square of commands.

Good luck.

[Caedryn]

Thank you Catherine!

I will have to get your book.

[jwmcclin]

Click here to order Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic

[taralight]

Just wanted to go back to something stars said. If you have a photo of the person and want to write over their face, do you treat it as a name paper and write the target's name first over their face before crossing it with your own? Or should you just write your own name over their face so it would be as though you are crossing their image? Is it also possible to leave out the name crossing entirely and just write "Come to Me" or "Think of Me" over their face and still be effective? Assuming this is to go into a honey jar or under a candle.

[starsinthesky7]

In the case I described, I write the command over their face, not their name then my name over theirs,but you can do it this way.. If you want to do that then you can write their name however many times, then cross it with your name however many times on the back of the photo. Yes you can simply write the command over their face or your name as well.

[taralight]

Thanks stars!

[Shany]

I have my birth name which is still called by my family, but my official name is a different one since I changed it 6 years ago when I moved and everybody around me now (except my family) knows me only by that name and I use that name in everything.

Which name should I put on the petition paper?

Also, should I put my full name (include middle name) or just first and last name?

What about the person whom I'm trying to put their name on the same paper with mine?

Thank you.

[TruthSeeker333]

I think as long as your intention is there, that's what matters most. If it were me, I'd use the name that I generally go by even if it's not my birth name--including my middle name.

[Devi Spring]

I have two names - my birth name and my spiritual name. I mostly use my legal name on petitions. Every once in awhile I will put both names on the petition when spirit leads me to do so. Go with your intuition on the matter, but I would think that your birth name would generally be your go-to name for spiritual work.

[Miss Ida Lundin]

I would probably use both, and I use middle names aswell.
If I only used one I would go with birth name if it were personal work. But I would add that it sometimes might depend on the petition being made, say I was writing hire so and so on an employers name. Then I would use the name that the employer knew them as. Not the birth name.

[Miss Tammie Lee]

I use my full legal name as it appears on my tax records. It is not the name I was "born" with. My middle name is also included.
In addition, if "branding", like a "Brand Name", or the name of lets say a rock star, I would use both the name and the "known name".

[[Ophelia]]

I am a little confused... I have recently just changed my name (for 2nd time in my life for various reasons), as I am not yet used to calling myself by this name, but it is in fact my legal name. Which should I use - my birth name, my previous name (that I am used to) or the legal name that I now carry? Many thanks

[carolina_dean]

Hi Ophelia,

I would use the name that you most identify with. You're the one writing the petition. You are the one performing the work. I'll give you an example. I was born Paul Dean Harris Jr and up until my mid twenties I went by Paul. However, when I lost a lot of my shyness and came out of my shell more I didn't feel like a "Paul" anymore...plus I felt like my name was a recycled name being a Jr. and all...so I started going by my middle name "Dean" to reflect my new vision of myself. As a Wiccan I have had several Craft Names over the years and even now I am widely known as "Carolina" Dean online. When I write my petitions, I use Dean Harris and I have not had any problems.

[[Ophelia]]

Dear Carolina Dean, many thanks for this advice. Very much appreciated.
I think, for now, I will use my recent previous name as I only changed my name in the past couple of weeks and I am still getting used to referring to myself as that. Do you think it is really necessary to write the full name? As I know I have just used my first name before and everything worked out fine.
Thanks again.

[aura]

When writing petition papers, from what I can glean in the information on the site, ink pen and pencil seem to be the predominant writing instruments. Alternatively, the use of feathered quill pens with particular inks seems to be quite common as well.

Thus far, I've always used Kraft paper (brown bag) paper and Sharpie-type markers or thick pencil (3B). Alternatively, for upcoming (in planning!) continued marital happiness work, I was considering drawing up my petition using a mixture of menstrual blood and my husband's ejaculate obtained from lovemaking. We both agree that it would be an ink most representative of our intentions toward the relationship.

In conjure tradition, are there specificly ''typical'' materials as pertains to inks and writing instruments? What are the reasons that these materials & tools were/are favoured?

Thank you and Lord Bless

[ConjureMan]

Conjure is down-to-earth southern folk magic and so you'll find that ritual acutruments are not necessary. Petitions are written on a piece of paper, torn brown paper bags, kitchen parchment, even notepads.

With the rise of mail order supply shops there became available different things like parchment paper and magical inks. Some workers, especially those who began adopting some of the elements of the European grimoire tradition, began implimenting these tools. So you'll see some root doctors writing things with Dove's Blood or Dragon's Blood ink. We found these in accounts of how to do certain works--they say to use a particular style fo ink.

Generally however, these fall under the traditions of conjure so what you use may be up to you. You can write out your petition with pen and paper, pencil and paper, use a torn grocery bag, or use specialty inks.

[iconcurr]

Thanks for clearing that up Conjureman. I was a bit confused.

[Luvsart]

Hello, I was thinking of maybe trying this. Is there any other work that could be done for this besides just the petition paper? like candles, incense or lodestones?

[sugarbaby]

Do you guys think its too specific, if when your listing qualities of mate you want, if you put what background you want that person from. Like i'm Jamaican/Caribbean and I want some one from my background dont really matter what island as long they are Caribbean. Ideally. Its not a deal breaker butttttttttttttttttttt!!!

[Turnsteel]

sugarbaby

I always recommend people get as specific as they have to in situations like this. If you want him to be from the Caribbean, list that.

Oh of course! Petition papers get used in many,many forms of spellwork. You can put them under candles or lodestones, into bottle spells and mojo hands, wear them in your shoe or in a locket, and that's just scratching the surface.

[Learning-Doing]

this is all wonderful information, thank you for sharing these great tips

[choice01]

Yesterday I made a honey jar and I wrote our names the way it was supposed to be written. For the petition, I circled around it without lifting the pen, but I did not connect the beginning and end of the circle. In other words, it was not a connected circle because I started on another row and I stopped. Inside the petition I put our (me & husband) hair, picture, and herbs and folded it towards me turning it to the right and folding it towards me again. I put it inside the jar with other herbs sealled it and burned a pink candled dressed with fire of love oil. The candle burned without a mess and it burned for like and hour. Did I mess up with the petition paper. I didn't lift the pen, I just didnt connect the circle.

[Miss Tammie Lee]

This thread will help:
circular-petition-vs-wrote-out-normally-t7912.html
Good luck!

[Devi Spring]

You want the circle to connect - it is enclosing and keeping the intent concentrated and contained. Circles have power, and you are tapping into that power with this specific method of writing a petition paper.