MIPC: A Honey Bath and Onion Spell

 The Spell 

"Before you sleep with her again, put a tablespoon of honey in the bath and take a honey bath. After you have sex, dry yourself off with that piece of muslin cloth I gave you. Hang it up to dry. Do not wash it. Later on, wrap it around a purple onion and tie the corners with a square knot. Then all you got to do is bury the cloth where she will walk over it or pass it by."

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

John Berendt, Hardcover Ed. (c)1994, page 246

The Analysis 

Before I analyze this spell I think some background information is in order here. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is an account of real life events which occurred in Savannah, Georgia in the early 1980's. The story centers around the shooting death of Danny Hansford, a young man in the employ of a rich antiques dealer named Jim Williams. The story introduces many colorful characters, including Minerva who is described as the widow of Dr. Buzzard (a well known Rootworker, or Conjure Doctor) and a powerful "Voodoo" woman herself. 

After he is arrested and charged with the murder of Danny Hansford, Jim Williams hires Minerva to assist him in his case by working the judge, jury, and prosecutor to help ensure that he is not found guilty. Although the author has made the popular mistake of believing that Voodoo and Hoodoo are interchangeable (which they are not), he has included a few interesting spells such as the one above. 

This spell is given by Minerva over the phone to a caller whom we can infer is a young man in a sexual relationship with an older, married woman. There is an additional line in the narrative in which Minerva directs the caller to "don't depend on her to give you too much money," which may indicate that the caller is a gigolo and the woman is a client. The couple has presumably had a disagreement, likely over money, and the woman wants the young man back but she wants him to come to her begging for her to take him back. 

With that said honey, as well as other forms of sweeteners, has long been used in the practice of Hoodoo to attract love, draw favor from another, or drive customers to a business. This spell may well be designed to fulfill all three of these needs. The use of a Purple, or Sweet, onion is further proof that the spell is at the very least designed to sweeten the woman to the caller. The caller is also directed to use a piece of muslin cloth to dry himself off after having sex with the woman as this will incorporate their personal concerns into the spell as well and make it more powerful.. The onion being tied using a square not (described as "two knots make one") can be symbolic of tying the two people together into one mutually exclusive relationship. 

Finally, burying a spell where a person will walk over it or pass nearby is a very old method of deploying a spell (called laying the trick). I feel that this spell has the possibility to work as intended. However, if I were to use this spell I would probably use the smallest onion I could find and tie up additional herbs and curios for reconciliation, fidelity, and attraction. In addition, instead of burying the muslin charm I would keep it in a shoe box under my bed and anoint it regularly with a condition oil specific to my purpose such as Love Me, Come to Me, Stay with Me, etc..... 

-- Carolina Dean