The Spellcaster's Source Hoodoo and Voodoo Witchcraft Blog of Talia Felix

  Camphor holds an unusual place in the hoodoo tradition, valued for its spiritual power to be employed toward multiple purposes. This crystalline substance, derived from the camphor laurel tree (Cinnamomum camphora), has been integrated into folk magic practices for generations, bridging Old World herbalism with New World spiritual innovation. Like many hoodoo resins, it has never been natively grown in the United States. It also has a special place in my heart, being the ingredient that brought me into hoodoo during a search for camphor soap. Nowadays much of the camphor you find is synthetic. It is made from turpentine and sometimes paraffin. If you're buying your camphor shaped in little blocks, it's probably this type. Natural camphor comes in a milky white crystal form, and is food-safe in small quantities. You can often find it at Indian groceries because it's used to flavor desserts, and is also burnt in puja offerings. (It is for one said to be a favorite fragranc...