Skip to main content

Ancient Secret: How to Find and Use Powerful 'Mad Stones' for Snake and Rabid Animal Bites - Magic Rocks from ca. 1870

hoodoo witchcraft mad stone

How to Find, How to Prepare, and How To Use the Great Natural Remedy for Bites of Poisonous Or Rabid Animals. — There are several possessors of what are called "mad stones," and each of these persons is regarded as peculiarly fortunate to possess the article, which has, in many cases, been handed down from generation to generation, or has been purchased at a high price. The wonders achieved by such stones have many witnesses in their respective sections, and a single little stone has yielded its owner a handsome income, as persons bitten by snakes, mad dogs, etc., will readily pay $2 to $10 merely to be allowed to apply the marvelous stone to the wound. The finding of these stones has been so far mere chance. I propose to tell how they can be obtained with greater certainty. In nearly every section there is what is known as "red shale" or "red shell," and also of a darker color, a nearly black variety of similar rocks. Among specimens of both these minerals will be found occasionally one very porous or absorbent. Try one of these on the tongue ; when one is found that will adhere strongly it is suitable to use. Grind down to convenient shape, with a flat surface. In this way several specimens have been found which on comparison proved exactly like the famous one owned by the Pointer family, of Halifax County, Virginia, for fifty years, and performing many cures. Should you have any difficulty in finding any of these natural "mad stones," I have learned how artificial ones may be manufactured, possessing equal value ; indeed, such is the secret of the great East Indian "pamboo-kaloo" remedy in cases of wounds by venomous serpents, of which are given many well authenticated instances of its virtue when the patient was bitten by the deadly cobra dicapello. The stone is intensely black and highly polished, and, being porous, rapidly imbibes the blood and with it the poison. The stone adheres for a few minutes, like the "mad stone," then drops off. Analysis of one of these has shown it is a piece of charred bone, evidence of which is afforded both by the aperture of cells or tubes on its surface and by the fact that it exhibits an organic structure within. When heated, water and ammonia escape, and finally the carbon burns away, leaving a white ash which is phosphate of lime. The snake charmers from the coast also visit Ceylon proper to prepare the snake stones themselves, and to preserve the composition a secret ; the manufacture of them is a lucrative trade carried on by the monks of Manilla, who supply the merchants of India. The Mexicans also have a snake stone, piedra ponsona, which is substantially the same as those above mentioned. To make it, it is only necessary to procure a sound, solid piece of horn, hart's horn is considered best, and roast slowly until thoroughly charred throughout. This is the whole secret of making, and the product will be found to have all the merits possessed by any already celebrated for their cures. In using either the natural or artificial, the wood must be slightly moistened with water or spittle, or what would be even better, a little spirits of harts-horn. The stone is to be then pressed into the wound and allowed to adhere until it drops off. Cures are reported in even severe cases in from eight to twelve hours. One, to my own knowledge, applied in a case of bite by a copperhead snake and effected a complete cure in twelve hours. The patient was very sick and delirious.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Paper-in-Shoe Spells

A popular and very traditional hoodoo spell, often used for any situation where you need to control someone with magic , is the namepaper-in-shoe spell. It's very easy: you write the target's name 3, 7, or 9 times on a paper (depending on intent and who's giving instruction) then fold it up, sometimes after dressing it with oils or powders, then put it in your shoe. This "keeps the person underfoot" or "stomps out the trouble" or any other number of metaphors. I had this work several times over the years. In one instance, I was working for a very unpleasant boss, on a short-term job. It was the last day, and I only had about 3 hours of work left on the project; and I wanted him to up my pay for the day since it almost wasn't worth the trip across town for the amount he was paying me, for only 3 hours. He was very reluctant. So I wrote his name 3 times on a 5-dollar bill he'd given me, and dusted it with Bend Over powder. He paid me what I ...
Read more

Ammonia - A Spiritual Cleansing Agent for Magick

Ammonia is a strong cleansing agent in hoodoo magick, both physically and spiritually. In Edwardian times it was advised as an old home remedy for a nerve tonic (see recipe below.)  "Household ammonia" or "ammonium hydroxide" is a solution of NH3 in water. Household ammonia ranges in concentration from 5 to 10 weight percent ammonia. The Romans called the ammonium chloride deposits they collected from near the Temple of Amun (Greek Ἄμμων Ammon) in ancient Libya 'sal ammoniacus' (salt of Amun) because of proximity to the nearby temple of Amun, the chief god of ancient Thebes. Salts of ammonia have been known from very early times; thus the term Hammoniacus sal appears in the writings of Pliny, although it is not known whether the term is identical with the more modern sal-ammoniac (ammonium chloride). In the form of sal-ammoniac (nushadir) ammonia was important to the Muslim alchemists as early as the 8th century, first mentioned by the arab chemist...
Read more

Spiritual Use of Turpentine in Hoodoo and Witchcraft

  I have posted in the past about the use of giving one's bedding a spiritual cleansing from time to time.  I recently was laundering my pillows in the same load of laundry as some turpentine-soaked rags, with the result that the pillows emerged from the wash reeking of turpentine.  From a magical perspective, this may not be a bad thing. Turpentine is used in old-time hoodoo rituals for purposes such as uncrossing, protection and sometimes as a feed for mojo bags. Its solvent powers and strong odor do indeed suggest a powerful spiritual cleansing agent, and it is still used in some modern day cleaning products on a purely practical level for these same reasons.  Old time medicines sometimes included turpentine as a thing to drink, in small doses. A book from the 1850s, The Domestic Medicine Chest , recommends giving it to children in a dose of one teaspoon for killing tapeworm. Relatedly, in old time hoodoo cures for "live things" turpentine might be made into a tea...
Read more