High John

High John, Low John, & Chewing John

By Eileen Holland

Part 1

Three roots called High John, Low John, and Chewing John are traditional herbs of African-American folk magic, justifiably famous for their 
ability to get the mojo working.

High John

The full name of the root High John is High John the Conquerer Root. It is also called hi-john, conqueror root, mojo hand, jalap, bindweed, jalup 
root, jalap bindweed, and turpeth. 
Its botanical names, Ipomoea jalapa and Ipomea purga, refer to Xalapa, Mexico, and to the old medicinal use of the root as a drastic purge.

        Jalap is a wild climbing vine of the morning glory family that is native to South America, tropical North America, and Mexico. It has 
twining stems and blooms 
with red flowers.The tuberous roots are hard, woody, dark brown, and have a pleasent smell before they have dried. The root is the only part of 
the plant that is used magically.

        High John the conqueror was a trickster of African-American legend, the son of an African king who wound up as a slave in America. John 
may have been enslaved, but he never lost his pride. He played the fool but he was nobody's fool, and he constantly outsmarted white people. High 
John the Conqueror became a surrogate for rebellion. If something got damaged or went missing, slaves would say that High John was up to his 
tricks.

        Earth, Saturn, and Mars are all High John's planets. Fire is its element, and its gender is male. It corresponds to the zodiac sign of 
Gemini, and is sacred to High John the Conqueror and all trickster gods. High John is a powerful magical herb used for strength, mastery, victory,
power, inner power, increase, overcoming difficulties, Trickster-energy, solving problems, winning in court, finding a job, love spells, money 
spells, divination, happiness, good health, better business, ending depression, eliminating confusion, luck in gambling, and manual dexterity in 
games of chance. High John has the power of protection and attraction, and it protects against black magic. It breaks up hexes and destroys them. 
High John can attract love, luck, lust, prosperity, prestige, spiritual blessings, and success. Along with St. John's Wort, High John is even said
to confer invincibility.

        A High John root boosts the power of any spell or charm that it is added to. The root is usually carried as a charm, or added to mojo bags. I put one in my briefcase when I go to court, and keep one in the bag where I store my Blue Justice Powder. It is widely believed that regularly dressing the root with magical oils increases its power. To attract money, the root is typically dressed with mint oil or a money oil, and carried in a green flannel mojo bag. It can also be wrapped in bills and carried in the pocket as a money charm. High John roots are used in male sex magic for attraction, and for success with women. A man carries a High John root below his waist to enhance his sexual prowess.

        High John roots are used to make High John the Conqueror Oil, a hoodoo staple for which there are many different recipes. Bayberry, 
patchouli, bergamot, and vetiver essential oils are all traditional ingredients. The High John root is usually placed in the master bottle, to 
empower the oil. It is used for anointing (especially the arms and hands prior to gambling), and for dressing candles. High John Oil overcomes 
obstacles to victory or success, removes negative conditions, and gets you chosen over your competition.  It is said to be helpful when you have 
to enter a situation you feel unsure of, or uneasy about. Some Christian magicians say the 23rd Psalm when using High John Oil. High John roots 
can be used to empower other magical oils by placing one in the master bottle.

        Powdered, High John can be added to incense mixtures and to magical powders, baths, and floor washes. A fresh root can be placed in a bag 
and shattered with a hammer, then ground in a spice mill, but once a root has dried it is very difficult to break up. The floor wash is used on 
floors, doorways, and windowsills, especially those made of wood, to scrub away negativity and render people who enter the home powerless to harm 
its residents. High John the Conqueror floor wash is said to bring power, strength, and victory to a home or business where it is used.

        High John incense can be burned for divination, good luck, attaining goals, banishing negativity, and to help solve difficult problems. It 
is reputed to be an aphrodisiac.

        Caution: Do not ingest High John because it is a cathartic purge, and overly powerful laxative.

 

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