Detroit Hoodoo Month: Olive Oil Conjure.

Olive Oil in Conjure

By Caterina O’Sullivan

Caterina is owner of La Buona vita.  She is an Ama Deus and Reiki Master as well as a skilled Rootworker. Taking into consideration the day of the week, the time of day, and the phase of the moon, Caterinas products are hand crafted for the specific needs of clients. La Buona Vitas aim is to Craft the very best and most powerful product to help everyone “Live the Good Life”.  For more information about Caterina, please visit her website http://labuonavitausa.com/

A family tradition

From soaps to sauces, and cures of many ailments, Olive oil is well known all over the world. I grew up with no other oil in the house; it was sacred to my mother’s family. I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of my youth in Italy and I can attest for its many wonderful properties and its high regard in that country.

Spring tonic in my household was more of an olive oil flush. (Trust me, when your La Nonna, (The Grandmother,) makes you guzzle it straight from the bottle you’re getting flushed.) It was used on your hair, on your skin, in your food, and of course on your altar.

Using A lumini Ad Olio in Alters

So let me start with altars. Everyone on my mother’s side of the family, and the majority of our friends, had at least two altars in their homes. One would be for the ancestors and one to either Jesus or Mary. In some cases certain ancestors had an altar to themselves. All of these altars had a glass or jar filled about ¾ with water and ¼ with olive oil.  A lumini Ad Olio, which translates to Oil Candles, floats on top. It's a thin piece of lightweight metal that looks like a donut with three arms and it is suspended by three tiny square pieces of cork. In the center of this float is a small wick pulled halfway through a small round piece of cardboard inserted into the center of the donut. These burn during veneration and prayer.

Ancestor altar with Lumini al Olio

If there is a need for some help, if someone is sick, traveling, in need of finances, etc.; candles dressed with olive oil are added to the alter. These candles of course are scrutinized for any signs or messages at the end of their burning. Now it's starting to sound familiar, right? Burning the midnight oil takes on a whole new meaning when you're praying at one of these altars with your family for someone’s recovery from a serious ailment.

For me now, I still burn the Lumini al Olio, but plain white candles can't compare to the amazing candles made by Coventry Creations. They are the only candles I carry and their effectiveness outweighs any candles I have ever used. If I have a corresponding oil to use to dress the candle I will use that and add a few drops of olive oil to strengthen it.

Olive oil also comes in very handy diagnosing and curing Malocchio, or the Evil Eye.

First get a bowl of fresh water and a small dish of olive oil. Then wave your hand over the chest area of the person who is suspected to have the evil eye a few times. Dip your fingertips of that hand into the olive oil and hold your hand loosely over the bowl of water and let the olive oil drip from your fingertips.

If the oil comes together into one puddle or “eye,” then the person has some other ailment and has not been hexed by the Evil Eye. Should they remain separated, then you have a hexing on your hands.

water bowl with drips of olive oil separated.

There are many different ways to remove the Malocchio, but the simplest way is to continue waving your hand dressed with a bit of olive oil over the affected persons chest and repeat dipping your fingertips into the olive oil and letting it drip into the water until the separated become one.

Special Note: should you have to cover most of the surface area of the water bowl with drips of oil before it becomes one circle of oil, get a bowl of fresh water and repeat. This time I would light an uncrossing candle of your choice, dressed of course, and continue.

Bonus Tip from Caterina

I have one last little sneaky trick with olive oil for you. Take a few drops of olive oil in your hands and rub it gently into the pillow of your partner without them knowing. You will have the best sex you ever had ;-)

Caterina with her mom in Italy