Four thieves Vinegar ???

There are dozens and dozens of formulas out there on this simple recipe that has it's traditional formulation , but people altered it and added all this other ingredients so many times that it became hard to tell what the real recipe is .

I will speak from the aspect of Hoodoo where this is a biggest nerve wreaking theme .

However traditional Witches shall get my point and easily compare it to situation Neo pagan / Neo Wiccan and New age recipes against traditional one .


Traditionally Four thieves vinegar is made by adding following plants in any type of vinegar and toping them ( covering with vinegar completely )

- rosemary
- sage
- thyme
- lavender

Hoodoo correspondences for herbs listed goes as follows ( same order as in recipe )

- protects against evil and cleanses , gives women domination in home , fidelity
- wisdom , discernment , cleansing , spell reversal
- courage , ending nightmares , money spells ( mostly oil form for this purpose )
- love spells , peace spells

And the 4TiV is used in Hoodoo as a protection , banishing or a hexing agent ( ! )

So this can not be the formula , can it ?

Here is what Rootworkers use today usually

1.Cheep red wine that stood open for few days
Crushed and peeled few garlic cloves inside

2. In apple cider or red wine vinegar soak :

-garlic (crushed or whole),
-red pepper (crushed),
-black peppercorns (whole), and
-black mustard seed (whole).

Let's see the correspondences here ( in conjure style ) shall we

-garlic - banishment , exorcism , demon repelling all manners of evil , protection

-Red pepper - used to make poeple move away , remove crossed conditions and sent them back , protect from and banish evil , to cause confusion and misfortune to another, used also in discord and divorce , argument spells

-Black pepercorns , whole to get rid of evils or to cast it on someone , also to make someone move away

-Black mustard seeds , to disrupt actions of adversary, to cause an "inflammatory" confusion

So now we are on the spot . The use of this formula ( either of the two ) would be protection , banishment , hexing or moving someone away
Here is Marie Levaeu spell to prove this

TO MAKE SOMEONE MOVE AWAY
_________________________

On a piece of parchment write the person's name on it. Place this in a bottle and cover with Four Thieves Vinegar. Seal the bottle and throw it into a moving body of water. Marie Laveau asserts that as the bottle is carried away by the water, so shall this person be removed from your location.



I saw formulas that include lemongrass , tarragon , mint , basil , onion and but those are obviously recent formulations and most certainly not Four thieves vinegar , or Infusion of the Grave robbers as also referred sometimes .

Yet the first formula is the most traditional and believed to originate from French in 15th century when plague had taken so many lives .
However that formulas does not correspond magickal use of the Four thieves vinegar , actually not Even by European folk witchery as the uses of herbs are way to diverse in the recipe even in European folk tradition.

The other recipe is hardly to be used at that point in French as French people ( though curiously keen on garlic ) , just adore the four herbs mentioned and were always native in French and Europe . However it is perfect fit to the magickal use of Four thieves vinegar .

NOTE : Do not tell me that Four thieves vinegar for mundane , medicinal purposes and ones for Magickal purposes are not the same , because it is well know that Four thievs vinegar is one of many formulas that were made for mundane purposes but found ti have magickal properties therefore incorporated in magickal practice .

So I ask You dear fellows both Rootworkers , Occult practitioners , Witches , Wiccans to comment here and tell me what version would You use ? Or do You use ? Why ? What of the recipes You consider "true" , or original recipe ?

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Ohhh I have been looking for the original formula for the Four Thieves Vinegar, I resorted to making my own concoction and I'm actually happy that two of the ingredients are the same.

I heard that they added the four herbs to vinegar and garlic so I add those two things no matter what variation I make

My Recipe
Red Wine Vinegar
Garlic
Angelica - Visions, Exorcism, Hex-Breaking, Warding, Healing Alchemy, Protection
Lavender - Love, Happiness, Peace, Sleep Spell, Dream Pillow, Healing Alchemy, Protection, Purification
Garden Sage - Protection, Smudging, Banishing, Purification, Wisdom, Wishes, Healing Alchemy, Money
Rue - Healing Alchemy, Health, Psychic Powers, Protection, Exorcism, Love

I also like to let it steep for a full moon cycle and keep it in a dark cupboard.

This recipe is what I decided to make by choosing herbs I had a feeling might feature in the traditional recipe (Hence why I'm happy two of them are in the traditional recipe.)

I chose these herbs because the vinegar can be used for Healing, Protection and Banishing so I chose herbs with at least two of those correspondences.
The garlic also works because it's a good ingredient for protection also a medicinal herb and a blood purifier (The reason I emphasise blood purifying is because the pneumonic and bubonic plague could lead on to the septic plague if you lived long enough. It was also a rarer form of the black death)

Also in regards to my choice of Angelica, "Numerous historical texts going back to the 15th century sing Angelica's praises as a wonder herb, mostly because it was believed (erroneously) to cure bubonic plague." - From 'The Herb Gardener'

Anyway I will probably try out the traditional recipe at some point now I know it.

i never gave too much thought to four thieves vinegar until when looking for protection, it came up as an option. i am now quite intrigued with it even though i have not yet tried.making it. the origin of the name and why it is called that is fascinating.
i have however taken way too long to use some red wine recently and because of the sour taste decided to make vinegar with it.
i now have a bottle full of vinegar which i infused with apple cider vinegar which has "mother" or vinegar sediment in it.
i was told that to make the wine turn properly, to use unprocessed vinegar.
while i am excited to give some of the regular vinegar away, i so want to make some 4 thieves with what remains.

so opinionwise, should the original recipe be followed? or can it be improved upon.
any thoughts on effectiveness as it relates to the original vs. remix?

Well really that's up to you I suppose, this is the first time I've seen a traditional recipe and my own works for me, so I suppose you could do either.
But I would suggest trying the original to see how that works for you :) (Which I'm going to do :P)

thank you.and usually i try any magick work the way i receive it or as close as i can the first time. then i look for a better way to suit me.
so your advice is not only appreciated, but i am in sinc with what you say.

Brilliant and I am happy to help. :)