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| http://www.lanman-and-kemp.com |
Florida Water was once a common cologne and toiletry used by both men and women 200 years ago and at the turn of the century. It hit the market in the U.S. in 1808. Sadly, it is not a common perfume or toiletry any longer, and most people have never heard of it, unless they remember their Grandma and Grandpa's keeping a bottle with their daily hygiene products.
There are plenty of labels out there on the market selling their own version of Florida Water, however, in my experience Lanman & Kemp Barclay, the original holders and manufacturers of Florida Water has been my favorite with their beautiful combination of Orange, Lavendar, and hint of Cloves. L&K advertises Florida Water as a multipurpose cologne to be used as a refresher during a hot day, an aid for healing insect bites, a skin toner, a perfume, a personal deodorizer, a scent for your bath water, an aftershave, a scent for any room, to deodorize a room with sick person, a rub down to soothe, nerves, tension, sicknesses, or head colds.
Over many many years, Florida Water has become quite popular with the spiritual movement and practitioners across the world. Florida Water has it's many uses in spiritual work, and this is not unknown to L&K obviously as they now have a small line of their own of spiritual waters and supplies. ;)
Florida Water serves more than one function in spiritual practices, I can only speak from my own experience, uses, and traditional Haitian Vodou beliefs though.
Florida Water is used for many of the Vodou Loas, to cleanse altar spaces, cleanse the bodily temple, and cleanse magickal tools and candles before use. You can sprinkle this Cologne in your bath water while preparing for a ritual to cleanse. You can also use this as a protection to sprinkle the body and door ways to your Temple space or home. In this way it serves as like a dual working action instrument, Cleansing and Protection. I use this same Cologne with St. Michael the Archangel for clearing and protecting. Florida Water can also be used to attract positive spirits to you.
Florida Water can be used in workings with the Ancestors. There is just something about this cologne that does attract spirits that we want in our life. I have used it to sprinkle photo frames of ancestors or drop a few drops in a bowl of water to speak to ancestors and other spirits.
In Hoodoo, Florida Water is used in the same manner. Use it to clean newly bought glass encased vigil candles, use it in ritual baths to clean the body and spirit, use it to clear temple space of unwanted energy or messes, use it to wipe down altar tables, magickal tools, doorways to temples, or even in the wash when you clean your altar cloths. I use it in Chinese Wash or Van Van floor wash to clean my entire home, window seals, floors, and baseboards (I forbid carpet in my homes but with exception to my Turkish area rugs which too get the dousing of Florida Water). I also put it in dusting sprays to clean furniture table tops and legs. I have a bottle of this stuff in nearly every room of my house, so when you come to my house you enter with the fragrance of Florida Water and usually Three Kings, Dragon's Blood, or plain ol' Copal incense. Lol.
Generally I have a small bottle that goes places with me because on the occasion I might need some little scuffing off of negative vibes in my immediate surroundings. There is a great little travel size 3.5 oz bottle that fits nice either in my car or my medicine purse. If I travel, you better believe Florida Water is part of my overnight care bag!
With that said, I encourage you if you are just starting out in Conjure or Spiritual work, stock up with this tool.
Now here is the warning! It is VERY flammable, it is an alcohol base and mostly alcohol. Please don't be foolish or macho... I bring this is up for a very good reason. You can set fire to Florida Water in small amounts in a safe area, in a fire bowl outside with a backup on putting out any accidents! With the chemical combustion however, I will tell you, this should ONLY be performed by an experienced spiritual worker. The alcohol burns up quickly and then anything left behind is just food for the flames. There was a 12 year old boy who was set on fire by his peers with dousing him in cologne first. He suffered 3rd degree burns...
When Florida Water is set on fire, it burns a low blue flame and if it has nothing more to feed the fire will go out in a short time. There are spiritual purposes for this but experience and training should be had first! So, if you are new to this work, stick to the basics for now, and always use caution with spiritual products, especially flammable ones!
Recipes for using Florida Water:
Sprinkle Florida Water, Roses or rose oil in a bath for clearing negative and inviting love conditions
Can be used daily or every other day. Use a love prayer, psalm, or Chapters from Song of Solomon to pray while bathing.
Soak herbs of Basil, Rue, and Boldo leaf in Florida Water a sprinkle across door ways and window seals for protection.
Sprinkle Florida Water in wash bucket with prepared floor wash of Chinese Wash to wash from back of house to front of house and tops of windows down to bottom of windows for cleansing negative energies from the home.
After a daily bath wear a splash of Florida Water on top of head, heart, and feet for protection and balancing.
After working a job in retail or customer service, wash the hands with Florida Water to remove any "unwanted residue energy".
Use Florida Water to sprinkle and rub down new glass vigil candles, new statues, new magickal tools while focusing on clearing and cleaning any left over energies from others handling these products before you. You may state personal prayers of clearing too.
Use a clean white cloth to sprinkle Florida Water on altar tops to wipe off the area before setting up the new altar top.
Use Florida Water after a working to clear the space by sprinkling the back of the room in the corners, to the center of the room, then the front two corners and lastly across the threshhold entrance while stating any clearing or banishing prayers.