Poke Root

Description

Poke Root is a hex-breaking or uncrossing herb, and its uses include finding lost objects, breaking curses. It can also be carried to increase courage or to find lost items. It is usually steeped in water and then added to bathwater or the mop bucket. It is alleged that if you mix Poke Root with dirt from an enemy’s foot track and blend the mixture into melted wax, then throw the wax ball into running water, the enemy will move away and stop bothering you.

It can be used for exorcisms, as it’s violent purging action is symbolic of purging the body of spiritual as well as physical poison. Taking pokeweed internally is NOT recommended.

Indigenous people used pokeweed for food, medicine, dye and to paint their horses. Poke salet (young poke greens, boiled twice) is historically a popular southern dish. European settlers were introduced to pokeweed by them, & they in turn took it back to Europe where it grows wild today.