Mojo bags — also known as gris-gris bags, charm bags, or potli — are small cloth pouches filled with herbs, stones, personal items, and other magickal ingredients. Carried on your person or placed in a significant location, they serve as portable spells that work continuously.

The tradition of the mojo bag has roots in African-American hoodoo practice, though similar charm bags appear in cultures worldwide. In India, the potli tradition uses cloth bundles of sacred herbs. In European folk magic, sachets filled with protective plants were sewn into clothing.

Creating a mojo bag begins with selecting your intention. Common purposes include protection, love attraction, financial prosperity, and healing. Your intention determines every ingredient that goes into the bag.

Choose a cloth color that corresponds to your goal — green for money, red for love, white for protection. Fill it with an odd number of ingredients, traditionally three, five, seven, or nine items. These might include dried herbs, small crystals, a personal petition written on paper, and a personal concern like a strand of hair.

Once assembled, breathe life into your mojo bag. Hold it in your hands, breathe onto it three times, and speak your intention. Some practitioners feed their mojo bags periodically with a drop of essential oil or whiskey to keep the energy alive and working.

Carry your mojo bag close to your body — in a pocket, pinned inside clothing, or in your purse. The key is keeping it near you so its energy field overlaps with yours. Never let anyone else touch your mojo bag, as this can interfere with the personal bond you’ve created with it.