Every good bruja worth her salt has Florida Water in her magickal toolkit, but have you ever wondered what makes it so magickal? An internet rabbit hole took me through quite the history lesson…

Originally created by New York City perfumer Robert I. Murray, in 1808, Florida Water was the American version of “eau de cologne”, which was a popular perfume that originated in Cologne, Germany in 1709.

The name “Florida Water” refers to the fabled Fountain of Youth, which was said to be located in Florida. The name also hints at the flowery nature of the scent which emphasizes sweet orange, rather than the lemon and neroli of the original Cologne Water.In Victorian times, etiquette manuals warned against strong perfumes, and Florida Water was considered appropriate to be worn by men and women alike. The flowery scent was used in sachets to scent linens and fresh flowers, and also used in barbershops as cologne and aftershave. It was used as a body splash, and also added to bathwater.

But how did Florida Water become a staple of Santeria, Voodoo, Hoodoo practices?

Honestly, no one really knows. But if you ask me, it comes back to slavery.
When police investigate crimes, they say “follow the money”. When I investigate magickal history in the United States & The Americas, I say “find the slave”.

When Florida Water was introduced in the 1800’s, enslaved African-Americans in the Southern United States employed the cologne often while serving their masters and mistresses. During the day, slaves used Florida Water to scent the bed linens, run the baths, and shave men’s faces. At night, many of these enslaved Africans were Hoodoo Conjure Women/Men, Santeria Brujas/Brujos, and Voodoo Priests/Priestesses as well.
Slaves were forbidden to practice the African religions of their homeland, and forced to practice Christianity. However, their spirituality would not be contained. Under the guise of learning Psalms in The Bible, slaves used those scriptures in Hoodoo rituals. While publicly worshipping Catholic Saints, slaves worshipped their African deities. A slave appearing to honor Catholic Saint Peter would actually honoring the Yoruban Orisha Oggun. Other slaves celebrating the feast day of Catholic Saint Lazarus were secretly celebrating the Yoruban Orisha Babalú Ayé.

So in a similar secretive fashion, Florida Water found its way into magickal practices performed by slaves. The commonplace citrus perfume was used for cleansing magickal tools, creating spiritual floor washes, and other rituals. Slaves imported to the Southern United States created Hoodoo, and others imported to Louisiana and the Caribbean created the folk magick system of New Orleans Voodoo and Santeria.
Slaves endured back-breaking labor, beatings, rapes, being sold away from loved ones, and being treated as less than a human being. Slavery was legal, so there was nowhere to escape. Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Santeria became tools of spiritual resistance, to bring some relief to an oppressed life. And Florida Water became a staple of slave-based magick.

Florida Water was used in slaves’ magickal practices then, and continues to be used by their descendants, to this day:

Cleansing and purification
Ritual offerings
Adding to a floor wash
Attracting love
Etc.

Not surprisingly, Florida Water has also become popular in Wiccan and other pagan magickal practices. As this cologne has been used in magickal rituals for over 200 years, its power comes from tradition. Some witches even create their own recipes for Florida Water, and use it the same way.

This perfume is inexpensive to buy, and easy to get. When I was a kid, I only used to see Florida Water in botanicas (spiritual stores). I can now find it in drug and dollar stores, Walmart, and even beauty supply stores.

While thousands of personal fragrances have gone in and out of style, Florida Water has retained its original recipe from 1808. Although manufacturer Murray & Lanman (now Lanman & Kemp) does not mention Florida Water’s magickal importance on their website, we witches know and embrace its importance in our rituals.