What is Petition Paper in Hoodoo?

In Hoodoo tradition, the petition paper is more than just a piece of paper; it’s a spiritual contract, a written prayer, and a bridge between your intention in the physical world and the spiritual world. For generations, this humble tool has been used to call upon ancestors, saints, spirits, and high divine forces and more, to move energy in your favor. Whether for love, protection, justice, or prosperity, a petition carries your voice into the unseen.

History

Petition papers trace back to the roots of Black American Hoodoo magic, blending their West African spiritual practices, Christian prayer traditions, and Indigenous influences. In the South, enslaved and freed Black folks used what they had—leather, brown paper bags, Bible pages, notebook scraps, or butcher paper to write down their desires and communicate with their subscribed belief in the Most High, or Spirit. The ink's color would also reflect the intentions tied to each color's spiritual meaning.

Writing petitions was a private, sacred act, often done in candlelight, accompanied by prayer, psalms, manifestations, or the burning of incense. Every word written was believed to hold power and intention—especially when written with gratitude, faith, and rhythm. Practitioners would write their petition papers and hide them from their "massa." They would conceal them under their beds, in their bibles, in their mojo bags, shoes, or other secret places.

Over time, as more items were manufactured, people began using what was readily available. Brown paper bags became a tradition as a result of this evolution in products. Today, we use brown paper bags to feel a connection to our ancestors.

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Substitutes

In Hoodoo, what matters most is intent. You don’t need fancy supplies, just focus and reverence. If you don’t have traditional brown paper, you can use:

• Plain white paper: For purification and purity

• Bible pages or hymn book pages: Adds scriptural power to your work.

• Brown paper bags: Traditional and earth-connected.

• Parchment or handmade paper: For more ceremonial work.

• Fabric (like cotton or muslin): Symbolic of ancestral strength and long-lasting energy.

  
  

How to Use

It is important to cleanse yourself before and after any ritual, as well as meditation, and/or divination.

1. Write your petition.

   Be specific and write with purpose.

*Other Options

Write your name and birthday.

Write another's name and birthday.

Write down a situation or experience.

2. Anoint your petition and fold towards or away from you.

   • Toward you = drawing something in

   • Away from you = banishing or sending away

3. Activate.

   Pray/speak over the petition. Place in a jar, burn it, under a candle, in your bible, under your pillow, (depending on your ritual).

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Types of Traditional Rituals

Candle Work: Place your petition beneath a dressed and blessed candle. As the candle burns, it activates your written words.

Altar Work: Place your petition on your altar as ancestral veneration, renewing or cleansing energy.

Court Case Work: Used to help legal work to go in your favor.  Carry in shoes or pockets for favor and justice.

Honey Jars or Sweetening Jars: Used for sweetening relationships or situations. Fold and placed inside the jar with herbs and personal concerns.

Mojo Bag: The petition acts as the “command” inside the bag, instructing the spirits of the herbs, roots, and curios.

The power of a petition lies not in ink or paper—but within you. When you write your words, you are declaring your will before the spiritual world. Hoodoo is about direct relationship: between you, your ancestors, your spirits, and the Divine. Petition papers simply give your spirit a voice in the physical world.

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