Merry Meet and Welcome to you magickal souls!!!!
Today I'm going to share my experience with Florida Water because I attended the 5th Annual Season of the Witch Virtual Conference hosted by Wise Woman Witchery. In particular there was a workshop called "Crafting Agua Florida" run by Emelina (here's the link to her website) and it was this experience that has led to this post.
When this workshop took place, I knew very little about Florida Water, like what it is used for, or even how it started. I learned that it is also known as Spirit Water because it is a spiritual "water". One of its uses is to sweeten and clear the energy of the area it is being used in but this can differ to each practitioner of the Craft.
Florida Water is a relatively new thing to have, and I say relatively because Witchcraft has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years while Florida Water was only made commercially available in the 1800's, spreading to Cuba and Latin America by 1860's. The first time it became available through Lanmann & Murray was as a cologne or scent, created with essential oils and similar in style to what Europeans wore and used.
The original label, which is still used to this day, and name are a nod to the search by Ponce de León of the Fountain of Youth, which is also known as Aqua de Vida. Florida's connection is from the mythology that a river in the area that is now Florida flowed with waters that could restore youth to anyone who drank or bathed in them. It was also Florida that Ponce do León first landed, and the area colonised by Spain.
There are many cultural connections to Florida Water: root work traditions, Curanderismo, Voodoo, and southwest America. It would also be used as an accompaniment to ancestral traditions involving drumming by those from Igbo and Yoruba but it was eventually banned by "owners". (As far as I know, Florida Water isn't as popular or wellknown within British traditions but I could well be wrong.)
The reason for Florida Water being so spiritual was that in the 1800's, openly practising any kind of spirituality was dangerous and so hiding one tool in plain sight made it easier and more acceptable. Everyone used colognes at that time, like using perfume or body-sprays today, so it made sense for Florida Water to be readily and openly available.
That workshop sparked a need within me to craft my own and so I did some research while I ensured that I had everything I wanted for it. I had to wait as well because Samhain was the time when I desired for this particular Water to be made, and there was a New Moon occurring just days later. Samhain was important as I wanted to be able to connect with spirit loved ones and deities associated with the dead, and the New Moon was important because of the new project I started.
So I looked through my personal herbal spiritual compendium and noted down the names of herbs that felt right to use and why. Here are those herbs I used:
Hyssop - for cleansing
Patchouli - for its connections with Hades and communication
Rose - for love
Mint - for its connections with Hekate and protection
Chamomile - for soothing
Lavender - for peace
Dried Orange Slices - for happiness
I placed each herb in a layer within a large air-tight jar before covering with vodka and leaving it for 60 days. The time felt right but I could have chosen any number between 14 and 90. What I didn't know at the time was that when my Samhain Water was ready was just after the calendar New Year, which was another nod to the new endeavour and a new start for my Craft as I have now fallen in love with making Florida Water.
I will admit that I forgot to take any photos at all of the "making of" process so I literally only have a photo of the end result after it was strained and bottled. This might have been because of how personal the whole process was to me but regardless of the why, I thoroughly enjoyed making it and I already have plans to make more.
In one of my kitchen cupboards, I have quite a collection of bottles and jars and I knew that the bottle above needed to be used for this particular Florida Water. The yellow spray bottle was discovered in the travel section of the supermarket where I do my shopping and is a handy size so, of course, I've already ordered more.
Since then, I have had a desire to make another Florida Water because I have another Wardruna concert to attend in March 2025 and I'd like to take some with me to wear. So that's what I did. I started another, albeit smaller, jar of Florida Water off after looking through my herbal compendium and then the herbs and flowers I have in my collection for ones I actually wanted to use. Below are photos I took of the jar before and after I added the vodka with a particular feline companion in the background although both kept me company in the kitchen while I made it.
This version is specifically for enjoying the music created by Wardruna so every herb and flower used has some kind of association with that: Patchouli - for passion and communication; Rose Petals - for gratitude and appreciation: Flat Leaf Cedar - for spirituality: Lemongrass - for the Heart Chakra and awareness; Makrut Lime Leaves - for emotional balance; Curry Leaves - for joy; Orange Peel - for peace, calm and renewal; and Hibiscus Flowers - for serenity.
This will be left for another 60 days which will take me up to just before the concert but gives me plenty of time to ensure I have a spray bottle big/small enough for this. And I already have another idea for the next version of it, based on the sticker label for a "decoration" that I'd prefer to actually use: "Spider Cider" that is all about creativity.
I'm really looking forward to this new blend and if you'd like to see the end result, follow me on Instagram. I hope you've learned something about Florida Water but if you'd like to learn more, please do connect with Emelina as she is brilliant and her energy is amazing.
Peace and love to all!!!!
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