FAQs: Aura Accord Oils by Anna Riva
Posted by Michelle Gruben on
Virtually unchanged for decades, Anna Riva oils are a staple of magickal shops. They are used especially in the branches of art lumped under the term “folk magick”: Conjure, Hoodoo, rootwork, and Santeria. Typically, they're used to "dress" candles, talismans, and mojo bags for a particular magickal purpose. Some people also apply them directly to the body.
Are you interested in learning more about this ever-popular, ever-controversial product line?
Who is Anna Riva?
Anna Riva was the pen name of Dorothy Spencer (1922-2003), an American occult author. Her numerous pamphlets and books covered topics as diverse as herbalism, talismans, candle magick, crystal gazing, and séances. Her influences were equally varied—her published spells were influenced by Haitian Voodoo, African-American folk magick, Biblical psalms, and the European grimoire tradition.
Spencer’s company, International Products, manufactured a line of oils, incenses, and ritual powders. They were distributed in occult stores and through a mail order catalog. (Of course, many of the Anna Riva spellbooks call for these ingredients.) She focused on practical, easy-to-work spells centered around the use of magickal oils. “Anna Riva” became an almost mythical figure in the world of American folk magick. Anyone who has spent any time around rootworkers or botanicas has certainly seen the rows of gold-foil bottles on display.
Spencer herself lived a very private life, finally retiring from the business in the late 1990s. She sold her company to Indio Products, another California-based manufacturer of spiritual supplies. She died from Alzheimer’s in 2003.
What varieties are available?
The Anna Riva brand spawned a bewildering array of oils. Hundreds! See the bottom of this article for a complete (?) list.
There is the usual assortment of single-fragrance oils—that is, herbs, resins, and botanicals (“Lemongrass,” “Ginger,” “Myrrh”). There are oils for the planets and the zodiac signs. Some oils are formulated for a specific purpose—the label pretty much tells you what to do with it (“Smudge Blend,” “Anointing,” “Meditation”).
There are oils for major Gods, saints and spirits in the folk magick firmament (“Isis,” “San Cipriano”). There are quite a lot of Hoodoo “condition oils” with colorful names (“Boss Fix,” “Follow Me Boy”). Some of the oil names seem redundant (“Stay Away”/”Keep Away” or “Fast Luck”/”Luck in a Hurry”). Some are nearly incomprehensible (“Mexican Luck,” “Squint,” “Tiger”). No matter how strange the name or obscure the formula, you can bet that somewhere there is a magick worker who wouldn't be caught without it.
Are Aura Accord oils the same as Anna Riva’s?
Sometimes, people ask if Aura Accord oils are the same as Anna Riva. The answer is “yes.” The product is the same, only the packaging is different.
As any Anna Riva devotee will attest, many oils are hard to find and will go out of stock for long periods of time. The current owners are not great about keeping the stock list up-to-date, especially for small quantities. It’s very annoying when your favorite oil is between production runs, or only available in the giant 16 oz size.
Anna Riva oils were a mainstay in occult stores throughout the 1970s and 80s—but shop owners were often at the mercy of the products’ limited availability. Not to be so constrained, mail-order giant AzureGreen began bottling the oils under their private label, “Aura Accord by Anna Riva.” Basically, they obtain the oils from the manufacturer and bottle them in smaller quantities, including the popular 2 dram and 1 oz sizes.
What are Anna Riva oils made from?
That’s really a mystery! Dorothy Spencer (a.k.a. Anna Riva) never published the ingredients lists for her oils, incenses, and powders. When she sold the company, the formulas went to the new owners. To this day, the recipes remain proprietary.
Anna Riva scented oils last for years in the bottle, retaining their fragrance and never going rancid. Based on this info, it’s safe to assume they use a mineral oil base. Many of the oils are artificially colored. They obviously include synthetic fragrances, although some blends may also include essential oils. It’s unclear how much the formulas have changed over time. Some people say that the oils used to include more natural botanicals in Spencer’s time, while others attest that the products have remained extremely consistent through the decades.
Are they “real” magickal oils?
Anna Riva oils are a “love it or hate it” product. Everything about them inspires strong opinions—from the perfume-y aromas to the retro labels to the slightly off-color names of the formulas. They get a lot of bad press for containing synthetic ingredients. Especially now, at the height of the essential oil craze, there seems to be a perception that only plant-derived ingredients belong in magickal oils.
And yet, many people absolutely swear by them. Lots of professional spellworkers learned their craft with Anna Riva's oils, and many still use them. There's absolutely no point in telling these people their magick is void because, say, their Strawberry oil doesn't contain any real strawberries.
One of the reasons Anna Riva's oils are still available after almost 50 years is because of the brand loyalty they have inspired. Just a whiff of their odd, chemically perfume is enough to inspire a mystical mood in some people. For every negative review found online, there is a testimonial from someone who won’t budge from their favorite old formula.
Personally, I’m a magickal pragmatist. There’s no arguing with results. If it works, it works. I also believe that it’s possible for symbols and ingredients to acquire specific vibrations through years of focused use. Of course, there’s a time and place for all-natural oils too—it just depends on the working, and what gets your juices flowing. Sometimes you want an organic home-cooked meal, and sometimes a drive-thru cheeseburger hits the spot. You can also “boost” manufactured oils by adding your own ingredients—a bit of root, herb, or essential oil—to the mix.
Shop our store for Aura Accord products. Browse the archive. Or, check out the massive list of Anna Riva oils below.
Complete(ish) Current List of Anna Riva Oils
Absinthe
Acacia
Adam and Eve
Algiers
All Purpose
Allspice
Almond
Altar
Ambergris
Ancient Wisdom
Angel
Anger
Aphrodisia
Apple Blossom
Arabian Nights
Aries
Aquarius
As You Please
Aura
Autumn Leaves
Banana
Banishing
Basil
Bat’s Blood
Beneficial
Benzoin
Bergamot
Better Business
Big Money
Bingo
Black Devil
Black Panther
Blessing
Blue Sonata
Boss Fix
Bottom #20
Bouquet Oriental
Breaking Up
Buddha
Bull’s
Business
Caliph’s Beloved
Camphor
Cancer
Candle
Can’t Stay Away
Capricorn
Carnation
Casino
Cast Off Evil
Cedar
Cedar of Lebanon
Cherry
Cherry Blossom
Chinese Luck
Chocolate
Chypre
Citronella
Civit
Cleo May
Cleopatra
Clover
Coconut
Commanding
Compelling
Concentration
Confusion
Conquering Glory
Counteracting
Crab Apple
Cranberry
Crossing
Cypress
Damballah
Damnation
Desire Me
Devil’s
Devil’s Master
Devil Trap
Dionysus
Dixie Love
Double Action
Double Cross
Draw Back
Drawing
Dream
Drive Away
Durga
Easy Life
Easy Time
Egyptian Glory
Elder Gods
Enchantment
Eve
Exodus
Fantasy
Fast Luck
Fiery Command
Fiery Wall of Protection
Financial Luck
Fire of Love
Flaming Power
Flying
Follow Me Boy
Forget Her
Forget Him
Forget Me Not
Frankincense and Myrrh
French Creole
French Love
Freya
Frangi Pani
Friendship
Fruit of Life
Ganesha
Gemini
Get Away
Gambler’s
Geranium
Ginger
Ginseng
Glow of Attraction
Go Away
Goddess
Gold and Silver
Good Time
Grape
Gris Gris
H & H
Haitian Love Drops
Happiness
Has No Hanna
Health Drawing
Heart’s Desire
Heather
Hebrew
Hemlock
Helping Hand
Hex Breaking
Hexing
Hibiscus
High Conquering
High John
Hold My Man
Holy
Holy Trinity
Honey
Horn of Plenty
House Blessing
Hummingbird
Hyacinth
Hyssop
Impossible Objective
Indian Guide
Inflame Confusion
Influence
Invisible
Isis
Jasmine
Jerusalem
Jezebel
Jinx
Jinx Killer
Jockey Club
John the Conqueror
Joy
Judge Be For Me
Jupiter
Just Judge
Keep Away Evil
King Solomon
Lady Luck
La Flamme
Law Stay Away
Lemon
Lemongrass
Leo
Libra
Lily of the Valley
Lime
Lottery
Lotus
Love Breaker
Love Drawing
Love Me
Lovers
Lucifer
Luck in a Hurry
Lucky Business
Lucky Dog
Lucky Hand
Lucky Nine
Lucky Number
Lucky Play
Lucky Seven
Lucky Thirteen
Luv Luv Luv
Lyang Lyang
Mad
Magic
Magnet
Magnolia
Man Trap
Marriage
Mars
Master
Master Key
Meditation
Memory Drops
Mercury
Mexican Luck
Midnight
Millionaire
Mimosa
Mind Bender
Mint
Miracle
Money Mist
Moon
Moving
Mummy
My Desire
Mystic Rites
Narcissus
Nature
Neptune
New Money Drops
New Orleans
Nine Mystery
Nutmeg
Olibanum
Orchid
Oriental
Papaya
Passion
Passion Flower
Peaceful Home
Pennyroyal
Peony
Peppermint
Pikaki
Pine
Pineapple
Pisces
Plumeria
Pluto
Poppy
Potpourri
Power
Prayer
Primrose
Promotion
Prosperity
Protect from Harm
Psychic
Q
Queen of Tibet
Quick Money
Radiant Health
Red Fast Luck
Red Rose
Redwood
Reverse Evil
Rose Geranium
Rose of Crucifixion
Rosemary
Run Devil Run
Saffron Oil
Sagittarius
San Cipriano
San Jacobs
Sassafras
Satan Be Gone
Saturn
Scorpio
Secret of Venus
Separating
Separation
Sesame
Seven Africans
Seven Day Uncross
Seven Eleven
Seven Holy Spirits
Seven Powers
Seventh Heaven
Shifting Sands
Shi Shi
Showers of Gold
Siete Machos
Song of Solomon
Spearmint
Special #20
Special Favor
Spell Breaking
Spikenard
Spirit
Spiritual Fast Luck
Spiritual Power
Spring Flowers
Squint
St. Anthony
St. Barbara
St. Expeditus
St. Ignatius
St. Joseph
St. Jude
St. Martha
St. Michael
St. Peter
Stay at Home
Steady Work
Strawberry
Success
Sun
Sure to Win
Sweet Grass
Sweet Pea
Tame
Tangerine
Taurus
Teasing Lover
Temple
Ten Commandments
Three Jacks
Three Kings
Tiger
Tobacco
Tranquility
Triple Action
Triple Cross
Tuberose
Tulip
Turn Back
Tutti Fruitti
Unhexing
Uranus
Venus
Verbena
Victory Over Evil
Violet
Virgo
Vision
Voodoo
Wall Breaker
War
Wealthy Way
Weed of Misfortune
White Rose
Will Power
Winner’s Circle
Winning Number
Wintergreen
Wishing
Wisteria
Witch Love
Witch’s
Wolf’s Eye
XX Double Cross
Zodiac
Zula Zula