Graveyard dirt is, as you can guess from the name, dirt collected from a graveyard which is paid for using an offering of money (usually dimes) or whiskey. There are several herbs and combinations of herbs that are said to be good substitutes for graveyard dirt - but this is a complicated matter. While certain herbs can be used as a substitute in different practices just fine, in traditions in which graveyard dirt is an essential ingredient for its connection to ancestors and the dead (ie. Hoodoo), there is no replacing it.  

Depending on how it is handled and collected, graveyard dirt has many uses, such as cursing/crossing, luck and good fortune, protection, and love. It is also an indispensable ingredient for Goofer Dust. Use graveyard dirt as an offering to Deities who govern death, ancestor work, as an ingredient in protection, banishing, or cursing rituals.