Magical Oils and Aromatherapy
By Blayze and Foxglove

What is an Essential oil?

An Essential oil is a volatile oil which is extracted from different plants and parts of plants.  This oil is seen as the heart and soul of plant.  It gives pleasing fragrance to attract certain insects to aid in reproduction and to repel other would be attackers. An Essential oil is the purest and most potent part of plants!  

How can Essential oils be used in magic?

Fragrances have not only been used for domestic purposes but many have been used in ritual and cult practices since early times in Ancient Egypt, India, Middle East, Greece and Rome. 

The scope of uses in history are many; they were offered to Gods or worn as personal fragrances to disguise poor hygiene, and in some cases certain scents, oils or herbs were far more valuable than gold and jewels.

By making a connection to the “spiritual essence” of the plant, we are able to create change magically.  We can do this in a variety of ways but the most common is by charging the oils to a specific goal and anoint an object with the oil. This object could be our own bodies, a talisman, a poppet, a door or a window; depending on the purpose of the magic. 

The process of anointing with magical oils includes the act of magically empowering and giving purpose to (charging) the magical oil itself as well as the magical act of physically anointing a person or object. As magic is about transformation, so the oil is transformed into a magical item by blending the different ingredients and charging them, and the anointed object or person is transformed by the physical act of anointing with a charged magical oil.

As such, the magical oil can be used in spellwork or for a particular ritual purpose.  For example, the magical oil can be used in isolation as the carrier of the actual spell itself, or in conjunction with other acts of magic such as anointing a tool during consecration or charging a candle for a candle spell or ritual. It can also be created as part of a larger recipe, e.g. for adding to an incense or scenting wax with which to make ritual candles, soaps, baths or spritzers.  What kinds of objects we magically anoint are mostly determined by what we want to achieve, i.e by the the goal of the ritual or the spell itself, e.g. cleansing, protection, healing, change, invocation etc.

We can base our recipes and use of oils on the magical vibrations of the plants / herbs / barks themselves (the oil being the ‘distilled’ essential / concentrate of the herb), or on the principles of aromatherapy – the use of scent to effect change. Most of the time, magical oil recipes work with a blend of both concepts. As well as the usage of tables of correspondence when creating recipes, we also have to take into consideration the medicinal qualities of the oils. Some oils can be harmful to people with particular medical conditions or allergies. Be especially careful with oils during pregnancy.

Even if an oil is to be anointed on an object instead of a person, you will still have to touch the oil at some point (during the actual act of anointing), so it must not have any harmful or baneful properties. Some oils can react adversely when blended with other oils. Always check a good book on blending oils.

For now we shall focus on anointing oils but the basics are the similar regardless of modality being used.

The Art Of Magical Blending

Blending essential oils is more than adding a few drops of this oil and that to a base oil; it is more about the purpose and intent of the witch.  A connection should be made to each oil in turn and its basic purpose stated as we blend them.

With magical oils, we are usually dealing with two different types of oils – in quantity at least. These being carrier or base oils and the essential (scent) oils that are blended together in small quantities. Base oils can include: Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Apricot Oil, Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Oil and Jojoba Oil (although the latter can be very expensive). These base oils can be used alone or blended together. The blended base oils tend to be used more in both magical and non-magical massage oils rather than for anointing oils. What base oil you use can depend on the robustness of the essential oils to be added. Grapeseed oil is pretty much odourless, almond oil is light in both scent and colour, however olive oil has a strong scent and can be quite heavy. Heavy and strongly scented essential oils such as patchouli, cedarwood, oakmoss etc, would be fine with olive oil. A delicate flower scent such as Ylang Ylang would probably be lost. In that case, almond oil would be a better base. Really it depends on what is available and the delicacy of the essential oils or if you are working with particular deities who happen to like olives more than almonds or vice versa. 

When blending the oils, you can make a small batch of blended essential oils and add this concentrated blend to the carrier oil, or you can just add each essential oil to the carrier oil as you go. It can take up to 4 days for oils to blend completely and achieve the final scent. It is up to you and the timing of your ritual or spell as to whether you charge the oils at the blending stage or at the end of the process.

Dilution

The best way to blend is by blending the essential oils first then adding the carrier oil this allows for the essential oils to permeate each other before being diluted.  Dilution rate should always be done in % rather than in mere drops.  This is so that the same blend can be made time and time again with little or no variation.

Roughly 20drops of EO will equal about 1ml of oil, 40drops of oil will equal about 2ml of oil etc.

Eg: in a 100ml bottle with 20 (total) drops of EO makes 1% dilution.  In 50ml bottle 20 (total) drops makes 2% dilution.

A note on Fragrances!

Depending on the work being done, it is important to make most blends with a pleasant scent, this is especially true for the purpose of anointing people.  A less than pleasant fragrance can be used in banishing rites but can make people lose focus if it is on them, better to use a stinky anointing blend when anointing an object that will be buried etc. 

If you are working with spirits or deities who show a preference for a particular scent (or herb, flower, tree etc), then you could wear that scent or blend into the ritual  or anoint participants with it in honour of the diety (if appropriate). You could anoint the altar or an object that is being given as an offering. You could also make a magical blend of oils to burn in an oil burner or add to the olive oil in a lamp or the melted wax of a candle.

Charging Oils

Charging oils like anything else in magic can be done by chanting, singing, energy etc, but a thing unique to oils is the in the blending and the “swirling” of the oils during the blending.  

Oils can also be charged by being shaken but this is not a preferred method as Aromatherapy is seen as a subtle form, that to some, to simply shake the oils is akin to bruising your best friend.  It is best to swirl the oils around the bottom of the bottle prior to adding the base oil 

Selecting Essential oils

Selecting essential oils for magic is very similar (if not the same) as selecting herbs for magic.  This can be done intuitively, with a complete set of correspondences, common sense or a combination of all three!

Intuition
Like many magical acts, intuition is important when attuning to the oils to discover their magical purposes.  As we each connect differently to energy, we will all connect differently to the energy of plants and Essential oils even if only subtly.

We can attune ourselves to oils simply by inhaling the fragrance and allow our minds and body’ to connect to that fragrance.  How does it make you feel? What is the first thought or memory that comes to mind? Is it pleasing, offensive or pungent?  These are how we formulate our own set of correspondences with essential oils.
 
Correspondences
A table of correspondences is a useful tool as it details what connections have been made by others in the past and should be used as a guide only.

Common Sense
This is probably the most important way of selecting an Essential oil!   The reason for this is that the purpose behind magic ritual and using the various tools is to create change, and aid focus. If we do not like or cannot connect to an Essential Oil (or other tool) then we will not be able to focus our intent - which means we cannot create change.

There is no way we will attract love by using Rose oil if Rose oil gives you migraines or by using basil for money if you can’t stand the odour.  These are very important things to consider!

Another way that common sense can be useful is to have knowledge of the therapeutic uses of oils as these can give indications for magical uses.  

Some examples are:  

·	Sandalwood; which is used as a stimulant to the nervous system and has properties which allow the mind to ease and focus, in magic it is used commonly to aid in meditation and as an aid in grounding and centering.  
·	Rose oil is considered an Aphrodisiac and is commonly used in love magic.
·	Lavender has sedative properties and is used frequently in magic for prophetic dreams.
·	Orange oil is an anti depressant which is seen as uplifting and Orange oil in magic can be used to add power or energy to a spell.

We will give a basic table of correspondences for ease of reference below, but we urge you to work on your own as it is a magical lesson in itself!

Exercise to create a signature oil blend for a magical group.

Using tables of correspondences, work out the goals that represent your group. These may include magic, psychic awareness, currents of power, harmony, spirituality, memory etc. You may also wish to add at least one oil for each element as a combination to form spirit. If the group has a totem tree or plant, you could add some of that material as well. Combine the lists of oils that work the goals (noting the goals in a column)  - discard from the list any oils that you do not actually have or will be unable to get, also discard any oils that have medical warnings pertinent to the group - such as "not to be used during pregnancy" or "do not use if you have heart problems". Also find out if any in the group have allergies to specific plants or oils. Now gather the oils you do have (and are able to safely use) and physically group them in labelled baskets or boxes. (Some oils may be on multiple lists). 

For the blending ritual you will need:

•	A sealable vessel to contain the final blended oil. (This should already be filled with the appropriate amount of base oil).
•	A list of total amount of drops of essential oil appropriate for the volume of base oil. 
•	A smaller vial or beaker to contain the blended essential oil (not yet added to the base)
•	A list of appropriate and available oils and their correspondences (grouped)
•	A piece of paper (or magical diary) to record final blend recipe and a pen
•	Labelled (by correspondence) baskets of oils
•	A small funnel and a eyedropper (if the oil bottles do not have dropper or collars attached)
•	Kitchen paper / absorbent paper (for mopping up any errant drops or spills and for wiping hands)
•	Any additional totem material such as a small cleansed crystal or strip of bark or dried flower.
•	Spare baskets - one to hold chosen oils and another to hold the second place discards.
•	If you have a lot of oils to choose from, a small bowl of coffee beans can help to refresh the nose between each round. Sniff the coffee beans. 

In a ritual space, send each bottle around the circle so that each person can sniff (one bottle at a time) the scent. After each round, everyone can say whether they like or dislike the scent. The ones that everyone likes can be put aside into a basket. The second choice can go into another basket in case a substitution is required.

Choose one oil for each goal. If an oil appears on several lists and is liked, you can choose another 'liked' oil for one goal and choose which goal you want the former oil to represent.

Continue doing this for each batch of each goal oils. 

At the end of this (long) process you should have a basket full of oils that can be blended for your group oil.

You are looking for a good mix of oils here. If there are some oils that really won't go together, choose a substitute from the "discarded but liked" pile. Remember the warnings against stinky blends.

Now you can start blending the essential oils.

Have each person add a particular amount of drops to the blending vessel. One person can add one oil and say something about the goal, or you can have each person add one drop of each oil - it depends on how many people are in the group and how you work this out according to the overall amount of drops required.

When all the drops are added you can send the blended oil around the circle for each person to say something over, or chant over. Each person can swirl the oil. Again it depends on the amount of people. You can then pour the blended oil into the base oil. To this then add any bark or crystals or dried flowers to mark this as a totem oil for the group. Again have everyone swirl it and then chant over it and empower it as a group. If you like, you can ask the Gods to bless your work and ask that this oil be consecrated to be used in group ritual / dedicated to particular goals etc. You can consecrate the oil bottle with the elements etc.

Even though the oils will not have blended together fully, you can mark each person with the oil, to seal it the group. It should be fully ready, next time you perform a ritual together.

Make sure someone writes down the whole recipe and what the goal of the oil was.

Some Essential Oil Correspondences

Elemental
A good base for Elemental correspondences is to follow this simple set of guidelines.

·	Woody, herby and earthy scents are associated with EARTH
·	Fresh, clean, zesty scents are associated with AIR
·	Spicy, strong and lively scents are associated with FIRE
·	Soft, floral and sweet scents are associated with WATER

These guidelines as with all tables are adaptable as Pine which is refreshing and clean is often attributed to Earth not Air, Orange which is zesty and sweet is often attributed to Fire and not to Water or Air.  In these types of instances you need to be your own judge.

Earth
·	Anise
·	Basil
·	Cypress
·	Geranium
·	Myrrh
·	Oak moss
·	Patchouli
·	Pine
·	Sandalwood
·	Valerian
·	Vetivert
·	Wintergreen

Air
·	Bergamot
·	Eucalyptus
·	Frankincense
·	Juniper
·	Lemon
·	Lime
·	Melissa
·	Niaouli
·	Rosemary
·	Rue
·	Tea tree
·	Thyme

Water
·	Artemisia
·	Anise 
·	Chamomile (Roman and German)
·	Jasmine
·	Lavender
·	Rose
·	Rose Geranium
·	Vanilla
·	Ylang ylang

Fire
·	Bay
·	Black pepper
·	Cinnamon
·	Clove
·	Ginger
·	Orange
·	Petitgrain 

Chakras

The “Complete book of Aromatherapy” by Salvatore Battaglia gives the following list of Essential oils useful for Chakras 

Base
·	Myrrh
·	Patchouli
·	Vetivert

Sacral 
·	Sandalwood
·	Jasmine
·	Rose

Solar plexus
·	Juniper
·	Orange

Heart
·	Bergamot
·	Melissa
·	Neroli
·	Ylang ylang

Throat
·	Chamomile (Roman and German)

Third eye
·	Everlasting
·	Rosemary
·	Thyme
·	Basil 

Crown
·	Lavender
·	Sandalwood
·	Frankincense
·	Rosewood 

Here are some oils and their uses

Courage:
Black Pepper, Clove, Fennel, Ginger

To Relieve Depression:
Clary Sage, Jasmine, Melissa, Ylang Ylang

Vivid Dreams:
Clary Sage

Euphoria:
Clary Sage

Happiness/Joy:
Bergamot, Orange, Neroli

Healing:
Clove, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Myrrh, Niaouli, Palmarosa, Pine, Sandalwood, Spearmint

To Maintain Health:
Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Pine

Longevity:
Rosemary

Love:
Ginger, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon Verbena, Palmarosa, Rose, Rosemary, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang

Magical Energy:
Ginger, Orange, Pine, Vanilla

Meditation:
Chamomile, Frankincense, Myrrh, Sandalwood

Memory (to enhance, to stay/keep alert – good for students during exam time):
Rosemary

Money:
Basil, Ginger, Melissa, Patchouli, Vetivert

Peace:
Bergamot, Chamomile, Jasmine, Lavender, Melissa, Rose, Ylang Ylang

Physical Energy:
Black Pepper, Ginger, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Patchouli, Pine, Vanilla

Protection:
Black Pepper, Geranium, Juniper, Lime, Niaouli, Peppermint, Pine, Vetivert

Purification:
Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Juniper, Lemon, Melissa, Lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, Lime, Myrrh, Neroli, Orange, Pine

Sex (Aphrodisiac)
Ginger, Jasmine, Neroli, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang

Sleep:
Bergamot, Chamomile, Jasmine, Lavender, Marjoram

Protection During Sleep:
Spearmint

Spirituality:
Cedar, Frankincense, Jasmine, Myrrh, Sandalwood

Recipes

Cash Flow Oil

Vetivert
Patchouli
Ginger

Wear or anoint money before spending. Or, rub onto green candles and burn while visualizing.

Healing Oil

Niaouli
Eucalyptus
Pine

Wear or anoint blue candles. Use in conjunction with treatment.

Love Oil

Ylang Ylang
Palmarosa
Lavender
Geranium

Wear or add ten drops to the bath daily. Alternately, rub onto pink candles and burn while visualizing.

Power Oil

Patchouli
Black Pepper
Peppermint
Ginger
Orange

Wear to be in control of yourself and for extra physical or magical energy. An excellent oil for use in the morning when you wish to be ready to meet the day.

Protection Oil

Black Pepper
Petitgrain
Geranium

Anoint your body for protection while visualizing.

Spirituality Oil
Sandalwood
Cedarwood
Frankincense

Wear before all spiritual rituals.

Selected Bibliography and further reading:
Complete Book of Aromatherapy” by Salvatore Battaglia
Handbook Of Aromatherapy by Nerys Purchon
Complete Book Of Oils, Incenses and Brews by Scott Cunningham
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham