Mixing Essential Oils for Magic: Aromatic Alchemy for Personal Blends (15 page)

angelica

coriander

vetiver

opopanax

cedarwood

pine

anise

carrot

angelica

cedarwood

petitgrain

caraway

anise

ginger

frankincense cassia

cardamom

parsley

ginger

labdanum

cinnamon

petitgrain

carrot

cumin

frankincense cedarwood

cypress

celery

coriander

lovage

tea tree

coriander

nutmeg

sandalwood

benzoin

amyris

pine

cumin

cardamom

galbanum

dill

nutmeg

spikenard

elemi

cinnamon

eucalyptus

(
l
)

fennel (
s
)

parsley

sandalwood

sandalwood

niaouli

fir (
silver
)

fennel

labdanum

cedarwood

pine

nutmeg

dill

turmeric

elemi

bay

parsley

cardamom

galangal

benzoin

tea tree

Seeds

Mysterious and fascinating, seeds move between the worlds. Carried on a breeze or snug-gled into the earth, seeds represent beginnings, changes, and cycles. They symbolize the wheel of the year as a fulcrum that balances the duality of the world: above and below, light and dark, goddess and god. Power can come from the smallest of things—from the tiny acorn comes the mighty oak. Use the power of these oils with reverence for tradition and craft.

As Above, So Below 99

Table 6.9.b Seeds and As Above Oils

Seeds

Leaves

Flowers

Leaves &

Fruit

Flowers

angelica

patchouli

lavender

mugwort

bergamot

anise

eucalyptus (
bg
)

lavender

rosemary

grapefruit

caraway

cinnamon

chamomile

basil

orange

cardamom

palmarosa

ylang-ylang

bay

mandarin

carrot

dill

lavender

rosemary

lime

celery

palmarosa

lavender

rosemary

lemon

coriander

citronella

jasmine

clary sage

bergamot

cumin

lavandin

rosemary

dill

cinnamon

peppermint

lemon balm

bergamot

fennel (
sweet
)

dill

rose

hyssop

lemon

fir (
silver
)

tarragon

lavender

rosemary

lemon

nutmeg

clove

lavandin

tea tree

lime

parsley

myrtle

neroli

clary sage

pepper

The power of change and cycles that seed oils bring to a blend keeps the energy of

the other oils flowing. The beginning aspect of seeds and nuts can initiate the growth of wood & bark oils, and the healing of resins as well as working with the Otherworld or Underworld association of roots. The change aspect of seeds can complement the energy of flower’s beauty and attraction. In addition, the purpose aspect of leaves can be enhanced by the power of cycles and change that seeds engender.

100 As Above, So Below

Sample Blend

This blend consists of oils from the So Below group that I use at Samhain. As a resin oil myrrh has the attribute of healing. It is also associated with the dead and the afterlife.

Niaouli’s contribution as a twigs & leaves oil is balance. It is also associated with the emotions and healing. As a root oil, ginger is associated with the Otherworld/Underworld as well as stability. Ginger is also associated with memories. Additionally, the scent of ginger brings an uplifting quality that feels appropriate for me when remembering and honoring my loved ones who have passed to the Otherworld.

Samhain Remembrance Blend

Ginger: 5 drops

Myrrh: 4 drops

Niaouli: 4 drops

Now that we covered four unique ways of selecting and blending essential oils, we will move on the the carrier oils. Unfortunately the power of these oils has been largely ignored, but they too come from plants and have qualities that can enhance our practices.

Let’s explore carrier oils and how we can tap into their energy and magic.

C H A P T E R 7

Carrier Oils for Magic

Background to the Carrier Oils

I have never understood why the magical properties of carrier oils have been ignored.

Granted, the life essence potency of essential oils is more important when creating and using a blend, but carrier oils also hold the energy of the plants from which they came. I have found that taking their magical associations into consideration when selecting carrier oils adds depth and fullness to my blends. However, before examining their magical potential, it is important to understand a little about carrier oils and how they are processed—

just as we did with the essential oils.

As previously mentioned, the reason for using carrier oils is because essential oils and other concentrated aromatics can cause irritation and other problems if applied directly to the body. In addition, they can damage wood, plastic, and other surfaces. Carrier oils are also called base or fixed oils because they do not evaporate when exposed to air as essential oils do. The good thing is that essential oils are very lypophic, which means they are readily absorbed by fatty oils and waxes. If you recall the description of the enfleurage method of oil extraction described in Chapter 2, it involves an essential oil being absorbed out of flower petals by a fatty substance such as lard or tallow. Because carrier oils are produced from the fatty portions of plants such as seeds, kernels, or nuts, they absorb essential oils, which become diluted as they are dispersed throughout the carrier oil. A few carrier oils such as avocado and olive are produced from fruit. Just a note, it is important when using nut oils to be mindful of anyone who may have an allergy.

Even though standard vegetable oils from the supermarket are often recommended

for use as carriers, we will explore why this is not such a good choice. Another bad choice for a carrier oil is one derived from the animal kingdom, namely fish and emu oils. I don’t 101

102 Carrier Oils for Magic

condone the use of these for aromatic alchemy because we are working with the life essence of plants and I do not feel that animal oils are compatible with this. Likewise, avoid the use of mineral or baby oils because these come from petroleum products and will do nothing to enhance or support magical practices.

Because carrier oils come from fatty plant matter, they can go rancid if not stored properly. Like essential oils, they should be kept in dark, air-tight bottles, away from sun and artificial light. The shelf life of carrier oils ranges from 6 to 18 months depending on the type of oil. Storing them in the refrigerator can help keep them fresh and extend their shelf life slightly. However, like anything else we keep in the fridge, it can eventually go bad so if an oil does not look or smell right, throw it away.

Most carrier oils have their own smell, which can be sweet, nutty, herbaceous, or spicy.

These are not as strong as the aromatic oils and generally do not interfere with essential oil blends. In some cases, you may even find that a carrier oil can enhance the overall aroma of a blend. Buy small quantities and experiment to see what works best with your creations. At this point, you may be thinking that the standard vegetable oil from the supermarket doesn’t have a smell. This is true because chemical solvents are used to bleach and deodorize them as well as kill bacteria. While this extends the oil’s shelf life, it also means that we are putting chemicals into and onto our bodies.

When choosing a carrier oil, or cooking oil for that matter, select one that is unrefined, food-grade (of course, if you are using it in the kitchen) and if possible, organic—no preservatives or chemicals. Refined oils are produced as cheaply as possible with the aid of solvents, and more and more often they are being produced from genetically modified

plants. As a Pagan (no, actually as a human being) I abhor the idea of GMO plants. I try very hard to avoid them in my food and this extends to my magic. It is my personal belief that people should not tinker with the natural world in this way.

Refined food-grade oils are produced to have no odor and very little to no color. As a result, these have less nutritional value and less energy for magic work. In addition, some of the plant material harvested to make these oils is often stored for a year or more before being processed. When it is finally hauled out, the raw material is washed with chemicals to remove any mold that may have grown on it while in storage.

This initial wash-down is followed by a solvent extraction process similar to that used for some aromatic extracts, which separates the oil from the plant solids. Next comes the distillation process to remove the chemicals used in the first step. The resulting goop, called a crude oil, is then filtered. While you and I might think of the nice clean filters we Carrier Oils for Magic 103

use in coffee machines, this filtration process involves heating the oil and adding sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate to neutralize it. But wait, there’s more. Fullers’ earth (alu-minum silicate) or a clay-based earth is used to remove as much color as possible. These earths are very fine-grained and highly absorbent of impurities and dirt as well as the molecules that create color.

The cycle continues because after one process adds something to the oil, it is followed by another process to remove whatever was put in. And so the oil is filtered again to remove the earths. It is then put through a vacuum with steam at high temperatures to

deodorize it. After wringing most of the nutrients out of it, the oil is subjected to one last process called winterizing, which keeps it from turning cloudy at lower temperatures.

Unrefined oils may appear cloudy when stored in the fridge, but this does not change their chemical compositions or harm them. I prefer the clouds and shorter shelf life for my oils.

You may encounter some carrier oils that are called partially refined. This means that the oil was subjected to some of the processes described above, which most often includes bleaching, deodorizing, and winterization. However, some of the other processes may have been employed as well. Partial refining is used to stabilize oils that normally have a shorter shelf life as well as neutralize those that have darker coloration or stronger smells.

Some other terms encountered when buying oils includes the word pure, which in-

dicates that it was not mixed with any other type of oil. The word natural on the label means that it was not diluted with any synthetic oil, and the word organic indicates that plants were grown according to certain standards.

An unrefined oil may be labeled cold pressed, which means that it was not subjected

to high temperatures. As we learned in Chapter 2 about essential oil extraction methods, cold pressing is a mechanical process that does not apply heat from an external source.

However, some heat is generated from the press mechanism, but it normally stays under 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A similar method is called expeller pressed which employs hydraulic presses. While external heat is not applied in this method, either, friction generated by this type of press can raise the heat level up to 200 degrees. Using this type of press is less costly, making the oil a little more economical. In my research, sources have indicated that this amount of heat does not harm the oil.

Plant material is usually put through a press more than once in order to squeeze out as much oil as possible. Oil that is extracted from the first pressing is called virgin. After pressing, the oil is then put through cotton cloth filters and then paper filters to remove any bits of plant material.

104 Carrier Oils for Magic

Now for the Magic

While there are a number of carrier oils available on the market, I wanted to focus on the ones that are more common, fairly easy to find, and have a good range of magical associations. These oils include almond, apricot, avocado, borage, camellia, cranberry, evening primrose, flax, grape, hazelnut, jojoba, olive, pecan, pomegranate, rosehip, sesame, and sunflower. Like essential oils, the carriers do not all cost the same, which may be important to consider when planning your blends. Also like essential oils, the part of the plant from which the oil is extracted provides an additional dimension for magical purposes. We will take a look at several approaches.

First, we will revisit the sample blends from previous chapters to see how the selection of a carrier oil can enhance intentions and, when needed, provide a boost. Refer back to Chapter 2 for details on dilution ratios when mixing carriers with your blend of essential oils. Following that, we will look at how carriers can be included in the botanical family and plant part methods of selecting essential and carrier oils.

Given as a sample blend in Chapter 1, my blend for grounding energy after-rituals

was created using the single scent group method of selecting oils. From the woody scent group I chose cypress and patchouli because they are associated with grounding energy, and vetiver because it is connected with balance. All three of these essential oils are associated with protection, which adds a sense of security for me. Having much less odor, carrier oils are not classified by any type of scent group and so I based the selection of a carrier oil on magical associations.

Jojoba and pomegranate support the grounding and centering of energy as well as