I have always been fascinated with smells. It seems they dominate my life and also my memory. Are you aware that smell is the last sense to leave our bodies as we pass into the next realm? Smells bring back times of joy, sorrow, weddings, children being born, friendships, romances, vacations, and so much more.
One day in the early 1990s, I was walking down a strip mall and saw a door propped open by a cauldron. Smoke was wafting from the cauldron, and I was hypnotized by the smell. I walked into the store and asked the woman behind the counter what it was and how could I make it … and so my life in the occult began.
Ariel was a witch from the Druidic Craft of the Wise. She taught me how and when to blend (the best time of day). Most important of all, she taught me to use my inner senses. I read book after book on herbs, potions, notions, tarot, astrology, astronomy, and correspondences. I was a sponge. I had come home.
After a few years we pulled away from each other. I went my way into the metaphysical world of Denver. Ariel fell into the horrific world of drugs and street life (due to a divorce). I tried to assist her, but she was too far gone and didn’t desire my help. I still light incense for her every day and hope that she finds her way back.
When my husband and I moved to Littleton, Colorado, I went to a delightful store called Metamorphosis (it’s been renamed Spirit Wise). I read cards, made oils and incenses, and helped run the store. It was by far one of the best times of my life. When I left Metamorphosis, I was a changed witch. I was well read on many different subjects, and knew I could do this on my own. And then …
We moved to the Buckle of the Bible belt in Louisiana. I had never been down here, and the culture shocked me … I wouldn’t be able to make my store happen in this environment, so I decided to write, make incense, and enjoy the slower lifestyle.
Llewellyn’s Complete Formulary of Magical Oils is the result of working with oils, mentors, people, and groups over the years. I have organized the information in a comprehensive manner so you can create your own potions. I placed essential oils and their medicinal information here for one reason only, which is to remind people that these oils are medicines—not just pretty smells—that need to be respected for their ability to heal, as well as to harm.
This book will assist you in rediscovering a lost art. Your oils can help make something happen today, and help you deal with what is to come tomorrow. They can help heal, hex, and banish. They can bring love or money to pay your bills. Only your intention and time hold you back!
Learning how to make oils is like learning to ride a bike. You learn by doing. You take a little time each day to practice, glance through the book, read a chapter, or look up an essential oil. Pretty soon you will have it mastered. There is no dogma or special rules; although, the information is here to assist you in making the process as ritualistic or as simple as you desire it to be. You can make oils by the hour of the day, phase or sign of the Moon, and even by the herbs involved. It’s all up to you.
Discover how making magical oils can help you lead a better, more fulfilling life. Each oil is fully defined, and tested over time by people who have made them and experienced much success. This formulary will fit your lifestyle with style and magical grace. Best of all, you don’t need to be a trained initiate or have special powers to use of the material in this book. All you need is an open mind and a desire to succeed.
You decide what you want, and then you create a spell or magical rite to go along with your oil, which will help you to get what you desire. You are in control at all times. The outcome depends upon your will and intent to get it.
There is much information regarding the best time to make your oils, and how to coordinate your magical operation to coincide with the phases of the Moon. I encourage you to explore and try to work with this incredible energy that is available to you. A simple rule of thumb is: use the New Moon to begin projects, attract money, help relationships, and aid in health problems; use the Full Moon to bring energy to projects that involve success in career, love, and partnerships; and use the Waning Moon to get rid of negative things in your life, bad situations, even losing weight.
When you experiment with oil blends, it is wise to write down what you add, how much you add, as well as time of day, and Moon phase and sign. Otherwise, you may create the most wonderful, delicious-smelling love oil that works like a charm and not be able to re-create it when you want to make more. If you keep track of what you do, you will know the exact steps to make your fabulous creations again. You will also know what smelled delicious and what smelled like crap, so you don’t have to try that combination again. Keep the recipes in a notebook, or in your Book of Shadows, for later reference.
Two cautions: First, it is possible to be allergic to essential and fragrance oils as well as tinctures. If you plan to anoint yourself with them, test your skin in a small patch before using them to be sure you won’t have a reaction. Don’t use the essential oils straight, as most will cause skin irritation if used at full strength. You have been warned! Second, essential oils and tinctures will stain. Both will leave oily residues and greasy marks on any surface. The alcohol in the tinctures can bleach the color out of some fabrics and all papers, and it will damage the finish on wood furniture. Keep this in mind when anointing to be sure you don’t ruin anything precious or delicate.
Some herbs will not be available as a true essential oil. There are several possible reasons for this. Some herbs or flowers are so difficult to extract oils from that it is not done commercially. Many herbs or flowers produce toxic essential oils, or oils that cause reactions severe enough to warrant that they not be sold. Some oils should not be used during pregnancy. Some oils cause what is known as phototoxicity upon exposure to ultraviolet light, which can cause anything from mild brown blotches to a severe burning of the skin. Many essential oils are irritating to the skin if not properly diluted.
Fortunately, there are numerous synthetic oils available that are created through chemical means and smell like the flower or herb they represent. This is especially true of the different musk, civet, and ambergris oils that were originally derived from animals. There are also many flowers and fruits that are only available in synthetic oils and that truly smell like the herb, flower, or fruit they represent. It has been my discovery over the years that they will work for magical endeavors, and in some cases, the synthetic oils are quite a bit cheaper.
I prefer to use a combination of both essential and fragrance oils, and because I charge each oil as I make it, I feel this is appropriate. A fragrance oil may have synthetics in it, but they don’t come from outer space. They are made here, on Earth, and as such are derivatives of the Mother. Intent, as with any magic, is what counts. And if it smells good, it will affect your magic in a much more powerful way than something that doesn’t smell so nice. Another thing to consider is that the shelf life of synthetic oils is quite a bit longer, too.
Before attempting any of the healing techniques represented in the Essential Oils section, be sure to consult your doctor or health care practitioner. Remember that even though it may come from a plant, it may not be safe.
Last, but not least, try not to get disillusioned if your magic and oils don’t turn out perfect the first time. Some oils, just like some spells, take longer to work and master than others do. You must have faith, otherwise you will block the flow of energy needed to succeed. Remember that thoughts manifest themselves in each and every moment in the etheric world, which is the world of angels, the gods and goddesses, and other forms of energy that communicate with us. So if you believe in what you are doing, and it smells like what you think it should, then it will happen.
B-E-L-I-E-V-E.