First Aid Aromatherapy: Essential Oil Magic

Blending essential oils for magic is both an art and a science. Combining these herbal oils can take their individual properties to the next level, interacting together to perform curative miracles.

Classic Essential Oils

    *One drop of lavender essential oil warmed between the palms of your hands can summon an instant         sense of serenity.

    *One whiff of bergamot essential oil can calm anxiety and stimulate the mind.

    * Ylang ylang essential oil can combat hypertension.

    * Rosemary essential oil kindles the memory and can help with perspiration.

A great blend involves combining notes—typically a top, middle, and base, though some blends don’t require a base—to create a balanced and effective aroma.

The top note is the first scent impression, which gives way to the middle note—the star of the show. The base note gives the blend its staying power and usually comes to the forefront much later. The aim in blending these three notes is to create a ratio that results in a harmonious cocktail that works (olfactorily or topically, depending on the blend) to address specific moods or ailments. A good rule of thumb is to use approximately 30 percent top note, 50 percent middle, and 20 percent base. If the blend doesn’t require a base note, round it up to about 40 percent top and 60 percent middle. Always use the highest-quality organic essential oils (see Resources, page 141) for the best outcomes. Consult your local herbal apothecary and look for brands that have had GC/MS testing as that is known as the gold standard test for essential oils. I keep a stock of ½-ounce (15ml) dark-colored vials with stopper lids and blank labels for when aromatherapy needs arise.

For the following blends, carefully pour the oils into a vial and shake gently to blend. You can rub this on pulse points or use a diffuser. These are quite popular. If you are using a diffuser, no carrier (or base) oil is needed. I use the simplest and most old-fashioned kind of diffuser, which is a clay ring you can put at the base of a light bulb in a lamp. The warmth of the bulb slowly fills the space with the desired scent and effect. If you plan to use your blend on pulse points, you will need a carrier oil. Always do a skin test first to avoid any potential irritation.

Jubilant

The sweet scent of this blend makes you feel all warm and fuzzy—euphoric, even.

    * 1 drop each of top notes: bergamot, lemon, neroli

    * 1 drop each of middle notes: ylang ylang, jasmine, Roman chamomile, geranium, rose

    * 1 tablespoon of a carrier (or base) oil, ideally jojoba or apricot

Quietude

If you need a moment of peace, try this citrus-floral blend.

    * 3 drops of top note: orange

    * 5 drops of middle note: ylang ylang

    * 2 drops of base note: patchouli

    * 1 teaspoon carrier (or base) oil, ideally sesame or jojoba

Bright Mind

Clear the mind and gain a keen sense of alertness with this bright, sunny blend.

    * 1 drop each of top notes: rosemary, peppermint, bergamot, lemon

    * 1 drop each of middle notes: mint, geranium, ylang ylang, jasmine, Roman chamomile

    * 1 teaspoon carrier (or base) oil, almond or grapeseed

Cupboard Cure: A Ritual for Cleansing and Vitality

Salts from the sea have been used to decontaminate the body by way of ritual rubs since ancient times in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. From Cleopatra to Bathsheba, these natural salts have been used to exfoliate the skin and enhance circulation, vital to overall body health. While there are wonderful imported Dead Sea salts readily available at most bath and beauty stores, many witches prefer whipping up their own healing beauty magic. To create your own cupboard cure, combine the following:

• Three cups Epsom salts
• One tablespoon glycerin
• Four drops lemon essential oil
• Two drops jasmine oil
• Two drops vanilla
• One drop neroli oil (made from orange blossoms)

The beauty of this recipe is that you can change the essential oils to suit your mood. For example, if you are feeling romantic or preparing for a big date night, you could perform the same ritual using rose and amber oils.

To prepare for your body glow session, light a white candle, step out of your clothes and into your tub or shower, and hold the salts in the palms of both hands, praying:

    Aphrodite, in your wisdom, help me reflect your image;

    My body is a temple to thee, Goddess.

    Here, I worship today with my head and hands, heart and soul.

    Blessings to all, blessings to thee, blessed be me.

Use the salts with a new loofah sponge and scrub yourself vigorously during the waning moon or new moon at midnight.

Make Way This Day: A Simple Clarity Intonation

Unless you are already a skilled practitioner of the magical arts, you may well be unconsciously casting spells that throw obstacles in your path. To clear the way to greater wealth and happiness, during the new moon, pick one perfect white rose and sit in front of your altar with it. Light a white candle with your eyes closed. Empty your mind and breathe deeply. When you feel a buzzing at the crown of your head from inhaling and exhaling so mindfully, stare into the flame and repeat seven times:

    I am alive. I have power. It is real.

Carrier Oils

A carrier oil is a vegetable oil that is used to dilute essential oils without diminishing the effect of the essence. It ensures that essential oils used topically are comfortable on the skin. Each essence carries specific vibrations that hold much curative power. These base oils support other ingredients including essential oils and can also be agents for healing in themselves.

Apricot kernel oil, with its warmth and resilience, is especially good for women. Apricot protects love and nurtures women at every age and stage of life.

Avocado is thick, dense, and earthy, a powerful element in any love potion. It also is excellent for drawing forth money and is helpful in business and financial matters.

Borage oil brings a connection with the higher mind, as well as courage, a sense of honor, and the ability to cope with whatever life sends your way. It is said to encourage truth and resolution in legal and relationship problems. If you feel you are being deceived, turn to borage.

Evening primrose oil abets clairvoyance and paranormal gifts. It will help you to see clearly.

Grapeseed oil is regarded by some as the “food of the gods” because of the way it augments spiritual growth. This should be one of the oils that you turn to for anointing yourself or any statuary of gods and goddess before rituals.

Jojoba oil absorbs extremely well into the skin, bearing anything with which it is mixed along with it. It is also a remarkable anointing oil. It should be used in recipes that help to deal with depression and support perseverance in hardship.

Olive oil was named “liquid gold” by the ancient Greek poet Homer, and rightly so: it is about vitality, money, success, and joyfulness.

Sunflower oil, permeated with the energy of our sun, is powerful and life-giving. Use it when you desire rapid growth and amplification of positive energy.

Sweet almond is a gentle, all-purpose oil ready to increase the energy of other ingredients.

Lavandula Tranquility Tincture

This cure-all should be kept on hand at all times for soothing the skin, the stomach, and anything in need of comfort. I have even seen it used to stanch bleeding in small cuts. You need:

• dried lavender
• dried calendula
• clear quart jar with lid
• cheesecloth
• dark glass jar for storage
• 2 cups distilled water
• 1 cup clear alcohol such as vodka or Everclear

Fill your clear quart jar to the halfway point with the dried lavender and calendula. Pour in the alcohol, also to the halfway point. Add in the two cups of water, seal the lid securely, and shake for a few minutes until it seems well mixed. Store in a dark cupboard for one month, shaking once a day. After thirty days, strain through cheesecloth into the dark glass storage jar and screw the lid on tightly. The lavender leavings will make lovely compost, and the liquid tincture will soon prove itself indispensable in your household.

Emotional Rescue Remedy

Why does every day seem like it is a week long nowadays? Unplugging from cable news and constant social media feeds will help, as will this time-tested aromatherapy healing potion. This remedy is an excellent way to recharge and refresh after a hectic week. This tincture is most potent right after the sun sets, by the light of the moon.

In a small ceramic or glass bowl, gently mix together the following essential oils with a small amount of base carrier oil:

• 2 drops bergamot
• 4 drops carrier oil (apricot or sesame, ideally)
• 2 drops vanilla
• 1 drop amber
• 2 drops lavender

Take off your shoes so you can be more grounded. Walk outside, stand on your deck, or find a spot by an open window. Now, close your eyes, lift your head to the moon, and recite aloud:

Bright moon goddess, eternal and wise, give your strength to me now.

As I breathe, you are alive in me for this night.

Health to all, calm to me.

So mote it be.

Gently rub one drop of Calm Emotion Potion on each pulse point: on both wrists, behind your ear lobes, at the base of your neck, and behind your knees. As the oil surrounds you with its warm scent, you will be filled with a quiet strength.

Comfrey for Comfort

Comfrey is beloved by healers and is one of the best-known healing herbs of all times. It has even been referred to as “a one-herb pharmacy” for its inherent curative powers. Well-known to and widely used by the early Greeks and Romans, its very name, symphytum, from the Greek symphyo, means to “make grow together,” referring to its traditional use of healing fractures. Comfrey relieves pain and inflammation, and comfrey salve will be a mainstay of your home first aid kit. Use it on cuts, scrapes, rashes, sunburn, and almost any skin irritation. Comfrey salve can also bring comfort to aching arthritic joints and sore muscles.

The Scent of Sheer Joy

Lavender is blessedly easy to grow as it is a shrubby plant of Mediterranean origins. It is prized for its lovely scent and is a very powerful healing plant with many other properties: it is used for making teas and tisanes, infusing into honey, and many other practical uses. It can even prosper in dry and drought-prone areas, so make sure your kitchen garden has at least one of the hardy varieties of lavender so you can dry bundles to use in your spellwork as well as in your recipes.

Slippery Elm Bark (Ulmus rubra)

Slippery Elm Bark has even been approved by the FDA as a remedy for the irritation of sore throats and other sighs of an impending cold, including coughs. This herbal can also help with stomach upset and help with heartburn. A powdered version of the bark can easily be obtained at any health food store or upscale greengrocer, which can be made into a tea; use one to two teaspoons of the powdered bark, and you can drink it twice a day.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

This revered candy classic is also a wonderful anti-inflammatory which relieves the discomfort of colds in the sinuses. It can soothe sore throats and coughs and is a curative for gastrointestinal issues. Treat licorice root exactly as you would ginger with one minced teaspoon of fresh or dried simmered low covered in one cup of water twice a day to make a naturally sweet tea. Also, you can add licorice root to other herbal teas as it will sweeten them, besides adding its medicinal virtues, which tend to combine well with those of many other basic remedies.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

From tummy troubles to colds and flus, ginger is beloved for its curative powers. Any greengrocer or herbal apothecary will have plenty or ginger root in stock, and you should always have some around. When anyone in your family feels nauseous or senses a cold or fever coming, slice and mince a tablespoon of the root into two cups of hot water and simmer it low covered for tea. Sweeten to taste and drink twice a day for a surprisingly swift end to your suffering. It also makes a wonderful spicy iced tea when cooled, though for a respiratory or tummy bug, drink it comfortably warm.