Mixing Essential Oils for Magic: Aromatic Alchemy for Personal Blends (20 page)

change and bring renewal. Carrot is also associated with balance, beginnings, cycles, and healing.

Correspondences

Solar System
: Mars, Mercury

Elements
: earth, fire

Cassia: See The Cinnamon Oils

Catnip

Botanical Name
:
Nepeta cataria

Family
:
Lamiaceae

Also Known As
: catmint, catnep, cat’s fancy, cat’s play, cat’s wort, field balm A popular culinary and medicinal herb indigenous to Europe, catnip’s genus name comes from the town of Nepete in Italy where it was used for cooking.26 In pre-Elizabethan England catnip was popular as an afternoon tea; more for economic reasons than taste. Herbalist Culpeper recommended mixing it with wine as a remedy for some ailments. Catnip is a perennial herb with heart-shaped, grayish-green leaves. Growing in dense whorls, its white flowers are marked with purple spots.

Oil and Blending Information

The flower tops are steam distilled to produce a pale yellow to orange oil. It has a herbaceous scent with a subdued hint of mint.

Strength
: 4

Scent Group
: herbaceous

Perfume Note
: middle to top

Plant Part
: As Above/Flowers

Magical Uses

Use catnip for animal and element magic and to attract benevolent spirits. It is effective for increasing psychic abilities and for bonding psychically with a cat. Catnip also aids in 26. Phaneuf,
Herbs Demystified
, 62

Essential Oil Profiles 139

dream and psychic work. Use it to attract love and friendship as well as good luck to the home. It is also helpful to invite beauty, happiness, and peace into your life. Catnip enhances courage when called on to provide protection. This oil can aid in healing or dealing with problems of fertility and sexuality. It boosts energy and increases vitality. Catnip is also associated with awareness, memories, and strength.

Correspondences

Zodiac
: Cancer, Libra, Pisces

Solar System
: Venus

Celebration
: Samhain

Elements
: air, water

Goddesses
: Bast, Sekhmet

The Cedarwood Oils

Cedars have been called the tree of life (
Arbor Vitae
) not only because of their majestic stature, but because they provided many essentials of daily life. Technically, Virginia cedarwood is a juniper, however, because of its scent is called a cedar.

Cedarwood, Atlas

Botanical Name
:
Cedrus Atlantica

Family
:
Pinaceae

Also Known As
: African cedar, Atlantic cedar, Moroccan cedarwood

Native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco, Atlas cedar reaches almost 100 feet in height and has an elegant pyramid shape. Its genus name
Cedrus
comes from the Arabic word
kedron
meaning power.27 Egyptians used cedar in perfumes, cosmetics and in ritual incense. Associated with cedar, Cedreatis was an epithet of Artemis whose image stood in a large cedar tree outside the town of Orchomenus in the Arcadia region of Greece.

Oil and Blending Information

The wood is steam distilled producing an oil that is deep amber, yellow or orange in color.

It has a warm, woody, and slightly spicy scent.

27. Mojay,
Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit
, 58

140 Essential Oil Profiles

Strength
: 4

Scent Group
: woody

Perfume Note
: middle to base

Plant Part
: So Below/Wood & Bark

Warnings
: avoid during pregnancy; may cause skin irritation

Cedarwood, Virginia

Botanical Name
:
Juniperus virginiana

Family
:
Cupressaceae

Also Known As
: red cedar, eastern red cedar

Indigenous to North America, this majestic coniferous tree also grows to about 100 feet tall and can have a trunk diameter over five feet. It has a pyramid-shaped crown and produces small, brown cones.

Oil and Blending Information

Steam distilling the wood produces a pale yellow or orange oil that is often called American red cedarwood oil. It has a clean, sweet-balsamic woody scent.

Strength
: 4

Scent Group
: woody

Perfume Note
: middle to base

Plant Part
: So Below/Wood & Bark

Warnings
: avoid during pregnancy; may cause skin irritation; use in moderation
Magical Uses

Cedarwood stimulates dream work and strengthens psychic abilities with focus and clarity.

It supports element magic, clairvoyance, and all forms of divination while offering psychic protection. Associated with sacred groves and spirituality, cedarwood aids in communicating with spirits. Its purification properties are excellent for consecrating amulets and cleansing magic tools. These properties also serve to banish hexes and ward off the intentions of negative people. Use these oils in spells to attract love or to keep a lover faithful, as well as to attract luck, money, and wealth. Cedarwood is effective when dealing with death for providing comfort and peace as well as finding emotional release. These oils foster security and stability by increasing confidence, determination, and courage. Use them Essential Oil Profiles 141

for inspiration when seeking peace of mind. Supporting growth and renewal, cedarwood boosts healing, vitality, and longevity. Cedarwood is also associated with fertility, friendship, justice, and success.

Correspondences

Zodiac
: Aries, Sagittarius, Taurus

Solar System
: Jupiter, Mercury, Sun

Celebrations
: Beltane, Imbolg, Mabon, Yule

Elements
: air, earth, fire, water

Goddesses
: Arianrhod, Artemis, Astarte, Brigid, Persephone

Gods
: Aegir, Baal, Ea, Odin, Osiris, Ra

Celery

Botanical Name
:
Apium graveolens

Family
:
Apiaceae

Also Known As
: marsh parsley, smallage, wild celery

Native to Britain and Europe, this familiar vegetable has long, grooved stalks, deeply lobed leaves, and umbels of white flowers. Celery’s genus name is believed to have come from an early Indo-European word for water, which seems appropriate as the plant is most

often found in wet soils. Herbalist Nicholas Culpeper noted that it was used medicinally for a range of complaints.

Oil and Blending Information

A pale yellow to orange colored oil is produced by steam distillation of the seeds. It has a sweet and spicy-warm scent.

Strength
: 3

Scent Group
: spicy

Perfume Note
: middle to top

Plant Part
: As Above & So Below/Seeds

Warnings
: avoid during pregnancy; may cause sensitization

142 Essential Oil Profiles

Magical Uses

This oil is very grounding, which is an asset for bringing mental clarity for psychic work, astral travel, and prophetic dreaming. Celery also helps to increase and hone divination skills as well as stimulate creativity. Use it in sex magic to increase passion and fidelity.

This oil aids in self-work for healing, renewal, and coming into balance with the world around you. It can help spark inspiration for initiating changes and establishing new beginnings. Celery is also associated with cycles, protection, and breaking hexes.

Correspondences

Solar System
: Mercury, Moon

Elements
: air, earth, fire, water

The Chamomile Oils

Botanical Family
:
Asteraceae

The name chamomile comes from the Greek
chamailmelon
meaning earth apple, which describes the scent of Roman chamomile. German and Roman chamomile have been

popular in European medicine since antiquity and have been used interchangeably. Both plants have small, daisy-like flowers and feathery leaves.

German Chamomile

Botanical Name
:
Matricaria recutica
, syn.
M. chamomilla

Also Known As
: blue chamomile, Hungarian chamomile, wild chamomile

German chamomile is an erect herb with a branching stem that can grow up to 24 inches tall. It it indigenous to Europe and northwest Asia. During the Middle Ages, Europeans used it as a strewing herb on floors to combat pests and odor.

Oil and Blending Information

Steam distillation of the flower heads produces an inky-blue essential oil. It has a warm herbaceous, sweet scent.

Strength
: 4

Scent Group
: floral

Perfume Note
: middle to base

Plant Part
: As Above/Flowers
Warning
: may cause skin irritation

Essential Oil Profiles 143

Roman Chamomile

Botanical Name
:
Chamaemelum nobilis
syn.
Anthemis nobilis

Also Known As
: English chamomile, sweet chamomile, true chamomile

Roman chamomile is a small (10 inches high), spreading herb that has been used medicinally for over 2000 years. It is native to southern and western Europe. The word Roman was attached to it name by German physician and botanist Joachim Camerarius (1534–

1598) who found it growing just outside the city of Rome.28 The Anglo-Saxons called it
amythen
and considered it one of the nine sacred herbs of Woden.

Oil and Blending Information

The flower heads are steam distilled producing a pale blue oil that turns yellow with age.

It has a herbaceous, sweet, apple-like scent.

Strength
: 4

Scent Group
: floral

Perfume Note
: middle

Plant Part
: As Above/Flowers
Warning
: may cause skin irritation

Magical Uses

Well known for physical and emotional healing, chamomile brings clarity and success in communication. It aids in dream work and divination, and grounds energy for psychic

work—especially Roman chamomile for channeling. Chamomile supports determination

when dealing with problems and provides protection against hexes. Use these oils in spells to attract beauty, love, luck, money, and prosperity. Additionally, chamomile can be instrumental when seeking peace, justice, and personal growth. Chamomile also stimulates creativity, intuition, and spiritual vibrations, and helps manifest desires. Use chamomile to purify and consecrate altars as well as ritual and magic tools. Chamomile is also associated with abundance, control, fertility, and sexuality.

Correspondences

Zodiac
: Cancer, Leo

Solar System
: Sun

Elements
: air, water

Celebrations
: Litha, Walpurgis, Yule

Gods
: Balder, Cernunnos

28. Wheelwright,
Medicinal Plants and Their History
, 84

144 Essential Oil Profiles

The Cinnamon Oils

Botanical Family
:
Lauraceae

Technically, camphor could be listed here with cinnamon and cassia because it shares the same genus, however, I chose to include here only those that share the familiar cinnamon scent.

Cassia

Botanical Name
:
Cinnamomum cassia

Also Known As:
bastard cinnamon, Chinese cinnamon, false cinnamon

There is a Chinese myth about a gigantic cassia tree and anyone who ate of it became immortal. Greeks and Romans used cassia as a ritual offering in the belief that it pleased the gods. It was used in cooking throughout Europe since the Middle Ages, especially for spicing wine. Native to parts of southeast China, cassia is a slender evergreen tree with small, white flowers and leathery leaves. In addition to producing more oil, cassia bark is darker and coarser than cinnamon and its aroma is stronger.

Oil and Blending Information

Two oils are produced from cassia trees.

The oil steam distilled from the leaves is brownish-yellow with a sweet, woody-spicy scent reminiscent of true cinnamon.

Strength
: 4

Scent Group
: spicy

Perfume Note
: top

Plant Part
: As Above/Leaves

Warnings
: avoid during pregnancy; hazardous if used on the skin

Oil from the bark is water distilled. It is dark brown and has a spicy-warm, resinous scent also reminiscent of true cinnamon.

Strength
: 4

Scent Group
: spicy

Perfume Note
: top

Plant Part
: So Below/Wood & Bark

Warnings
: avoid during pregnancy; hazardous if used on the skin

Essential Oil Profiles 145

Cinnamon

Botanical Name
:
Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Also Known As:
Ceylon cinnamon, Madagascar cinnamon, true cinnamon

Cinnamon is an evergreen tree with reddish-brown bark, leathery leaves, and yellow-white flowers. Its species name means that it came from Ceylon, the former name of Sri Lanka.29 One of the world’s most important spices, cinnamon has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes in China and India for over 4,000 years. It was a popular trade commodity among the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. During the late 18th century when

Sri Lanka was a British colony, the East India Company held control over its production.

Oil and Blending Information

Two oils are produced using steam or water distillation.

Oil from the leaves is yellow to brownish in color and has a warm, spicy scent.

Strength
: 3

Scent Group:
spicy

Perfume Note:
middle