Most of the time, any fresh herb can be used to make an oil but many don't have active volatile oils and can't be extracted by soaking them and the method of steam distillation is used. Most of us don't have this expensive piece of machinery and have to settle for buying them in specialty stores.
A few herbs that work for making oils are:
Rose: add a handful of fresh rose petals to some distilled water, set in
the sun and every two days absorb the oil that has formed on top of the
water with a piece of cotton batten and squeeze into another vial. It
takes alot of rose petal and a fair bit of time to get a little but rose
oil is so expensive you might want to go in on a vial with someone.
Chamomile: Add a handful of chamomile flowers to a light oil base
(safflower or sunflower work well) Set in sun and let sit for two weeks.
After two weeks, strain the chamomile flowers through a cheesecloth, and
filter the oil into another jar. You may add another handful to the oil
and let it sit an additional two weeks. Lavender, bergamot can be made with the method above.
For most instances, essential oils that you can buy will be less messy and
more powerful than ones you can make, but remember you get what you put
into them and if your doing something special and don't mind making the
effort chances are the link you are forming will be stronger than if you
use something already made. Chances are the oils that you make at home
won't smell as powerful as the ones you can buy in the stores. It might
take a while but well worth investing some money to get a few to start --
buy ones that you will be able to use for many purposes;
patchouli,sandalwood,orange, rosemary,vetiver,cedar,lavender,lotus,rose.
Oils can be used in many different ways, to annoint candles and people, to
add to incense for scent, aromatheraputically, for massage and for cooking,
to wear,to put in your bath,to annoint stones or altar tools.
Different oils and their uses
Oils have been used since time immemorial, as well as incense,and other
sweet smelling perfumes. They have played an important role in religion
and magic. From erotic and exotic scents that have lured men and women
alike to more practical uses such as money drawing.
Truly magical scents will work both on the conscious and subconscious mind
to elicit a certain predetermined response. Certain scents are uplifting
to such a degree that a feeling of transendance can spontaneously happen.
Certain scents have also been used to call forth predictable responses,
conditioning our conciousness through association. ex: patchouli makes me
think of the hippie generation and lavender makes me think of my
grandmother. Some cause us to react emotionally or physically, some soothe
the nerves, some stimulate our sexual centers, some activate psychic
centers and still others have healing properties. Used properly, these
scents can stimulate our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual selves
in a seemingly magical way.
The physical process of extracting natural perfumes from crude substances
has had a long evolution. In this century there has been a revolution in
technology. Since volatile oils are found in a wide variety of substances
other than flowers, a few new techniques have developed. Three main
production techniques are distillation, expression and extraction. Alchemy
also has much to do with perfumery. Alchemy is the voluntary action of man
in harmony with the involuntary action of nature. In removing, and
concentrating essential oils, the modern perfumer still follows the three
main stages of alchemical work; separation, purification anf
recombination. This process of distillation can be see as a metaphor for
human spiritual development. Separation and combination-- It is the
breaking down and destruction of outworn or random attitudes that alienate
us from the self. The soul, our most characterisic quality, can rise in
meditation much as the distillate rises. Through this process, we are
liberated and the combining signifies the building of a fully intergrated
personality.
How to blend an oil:
Oils are like musical notes that work together to form a melody. One should not overpower any other, they should work together not against each other. Oils from the same group blend together but oils with different notes make the most interesting blends. Knowing this, and a little bit of magical perspective, you'll not only be able to blend up oils that work but that smell great too!!!
There are different classifications of essential oils
1-Flowering plants, shrubs and trees: carnation, cassia,
hyacinth, jasmine, jonquil, mimosa, narcissus, neroli,rose,
tuberose, violet, ylang-ylang
2-Leaf oils: bay, cinnamon, cedar, eucalyptus,patchouli, petitgrain,
wintergreen
3-Wood oils: birch, rosewood,juniper tar, camphor, cedar, guaiac,
laurel, sandalwood, sassafras
4-Leaves, needles and twigs: the pines, cajeput, cassia, cedar,
cypress
5-Bark oils: birch, cassia, cascarilla, cinnamon
6-Fresh fruit oils, cold expressed: almond, bergamot, citron,
lime, lemon, grapefruit, mandarin orange and tangerine
7-Grass oils: citronella, gingergrass, lemongrass, palmarosa
8-Seed oils: ambrette, angelica, cardamon, carrot, cumin, dill,
mustard, parlsey
9-Dried leaf oils: cherry laurel, eucalyptus, naiouli, patchouli
10-Dried fruit oils: anise, coriander,fennel, juniper, nutmeg
11-Dried buds and berries: clove, cubeb, juniper, pimento
12- Balsam oils: balm of gilead, copaiba, labdanum, peru, tolu
13- Gums: elemi, galbanum, mastic, myrrh, olibanum, opopanax,
storax
14-Roots and rhizomes: angelica, calamus, ginger, orris, valerian,
vetiver
15-Herb oils: basil, chamomile, clary, dill, tarragon, fennel, geranium,
lavender, lovage, marjoram, origanum, parsley, pennyroyal,
peppermint, rosemary, rue, sage, spearmint, tansy, thyme,
verbena, wormwood,
16-Animal sources: ambergris, musk, civet (these should be
synthetic, from an animal activist point of view)
Many oils can be described in terms of dimension ( a flat, linear odor),
mass (heavy), volume (rich, full), tactility (rough), taste (bitter,sour),
temperament (violent, nervous, youthful, sparkling) or erotisism (warm,
sensual).
Taking the music analogy further we can present the concepts of the top, middle
and base notes -- a perfume containing all 3 notes
Top notes: this is the first scent to dissapear after the bottle is opened
or applied. It is also the first impression of the odor. They take the
least amount of time to evaporate on a sheet of paper.
Middle notes: Thses are known as body notes and the reveal the overall
charactristic odor of the oil.These would take more time to evaporate than
the top notes.
Base notes: Known as the dry-out notes, these take the longest time to
evaporate. It denotes the oils tenacity and are usually associated with
the heavier oils.
Fixatives:
Fixatives are used to slow down the rate of evaporation of the volatile
protions of a perfume. The fixative is a less evanescent substance, which
also creates a body on which to build the perfume.
At the same time, they must allow the predominating note of the fragrance
to be retained. In other words they equalize the different rates of
evaporation of the constituents.
There are 4 main types:
The true fixative: These retard evaporation by the physical effect
of adsorption due to their densely packed molecules.
ex: benzoin
The arbitrary fixative: These hold their note throughout all
phases of drying out but do not influence evaporation rates of
other ingredents. ex: oakmoss
The exalting fixative: These bases carry odor but also improve
and fortify the other ingredients with their synergistic effect.
They give a perfume wearability, tenacity, and luxurious
diffusiveness. Because of their strength, only traces of them are
used ex: musk, civet
The so-called fixatives: These odorless substances have high
boiling points that increase the boiling point of the entire
perfume. As stabilizers, they "steal" some of the qualities of the
perfume, but they also balance and conceal minor errors. ex:
amyris oil
Fixatives may also be classified by their source - animal, vegetable,
mineral or by qualities of smells.
Pleasantly aromatic are: benzoin, olibanum, tolu, musk, ambergris, sandalwood, clary sage, vanillin, coumarin, and peru balsam
Disagreeable are: asafetida, valerian, civet, castor
Neutral are: benzyl benzoate, ethyl phthalate, and glyceryl acetate
Blending is the addition of modifying fixators during production. Violet harmonizes with sandalwood, costus, ylang-ylang, and orris Lily of the valley with bois de rose, ylang-ylang Most florals with coumarin, vanillin and heliotropin Sweetness may be increased with bois de rose, bergamot or verbena Some tenacious fixatives include angelica, clary sage, orris patchouli, santal and vetiver all which have higher boiling points.
Classification of fixatives
I. ESSENTIAL OILS
Basil, Bois de rose, Cassia, Cedarwood, Clove, Coriander, Cumin, Cypress,
Guaiac wood, Iris, Linaloe, Mace, Marjoram, Myrtle, Nutmeg, Origanum,
Patchouli, Peru, Saffron, Salvia sclarea, Sandalwood, Sassafrass,
Spikenard, Tarragon, Thuja, Thyme, Valerian, Vetiver, Ylang-ylang
II. BALSAMS, GUMS, OLEORESINS
Ambrette, Ammoniacum, Angelica, Asafetida, Benzoin, Chamomile, Cascarilla,
Clove, Copaiba, Elemi, Galbanum, Geranium, Ginger, Iris, Juniper, Labdanum,
Male fern, Mastic, Moss-Corsican, Myrrh, Oakmoss, Olibanum, Opoponax,
Patchouli, Peru, Sandarac, Santal, Storax, Tolu, Tonka beans, Vanilla,
Vetiver
Using oils and scents for meditation and magic
The practical application of magic involves artistic employment of
correspondences--the linkages of colours, scents, tones, astrological
signs, and tarot attributions as well as the qualities of the Gods. When
you assemble all the components of a given archetypical force in your
working area, they exert a symphonic effect on your psyche. Since scent is
so closely linked with memory, formulating scents and using them in your
different works will act as a direct link to put you back into that frame
of mind. Frankincense, being very solar and used in the temple of solar
gods such as Osiris and Apollo, will very easily fit into your memory banks
as a scent for solar work.
Perfumes and incenses have been used in rites for both their physical and
metaphysical effectsl They serve 3 purposes in ritual:
1.they provide a meterial vehicle of fragrant smoke for the manifesting
energy (they create a surface on which to visualise)
2.They are offered as sacrifice
3.Their intoxicant effect penetrates the consciousness
Use scents to stimulate the desired qualities ex: Aphrodite=aesthetic appreciation=benzoin,rose or sandalwood Many of the correspondences that work well for meditation and magick are the correspondences for the Qabalistic Tree of Life, which are divided into 2 categories--spheres or sephiroth (1-10) and the paths (11-32). Each sphere represents a discreet state of consciousness. The paths are a means of transition from one state to another. Each has a set of symbols used to stimulate the imagination toward the desired condition during ritual.
Different scents and qualities we seek to stimulate
Ambergris=Kether=Godhead=completion, devotion, eternity, peace, perfection,
restoration, and unity
Musk=Chokmah=Ideal Wisdom=third eye=yang=libido, dynamic energy,
concsiousness, creative genius, logos, pure spirit, spiritual energy,
transformation
Myrrh, Civet=Binah=Understanding=yin=true self,stability, fertility Saturn
Cedar=Chesed=mercy=Jupiter(Zeus)=increase, improvement, growth,
acheivement, benevolence, extravagance, healing, justice, preservation,
respect, leadership, paternalism, wholeness, self-assurance, good judgment,
and wisdom
Tobacco=Geburah=justice=severity=Mars=warrior=brutal self-assessment,
bravery, courage, self-defense, strength, virility, discipline, fitness,
machismo
Olibanum (frankincense)=Tiphareth=sun=self-realization=rebirth, harmony,
inner guidance, intuition, reflection, trancendance, truth, wholeness
Apollo, Ra
Benzoin, Rose, Sandalwood=Netzach=Victory=clarity, brightness, sincerity,
love, creativity, affection, animation, attraction, charm, cutlture,
delight, grace, enchantment, glamour, inspiration, joy, romance,
sensuousness, Aphrodite(Venus)
Storax=Hod=Glory=renown, splendor, honor, praise, rational inellect,
ambition, dexterity, synchronicity, order, skill, will, wit , speaking
ability=Mercury (Hermes)
Jasmine=Yesod=firm foundation=moon,fluidity, kindness, imagination,
metherhood, mystery, purification, rejuvenation, dreams, fantasy
Patchouli, Dittany of crete=Malkuth=kingdom=Earth=stability, groundedness,physical plane, patience, physical sensation, solid energy, transmutation,
vitality
Sephiroth
1=origin=kether=white=ambergris
2=zodiac=chokmah=gray=musk
3=satun=binah=black=myrrh,civet,lily
4=jupiter=chesed=blue=cedar, oakmoss
5=mars=geburah=red=tobacco,leather
6=sun=tipharetyellow=olibanum, angelica
7=venus=netzach=green=benzoin,rose, sandalwood
8=mercury=hod=orange=storax, amber,spikenard
9=moon=yesod=violet=jasmine, ginseng, orris
10=earth=malkuth=tertiaries=dittany of crete, poppy, patchouli
Tarot correspondences
The fool=galbanum
The magician=mastic, storax
The high priestess=camphor, aloe
The empress=sandalwood, myrtle
The emperor=basil
The hierophant=storax, vanilla
The lovers=wormwood, orchid, lavender
The chariot=onycha(labdanum)
Strength=olibanum
The hermit=narcissus,lily
The wheel of fortune=saffron
Adjustment=galbanum, mint
The hanged man=onycha, myrrh
Death=benzoin, opoponax
Temperance=aloe
The devil=musk, civet, bay
The tower=pepper
The star=galbanum, bergamot
The moon=ambergris, violet
The sun=olibanum, cinnamon
Judgement=olibanum
The universe=cypress
Planetary,elemental and zodiacal perfumes
SUN--cinnamon, frankincense, galangal,bay
MOON-white sandalwood, camphor,orris,jasmine
MARS--pine,basil,allspice,musk,coriander,tobacco, sulphur
VENUS--rose, violet, vanilla, civet, ylang-ylang,myrtle
MERCURY--mastic, fennel, dill, lavender, clalmus,narcissus, storax
SATURN--civet, myrrh, patchouli, cypress, vetiver
JUPITER--cedar, nutmeg,anise, hyssop, clove
ARIES--coriander, pine, basil, cinnamon, tarragon, cardamom
TAURUS--geranium, dill, jsamine, myrtle, patchouli, vanilla
GEMINI--anise, lavender, mace, basil, mastice, bay
CANCER--jasmine, aloe, lemin, lavender, orris
LEO--cinnamon, myrrh, nutmeg, ambergris, olibanum, allspice
VIRGO--mastic, olibanum, lavender, spearmint, fennel, bergamot
LIBRA--rose, birch, galbanum, cypress, speaarmint, cedar
SCORPIO--musk, pine, allspice, galangal, ginger, violet
SAGITTARIUS--hyssop, dill, clove aloe, cedar, pine
CAPRICORN--cedar, vetiver,wormwood, myrrh, bay, cypress
AQUARIUS--myrrh, spearmint, pine, bergamot,cypress eucalyptus
PISCES--violet, patchouli, nutmeg, cedar, anise, pine
FIRE--coriander, basil, cinnamon, frankincense, orange
WATER--jasmine, birch, lotus, cucumber
AIR--galbanum, fennel, lavender, mastic,
EARTH--vetiver, verbena, dill, rose, patchouli, oakmoss, myrrh
Some oils and what they do
ANGELICA:spiritual power, protection, magical energy, evocation
APPLE: Peace of mind, relaxation, love, wisdom.
BAY: counteract negativity, ward off evil, stimulate vision
BAYBERRY: Luck to the home, money to the pocket.
BERGAMOT: Protection from harm.
CEDAR: Instills confidence, protection from misery and misfortune.
CINNAMON: good fortune,energy
CITRONELLA: Attracts friends and customers, protection from insects.
CLOVE: aphrodesiac, energy booster, solar perfumes and incenses
EUCALYPTUS: Promotes healing of any hurt, depression or illness. Especially good for colds or flu.
FRANKINCENSE: blessing, protection, cleansing, consecration, attracts
success and prosperity, purification
HELIOTROPE: Increases clairvoyance, assists meditation, protects from
physical harm.
HONEYSUCKLE: Aids in understanding non-physical realities, sharpens
intuition, brings prosperity.
JASMINE: Psychic protection, cleanses the aura, stimulates creativity and
originality, attracts spiritual love.
LAVENDER: Frees from emotional stress, brings inner calm and peace, gives
increased awareness, brings stability and permanance, good for headaches.
LEMON: Evokes protective spirits.
LEMONGRASS: opens psychic centers, and aids one in spirit
communication
LILAC: Helps recall past lives, draws good spirits, helps decision making
LOTUS: healing energy, fertility, good fortune, long life
improves memory.
MUSK: Instills self assurance, confidence and strength, heightens passions.
MYRRH: Guards against evil, brings peace, assists in understanding personal sorrow.
ORANGE: Brings harmony, raises power.
PINE: Cleanses, ends useless recriminations.
ROSE: Unconditional love, peace, harmony, tranquility.
ROSEMARY: protection, calming, healing,remembrance
SAGE: Powerful clearing and cleansing, removes negative energy.
SANDALWOOD: Stimulates clairvoyance, aids in seeing past lives, healing,
clearing, protection, calms the mind.
SWEETGRASS: Invokes spiritual blessings, aids transformation.
VANILLA: Vitalizes energy, brings happy occasions to the premises, draws
good fortune.
YLANG: soothing effect, love, sensuousness
When making incense, some raw materials burn better than others
1-gums burn best, produce much scent and very little smoke & ash
go into the air more of less unchanged
2- wood burn next, leaving more ash, some woods are not very good
for burning ex: ebony and rosewood are toxic
3-flowers will not emit the same scent as when they are fresh
4-leaves and herbs give the least scent and the most amount of ash
Good incense is a combination of 4 or 5 different types of mediums
Designing an incense and what you should keep in mind
1-the end result desired
2-how you intend to acheive that result
ex: more energy=higher scents calm=low scents
3-is there a deity, element or planet involved and how you should
incorporate them
4-a blend of 4 or 5 ingredients
5-non related items for a link
DREAM INCENSE #2
1/4 oz each of Bayberry, Sandlewood, and Anise Seed;
1/2 oz Patchouli Oil;
1 oz each of Myrrh, Powdered Charcol, and Benzoin.
Mix together well. Add enough bonding agent to frm cones and let dry.
ASTRAL INCENSE
1/2 each of Sandlewood, Lavender, and Dram Patchouli Oil;
1/4 each of Rose Petals, Gum Karaya and Bayberry;
1/3 oz Benzoin;
1/16 oz Saltpeter;
1/14 oz Powdered Charcoal;
and 1 oz Dram Frank Oil.
SCRYING INCENSE
Violets, Parsley, Anise, Camphor, Dittany of Crete, and Sandlewood.
BEAUTY & HAPPINESS
Jasmine, White Rose, Lotus, Red Sandlewood, Ylang-Ylang, Ambergris, and Benzoin
MOON GODDESS INCENSE
Storax, Poppy Seed, Aloe, Benzoin, Coriander Seed, Thyme, White Lilly Petals,
White Rose Petals, and Cinnamon.
MOON GODDESS INCENSE #2
Aloe, White Sandlewood, Storax, Pumpkin Seeds, Nasturtium Seed, Violets,
Cucumber Seeds, Moonflowers (Osmunda Lunaria), and Wintergreen
CERNUNNOS INCENSE
Musk, Patchouli, Pine, Juniper, Calamus Root, and Benzoin.
SUN GOD INCENSE
Frankincense, Balm of Gilead, Cardomon, Ambergris, Orris Root, Heliotrope,
and Cinnamon.
HEALTH INCENSE
Gum Karaya, Frankincense, White Sandlewood, and Gum Damar
ROMAN OFFERING INCENSE
Olive Wood, Bay Leaves, Patchouli, Pine, Myrrah, and Saffron.
DIVINATION INCENSE #1
Olibanum, Cloves, Camphor, Mastic, Wormwood, Bay Leaves, Cinquefoil, and
Dittany of Crete.
DIVINATION INCENSE #2
Damiana, Dittany of Crete, Jimson Weed Seeds, Saffron, Anise, Solomens
Seal, Psyllium Seed, Frankincense, and Myrrh.
ALL PURPOSE RITUAL INCENSE
3 parts each of Orris Root, Patchouli, and Benzoin;
5 Parts each of Cinnamon, and Myrrh;
15 Parts each of Sandlewood, and Frankinsence.
BANISHING INCENSE
Hyssop, Calamint, Peony, Rosemary and Mint.
BALANCE & HARMONY
Orris Root, Cardomon, Red Sandlewood, Gum Benzoin, and Rose.
EGYPTIAN INCENSE
Camphor, Acacia, Pine Resin, Calumus, Myrrh and Sweet Rush.