Mixing Essential Oils for Magic: Aromatic Alchemy for Personal Blends Read Free

Ritual Use of Perfumes , 11

Introduction 5
    were also the steps that Paracelsus used in his practice of spagyrics or herbal alchemy. The word spagyrics comes from the Greek verbs spao and ageiro , which mean to divide and bring together, respectively.4
    In ancient Egypt the purpose of alchemy was focused mainly on preserving the phys-
    ical body (mummification for burial), however, in Asian and Islamic traditions alchemy was focused on spiritual and inner transformations. Like scent, alchemy connected the physical with spiritual. To some practitioners, alchemy remained a magical art aimed at finding a link between matter and spirit: Essence and quinta essentia (the fifth element).
    In the Sanskrit language, life-force energy is called prana , which also means breath. In English the act of inhaling is called inspiration. The words inspiration and spirit both have the same Latin root, spir , meaning to breathe. 5 Thus, through the use of essential oils in our magic and rituals we are inspired and in spirit as we breathe life into what we want to manifest.
    This brings us back to fragrance and soul. As mentioned, our sense of smell is intimately linked to memory and emotion. This is because the olfactory cortex of the brain is an area closely tied to the limbic (emotional-visceral) system. There are thousands of olfactory receptors in a small area at the top or roof of each nasal cavity, and as we breathe in, air passes over these receptors and information is carried along a nerve into the brain.
    Information about fragrance is ushered into our consciousness affecting it, as well as the subconscious.
    While the ancients may not have understood the mechanics of the olfactory system,
    they understood how to work with it. The use of scent in ritual and religious practices cuts across cultures, traditions, beliefs, and time. The purpose of incense in the earliest of rituals was to communicate with deities as well as the spirit world. Today, incense is still a part of many religious practices for focusing the mind and connecting with spirit, which more readily occurs when the elements are in balance.
    In a sense (no pun intended), plants bring us into elemental balance. Their roots are in the soil (earth), growing skyward (air), nourished by rain (water), and as alchemists themselves they transform the sun’s light (fire) into the energy we need. Finally, through essential oil they bring us the essence of life (spirit). Through the elements, they bring us into rhythm with the natural world emphasizing our symbiotic relationship with the plant 4. Greer, Encyclopedia of the Occult , 445
    5. Ibid.
    6 Introduction
    kingdom—they provide us with oxygen and we provide them with carbon dioxide. Work-
    ing with scents can help us reach into our psyches, giving us clarity of purpose and access to our own powerful magic.
    Essential Oil
    (Spirit)
    Sunlight
    Sky
    (Fire)
    (Air)
    Soil
    Rain
    (Earth)
    (Water)
    Figure 1: Plants relate to the five elements.
    Although more prevalent in the animal world, scents also function as a form of com-
    munication. They help us communicate with deeper self by retrieving memories as well as connecting with our spirituality and with our culture. In addition, we send nonverbal messages with the perfumes and colognes we wear to attract love interests or to send a message about who we are. Another form of communication related to scent is clai-ralience, the ability to connect with spirit world through fragrance. Spirits make their presences known or their identities recognized through smell. While this is not something I have tried to develop, it occasionally occurs.
    A few days after one of my aunts passed beyond the veil, I was staying in her house and just as I was falling asleep one night I was awakened by the sound of her voice and the smell of roses. That scent had not been in the room when I went to bed, nor could I find a source for it. I was a little shaken but curious about the incident. With all that was