#herbal-oil

[esoteric-chaos]

Safety in Witchcraft

What’s not talked about enough in the spiritual community is mundane safety along with spiritual. Critical thinking is vital. I wanted to share a lot of my personal rules for myself that I have adapted into my craft.

Fire safety, never leave an open flame unattended. Ever. Always burn in an open enough area with a fire safe dish or on ceramic tile away from animals and children. If you leave the room extinguish the flame. Do not sleep with fire going. I know we want to keep that spell going even during a nap but sometimes we don’t wake up in time for danger. This is absolutely vital to keep you safe. It won’t ruin a spell I promise or anger anything. Please do not add those herbs to that candle. I know it’s nice and pretty but that is a fire hazard. Stay safe.

On that note always have an open window or a well ventilated area when burning items. That goes for herbs, incense, or candle. Smoke inhalation can ruin your lungs.

Rodents, reptiles, birds, any animal is sensitive to scents and have small respiratory systems. Be careful using anything around them. Research what can be used around them. I mean research! Cross reference. Use veterinarian hospital guides, not pro essential oil blogs. Please don’t put any essential oils on your pets. They can be seriously harmed.

Moon water actually molds, very easily. So can herbal blends if not stored correctly. Check frequently and use before end of date. Distilled water is your friend to prolongs shelf-life along is storing in a cold dark place.

Witchcraft and magic is not a replacement for medical treatment and medically prescribed medication. It absolutely can aid your treatment but it is never a replacement.

Do not ingest any herbal remedies without consultation with your doctor and/or Herbalist. Especially if you have pre-existing conditions and need to take medications for it. Things can conflict and are deadly.

Also forage responsibly. Unless you are 100% certain what you have foraged is the correct plant. Don’t even chance it. It’s not worth sickness or in worst cases death.

Do NOT ingest essential oils. I don’t care what you have heard from pro essential oil pages. The distillery methods are not safe for ingestion. It can tear up your stomach lining and throat. Cause extreme nausea and vomiting. Seizures and in worst cases death.

Some covens and practitioners are not your friends. Be cautious and use stranger danger. Be cautious and never give out all of your personal information online. There are predatory people everywhere, including in this community. Please be safe. Always use your gut instinct.

Please feel free in the comments and tags to add important safety pointers you have.

[romanceaesthetics]

𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒙𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒉

[lunasapphire]

A natural makeup remover for all y’all herbalist an holistic healthy and beauty gurus out there, or just a witch that wants to get to know plants! - Coconut oil, I use the one that you can find in your local grocery store!

Honestly could have it any other way, all natural, you can put your energy into, it’s plant based, no chemicals, and is great with sensitive skin!

[amsmuch]

I found this picture of James with 8 polish fans that invited Metallica to drink vodka with them after a concert

The picture was taken February 10th to 11th at night, 1987

[magickmama777]

Oils and their ritual correspondences Part 5

🍋🍃 Bergamot: In herbal folklore, it is said that the oil of Bergamot leaves, when rubbed on money, will ensure the return of riches; it is also well known for prosperity spells.

✨Planetary rulerships: Mercury

[arcane-botanica]

Arcane Botanica

[veiligplekje]

Het Blauwe Huis in Ruinerwold, the Netherlands

[samwisethewitch]

Aromatherapy for Processing Trauma

Aromatherapy uses scent, usually in the form of essential oils, for physical and emotional well-being. Our sense of smell is very closely connected to memory, and certain smells can have an effect on our emotions and mood.

Essential Oil Safety and Ethics

Because this is the Internet and because certain multi-level marketing corporations have intentionally spread misinformation about essential oil safety, let's talk about a couple of things real quick.

You should never, ever eat or drink essential oils. These are very concentrated extracts of the active compounds from plants, and just like you would never sit down and eat 200 pounds of lavender, you shouldn't eat lavender oil. Ingesting essential oils can have very serious side effects, up to and including organ failure and death. Just don't.

If you want to work with a liquid plant extract that you can take internally, I recommend trying a tincture or a tea.

Use caution when applying essential oils topically. Again, essential oils are very concentrated, so they can cause skin reactions even if you are not normally allergic to the plant they come from. Always do a patch test to check for an allergic reaction before applying an essential oil to your skin or putting it in a bath. Some, like cinnamon oil, should never be used topically.

Always dilute your oils. Whenever you put essential oils on your skin, mix them with a carrier oil (like olive oil or coconut oil). Typically for adults you want to only use two drops of essential oil for every teaspoon of carrier oil, but you might use a stronger or weaker concentration depending on your body and your needs. If you're adding essential oils to your bath, make sure you mix them into a bath salt (either Epsom salt or plain table salt) before adding them to the water.

When you diffuse essential oils, make sure you don't use too much. For a typical aromatherapy diffuser, you really only need 1-5 drops of oil.

Be careful using essential oils around children and pets. Contrary to what some MLMs say, essential oils may not be safe for your baby or your dog. If you have kids, make sure your oils are stored out of their reach. Don't diffuse essential oils around babies under 6 months old, and don't apply oils to the skin on children under 3 years old. If you use essential oils on your older child's skin, they should be TWICE as diluted as for an adult (so you would use HALF as much essential oil for the same amount of carrier oil). If you diffuse oils around your kids, don't run the diffuser for more than 60 minutes. Follow other essential oil safety rules.

If you have a pet in the house, only diffuse essential oils in open, well-ventilated rooms, never let the diffuser run for more than 60 minutes, and make sure your pet is able to leave the room if they want to. Never apply essential oils to a pet's skin. Research your oils to make sure they aren't toxic to your pets.

Moving from safety concerns to ethics concerns, don't use essential oils in public spaces. Many people don't tolerate these scents well because of health conditions, allergies, or chemical sensitivities. For this reason, you should only practice aromatherapy in your own private space.

Try to be an eco-conscious consumer. It takes a whole lot of plant material to make essential oils -- one pound of lavender oil requires 250 pounds of lavender buds! That's a lot of natural resources. Even "wildcrafted" or "wild harvested" products may still be contributing to overharvesting. Try to limit your environmental impact by using oils sparingly, avoiding oils made from endangered plants, buying from companies that use sustainable harvesting practices, and reusing or recycling the bottles.

Making Aromatherapy Trauma-Sensitive

Because scent is so strongly connected to memory, scents that remind us of a traumatic event can trigger anxiety or panic, or even make us physically ill. Before using aromatherapy, think carefully about the scents you feel drawn to and whether they may be triggering for you.

For example, if your abuser wore a floral perfume with rose and geranium notes, the scents of rose and geranium might activate your fight or flight response, even though those are usually considered calming scents. If your abuser wore a cologne or deodorant with a lot of woodsy notes, you might want to avoid woodsy essential oils like cedarwood.

If at any point you start to feel triggered or activated when using aromatherapy, stop using that scent until you can speak to a therapist or counselor about your experience.

Helpful Essential Oils for Trauma Survivors

Note: Much of the information in this section comes from Elizabeth Guthrie's book, The Trauma-Informed Herbalist.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): The ultimate relaxing scent. Guthrie says that lavender "allows a person to completely relax. It is a wonderful tonic for a person who has been overthinking situations." Lavender is really helpful for anxiety and paranoia, especially if your anxiety takes the form of doom spiraling or thinking about worst case-scenarios.

Cedarwood (Cedrus virginiana): An excellent grounding scent. Guthrie says that cedarwood "is loved for its ability to help people reconnect to themselves." Be aware that Atlas Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) is endangered due to overharvesting -- try to use more sustainable varieties.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Great for mental clarity. Rosemary strengthens memory, and it can be useful for people who struggle with short-term memory or who are dealing with brain fog or gaps in memory as a product of trauma. Rosemary promotes alertness.

Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea): Promotes a sense of well-being and helps decrease feelings of stress.

Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana): Brings balance to the body and mind. Marjoram has a relaxing effect and can help release tension.

Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens): Another relaxing scent. Guthrie says that geranium "can also help a person who is feeling jumpy, as if they're living in a horror movie and a jump scare is just around the corner."

Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis): Reduces anxiety and relieves feelings of depression. Chamomile also famously helps with sleep issues such as insomnia.

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin): Very strong grounding. Guthrie recommends patchouli to help reset the sleep-wake cycle for people struggling with insomnia and/or fatigue.

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia): Balances emotional energy and uplifts the mood. Guthrie recommends it for brain fog from exhaustion and for aid in letting go of anger.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus): A superstar for healing, whether physical, mental, emotional, or even spiritual. Guthrie recommends eucalyptus "to jumpstart the emotional healing process" and "to release the feeling that their trauma is part of their identity."

Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis): An uplifting and energizing scent. Great for bringing up the mood, promoting happiness, and helping with burnout.

Aromatherapy on a Budget

Listen, y'all. Essential oils are expensive. Ethically sourced essential oils are even more expensive. I save some money by 1.) using essential oils sparingly, and 2.) buying pre-mixed blends. I'll typically look for a blend that contains several oils that I want to work with instead of buying each oil individually. Right now I'm working with the "Harmony" synergy blend from Eden's Garden, which contains lavender, cedarwood, rosemary, clary sage, sweet marjoram, geranium, and chamomile.

If you can't find a blend that has all the qualities you want, you can still save money by buying a blend with most of the qualities you're looking for, then adding one or two low-cost oils. For example, I wanted a slightly more grounding effect than the blend I'm using has, so I add a little bit of patchouli oil to bring in that earthy, grounding quality.

Sources:

The Trauma-Informed Herbalist by Elizabeth Guthrie

"5 Benefits of Clary Sage Oil" by Corey Whelan

"Marjoram Essential Oil" on AromaWeb

"The 8 Proven Benefits of Chamomile Oil and How to Use It" by Jill Seladi-Schulman, Ph.D.

"Essential Oils & Pets" on Saje

"Are Essential Oils Safe for Kids?" by Teresa Carr

[reasoningdaily]

Hoodoo Herbal Folk Recipes for Conjure Spellwork with Herbs, Houseplants, Roots, Oils (Starr Casas).pdf

Hoodoo Herbal Folk Recipes for Conjure Spellwork with Herbs, Houseplants, Roots, Oils (Starr Casas).pdf

This definitive guide to Hoodoo plant magic contains detailed information on dozens of roots and herbs. In Hoodoo Herbal, Starr Casas shares a lifetime of experience and family secrets in her usual plain-spoken, direct, and friendly style.   Mama Starr makes Hoodoo plant magic accessible to all. For example, snake plants (Dracaena trifasciata)—common houseplants that are readily available at garden stores and supermarkets—possess a long reputation for successfully keeping lying tongues from disrupting your home. As their leaves resemble a double-edged sword, they are believed able to cut through malicious works (spells) that may have been sent against you. They are valued for their anti-gossip properties.   The book features information about a wide variety of plants and how to use them, as well as practical tips regarding planting seeds, cutting, transplanting, and caring for plants so that they will care for you, too. Starr advises that as the plants thrive and grow, the works for which they are used will grow stronger, too—as will you.

[dragons-breathwitch]

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 & 𝑱𝒐𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒊𝒍

Hello witches, I want to share with you a recent magic oil I made for candle dressing & spell making🕯✨️ you can also use it for your overall craft,

You'll need:

🌼 Chamomile

🌼 Calendula Flower

🌼 Lavender

🌼 Clove Powder (*can be replaced with whole clove)

🌼 Copal Incense (*I used copal resin for a concentrated infusion)

🌼 Carrier Oil (*I used olive oil)

🌼 Small Jar

Instructions ~

Cleanse your jar with salvia/sage incense, or cleanse with your preferred method,

Gather your dry ingredients into your jar: the chamomile, calendula flower, lavender, love & copal resin,

Set your intentions for your herbs, I like using my hand over each herb before putting them inside the jar, guiding each herb with which correspondence or property I'll need,

Pour in your carrier oil of choice, do it slowly allowing the oil to get to the bottom, this will get rid of any air bubbles,

Say your last intentions for the overall oil, close with the cork or cover, and let it sit for a few days to allow the infusion to set in,

When the oil is done resting, pour your concentration infusion unto another bigger jar without the herbs, it's okay if bits go in though,

Finally, top off the remaining or the jar with more olive oil,

And that's it! Your Prosperity & Joy Oil is ready for use, whether you want to dress a yellow candle to bring joy, happiness, prosperity & clarity to your daily life, or use topically before bed, etc.,

*Please note that this or any oil infusion posted here is NOT meant to be ingested/eaten, keep away from children & animals !!

Happy Crafting!

[greenwitch301]

Whipped up some witchy herbal oil for sore muscles yesterday. It was great to be back in my kitchen working my craft!!

20 drops lavender oil

20 drops chamomile oil

20 drops mint oil

15 drops organic coconut oil

Simmer together in Bain Marie for 20 mins with a pain banishment spell 💚💚

[esoteric-chaos]

What are Infused Oils?

What are they?

Infused oils are herbal components or spices placed in a jar of carrier oil like Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Avacado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, etc. Can be used in cooking, herbal ailments and skincare.

Are they essential oils?

No. Short answer, no. Long answer? I'll give you an explanation. Essential oils are distilled using Steam Distillation, Solvent Extraction, CO2 Extraction, Maceration, Enfleurage, Cold Press Extraction, and or Water Distillation. Lotta words huh? It takes a lot of work to make essential oils. Unfortunately, it also takes quite a bit of that plant to make even those tiny 10ml bottles you purchase. Of course, each plant varies. However, it still can lead to a larger environmental impact.

For instance, one pound of essential oil can be extracted from approximately 250 pounds of rosemary leaves, or from 150 pounds of lavender buds, or say 50 pounds of eucalyptus leaves. This is why you see some as more expensive than others. Unfortunately, you can see where the problem lies in plants that are more threatened or endangered. If you must use essential oils, source responsibly (and not from a Pyramid scheme but I'm not opening that can of worms)

Can I use infused oils in my practice?

Yes! Absolutely! All these oil recipes you see for spell oils are exactly that. You can even use the elemental correspondences of the carrier oils you use for spell oils. As an example Olive Oil is traditionally known for the fire element and Coconut Oil is water. The possibilities for your personal correspondence are endless!

Now I'll stop rambling. Here are a few methods I learned to infuse oils in my courses and through self-herbalist study.

Method One:

The Folk Method - The most common

Directions

Place DRIED herbs in a clean, dry jar. Leave at least 1 to 3 inches of open space above your herbs to cover with oil.

Fill the remaining space in the jar with the oil of your choice, making sure to cover herbs by at least 1 inch or more. If the herbs emerge above the surface of the oil at any point while infusing, pour more oil on top to ensure the herbs remain covered.

Cap the jar tightly and shake well.

Place the jar in a sunny, warm windowsill and shake once or more per day.

After 2 to 3 weeks, strain the herbs out of the oil using cheesecloth or a mesh strainer. Or you can leave it in but straining is recommended if you are using dropper bottles as it clogs the caps.

Pour into clean glass bottles.

Remember to label your jars with the date, type of oil, and herbs used! You WILL forget! Trust me.

Store in a cool, dark place. The oil may keep for up to a year.

Method Two:

The Heat Infused Method - Quick Infusion

Directions

Place herbs in the crock pot or double boiler. Cover with extra virgin olive oil (or other carrier oil of choice), leaving at least an inch or two of oil above the herbs. 

Gently heat the herbs over very low heat (preferably between 100° and 140° F for 1 to 5 hours, until the oil takes on the colour and scent of the herb. Some recommend heating the oil for 48 to 72 hours at a controlled temperature of 100° F. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool. I personally prefer letting it sit in a crock pot for 72 hours as I feel like I get all of the benefits out of the herb.

Once oil is cooled, strain using cheesecloth.

Bottle in dry, sterilized glass bottles. LABEL your bottles with the date and contents before storing them.

Store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to six months.

Best herbs to infuse in oil

There are a countless number of herbs, spices and resins that can be infused into the oil. Please make sure these herbs are free from pesticides and chemicals (not found on the roadside). Dried herbs work best as you don't want your mixture spoiling sooner. Here are some great examples of herbs to use.

Pine needles

Calendula flowers

Chamomile flowers

Lavender

Lemon balm

Peppermint leaf

Rosemary leaf

Thyme leaf

There you have it! Now have fun and source responsibility.

Happy witching!

Want to read more?

On sustainability and impact:

Links:

Dangers of essential oils and pets:

Link:

Want to check out my other post? Look at my Masterpost

[romanceaesthetics]

𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒙𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒉

[lunasapphire]

My collection of Scott Cunningham works I have read so far:) - more coming soon! Just bought six books of his

[sagescented]

In our hectic and stressful life, we [need] the age old wisdom [of incense] to support us and to encourage us to slow down and catch our breath.

From The Complete Incense Book, published 1998; Susanne Fischer-Rizzi (My Ko-Fi Here)

[angel-inbloom]

so in love with this nervine salve i made last night for my apothecary, it’s infused with lavender, rose, elderflower, and holy basil, with a touch of pink grapefruit essential oil to give it a shimmery fragrant finish. so comforting and grounding✨