Oils are often used for anointing lots of things - candles, ritual tools, talismans, yourself.
First off, I'll explain how to make your own special-purpose oils, then I'll give you a few recipes.
For choosing the right herbs and essential oils for your purpose, check out our Enchanted Gardens.
You'll need a good vegetable oil, like almond or grapeseed oil. Virgin olive oil works well. In an emergency, just about any cooking oil will do.
1. To about 1/8 cup of oil, add 5 to 15 drops of your chosen essential oils. Sniff. You want to be able to smell the essential oils, but you don't want the smell to be overpowering.
2. Put in a colored glass bottle (please don't use plastic - it does things to the oil), cap and label it. Keep in a cool dark place. A clear glass bottle is okay if it's stored in the dark.
3. Empower your mixture. See Empowerment.
This method is best if the essential oil you need is too expensive or just not available.
1. Crush your herb/s as fine as you can. You may grind it with the oil if you want. Put it in a jar and cover with oil. Dried or fresh herbs or flowers can be used. Just be careful when using fresh that it doesn't mold.
2. Thoroughly mix the herb with the oil and cap the jar.
3. Store in a warm dark place for 3 days, shaking the jar daily.
4. Strain the oil through some cheesecloth or muslin. Add more herbs to the oil and again store for 3 days. Keep doing this until you have a strongly-scented oil.
5. Strain your oil one final time and put into a glass bottle. Label and store in a cool dark place.
Note: You can use more than one herb in the oil for a special mix. If may be easier, though, to use one herb at a time, then mix your oils together later. This way you can use each oil in more than one mixture. Anything to simplify things.
Another Note: You can add essential oils to oils made by this method, depending on the recipe.
©1999 Ambrosia. All Rights Reserved. You may copy this text for your own personal use or for your personal web pages; however, you may not sell or otherwise use part or all for commercial or monetary gain without written consent from the author. This copyright notice must remain attached to any copy of this text. http://ambrosiasrealms.tripod.com