This is much more involved than the easier "essential" oil, but this is a TRUE essential oil and will prove worth the time.
When extracting the volitile principle of a plant, you may want to do a little research on your plant first. Different plants require different parts to be used to get the most out of it, whether it is grasses, flowers, leaves, stems, bark, or roots. But generally this information is fairly easy to come by.
What you'll need is a large enamel kettle with a spout. A hose to fit snugly over the spout, about 5 feet should work best. A bowl or pan to put ice in, and a small table or chair to rest it on. A jug with an opening large enough to fit your hand into but not a very large circumference, or it will make skimming more difficult. A small dropper. A small dark clean glass bottle to hold it in. Some oils will eat through plastic, and sunlight will harm the oil. And your chosen plant material, fresh is best, ideally collected before the main heat of the day has had a chance to dehydrate your plant.
Put your plant material in your kettle and add as much boiling water as it will hold. Distilled or filtered water is best so you don't inadvertantly add anything else in the process. Bring water to a boil but don't continue to boil, reduce heat till it's stewing but not quite simmering. With your hose attached to the spout, let it drape down and lay in a pan or bowl filled with ice. Then on the floor, place your jug and let the hose rest into this. The heat will release the volitile principle of the plant and carry it in the steam through the hose. As it passes through the ice, it will cool and condense and drip into your jug. This will take about two hours, but needs little supervision during the process. Just make sure the water doesn't compleatly evaporate. Then let the jug sit for about another two hours and the oil will seperate and rise to the top of the water. Using the dropper, carefully skim the oil and put in your dark glass bottle and seal tightly.
Make sure and write the name and date on the bottle and store out of the reach of children in a dark cool place to prolong the life. Most oils will keep their medicinal properties for about 2 years, but the scent should last longer. Don't expect to get a large yield from this, but because it's so concentrated, for most situations only 1-2 drops is used. So basically a little is all you will need. More is not better when dealing with essential oils.
Also keep the water, as this is what is known as a hydrosil or floral water and has many uses as well. As a safety note, pure essentail oils are highly concentrated. And some, like citrus oils, if not used properly can cause problems like skin irritations or can cause sensitivity to sunlight. And some are considered toxic, so always use them wisely and with proper dilution. Adding 1-2 drops to bath salts is wonderful. Or you can scent your house by adding 1-2 drops to a candle that has been lit and allowed to burn slightly. Don't apply directly to the flame as oils are highly volitile and will burn quickly. Also, a couple of drops added to a teaspoons of vegetable oil makes a great massage with unlimited medicinal benefits depending on the plant used.
musk (main scent)
oakmoss (minor scent)
civet (trace)
vanilla (trace)
An excellent blend for pursuing the arts of natural magick, this preparation was specially designed for contacting the elemental sprits of the earth.
Faerie Enchantment
10 drops rose 5 drops thyme 1 drop evening primrose oil
6 drops oakmoss
4 drops rosemary
3 drops cypress
2 drops patchouli
Faerie Magick Oil(wear on Midsummer's Eve to increase chances of Faerie encounters)
1/4 oz. almond oil
11 drops violet
10 drops gardenia
7 drops lemon grass
7 drops lemon
7 drops rose geranium
7 drops jasmine
7 drops ylang ylang
5 drops lavender
jasmine flowers
violet flowers
peridot
moonstone
Faerie Fire Oil1 garnet, crushed
1 dram dragon's blood oil
coriander seeds
1 dram almond oil
Warm over low heat
Faerie Flower Oil1 dram elderflower oil
1 dram lavender oil
dried rosebuds
Faerie Fire(useful in contacting Faeries connected with the Fire element: Will o' the wisps, Flame Dancers, etc.)
1/4 oz. almond oil
12 drops peach oil
5 drops ylang ylang
4 drops new-mown hay oil
4 drops dark musk
2 drops chamomile
2 drops poppy oil
2 drops dragons blood oil
chamomile flowers
oatstraw
peridot
garnet
Gnome's Cap Oil(useful in contacting Faeries connected with the Earth element: Gnomes, Dwarfs, etc.)
1/4 oz. almond oil
10 drops cypress e.o.
5 drops lilac oil
25 drops Siberian fir oil
10 drops dark musk oil
2 drops narcissus oil
cedarwood
fir needles
tiger's eye
Gossamer Wings(useful for contacting Faeries connected with the Air element: Sylphs, Elves, etc.)
1/4 oz. almond oil
12 drops violet oil
20 drops lavender oil
10 drops lemon oil
5 drops cajeput oil
lavender buds
clear quartz
Friendly Nature Spirit Oillime
carnation
gardenia
wintergreen
Lady of the Lake Oil1/4 oz. almond oil
25 drops lavender oil
5 drops lilac
5 drops earth oil
5 drops rose geranium
4 drops carnation
1 drop jasmine
1 drop rosemary
lavender buds
amethyst crystal
Merlin Oil1/4 oz. olive oil
6 drops vetiver oil
5 drops pine oil
5 drops green forest oil
5 drops oakmoss
2 drops cypress or cedar
2 drops rose geranium
1 drop clove oil
clove buds or cedarwood
tiger's eye
Nature-Spirit Attracting Oil1/2 dram carnation oil
1/2 dram gardenia oil
Siren Song(useful in contacting Faeries connected with the Water element: Undines, Naiads, Sirens, etc.) 1/4 oz. almond oil
4 drops lavender
15 drops camphor oil
3 drops lemon
3 drops primrose oil
3 drops rose geranium
geranium petals
rose buds
iolite
amethyst
Sprite Music10 drops rose or carnation
8 drops violet
8 drops sandalwood
Fairy Ring Incenseelderflower
lavender
musk
lilac
frankincense
myrrh
Faery Love Incense2 tsp. mullien
2 tsp. ginger root
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. rosemary
2 tsp. false unicorn root
2 tsp. cinquefoil
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. lavender
1/4 tsp. High John oil
small piece rose quartz
small piece black tourmaline
small piece tiger's eye
small piece amethyst
Fairy Incense2 tb. dry tangerine peel
1 tb. anise seed
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. strawberry extract
dried petals of 1 pink rose
Faery Incense1 oz. each of: feverfew, vervain, tansy, mugwort, mistletoe leaf and berries, elecampane root, hellebore, hawthorn berries and flowers, juniper berries, broom flowers, red rose petals, rose hips, vetivert and oakmoss
Add 1 oz. each of benzoin and frankincense 1/3 oz. valerian root
20-30 drops rose oil (or labdanum, oakmoss or amber)
Faery Incense 2Mix together 50 percent Faery Incense (above) 25 percent red rose petals
25 percent frankincense resin
Faery Incense 334 gm Faery Incense (above)
17 gm red rose petals
17 gm frankincesense
27 drops labdanum oil
16 drops frankincense oil
12 drops rose oil
A "carrier" oil.
The intended use decides which one. Edible oils are sold in super-markets everywhere, and can often be used for other purposes than just eating. In herbal cosmetic shops like the Body Shop you can buy pure or blended oils for special purposes like bathing and massage. You can experiment with different oils for different purposes, but never ingest any oil that wasn't specifically made for the purpose. It's important that you use new oil with the best before date well ahead, as fragrant oils don't keep as well as essential oils. Wheatgerm oil can be used as a preservative if you find that your oils don't keep well.
The Herb
For this purpose it doesn't matter if it's fresh, dried or even frozen. Herbs are sold in many places. Occult shops often have quite an assortment, but the super-market in your area may sell some of these much cheaper. Super-markets often have herbs in either the spice department (notably fennel and cardamon), the health food department (notably rosehips and buckwheat) or even the hot drinks department (notably chamomille and cocoa). Specialized health food stores and natural cosmetics boutiques often have herbs too. Or, you can opt to grow your own.
If you will use the oil on your skin, make sure that it won't irritate or cause allergic reactions. You may want to consult a book on aromatherapy if you are using fragrant oils for healing. Some oils are considered aphrodisiacs, and can be quite fun to use for massage. A practical consideration is the availability of a given herb. Herbs may be unavailable for many different reasons. Maybe it isn't traditionally used in your part of the world, it may be illegal for a number of reasons, it could be surrounded with superstition or it can simply be out of season. Fragrant oils are sensitive to light so try avoiding crystal clear bottles. You will often want to use just a spoonful of the oil, so a squirt cap is useful. Shampoo bottles can often be used, as they are generally about the right size and have caps which are made so you can easily take a small amount without having oil run down the outside of the bottle. Plastic bottles will often be found to take on some of the aroma of the contents, so you may want to throw them away after one use, or always keep the same oil in the same bottle. Label all your bottles carefully with the name of the herb, carrier oil and date of manufacture! The basic principle is easy: Put the herb in the oil, and wait. If you are bothered by herb particles in the finished product, you can use a tea egg or a small bag of muslin or nylon suspended by string in the bottle, and remove them when you find the fragrance strong enough. This requires a bottle with a wide opening. If you don't have such a bottle, you can strain the oil in a wire-mesh tea sieve instead. If you aren't bothered by herb particles, you can often leave the herb in the oil until you've used it all up. This works particularly well with antiseptic herbs like peppermint, but can in other cases make the oil go stale. The time it takes for an oil to become pleasantly fragrant depends on the herb and the oil, what you consider pleasant and the conditions you keep them under. You will have to experiment with concentration, stirring, and time to find out which works best under your circumstances. With some herbs crushing can speed up the process. Seeds like fennel are among those. Many herbs vary quite a lot in strength depending on a range of factors, so sometimes you will have to adapt your recipes. The best thing is probably to develop your intuition with regards to herbs. As a rule of thumb, two weeks to three months should be adequate. After the wait, you will have your very own homemade essential oils prepared for whatever use you see fit! Essential oils are better than synthetic oils because you can use them without worrying about getting a plastique smell when burning them, or having an allergic reaction to strange chemicals. Flying ointment was used by early witches (and probably non witches) in the Middle Ages. This is one reason why witches were said to "fly" - the effect was a hallucination. The ointment was made up of poisonous and naturally psychotropic herbs. Hemlock, deadly nightshare or belladonna, henbane, and hashish were common ingredients. Soot was a traditional ingredient. Parsley was used in almost all mixtures. The herbs would be mixed with the melted fat of an unbaptized baby to make the ointment. Because of the poisonous herbs, the flying ointment of old could potentially cause damage or even death. There are modern recipes that provide similar effects without the danger of poisonous herbs. If you would like to try your own flying ointment, the following is a simple, safe recipe. This can be used to facilitate lucid dreaming and astral projection. Flying Ointment · 2 cups of a base (if you don't have a favorite ointment base already, try unbleached beeswax or cocoa butter) · 2 teaspoons of essential oils, I recommend one spoon of lotus and one of clove. (This is a LOT of oil, it will be a strong smell, you can reduce it if you prefer.) · 2 drops of mace oil · A handful of dried herbs... as many as you like (probably 4 so you don't overdo it) from this list: · Mugwort (necessary) Parsley Dittany of Crete Wild lettuce Cinquefoil Skullcap · A pinch of soot from a chimney, or ashes from a fire will do. (This is traditional.) · 1/4 teaspoon benzoin (you can get this at health stores, it preserves your ointment so you can use it again and again). Ointment directions: In a non-metal double broiler pot or in a bowl over a pot set up like a bain-marie, melt base slowly over low heat. Add herbs immediately into warm base and cook carefully over very low flame, stirring continuously for 30 minutes. Strain out herbs with cheesecloth, put base back in pot and take off heat. Wait one minute and stir in essential oils and benzoin. Pour into heat-proof jars and let cool. To store, close jar tightly and keep in refrigerator, or a cool, dark place. This will keep for a month. Usage: You should apply the prepared ointment to your pulse points on the wrists, neck, and temples. If you desire a stronger effect, you should apply it to any areas with many sweat glands, such as palms of the hands, underarms, etc. No caffeine for 24 hours prior to use. DO NOT use if pregnant! Lavender Citronella Peppermint Lemongrass Cinnamon
Thyme Basil All you would need is cotton balls.....put a couple of drops of essential oil on it, and place outside in potted plants, or put on a piece of cotton, cut into strips and hang from windows (for inside), or from trees,
bushes etc. Flies and moths particularly dislike lavender oil,(this is why in ancient times, they always put lavender in with their clothes), while peppermint keeps the mosquitoes away. Moths also have an aversion to the citrus oils too. Here Are A Couple Of Blends: Citronella-10 drops Peppermint 4 drops
Flying Ointment
© by: Spirit Online
Creepy Crawlies Hate These Essential Oils:
Another Blend:
Lavender 5 drops
Citronella 5 drops
Use full strength on cotton ball or strip and put where ever you are having problems, ie; dustbin, cupboards, attic, yard, doorways, etc. If you have a spray bottle, fill with water and add about 5 drops citronella and 3 drops peppermint. Then spray away! This is not harmful to children, adults, or even your house pets. Peppermint is also good for fleas, but rosemary oil for fleas works the best......better than pesticides and chemicals!!
Pure essential oils extracted from herbs like lavender and of course citronella deter pests from lingering on or near your body. They probably are not as efficient at the mighty DEET but do you really want to put that chemical on your body, let alone your child. Most essential oils used properly are extremely safe and natural. Here are a few ideas to make your own Bug Away products this summer.My 6yr old, just got bit by some awful insect, his leg swelled up, I quickly ran to the herb cupboard and applied this: 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil, mixed with 3 drops Chamomile and 2 drops lavender. I applied it with the back of a spoon, and it stopped the itching right away, and after applying this mixture 3 times, by this morning it had blistered and popped, and majority of the redness and swelling is gone! He thinks he looks cool with with the linen bandage tied around his leg, (this morning I applied polysporin, a topical antibiotic, because of the popped blister).
Oils That Deter Bugs:
Lavender
Citronella
Peppermint
Eucalyptus
Thyme
Lemongrass (all citrus)
Choose any one herb or any combination of the above. Experiment with finding the right fragrance that you prefer.
Body Spray:
20 drops of the oil or combination of oils your prefer to 4 oz. of distilled water in a spray bottle. Spray your body several times during the day when you are outside. Can be used as a room mist as well.
Body Oil:
10-20 drops of essential oil or combination of oils to 4oz. base oil such as almond, jojoba oil, grapeseed or olive. Place in roll-on bottle and apply liberally to all exposed area. (save those awful roll-on deoderant bottles, wash thoroughly!).
