Benzoin (Styrax benzoin)
Folk Names: Ben, Benjamen, Kemenyan (Indonesia), Gum Benzoin, Siam Benzoin, Siamese Benzoin, Storax, Styrax, Sumatra Benzoin
Description: Benzoin is a deciduous, evergreen bush or small tree growing from fifteen to one hundred fifteen feet high. This aromatic prefers warm, sandy loam in sheltered position and can be found in tropical America, Asia, and Europe. Plantation trees usually live about seventeen years and contain a bitter resin, which is harvested commercially. The bark is covered in a silky whitish down. Racemes of drooping white flowers produce round, fleshy or dry, two inch-wide fruits containing one to two round seeds.
Effects: strong
Planet: Sun, Mars
Element: Air
Associated Deities: Aphrodite, Mut, Venus
Traditions:
Benzoin is an acceptable substitute for storax, and the resin is used as a base for many incenses. This resin is harvested when the tree is six or seven years old. The trunk is slashed with a hatchet or deep triangular holes are cut with a knife. The resin is yellowish-white or reddish-brown and flows and hardens into tears or lumps. The tree yields approximately three pounds annually for the next ten to twelve years. The flow is of the highest quality in first three years. Afterwards, the runnings are known as the “belly” and finally the tree is cut down and the resin inside, called the “foot,” is scraped out. Collection of the resin is not a natural process for Benzoin, the tree does not normally produce this substance nor anything analogous to it, and resin collection eventually results in the tree’s death.
Magic:
Benzoin is used mainly as incense. It is burnt to purify an area, for concentration and focus, movement to the astral plain, and to increase success in any magical undertakings. Benzoin oil can also be used in blended massage oils or diluted in the bath.
Known Combinations:
An incense consisting of Benzoin, Cinnamon, and Basil may be used to attract customers to a place of business and promote generosity.
Medical Indications: Parts used: resin
Benzoin resin is an expectorant, antiseptic, and astringent. It is good for croup, and externally for chapped or blistered skin.
Nutrition:
Small amounts have been added to foods, beverages, and baked goods as a flavoring.
Mercantile Uses:
Benzoin is used as a fixative in soaps, perfumes, and creams.