An essential oil is a natural volatile fluid made of aromatic substances extracted from plants. Like the plants they come from, these oils have magickal properties but they are much more concentrated than the plants they originate from. As such, only a drop or two is typically needed to work magick.
Essential oils are often used to dress candles and consecrate other magickal tools. In addition, some green witches use essential oils to represent the element of air as it carries the scent of the oils.
Cold-pressed or steam distilled organic oils are best for use in spellcasting as they’ll not only have the strongest magickal energies but they’ll retain these energies longer as well. These oils can be more costly but they’re worth the price for the results attained, especially as so little goes a very long way. However, some oils can only be extracted by using a solvent. These are called absolutes. This method can reduce an oil’s magickal properties, in which case you would need to use a few drops more. Labels or packaging will usually tell you which extraction method was used. While “nature identical” oils or fragrance oils may have a pleasant scent, they do not have any of the magickal properties of the plants they are imitating and as such, should not be used when working magick.
If you need to wear an essential oil as a part of a spell or ritual, it should never be applied to your skin in its undiluted form but rather mixed with a carrier (base) oil to avoid irritation. Carrier oils have their own magickal properties so, to achieve optimal spell results, it’s important to ensure that both your essential oil(s) and your carrier oil to correspond to your intention. Learn more about Carrier Oils.
Essential oils used for magickal purposes should be purchased in small quantities (5 to 15 ml) as only a few drops at a time are typically used in spellwork. Both essential and carrier oils can become rancid and/or oxidized over time, losing their magickal potency. Storing oils in a cool, dark place in tightly-sealed glass containers will keep them fresh longer.
Lastly, some essential oils, such as rose oil, are more uncommon than others and as such, they can be significantly more expensive than other more common ones. So, if you find one brand that is much less expensive than other brands, beware that it probably isn’t an authentic essential oil and as such, won’t have the magickal properties you need for your spellwork.
It’s important to remember that some people or animals may be allergic to essential oils or sensitive to scents. Therefore, it’s best to plan spells that call for essential oils accordingly.
The below essential oils are by no means an exhaustive list of those used in magick. Rather, these are some that are typically available for purchase in Canada.
AMBER: Balance; calming; clarity; confidence; courage; Goddess energy & power; harmony; knowledge; longevity; meditation; memory improvement; past-life recollection; patience; prosperity; psychic protection; purification; victory; wisdom.
BASIL: Abundance; aphrodisiacs; attraction; balance; banishing; business; calming; clairvoyance; communications; concentration; dispelling; divination; emotional clarity & strength; fertility; financial gain; focus; friendship; good luck; harmony; home protection; honesty; intimacy; libido; mental clarity; money; passion; peacefulness; prosperity; protection; purification; repelling; romantic clarity; romantic love; self-discipline; sensuality; stamina; success; trust.
BERGAMOT: Anxiety; banishing; curse & hex protection, removal, and/or reversal; debt repayment; depression; good luck; happiness; money; optimism; physical protection; prosperity; stress.
BLACK PEPPERCORN: Banishing; binding; home cleansing; home protection; repelling; separation; warding.
CANANGA: Anxiety; balance; calming; depression; dispelling negative energies; negativity; soothing; stability; stress.
CARDAMOM: Aphrodisiacs; courage; finances; financial gain; fortitude; friendship; good luck; libido; love; mental clarity; money; persuasion abilities; prosperity; sensuality; sexual love.
CARNATION: Anxiety; balance; banishing; depression; devotion; disdain; dispelling negative energies; dispelling malevolent spirits; emotional healing; emotional strength; heartbreak; hex breaking; inner beauty; longevity; love; optimism; protection; repelling; stability.
CASSIA: Anointing; blessing; clearing; consecration; courage; depression; emotional healing & health; happiness; psychic connections & protection; purification; sexual arousal & desire; uplifting.
CEDARWOOD: Breaking spells; clearing; cleansing; compassion; intuition; money; prosperity; purification; protection; romantic love; wisdom.
CHAMOMILE: Animal magick; anxiety; calming; children spells; curse breaking; divination; emotional protection; happiness; healing; health; hex breaking; lucid dreaming; magick repelling; meditation; nightmare prevention; peace of mind; peacefulness; psychic protection; relaxation; soothing; sound sleep; spiritual clarity; stress relief.
CINNAMON: Anointing tools; attention attraction; business acumen; business success; creativity; financial gain; fire magick; intellectual stimulation; libido; lust; knowledge; money; power; prosperity; sexual love; success; winning.
CITRONELLA: Banishing; happiness; mental clarity; obstacle removal; protection; psychic shielding; repelling.
CLOVE: Achievement; business success; comfort; compelling; creativity; curse removal; debt repayment; encourage action; financial success; intellectual stimulation; money; perceptions; prosperity; protection; safety.
CORIANDER: Alertness; aphrodisiacs; attraction; encouragement; imagination; intelligence; libido; lust; mental acuity; passion; sexual desire.
CYPRESS: Bereavement; comfort; curse removal; grief; healing; past life recollection; spirit communications; wisdom.
EUCALYPTUS: Cleansing; concentration; endurance; focus; health; illness prevention; physical energy; physical healing; physical strength; protection; purification.
FENNEL: Communications; confidence; courage; earth magick; emotional strength; female fertility; financial creativity; fortitude; grounding; mental clarity; motherhood; passion; repelling; sexual desire; stamina.
FIR: Banishing; celebrations; cleansing; healing; mental endurance; physical endurance.
FRANKINCENSE: Addiction; bad intentions; banishing; consecration of tools; courage; happiness; protection; purification; spiritual awareness; spiritual clarity; spiritual development; tool purification.
GARDENIA: Attention attraction; comfort; compassion; devotion; friendship; full moon magick; happiness; harmony; heartbreak; influence; peace; peacefulness; psychic awareness; romantic love.
GERANIUM: Affirmation magick; concentration; focus; emotional protection, stability & strength; grief; happiness; harmony; heartbreak; relationship decision-making; self-confidence; self-esteem; sorrow; wisdom.
GINGER: Balance; commitment; desire; good luck; grounding; healing; invigoration; inspiration; lust; nightmare prevention; optimism; physical energy; protection; self-defense; sexual energy; stamina; stimulation.
GRAPEFRUIT: Banishing enemies; chastity; depression; low mood; protection; repelling; sexual inhibitions; weariness.
GREEN TEA: Anger; anxiety; balance; calming; concentration; focus; grounding; happiness; joyfulness; nurturing; peace of mind; soothing; stress reduction.
HOLY BASIL: Adapting; balance; blessing; calming; consecration; concentration; emotional healing; focus; grounding; longevity; mental balance; mindfulness; protection; purification; soothing; spiritual healing; spirituality; stability; stress relief. Also called Tulsi, Tulasi, or Thulasi oil.
HONEYSUCKLE: Anxiety; business ideas; calming; communications; creativity; inspiration; money; peace of mind; prosperity; stress.
JASMINE: Abundance; anxiety; astral projection and travel; clairvoyant dreams; decision-making; love; lucid dreaming; lust; meditation; money; passion; pleasant dreams; psychic ability; prosperity; prosperous lover attraction; prosperous marriage; psychic abilities; purification; romantic love; seduction; sensuality; sexual love; spiritual awareness; wisdom.
LAVENDER: Anger; anxiety; balance; calming; cleansing; clearing; concentration; courage; depression; dispelling negative energies; emotional balance, healing & protection; fidelity; focus; friendship; grounding; happiness; harmony; heartbreak; joyfulness; insomnia; inspiration; lover attraction; loyalty; magickal ability; magickal power; mental clarity; nurturing; peace of mind; psychological healing; purification; restful sleep; romantic clarity; romantic love; soothing; stress reduction; unrequited love; wisdom.
LEMON: Banishing; cleansing; friendship; habit-breaking; habit-making; healing; longevity; mental clarity; moon magick; negativity; non-sexual desires; purification.
LEMONGRASS: Acceptance; clairvoyance; emotional clarity; intellect; intuition; knowledge; mental acuity; precognition; psychic abilities; sensuality; sexual exploration.; studying ability.
LIME: Compelling; inhibition release; jealousy; power; protection from evil.
MAGNOLIA: Addiction; calming; fidelity; loyalty; marital harmony; marriage; meditation; obsession; peace of mind.
MARJORAM: Depression; emotional strength; familial happiness; familial love; grief; low mood; transitioning after death.
MINT: Adversity; appetite (all types) reduction; calming; clarity; creativity; fears; grief; happiness; healing; intellectual stimulation; jealousy; lust; meditation; mental acuity; prophetic dreams; protection; purity; relationship healing; renewal; repel negative energies & spirits; sexual endurance; sorrow.
MYRRH: Breaking spells; consecration of tools; courage; fortitude; grief; meditation; mourning; psychic balance; psychic healing; psychic protection; spiritual awareness; wisdom.
MYRTLE: Fertility; passion; romantic love; sexual fidelity; transitioning after death.
NUTMEG: Generosity; good luck; intuition; money; success; winning games and lotteries.
ORANGE: Increase creativity; promote clairvoyance, divination, intuition, and precognition; draw good luck; money; attract opportunity; prosperity; encourage romantic commitment; enhance spiritual growth and evolution; success.
PATCHOULI: Aphrodisiacs; confusion; distraction; earth magick; elemental magick; fertility; grounding; protection; repelling former lovers; romantic love; sensuality; sexual health; sexual stamina; virility.
PINE: Betrayal; clairvoyance; cleansing; divination; grounding; home protection; knowledge; good health; mental restoration; negative energy repelling; physical healing; positive energy attraction; purification.
PINK PEPPERCORN: Emotional pain; fear reduction; fidelity; friendship; inspiration; longevity; physical pain; psychic pain; self-acceptance; self-esteem.
ROSE: Attraction; beginnings; blessing; cleansing; compassion; courage; family magick; fertility; moon magick; new beginnings; passion; romantic healing; romantic love; romantic relationship problems; self-confidence; sensuality; true love attraction; wisdom.
ROSEMARY: Blocking negative spells; breaking negative spells; clairvoyance; cleansing; dispelling; divination; healing; intellect; memory; mental clarity; mental energy; nightmare prevention; protection; purification; school grades improvement; studying ability; water magick.
SAGE [Common/Garden]: Balance; honesty; grounding; longevity; mental clarity; truthfulness; wisdom.
SANDALWOOD: Afterlife transitioning; banishing spirits; calming; clearing; concentration; consecration; focus; healing; meditation; mindfulness; peace of mind; peacefulness; prosperity; protection; purification; soothing; spirits communications; spirituality; wealth.
SPEARMINT: Calming; intelligence; meditation; memory; mental clarity; psychological healing; relaxation; stress reduction.
SPRUCE: Balance; centering; clarity; emotional security; grounding; psychic protection; spiritual protection.
STAR ANISE: Air magick; appetite (all types) reduction; clairvoyance; consecration; curse removal; good luck; happiness; meditation; money; nightmare prevention; prosperity; protection; purification; weight loss.
TANGERINE: Calming; clarity; emotional healing; friendship; moon magick; peace; soothing; spiritual healing; stress.
TEA TREE: Conversation promotion; healing; positive energy attraction; shyness.
THYME: Awareness; cleansing; concentration; focus; gentleness; insight; memory; psychic healing; purification; spiritual renewal; understanding.
TURMERIC: Air magick; altar consecration; banishing; binding; privacy; purification; secrets; spiritual strength; tool consecration.
VANILLA: Appetites; charisma; emotional balance; comfort; happiness; home magick; libido; lust; passion; peace of mind; sexual desire; sexuality.
WHITE SAGE: Animal magick; balance; blessing; breaking negative spells; clearing; cleansing; dispelling; healing; protection; purification; spell breaking; strength; tool consecration. Also called Sacred Sage oil.
WINTERGREEN: Grounding; healing; hex breaking; home peace & protection; lunar magick; negative energy repellent; tranquility.
YLANG-YLANG: Decisions; depression; good luck; happiness; harmony; inhibitions release; problem-solving; pure love; relationship protection.
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