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CHAPTER 1

Science tells us that our sense of smell is the only one of I our senses whose sensory messages do not go through the rational part of our brain. Instead, it connects directly with instinctive and unconscious behavior. This poses an argument that it was the first sense to be developed in the course of evolution. We retain the complexity for thought or reason from a time before our brains developed, when life manifested as simple organisms cognizant only of the air or water in which they lived. The sense of smell is primal and basic to all the other more refined senses and doubtless was retained in the course of our evolution as a first line of response. Smell keys us to survival — to eating, mating, and the relative safety or danger of our surroundings.

The action of smelling something bypasses our conscious mind and addresses itself directly to our instincts by causing minute changes in our brain chemistry that, in turn, send signals directly to our automatic responses. Nerves, muscles, and internal organs — all these systems respond to these signals, changing our tone and response to our environment before we have even consciously thought about it. To test this theory, just imagine the smell of baking cookies. At just the thought, many people smile and subtly relax. Now imagine the smell of something rotten in the trash. Without thinking about it, the face changes and the body tenses.

By using specific scents we can intentionally address the body's physical, mental, and emotional responses. This practice is called aromatherapy. It is the study of how different smells affect the body, mind, emotions, and Spirit by using the distilled extracts of plants, flowers, and herbs. Human beings have been doing this for as long as history has been recorded. Perfumes are some of the most ancient means of adornment and making us more attractive to one another. Perfumes and incense have also been used for thousands of years in the practice of magic and religion because they help attune the individual to the vibrations of the powerful but unseen Greater Universe. Because our sense of smell directly addresses the body's chemistry and nervous responses, we can use it to attune ourselves to the subtle vibrations of the unseen world.

Emotions, thoughts, and physical responses are all basically energy. Their physical seat resides in our brain. Their combined energy patterns describe "where" we are in the Universe. They locate us in terms of our response to the world around us; they are also the means by which we create our reality. By changing brain chemistry we are literally changing our energy structure and our potential for alignment with other energy structures — specifically the energy structure of our goal. The scent pattern you use in your work will be the single most important tool in structuring the changes you wish to bring about.

Essential oils and oil blends are the basic ingredients. They are called oils because they are not soluble in water. The term essential is used because the word comes from the Latin essentia, meaning a liquid that is sufficiently volatile that it becomes a gas. They are also sometimes referred to as volatile oils, coming from the Latin word volare, meaning to fly. Old apothecaries called them "spirits," as in "Spirits of Turpentine," meaning essential oil of pine. In German they are referred to as astherische ole, which means ethereal oils. All these refer to their quality of being perceived and valued not in their liquid form, but in their gaseous one. These oils are extracted from plants and can come from any one or a combination of the plants' parts — petals, stems, leaves, bark, roots, or resins — by a variety of processes such as pressing, distillation, or chemical extraction. Their quality and purity can also vary depending on the process and the parts of the plants used. Their prices can vary depending on the complexity of the process and the amount of raw material necessary to extract a usable quantity of oil. Some essences require thousands of pounds of flower petals to render a single dram of oil.

Because some essences are so expensive or rare, modern chemistry has found ways to synthesize their scent. Sometimes combinations of other flowers are used that simulate the fragrance of a more expensive one. Other times, chemicals are blended that counterfeit an essence altogether. It is tempting to use these cheaper chemical oils because of their reasonable price and availability. However, although their smell may fool an inexperienced nose, their chemical composition will not fool the brain and subtler instincts. When dealing with energy, it is always better to use as close to the real thing as possible, balancing price with function. The results will speak for themselves.

Using Scent in Your Work

The blend of oils you make to suit your purpose is the central element that will bind all the others together. So to speak, it is the train of thought that carries you through from conception to manifestation. It will be used by itself on your skin and clothing, and in combination with other ingredients to make the incense and bath salts. You will use it to charge candles and anoint the objects and tools you use. It will be carried with you in a scent bag or misted in your space with an atomizer. Because of this, it is important to select the scent or blend of scents carefully, as this will set the tone for all the rest of your work. By themselves, oil blends can be used directly on the body like perfumes, although it is wise to do a skin test before you actually begin your work to make sure you do not have an allergic reaction to them. Because they are highly concentrated, they have the potential to irritate the skin.

Taking your time to choose wisely and blend carefully can be an important part of the work that you do. The formulae that are used as examples here are meant to be just that — examples. The list of oils available on the market is long and varied, giving you a wide range from which to pick and choose. If a particular scent offends you or causes an allergic reaction, there are others you may replace it with, but adjust the other oils to match it. Ideally, the formula that you use should be one of your own devising. Nothing can be more personal than what you make yourself from the wellspring of your own creativity. Nothing can match your desire more specifically.

Blending oils is an art that may take some practice and experimentation. Your magical working contains more than a single thought; it is a combination of ideas, needs, and wishes. Just so, the oil you blend should carry this through. It should combine properties that represent the elements or ideas of your wish that also harmonize well together as a scent. When blending oils from a recipe or when writing down a recipe that you have formulated, it is important to remember that the order in which you mix them is as important as the oils themselves or their proportion of the mixture. Changing the order in which the oils are mixed changes the way they combine chemically, and the scent will be noticeably different. So, as you work, follow the recipe exactly. If you are blending your own, record what you are doing. Write it down as you go rather than trying to remember later what you did.

Advice on Your Choice of Oils

At the end of the book are two appendices of charts of essences categorized by both function and oil name. You will notice that there are a lot of different scents listed in each category. This is not a suggestion to use all the essences listed. Besides being unnecessarily expensive, the resulting concoction would probably smell terrible. Also, availability of essences varies widely from place to place, as do prices and qualities. The extensive list is provided to give you choices. For example, if you hate the smell of cinnamon or if jasmine makes you sneeze, you do not need to use them. You may select an alternative from the list that will suit your purpose just as well. Each section will have guidelines for making basic oil blends as well as some time-tested recipes. This book is intended to give you the information and basis to develop your own blends that are specific to your needs and your own way of working. Consequently, the lists include many ingredients that are unusual, as well as the more basic scents that are commonly found.

There are also some basic ideas from the area of perfumery it is helpful to consider. Fragrances can be divided into nine categories based on the fundamental nature of the scent. These divisions are not hard-and-fast classifications and many times perfumers differ as to which categories certain scents are assigned.

* Flowery: Jasmine, rose, honeysuckle, lily of the valley, violet, lilac, tuberose, magnolia, orange blossom.

* Fruity: Plum, pineapple, peach, raspberry, apple, mandarin.

* Oriental: Frankincense, myrrh, spikenard, opium.

* Amber: Amber, vanilla, balsam.

* Spicy: Cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, coriander, cardamom.

* Woodsy/Mossy: Pine, lavender, fir, rosemary, oakmoss, patchouli, redwood.

* Animal (long-lasting and permeating): Besides being expensive, the derivation of these oils comes from the glands of animals. In the interest of kindness to animals and conservation of life, synthetic reproductions of these essences should be used. Ambergris (sperm whale), deer musk, civet musk, castoreum (beaver).

* Citrus: These are bright and invigorating but tend to be of short duration. Bergamot, citrus fruit such as lemon, lime, orange, tangerine.

* Green (bright and enlivening): Like the citrus, they tend to be of short duration. Mown grass, warm sunlit meadows, grasses, leaves, ivy, basil, chamomile.

When blending a scent, perfumers describe the formula in terms of a musical chord describing the way in which a blend presents itself and develops as it is used. When blending a fragrance intended to be worn, it is a good idea to keep some of these guidelines in mind. If you work with the oil lists at the end of each section, you can find scents that fall into each category that suit the purpose of your wish spell. With a little practice and experimentation, you will be able to assemble a group of scents that not only works magically, but also pleases the senses. Ideally, the proportions should be that the combined amounts of the heart (middle) and base notes equal the top note. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, however, and each should be evaluated by the nature and strength of the oils you are using as well as the purpose you have in mind for it. For instance, allspice is particularly potent and a little goes a very long way, and even a little can overpower a blend. Approach it drop by drop until you have just enough. Let your nose be your ultimate guide.

Top Note

The first impression of a fragrance lasting less than a minute — citrus, green, delicate floral.

In magic, this is the note that opens the way for the others to follow, setting the theme for the heavier work of the stronger scents — it represents the main reason for which you are doing the work.

Heart Note

The second level that develops as the fragrance warms with the skin — often it is made of warm woods — sandalwood, vanilla, cedar, vetivert, balsam, frankincense, benzoin. This represents the emotional element of your work and that connects your will to the higher planes of working.

Base Note

The final scent that develops as the fragrance interacts with the skin chemistry.

This defines the basic purpose and power of what you desire. It is the unifying force that ultimately leads to manifestation.

Storing Your Blend

Essential oils are volatile natural products, and, as such, are sensitive to sunlight and extreme temperatures. Once you have made your blend, it is important to store it properly so that its properties remain potent. Use clean, new glass bottles with tightly fitting lids. You can usually buy these at the same place you purchase the essential oils. If possible, the glass should be colored — amber or green is a good choice. If you wish to take this a step further, you might be able to find glass bottles that are the color of the energy that best describes your formula (Chapter 8) or the planetary energy under which you are working (Chapter 7). Whatever color glass you choose, the finished product should be stored in a cool, dark place. A closed box or cupboard is a good choice. Never use plastic containers to store your basic blend. The chemical substances in the oil are likely to react with the plastic container and spoil both the oil and the container. If you are making a spray mist, find a glass spray bottle and do not plan on using the container for long-term storage because the moving parts of the sprayer are plastic.

The Doing and the Becoming

The goal of your work will determine the timing of your work. It will also determine the oil blend you use. When these basic steps are in place, it will be the time to assemble the physical elements of your spell in order to set up a ritual space that will be the actual focal point of the spell. They will be representative of the five metaphysical elements that make up our physical world because this is the world in which you intend to manifest your work.

Each of these steps is important and relevant to the work you are doing. The action of performing the spell will set the wheels of change in motion. Just as important as it is to do the preparatory work carefully, it is important to be prepared to follow it with action in the Universe. Be aware of the changes as they come to you. Unlike the fantasy movies and television where the results appear in a flash of green smoke, the physical Universe obeys its own laws. Indeed, nothing can exist or occur in any Universe that goes contrary to its laws. Consequently, the results of your process will appear in real but sometimes subtle ways. Each time you act on those changes, you bring your goal closer to reality. But most important of all, you must know that what you are doing is real. It is your certainty of that reality that makes the final gateway from the possible to the actual. You have the tools of creation at your disposal; it rests within you to use them to change your world.

Planting Your Life by the Moon — The Times of Change

As modern human beings, many of us have come to live in cities, in buildings where we are constantly submerged in climate-controlled environments geared for our comfort. Although this has paved the way for greater productivity and greatly lengthened and enhanced lives, it has also served to distance us from our awareness of the natural world. Many of us have forgotten that as a species, we evolved as creatures of that natural world as much as any of the plants and animals with whom we share this planet. Far beyond the long cycle of birth, growth, aging, and death, we are governed by other cycles that subtly influence our living and consciousness. But even though these are obvious changes in the demands and energies of the year, our awareness of cycles and changes has become blunted by the enforced regularity of our lives.

In Spring, it is common to mention "Spring Fever" when referring to that inner restlessness we feel as we look out of the windows of our schools and offices. We feel a quickening of our pulses and a desire to run free in the fresh air. Summer brings a further burst of energy, urging us outdoors for physical work and play (until the intense heat of the dog days drives us back to the comfort of air conditioning). Fall brings its own inner season of introspection and a little melancholy as we store the lawn furniture and prepare for Winter's onslaught, moving our lives indoors to celebrate more somber holidays such as Halloween and, later, Thanksgiving. As Winter closes in, our moods withdraw as well, and our physical rhythms slow in response to colder temperatures and decreasing sunlight.

But there are shorter cycles still. The monthly cycles of the lunar rhythms are easy to miss as we regulate our patterns of activity and sleep with the aid of artificial lighting and television entertainment. But whether we choose to acknowledge or be aware of these natural clocks, we are inescapably the product of the same evolutionary cycles that brought us from single-celled organism to upright primate. The Moon that pulls the ocean's tides pulls our inner tides as well.

It has long been something of a debate among the noted authorities whether or not the Moon really has an effect on the behavior of humans and animals. Statisticians and psychologists may debate and deny that there is a correlation, but ask any bartender, firefighter, or emergency room attendant about the power of the Full Moon and you will have your observation by the experts that really matter. Year after year, almanacs are filled with sage advice on how to get the most out of the fruits and flowers in the garden by planting and tending them at the appropriate times. Life on Earth evolved from microorganisms in the ancient seas — and these microorganisms were mostly water. Although life forms became increasingly complex in their specialized functions, they still retained a large proportion of water in their structure. The Moon's magnetic force pulls at this water within — the blood in our bodies and the vital essences of plants — just as it pulls the great tides of the sea. We are attuned to our smallest fiber to the forces that move the planet and the stars.

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Excerpted from "Magical Oils by Moonlight"
by .
Copyright © 2004 Maya Heath.
Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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