What ritual oils do you use to anoint?

Answer 1

Well, this depends upon what one is "anointing"! As a Witch one can anoint oneself, candles, the Altar, the Tools of the Art, idols ("statuary"), etc. However, certain oils are not suited for use on the skin due to the cuastic nature of the Essential Oils involved [eg. cinnamon eo and rue eo]. Of course, many religions employ ritual oils, such as Catholocism: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07421b.htm.

With candles one can go further than merely using a single ritual oil during a spell or a rite--you can use as many as you feel appropriate! For instance, you may use more than one oil-based potion on a phallic candle for a love spell; altar candles (as opposed to the focal candle(s) of a spell) may be anointed with a separate manifestation oil for use in a spell to attract something to you; or rituals can employ oils on various candles dealing with the sabbat, deities invoked, etc.!

Instead of asking what others' use for ritual purposes, I would strongly recommend that you formulate your own oils! Some books that I strongly recommend on the subject follow (with some classic texts in herbal magick)

• Magical Incenses and Oils by Anna Franklin
• The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews by Scott Cunningham
• Incense: Crafting and Use of Magical Scent by Carl Neal
• Herb Craft by Anna Franklin and Susan Lavender (One of THE BEST books of herbal magick on the market!)
• The Magical and Ritual use of Perfumes by Richard Allan Miller
• The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs by Richard Allan Miller
• The Magical and Ritual Use of Aphrodisiacs by Richard Allan Miller
• Plants of Love: APhrodisiacs in Myth, History and the Present by Christian Ratsch

Now, when you begin choose a high quality base oil (such as sweet almond oil); then hit the books and break out some paper with which to record your notes and ideas! But, to begin, start blending fragrences simply--start with what you know or are familiar with, then expand upon those and create more complex formulas. But, please keep a notebook with which to record your impressions about whata new Essential Oil smells like to you. That being said, most of my formulas are either culled from ingredients that are dedicated to various deities that are germane to what I am working for; or, I will just blend a few ingredients based upon my own personal associations. Two examples will clarify my point:

I once developed a potion called Milk and Honey when I was looking for a job (feeling relatively stone-walled at the time), and blended the following ingredients for the listed purposes:

• Sandalwood Essential Oil: Dedicated to the Hindu deity, Ganesha; employed to overcome all obstacles, which is frequently why Ganesha is invoked--his mother, the goddess Parvati, fashioned him from sandalwood paste. Moreover, he is employed by Hindu villagers to aid the most destitute of mankind. Elephants were, anciently, the tanks of their day and "bull-dozed" trees and anything else that was standing in their way.
• Styrax Essential Oil: This resin was dedicated to Hermes and Mercury, the deity of trades and jobs; "Mercury" comes from the Latin noun, merx, which means "merchendise".
• Bay [Laurel] Essential Oil: This herb is dedicated to the sun-god, Apollo--the sun may be invoked to "find" whatever one desires; to bring it to their attention. Wreathes of this herb were used to crow the victors of the sacred games played in honor of the god, so it is also associated with winnings and victory, too!
• Tonka Bean Oil-Extract: Used in money-spells; has a rich, resinous, vanilla scent.

Ostara Oil

• Hyacinth Essential Oil: The quintessential flower of Ostara/Easter in my area. I remember one year my mom found a hyacinth growing during mid-March that was covered with a cap of snow, and she brought it to me! It was wonderfully fragrant!
• Narcissus Essential Oil: Another quintessential flower of of Spring named after a boiy who fell in love with another boy, but it turned out to be his own reflection. However, because it is yellow, it recalls to my mind that at the Traditional BTW [British Traditional Witchcraft] Rites of Spring is a small yellow wreath that has a position of honor on the Altar.
• Oakmoss Essential Oil: Associated with thunder-gods; it bears a yummy, sweet, earth-like scent which is simply delicious!

As you can see, I am a lot less formal with Sabbat Oils, than I am with oil-based potions! Although, that is not to say that I have not formulated an incense or a ritual oil with herbs and oils dedicated to deities that are stauunchly associated with that respective Sabbat. For example, Vervain Essential Oil may be employed in a ritual oil for the Vernal Equinox, because the root of this plant were worn by the Priests of Venus--a goddess not originally of love (as is sometimes thought), but of vegetation and the season of Spring.

Another tip: please familiarize yourself with the botanical names of herbs, becauise many go by similar "common names" [eg. benzoin and styrax are often confused, as is verbena and vervain].