2You can usually find copal in art supply stores. It is usually used as a paint medium.
3Christopher McIntosh, Eliphas Levi and the French Occult Revival (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 19741 p. 190. Now out of print.
4Alum can be purchased in your local drugstore.
5David Conway, Magic: An Occult Primer (NY: Dutton, 1972) p. 97.
6For more information on this, see Spiritual Cleansing, pages 33 to 38.
5
Spells Using Oils
Oils are similar to water in that they have more effect on our emotional nature. Oils contain some of the earth element, so they effect the physical nature as well. Oils can be either of animal, mineral, or plant origin. Mineral oils have more of the earth quality in them, and are more suited to spells which fulfill earthly desires and negative magic. Plant oils carry with them the “feeling” or vibration of the plant from which they came. Animal oils also carry the vibration of their origin, but they are rarely found except in lard from the pig, and tallow from the sheep. Because animal oils affect the animal nature directly, they have developed a reputation in negative magic.
When you make up an oil you must remember that you are mixing the influence of the oil and the herb (or other material) you add to it. This requires a subtle ability to blend the vibrations correctly, and this only comes with experience. You are better off beginning with oils where the formula specifies the particular oil to be used. As with other magical spells, it does not pay to experiment until you can tell what you will have before you mix it.
There are a number of plant oils which can be used as a basis for magical oils. The following list gives some of the more commonly found oils and their uses. These oils can be purchased in health food stores or some of the larger grocery stores. For the most part, they are the oils most commonly used in magical work, primarily because they are easily available.
Almond Oil: This oil is said to correspond to the Sun in Leo. This kind of correspondence is found in a number of oils, and seems to be based on the fact that oils of all sorts were used in lamps in ancient times. The primary indicator of light is the Sun in Leo, so this attribution was given to many of these oils. I was originally taught that the almond was pre-eminently a plant of Venus, and that the virtue (or power) of Venus permeated all parts of the tree, including the oil. This coincides with the idea prevalent in most Western magic that the almond and the oil of the almond are the nut and oil of first choice for love spells or amatory magic. Almond oil is also useful for the restoration of health and mental stability. It is an excellent base for healing and massage oils.
In the East, among the Hindus, almond oil is used to promote chastity. The eating of almonds is undertaken for the same reason. This is an example of the differences in the beliefs of two cultures, and the way in which what you believe affects the results you obtain from the same ingredient. Obviously, if the oil can be used in love and sex spells it can also be used in chastity spells. The same force of the universe is present, and in this case the polarity of the force is chosen by the beliefs of the person using the oil.
Olive Oil: Also corresponds to the Sun in Leo. You will find that olive oil forms the base for most of the oils which originate in the Mediterranean area. This is simply because it is the most common cooking and lamp oil found there. Olive oil is a good base oil for all positive work. It is used for spells from gambling to love and everything in between. It is particularly good for spiritual or religious work, as it receives and holds a magical charge with little difficulty. It has a naturally clear vibration, which is not subject to decay. For this reason olive oil is difficult to use in negative work or in laying curses. Olive oil is the base oil for most of the Christian “anointing oils.”
Soybean Oil: This oil is used in Chinese magical work, but I have never heard of it being specifically used as a magic oil. Perhaps some more knowledgeable reader will enlighten me.
Sunflower Oil: Also corresponds to the Sun in Leo. As the sunflower takes even its name from the Sun, it has a better chance of filling the correspondence than most of the other oils. Sunflower oil is used for much the same things as is olive oil. It is particularly good as a healing oil, and it works well as a massage or anointing oil. Sunflower oil has the ability to add “heat” to the body when used as a massage oil. This is not the heat of the menthol-based liniments, but the more subtle heat of the warmth of the sun and the life force.
Peanut Oil: This oil has a strong earth vibration. It is useful in magic as a healing oil, for money, employment, or for any form of earth magic. Peanut oil may be prayed over for the restoration of energy and vitality, and used as either a massage oil or as an anointing oil for this purpose. This is a useful bath oil for older people: a teaspoon to a tub of water is sufficient. There are better bath oils available commercially, however.
Mineral Oil: The oil commonly sold in supermarkets and drug stores is a petroleum product. It contains the virtue of the earth, but because it is a refined product of petroleum (much like vasoline, fuel oil, or even gasoline), it is used magically for its earthy vibration.
MAKING MAGIC OILS
Magic oils may be made from any plant or spice. They may also be made from other things, such as insects, stones or almost any other material desired. These oils all are a blend of the virtues of the oil and the material from which the oil is made.
To make any magic oil you need two clean bottles of approximately the same size. Wide mouth mason jars are best. Fill one of the bottles with the fresh or dried herbs from which you desire to extract the virtue. If you use fresh herbs, fill the entire bottle. Mash them up a bit, but do not pulverize fresh herbs. If you use dried herbs, fill the bottle about half full. Now pour in enough oil to cover the herbs. Cap the bottle tightly and place the bottle in a dark storage place for a week or two.
After one or two weeks have passed, fill the second bottle in the same way you filled the first one. You should use the same kind of herbs as you used with the first bottle. You should now pour the oil from the first bottle over the herbs in the second bottle. Allow all of the oil to drain from the first bottle. Again, store the bottle away for a week or two. The first batch of herbs may be discarded.
After another week or two have passed (or three to six weeks after you started the project), the oil is poured off into a clean bottle that it is to be stored in. It is now ready for your use. Again, the herbs are discarded. Some people like to keep at least some of the herbs in the bottle. If you wish to do so go right ahead. Others like to strain the oil by passing it through a cheesecloth filter. Either method is fine, as the oil will still have the virtue of the herbs. The process of the oils receiving the virtue of the herbs takes place while the herbs and oil are stored away for the “waiting period.”
Be sure and label the bottles of finished oil, and also label the bottle of herbs you are storing away while they are ageing. You should keep your oils and the mixtures of herbs and oils out of the reach of children and curious adults.
When you make oils from dried ingredients it is a good idea to shake the bottle every day to promote a more intimate contact between the herbs and the oil. This will allow the oil to receive more of the virtue of the herbs than if it just sits. You will find that it is better to use fresh herbs in your oils, but as they are sometimes unavailable, the dried herbs will do well.
SOLARIZED OILS
In the section on water there was a fairly long explanation of the uses of solarized water. Oils may be exposed to the sun in the same way that waters can. From personal experience I can testify that solarized sunflower oil is an excellent massage oil for healing muscle cramps and infirmities. If you try making solarized oil, set a pint of sunflower oil on an east windowsill so that it is exposed between sunrise and noon on the day following the new moon in Leo. If you wish, you can pray over the oil before you place it on the windowsill, for your prayer will assist the oil in gaining energy for its work.
Solarizing other oils is much a matter of prefere
nce. Should you wish to make an oil for your skin, for example, you might wish to solarize some oil at the new moon in Libra. Peanut oil seems to be the best for this, but there is some debate on the matter. One woman I know swears by the almond oil she solarizes for her own use every year.
You can solarize herbal oils for better mixing of the virtues if you wish. The best rule I have found in this regard is simply to follow the formula for any oil until you really understand just how it works.
OIL SAMPLER
The following oils are basic ones that are frequently used. You will probably find you have a different set of favorite oils, but as a start you might make up these oils to keep on hand. They are fairly simple oils whose major function is in healing. Please note that these oils are for external application only, none of them are to be taken internally. They should all be labeled clearly and kept out of reach of children and curious adults.
Basil and Almond Oil: This oil is made with fresh basil. Steep the herb with almond oil for at least two weeks. The oil is a useful massage oil for general female complaints, lower back pain, or menstrual cramps. It is massaged on the abdomen or lower back in these cases. It can also be used as a candle oil when a woman is looking for a lover or a husband.
Clove and Sunflower Oil: This oil is best when made with a tablespoon of whole cloves and an eighth of a teaspoon of ground cloves. You should use about a pint of sunflower oil to cover the cloves, and then replace the cloves after the oil sits for two weeks.
The clove/sunflower oil is good for massaging men. It will work well with general male complaints, including stiff backs. It is also a good candle oil for men in general, and is of some assistance to men who are looking for lovers, but there are better love spells for men than this one. The oil can help you protect yourself from negativity, however, and this is accomplished by placing a small dab of the oil over the breastbone after your morning shower.1 This oil may be solarized. If you place it in the sun for a few days it seems to make a better blend-to be more “vital.” I placed it in a south window after the new moon in Leo and left it for three days while on the second mix of the cloves and oil. I am quite pleased with the result.
Peanut Oil with Cloves/Benzoin: This is also a very protective blend. It is made in a manner similar to the clove/sunflower oil. Here you use peanut oil, and mix it with a pinch of ground benzoin, a tablespoon of whole cloves, and an eighth of a teaspoon of ground cloves. The result is an excellent and protective massage oil. Like the other oils, it is also good for a candle oil, and it seems to work well as a general purpose candle anointing oil.
There is a variety of colors and scents which you can add to your oils. Some stores sell “do it yourself” perfume kits and colors and scents may be added to the above oil if you desire. I used a yellow color with a mixed floral scent for peanut oil and gave it to a friend as a gift. Green color combined with a rose scent seems to make the basil/almond oil more acceptable to women to use as a massage healing oil.
A bit of experimentation is worth while if you decide to add colors and scents to oil. You might bear in mind that green seems to relate to health for most people, while red relates to love and vigor. Yellow seems to stimulate the mental processes while blue is calming. Scents are very much a personal preference, the use usually depending on what you like. Remember that the food coloring colors which work so well with water do not work at all with oils! The same goes for scents. It takes special oil-based scents to blend with oils. Experiment, but be prepared to discard a lot of unsuitable oils. You will certainly learn from the experimentation.
HOLY ANOINTING OIL
One of the most popular anointing oils has a biblical origin. This is the Holy Anointing Oil (or Moses Oil) found at Exodus 30:23-33. The original version calls for more oil than one could use in several lifetimes. The version presented here is similar to the formula from the Old Testament. This blend yields a fine anointing oil which is suitable for blessing and other work. However, it is not subject to the prohibitions mentioned in the Bible.
To make this oil you should combine the following ingredients:
5 teaspoons powdered myrrh
2½ teaspoons powdered cinnamon
2½ teaspoons powdered sweet calamus
5 teaspoons powdered cassia
Place in a two quart bottle and shake the dry ingredients together until they are well mixed. Then pour in a quart of pure olive oil and shake again. Place in the window or some other sunny place for a month or six weeks before the summer solstice. To ensure a good blend it should be shaken well at least every three days or so.
At the summer solstice or shortly thereafter the oil should be filtered, placing the oil in small covered bottles. The spices used may then be thrown out.
Cinnamon used in this oil should be purchased from someone who can guarantee that it is true cinnamon, as the Food and Drug Administration allows cassia to be sold as cinnamon. Pure Saigon cinnamon is best for this oil. If possible, purchase the ingredients from a herb and spice store that knows its sources.
The oil should be prayed over before each use. It will take the energy of a blessing very well and it is particularly good for blessing people after cleansings.
Blessing Oil
A Blessing Oil is similar to an anointing oil. It is used to carry the force of the blessing given it when it is prayed over, and it imparts that blessing to the person who is to receive it. The following is one of the finest general blessing oils which can be made. It has been used successfully to lighten and elevate people, places, and things. The oil itself has a naturally high vibration, and when it is prayed over this vibration is modified successfully by the energy of the prayer.
Take one pint of pure olive oil and add:
1 teaspoon lotus root powder
¼ teaspoon orris root powder
Shake together vigorously and place in the sunlight for a month. For best results you should shake the bottle every day to allow the ingredients to mix thoroughly. After a month it may be strained for use. If you wish you can keep the powders in the bottle, but some people find this unattractive. Remember to label the bottle and keep it out of reach of children and curious adults.
To bless someone, place a dab of oil on your finger and pray over it for the blessing which you wish to impart. Then apply the oil to the person to bless him or her. You can apply the oil wherever you wish to impart blessing—head, sternum, hands, etc.
Magnet Oil
Magnet oil or lodestone oil is used to draw things toward you. It carries the vibration of the magnet or lodestone and thus attracts things. You can find this oil in many occult or spiritual stores, but you will probably find your homemade product will work better.
You can make up a lifetime supply of magnet oil by placing a pint of mineral oil in a clear quart bottle with a wide mouth. A mason jar is fine for this purpose. Now add seven lodestones, one for each day of the week. (You can purchase lodestones at scientific supply stores, occult shops and some herb stores.) Lastly, add a quarter teaspoon “magnetic sand,” or iron filings. You are now ready to energize the magnet oil. Place the bottle in an east window or in some place where it can catch the light of the rising sun for a week or so. You can gently swish the bottle every evening to mix the ingredients thoroughly, but don't shake it as the lodestones may cause the bottle to break.
After sitting in the window for a week, you can transfer the oil to smaller amber bottles for use. The bottles should then be placed in a dark place, hidden away. Be sure that you label the bottles, as the oil has no smell or taste to show what it is, and the vibration is usually not one you will be able to identify without a bit of concentration.
To increase your money supply you might want to use magnet oil to draw money toward you. You could do this by placing a bit of magnet oil on your money before you spend it. This will act to help the money return to you. To do this, you place a drop of magnet oil on your thumb and rub it out so that the tip of your thumb is covered with it. Now rub your thumb across
all of the bills in your pocket, with a prayer that your money draw more money to you as you spend it.
Should you wish to draw a particular person into your life, you can use magnet oil to assist you in accomplishing this. You will have to take other steps as well, but the magnet oil can help. You should anoint the corners of a photograph of the person with a bit of the magnet oil, with the intention that you be able to meet the person under favorable circumstances.
Magnet oil can be used to anoint candles, and can be added to charms. You should always bear in mind that its principle is to draw things to you.
1Women should use cinnamon and olive oil.
6
Spells Using Herbs
An herb is a plant you are familiar with while a weed is a plant you do not know how to use. The plant kingdom is full of all kinds of plants that are intimate with the forces of divine creation.
The influences of various plants can be sorted in many ways—on the Tree of Life, according to astrological rulerships, or any number of methods. However, it is important to understand that classifications of usefulness are not intrinsic to the plants themselves. Plants fulfill a place in the Divine Scheme without attempting to block the will of their creator.
This chapter presents a variety of herbal spells. They are taken from many different occult or spiritual practices and they demonstrate the various ways plants may be used in magic.
ADAM AND EVE ROOT
Adam and Eve root (also known as putty root) is found in the southern United States. It has been used for many years as a love charm by blacks in the south. It is under the general rulership of Venus, with a secondary influence from Saturn. Today the root is usually purchased as a curio in occult or herb and spice shops.
Century of Spells Page 7
