Mixing Essential Oils for Magic: Aromatic Alchemy for Personal Blends (7 page)

As previously mentioned, folk names for plants can often generate a lot confusion. For this reason, it is important to check the Latin (genus and species) names when purchasing essential oils. This way you will be sure of getting the right oil and working with the correct botanical family. In addition, it’s a good idea to label your bottles of essential oils with their respective family names. Over time, as you accumulate more oils, this will make it easier when you gather them for blending.

As the name implies with the botanical family method, choose all of your oils to make a blend from one family. Table 3.2 is a listing by botanical family of the essential oils covered in this book. Although we are going to explore only a few of these families, this listing provides an overview of how some of the oils are related to each other. Although I stress the need to check and become familiar with botanical names especially when purchasing oils, I have used the plants’ most widely-used common names in the lists and tables throughout this book to make it easier to use. The oils are listed by these common names in the profiles of Section Two where you will also find their botanical names.

Table 3.2 Essential Oils by Botanical Family

Annonaceae

cananga, ylang-ylang

Apieceae

angelica, anise, caraway, carrot, celery, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel

(
bitter & sweet
), galbanum, lovage, parsley

Aristolochiaceae

snakeroot

Asteraceae

chamomile (
German & Roman
), helichrysum, mugwort, tagetes,

tarragon, yarrow

Betulaceae

birch

40 Blending by Botanical Family

Table 3.2 Essential Oils by Botanical Family (continued)

Burseraceae

elemi, frankincense, myrrh, opopanax

Cistaceae

labdanum

Cupressaceae

cedarwood (
Virginia
), cypress, juniper

Geraniaceae

geranium

Hamamelidaceae

storax

Lamiaceae

basil, catnip, clary sage, hyssop, lavandin, lavender (
spike & true
),

lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, patchouli, peppermint, rosemary,

sage (
common & Spanish
), savory (
summer & winter
), spearmint
Lauraceae

bay, camphor, cassia, cinnamon, litsea

Magnoliaceae

star anise

Moraceae

hops

Myrtaceae

allspice, cajeput, clove, eucalyptus (
blue gum & lemon
), myrtle,

niaouli, tea tree

Myristicaceae

nutmeg

Oleaceae

jasmine

Pinaceae

cedarwood (
Atlas
), fir (
balsam & silver
), pine, spruce

Piperaceae

pepper

Poaceae

citronella, lemongrass (
East Indian & West Indian
), palmarosa,

vetiver

Rosaceae

rose (
Damask & Maroc
)

Rutaceae

amyris, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, neroli, orange

(
bitter & sweet
), petitgrain

Santalaceae

sandalwood

Styracaceae

benzoin

Usneaceae

oakmoss

Valeriananceae

spikenard, valerian

Zingiberaceae

cardamom, galangal, ginger, turmeric

Getting Started with Botanical Family Blending

We are going to explore the botanical families that contain enough members to create various blends. These are the
Apiaceae
,
Asteraceae
,
Lamiaceae
,
Myrtaceae,
and
Rutaceae
fami-Blending by Botanical Family 41

lies. In addition, we will move up the botanical hierarchy to the order
Pinales
and look at a combination of the
Cupressaceae
and
Pinaceae
families.

When working with smaller groups of oils as we are in this chapter, it is often not possible to select ingredients that all have a direct association with a single intention. However, you will find that it is not always necessary. Using the
Apiaceae
(parsley) family as an example, let’s say you want to create a blend to aid in dream work. You might choose caraway and anise oils, which are associated with dream work, and then add coriander, which is associated with stimulation. In this situation, coriander will stimulate your dream work, adding a boost to your main intention. If you are using dream work for divination you could use these same three oils as coriander and anise are also associated with divination.

Using this approach is especially helpful when working with the
Myrtaceae
(myrtle) family where many of the intentions and powers only have one associated oil. For example, if you are working toward a new job you might consider blending these oils: tea tree for confidence, niaouli for determination, and clove for success. Using indirect associations is also instrumental with other correspondences such as the zodiac if you want to create a sabbat blend. At first this approach may seem less focused, however, it can actually boost your purpose by incorporating different vibrational energies related to the primary intention. In the long run, it is your energy and intention that focuses your power and purpose.

Also, working this way can help us learn how to strengthen our magical practices.

In addition to learning about the particular physical distinctions of each family, the following sections provide details on which members within a family blend particularly well together. This is provided to help you get started with selecting oils but should not inhibit you from other combinations.

Once you have made your decision and purchased the oils, set up your work space and

follow the steps for mixing and assessing blends as outlined in Chapter 2. As with all the methods that follow in this book, it is the selection process that varies. The actual blending and assessing procedures remain the same.

The
Apieceae
Family

Before plant names were standardized, this family was known as
Umbelliferae
and informally as the parsley or carrot family. As you can see, many familiar vegetables, herbs, and spices are members of this family. The physical commonality of plants in this family are the canal-like spaces where essential oil is stored. The most important powers that these plants share are cycles and renewal. Of the oils covered in this book, the plants in this fam-42 Blending by Botanical Family

ily include angelica, anise, caraway, carrot, celery, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, galbanum, lovage, and parsley. While these oils blend nicely with each other, there are some that work particularly well together:

angelica: coriander

anise: caraway, coriander, dill, fennel

caraway: anise, carrot, coriander, dill

carrot: caraway, coriander, cumin

celery: coriander, lovage

coriander: angelica, anise, caraway, carrot, celery, dill, parsley

cumin: carrot, dill, galbanum, parsley

dill: anise, caraway, coriander, cumin

fennel: anise, parsley

galbanum: cumin, lovage

lovage: celery, galbanum

parsley: coriander, cumin, fennel

The
Asteraceae
Family

In the past this botanical family was called
Compositae
and informally it is known as the aster or sunflower family. This is the second largest family of flowering plants with members dispersed all over the world and in widely diverse regions. Members of the
Asteraceae
family are characterized by aster or daisy-like flower heads that are comprised of many tiny florets giving the appearance of a single flower. This gives these plants the power of attraction. The family members included in this book are the chamomiles, helichrysum, mugwort, tagetes, tarragon, and yarrow. While these oils blend nicely with each other, chamomile tends to blend exceptionally well with all of the others.

chamomile (
German
): mugwort, tagetes, tarragon

chamomile (
Roman
): helichrysum, mugwort, tarragon, yarrow

helichrysum: chamomile (
Roman
)

mugwort: chamomile

tagetes: chamomile (
German
)

tarragon: chamomile

yarrow: chamomile (
Roman
)

Blending by Botanical Family 43

The
Lamiaceae
Family

This was once called the
Labiatae
family and is informally known as the mint or nettle family.
Lamiaceae
has the highest number of aromatic plants. Their distinguishing physical characteristics include squarish, four-sided stems, and irregular-shaped, two-lipped flowers. These plants love warm places and all have some known healing application. The important powers attributed to this family are the ability to deal with change and to increase vitality.

Of the oils covered in this book, the plants in this family include basil, catnip, clary sage, hyssop, lavandin, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, peppermint, spearmint, oregano, patchouli, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme. While the oils in this family blend nicely with each other, there are some that go together particularly well:

basil: hyssop, spearmint

catnip: peppermint

clary sage: hyssop, patchouli, sage

hyssop: basil, clary sage, lavender (
true
)

lavandin: sage (
common
), savory (
summer
), spearmint

lavender (
true
): hyssop, lemon balm, peppermint, sage (
Spanish
)

lavender (
spike
): oregano, patchouli

lemon balm: lavender (
true
), savory (
winter
), thyme

marjoram: peppermint, thyme

oregano: lavender (
spike
), rosemary

patchouli: clary sage, lavender (
spike
)

peppermint: catnip, lavender (
true
), marjoram

rosemary: oregano, savory

sage (
common
): clary sage, lavandin

sage (
Spanish
): clary sage, lavender (
true
)

savory (
summer
): lavandin, rosemary

savory (
winter
): lemon balm, rosemary

spearmint: basil, lavandin

thyme: lemon balm, marjoram

44 Blending by Botanical Family

The
Myrtaceae
Family

Commonly known as the myrtle family,
Myrtaceae
does not have an older scientific name.

Members of this family grow in the tropical zones of every continent. Although these plants are diverse, their common physical characteristics include hard wood and thick, evergreen leaves dotted with oil glands. In addition, these plants produce sugary fruit and/

or pungent spices. The
Myrtaceae
family is comprised of strong plants that have learned to survive and flourish under challenging conditions. As a result, their most important powers include determination and strength.

Of the oils covered in this book, the plants in this family include allspice, cajeput, clove, eucalyptus, myrtle, niaouli, and tea tree. While these oils blend nicely with each other, there are some that go together particularly well:

allspice: clove

cajeput: eucalyptus (
blue gum
), niaouli

clove: allspice, myrtle, tea tree

eucalyptus (
blue gum
): cajeput, niaouli

eucalyptus (
lemon
): niaouli

myrtle: clove, niaouli

niaouli: cajeput, eucalyptus, myrtle, tea tree

tea tree: clove, niaouli

The
Rutaceae
Family

Rutaceae
is commonly known as the rue or orange/citrus family. The plants in this family grow in mild tropical regions and have compound leaves with oil cell reservoirs that appear as dots in certain light. A distinguishing characteristic is their white flowers that grow in a symmetrical star shape. These plants produce delicious, succulent fruit. The most important powers of this botanical family are confidence, strength, and well-being.

Of the oils covered in this book, the plants in this family include amyris, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, neroli, orange, and petitgrain. While these oils blend nicely with each other, there are some that go together particularly well:

amyris: petitgrain

bergamot: grapefruit, neroli, petitgrain

grapefruit: bergamot, lemon, lime

lemon: grapefruit, lime, neroli

Blending by Botanical Family 45

lime: lemon, grapefruit, orange (
sweet
)

mandarin: neroli, orange

neroli: bergamot, lemon, mandarin, orange (
sweet
)

orange (
bitter
): mandarin

orange (
sweet
): lime, mandarin, neroli

petitgrain: amyris, bergamot

The
Pinales
Order

Going up the hierarchy of botanical nomenclature, we can use the order
Pinales
, which contains the
Cupressaceae
(cypress) and
Pinaceae
(pine) families for a botanical blending group. The physical distinction for members of the
Pinales
order is that they are conifers, or cone-bearing plants. The most important powers of these woody trees and shrubs are growth, healing, protection, and the ability to connect with spirits, especially woodland spirits.

Of the oils covered in this book, the plants in this group from the
Cupressaceae
family: cedarwood (
Virginia
), cypress, juniper, and from the
Pinaceae
family: cedarwood (
Atlas
), fir, pine, spruce. Although you can’t go wrong with almost any combination of these oils, some are particularly good together:

cedarwood (
Atlas
): cypress, fir (
balsam
), juniper, spruce