How to Make Herbal and Aromatherapy Anointing Oils

Place fresh or dried herbs of choice in a glass jar almost to the rim. Cover with pure olive oil. Put the lid on and store for a week in a cool dark place. Strain with linen, very fine cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Discard used herbs or add them to your compost.

Pour the oil in a jar filled with the same type of herbs and repeat this process as many times as you wish to get the desired strength. Add 10 percent wheat germ oil as a preservative (nearly 5 teaspoons for every 8 ounces). Store in dark glass.

If the herbs are very dry, they might soak up the oil quickly. Check the jar once or twice during the week to see if you need to add extra oil.

You will need to make a carrier (or base) oil to hold the essential oils as most of them are too strong to be used directly on the skin. This carrier oil as well as the above herbal oil can serve double duty as massage oils. If you intend to use it for this purpose, keep in mind that the amount of essential oils may need to be diluted depending on your preference and the strength of the essential oil you choose. This is a basic recipe for carrier oil that I used for years as a massage therapist:

1. Combine equal parts sweet almond and grapeseed oils with 10 percent wheat germ oil as a preservative. You may substitute vitamin E oil for the wheat germ. This comes as an oil by itself or you can open a vitamin E capsule with a sterilized needle or scissors.


2. For every 2 ounces of base oil add between 15-20 drops essential oil. Lavender, rosemary, frankincense, and myrrh are all popular oils to use. Herbal correspondences would also apply to essential oils.

Aromatherapy is an art in itself. I suggest finding a good reference book. Some of my favorites are any titles by Shirley Price and The Essential Oils Book: Creating Personal Blends for Mind & Body by Colleen K. Dodt. For magical purposes, Scott Cunningham's Magical Aromatherapy is also a good resource.

Take care in using any herbs or essential oils. As with anything you put on your skin, they may cause a reaction.

Oils such as jojoba, avocado or hazelnut can be used as substitutes or along with the other base oils. I prefer grapeseed above others because it is generally inexpensive and very light in texture.

Benzoin tincture or essential oil may also be used as a preservative, although I have never tried it. I prefer to make smaller batches with wheat germ oil as the preservative, and I have never had a problem with the oils going off too quickly.

You may use your anointing oils by simply dabbing some on your forehead and wrists. A more elaborate blessing can be done by placing oil on each of the chakra points along with both the hands and feet while reciting a favorite prayer or chanting before meditation and ritual.

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Opening photo credit: Dimitri Neyt, Wikimedia Commons.