What is an Anointing Oil & its Uses in Witchcraft

Anointing oil is sacred oil, blessed and charged and specially formulated for the purposes of sanctifying or elevating the energy of sacred objects or people in the service of a higher purpose.

Origins of Anointing in Different Cultures

The practice in the West seems to come from the Hebrew tradition of anointing priests and later kings and prophets with sacred, fragrant oil set aside for the purpose and forbidden for mundane or profane use. Reportedly, this oil was traditionally made from myrrh, cassia, cinnamon and olive oil with a fifth ingredient that scholars cannot agree upon, but many suspect was calamus.

The oil was poured over the head or body of the person to be anointed to mark them as sacred and set apart from thenceforward.

In Christian practice, anointing oil is used much more frequently. Historically the sick were anointed with sacred oil to bring them to the attention of God and encourage healing. Today, children may be anointed at baptism with a dab of oil drawn on their forehead in the sacred oil.

In many European-based magickal practices, anointing oil marks a person who has cleansed themselves in preparation for magickal ritual and/or to come into the presence of the Gods. Anointing magical tools to mark them for magical use only is also a popular ritual.

Many magic-users prefer to create their own oil blends for this purpose, but Abramelin oil is popular, even without the traditions that hold it sacred, and very close to the ancient Hebrew recipe (Abramelin was Jewish after all).

In Hoodoo and Conjure, anointing oil is used specifically the anoint people while Dressing Oil is used for objects. These oils are often Condition oils, meant to help relieve or improve a specific condition, that is, lift a specific hex, blockage or other ussye.

Thus, anointing them with the oil may be part of a ritual to attract love or luck or to send away a bothersome person or bad luck. Rather than a small part of the ritual, a little dab with the finger, anointing oils in Hoodoo practice may be a central part of the magical treatment and involve a full-body anointing, or just anointing of a specific body part, depending on the condition of the person receiving the treatment.

How to use an anointing oil? Its magickal uses

To dress a candle

You can make a small amount of oil by mixing a tablespoon of carrier oil with two drops of essential oil.

Enchant the oil by visualizing your purpose and then spread it onto the candle using your fingers.

When doing so, remember to follow the appropriate verse based on the type of spell you are dedicating yourself to: in the case of attraction spells (of love, wealth, luck, specific themes), start from the tip of the candle where the wick is and grease it with two fingers until you reach the middle, then repeat the same thing starting from the bottom, until you reach the center.

If, however, you are doing a distancing spell, proceed exactly in reverse: from the center upwards, and then from the center downwards.

Enrich and anoint talismans and objects

I also use oils to empower herbal bags, to anoint talismans or specific objects.

A drop of lavender oil on the wrists and temples reduces stress and anxiety, while a little basil oil will be perfect for rituals dedicated to wealth. Finally, diluted in almond oil, they are my unbeatable allies during massages and shamanic treatments.

If the idea of ​​using oily preparations doesn’t appeal to you, you could try another application: ointments.

In the magical field, when we talk about ointments, the so-called “flight ointments” immediately come to mind, i.e. those ointments based on psychotropic herbs which, in contact with the skin and mucous membranes, induced a state of hallucination in which one had, among other things, the impression of “flying”.

Obviously, the idea of ​​using these herbs is out of the question today, but ointments remain a convenient way to benefit from the power of the plant when, for example, it is not possible to fumigate with incense.

Of course, we must be careful to only use herbs that do not have a dangerous effect on our health.

Making anointing oil

As I said before, an ointment is created by mixing herbs or oils with a fatty material.

As a fat, I really love coconut oil: it is very fragrant, lasts over time and “melts” well upon contact with the heat of the skin. In fact, below 25 degrees, it becomes solid: so in winter it can be stored wherever you want, while in summer it must be kept in the fridge.

The only disadvantage is its rather strong odor which, especially if pure essential oils are not used, can significantly cover or interfere with the scent of the preparation.

The advantage of ointments is that they can always be carried with you without the risk of breaking and spilling bottles of oil or mixes of herbs and resins in your bag.

Furthermore, if composed of medicinal herbs, they can be spread on the body to combine the magical effect with the therapeutic one on a physical level.

Method 1: from oil

• 1 part beeswax
• 3 parts of base oil enriched with essential oil (a few drops are enough), or oleolite

Heat the beeswax in a bain-marie, add the carrier oil enriched with essential oil or with oleolite, mixing well. To keep the product longer, you can also add a few drops of pure vitamin E.

Note: if you use coconut oil, you can further reduce the amount of beeswax as, as already written, this tends to solidify rather easily.

Method 2: from dried herbs

If you don’t have ready-made oleolite or essential oils, you can start with dried herb.

In this case you need to heat the carrier oil without letting it boil, then add the herb, and continue heating it without burning the mixture until it has absorbed the scent. indicatively it could take at least half an hour.

Once the perfumed oil has been prepared, it is filtered and added to the beeswax following the procedure detailed above.

Note: Be careful not to boil the oil, or you risk burning the herbs and your hands with them!

Once prepared, the ointment must be charged as you would any other magical preparation.

Conclusion

Beyond recipes and doses, experience reigns supreme in this field: so take the time to experiment with different oils, different preparation methods and different recipes. Let your intuition guide you (but don’t overdo it…in other articles you can read some of my experiences on the matter) to experiment with new blends and uses.

Remember that plants are alive, so when you choose to work with them, you must ask for their permission. That’s the best way to create amazing powerful oils from a place of connection and respect of the elements.

See also Dressing oil