Mermaid Oil: A Sea Witch’s Recipe for Ocean Potion

Mermaid oil, (aka “ocean potion”) is a ritual oil specifically used in sea witch magic to evoke the Element of Water.

And it’s super easy to make!  If you love learning how to combine essential oils to create unique aromas, mermaid oil is a relaxing evening or weekend project.

Below, I listed a few tried and true versions.  But you need not get caught up in specifics.  There’s no one way to make ocean potion.  Experiment and make these recipes your own. 

What is mermaid oil?

Mermaid oil’s fanciful name hints at its ritual purpose.

Much like the watered-down version of fairies we find in Disney productions, the cutesy Little Mermaid image of these mythical, half-human sea creatures obscures the truly dark nature of the traditional lore from which they originate.

In fact, oceanic European folktales often portray mermaids as murderous sea temptresses.  The siting of one often signaled trouble on the frothy waters of the high seas.

So for the purpose of ritual, we use mermaid oil to embody the complex, somewhat tumultuous nature of the Element of Water.

The essence of water in modern witchcraft is emotion—todos of the feels.

Think of the way water behaves in nature.  Sometimes, it trickles soothingly from a gentle stream or patters lightly on the rooftop.  Sometimes, it rains down in torrential downpours or collides in great sea storms with a terrifying fury.

This acts as a perfect metaphor for emotional life.

When and how to use it.

Once you perfect your favorite version of mermaid oil, consider using it in any of the following ways:

Empower sea witch rituals.  Of course, mermaid oil makes an appropriate addition to almost any sea witch ritual.  Add a few drops to a sea witch ritual bath, add it to a spell jar or anoint your sea witch altar with it.

Sooth or quiet difficult feelings.  Naturally, this is a very different thing from suppressing o avoiding difficult feelings.  But if you find yourself struggling to settle stirred up emotional turmoil, consider anointing a candle with mermaid oil and spending sometime meditating on the flame as it burns down.

Inspire insight.  Whether you struggle with writer’s block or you need to think of a clever way to get your toddler to stop drawing on the walls, use mermaid oil to help reestablish a sense of “flow” in stale thoughts.  Boil a pot of water on the stove with a few drops of ocean potion to loosen mental blockages and break free from cyclic ideas.

Liberate yourself.  The free-flowing nature of wonder symbolizes the liberty of the human spirit.  If you feel trapped or boxed in by your circumstances, use this ritual oil in spells to break free of those restraints look outside the proverbial box for answers.

Notes & Tips

-If you plan to apply oil directly to skin or use it in your bathwater, be cautious about allergies and definitely dilute it with a carrier oil, like olive or jojoba.

-These recipes easily double, triple, ect.  Just be sure to continually smell test them as you go up in batch size.

-If you go “nose blind” (the phenomenon when everything starts to smell the same after a while of inhaling aceites esenciales), try smelling coffee grounds in between sniffs to clear your olfactory senses.

-Consider storing your mermaid oil in a blue or turquoise bottle to enhance its symbolic association with the Element of Water.

3 Recipes for Mermaid Oil

(Please note:  For your convenience, I included several affiliate links.  Read more about Moody Moon’s affiliate linking policy on the disclosure page).

Below, I listed 3 basic recipes for mermaid oil/ocean potion.  But as always, I encourage to come up with your own, unique formulas.

Low Tide Oil Mermaid Oil

This soothing blend helps to settle emotional turmoil and calm the rough waters of the mind.

-4 drops romero o eucalyptus oil

-3 drops aceite esencial de lavanda 

-2 drops lemongrass  essential oil

-2 drops spearmint essential oil

Sun Splashed Beach Mermaid Oil

This blend works well for clearing mental blockages and inspiring insight.

-5 drops lemon essential oil

-5 drops orange essential oil

-3 drops aceite esencial de enebro

-3 drops aceite esencial de lavanda

-2 drops aceite esencial de hierba limón

High Seas Mermaid Oil

Use this blend to evoke power and embolden sea witch rituals.

-6 drops cedarwood essential oil

-4 drops frankincense essential oil

-2 drops orange essential oil

-2 drops lemon essential oil