Anointing oils are placed on different points of the body for the purpose of bringing us into the correct state of mind needed for magic and ritual. Certain scents are also believed to have specific effects such as increasing psychic vision. They can be purchased or you can easily make your own with simple ingredients.

You may use your favorite herbs, flowers, and essential oils and consecrate the oil for use in anointing or choose according to specific herbal correspondences such as lavender for purification and healing or mugwort for psychic ability. Below are two different techniques using herbs and essential oils.

Herbal Method: 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.

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.

Aromatherapy Method: 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 also be used for massage. 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:

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.

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 an allergic 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 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.