Magical oils are oils that have been created with a specific intent or purpose in mind—for cooking, healing, or spiritual uses. There are many intentions and uses for magical oils, some of which we will identify in this article. We will also talk about how to easily and properly make herb infused magical oils to use in your practice. Making your own oils puts more power into them and is also more affordable over time.

How to Make Herb Infused Magical Oils:

An herbal infused magical oil has an oil base and is infused with various dried herbs over a period of time (usually 2-4 weeks). Once the infusion period is complete, the herbs are filtered or strained out of the oil. The herb-infused oil also serves as a magical oil for various intentions: love, abundance, healing, banishing, dreaming, protection, etc.

Supplies and Ingredients:

• a small glass jar with an air-tight lid (mason jars are perfect!)
• another jar or container to hold the finished oil
• cheesecloth or muslin
• an oil base (olive oil, sunflower oil, etc)
• dried herbs
• labels

Directions:

1. Fill about 1/3 of the glass jar with your dried herb(s) of choice.
2. Pour your oil base over the dried herbs—almost all the way to the top of the jar.
3. Shake the jar gently.
4. Label the jar with the oil base, herb(s) used, and the date.
5. Close the jar tightly and put it in a cabinet—preferably a cool, dark place.
6. Gently shake the jar twice a day, every day, for the next 2-4 weeks.
7. After 2-4 weeks, open the jar, place a piece of cheesecloth on top of the jar, and secure with a rubber band.
8. Strain the oil by tipping the jar over another another jar or bowl (to contain your infused oil).
9. Once most of the oil is strained out, remove the rubber band and squeeze the remaining oil out of the herbs that are in the cheesecloth.
10. Bottle the infused oil, and be sure to label and date it!

Tips for Making Magical Oils

Tip #1: Choose herbs to complement the taste or aroma of the base oil.

For instance, if you choose to use sweet almond oil as a base, choose floral and sweet-smelling herbs instead of strong culinary herbs like basil or sage.

NOTE: you should always use DRIED herb matter in your oils. If there’s any moisture in your herbs (i.e. fresh herbs) and you add it to your oils, the oil will spoil and you’ll have a stinky mess. 

Common Base Oils

• Avocado oil
• Jojoba oil (lasts the longest as far as freshness)
• Olive oil
• Sunflower oil
• Sweet almond oil
• Vegetable oil (cheapest but doesn’t last as long as others)

Common Herbs Used to Infuse Oils and Their Magical Properties:

• Basil: love, money, cleansing, banishing, hex-breaking
• Calendula: joy, healing, growth, confidence, self esteem, abundance
• Elderflower: faery magick, beauty, healing, boosting immunity, protection, life/death cycle, astral travel
• Hawthorn: faery magick, protection, astral travel, love, strength, speaking one’s mind
• Lavender: love, beauty, cleansing, dreams, sleep, happiness, lust, peace
• Mugwort: dreams, astral travel, cleansing, connection with Artemis, wisdom, luck, moon magick, protection
• Peppers: banishing of unwanted spirits and energies/warding, protection, “spicing things up”, fire element workings, burst through blockages/barriers, igniting one’s passions or magickal abilities
• Roses, rosebuds, rose hips: love, protection, beauty, faery magick, peace, friendship, astral travel and dreaming, intuition, healing
• Rosemary: cleansing, warding, protection, healing, love, money, peace, clarity, increases memory, wisdom
• Sage: cleansing, healing, wisdom, vitality, luck, protection
• Thyme: faery magick, health, beauty, increase psychic abilities, cleansing, courage, energy
• Wormwood: astral travel, spirit communication, love, protection

Tip #2: Focus on your intent when making magical oils.

If you are using herb-infused oils for magical or spiritual purposes, remember to concentrate on your intention while making the oil. Your intention and energy is what makes the oil “magical”.

Tip #3: Consider the timing.

Lunar phases play an important part in creating magical oils. For instance, if you are making a magical oil to use in money magic, make it on a new or waxing moon and bottle it at the next new or waxing moon.

Tip #4: Preservation

Contrary to popular belief, oils don’t last forever. They can and do spoil over a certain period of time. Use jojoba oil as the base and it will last the longest! Add a few drops of Vitamin E oil to your magical oils to preserve them, as well. In addition, you should keep your oils in a cool, dry place like a pantry or kitchen cabinet. 

How to Use Herb Infused Oils in Magic

There are many magical uses for herb infused oils and essential oils. Magical oils are used to charge, empower, dress, and consecrate spiritual and magical tools and items.

Common Magical Uses:

• Anointing your altar
• Anointing your tools
• Anointing yourself for meditation and ritual
• Anointing your home to cleanse or protect.
• Dressing candles
• Food for mojo bags, nation sacks, spell bags, etc.

In a Pinch? Mix Essential Oils!

If you’re in a magical pinch and don’t have time to make herb infused oils, essential oils work just as well and are easy to attain. If you already have essential oils on hand, mix two or more together for the desired effect, scent, etc. For example, if you want to ease anxiety before an interview, mix lavender essential oil with lemongrass essential oil then dab it onto your wrists. If you need a banishing oil to dress a candle, rub cinnamon essential oil from the top of the candle to the bottom and all around it.

DIY Money Oil Recipe for Candle Spells

What You’ll Need:

• glass jar with air-tight lid
• olive oil (or any other base oil you have on-hand)
• dried basil
• dried mint
• cinnamon (powder or chips)
• vitamin e oil (to preserve)

How to Make the Money Oil Recipe:

1. Fill the air-tight jar with equal parts basil, mint, and cinnamon three quarters of the way full.
2. Pour olive oil over the herbs until the jar is almost filled to the top with oil.
3. Add a few drops of vitamin E oil (a preservative).
4. Close the jar and shake it gently.
5. Put it in a dark, cool, dry place.
6. Every day for two weeks shake the jar.
7. After two weeks, strain the herbs and powders out of the oil.
8. Bottle/jar it back up and label it “Money Oil”.
9. Anoint candles, your wallet, money, tools, and anything else to draw money to you!

DIY Cleansing Oil for Candle Magic and MORE

Cleansing oils are important for candle magic to remove negativity from a household or from an individual. You’ll follow the same routine as the money oil recipe above, but the ingredients should be different. If you substitute for the ingredients, choose herbs with purification, exorcism, or banishing properties.

What You’ll Need:

• glass jar with air-tight lid
• olive oil (or any other carrier oil you have on-hand)
• dried rosemary
• culinary sage (dried)
• dried rue (test a bit against your skin to see if you’re allergic – rue makes some people break out. If you are allergic to rue, wear gloves when handling OR substitute with a different herb)
• vitamin E oil (to preserve)

How to Make the Cleansing Oil Recipe for Candle Magic:

1. Fill the air-tight jar with equal parts rosemary, sage and rue halfway to the top.
2. Pour olive oil over the herbs until the jar is almost filled to the top with oil.
3. Add a few drops of vitamin E oil (a preservative).
4. Close the jar and shake it gently.
5. Put it in a dark, cool, dry place.
6. Every day for two weeks shake the jar.
7. After two weeks, strain the herbs and powders out of the oil.
8. Bottle/jar it back up and label it “Cleansing Oil”.
9. Anoint candles, thresholds and windows, your car, etc. to cleanse of negativity.

Midsummer Fairy Magical Oils Recipe

Here is one of my favorite magical oils recipes (one of my staple herb infused oils) that I want to share with you all.

Ingredients:

• Sweet almond oil
• Lavender flowers
• Elderflowers
• Hawthorn leaves and flowers
• Thyme

Instructions:

1. On a waxing moon, fill a jar 1/3 of the way with the dried herbs.
2. Cover the herbs with the sweet almond oil, filling the jar almost to the top.
3. Shake gently and label with the oil base, herbs, and date of creation.
4. Put away in dark, cool place for a month, shaking gently everyday.
5. On the next waxing moon, strain the herbs out of the oil and label the new bottle with the date and ingredients.

PLEASE NOTE: You must research all herbs before working with them. Some herbs are unsafe to consume, some herbs are unsafe to use topically, some are unsafe to burn/diffuse, etc.

More Oil and Powder Recipes:

• Magical Home Protection Powders & Threshold Magic