Magical Aromatherapy, by Scott Cunningham

The Power of Scent

SCOTT CUNNINGHAM Forewordby Robert Tisserand

Magical Aromatherapy

Magical Aromatherapy When civilization began, humans compiled aromatic knowledge into a body of lore which can be termed magical aromatherapy. Certain fragrant plants were worn or sniffed to heal the body. Flowers were utilized to attract love and to secure food and protection.

The rarest, costliest and most aromatic plants were offered in sacrifice to goddesses and gods. Though the aim was to please the deities, incense smoke also affected worshippers as well. The smoke released from burning frankincense, for instance, directly heightened the participants’ spiritual involvement in the rite.

Additionally, specific scents were utilized in magical ritual to attain the correct state of consciousness necessary to the practice of magic. Some odors also increased the human body’s physical (bioelectrical) energy which could be funneled in to ritual tasks. Other scents were discovered to be closely aligned with specific magical goals such as love, healing, psychic awareness, purification and sex, and were inhaled in conjunction with basic rituals designed to use these energies. Such practices continue today and are the origins of the scented oils and incense used in folk and ceremonial magic.

About the Author Since childhood, Scott Cunningham had been fascinated with plants and herbs. He long delighted in not only smelling flowers and leaves, but also in releasing their scents and, thus, their energies. His work with true essential oils, coupled with his background in magic and ritual ethnobotany, prompted the research and experimentation that culminated in the creation of this book.

Other Books by Scott Cunningham The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews Cunningham’s Book of Shadows Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen Cunningham’s Guide to Hawaiian Magic & Spirituality Dreaming the Divine Earth, Air, Fire and Water Earth Power Hawaiian Magic & Spirituality Living Wicca The Magic in Food Magical Herbalism The Magical Household (with David Harrington) Spellcrafts (with David Harrington) The Truth About Witchcraft Today Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

Magical Aromatherapy The Power of Scent

Scott Cunningham

Llewellyn Publications Woodbury, Minnesota

Magical Aromatherapy. Copyright © 1989 by Scott Cunningham. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. first edition Twenty-seventh Printing, 2024 Cover design: Lisa Novak Images © Digital Vision, Digital Stock, Photodisk Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cunningham, Scott, 1956-1993 Magical aromatherapy: the power of scent /

by Scott Cunningham. p. cm. — (Llewellyn’s new age series) Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN: 978-0-87542-129-2 1. Magic. 2. Perfumes—Miscellanea. 3. Essences and essential oils—Miscellanea. I. Title. II. Series.

BF1442.P47C86 1989 133.4’3—dc20 89-38755

CIP Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to other authors’ websites and resources.

Llewellyn Publications A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 www.llewellyn.com Llewellyn is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. Printed in the United States of America