Aromatherapy Oils

Aromatic Oils & Magick: A guide to their use in Magick, Healing and Perfumery by Ray Sherwin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ray Sherwin is one of the big deals when it comes t the realm of chaos magick. This work is what I would call effective but in a more medicinal way. Not really a how to book or how to use oils for magic spells but rather how to use essential oils for perfumery and healing. That is what this book is all about. It is about aromatherapy.

I way it is sort of like a travelogue based on oils. Born in 1952, in England Ray had the pleasure of working for Scientology, Morton Press and finally as an Aroma therapist. In Leeds is here he opened up his shop. How did he get into this? Well the story starts off with Patchouli. Originally it was used to line or pack in with shawls rom India. The clothes were sprinkled with stuff and that is how you could tell if what you got was from India, that Patchouli smell. Eventually counterfeiters figured it out and started adding patchouli leaves or oil. It is also known as an aphrodisiac because it depresses the sympathetic nervous system. It is also good for skin infections like eczema and cuts. Patchouli was also used by hippies.
Ry then goes to write on how labdanum came from scything roses in Africa. Laudanum had lots of uses in Egypt and even helped a dynasty rise to power. Next we learn about the disinfectant properties of Frankincense and that there is a male and female version. The female version is softer and chewier and used for internal problem. His travels to Egypt take him t the Khan Khalili Bizarre where we learn about Musk oil, Civet oil and Ambergris, the three ingredients to Crowley’s Ruthvah formula.
After enjoying his travelogue consider the health information on the seed oils we use and how harmful they are. He advises using fractionated coconut oil. Ray has a lot of backlash for the pharmaceutical companies and the governments especially on how they promote dangerous drugs over herbs that are heling and beneficial. In the back you will find various uses for different essential oils matches to the ailment. There is also a description on how the oils are made. For a good base work on essential oils this book is a great starter.



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