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
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
