Hello Novices! Neroli oil or orange blossom oil is our topic for the week. Distilled from the bitter-sweet blossoms of the orange tree, orange blossom oil is by far one of the more expensive oils on the market today, mainly due to the amount of flowers required to create a decent volume of oil—some suggesting 1,000 pounds of flowers necessary to create one pound of oil. Yikes.
Historically, orange blossom oil has been used to fight the plague, reduce fevers, and stay nervousness. The name “neroli” supposedly stems from Princess Anna Maria de La Tremoille of Nerola, Italy, who is said to have had a great affinity for the orange tree and its blossoms. It is also said that in rituals meant to heal mind, body and spirit, Egyptian priests would rely heavily on orange blossom oil.
In terms of ritual, the oil can be used for joy-bringing spells—simply sniff scent to enhance mood, calm emotions, and experience a sense of euphoria. It is also said to have some effect on matters of the heart; simply add orange blossom oil to your preferred love-inducing mixture, engage it in whatever way necessary, and visualize your ideal emotional, physical and spiritual relationship with your love interest, then sit back and see what comes. Another alluring use is to add a few drops of the oil to a warm bath; supposedly it will make the bather more beautiful than they were before. Yet, above these other uses, orange blossom oil is perhaps best utilized for self-purification. Create the oil mixture outlined below, mix well, and sparingly apply mixture over heart and over your third eye, then visualize your inner and outer negativity fading away, and so it will.
Self-purification recipe:
1 Tbs apricot oil
4 drops lavender oil
2 drops eucalyptus oil
1 drop lemon oil
2 drops orange blossom oil
I look forward to hearing your experiences with orange blossom oil! It occurs to me now that we skipped our discussion on an herb, what usually fills the first week of the month, and instead talked about April’s birthstone, diamond. So, in hopes of remedying this slight oversight, next week we will be discussing the glorious, all-purpose herb chamomile. I look forward to seeing you then.
Z. Smith is a cookie connoisseur, moonlight meanderer, and aesthete at large. His work has appeared in 13 Experiments, Folio, Stone Soup Review, SLUG Magazine, Salt Lake City Weekly, and CATALYST Magazine. He earned his BA in English from The University of Utah and currently writes from a room with many plants.
Resources:
articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/neroli-oil.aspx
The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham