Hekate Oil from Alchemy Works

Hekate with her torches Hekate The Saffron-Robed
Myrrh, tobacco, cypress, lots of Earth smells (for the Underworld), and saffron (one of the names applied in an Orphic hymn to Hekate is Krokopeplos / "Saffron-Robed") scent this oil and are typically associated with this goddess, but I wanted to focus on her necromantic aspects. To sweeten the myrrh a little and to help in terms of raising spirits, I chose opoponax, with its associations with Pluto and Scorpio, the sign of secrets. As a signifier of the baneful plants connected with Hekate, I chose (nicotine-free) tobacco absolute. I mellowed it and gave it some musky depth with other botanicals. There's a lot of cypress, Hekate's sacred tree, in this oil, but I also wanted to gesture towards the fruitfulness of Hekate--the outcome of magical work done in her name. I don't see this fruit as plump and sweet--not the kind of thing that will have juice running down your chin--but instead somewhat dry and tart with a slight wine flavor, like an old-fashioned winter storage apple. I craft that scent from earthy galbanum (which is strongest when the oil is first applied) and other essential oils with either earthy or winey, apple-like smells. The saffron's warmth and color remind me of the torches that Hekate uses to guide us to and from the Underworld. Saffron has a fiery aspect, but it is a strange fire, which I think suits Hekate just fine. I designed the oil over two New Moons and feel that I managed to incorporate some of that energy without duplicating my Dark of the Moon oil. I hope that this oil will aid you in your work with this very old and powerful goddess. I am now packaging this oil in a clear bottle with a glass applicator rod. Top

Uses in Witchcraft & Magick:

Working with Spirits
Journeying to the Underworld
Necromancy
Honoring Hekate as Guide

Using Magick Oils