Essential Oil – Cypress

Botanical name: Cupressus sempervirens

Color: Medium amber

Consistency: Medium-thin

Perfumery note: Base

Related Planets/Deities: Saturn/Hades/Persephone/Underworld deities

Aroma: Dense yet understated; an earthy, mossy, fresh evergreen scent

Energetic Properties: Transitional, creating awareness.

Aromatherapy Properties: A pale yellow to greenish-olive mobile liquid with a smoky, sweet-balsamic, tenacious odor. It blends well with ambrette seed, cedarwood, clary sage, cardamom seed, pine, lavender, mandarin, lemon, Roman chamomile, labdanum, juniper, benzoin, bergamot, orange, marjoram, and sandalwood. Cypress is a tall evergreen tree native to the eastern Mediterranean where its longstanding use has been adopted by many cultures throughout the world.

Spiritual Uses: Long associated with the dead, funerary rites, and the passage between this world and the next. Cypress is said to be helpful for those who are grieving or experiencing a major life change. It can aid in stabilizing and processing emotions. It has long been associated with sorcery, and is known as a good base for magickal protection blends. In Chinese medicine, Cypress is known for helping Qi to circulate.

Blends well with: Cypress combines well with other woody scents, such as Cedarwood, Pine, and Sandalwood, to both relax and focus the mind. It also blends nicely with some floral scents, such as Rose, to assist in dealing with grieving or life changes.

History: The oldest living Cypress today stands in Iran, and is several thousand years old. Indeed, these trees have very long lifespans and ancient souls. Cypress has long been associated with transformation and change, symbolizing a passing from one world to another. Greek mythology associates Cypress with Hades, the ruler of the underworld, and in Ancient Egypt, Cypress was used to make caskets for Pharaohs. In the Middle Ages, the doors of cathedrals were carved from Cypress. Its woody and masculine scent is now used in men’s products such as aftershaves and colognes.