Essential Oil – Frankincense

Botanical name: Boswellia carterii

Color: Clear/light yellow

Consistency: Thin

Perfumery note: Top

Related Planets/Deities: Sun/Ra/Dagon (fish God of the Philistines)/Apollo

Aroma: Complex, ethereal, penetrating, fresh and slightly woody

Energetic Properties: Regal, divine, fundamentally spiritual

Aromatherapy Properties: A pale yellow or greenish mobile liquid with a fresh, terpene-like top note and a rich, warm, sweet-balsamic undertone. It blends well with sandalwood, pine, vetiver, geranium, lavender, mimosa, neroli, bergamot, camphor, basil, pepper, cinnamon and other spices. It also modifies the sweetness of citrus blends in an intriguing way. 

Spiritual Uses: Frankincense has a very long history of magickal and spiritual use, and is mentioned in countless religious texts. It is believed to accelerate and aid in spiritual growth. It is often used to purify ritual spaces, induce a spiritual mindset, and connect human beings to the spirit world. It is also used to protect against negative energy and black magick. Frankincense is prized as an invaluable aid to meditation and prayer and is thought to encourage states of transcendent awareness. Frankincense’s nature is to strenghthen our awareness of our own inner light. 

Blends well with: Other woody or resinous oils, such as Cedarwood, Pine, and Sandalwood to make an earthy, contemplative blend. Frankincense also blends well with citrus oils such as Bergamot or Sweet/Bitter Orange in a lovely, curious way. A particularly potent and well-known spiritual blend is made by combining Frankincense and Myrrh.

History: Frankincense has been traded in the Middle East and northern Africa for 5,000 years. It was revered by the ancient Egyptians, and mentioned a total of 22 times in the Bible. Frankincense was supposedly one of the gifts brought by the Three Wise Men to the baby Jesus, along with gold and Myrrh. It is used for sacred rites and rituals by many different faiths and cultures, including the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Roman-Catholic Churches.