Essential Oil – Ylang Ylang Extra

Botanical name: Cananga odorata

Color: Pale yellow/amber

Consistency: Medium-thin

Perfumery note: Base/middle

Related Planets/Deities: Venus/Aphrodite/Cupid

Aroma: Floral, yet mellow, slightly spicy, deep, rich

Energetic Properties: Romantic, freeing, flowing, empathetic, inspiring

Aromatherapy Properties: Ylang Ylang Extra is prized for its amazing floral top notes and is considered the crown jewel of the Ylang Ylang level. A pale yellow, oily liquid with a rich, slightly spicy, floral-balsamic, bourbon-like scent, with depth and richness. It blends well with bergamot, cinnamon, jasmine, labdanum, mimosa, opoponax, Peru balsam, rose, rosewood, tuberose, vetiver, and others. Ylang-Ylang means ‘Flower of Flowers’ and is an exotic, aphrodisiac floral. It is excellent to tone down the sweetness of high-floral blends.

Spiritual Uses: A lush, floral oil, Ylang Ylang extra is often used in sex magick and love spells. A Venus scent par excellence, it is very appropriate for use in Faerie magick. Ylang Ylang Extra may be very helpful for those seeking healthy relationships, both spiritual and romantic.

Blends well with: Bergamot, Sandalwood, Rose, Rosewood, Jasmine, and Cinnamon.

History: Ylang Ylang has a long history of use in the Far East, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines. Ylang Ylang oil was burned by Muslim women to scent harems (an oft misunderstood name for the woman’s section of the home), and In Indonesia, Ylang Ylang flowers are traditionally strewn on the bed of a newlywed couple. Ylang Ylang was also placed in wooden clothes chests to scent and purify the robes of bureaucrats in Imperial China. Today, it is used in a number of popular perfumes, including Chanel No. 5.