The Art of Elemental Anointing: Restoring Balance Through Alchemical Aromatics

Hermetic arts, the path of the Myrrhophore, what alchemical elements actually are, and how to anoint yourself for balance - this is a high value one, folks

Photo by mrjn Photography on Unsplash

The act of anointing—applying sacred oils to the body with intention—is among humanity’s oldest ritual practices. From the chrism of ecclesiastical tradition to the abhyanga of Ayurvedic medicine, anointing represents a bridge between the material and spiritual realms.

Anointing is a soul-to-soul transmission of frequency from plant to human.

Sacred aromatics, including anointing, are central to my spiritual path and the way I practice healing arts. For those who are newer here: I first started working with sacred aromatics and energy medicine in an intentional way during the 1990s (embracing my age, folks).

Now, as a…
professionally trained botanical perfumer (I’ve graduated from the Natural Perfumery Institute and studied with Mindy Green and Roxanna Villa),
clinically certified aromatherapist (got that 610-hour certification),
spiritual alchemist (decades of formal study here, too),
plant communicator,
and “professional anointer” (can I make that a thing?)…
I have devoted decades to understanding how aromatic molecules interface with human consciousness. (My crazy bio is here if you want the full rundown.)

My work draws deeply from the Hermetic alchemical tradition, planetary correspondences, intuitive plant communication, and the sacred path of the Myrrhophore.

In celebration of my new elemental anointing oils — which represent a convergence of these lineages, formulated as both spiritual perfume oils and ceremonial tools for restoring elemental balance within the human energy system — I thought I’d share a bit more about the magic of anointing with everyone.

This is a good one, if I do say so myself ;)

The Hermetic Foundation: As Above, So Below

Western alchemy, rooted in Hermetic philosophy, understands the cosmos as a unified field of correspondences. The axiom “as above, so below” suggests that the macrocosm of the universe is reflected in the microcosm of the human being. (The Taoist alchemical path I walk says the same thing.)

Within this framework, the classical elements—Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (also spelled “aether”, or known as the quintessence)—are not so much physical substances as they are archetypal principles that organize the reality we live within.

Each element governs specific qualities of consciousness and manifestation:

Earth represents structure, stability, embodiment, and the fertile matrix that sustains creation. It is the principle of materialization, grounding, and belonging.

Water governs flow, emotion, intuition, and memory. It is the receptive, lunar aspect of our being, offering purification, healing, and the bridge between conscious and unconscious realms.

Fire embodies transformation, will, passion, and creative force. It is both destroyer and renewer, the spark of inspiration and the heat of metamorphosis.

Air symbolizes thought, communication, clarity, and discernment. It is the breath between worlds, the realm of imagination and intellectual insight.

Ether represents the quintessence—the subtle field that unites, holds, and transcends all other elements. It is pure consciousness, presence, and the stillpoint from which all movement arises.

Though this particular elemental system represents Western Hermetic thought, countless traditions have some form of acknowledging that our health and spiritual evolution depend upon maintaining balance among the elemental forces.

When one element dominates or becomes deficient, disharmony manifests in our bodies, emotions, and spiritual paths.

Elemental anointing helps us restore this balance in partnership with the plants, through the intentional application of plant essences that carry specific elemental signatures…

Photo by MARIOLA GROBELSKA on Unsplash

You Are the Alembic: Embodied Practice

Anointing is fundamentally a deeply embodied practice.

Yes, taking fragrance into your being is an embodied practice on its own — yet unlike simply inhaling an essence or diffusing it into a room, anointing requires deliberate touch—the application of oil to specific points on the body with conscious intention. This tactile dimension activates multiple pathways of healing simultaneously.

From a physiological perspective, anointing delivers aromatic molecules directly to the skin, where they are absorbed into the bloodstream and lymphatic system. Once absorbed, their molecular constituents interact with receptor sites throughout the body, influencing everything from neurotransmitter production to inflammatory response.

Even more than these benefits for our physical bodies, sacred anointing brings in conscious awareness of our energy body, too. Specific points act like energetic gateways for plant consciousness to travel through. The chakras of yogic tradition, the dantians of Chinese medicine, the three cauldrons of Celtic shamanism…all of these are potent places addressing both our physical body and the subtle energy body that interpenetrates it.

Plus, even though I’m really not the touchy-feely type*, even I can recognize that welcome touch itself is medicine. For all of us, self-anointing is a form of loving self-care, soothing our nervous system and countering the chronic stress response that is a way of life for most of us these days.

*One of my friends still laughs, decades later, at the time when she asked if I wanted to go to a conscious dance party. And I said ew — I don’t want to be touched. And she said, I don’t think they actually touch you. And I said — no! With their energy! Because I’m that sensitive. Anyway…

When performed with reverence and intention, anointing becomes a somatic prayer that rewires our relationship to embodiment itself.

And this is where the real magic happens: you become the alembic.

An alembic is central to the art and practice of alchemy. It is within the alembic that dense material is transformed into gold and the light of spirit.

When you place plant oils and waters on different points of your physical body, you become the vessel for transformation to take place within.

All the plants travel along the lines of energy body, meeting and dancing with each other upon convergence points, creating something new in partnership with the field of energy you provide.

Through anointing, you become the alembic through which all transmutation takes place.

The Path of the Myrrhophore: Bearing Sacred Aromatics

The term “Myrrhophore“ refers to the myrrh-bearers—traditionally, the women who brought aromatic spices to anoint the body of Christ. Mary Magdalene is our feminine forebearer in the Myrrhophore tradition, most likely carrying forth a tradition with even older and perhaps Egyptian origins.

When we tune into the Magdalene path of anointing today, we help heal a legacy of feminine oppression.

As Myrrhophores today, we carry sacred aromatics as an act of devotion and service. This path recognizes anointing not merely as self-care but as a sacred mantel, a way of tending to the holy in oneself and others.

In my practice, the path of the Myrrhophore has involved years of apprenticeship to plants themselves—learning their languages, understanding their gifts, and discerning how to combine them in ways that honor their individual genius while blending them into an alchemical formula that carries transmissions of healing and beauty.

This is the work of spiritual alchemy: transformation through relationship. The marriage of substances to birth new consciousness.

Each plant essence carries its own intelligence—its own subtle frequency.

When I blend dozens of rare botanicals—porcini with myrrh, dragonsblood with mimosa, white lotus with oakmoss—I am convening a council of plant spirits, each contributing its voice to a collective intention. The resulting oils (and sacred perfumes) become ensouled medicine, ritual healing alive with purpose and power.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

On Elemental Anointing & Modern Imbalances

Pause for a minute and feel into your own body — physically and energetically.

Can you sense the elements within? How does Earth feel? Fire? Water? Air? Do you feel these elements in harmony?

Most of us will find some sort of imbalance. This is normal — we’re not static beings and we will always be in flux in terms of our elemental make up.

Yet we also live in an age of profound elemental imbalance. Modern life, with its emphasis on digital abstraction, sedentary routines, and relentless mental activity, creates systematic deficiencies and excesses across the elemental spectrum.

Feeling ungrounded, spacey, or disconnected from the body? Experiencing dissociation, anxiety, and or a lack of belonging? It might be time to reconnect with with the stabilizing force of the Earth element.

How is your emotional world? Are you hiding or stuffing down any emotions? Feeling creative or intuitive blocks? Ignoring your inner knowing? If part of you has forgotten how to flow, how to feel, how to trust the intelligence of the body’s deeper currents…it’s time to get your Water moving.

When Fire is out of balance, it looks pretty much like you’d expect: Too little, nothing cooks. Too much and you boil over. For us, this can show up as lack of motivation, no passion for life, and creative stagnation when running cold, or inflammation, anger, and burnout when running hot,

Air excess is super common these days — usually manifesting as overthinking, anxiety, scattered attention, and disconnection from our somatic wisdom.

But what of Ether? That ineffable, spiritual fabric of being? When our Ether becomes obscured, it can feel as if we’ve lost contact with the unified field of consciousness, the sense of being held within something larger than ourselves. A dark night of the soul or crises of faith can emerge at the extreme, with general malaise and hopelessness early warning signs.

Elemental anointing is so magical and powerful because it addresses these imbalances directly — without getting us trapped in the mind and overtherapizing patterns.

By applying oils formulated to strengthen deficient elements and calm excessive ones, we actively participate in our own rebalancing through the engaged alchemy of our attention, intention, and embodied presence.

cred me

An Elemental Anointing Practice for You

Begin by creating sacred space, even if only for a moment.

This might involve lighting a candle, taking three conscious breaths, or simply setting an intention for your anointing. Consider what quality you wish to invite or strengthen. Which element feels deficient or excessive in your current state?

Choose the elemental oil that corresponds to your intention:

• Earth for grounding, stability, boundaries, manifestation

• Water for emotional flow, intuition, purification, receptivity

• Fire for passion, transformation, courage, vitality

• Air for clarity, communication, inspiration, discernment

• Ether for meditation, consecration, unity, presence

Dispense a small amount of oil onto your fingertips or palm. Warm the oil briefly by rubbing your hands together, awakening its aromatic molecules.

Apply with deliberate, loving touch to the body locations that correspond to the element’s domain — or intuitively selected is always welcome:

• Earth: Soles of the feet, base of spine, root center (perineum….though that can be sensitive, lol — the pubic bone is a good alternative), along the legs

• Water: Heart center, wrists, lower belly, third eye

• Fire: Solar plexus, heart, pulse points, palms

• Air: Temples, throat, crown, back of neck

• Ether: Crown, heart, palms, anywhere requiring consecration

As you anoint, you might speak your intention aloud, visualize the element’s qualities permeating your being, or simply rest in receptive awareness of sensation and scent.

After anointing, take time to breathe consciously with the oil’s aroma. Notice any shifts in your felt sense, emotional state, or quality of thought. You might journal, meditate, or move your body to help integrate the anointing. It’s also totally fine to simply continue you day, trusting the oil to keep working subtly in the background.

Elemental oils may be used daily as part of a spiritual hygiene practice, or episodically as needed. You might anoint all five elements in sequence for comprehensive balancing, or focus on a single element for an extended period (days, weeks, or lunar cycles). Trust your own intuitive callings here.

What’s in an Element Oil?

The new elemental anointing oils I’ve created represent the culmination of years of study, intuition, and refinement. Unlike typical elemental blends that rely on familiar correspondences, these formulations include rare and potent essences that elevate them to ceremonial grade.

Earth: The Fertile Matrix

This oil grounds, stabilizes, and nourishes the Earth element through a unique marriage of sacred resins, roots, and rare fungi and lichen essences. The inclusion of porcini mushroom absolute brings the deep, mysterious intelligence of mycelial networks. Combined with cedarwood, vetiver, oakmoss, myrrh, opoponax, benzoin, patchouli, black spruce, and angelica root, this creates a profoundly resinous accord that supports embodiment, stillness, and grounded awareness. Apply to the soles of the feet, along the spine, or over the root center when seeking steadiness, belonging, or manifestation.

Water: The Flowing Current

This oil restores flow and receptivity through precious florals, harmonizing leaves, and the extraordinary inclusion of seaweed essence—bringing the literal energy of ocean waters into the blend. With jasmine, key lime, violet, white lotus (another exceptionally rare and watery material), clary sage, and mint, this creates an absolutely divine, flowing blend that softens emotional tension, deepens intuitive listening, and supports dreamwork and divination. Apply to heart, wrists, or third eye before meditation or ritual to encourage gentleness, adaptability, and connection with unseen currents.

Fire: The Transformative Flame

This oil awakens vitality and will through sensual florals, potent spices, and the rare dragonsblood ink—a resinous material that carries both protective and passionately transformative properties. Combined with saffron, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, blood orange, rose, cardamom, ylang ylang, coriander, and cinnamon, this spicy-sweet floral oil pulses with passion and movement. Exceptional for charging ritual tools, kindling inspiration, or supporting major release and transformational work. Apply over solar plexus, heart, or pulse points before creative work, dance, ceremony, or when courage and self-expression are needed.

Air: The Clarifying Breath

This oil clears and uplifts through fresh herbs, bright florals, and green forest essences. The inclusion of galbanum—a potent, green, resinous material used in ancient Egyptian perfumery—adds profound spiritual dimension. With high-altitude lavender, blue spruce, balsam fir, rosemary, and eucalyptus, this bright, resinous blend creates mental space and attunes consciousness to subtle currents of inspiration. Use before study, writing, teaching, prayer, or invocation. Apply to temples, throat, or crown when seeking clarity, communication, or discernment.

Ether: The Quintessence

This oil opens awareness to the subtle field uniting all elements. Through precious woods and ethereal florals—including mimosa blossom (an exquisitely delicate absolute) and tuberose (the night-blooming flower associated with spiritual awakening)—combined with sandalwood, neroli, balsam gurjan, geranium rose, and petitgrain, this blend encourages devotion, peace, and direct connection to Source. Use in meditation, consecration, or attunement practices. Apply to crown, heart, or palms before energy work or ritual invocation to harmonize the elemental body.

Each oil is formulated at a ceremonial-grade 20% dilution in jojoba oil, suitable for both daily wear as natural perfume and ritual application. Presented in 1 dram glass bottles, these oils are best used within one year of purchase and remain potent for up to three years with proper storage.

The complete set of all five elemental oils comes housed in a protective tin case—a portable alchemical apothecary for wherever your path leads.

Back that Hermetic Stuff…

The Hermetic axiom reminds us that inner and outer reality are mirrors. When we restore elemental balance within our own being—through conscious anointing, relationship with plant allies, and embodied ritual practice—we participate in the restoration of balance in the world around us.

These oils are not meant to be precious objects kept on a shelf but living tools for transformation. Use them!

As you work with these living oils over time, you will develop your own felt sense of each element’s signature, your own intuitive understanding of which oil calls to you in any given moment.

This is the deeper gift of elemental anointing: receiving the healing properties of aromatic molecules and cultivating a refined sensitivity to the elemental currents flowing through your own consciousness.

In learning to recognize and rebalance these forces, you become an alchemist—a conscious participant in the great work of transformation.

Juniper Stokes is a botanical perfumer, soul alchemist, and rewilding guide through mythic landscapes of the nature, spirit, and the cosmos. For over 25 years, she has been guiding soulful humans back to the heart of who they are and why they’re here.

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