fluid ounce
tbsp
tablespoonful
(note this is not the same as a serving spoon), should be around 15 fl oz tsp teaspoonful, around
/
fl oz
Soaps
The basic ingredients for soap are in fact quite caustic, so it is not only easier but also more user-friendly to rework ready-made soap. The best kind to choose is a pure, unscented castille soap, although you can use this method with other kinds of unscented soaps.
First cut up (or grate) about 4 oz (1 cup) of the soap and place in a heatproof non-metallic container.
Add about
/
cup (2 fl oz) of hot water and 1 tbsp of almond or apricot oil.
Leave until cool enough to handle and then mix in with your hands. If the soap is floating on the water you will need to add more soap.
Leave for about ten minutes, mixing occasionally, by which time the soap should be soft and mushy. If it is not, place the bowl into a saucepan of boiling water and heat gently.
When the soap, water and oil are completely blended, add any dry ingredients.
When the mixture is cool, add any essential oils. It is important that the mixture be cool as essential oils evaporate quickly in heat. Note that essential oils should be added until they overcome the original odour of the soap, so how much will depend on the type of soap and oil you use.
Blend really thoroughly and divide the mixture into four to six pieces, depending on the size of the soaps you finally require.
Now squeeze these soaps, removing as much excess water as possible, into the shape you require – balls, ovals or whatever – and tie in cheesecloth.
Hang in a warm dry place until completely hard.
The soaps can then be used or wrapped in cheesecloth and kept or given away. As an aside, ordinary soap will always last longer if you take it out of its wrapper and keep it in a warm dry place to get completely hard before use.
All the following recipes are based on the above quantity of soap. As people relate to different scents in different ways, these can be adjusted according to your own preferences. Additionally, you can adapt any of the following to a plain unscented liquid soap, but do be aware that liquid soaps are usually detergent-based and hence not really very good for the skin. Where it says ‘oil’ in the following recipes I refer to essential oil, except in the case of the coconut oil in the dry skin recipe. When using herbs or other dried ingredients, make sure that you remove the really hard woody bits to make the soap pleasant to use. If you do not like textured or ‘gritty’ soap, then substitute drops of the appropriate oils.
It is worth noting that when using soap you should always lather it in your hands and then wash the rest of yourself with the lather. It is not a good idea to rub any soap directly onto other areas of the skin as it can be too harsh and drying.
Mental and Physical Cleansing
This is excellent for use before any ritual, or indeed any time when you need to mark the division between one part of your day and another, for example the transition from your work self to your home self.
1 tbsp lavender flowers
6 drops frankincense oil
6 drops sandalwood oil
4 drops jasmine oil
Esbat Soap
This takes the cleansing recipe a step further in that it is designed to prepare you for the working element of ritual and Magic, when you will need the additional ability to focus and control.
1 tbsp rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 drops frankincense oil
6 drops sandalwood oil
4 drops jasmine oil
4 drops oil of orange
(you can literally scrape the oil from the outside of an orange using a blunt knife)
Sabbat Soap
The Sabbats are less a time of working and more a time of celebration, hence a different blend. Of course you could make different soaps for different Sabbats, altering the ingredients to match the key points of the festival and the season, in which case you might wish to make a smaller quantity of soap and use it on a daily basis for the seven days prior to the Sabbat, in preparation for it.
1 tbsp rosemary leaves
1/2 tbsp jasmine flowers
6 drops sandalwood oil
6 drops frankincense oil
3 drops cinnamon oil
Divination
If you are learning divination, perhaps by reading the Tarot, or do this on a regular basis, then it is worth having a soap especially for the purpose.
6 drops myrrh oil
6 drops frankincense oil
4 drops bay oil
(or take 10 crushed bay leaves, cover with 2 tbsp boiling water and leave for several days before using this liquid as the water in your recipe)
