Candle Magick - Anointing Oils

Anointing oils come in two forms: infusions and essentials.

Infusions are oils that you make yourself or buy from a seller (such as myself). You use a carrier oil, usually olive or grape, and measure out what amount of oil you plan on making; ie, 8 ounces or 10 ml. 
Infusions are shelf stable for up to a year when stored correctly, so if it's something you use a lot of, you can make a large batch, or you can make many little batches throughout the year. Place this oil into a mason jar or other well sealed glass. Glass doesn't allow air to flow through easily like plastic, so they last longer. 
Make sure the glass is large enough to hold  the herbs and the oil, so it'll need to be larger than what you plan on making. The amount of herbs you use it usually 1/4-1/2 the amount of oil. So if you're making rose oil, you can use 1 ounce of rose petals and 4 ounces of oil because roses are more fragrant naturally. Though, you can make it as fragrant as you like. If you're using dried herbs, spices, or plants, you'll need to use 2 ounces of dried for every 4 ounces of oil. This is because they have lost a good bit of their fragrance. 
Once you have mixed the oil and herbs, place it on your altar and ask the Gods to bless it in the way you normally consecrate your items.
Let it sit on your altar for 7 days. Some herbs can be consecrated in the sun and/or moon depending on its purpose. You can always pull out the oils at a later date and charge/cleanse them on your altar, in the moon, or sun throughout the year.
After the 7 days, take a piece of cheese cloth and strain out the herbs. You can place it over the current jar, and then pour the new infused oil into another jar. If you do not remove the herbs, the infusion will rot over time.
When using an infusion, you can add herbs to the portion you plan on rubbing onto a candle, sachet, or other magickal working.
The upside to infusions is that they are made with a specific purpose, by your hands or another's who understands and works magick, and they're cheap. They're also very vast and virtually unlimited in what kinds you can make. The downside is the time that's put into them.

Essential oils are a concentrated oil extracted from the plant itself. You can make your own using a distillery or purchase them made from a store. They will need to be cleansed and blessed before usage because they were made by other people and have passed through several hands. The upside to the essential oils is that the work is already done. The downside is that you're limited to what you can use and they're usually quite expensive for a large quantity. You can also use these oils to make incense. Make sure the essential oils are safe to burn. Most carrier oils will be fine in the small quantities

you're using.

You'll hear how some people will only use one and not the other, but I think it's more from lack of know how than it is from just a preference. If you wish to know how to make oils, I will be including a video later on with both oil and water infusions. You can also always search youtube for wonderful tips.

What you use them for

You can use anointing oils for many things. They're perfect for candle magick because you can rub it on the candle and then roll the candle in the herbs you're using for the spell. It'll stick and won't cause the candle to burn oddly. You can also use them to anoint other magickal items like herb sachets, voodoo dolls, your crystals for cleansings, and even use make them for your patron God/dess.  Another use for oils are ritual baths and potions. I would strongly suggest you make sure the essential oils are safe to use because some, like lemon, can irritate the skin. Infused oils won't, however, they can cause coloration of fabrics if you use it day to day for things like protection, beauty, etc. Each oil has it ups and downs, so make sure to properly study which is best for your current situation. Having both around is very useful.

When you use them for candles, you rub it on your fingers and start from the center of the candle. You first rub up to the wick on all sides, and then down to the bottom; the entire time praying or thinking of the intent of the oil. The same technique can be used when cleansing or consecrating your other magickal tools. For your patron oil, I would suggest a small 10-30 ml bottle. You can add a crystal piece, herbs, dye, etc to this oil. Change it out every new moon and rededicate it. Or if they have a specific day of the week, use that at the beginning of each month if you like. Use this oil anytime you are asking them for help or insight, or whenever you just want to feel closer to your God/dess. You can also use this oil to dedicate any tools or items to your God/dess. With ritual baths, simply add a few drops. A little will go a long way and too much can cause an accident. The oils will make both you and your tub slippery, so BE CAREFUL. Wipe down the tub with a dry towel after the bath. If you're planning on wearing it, you can add a couple of dabs to your chakra points or where you can smell it. I like to add lavender to my forehead before dreaming for dream magicks, and rose to my cheeks, behind my ears, or my wrists for glamour. (Just a couple of examples.) You can use the infusions on your lips and face since they aren't irritant and they're food safe.

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