Imbolc

Imbolc falls at the beginning of February (in the Northern Hemisphere).  It’s when the days lengthen perceptibly, and in temperate climates it may be possible to detect the first signs of the arrival of Spring.

This blend of essential oils can be used in an alcohol based perfume, an oil based perfume, or a solid perfume.  I’ve used it as a fragrance for #14 Hand Creme.

My starting point was an Imbolc blend proposed by Amy Blackthorn.  (The blend is published in Amy’s book Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic.)  Amy’s blend has  a base/heart note of Angelica Root, with  heart notes of Basil and head notes of Laurel.  I modified Amy’s blend by adding Tobacco Absolute, Violet Leaf Absolute and a goodly dose of Fir Needle.  I aimed to develop a fragrance with green notes throughout.

Some essential oils, mostly base notes, can be very viscous and sticky.  This makes working with them “challenging”.  Tobacco Absolute is one such oil.  My bottle has a red sticker on it to remind me that it will be “difficult”, and I have a dedicated pipette for working with it.  For all that, it’s still one of my favourite base notes.

Imbolc

Head notes
    • 16 drops Fir Needle Essential Oil
    • 8 drops Laurel Essential Oil
Heart notes
    • 8 drops Violet Leaf Absolute
    • 8 drops Basil Essential Oil
Bass notes
    • 8 drops Angelica Root Essential Oil
    • 4 drops Tobacco Absolute