Magical Properties, General
What Are The Magical Properties Of Ylang Ylang?
By Mark Piatt
Updated on August 9, 2023
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In spiritual and magickal practices, the magical properties of ylang ylang result from the exotic and fragrant scent of the flower. The scent from ylang ylang is believed to promote love and romance, is used to enhance intuition, and is used in anointing, consecration, and healing rituals.
The symbolic attributes of ylang ylang make it a popular choice in spells and rituals focused on relationships, inner harmony, and spiritual connection.
Ylang ylang’s association with magickal rituals primarily stems from its use in various spiritual and esoteric practices rather than any scientifically proven “magickal” properties
As a general rule, these are the main magickal properties that ylang ylang is often associated with:
- Love and romance
- Enhances intuition
- Anointing and consecrating
- Spiritual connection
But these are not the only magickal properties associated with ylang ylang.
Some of the other important magickal properties and rituals associated with ylang ylang include:
- Balance and harmony
- Relaxation
- Confidence
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Inclusion in other magical blends
DISCLAIMER:
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. Occult properties of herbs and essential oils are provided for historical interest only. For possible treatments of physical or mental diseases, please seek a trained and licensed health professional. Enchanted Aromatics is not responsible for any adverse side effects resulting from the use of any suggestions, products, preparations, or procedures mentioned or from the following historical uses of herbs and essential oils.
Magickal Correspondence For Ylang Ylang
- Ylang ylang is considered feminine.
- The vibration of ylang ylang is considered part of the water element.
- Ylang ylang is associated with the planet Venus.
- The astrological sign of ylang ylang is Aquarius. Some also associate ylang ylang with Taurus since Taurus is linked to delicate floral scents.
- Ylang ylang is often associated with the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone.
- Chakras that work with ylang ylang: Solar plexus and heart.
What is ylang ylang?
Ylang ylang, scientifically known as Cananga odorata, is a tropical tree native to parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The tree is well-known for its fragrant flowers emitting a sweet and floral scent.
Ylang ylang is valued for the essential oils extracted from its flowers which have a very strong floral scent.
Ylang ylang essential oil extracted from the flowers of the ylang ylang tree is a popular component in perfumery, cosmetics, and aromatherapy.
Ylang ylang essential oil is unique in that it’s often distilled and graded into 5 different categories.
This oil tends to blend very well with many other essential oils, making it a popular choice in the perfuming industry.
Ylang ylang essential oil is often used in high-end fragrances and skincare products for both women and men.
The grading is based on the duration of the distillation, which can affect the chemical composition and, consequently, the aroma and therapeutic properties of the oil.
Ylang ylang extra is the most potent grade. This grade of ylang ylang essential oil is obtained after 1 hour of distillation and is the most aromatic oil with the highest density.
Ylang ylang is one of the most extensively used natural products in the perfume industry. Because of this, ylang ylang is known as the “Queen of Perfumes”.
The magickal properties of ylang ylang are primarily all about love, peace, and relaxation.
Ylang ylang also symbolizes the serenity and joy of the senses.
There are many ways you can incorporate ylang ylang into your life using magick including:
- Essential oil
- Dried flowers
- Incense sticks
- Ylang ylang powder
- Candles
- Lotions
- Soaps, shampoos, and body washes
- Perfumes and colognes
- Spell bags and satchels
- Simmer pot
- Infusions
Although used for hundreds of years in Southeast Asia, ylang ylang is fairly new when it comes to being used in witchcraft.
In the context of Western witchcraft and magical practices, ylang ylang seems to have become more prominent with the rise of modern Wicca, neopaganism, and contemporary magical practices, particularly in the 20th century.
These modern traditions often incorporate various herbs, oils, and other natural elements, including ylang ylang, into rituals and spells.
All our experiences in life and opinions on magick lead us down different paths. Because of this, you will find there is more than one way to accomplish your magickal goal.
If a spell does not feel right to you, change it. There is no magickal law that says you cannot change your spell to fit YOUR needs.
The most important aspects of any magick are your intent and your belief, not props.
But if the props help you focus your intent, then, by all means, use your herbs, wands, crystals, or whatever helps you manifest your spell into reality.
There are many resources I have used to learn about magick and to compile these articles.
I particularly like the following book by Ally Sands about how you can use herbs in your magickal rituals: “Plant Magic for the Beginner Witch: An Herbalist’s Guide to Heal, Protect, and Manifest“.
Although, do keep in mind that although the author states these spells are for the beginner witch, I find many of them require quite a few ingredients and are a bit lengthy for someone just starting out.
Can the magical properties of ylang ylang be used for love and romance rituals?
Ylang ylang’s fragrant and exotic scent has long been associated with love and romance. There are a number of ways ylang ylang might be used in rituals or symbolic practices to enhance or attract love in your life or to make a connection with someone.
Use ylang ylang in a love and attraction oil.
Love and attraction oils are specially crafted blends of essential oils and other ingredients that are often used in various spiritual and cultural practices to symbolize or invoke feelings of love, attraction, or romantic connection.
These oils are used in rituals, anointing, or daily practices with the intention of drawing love or enhancing existing relationships.
The following simple love spell that utilizes ylang ylang will help bring your intentions to fruition.
Before performing the spell, mediate on your task at hand. Clear your mind of any distractions. Your intent is very important.
Ingredients:
- Pink or red candle
- Ylang ylang essential oil
- Paper or parchment
- pen
Instructions:
- Anoint the candle with ylang ylang oil, focusing on your intentions for love or romance.
- Write your desires or a love affirmation on the paper.
- Light the candle and read the affirmation, visualizing your intentions coming to fruition.
- Allow the candle to burn down, symbolizing the manifestation of your desires.
Following are some other examples of how you can use ylang ylang for love and romance.
Please keep in mind that some of these examples may not be exactly “magickal” in nature.
Instead, they rely on the power of the magical aroma of ylang ylang.
Also, bringing love into your life is not going to work on its own.
Bringing love into your life requires open communication, empathy, and effort in building and maintaining relationships.
Love attraction oil
Mix your ylang ylang essential oil with a carrier oil along with other love-associated herbs or essential oils.
Use this blend to anoint candles, charms, or even yourself to symbolize or invoke love and attraction.
Here are a few other herbs and essential oils that can be used in your love spells:
- Basil
- Bay leaves
- Cinnamon
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Patchouli
- Rose
- Rosemary
- Sandalwood
Romantic Bath Ritual:
Add a few drops of ylang ylang essential oil to a warm bath along with rose petals or other romantic herbs.
This bath can be a sensual experience to share with a partner or a personal ritual to attract love.
Candle Magic for Romance
Anoint a pink or red candle with ylang ylang oil, focusing on your intention for love or deepening a romantic connection.
Light the candle and meditate on your desires.
Love Sachets
Create a small sachet with dried herbs like rose petals, lavender, and a few drops of ylang ylang oil.
Carry it with you, place it under your pillow, or give it to a loved one to symbolize and foster love.
Romantic Diffuser Blend
Diffuse ylang ylang essential oil in the bedroom to create a romantic atmosphere.
Its sensual fragrance can set the mood for an intimate evening.
Massage Oil
Blend ylang ylang with a carrier oil for a soothing and aromatic massage oil.
A gentle massage with this blend can be a loving gesture that fosters connection and intimacy.
Writing Love Intentions
Write down your intentions or desires for love on a piece of paper.
Anoint the paper with ylang ylang oil, fold it, and keep it in a special place, or burn it to release your intentions.
And finally,
A love spell using a love spell bottle
Ingredients:
- 1 clear glass bottle with cork (6-8 ounces)
- Rose water
- 1 handful of dried rose petals
- 2 pinches of dried lavender
- 2 pinches of dried ylang ylang flowers
Instructions:
- Hold the rose petals between your palms.
- Empower your rose petals with love. (Think of the love you desire and think that love into your rose petals).
- Once your rose petals are imbued with your desire, place the petals in your jar.
- Hold the lavender between your palms.
- Empower your lavender with love.
- Once your lavender is imbued with your desire, place the lavender in your jar.
- Hold the ylang ylang between your palms.
- Empower your ylang ylang with love.
- Once your ylang ylang is imbued with your desire, place the ylang ylang in your jar.
- Fill the bottle with the rose water.
- Cap the cork.
- Hold the bottle between your palms and press it against your chest, saying these or similar words.
Flowers drenched with love,
Drench me with love.
(Your intent is important here.)
- Keep the love spell bottle in your bedroom.
It Is Done
Are you interested in getting started in magick or witchcraft but don’t know what to purchase?
The following kit has 112 supplies and tools to get you started or can even be used by the more advanced practitioner:
Can ylang ylang be used to enhance intuition?
Herbs, such as ylang ylang, have long been used to enhance our “gut” feeling. Many people believe in the power of ylang ylang to enhance intuition in various spiritual and holistic practices.
Your intuition will get stronger with commitment and practice, just like a muscle gets stronger as you use it.
There are many outside influences that can affect your intuition such as anxiety, stress, depression, grief, and trauma.
The aroma of ylang ylang is naturally euphoric and extremely uplifting.
Ylang ylang can help increase your intuition because the potent floral fragrance of ylang ylang can promote feelings of relaxation and euphoria.
Use the following spell that includes ylang ylang to increase your intuition
Ingredients:
- Ylang ylang essential oil
- Carrier oil, such as almond or jojoba
- 1 blue or purple candle (these colors are often associated with intuition)
- A small lapis lazuli or amethyst stone (these stones are linked to intuition)
- A quiet space for reflection or meditation.
Instructions:
- Prepare Your Space: Cleanse your space using methods you’re comfortable with, such as smudging with sage, sprinkling saltwater, or simply tidying and cleaning. Arrange your items on a table or altar.
- Set Your Intention: Light the candle and take a moment to focus on your intention to enhance your intuition. You may wish to write down your intention on a piece of paper.
- Anoint Yourself with Ylang Ylang: Blend a drop or two of ylang ylang essential oil with the carrier oil and gently rub it on your forehead, or on your wrist. If you prefer, you can simply inhale the scent directly from the bottle.
- Hold or Wear the Stone: If you’re using a stone linked to intuition, you may hold it in your hand or wear it as jewelry during the spell.
- Meditation and Visualization: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take deep breaths. Visualize a glowing light in the center of your forehead (the third eye) or in your heart. Imagine this light growing brighter with each breath, fueled by the aromatic energy of ylang-ylang.
- Speak or Think Your Affirmation: You might say something like, “My intuition is clear and strong. I trust my inner wisdom and insights.”
- Allow Time to Connect: Spend as much time as you need in this meditative state, connecting with your intuition.
- Close the Spell: Thank your guides or the Universe, or simply acknowledge yourself and your intention. Snuff out the candle and keep the stone (if used) in a special place.
- Reflect: Over the next days or weeks, pay attention to your intuitive insights and jot them down in a journal if you like.
Ylang ylang is not the only herb that can be used to enhance intuition.
The following herbs can also used to enhance intuition
- Angelica
- Chaga
- Hibiscus
- Jasmine
- Myrrh
- Reishi
- Rose
- Star Anise
- St John’s Wort
- Wood betony
- Yarrow
Can ylang ylang be used to anoint and consecrate objects and people?
Ylang ylang essential oil can be used to anoint and consecrate objects and people. Anointing objects and people using ylang ylang is commonly done in various spiritual, magical, and cultural practices.
In Christian and Jewish traditions, anointing is an important practice to heal the sick or designate a ceremonial meaning.
In witchcraft, hoodoo, and other pagan groups, anointing oils are commonly used on a regular basis.
As an act of hospitality, a common use of anointing oils, such as ylang ylang, is to honor someone.
Anointing objects with ylang ylang or other essential oils is often seen as a way to consecrate or charge them with specific intentions or energies.
Sometimes, an object or a person is anointed or consecrated to protect it from spiritual warfare.
Anointing and consecrating is a highly personal and symbolic act. In the following example, feel free to alter the process based on your own beliefs or traditions.
The following steps can be used to anoint an object with ylang ylang.
- Choose the Object: Determine what object you’d like to anoint, such as a candle, crystal, talisman, or piece of jewelry.
- Set Your Intention: Before beginning, decide on the purpose of the anointing. Ylang ylang is often associated with love, romance, emotional balance, and sometimes intuition, so your intention might relate to one of these themes.
- Prepare the Oil: If using pure ylang ylang essential oil, you may want to dilute it with a carrier oil like jojoba or almond oil, especially if the object will come into contact with the skin. A general guideline might be a few drops of ylang ylang in a teaspoon of carrier oil.
- Cleanse the Object: Depending on your tradition or personal preference, you might want to cleanse the object first using methods like smudging, rinsing with salt water, or leaving it in the sunlight or moonlight for a period.
- Apply the Oil: Dip your finger or a small brush into the ylang ylang oil and gently apply it to the object. Some prefer to anoint in specific patterns, like a cross or pentagram, depending on the tradition.
- Say a Blessing or Affirmation: As you anoint the object, you might say a few words that align with your intention, like “I charge this [object] with love and connection.”
- Allow to Dry: Give the oil some time to absorb or dry, especially if it’s an object you’ll be wearing.
- Use as Desired: You can now use the anointed object in your ritual, carry it with you, or place it in a special location, depending on your intention.
Can ylang ylang be used to create a spiritual connection?
Ylang ylang is often used in various spiritual and holistic practices to create or deepen a spiritual connection because of its calming properties.
We are wired to have a sense of spirituality, whether it’s towards a community, a deity, or to nature.
For many people, scent plays a huge role in their spiritual life.
Various religions have long used scent to create or enhance a spiritual connection.
Pagans and witches have had fragrances intertwined in their practices throughout history.
There are many herbs and aromas that can do this, but ylang ylang is especially well suited to opening your heart and creating a spiritual awakening allowing you to connect with the divine or to have a spiritual awareness.
The following examples are different ways you can use ylang ylang to create or deepen a spiritual connection.
- Aromatherapy for Meditation: The calming properties of ylang ylang can aid in quieting the mind during meditation. By diffusing the oil or applying it to the skin (diluted with a carrier oil), practitioners may find it easier to enter a meditative state and connect with their spirituality.
- Chakra Balancing: In some traditions, ylang ylang is associated with the heart or solar plexus chakras, which are connected to emotions and personal power. By anointing these areas with ylang-ylang, or using it in chakra balancing exercises, it might assist in opening and aligning these energy centers, fostering a deeper spiritual connection.
- Rituals and Sacred Ceremonies: Ylang ylang can be incorporated into various rituals and ceremonies intended to honor the divine, connect with ancestors, or celebrate specific spiritual events. It might be used to anoint sacred objects, added to ritual baths, or used in oil blends for consecrating a space.
- Enhancing Intuition: Some believe ylang ylang aids in enhancing intuition, which can be seen as a form of spiritual connection. Using it in practice to develop psychic abilities or deepen inner wisdom might help foster a connection to higher guidance or the subconscious mind.
- Emotional Healing: Ylang ylang is often associated with emotional healing and balance. Incorporating it into therapeutic practices aimed at emotional well-being may facilitate a connection to inner emotions and spiritual truths.
- Love and Connection Rituals: Given its historical association with love and romance, ylang ylang might be used in rituals or practices intended to foster love, compassion, and connection – not just romantically but also in a broader spiritual sense.
- Yoga Practices: Some yoga practitioners might use ylang ylang to enhance their practice, creating a calming and spiritual environment that enables a deeper connection to the body, mind, and spirit.
- Dream Work: Using ylang ylang as part of bedtime rituals to stimulate vivid and insightful dreams can be another way to explore the subconscious mind and connect with spiritual guidance or inner wisdom.
What does ylang ylang smell like?
Ylang ylang is a complex smell that is difficult to describe. It consists of floral notes with hints of creamy, balsamic, and powdery custard, intoxicating jasmine, sweet, slightly pungent banana, light and bitter neroli, and sensual, sugary honey
I would have to say that ylang ylang is a complex smell. For some people, the unique and powerful fragrance of ylang ylang is dreamy and romantic.
The smell definitely has a way of altering the vibe of a space and can elicit calming feelings in many people.
If you are looking to enhance your romance, ylang ylang is not called “the oil of lovers” for nothing. It is known as a sexual stimulator.
However you use it, you cannot go wrong with the aroma of ylang ylang.
Conclusion
Today, ylang ylang has a range of historical and modern uses.
You can find many products that incorporate ylang ylang as an ingredient because of its intoxicating aroma.
Ylang has a varied and colorful past when used in magick. It is an excellent essential oil to keep in your magickal repertoire.
If you are interested in learning about some general magical properties of other essential oils, check out my article “15 Magical Properties of Essential Oils“.
If you know of other magical properties of ylang ylang or different ways in which you use ylang ylang on your spiritual journey, I would love to hear from you so I may incorporate what you share in this article.
