Abracadabra Anointing Oil, 4 Dram

A four dram working vial. Roughly half an ounce, which is the standard size for an oil applied in drops rather than poured.

A general-purpose formula. Named for the word itself rather than a narrow condition, which makes it a reasonable oil to keep on hand for workings that do not have a dedicated preparation.

Made for dressing. Candles, petitions, tools, and pulse points. This is a working oil, not a fragrance.

• Volume: 4 dram vial
• Format: prepared anointing oil
• The maker does not publish a full component list. If you have a fragrance or plant sensitivity, contact us before ordering and we will tell you what we can about the current lot.
• External use only. Do not drink it, and keep it away from eyes and broken skin.
• Patch test on the inner forearm before applying more widely
• Oil-dressed candles burn differently. Apply sparingly, keep oil off the wick, and never leave a lit candle unattended.
• Can stain fabric and mark finishes. Test an inconspicuous spot first.

The word arrives in the written record as a healing charm rather than a stage flourish. In the Sammonicus text it is inscribed as a diminishing triangle, each line dropping a letter, the idea being that the affliction shrinks along with the word. That pattern of writing something out in order to diminish it recurs across a great many later charm traditions, which is why the word has stayed in use for eighteen centuries.

Its modern association is with the spoken word as a creative act, the notion that saying a thing makes it so. That reading is popular in contemporary practice and it is a coherent idea in its own right. It is also considerably younger than the word, and the Aramaic etymology usually cited for it is a folk explanation rather than an established fact.

Which suits a general-purpose oil rather well. What you say over it is the working, and the oil is what you dress the candle with while you say it.

1. Patch test first if you intend to use it on skin, and wait a day.
2. To dress a candle, apply a few drops and work them along the wax in the direction your practice uses, keeping oil well away from the wick.
3. To dress a petition, put a drop at each corner or at the center, depending on how your practice does it, and let it dry before folding.
4. On the person, apply sparingly at the pulse points before a working.
5. Say what you are actually asking for, out loud and plainly. Given the name on the vial, it would be a shame to work it silently.

• Atrae Dinero Fragrance Oil, 1 oz: a condition oil with a specific job, alongside this general one.
• Amethyst Crystal Roller Bottle, 10ml: for decanting a portable amount.
• The Magic Candle by Charmaine Dey: a practical text on dressing and burning candles.
• Amber Bottle With Dropper, 1 oz: for keeping an oil properly shielded from light.
• Blessed Holy Water, 4 oz: commonly kept alongside for the same kind of work.

Where does the word abracadabra come from?

Honestly, nobody is certain. The earliest known record is a Latin medical text from the second or third century, where it appears as a written amulet charm. The Aramaic etymology often quoted is a later folk explanation rather than an established derivation.

What is in the oil?

The maker does not publish the formula, and we would rather tell you that than invent a list. If you have a fragrance or plant sensitivity, contact us before ordering and we will pass on whatever the current lot documentation gives us.

How much is four drams?

Roughly half a fluid ounce, or about 15ml. For an oil used a drop at a time it lasts a long while. If you dress candles frequently, our one ounce oils are the more economical size.

Can I wear it on my skin?

Yes, sparingly, at the pulse points, after a patch test. It is a working oil rather than a fine fragrance, so the scent is direct rather than layered, and it is meant to be applied in small amounts.

How do I dress a candle with it?

A few drops worked along the wax in whichever direction your practice uses for drawing or sending, with the oil kept off the wick. Oil on a wick makes a candle burn unpredictably. Apply lightly and never leave it burning unattended.