Herbal Body Oiling
Amber Magnolia Hill
Amber Magnolia Hill is a mom, herbalist, writer, teacher, and podcaster with roots deeply immersed in the rivers and mountains of Northern California. Her work focuses on the myth and magic of herbal medicine, recent genealogy and deep ancestry, psychedelic healing, conscious dying and natural death care, birth, motherhood, and women’s wellness.
She and her husband Owen create small batch, seasonal medicines from plants either organically grown in their garden or mindfully wildcrafted in the Sierra. Her Medicine Stories podcast explores the mythic journeys we undertake when coming to know ourselves through interviews with herbalists, story keepers, ancestral listeners, consciousness explorers, earth dreamers, and other wise folk.
All of Amber’s work is undertaken with the belief that story is medicine, magic is real, and healing is open-ended & endless.
One of my favorite things about this bonus is that it reminds me of how these traditions connect us with our ancestors and our heritage. The very first thing this sparked in my mind was memories of reading Homer’s Odyssey and how much they referred to bathing and body oiling (even for warriors). So cool to see this as a tradition (that was practiced in many cultures) since ancient times.
Secondly, I have some questions about oiling:
How do you keep the oils from damaging your bathroom pipes &/or septic system when you take a shower after body oiling? She comments on not spitting the coconut oil into the sink, but she doesn’t comment on the cumulative effect of the herbal body oils when showering.
Also, along those lines, how do you make sure you do not create a slippery surface in the tub from the oils after showering, or when using them with your bath?
Lastly, do you know where there are resources on creating herbal oil infusions in ways that would have been more common in Northern climates where they may not have had access to coconut oil or olive oil?
Hey Sarah! Thanks for sharing the interesting connection, I didn’t pick up on that the first time through! How cool that the same practice was around in ancient Greece?
So for me, when I have oiled prior to bathing, I do find that the tendency of water and oil not to mix remains true so that the oil remains on/in my skin despite exposure to water. It’s possible that some trace amounts are washed away, but by applying the oil at a level to where it can be mostly absorbed by the skin, I’ve not experienced issues with a slippery tub or clogged pipes! (I do dab a little oil off the bottoms of my feet with a towel before walking in the tub or elsewhere in the house!) If you are concerned for your plumbing, a safer option would be to use an oil that is liquid at room temperature (unlike coconut oil which can solidify at moderate temperatures). I think spitting it out is a different story since the ratio of oil to porous membranes is higher there, and we are purposefully expelling a concentrated amount.
With regard to traditional oil infusions in the Northern climates, that’s an interesting question! I am not aware of resources on the topic at this time, but will keep an eye out and update the thread if I come across any. With that said, I do know that tallow, butter, and poppyseed and walnut oils were more commonly used in cooking in those more Northern climates. I’d love to hear if you end up experimenting with infusing any of these oils!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the info on the oiling and possibilities of traditional oil infusions in Northern climates! I will definitely circle back if I try anything new!
Love all of these extras!!! 💜🥰
Hi Pencie!! We’re so excited that they’re resonating with you! I love learning from all of these teachers. I find that different material grabs my attention each time I revisit the course and I really love it. It feels like a living, changing experience. <3