Benzoin Meaning and magickal uses
Also called Gum benzoin, Styrax, Siam benzoin, Benjamin
A sweet, vanilla-scented resin for purification, peace and drawing in abundance.
- Intentions
- Cleansing, Prosperity, Peace
- Element
- Air
- Planet
- The Sun
- Day
- Sunday
- Parts used
- Resin from Styrax trees
- Scent
- Warm, sweet, vanilla-like
How to use it
- Calming incense base
Use benzoin as the base of a homemade incense with lavender buds or rose petals. It burns sweetly and helps hold the other scents together.
- Purify before ritual
Burn a few grains on charcoal before you cast a circle. Let the sweet smoke settle the room and your own thoughts so you begin calm and clear.
- Abundance jar
Add a small piece of benzoin to a prosperity jar with a coin and some basil, then keep it near your workspace as a reminder of your goals.
Works well with
Substitutes
History and folklore
Benzoin is the resin of Styrax trees from Sumatra, Thailand and Laos. Medieval Arab traders brought it west, and its old name, gum benjamin, is a garbled form of the Arabic luban jawi, meaning incense of Java. It has long been used in church incense and as a fixative in perfumes. Witches value it for purification and for its friendly, vanilla-like sweetness, which makes it a good beginner resin for gentle blessings and peaceful rites.
A sweet, vanilla-scented resin for purification, peace and drawing in abundance.
- Intentions: Cleansing, Prosperity, Peace
- Element: Air
- Planet: The Sun
- Day: Sunday
- Parts used: Resin from Styrax trees
- Scent: Warm, sweet, vanilla-like
Safety: Never swallow the resin. Benzoin can cause skin sensitization, so do not apply it to skin if you react to balsam of Peru or similar balsams, and patch test any product containing it. When burning, ventilate the room and keep pets away from the smoke.
How to use it
- Calming incense base. Use benzoin as the base of a homemade incense with lavender buds or rose petals. It burns sweetly and helps hold the other scents together.
- Purify before ritual. Burn a few grains on charcoal before you cast a circle. Let the sweet smoke settle the room and your own thoughts so you begin calm and clear.
- Abundance jar. Add a small piece of benzoin to a prosperity jar with a coin and some basil, then keep it near your workspace as a reminder of your goals.
Works well with: Yellow Candle, Lavender, Citrine, Sunday, Air
Folklore
Benzoin is the resin of Styrax trees from Sumatra, Thailand and Laos. Medieval Arab traders brought it west, and its old name, gum benjamin, is a garbled form of the Arabic luban jawi, meaning incense of Java. It has long been used in church incense and as a fixative in perfumes. Witches value it for purification and for its friendly, vanilla-like sweetness, which makes it a good beginner resin for gentle blessings and peaceful rites.
The Witch's Cabinet is a free reference for your practice. Correspondences are traditional associations, not medical advice. Always follow the safety notes, especially with herbs and essential oils around children, pets and during pregnancy.