History of anointing

The Ancient Practice of Anointing: Why Humans Have Always Turned to Oils

Long before modern medicine, long before laboratories and pharmaceuticals, humans across cultures turned to anointing oils as one of the most intimate and effective forms of care. To anoint was never merely cosmetic. It was an act of restoration, protection, initiation, and renewal—a way to bring the body back into alignment with itself and the world around it.

From ancient temples and healing houses to family hearths and folk traditions, oil was chosen because it could hold and deliver the essence of plants in a way water could not. Oils moved slowly, penetrated deeply, and stayed with the body—making them ideal carriers for botanical properties, intention, and ritual meaning.

This practice endured for thousands of years not because it was symbolic alone, but because it worked.

Across ancient civilizations, oil was recognized as a substance that:

• Protects and seals the skin
• Carries plant compounds efficiently
• Moves with the body’s natural rhythms
• Slows evaporation, allowing prolonged interaction

Infusing plants into oil allowed healers to extract not only scent, but fat-soluble constituents that interact with skin, circulation, and the nervous system. This is why infused oils appear repeatedly in religious rites, folk medicine, and daily self-care practices across cultures.

Oil was medicine you could wear.

Historically, anointing marked moments of change:

• Grief and loss
• Illness and recovery
• Travel and protection
• Birth, initiation, and new beginnings
• Emotional or spiritual transition

The body—especially the skin—was understood as a threshold, where inner and outer worlds meet. Applying oil at pulse points, the chest, the feet, or the head was a way of anchoring intention into the body, not just the mind.

This is why anointing feels different than simply using a product. It engages touch, awareness, and presence—all of which matter profoundly to human regulation and healing.

Old Spirits, Wild Roots oils are made in this ancient spirit—not mass-produced, not rushed, and not disconnected from land or purpose. Each oil is slowly infused to preserve the living qualities of the plant, then offered as a tool for daily ritual and restoration.

These oils are meant to be used:

• On the skin
• With breath
• With intention
• As part of a personal rhythm of care

Anointing is not something humans used to do.
It is something we have always needed.

And it remains one of the simplest, most effective ways to return to ourselves.