Not all botanicals are suited for the diffuser, the bath, or the skin. Some plants, despite their pleasant scent or spiritual lineage, are dangerously toxic. These botanicals often occupy a strange duality: celebrated in mystical rites, feared in medicine.
Most scent practitioners focus on the usable, accessible, and beneficial aromatics, those that have been shown to be safe, at least when used within accepted dermal limits. But there is another category: plants that produce essential oils or fragrant compounds once used widely in traditional healing, perfumery, and ritual, but which are no longer considered safe by modern standards.
These botanicals no longer fit within contemporary safety frameworks, yet they carry a rich and layered history. Some were known as witches’ plants. Others, though toxic, still appear in homeopathic preparations. Many now survive only as symbolic presences in magical, spiritual, or ancestral contexts.
While some practitioners and enthusiasts may find no practical application for these plants today, I find them deeply compelling, especially because of their dark, complex nature and their presence in both history and ritual.
There are still meaningful and safe ways to engage with them:
As a minute trace in spiritual or natural perfume blends, if legally and safely allowed.
Through the use of dried or fresh whole plant matter in symbolic or altar-based practices.
In some cases, as homeopathic preparations (even in perfume), though this requires careful individual research.
Or through conceptual and symbolic formulations, blends that reference these plants in name, myth, or intention, without including the actual material.
This approach honors their legacy while prioritizing safety.
The following list includes natural aromatics that, in most cases, should not be used in aromatherapy or perfumery due to their toxicological profile. Where available, maximum safe dermal use levels are provided.
Despite their risks, these plants hold enduring symbolic, ritual, and historical significance, particularly for those engaged in altered states of consciousness, ancestral practices, or sacred plant traditions.
These botanicals exist in the space between medicine and myth, poison and power. While modern safety standards rightly restrict their use in therapeutic contexts, they continue to function as potent ritual artifacts, spiritual protectors, and carriers of esoteric knowledge. If they are used at all, it must be with deep respect, informed intention, and strict safety boundaries.