Jasmine, Jinseng, and all Odoriferous Roots form a distinct category of plant-based perfumes prized for their concentrated, penetrating scents. Jasmine (Jasminum officinale and related species) yields a sweet, narcotic fragrance from its white flowers; jinseng (Ginseng, Panax species) refers to the aromatic, forked root traditionally used in East Asian medicine; and 'all Odoriferous Roots' encompasses any root with a potent aroma, such as orris root, valerian, or spikenard.

Position on the Tree of Life

This grouping corresponds to Yesod, the ninth Sephirah, the Foundation. Yesod represents the lunar sphere, the subtle energetic substratum that transmits influence from the higher Sephiroth down to Malkuth. As such, these perfumes operate as vehicles of transmission—concrete, earthy substances that carry the scent into the astral realm.

Astrological and Planetary Correspondence

Yesod is governed by the Moon. Jasmine, with its nocturnal blooming and seductive fragrance, accords well with lunar receptivity and dreams. Ginseng root, traditionally associated with vitality and adaptability, resonates with the Moon's tides and growth cycles. Odoriferous roots in general, drawn from beneath the earth, mirror the lunar principle of hidden nourishment and cyclic emergence.

Historical Context

Jasmine has been used in incense and perfumery since ancient times. In India and Persia, jasmine was central to religious and courtly ceremonies; the Kama Sutra lists it among aphrodisiac incense ingredients. In the Western magical tradition, jasmine is included in lunar incenses and was occasionally employed in talismanic practices (e.g., the Greater Key of Solomon).

Ginseng root has been esteemed in East Asia for millennia, both as a medicinal adaptogen and as an aromatic ingredient in ceremonial incense. In Chinese alchemy, the root was associated with the Moon, yin essence, and the promotion of longevity.

The catch-all 'odoriferous roots' underscores a pre-modern apothecary's instinct: potent roots like orris (iris), valerian, and spikenard appear in ancient Greek and Roman incense formulas (Dioscorides, Pliny) and in medieval books of secrets, where they were pulverized and blended with gums and resins to anchor volatile floral notes.

In Liber 777

In Crowley's Liber 777, this entry occupies the Perfumes column of Yesod (table column XLII, row 9). It represents the lunar expression of fragrance: the dark, moist, generative scent emerging from root and earth, refined through the moon's alchemical transmutation into a subtle, spiritual aroma. On the palette of the magician, these scents anchor the working in the Foundation sphere, grounding and preparing the subtle body for ascent.