Slippery Elm Root Perfume Oil

SLIPPERY ELM ROOT

Ulmus rubra’s mucilaginous inner bark produces a thick, protective gel that coats and soothes the throat in herbal medicine, and in rootwork this same quality becomes an act of slippery sorcery: thanks to the Doctrine of Signatures, the same mechanism that heals the body becomes armor against the violence of speech as wicked words slide away, accusations refuse to stick, and malicious talk loses its purchase and slides away, harmless.

Governed by Saturn and resonant with the Air element, the domain of communication and the spoken word, slippery elm carries correspondences that reinforce its purpose. Saturn’s cold discipline enforces silence and binds the tongue of the enemy while Air governs every form of speech, rumor, and persuasion. Slippery elm sits at the crossroads of both.

In hoodoo and rootwork, this translates into a robust tradition of anti-gossip and protection work and is a guardian of reputation. Slippery elm is carried in mojo bags, powdered into sachets, burned over charcoal, and sewn into charms. Pinches of the bark placed in the four corners of a room are said to protect the home from evil; a knotted yellow thread tied around the bark and cast into fire is a traditional working to cease all gossip directed at you. Keep the root close to your body wherever two-faced company gathers. In court case work, slippery elm shields against false accusations and slander, helping a difficult case move smoothly toward resolution. 

Slippery elm does not merely silence: it may be worn as a charm to cultivate eloquence, and it loosens the tongue when silence has become a trap or a curse, granting fluency and persuasion to those who carry it while denying the same to their enemies. 

A nutty, earthy-scented root with a whisper of benzoin, bourbon vanilla, and slippery, sweet sugar cane.

Proceeds from this 5ml perfume oil will be donated to Juntos, a “community-led, Latine immigrant organization in South Philadelphia fighting for our human rights as workers, parents, youth, and immigrants.”

5ml Perfume Oil
Price
Regular price $32.00
Regular price Sale price $32.00
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At the Root: 2026 Lunacy Fundraiser

Over time the word “radical” has been turned into a political swear word that signifies dangerous levels of extremism, and its etymology hints at why: the word borrows from Latin’s radic- or radix, meaning “root.”

So when someone is accused of involvement in “radical politics”, on the face of it this means their goal is transforming society from the ground up, shaking loose all that is deeply and wrongly entrenched so that something else may grow in its place.

Not everyone has the stomach for such upheaval, or the heart to understand why it is needed, or faith in whatever comes after. And not all radicals are good, or wish good for all. But radicalism is not, by definition, a destructive ideology; every garden has areas that must be weeded, pruned, and repurposed in order to be fruitful, according to the season and the gardener’s design.

This year we’re reclaiming the original, literal spirit of radicalism with a monthly limited edition perfume release that will raise funds for organizations which are defending basic human rights – a mission that should not seem “radical,” but… well, here we are.

And of course, the scents themselves will incorporate essences from the rootiest components we have on hand, to produce a series of grounding and inspiring perfume oils lending stability to thought, clarity to purpose, and stubbornness to cause.

A Little Lunacy

Art thou pale for weariness
Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth,
Wandering companionless
Among the stars that have a different birth,
And ever changing, like a Joyless eye
That finds no object worth its constancy?

Each month we offer a unique, limited edition Lunacy perfume oil, corresponding to the upcoming full moon. These remain available on the website for a very limited time. These scents will be accompanied by a series of duets (simple, two-note fragrances), along with a themed Hair Gloss, Hand & Body Lotion, and Nail Polish. We’ll also make Drew Rausch’s label artworks available as collectible sticker designs. 

We’re also continuing our series of monthly scents inspired by classical artworks, now collected under the name ARS ANNI, and a ritual blend from our sister shop, Twilight Alchemy Lab.

Each month in 2026, we will be adding to our new "At The Root" collection, which will be raising funds for organizations which are defending basic human rights. The scents themselves will incorporate essences from the rootiest components we have on hand, to produce a series of grounding and inspiring perfume oils lending stability to thought, clarity to purpose, and stubbornness to cause.  

Check here monthly for the latest in lunatic fragrance trends!

Lunacy Duets
Our duet scents are designed to flatter, compliment, or enhance different aspects of the Lunacy blend that they are born from. They can be worn alone or layered with their siblings and their parent Lunacy.

BLACK PHOENIX REEKS OF ACTIVISM

In the course of an interview with Unquiet Things, I was able to put my thoughts and feelings about the importance of our activism into words:

Since the day we first opened our doors, helping support and strengthen marginalized communities has been of paramount importance to me. At Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, we have never shied away from our civic duty, and since the inception of the company, we have made it a point to do everything within our power to support organizations that provide emergency aid and disaster relief, support environmental and conservation causes, help the homeless, protect civil liberties and reproductive rights, and offer succor to the LGBTQ community and marginalized ethnic, racial, and minority religious groups. It is our way of helping to protect and provide for our communities, and we feel it is our obligation as human beings to help those who may not be empowered to help themselves.

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