Associations
Element: Earth
Planetary Ruler: Saturn
Mood: Grounding, reflective, steadying.
Folkloric: Protection, cleansing, fertility, lust, wealth
History
Native to the tropical regions of Asia — predominantly Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines — Patchouli is a shrubby perennial plant in the basil/mint family (Lamiaceae). Its leaves are naturally fragrant, and what accentuates Patchouli's characteristic pungent earthy aroma is the way it is processed. Patchouli cell walls must be broken before the oil can be steam distilled, which is most commonly done by stacking the dried leaves so that they can lightly ferment before extraction.
The scientific name comes from the Greek pogon and stemon meaning 'beard hair stem', which describes the filaments on the stem of Patchouli. The second part of the name comes from the local name for the plant in the Phillapines cabalam. According to Kavino and Suganthy, "it is believed to originate from the Tamil language, specifically from the phrase ‘patchai elai (பச்சைஇலை)’, which translates to ‘green leaf’."
Compared to some of the other plants we have studied so far in these articles, Patchouli is a relatively recent arrival to European shores. It was first recorded in botanical gardens in the 1840s, with Kew Gardens recording a specimen in 1849. This followed almost immediately after the arrival of Patchouli to India in 1834 where it was used to scent the shawls and fabrics being imported to Europe by the East India Company. It is documented that the leaves of patchouli plants were used along the silk road from China for centuries prior, and the scent helped protect the fabric from moths and other insects. Its unclear if that was also the intended purpose in the 1840s or a mere fashion trend was already beginning to take up steam.
">As the British public's fascination with India grew (alongside its rule over the country which would last almost 100 years) so did the demand for more Indian fabrics. When reproductions found their way onto the market in the Victorian era, retailers found that a customer would not buy them unless they 'smelled like the real thing' so they would be intentionally fragranced with Patchouli to meet demand. In the 1960s Patchouli gained further fame within the hippy movement as an incense that opened the mind and body, (as well as masked the odour of Marijuana!) Today, it is still a scent that can be found pouring out of boho-chic stores and head shops. Near where I live in Camden, a particular store on the high street comes to mind!
Whether it was Patchouli's enticing aphrodisiac scent that drove the public wild, or just the discovering of a new exotic smell, one thing that is for sure is that Patchouli grabbed hold of the West like no other. Indeed, its scent is quite unique, owing to the high concentration of Patchouli Alcohol (patchoulol) which is found almost exclusively within this plant. For anyone who has had the delight of opening a bottle of Patchouli oil themselves, I think you can perhaps understand why it beguiles us.
Traditional Uses
In addition to being used for protecting fabrics from moths, Patchouli has many other wonderful uses in the world of healing. It has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Indian and Arab medicines for centuries, most commonly as an aphrodisiac and in treating colds and fever. Grieve does have an entry for Patchouli in her A Modern Herbal (1931) however she does not list a wide array of medicinal uses in the West (at that time) stating only it may curb appetite or be used as a prophylactic to stave off disease.
In aromatherapy as an oil, Patchouli can be great in skincare products, in a similar way to Frankincense. The patchoulol in Patchouli can help ease tension, insomnia and anxiety which makes it very grounding for the spirit and mind. There is also some modern research that supports Grieve's assertion that it can be used as an anti-fungal and to help the body's natural immune systems fight influenza viruses when used in the context of aromatherapy. (Isnaini et al. 2024 & Kemala et al. 2024)
Folklore
In many Asian countries, not unlike the ancient Greek storytellers or bardic traditions of Wales, histories and myths were passed down entirely orally. When I was studying Buddhism, I couldn't believe the vast amounts of text a monk would have to memorise as part of their training. While of course some of these eventually became written texts, many local myths and folktales lived on for many more centuries purely orally. In the regions native to Patchouli (i.e. South East Asia), most pre-colonial plant knowledge was still orally transmitted and thus became suppressed, altered, or eradicated with the arrival of European mercenaries-as-merchants. What references do survive in Western texts are of purely commercial interest, or have been re-imagined by modern Western spiritual practitioners and thus passed off as true tradition when in fact they are very modern correspondences (e.g. wealth).
While the industry of growing and distilling Patchouli is indeed likely only seen as commercial these days by local farmers who are employed by Western perfume companies, I felt in my bones there had to be something deeper we could still find. For a plant to have become so widely used and important to these island nations, it must have its own folklore or spiritual use that put it on the map in the first place. So, below I will summarise the best of what I can find from non-English texts:
First there are some examples of the medicinal and possibly ritualistic purification uses of Patchouli for washing the sick found in Philippine Traditional Medicine: An Ethnographic Survey (1951) where there were interviews with local herbalists in the Laguna and Quezon provinces. The findings showed that Patchouli (kabling) was steamed or boiled to "wash sick patients" and remove usog (evil eye) or lamang lupa (spirit afflictions).
In Malaysia we see some documentation in Traditional Malay Medicine (2007) which documents the bomoh (shamanistic medicinal healers). The author says it was used as a burned incense to "cleanse the air of negative energy" alongside sandalwood and benzoin for spirit communication. This comes from the author's alleged interview with an elder bomoh in Kelantan, Malyasia.
An Indonesian article from a peer-reviewed journal, Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants in Lombok, Indonesia, provided the most specific use of patchouli used in a ritual sense. Below is the rough english translation of one passage:
Patchouli (nilam) oil (Pogostemon cablin) is used by Sasak healers in pre-wedding ceremonies, particularly for bathing the bride and groom. The oil is mixed with water and seven types of flowers then applied to the body to cleanse it of evil influences (sebel) and disruptive spirits (jinn). This process is called meraq qabu (purification) and is believed to protect the couple from misfortune.
Wulandari & Septiningsih, Etnobotani tumbuhan obat di Lombok (2015)
I think this last example a beautiful blending of cultures. The Sasak people live on an island of Indonesia and are primarily muslim. The tradition of washing feet and hands being akin to wudu the ritual purification of hands face and feet before prayer in Islam, and the concept of 'jinn' also coming from middle eastern folklore.
So, it appears that although any specific myths or wide-spread folklore has been lost or buried, that there are still fairly modern accounts of Patchouli's use as a ritual cleanser. It makes sense, because like Juniper in the West being used for a similar purpose, there are anti-microbial properties to Patchouli that would have been noticed and used by healers for millennia. I hope it also shows the unreliability of modern Western interpretations of South East Asian medicinal herbs.
One such unreliable urban legend is that of King Tutankhamun and the case of 10 gallons of patchouli oil found in his tomb. This belief gave way to sources repeating that Patchouli was seen as a symbol of wealth and opulence in ancient Egypt. However, I find it difficult to believe that in 1323 BC, there was a plant from the Philippines in Egypt, when sources say it would not even get as far east as China until 420 AD. There appears to be another version of the story (whose authenticity I cannot trace to any scientific or archeological documents) goes as follows:
The perfumed ointment found in Tutankhamun's tomb was of a solid nature, although it was noted that it melted and became more viscous within the heat of a hand. Observers at the time found the aroma similar to coconut oil and also remarked that it resembled the scent of valerian (Valeriana officinalis), the first tip-off to what the jar probably contained.
The perfume was analyzed in 1926 and was found to consist of a "neutral animal fat" and a resin or balsam. At the time they were unable to be more specific. However, the primary fragrant component is now believed to be valerian's close cousin, the ancient and precious spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
- Tour Egypt (so authoritative!)
While I personally don't buy either story completely, I think the fact that Valerian root and Patchouli do have a similar earthy, sweet and sour, pungent aroma does give a little bit of credence to the myth. Additionally, Spikenard, which came from the Himalayan region, was evidently commonly used at the time for perfumes in Egypt, and it does have 2.5% patchoulol content. So, three things are possible: 1) the excavators of his tomb back in 1922 did find a perfume with this distinctive smell, and erroneously identified it initially as Patchouli because of its similarity 2) the accounts of how recently Patchouli made it to India and beyond are wrong, and it was already grown in similar regions to Spikenard as early as 1323 BC and not 1834 AD, thus making it possible Patchouli existed in Ancient Egypt. 3) there was no perfume at all found, just the vases that would have contained it and an urban myth spread far and wide to encourage tourism. If any egyptologists know the answer, please get in touch!
In the West, modern folklore purports Patchouli as useful in 'love spells,' (no surprise seeing as it is an aphrodisiac when inhaled) and also good for workings concerning money and wealth. The latter being due to Patchouli's earthy scent and correspondence with new growth. It's heartening to see how Patchouli has been embraced in contemporary Western practices, and of course, there's nothing wrong with connecting with it in the ways that feel meaningful to you. At the same time, it's worth taking a moment to honour the plant’s deeper roots.
Patchouli’s journey to the West is closely entwined with the colonial trade routes and the disruption they brought to local cultures and communities. I think it’s important that whenever we enjoy these spices or herbs—Cinnamon being another good example—we also take time to reflect on the complex histories behind how these plants reached us. But more on that another time.
Through it all, Patchouli has remained patient, grounded, and open. It became a symbol of 1960s counterculture, a quiet reminder of the tangled legacy of empire, and ultimately, I see it as a powerful emblem of peace and harmony—a returning to oneself and to tradition after periods of chaos and upheaval. For those who know and love Patchouli, you'll know just what I mean. To those who have yet to meet this wonderful plant, I can't wait to know what you think!
Aromatic Profile
- Note: Base
- Scent Family: Earthy, musty, woody
Uses & Safety Information
- Never ingest/take internally.
- Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.
- Keep away from children and pets.
- Full safety information and directions will be provided in a safety card upon purchase, please read fully.
Bibliography & Sources
Battaglia, Salvatore (2003). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Second Edition. International Centre Of Holistic Aromatherapy, Cop.
Carta, Louise (2024). Diploma Course: Module 1 Study Materials. The Aromatherapy Company.
Cunningham, S. (2013). Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications.
Grieve, M. (1971). A modern herbal: The medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and economic properties, cultivation and folk-lore of herbs, grasses, fungi, shrubs & trees (Vols. 1–2). Dover Publications. (Original work published 1931)
Isnaini, N., Khairan Khairan, Meutia Faradhilla, Sufriadi, E., Prajaputra, V., Binawati Ginting, Muhammad, S. and Raihan Dara Lufika (2022). A Study of Essential Oils from Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth.) and Its Potential as an Antivirus Agent to Relieve Symptoms of COVID-19. Journal of Patchouli and Essential Oil Products, 1(2), pp.27–35. doi:https://doi.org/10.24815/jpeop.v1i2.23763.
Kavino, M., Suganthy, M. Pogostemon cablin (patchouli). (2024). CABI Compendium. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.119120
Kemala, P., Idroes, R., Khairan, K., Ramli, M., Tallei, T.E., Helwani, Z. and Rahman, S.A. (2024). The Potent Antimicrobial Spectrum of Patchouli: Systematic Review of Its Antifungal, Antibacterial, and Antiviral Properties. Malacca Pharmaceutics, 2(1), pp.10–17. doi:https://doi.org/10.60084/mp.v2i1.156.
Lavabre, Marcel. (2020). Essential Oils and Aromatherapy Workbook. Healing Arts Press.
Rahman, M.A. (2007) Traditional Malay medicine: A study of the bomoh and his practices. Penerbit Univversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Tisserand, Robert. (2009). The Art of Aromatherapy. The C. W. Daniel Company Ltd.
Wulandari, S., & Septiningsih, E. (2015) Etnobotani tumbuhan obat di Lombok: Studi kasus maasyarakat suku Sasak [Ethnobotany of medicinal plants in Lombok: Case study of the Sasak tribe]. Jurnal Bioscientiae, 2(1), 45-56.
Quisumbing, E. (1951) Philippine traditional medicine: An ethnographic survey. Bureau of Printing. Cited in: Medicinal Plants of the Phlippines (De Padua et al., 1999)
