The Story Behind Hypnos Hair & Body Oil
Featured in the Mythologies Collection, Hypnos Hair & Body Oil celebrates Hypnos, the Lord of Sleep, bringer of restful slumber, ease of mind, and relaxation.
Key ingredient symbolization in the Hypnos Hair & Body Oil formulation:
- Rosemary: Rosemary is a gateway or bridge to the Underworld where Hypnos resides, used to cure nightmares, ward off bad dreams, and ease the mind for restful sleep
- Frankincense: Frankincense is a standard offering to Hypnos, and is used in meditation and within meditative spaces due to its calming qualities
- Myrrh: Myrrh is a sacred offering to Hypnos and is associated with altered states of consciousness and spiritual purification and ideal of meditation and relaxation as it calms the mind and brings tranquility
- Sandalwood: A common ingredient in ritual oils for dreamwork and connecting to Hypnos, sandalwood quiets the mind and offers peaceful rest.
- Baobab: Baobab is the "Tree of Life", often called the "Upside Down Tree" with root systems thought to provide channels and gateways to unseen realms, and helps to open the door for spiritual connection
- Pumpkinseed: Pumpkinseed represents earth's fertility, wards off negative energy and heals the spirit
- Cypress: Cypress is strongly tied to the Underworld and Hypnos through the Rive Lethe
Hypnos: The Personification of Sleep
Hypnos, Lord of Sleep, is an ancient Greek God, the half-brother of Ares, a son of Nyx (the Goddess of Night), and Erebus (Lord of Darkness); the sympathetic, gentler twin brother of Thanatos (Lord of Death). He is the father of Morpheus (Lord of Dreams).
Hynos is the namesake of hypnosis.
Hypnos lives in a darkened cave in the Underworld, sleeps in a comfortable feather bed surrounded by black curtains to block out all light. Outside of his cave, the sleep-inducing River Lethe (river of forgetfulness) flows from where day and night meet, and opium poppy flowers (among others) grow in abundance.
Hypnos's power lies in lulling people (mortal and immortal alike) to sleep. He does this by dripping water from the River Lethe, splashing them with sleep-inducing opium from his horn, speaking in a soft, rhythmic voice, or fanning people with his wings.
When Hera desired revenge against Heracles, she approached Hypnos and requested that he use this power to put Zeus into a deep sleep. Hypos granted Hera this request and caused Zeus to fall into a deep slumber. With Zeus unconscious, Hera conjured disastrous storms, resulting in Heracles (Zeus's son) being stranded at sea.
Zeus awoke and sought revenge on Hypnos, who quickly escaped to Nyx's protection. Zeus's hunt for Hypnos ended only because he feared the wrath of the powerful Goddess of Night.
Hera again came to Hypnos, with yet another request to put Zeus to sleep. Remembering how he'd almost came face to face with Zeus's temper after he fulfilled her first request, Hypnos declined. Cleverly, Hera then offered him the marriage of Hypnos's long-time crush, Pasithea, the Goddess of Relaxation or (or Hallucination). Pasithea was very beautiful and Hypnos had long been in love with the goddess, so he changed his mind and transformed into a night bird (his other form), hid in the trees, and waited for Hera to seduce Zeus before he lulled the great god to sleep.
Hera's intention this time had been to help the Greeks in the war, and sure enough, Poseidon gained winning traction in the war, as Zeus slept.
Hypnos married Pasithea and they bore children: The Oneiroi (personification of dreams, including Morpheus.) Morpheus is the leader of the Oneiroi, and he appears in human dreams in mortal form. He also guards his father's realm, shaping dreams, illusions, and what people see when they sleep.
Hypnos has the power to help insomniacs and those who suffer from stress and night terrors achieve peaceful slumber. He favors the sleep-deprived (insomniacs) and those with other sleep disorders, those who suffer from anxiety and stress, witches, herbalists and healers who work with chamomile, poppy seed, lavender, frankincense, myrrh and other sleep and relaxation-inducing botanicals, as well those who practice the art of hypnotism, diviners and dream readers. He can be invoked for ease of mind and sleep, relief from daily stress, and relaxation. Invoke Morpheus with him for extra help warding off nightmares.
Venerations of Hypnos
Hypnos was venerated in Troezan with the Muses.
Some Hellenic practitioners devote the Friday before the Spring Equinox, known as World Sleep Day to Hypnos.
He is worshipped by household rituals and displays of devotion such as altars and offerings of poppy seeds, adorning oneself or one's home with relaxing scent, and usually invoked at bedtime through invocations or prayers requesting peaceful rest, tranquility of mind, safe dreams, and relief from worries.
Offerings:
Water to represent water from the River Lethe
Inverted torches (turning off the light of day for descent into darkness and slumber)
Poppy seeds (pleasant dreams)
Art/portraits that reveal the kind, sympathetic nature of Hypnos
Sleep and relaxation herbs/botanicals such as poppy flowers, lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, calming herbal tea
Gris-gris bag containing articles of relaxation, an oil of the like, a black feather, and a personal item.
Self-adornment rituals: Scenting hair and body with relaxation-inducing fragrance oils, soaking in a bath containing such oils and herbs
Altar with plants, natural/botanical products, art, and incense designed for sleep, peace, and relaxation
The practice of invoking Hypnos's name and conjuring images of the Lord of Sleep in the mind invites mental rest and helps to ward off nightmares.
Hypnos's Depictions and Symbols
Hypnos is often depicted as a youthful, tranquil man with wings attached to his shoulders, head, or brows which symbolize his ability to cover his own eyes for rest.
He is usually holding a branch dripping with water from the River Lethe (forgetfulness), providing relief from daily stress and worry as one sleeps. Hypnos carries poppy stems or wears them, symbolizing tranquility and drug-induced effects and holds an inverted torch to symbolize the ending of daylight and day consciousness for a night's rest in darkness.
Symbols/Attributes:
- Water to represent water from the River Lethe
- Inverted torches (turning off the light of day for descent into darkness and slumber) Poppy seeds (pleasant dreams)
- Art/portraits that reveal the kind, sympathetic nature of Hypnos