Oil / Anointing

Messiah means “anointed one.” Christ means “anointed one.” The oil makes the king.

Tradition	Form	Meaning
Biblical	Anointing oil	Samuel anointed Saul, then David, with oil (1 Sam 10:1, 16:13). The Holy Spirit came upon the anointed. Exodus 30:22-25 gives the sacred formula: myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, olive oil
Christian	Chrism / anointing of the sick	”Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders… and anoint them with oil” (James 5:14). The anointing of the Spirit at baptism. Jesus = Christos = “the Anointed One”
Catholic	Holy Chrism / Extreme Unction	Three sacred oils: Oil of Catechumens (baptism preparation), Holy Chrism (confirmation, ordination, consecration), Oil of the Sick (anointing of the sick, formerly “last rites”). The bishop consecrates chrism annually at the Chrism Mass
Jewish	Shemen ha-mishchah	Sacred anointing oil for priests, kings, and Tabernacle vessels. The olive oil of Hanukkah that miraculously lasted 8 days. Olive oil in the menorah (Exodus 27:20)
Masonic	Consecration oil	Used in the consecration of new lodges. Corn, wine, and oil are the three “elements of consecration” in Masonic ritual — oil representing joy and gladness
Esoteric	Sacred unguent	Anointing as the transmission of spiritual power. The “oil of the wise” in alchemical texts. The parable of the ten virgins: five had oil (spiritual preparedness), five did not (Matt 25:1-13)

The three-part Masonic consecration: When a new Masonic lodge is consecrated, three elements are poured: corn (nourishment), wine (refreshment), and oil (joy). These correspond to the three pillars of Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty — and echo the biblical triad of grain, wine, and oil that appears over 30 times in the Old Testament as shorthand for God’s full blessing (Deut 7:13, Joel 2:19).

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