Every home aromatherapist should be familiar with the art of preparing an aromatic bath. Here’s how we do it.
This personal perfume blend is perfect for creating a fun mood while also helping you stay grounded during this time of new growth.
One of the great “balancers,” Geranium embodies a dance between the masculine and the feminine—reminding us to find time for both rest and play.
Has an essential oil ever opened up something inside of you?
Or uncovered a deeper truth?
I’ve known for a long time that essential oils can do this, but I’m still in the beginning stages of using them most effectively for deep inner work.
Part of this lies in the mystery of how olfactory nerves communicate with the emotional and survival centers of the brain—affecting our body chemistry and influencing our conscious thoughts—all in a matter of seconds! How all this works is a subject for another blog (or honestly, a lifetime study), but here I have a special message to share with you.
Each month in the Atlantic Aromatic Library, we featured a new essential oil. Sylla would speak at length about the science, research, therapeutics, chemistry, and botany of the oil. Then I take what she found, do my own “inner research,” and write a meditation based on that oil to share as well.
Now you can find all 26 Deep Dives on different essential oils in the Atlantic Aromatic Library, including aromatic meditations. Grab your seat today.
Usually, I turn to several references to find out the emotional/energetic properties of the oils. The first stop is The Blossoming Heart by Robbi Zeck. The second stop is Aromatherapy for the Spirit by Gabriel Mojay. I try to get a sense of what others have found on the oils and start there.
But Blue Tansy was different.
It hasn’t been used as an aromatic as long as other oils like Lavender, Rosemary, Lemon, or Eucalyptus have, so there wasn’t much out there that I could find. I had to go within myself.
One day, I sat down with Blue Tansy just to see what emerged.
As it goes in meditation, my thoughts started wandering a few minutes in. I found myself suddenly sure that I needed to let go of a commitment in my life. I didn’t really see it coming, but I felt a reassurance that, “It’s okay to say no to something you’ve already said yes to.”
Wow, Blue Tansy, that’s one powerful message!
I wrote the Blue Tansey Meditation about this and sent it to Sylla. It really spoke to her, too, as she’d recently been working to change a habit of overcommitting herself.
We also used this message to create a personal perfume for one of our Atlantic Aromatic Library recipes. We call this blend, “Say Yes to You.”
You can find this blend and Meditation, along with many others, in the Atlantic Aromatic Library.
Sylla’s scented salt jar she made for her desk.
Since I started working with Blue Tansy in this way, I’ve been able to get a clearer picture of what I need to say goodbye to.
I’ve seen Mom making this shift too. (Check out her “Just Say No” scented salt jar. She keeps it close by so while she’s working she can ward off distractions and stay focused on what she wants to do).
But one thing I am saying a full-hearted YES to is finding new and better ways to serve you in your search for aromatherapy education.
I love how aromatics, and the messages they bring, can come into our lives and change them—instantly.
Of course it takes work on our part, but they are such wonderful tools with so much wisdom to share.
Now we’d like to know:
What is it time for you to say no to (even if you’ve already said yes)?
What oil or oils would you use to help you make that transition?
Let us know and leave a comment below.
Ah, the smell of Evergreens … This is a scent that can transport you to a winter landscape. Even if you live in a tropical place like us, there are ways you can feel like you’re on a mountain overlooking snow-covered trees.
My latest favorite is crystallized Spruce needles and with those, Spruce Syrup!
As part of the Spruce Exploration Deep Dive in the Atlantic Aromatic Library, I crystallized some real Spruce tips and made a simple syrup with them. (If you don’t have any Spruce trees near you, you can order them from a beer supplier here.) I imagined I was a homesteader or wilderness person, wishing to preserve the feeling of Spruce, the smell of winter into a simple syrup—since I don’t have maple trees to tap. It’s been the best addition to my water.
A simple syrup is just sugar and water together in a 1:1 ratio. So, I boiled water and added the sugar till it dissolved, as I did for the crystallization project. I immersed the remaining Spruce sprigs, wood, and needles, along with the rest of the sugar mix I had used. Simmering on the stove, I kept it on low so I wouldn’t lose the essential oils. I must say it smelled like something delicious was cooking! After a few hours, I had to add more water as it thickened! So I added more water and left it overnight in the fridge. Then I simmered it again the next day till it smelled perfect and was the right consistency.
Once it cooled, I strained out the spent needles and let it cool further before decanting it into my bottle.
I now use it to flavor and sweeten my daily water glasses.
Watch Sylla share why she loves her Spruce syrup so much.
First, I add some warm water in the bottom of a large tumbler. Then I add about a tablespoon of syrup, mixing it and adding ice. Finally, I top it off with room-temperature distilled water (my choice).
There are many ways to use this simple syrup! It could be used in hot tea. It could also be caramelized till it’s thick and brown—to be drizzled over desserts … The uses are endless.
I already know I should have made more …
Have you ever crystallized an Evergreen? How do you like to use it? Tell us all about it below!
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