Calm Emotion Potion

Why does every day seem like it is as long as a week nowadays? Unplugging from cable news and constant social media feeds will help, as will this time-tested aromatherapy healing potion. This remedy is an excellent way to recharge and refresh after a hectic week.

Gather together

    * a small ceramic or glass bowl

    * 2 drops bergamot essential oil

    * 2 drops vanilla essential oil

    * 1 drop amber essential oil

    * 2 drops lavender essential oil

    * 4 drops carrier (or base) oil, apricot or sesame, ideally

Timing: This tincture is most potent right after the sun sets, by the light of the moon.

Mix all the oils together in the bowl.

Take off your shoes so you can be more grounded. Walk outside, and stand on your veranda or by an open window. Now, close your eyes, lift your head to the moon, and recite aloud:

    Bright moon goddess, eternal and wise, give your strength to me now.

    As I breathe, you are alive in me for this night.

    Health to all, calm to me.

    So mote it be.

Gently rub one drop of Calm Emotion Potion on each pulse point: on both wrists, behind your ear lobes, on the base of your neck, and behind your knees. Close your eyes and breathe the sweetly serene scent in as you stand barefoot for 5 full minutes. If you need more time to restore yourself and regain your calm, continue your mindful breathing and contemplation. As the oil surrounds you with its warm scent, you will be filled with a quiet strength.

First Aid Aromatherapy: Essential Oil Magic

Blending essential oils for magic is both an art and a science. Combining these herbal oils can take their individual properties to the next level, interacting together to perform curative miracles.

Classic Essential Oils

    *One drop of lavender essential oil warmed between the palms of your hands can summon an instant         sense of serenity.

    *One whiff of bergamot essential oil can calm anxiety and stimulate the mind.

    * Ylang ylang essential oil can combat hypertension.

    * Rosemary essential oil kindles the memory and can help with perspiration.

A great blend involves combining notes—typically a top, middle, and base, though some blends don’t require a base—to create a balanced and effective aroma.

The top note is the first scent impression, which gives way to the middle note—the star of the show. The base note gives the blend its staying power and usually comes to the forefront much later. The aim in blending these three notes is to create a ratio that results in a harmonious cocktail that works (olfactorily or topically, depending on the blend) to address specific moods or ailments. A good rule of thumb is to use approximately 30 percent top note, 50 percent middle, and 20 percent base. If the blend doesn’t require a base note, round it up to about 40 percent top and 60 percent middle. Always use the highest-quality organic essential oils (see Resources, page 141) for the best outcomes. Consult your local herbal apothecary and look for brands that have had GC/MS testing as that is known as the gold standard test for essential oils. I keep a stock of ½-ounce (15ml) dark-colored vials with stopper lids and blank labels for when aromatherapy needs arise.

For the following blends, carefully pour the oils into a vial and shake gently to blend. You can rub this on pulse points or use a diffuser. These are quite popular. If you are using a diffuser, no carrier (or base) oil is needed. I use the simplest and most old-fashioned kind of diffuser, which is a clay ring you can put at the base of a light bulb in a lamp. The warmth of the bulb slowly fills the space with the desired scent and effect. If you plan to use your blend on pulse points, you will need a carrier oil. Always do a skin test first to avoid any potential irritation.

Jubilant

The sweet scent of this blend makes you feel all warm and fuzzy—euphoric, even.

    * 1 drop each of top notes: bergamot, lemon, neroli

    * 1 drop each of middle notes: ylang ylang, jasmine, Roman chamomile, geranium, rose

    * 1 tablespoon of a carrier (or base) oil, ideally jojoba or apricot

Quietude

If you need a moment of peace, try this citrus-floral blend.

    * 3 drops of top note: orange

    * 5 drops of middle note: ylang ylang

    * 2 drops of base note: patchouli

    * 1 teaspoon carrier (or base) oil, ideally sesame or jojoba

Bright Mind

Clear the mind and gain a keen sense of alertness with this bright, sunny blend.

    * 1 drop each of top notes: rosemary, peppermint, bergamot, lemon

    * 1 drop each of middle notes: mint, geranium, ylang ylang, jasmine, Roman chamomile

    * 1 teaspoon carrier (or base) oil, almond or grapeseed

Lavender Aromatherapy: The Sweet Smell of Serenity

The time you take to restore yourself is precious. Morning is the optimal time to perform a self-blessing, which will help you maintain both your physical health and provide an emotional boost. Today, lavender oil is the most popular essential oil the world over, but the benefits of lavender were actually discovered over three thousand years ago. Because of its deeply powerful calming and soothing effect as well as antioxidant, antimicrobial, sedative, tranquilizing, and antidepressive properties, lavender oil is simply wonderful—even the scent brings joy. When King Tut’s tomb in Egypt was opened in 1923, a faint perfume of lavender remained after three thousand years. In the Bible, lavender was beloved for anointing and healing. Lavender, let us count the ways we love you:

• Anxiety reduction and lessening emotional stress
• Protection against diabetes
• Improved brain function
• Healing burns and wounds
• Better sleep
• Brightens skin health and circulation
• Slows down aging with powerful antioxidants
• Pain relief
• Alleviate headaches

Soothe Your Soul with Homemade Massage Candles

Making massage candles is very similar to making any other type of potted candle. I recommend using soy wax as it is so gentle on the skin. Soy is also nice and soft, so it melts easily and stays together in a puddle after melting and can be reused by thrifty crafters. It won’t irritate your skin unless you have a soy allergy; if you have an allergy to soy, you can use beeswax instead, which is widely used. (For example, beeswax is in nearly every single Burt’s Bees product.) The addition of the oils prevents it from hardening again and enables your skin to absorb it. Essential oils or cosmetic-grade fragrance oils are also added to create a soothing atmosphere. All soap-making fragrances, which are also soy candle safe, are perfect choices for scenting your massage candles. Try the basic directions below to make your first candle. For every three ounces of wax, you’ll add one ounce of liquid oil and one-quarter ounce of fragrance. I suggest making two candles in four-ounce metal tins while you master this craft.

You will need these elements:

• 2 ounces sweet almond oil or vitamin E oil
• 6 ounces high quality soy wax
• 1⁄2 ounce essential oil
• 2 four-ounce metal tins
• 2 six-inch candle wicks

Steps:

1. Melt the soy wax and oil in a double boiler over simmering water.

2. Add the essential oils and stir gently to avoid bubbling or spilling.

3. Once the wax has cooled somewhat but is still melted enough to pour, place the wicks in your containers and pour the wax.

4. Allow several hours for the candles to set and harden.

5. Trim the wicks to one-quarter of an inch above the top of the candle, and they’re ready to use.

Aromatherapy for Anxiety: The Scent of Serenity

Rose essential oil is extracted from the flower’s petals and has an exquisite perfume. Rose is also highly prized for how it relaxes and stimulates the senses and memory.

Lavender is one of the most beloved of all aromatherapy oils, not just for its singular scent; it has been proven to relieve tension by the reaction of the limbic system in the brain that controls our emotions.

Jasmine essential oil has an arresting floral scent which can cause an increased sense of well-being. Jasmine calms the nervous system without causing sleepiness.

Vetiver oil is derived from the vetiver plant, a grassy native of India. It has a sweet, earthy scent and is used to attain a meditative state and is a marvelous anti-anxiety remedy as well.

Basil essential oil comes from the same herb that you use in cooking. In aromatherapy, it’s used to help calm the mind and alleviate stress.

Clary Sage is a woody essential oil that is valued for its antidepressant qualities. It has been proven to reduce the body’s production of the hormone cortisol, known as the “stress hormone.”

Bergamot comes from bergamot oranges and has a revitalizing citrusy scent. Bergamot is beloved for how it can uplift and improve mood.

Ylang-Ylang is highly floral and a great relaxant. It is also proven in scientific tests to lower tension, reduce blood pressure, and even out the heart rate.

Chamomile is pretty well-known for its relaxing and sedating properties and appealing scent; it can help overcome sleep disruptions and bring about a good, deep rest.

Frankincense oil is made from a tree resin and has been cherished for its sweetly musky yet purifying aroma, which is used to create a meditative state and ease anxiety.

Lemon Balm has a bracing and uplifting scent which is very soothing and restorative; it can also be a sleep aid.

Valerian: an herb that has been used since ancient times to promote sleep and calm nerves. It has a tranquilizing and sedative effect on the body.

Patchouli also has a musky woodsy scent and is used in ayurvedic medicine to relieve anxiety, stress, and depression.

Simple Remedies for Common Maladies

Valerie Worwood’s The Fragrant Pharmacy is one of my bibles for learning about essential oils. Since I discovered essential oils and aromatherapy, I’ve been developing my own recipes. Often, I’ll amend a recipe to just one or two oils that I have on hand.

Itchy Skin and Feet

Either use a few drops of undiluted tea tree oil on the affected area, or massage with a drop of tea tree oil in a teaspoon of vegetable oil if there are issues with sensitive skin.

Cuts

Stanch an open wound with lavender oil on a cotton ball. Bandage a cut with a drop of lavender oil on the gauze, changing the dressing morning and night, and leave the wound uncovered as much as possible from the third day onward.

Bruises

Add two drops of lavender oil and two drops of rosemary oil to a bowl of hot water and the same to a bowl of cold water. Alternately apply to the bruised area a washcloth soaked in the hot infusion and one soaked in the cold infusion.

Burns

Leave the area where the burn is under running cold water for fifteen minutes, then apply two drops of neat (undiluted) lavender oil to the burn. Cover the area with a gauze compress soaked in cold water and three drops of lavender oil.

Boils

Add three drops of lavender oil and three drops of tea tree oil to a small bowl of hot water and bathe the area twice a day.

Chest Coughs

Prepare a bowl of boiling water for steam inhalation with one drop of rosemary, two drops of peppermint, and one drop of eucalyptus, draping a towel over your head to create a tent for the steam. Make massage oil for chest and back with one drop of lavender, three drops of rosemary, four drops of eucalyptus, and one drop of thyme in a level tablespoon of a vegetable base oil.

Dry Hacking Cough

Make a honey and lemon hot toddy, adding one drop of eucalyptus essential oil. Massage chest and back with two drops each of eucalyptus and thyme in a level tablespoon of a vegetable base oil. For a head steam, add either two drops of lavender or two drops of eucalyptus to the hot water.

Cold Sores

Apply tea tree oil directly to the sore morning and night.

Colds

Make a bowl of hot water for inhalation with one drop each of thyme, lavender, and eucalyptus oils. For a hot bath, add two drops each of thyme, lavender, and tea tree oil. Soak in the bath, relaxing your muscles and breathing deeply.

Upset Stomach

Always be sure to drink a lot of water when you are afflicted with a digestive malady, being careful not to chug it. If the cause is related to what food you ate, make a drink with a teaspoon of honey and a drop of peppermint oil in warm water. If you think you have a virus or nervous tummy, make a drink with warm water, a teaspoon of honey, and a drop of eucalyptus oil.

Headache

For a general headache, massage temples with a drop of either lavender or peppermint oil, or both together. You can also use rosemary or clove oil, but you will need to experiment, as some essentials will work better for you than others. If the headache is related to an upset tummy, mix a drop of peppermint oil with a teaspoon of honey dissolved in a cup of warm water and sip slowly.

Toothache

Place one drop of clove oil on a cotton swab and apply directly to the tooth and the surrounding gum. If you have a decayed tooth waiting to be treated, apply a paste made of goldenseal powder and water to the affected area. It tastes bitter but will prevent an infection from setting in until you can see a dentist.

Aromatherapeutic Quality Control

Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts of flowers, herbs, root, or resins, sometimes diluted in a neutral base oil. Try to ensure you are using natural oils instead of manufactured, chemical-filled perfume oil; the synthetics lack any real energy. Also, approach oils with caution and don’t get them in your eyes. Clean cotton gloves are a good idea to keep in your kitchen for handling sensitive materials. You can avoid any mess and protect your magical tools by using oil droppers. While you are learning and studying, find a trusted herbalist or the wise sage at your local metaphysical shop; usually their years of experience offer much in the way of useful knowledge you can use to your advantage. I have included as much as I can in this at-a-glance guide to oils:

These essential oils are excellent choices for anointing lamps as well as yourself:

• Cinnamon is energetic, spicy, and warm. It stimulates the mind as well as the body.
• Ginger is vigorous and revitalizing and heightens desire and comfort.
• Jasmine sparks sensuality and inspires feelings of positivity, confidence, and pure bliss.
• Lavender is soothing, calming, nurturing, and relaxing.
• Orange is a light, citrusy oil that restores balance and lifts moods while enhancing playful emotions.
• Rose brings youthfulness, enhances self-esteem, aids circulation, and relieves tension.
• Sandalwood is a woody aroma that relieves tension and relaxes tense muscles.
• Ylang-ylang’s sweet floral aroma is used as an aphrodisiac; it is relaxing and reduces worry and anxiety.

How to Use Essential Oils

Most of the home remedies I personally prefer are either essential oil massage treatments or essential oils diffused into the bath or air. The best base oils for essential oils are cold-pressed vegetable and seed or nut oils. The most affordable are sunflower, safflower, corn, and grapeseed. Add essential oils to base oil at a ratio of one drop per five milliliters. Twenty drops of an essential oil come out to approximately one milliliter, so add twenty drops to a hundred milliliters of base oil.

A few drops of an essential oil from a dropper in the bath is sufficient for therapeutic use, and a few drops in water in a diffuser will fill a room with healing molecules. A drop on a cotton ball wiped on a light bulb or on a radiator will also gently diffuse the oil into the air. Here’s another helpful tip: try a few drops in a small bowl of very hot water. Shut the doors and windows, and the essence will permeate a room in five minutes. This is a particularly easy way to create a nice ambience in a room with soothingly scented air.

My sister suffers from osteoarthritis in her shoulder. She takes baths with synergistic blends of fourteen essential oils: fennel, cypress, juniper, cedarwood, sandalwood, petitgrain, pine, ginger, lavender, rosemary, black pepper, birch, nutmeg, and marjoram. These, combined with sea salt and Epsom salts, have turned her into a true believer in the amazing therapeutic effects of essential oils!

There are hundreds of essential oils used by herbalists, but for general therapeutic use in the home, these are my recommendations as far as what you need to have at the ready.

Miracle Mint Foot Therapy

After a long day at the office, hiking, or even dancing at your drum circle, our feet get “dog tired.” This pagan pick-me-up will soon have you out and about, feeling fresh and fabulous.

You need:

• Mortar and pestle
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, softened in a small bowl
• 1 teaspoon vinegar, either white or apple cider vinegar
• 3 drops mint essential oil
• Handful of fresh mint leaves, crushed

Place the coconut oil paste in the bowl and fold in the crushed mint leaves. Grind the mint leaves into the coconut thoroughly with your mortar and pestle. Add in the vinegar and the essential oil. Stir those in, then spoon the mixture into a small jar and place it in your freezer for five minutes. Sit in the side of the tub and gently massage the mint mix into your feet, giving every toe and heel lots of loving attention. Take your time, as your feet do so much work all day, every day. When you are satisfied, rinse your feet clean in the shower, carefully making sure not to slip on the coconut oil. Now, you deserve to put your feet up and just enjoy life. 

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet: Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Gently simmer one tablespoon of dried and minced ashwagandha root in one cup of water for eight to ten minutes. Strain and sip once or twice a day as a rejuvenating pick-me-up, anti-inflammatory, anxiety reducer, and immunity tonic.

Pagan Zen Pick-Me-Up

The ancient pagan art of aromatherapy owes its newfound popularity to its remarkable capacity to heal the mind and alter the emotions. To enhance your spiritual health, combine the following essential oils in a dark colored bottle with a sealable cap:

Six drops lavender oil, four drops frankincense, six drops vanilla oil, and two ounces almond oil

Light your way to a healthier outlook by burning this Pagan Zen combination in an oil lamp or, for a quick pick-me-up, dab them onto light bulbs in your home or office. A soothing, meditative smell will soon develop you.

Gloom Away: Lunar Levity

I don’t know about you, but I occasionally wake up on the wrong side of the bed. The best way to avoid that is to brew up this lovely aromatic spray and use it to scent your bedroom before you retire. When your linens and personal space smell sweet, your dreams are guaranteed to be the same. This custom recipe works wonders on you or anyone in your environment who might need a lift. Combine the following essential oils:

• two drops peppermint 

• two drops bergamot 

• two drops lavender

• four drops rose

• four drops neroli
  

Add the mixture to a quart of distilled water, and spray the air while chanting:

Gloom and doom be gone.
Welcome, sweet spirits, into this house, 

With harm to none. So mote it be.

Ready, Set, Go Spell

On a Monday, or any day you need to ready yourself for important events, meetings, or anything high-pressure, set aside a half-hour of quiet time and brew up some willpower to help you in any creative endeavors. Light a white candle anointed with peppermint oil and light spicy incense (cinnamon works well, if you can get it).

Take a sprig of mint, warm milk, and cinnamon sticks and stir together clockwise in a white mug. Say aloud:

Herb of minthe and spicy mead, 
Today is the day I shall succeed 
In every word and every deed. 
So mote it be.

Quaff the cup and “sit for a spell,” eyes closed, envisioning your new horizons. Keep the cinnamon sticks on your altar as a symbol of the power of encouraging words.

Bed Blessing

Anoint your bed with this special charm. In a red cup, mix a half- teaspoon of jasmine oil and a half-teaspoon of rose oil. Take a cotton ball and dip it into the bliss oil. Touch it to your clean sheets seven times from where you rest your head to the feet, for each chakra point. Then speak aloud:

In this bed, I show my love. 
In this bed, I share my body. 
In this bed, I give my heart.
In this bed, we are as one.

Here, my happiness lies as I give and live in total joy. 
Blessed be to me and thee.

Now, lie down and roll around in the bed. After all, that is what it is for!

Pagan Zen Pick-Me-Up

The ancient pagan art of aromatherapy owes its newfound popularity to its remarkable capacity to heal the mind and alter the emotions. To enhance your spiritual health, combine the following essential oils in a dark colored bottle with a sealable cap:

Six drops lavender oil, four drops frankincense, six drops vanilla oil, and two ounces almond oil

Light your way to a healthier outlook by burning this Pagan Zen combination in an oil lamp or, for a quick pick-me-up, dab them onto light bulbs in your home or office. A soothing, meditative smell will soon develop you.