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6 By Joan Apter, L.M.T. Essential Oils have only in recent history been rediscovered, bringing new research into their powerful antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, hormonal, oxygenating and uplifting effects. So too the recent interest and research on the Goddess and the sacred feminine are reawakening the hearts and minds of peoples throughout the world. This reemergence coincides with the growth of other movements which affirm the interconnectedness and sanctity of life. Members of the peace, environmental, human rights and earth religion movements find guidance and inspiration from the images, traditions and values of the ancient goddess. Most of the excellent current Goddess research has focused on Europe and the Near East. And yet most of us have spiritual and blood ancestors who revered the Goddess. Research indicates that from roughly 30,000 to 3000 BCE, women and the Goddess were honored. When I studied the medicinal uses of Essential Oils at Ege University in Izmir, Turkey, I visited the Epheseus museum where I gazed upon a statue of the goddess from 45,000 BCE! There she was, a round small figure with pendulous breasts, honored as the creatrix of life. She resembled the Goddess found in Willendorf, Austria, dating back to 25,000 BCE. To me, the Goddess is not just what we call “the feminine”. The Goddess represents a unity and a wholeness, which is the birthright and potential of every human being. Therefore, the qualities of The Goddess are not only nurturance, cooperation, compassion, sensuality, peacemaking and egalitarianism, but are also power, fierceness and rationality. “She is love combined with power, creating the potential for a more powerful love and a more loving power.” (Hallie Iglehart Austen, The Heart of the Goddess, Wingbow Press. 1990) The Goddess is another word for the life force, both physical and nonphysical. She is all that is. The following Essential Oils will augment our intention to fully reawaken the qualities of the Sacred Feminine. (Use your intuition when applying essential oils. Place a drop of oil on the palm of one hand, rub the hands together brisly and then deeply breathe in the potent properties of the oils or blends. Apply on the pulse points, as you would a perfume, or over the heart, lower back, shoulders and neck, stomach, on the feet, or use a therapeutic diffuser (with a pump and glass nebulizer ) and breathe in these precious molecules of healing. The limbic system of the brain, where we store memory and emotion, is directly connected to the olfactory bulb. That is why breathing in the essential oils bring such powerful emotional response and balancing. I often mix the oils with a massage oil base and apply all over the body after a shower or bath. The oils penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream within seconds of application.) Sensuality I absolutely love this blend. I use it in my bath (always drop the oils on salts or bath gel base before dropping into the bath water.)
Joy/Love of Life /Self-Love Everyone loves this blend. Turn to the citrus oils when you want to promote joy and relieve stress!
Grounding When we want to feel our connection to mother earth and all of her inhabitants. I use a blend containing:
Compassion
Transformation : (The mysteries of Death and Rebirth. To let go of the old and create room for the new.) Whenever I am in the midst of change and transition, which seems to be all the time these days, I use a blend that stimulates the mind, compelling it to open and accept new things in life, overcoming my procrastination and denial.
Spiritual Practice One of my favorite blends contains the holy anointing oils of:
Rationality To stimulate the brain, clearing the “brain fog” we experience due to petrochemicals in our air, beauty products and food, I recommend a blend with the following essential oils:
Creativity
The blend I use is a combination of oils that stimulates the endocrine system, creating energy flow to the brain activating the right hemisphere of creativity, desire, motivation and focus. It contains Sandalwood, Nutmeg, Patchouli, Rosewood, Cinnamon Bark, Ginger and Sage. Power/Passion The oils in this blend stimulate a feeling of passion!
Courage
Abundance I use a blend created to enhance the frequency of the energy field that surrounds us through the electrical stimulation of the somatides. Somatides transmit the frequency from the cells to the outside of the body where they are stimulated through fragrance and the thought process. This frequency, called the electrical field, or the aura, creates what is called the “law of attraction”. Use this blend when you want to attract an abundance of health, both physical and emotional.
Protection Every morning I anoint myself with a blend containing 10 oils, some of which were used during ancient times to increase the aura around the body. Melissa, Sandalwood, Geranium, Spruce, Myrrh, Hyssop, Bergamot, Rosewood and Ylang Ylang. They bring a delicate sense of strength and protection. Unconditional Mother Love
Other oils that have this special feeling are Frankincense and Rose. In closing, I would like to share with you a prayer to Sedna, a mermaid Goddess from Baffin Island, in the far northwest of Canada. “Mother Sedna, embodied wisdom of the connection of life with death, let me come to know you. Let me dive deep into myself to find you, that I may return wiser than before. Teach me when to give and when to take. Let me learn what I need and what I can do without. Help me to remember that all beings are your children and that we all live in intricate balance with one another. Speak to me of your ways, that I may help restore the planet with them.” For more information on how to obtain the therapeutic grade singles and blends mentioned in this article, or to ask your questions, contact Joan Apter, phone and fax 845-679-0512, or E-mail joanapter@earthlink.net Joan Apter Aromatherapy Copyright © 2000 All Rights Reserved |