Borrowing the flowers’ fragrant soul messengers to create perfumes and potions enables us to transcend the boundaries of our verbal world. Scent communicates with the non-verbal part of the brain, where the soul ‘thinks’ in imagery and associations. That is why a fleeting whiff of subtle fragrance can instantly transport us a million miles away. Thus, the sense of smell forms the gateway to the subconscious mind and even taps into what Jung termed the collective unconscious.
Essential Oils are the volatile, aromatic components of plants, the substance that carries their unique scent and ethereal soul. It is through these precious fragrances that plants communicate with their environment. But essential oils are not just chemical messengers, they are also divine messengers. They possess the power to influence our moods and sense of well-being, they can heal our physical and emotional ailments and even open the gates to other dimensions.
The knowledge concerning the use of essential oils as therapeutic agents is known as ‘Aromatherapy’. The art and body of knowledge itself is ancient, but modern practitioners, with the help of new insights into the workings of chemicals on mind and body, have taken it to new levels. The more common availability of even the most exotic essential oils opens new horizons for the creative kitchen alchemist to explore the magical powers of essential oils in their own potions, lotions and magical blends.
