Aromatics for Congestion, Colds and Flu
Throughout the year I have friends, family, and students ask me what they can do for their loved ones or themselves to either help prevent them from getting sick, or help them reduce their symptoms and fight off infection. In late September my partner Heather and I journey up the mountain behind our house and…
A Distress Call from the Sacred White Sage Plant
Many people around the world have heard of or have had an experience with the wise and powerful White Sage plant. Healer, cleanser, spiritual purifier, sacred smoke; these are some of the words used to describe the powers of this strong-spirited plant. For centuries, Native Americans have understood the deeper aspects and healing qualities of…
The Sacred Sense of Smell
Since time immemorial, our sense of smell has been intrinsically connected to the sacred and divine, above all other senses. Across the Earth, the ancients considered our sense of smell to be our exalted sense. In many ancient religious and sacred texts, scent is almost always associated with a higher power, sacred offerings, and…
Palo Santo – Holy Wood
Palo Santo (Holy Wood) has been used throughout Central America and many northern territories of South America for thousands of years for purification and cleansing of the physical, energetic, and spiritual realms. Its uses are as numerous as the tribes and cultures that call on this sacred tree’s healing and spiritual powers. Its warm, delicately…
Consecration & Sacred Space – Smudging
Native Americans have traditionally called on the spirits of sacred plants to cleanse people and places of harmful energies, thoughts, and influences for thousands of years. This sacred act of purification, called “smudging”, is used to clear the atmosphere of negative vibrations and energies caused by anger, sadness, illness, or malevolent spirits, and to fill…
Frankincense – Divine Communion
Frankincense, the name echoes throughout the fragrant histories of the world as a champion of aromatics. One of the most popular incense materials of the ages, it has nourished many spiritual and religious traditions from ancient Egypt to Japan. In addition to its holy uses, Frankincense has also been traditionally used as a medicine to treat a wide variety…
The Aromatic Smoke of Juniper: Resilience, Protection, and Hardiness
Juniper: the desert elder, the minimalistic and resilient tree of the Sun. When I think of the juniper tree, I often think of its hardened and gnarly trunk, standing strong through the harsh storms, strong winds, rain, flash floods, dust devils, and the immense heat and cold of harsh, high-desert environments. This tree’s hardiness reflects the…
Keeping A Sacred Art Alive
Incense has been used for thousands of years in almost every culture on Earth; from the sands of Egypt, to the high plateaus of Tibet, from the jungles of Ecuador, to the cherry-blossomed hills of Japan. Incense is a sacred art of precision: carefully combining natural aromatic herbs and ingredients in just the right amounts. These…
Cardamom And The Hunger For Life
For Over 3,000 years, the fragrant seed pods of a tropical plant known as Cardamom have been cherished throughout the Eastern World. This exotic spice has been used in perfumery, sacred incense blends, ointments, medicine, and cuisine since before the construction of Solomon’s Temple. Cardamom is a plant native to India. It can be found…
Rosemary, For Heart And For Mind
Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) is an aromatic in the mint family that grows as a small evergreen bush, native to the Mediterranean. Its emotional and physical healing properties have been utilized by many cultures around the world for ages. It was known by the ancients to bring about a stronger sense of self-confidence and to strengthen the…
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