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ritual

Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Human/Plant Connection
Incense as Medicine
Ritual
Sustainability
December 18, 20250Comments

The Sacred Scents of the Season: Frankincense, Myrrh & Beyond

The scents of Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, and Ginger drift from the oven. Fresh Pine fills the living room from the Christmas tree and evergreen boughs framing the fireplace. Dried Oranges
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Aromatic Recipes
Incense as Medicine
Ritual
December 11, 20250Comments

Plant Allies for Returning the Light: Aromatic Herbs for Hope & Renewal

On the morning of the Winter Solstice, something subtle – but powerful – happens. The world seems to slow down. The sun lingers at its lowest point on the horizon,
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Human/Plant Connection
Incense as Medicine
Ritual
December 4, 20250Comments

Aromatic Rituals for Holiday Stress, Boundaries & Nervous System Support

You’re standing in your childhood kitchen when it begins: your mother casually asking why you’re still single (again), your sister spiraling about seating arrangements, and your uncle launching into opinions
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Ayurveda
Herbal Medicine
Incense as Medicine
Incense Crafting
Natural Perfumery
Plant Profiles
November 7, 20256Comments

Cardamom Benefits: The Ancient Spice for Digestion, Clarity, and Vitality

Imagine a single seed pod, no larger than your fingertip, holding within it the power to kindle digestive fire, clear stagnant breath from congested lungs, and lift the fog of
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Incense as Medicine
October 16, 20250Comments

5 Common Myths About Incense (and the Truth Behind Them)

Lighting incense has a way of transforming not just the space around you, but the atmosphere within you. The match strikes, the incense tip glows amber-red, and within moments the
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Incense Crafting
October 9, 20250Comments

4 Powerful Reasons to Make Your Own Incense

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine: a thin ribbon of smoke rising from a hand-rolled cone of incense, its earthy-sweet scent unfurling through the room like a gentle
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
woman's hand lightly touching a fresh lavender plant
Aromatherapy
Herbal Medicine
Human/Plant Connection
Ritual
August 28, 20250Comments

Why True Plant Wisdom Goes Beyond Facts & Recipes

We live in a culture that loves quick fixes. If you’ve got a headache, there’s a pill for that. Feeling run down? Take Reishi. Feeling anxious? Chamomile. Trouble sleeping? Just
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatic Recipes
Herbal Medicine
Ritual
August 21, 20250Comments

How to Make an Aromatic Herbal Oxymel (+ Why You Should)

Honey and vinegar have been mixed together for thousands of years, creating what the ancient Greeks called an oxymel (from the Greek words for “acid” and “honey”). Add in a
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
glass cork bottle of benzoin oil next to benzoin resin on a counter
Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Incense as Medicine
Incense Crafting
Natural Perfumery
Plant Profiles
Ritual
August 13, 20250Comments

Why Benzoin Resin Belongs in Your Apothecary: Benefits & Ritual Uses

Imagine something that looks like a beautiful golden rock, but upon closer inspection, you're greeted with sweet, balsamic, resinous notes, with hints of vanilla that feel like a warm embrace.
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Bio-Regional Aromatic Medicine
Human/Plant Connection
Sustainability
July 29, 20250Comments

Wild Harvesting with Integrity: Respectful and Sustainable Harvesting Practices

There’s a kind of botanical magic that only summer can bring: the scent of a sun-warmed Rose bush in full bloom, the crisp brightness of Lemon Balm brushing against your
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
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SOURCE IT. → KNOW IT. → PROTECT IT. 🌿 If you real SOURCE IT. → KNOW IT. → PROTECT IT. 🌿 If you really want to understand the aromatic plants and materials you work with, I believe you need all three. And that's the journey we're taking in the Aromatic Connoisseur Series. 🌎 CLASS 1 — SOURCE IT Sourcing the World's Aromatic Treasures Where does that incredible Sandalwood actually come from? Who harvested that Frankincense? How do you find the small growers, distillers, harvesters, and suppliers carrying extraordinary materials you'll never find through the obvious sources? We're going behind the label to learn how to find exceptional aromatics, understand their origins, ask better questions, spot red flags, and find sources you can trust. 👃 CLASS 2 — KNOW IT Understanding Fine Aromatics Finding it is one thing. Knowing what you're smelling is another. Why can two specimens of the same plant smell worlds apart? How do terroir, age, processing, and storage affect aroma? What makes an aromatic complex and alive? This class is about developing discernment—smelling, comparing, evaluating, and learning to recognize exceptional natural aromatics for yourself. 🌱 CLASS 3 — PROTECT IT Guardians of the Aromatic Plants Some of the plants we treasure most are also under tremendous pressure: Sandalwood, Agarwood, Frankincense, Rosewood, Spikenard, and others. Every aromatic begins with a living plant, an ecosystem, and often a person or community whose hands helped bring it to us. We'll explore sustainability, regeneration, wild vs. cultivated materials, harvesting impacts, threatened plants, fair compensation, greenwashing, and the choices we can make to help protect these plants for generations to come. Source it. Know it. Protect it. That's what it means to me to become an Aromatic Connoisseur. Not simply someone who owns beautiful aromatics... But someone who understands them. 🌿 The 3-part Aromatic Connoisseur Series is now open for enrollment. Take each class individually or join me for the complete journey. → Explore all 3 classes + join us at the link in our bio. --- #aromatics #aromaconnoisseur #naturalperfumery #essentialoils #medicinemaking #aromaticherbs
Two bottles can have the exact same botanical name Two bottles can have the exact same botanical name on the label—and one can be extraordinary while the other is completely underwhelming. Same thing with two pieces of Sandalwood. Two batches of Frankincense. Two Vetiver roots. So what makes the difference? And more importantly... How do you learn to recognize a truly exceptional aromatic when you encounter one? Today I'm excited to officially begin something new: 🌿 The Aromatic Connoisseur Series 🌿 Over the coming weeks, we'll venture deeper into the aromatic arts, developing our noses, exploring quality and sourcing, discovering the important nuances behind aromatic materials, and learning some of the finer details that can completely change the way we experience and understand natural aromatics. Our first class airs this Friday, where we'll begin with a question I've thought about a LOT throughout my 15 years of sourcing aromatic materials from around the world: Why are some aromatic materials so much better than others? There's a lot more to the answer than the name printed on the package. If you're an herbalist, aromatherapist, incense crafter, natural perfumer, or simply someone who wants to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the aromatic world, I'd love to have you join me. 🌿 The Aromatic Connoisseur Series is now open for enrollment. → See what's inside + join us at the link in our bio Our first class goes live this Friday! --- #aromaconnoisseur #aromatics #herbalism #aromatherapist
After more than 15 years working deeply with aroma After more than 15 years working deeply with aromatic plants, something unexpected has happened... Instead of this world becoming more familiar, it's become more fascinating. I've spent years making medicine with aromatic plants, crafting incense, studying perfumery, sourcing materials from around the world, growing and wildcrafting herbs, teaching, and simply experiencing thousands of different aromatics. And the deeper I've gone, the more I've discovered just how many layers there are to explore. There's always another layer. Why can two Sandalwoods bearing the same botanical name smell completely different? What actually separates an exceptional aromatic from an average one? How do you train your nose to notice things you might have completely missed before? How can you tell if you're actually buying something of high quality, and where did that aromatic come from in the first place? These are the kinds of questions I've become increasingly fascinated with over the years. So starting tomorrow, I'm going to be sharing a new series that ventures deeper into this side of the aromatic arts. We'll explore quality, sourcing, sensory development, rare and unusual aromatics, the plants and places behind the materials, and some of the finer details you only begin noticing when you spend enough time smelling, comparing, and paying closer attention. Keep an eye out tomorrow for this brand new offering of knowledge.. But first, I'd love to know: What's one thing about aromatic plants you've always wanted to understand more deeply? 🌿 #AromaticPlants #Aromatherapy #Herbalism #NaturalPerfumery #Incense #BotanicalPerfumery #PlantMedicine #MedicinalPlants #EssentialOils #NaturalAromatics #AromaticMedicine #HerbalMedicine #Wildcrafting #Botanicals #Sandalwood
Do you have a certain aroma that brings you back t Do you have a certain aroma that brings you back to a moment in time, or to a place? Or maybe a specific smell that stirs up emotions? For me, the sweet, earthy smell of the forest in Spring always gives me a sense of peace and grounding, almost like a hug from someone special. Whenever I’m feeling stressed or upset, a nature walk usually does the trick. What about you? What’s your aromatic go-to when you need support? --- #aroma #aromaticmedicine #aromaticmemory #olfaction
Have you ever purchased an aromatic material you w Have you ever purchased an aromatic material you were incredibly excited about, only to open the package and feel a little… underwhelmed? Maybe it was a Sandalwood that smelled faint and flat compared to another you'd worked with before, or a Frankincense that lacked the bright, complex aroma you remembered. Perhaps it was an essential oil that smelled perfectly pleasant, but somehow didn't have the same depth or vitality as another bottle bearing the exact same botanical name. Then, every once in a while, the opposite happens. You open a package, take that first smell, and immediately know you've found something special. I've experienced both sides of this more times than I can count. Over the past 15+ years, I've sourced hundreds of aromatic materials from around the world for medicine making, incense crafting, formulation, teaching, my own personal collection, and for my company @highermindincense Some of those materials have been so extraordinary that I can still remember the first time I smelled them, while others have taught me just as much by showing me what isn't exceptional. After spending so many years searching for beautiful natural aromatics, I've learned that there's usually much more behind their quality than we realize. So what makes an aromatic truly exceptional? ✨ We explore this question and the fascinating world of natural variation, terroir, quality, and discernment in our new blog post. 🌿 Link in bio. _____________ #aromatics #aromaticplants #aromaticoils #essentialoil #essentialoils #aromatherapy #naturalperfume #naturalincense
We live in a world that has trained us to expect c We live in a world that has trained us to expect consistency. If you purchase the same product twice, you expect it to look, taste, smell, and perform exactly the same way. But nature doesn’t work that way. 🌱 Wine lovers have a beautiful word for this: terroir. The term refers to the environmental conditions that help give the grapes grown in a particular place their unique character. Soil, climate, rainfall, elevation, sunlight, the moon and stars, temperature, and countless other factors can all influence the plant growing there. This is why serious wine enthusiasts don't simply want to know which variety of grape they're drinking; they want to know where those grapes were grown, sometimes down to the particular vineyard and year they were harvested! A similar idea can be applied to aromatic plants. Think about Lavender growing beneath the intense Mediterranean sun compared with Lavender growing in the cooler, wetter climate of the Pacific Northwest. Or a Frankincense tree clinging to a dry mountainside in Oman compared with another Boswellia species growing within a completely different landscape in the Horn of Africa. These plants aren't growing in laboratories under identical conditions. They're constantly responding and adapting to the world around them, and some of those differences eventually find their way into the aromatic materials we smell. So when two aromatics with the same botanical name smell completely different, that isn’t necessarily a flaw. It may be part of what makes natural aromatics so extraordinary. ✨ We explore this idea of natural variation (and the many nuances of aromatics) in our new blog post: What Makes an Aromatic Truly Exceptional? 🌿 Read the full blog at the link in our bio. _____________ #aroma #aromatics #aromaticplants #aromaticherbs #aromaticspices #aromatherapy #aromaticmedicine
A beautiful Rose absolute isn't simply "Rose scent A beautiful Rose absolute isn't simply "Rose scent." It's the aromatic expression of thousands of flowers that were alive in a particular place, during a particular growing season, harvested and transformed through a particular process. It’s the manifestation of the soil, climate, rainfall, elevation, sunlight, temperature, the moon and stars, and countless other factors… All concentrated within one tiny bottle. ✨ The same is true for Vetiver roots, Jasmine blossoms, Patchouli leaves, Frankincense tears, Sandalwood heartwood, and other aromatic materials shaped by the place they came from. One Frankincense can be bright and citrusy. Another can be deep, resinous, woody, or balsamic. One Sandalwood can be creamy and rich, while another is lighter, drier, or greener. And that doesn’t necessarily mean one is “better.” It means they’re plants. 🌱 In fact, this natural variation may be one of the most beautiful things about working with aromatic plants. So the next time two aromatics bearing the same botanical name smell completely different, don't immediately wonder, “Which one is the ‘real’ one?” Instead, get curious. Where did they grow? Who harvested them? What part of the plant are you working with? How were they processed? And what does your own nose tell you? Because the moment we look beyond the name on the label, the aromatic world becomes a much bigger (and much more fascinating) place. So what makes an aromatic truly exceptional? We explore this question and the fascinating world of natural variation, terroir, quality, and discernment in our new blog post. 🌿 Comment AROMA to get the full article sent straight to your inbox! ____________________ #aroma #aromaticplants #aromaticherbs #aromatherapy #aromaticmedicine #aromatics #aromaticspices
Rosemary is much more than a kitchen spice… It’s Rosemary is much more than a kitchen spice… It’s an ancient remedy for sadness and indifference. Rosemary has been said to help restore one’s purpose and direction in life – it can strengthen your self-identity, especially in times when you feel lost. It can warm your spirit, lift you up, and help you feel confident and bold. Like a lighthouse in a storm, Rosemary can guide you back to yourself. If you have Rosemary growing near you, try hanging some up to dry, then after several weeks, wrapping them in bundles to burn. Or you can put fresh or dried Rosemary in a pot of water and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer – with the lid off – to fill your home with the uplifting aromatic medicine. You can also place some essential oil drops in a diffuser to enjoy, or add the fresh or dried herb to your cooking. --- #rosemary #rosemaryoil #rosemaryplant #cookingwithherbs
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