Easter and Passover

According to a couple of charts I found on the Internet, when it comes to classifying the percentage of the world's population as to what religious group they belong to, approximately 33% fall under the heading of Christianity, with around 0.22% under the heading of Judaism.

Easter is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year the celebration of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ begins on Thursday April 1 with Holy Thursday and ends on April 4th with Easter Sunday. While Passover is the holy day and festival commemorating the biblical event of Hebrews' escape from enslavement in Egypt. This year Passover started at sunset on Tuesday, the 30th of March and will continue for 7 days until sunset Monday, the 5th of April.

So what do the two have in common and what's any of this got to do with using essential oils?

• Well firstly, as you can see, this weekend Christians and Jews all over the world will be celebrating Easter and Passover and for many the meaning behind these feasts is more than special food and chocolate treats.
• Secondly, we can see that both feasts celebrate Mankind's gratefulness to God for His Intervention and Deliverance.
• Those of you who have read the blog for longer will have seen that I like to create special essential oil synergies that capture the essence of special people and special events. I find that the energetics of these specially created 'soul' blends are phenomenal and using them certainly enhances my experiences around the situation. If you'd like to read more about 'soul blends' I have written both a blog and an article on the subject.
  

So today I would like to suggest that if you celebrate Easter or Passover, you might like to create your over very special blend to suit the occasion. When creating the blend you would consider your own special intentions for this season and incorporate essential oils into the blend that reflect your hopes, wishes and dreams. Then by using the blend you will be able to subtly bless yourself and everyone else around you.

So how will you choose the oils that will go into your blend?

Here are some ideas:

1. Think about what this season means to you and what you would like to highlight in your blend. Choose your theme and depending on how complex you want to make your blend you can certainly choose more than one theme to blend on.
2. Consider the essential oils that you have and given their subtle properties decide which ones would fit the themes you want to reflect. There are mini profiles on many of the essential oils on my website's Article page as well as an article on Your Own Special Blend.
   
3. Create your blend.
4. Use your blend in the most appropriate way for you over the next few days.
   

Themes, from Dr. Berkowsky's Repertory that I have considered for my Easter blend include:

COURAGE: Benzon; umin; elemi; jasmine; myrtle; patchouli; sage; tagetes; tea tree; valerian; yarrow
DEATH: angelica; basil; bitter orange peel; cypress; frankincense; lemon; myrrh; neroli; yarrow
FAITH:cedarwood; cistus; clary sage; coriander; frankincense; geranium; grapefruit; juniper; marjoram; myrrh; rose; rosemary; sandalwood; vetiver
GRIEF: angelica; benzoin; bitter orange peel; cistus; clary sage; cypress; elemi; eucalyptus; frankincense; geranium; ginger; helichrysum; hyssop; jasmine; juniper; laurel; lavender; lemon; lemongrass; marjoram; melissa; myrrh; myrtle; neroli; niaouli; nutmeg; palmarosa; patchouli; peppermint; pine; ravensara; Roman chamomile; ravensara; rose; rosewood; sandalwood; silver fir; St John's wort; valerian; vetiver; violet; yarrow
JOY: bitter orange peel; cistus; coriander; frankincense; ginger; hyssop; juniper; lemon; lemongrass; melissa; myrrh; neroli; niaouli; patchouli; rose; rosewood; vetiver; violet
SCORNED (rejected): benzoin; bitter orange; carrot seed; helichrysum; jasmine; juniper; lemongrass; mastic; myrrh; neroli; niaouli; nutmeg; peppermint; Roman chamomile; sage; thyme; vetiver; yarrow
WOUNDS, Puncture: cypress; ginger; hyssop; melissa; St. John's wort; yarrow

There is no listing for salvation however, I would consider sage (Salvia officinalis)and/or clary sage (Salvia sclarea) for this. From my Aromatherapy 201 course notes under Sage: the Latin name Salvia is derived from the same root as ‘salvation’ since sage was considered to be able to save people from illness and death. It was called ‘herba sacra’ sacred herb by the Romans.

If you are still thinking of making your own Easter gifts this year, our e-book, Aromatic Gifts for All Ages and All Seasons may have just what you are looking for.

Our other e-Books and DVD :

• Infant Massage,
• Subtle Aromatherapy,
• Aromatic Lords and Ladies of the Zodiac, an exercise in energetic blending .
• The Hawkins Protocol is now available as an E-book.
• Aroma Massage DVD.

As always the self-directed home study Aromatherapy Courses are available. When you are ready they are only a click away, a click that will lead you into a world filled with information, self-growth and delight! Perhaps they will be a gift you give yourself this year!

Workshops for 2010
These are offered once a month, generally the third weekend of the month so follow the link and browse through the offerings for 2010.

April 24 & 25 (2 day workshop)
Seated Chair Massage
$300.00 plus GST
Prerequisites: None
Please note that the date has changed for this workshop!

Sorting out Different Cedars

Someone recently questioned me about the difference between Cedars and I thought that this might be worth sharing on the blog.

It can be a little confusing at times to figure out which cedar tree fits where as what are commonly classed as cedar trees fall into two different Botanical Families, Cupressaceae and Pinacea.

When it comes to classifying the plant the categories are
Family: While there are major differences there is also a distinct pattern of similarity and genetically they have a lot in common.
Genus: First part of the Latin name of a plant – always capitalized.
Species: Second part of the Latin name of a plant – always written lower case.

Belonging to the Cupressaceae Family we have
Virginian Cedarwood – Genus Juniperus – Species virginiana
Texas Cedarwood – Genus Juniperus – Species mexicana

Belonging to the Pinaceae Family we have
Atlas Cedarwood – Genus Cedrus – Species atlantica.

Himalayan Cedarwood is a relatively new addition to aromatherapy however its Latin name (Cedrus deodara) gives you the clue as to which Genus and family it belongs to. It belongs to the Pinaceae Family and the Genus Cedrus and Species deodara.

From the Encylopedia Britannica:

Cupressaceae
The cypress family (order Pinales), 30 genera with 133 species of evergreen ornamental and timber shrubs and trees, distributed throughout the world. The leaves of these plants are opposite or whorled and usually paired or in threes. Adult leaves are narrow, scalelike, and pressed against the branchlets, which themselves are often flattened. Awllike juvenile and transitional leaves are often present on mature trees. The male reproductive structures are borne at the ends of short twigs; the female structures (cones) are terminal, with opposite or whorled scales, consisting of both a fused bract (modified leaf) and a scale. The cones, usually woody, have erect ovules.
Pinaceae.
The pine family of conifers, 11 genera and 210 species of trees (rarely shrubs) native to north temperate regions. Fir (Abies), Keteleeria, Cathaya, Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga), hemlock (Tsuga, with Nothotsuga sometimes segregated), spruce (Picea), golden larch (Pseudolarix), larch, or tamarack (Larix), cedar (Cedrus), and pine (Pinus) contain many species that are sources of timber, paper pulp, oils, and resins. Some are cultivated as ornamentals. Both male and female reproductive structures are borne on the same plant. The needlelike leaves are solitary, in bundles, or on specialized short branches. The pollen-bearing male cones are solitary or clustered and have many spirally arranged scales, each bearing two pollen sacs. The compound, seed-bearing (ovule-bearing) cones also have many spirally arranged scales. Each scale is free from the bract below it and bears two inverted ovules on its upper side. In members of the genus Pinus, the bract tends to become fused to the scale and thus disappears as the cones mature.

Rosemary Caddy in her book "Essential Oils in Colour" says:

The Cupressaceae family generally aids nervous tension, rheumatism and cellulite while the Pinaceae family is highly antiseptic and generally aid respiratory problems.

An example of how the different cedar essential oils might be used can be seen if we look at using them for the Respiratory System: Atlas Cedar has mucolytic properties; Juniperus virginiana has expectorant properties and Atlas cedarwood dries excess phlegm. All the cedars can be used for bronchitis, cough, catarrh, chronic congestion, sinusitis and excess mucus.

Sweet Fennel - Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce

An essential oil is produced from both sweet fennel and bitter fennel, however the oil used in aromatherapy is sweet fennel.

Did you know...
The word fennel is derived from the Latin fenuculum, which means 'hay'? It is thought that the plant got its name because it was frequently used as a fodder.

The ancient Greeks called it marathon, which means 'to grow thin'. It would appear that fennel was one of the earliest 'slimming aids'! Because of the feeling of fullness that it gives, it is said that wealthier Greeks ate fennel to help them slim down.

Fennel is also well know for its many supportive effects on the digestive system. It helps to improve digestion and ease stress-related indigestion. It may also relieve colic, gas, hiccups, nausea and vomiting. Fennel oil helps to tone the smooth muscles of the intestines and through this action it can help strengthen peristalsis and counteract constipation. constipation.

In her book , Aromatherapy Science, A guide for healthcare professionals, Maria Lis-Balchin mentions a study done by her in 1996 that showed Sweet Fennel oil had a strong spasmogenic effect on electrically stimulated smooth muscle of the guinea-pig in vitro. She also says:

• Fennel oil increased phasic contractions of muscle cells at high concentrations and had a relaxant effect at low concentrations; fellel contracted tracheal muscle (Reiter and Brandt, 1985).
• Fennel oil is mildly oestrogenic, due to the anethole content (Albert-Puleo, 1980).
• Fennel oil has increased liver regeneration in partially hepatectomised rats and has show anti-inflammatory action (Wren, 1988).

Leung & Foster, in their Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Second Edition say:

• Fennel oil has been reported to have spasmolytic effects on smooth muscles of experimental animals. (T. Shipochliev, Vet Med. Nauki, 5, 63 (1968) through Chem Abstr., 70 86144e (1969).
• It also exhibited antibacterial activities in vitro. (F.M. Ramadan et al., Chem Mikrobial. Technol. Lebensm., 2, 51 (1972)
  

There is a mini profile on Fennel in the Articles Archive on the website.

On a subtle level, Fennel helps one to identify the root causes of self-rejection and encourages the ability to embrace oneself. It can help to increase courage, confidence and motivation and promote uninhibited communication. It helps one to discover what it is we want to say and then to express that to others in a positive way.

Contra-indications and Cautions: Do not use during pregnancy. Use with extreme caution if suffering from epilepsy. Use with caution on sensitive skins as this oil may cause mild skin sensitization.

Easter is just a week and a half away, if you are thinking of making your own Easter gifts this year, our e-book, Aromatic Gifts for All Ages and All Seasons may have just what you are looking for.

Our other e-Books and DVD :

• Infant Massage,
• Subtle Aromatherapy,
• Aromatic Lords and Ladies of the Zodiac, an exercise in energetic blending .
• The Hawkins Protocol is now available as an E-book.
• Aroma Massage DVD.

As always the self-directed home study Aromatherapy Courses are available. When you are ready they are only a click away, a click that will lead you into a world filled with information, self-growth and delight! Perhaps they will be a gift you give yourself this year!

Workshops for 2010
These are offered once a month, generally the third weekend of the month so follow the link and browse through the offerings for 2010.

April 17 & 18 (2 day workshop)
Seated Chair Massage
$300.00 plus GST
Prerequisites: None

Seasonal Allergies

Now that the weather has started to warm up, at least around the Lower Mainland I am seeing more and more people whose seasonal allergies have started up again.

I did address this in Spring of 2008 but it is worth looking at again. There is the article with the Blends for Hay Fever while the article on Hay Fever on my website has lots of good information about this condition. As I say in this article:

An oil which I have found to be particularly effective in dealing with the symptoms of hay fever is Tanacetum annum commonly called Blue Tansy. Not to be confused with regular tansy which is Tanacetum vulgare which is NOT used in aromatherapy at all.

Consider the symptoms that are being experienced with the hay fever and then tweak your blends accordingly for instance oils such as eucalyptus, lavender, spike lavender, ravintsara and myrtle can be useful for sneezing and runny noses. German chamomile is helpful because of its anti-allergenic properties. Niaouli and ravintsara have excellent immunostimulant and restorative properties.

There are a number of different ways to use the oils and you can see some of these in the Newsletter Ways in which Essential Oils can be Used, however one of my favorite ways for this condition is to make up a personal inhaler for the person to use when ever they need it. I know that Spring has really got into full force when my son requests his inhaler. I generally just put in Tannacetum annum in it for him. He seems to like to carry it around with him most of the time as it really helps with his symptoms, and as his is a grown man I think that's saying something!

Easter is not that far away and if you are thinking of creating any special Easter Aromatic Gifts you might consider purchasing our ebook Aromatic Gifts for All Ages and All Seasons.
Other E-books currently available:
Infant Massage,
Subtle Aromatherapy,
Aromatic Lords and Ladies of the Zodiac, an exercise in energetic blending .
The Hawkins Protocol

Workshops for 2010
These are offered once a month, generally the third weekend of the month so follow the link and browse through the offerings for 2010.

March 20
Advanced Massage Techniques
$150.00 plus GST
Prerequisites: some training in bodywork

As always the self-directed home study Aromatherapy Courses are available. When you are ready they are only a click away, a click that will lead you into a world filled with information, self-growth and delight! Perhaps they will be a gift you give yourself this year!

If you don't want something as formal as a course perhaps you'll find what you are looking for in one of our E-books or our Aroma Massage DVD.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Creating a Soul Synergy

St Patrick died on March 17, 460 AD and the Irish people set aside the day to mourn. He became the patron saint of Ireland. Mourning turned to commemorating him and celebrating his life. Americans have inherited this custom. On St Patrick's Day in the United States, millions of people celebrate whether they are Irish or not! While this is a day that many of us in North America celebrate and have fun on, have you ever thought about creating a special essential oil synergy to capture the true essence of this holiday? If you did what would you put into your synergy?

I find creating synergies that capture a mood, or an idea, or a person to be truly fascinating and both an art and a science. First one tries to unravel the mystery around the concept and then once one has identified the oils one creates a synergy that is both aromatically pleasing and energetically potent.

Today I thought that I would share some ideas I have around a synergy for St. Patrick. When it comes to creating these sorts of blends, I do often fall back on the knowledge I have gained taking the Spiritual PhytoEssencing Diploma and if you are interested in knowing more about this modality you can read about it in the Spiritual PhytoEssencing Soul Blends article in the newsletter on the website.

While there are a number of legends that have grown up around St. Patrick the only undisputed record of his life appear to be a couple of documents that he wrote himself. What seems to be fact is that:

St. Patrick was born in Britain into a wealthy Christian family that had strong church connections.

As a young man, some say around 16 years, he was abducted by raiders and taken to Ireland where he was kept as a servant to herd sheep.

After more than six years, he said he heard the Voice of God telling him to leave Ireland. He escaped and walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast.

After escaping to Britain, he reported that he had experienced a second revelation. In a dream an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. Although the date is not mentioned in his writings it is generally accepted that his mission in Ireland started in 432.

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish.

Legend

Saint Patrick became a cult figure in Early-Christian Ireland and was soon proclaimed a saint.

• He is credited with driving all the snakes out of Ireland.
  
• He is said to have fasted for forty days and nights of fasting on Croagh
• Legend also has it that he light a paschal fire to defy the High King of Tara and his druids?
  

Saint Patrick is always shown with the shamrock because he tried to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to some Irish pagans using the analogy of the shamrock.

A Spiritual PhytoEssencing Blend is usually very complex and can contain up to 25 different essential oils, however the synergy I am making for St. Patrick's Day will be very much more simplified and only consists of 5 oils.

Several themes present themselves very clearly in the information above and these are the themes I have chosen to reference Dr. Berkowsky's material to identify essential oils for my blend:

Abducted: Benzoin
Druids: Oakmoss
Religious:Bitter Orange
Snakes: Basil
Visions: Cedarwood

I hope that you have fun creating a synergy for St. Patrick's Day and the day itself!

Workshops for 2010
These are offered once a month, generally the third weekend of the month so follow the link and browse through the offerings for 2010.

March 20
Advanced Massage Techniques
$150.00 plus GST
Prerequisites: some training in bodywork

As always the self-directed home study Aromatherapy Courses are available. When you are ready they are only a click away, a click that will lead you into a world filled with information, self-growth and delight! Perhaps they will be a gift you give yourself this year!

If you don't want something as formal as a course perhaps you'll find what you are looking for in one of our E-books or our Aroma Massage DVD.

E-books currently available:
Infant Massage,
Subtle Aromatherapy,
Aromatic Gifts for All Ages and All Seasons
Aromatic Lords and Ladies of the Zodiac, an exercise in energetic blending .

The Hawkins Protocol is now available as an E-book.

Safety Issues - Interactions between essential oils and coumadin/warfarin

Recently one of my students posted to our student/graduate group asking whether any essential oils would be contra-indicated for someone on Coumadin and I thought that this would be a good topic for the blog.

Coumadin, one of the brand names for warfarin, is an anticoagulant. Originally it was launched in 1948 as a rat poison and is in fact still available for this purpose. At first it was thought to be too toxic for human consumption, however in 1951, the failed suicide attempt of a navy recruit who had taken a large dose of rat poison led clinicians to discard dicumarol in favour of warfarin. The first clinical study with warfarin was reported in 1955. In the same year, President Eisenhower was treated with warfarin following a heart attack. In the early 1950's it was approved for use as a medication and today it is the most widely prescribed anticoagulant drug in North America. However, there is a downside, warfarin can interact adversely with a number of commonly used medications as well as some foods. It is important therefor that its use is monitored by frequent blood testing to ensure that an adequate and safe dose is being taken. There is a lot of information available on the web on coumadin (warferin) however here is a summary of some of the cautions to keep in mind.

• Warfarin is contraindicated in pregnancy.
• The only common side effect of warfarin is hemorrhage (bleeding).
• The risk may also be increased in elderly people.
• Avoid sudden changes in dietary habits. Avoid ingesting unusual increases or decreases of foods high in Vitamin K (liver, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, green tea, certain vegetables, cheeses and certain vitamin supplements). It is best to avoid strictly vegetarian diets that consist of foods high in vitamin K.
• Many commonly-used antibiotics, will greatly increase the effect of warfarin by reducing the metabolism of warfarin in the body. Other broad-spectrum antibiotics can reduce the amount of the normal bacterial flora in the bowel, which make significant quantities of vitamin K, thus potentiating the effect of warfarin.
• Thyroid activity also appears to influence warfarin dosing requirements.
• Excessive use of alcohol affecst the metabolism of warfarin and people taking warfarin are often cautioned against the excessive use of alcohol.
• Many drugs interact with warfarin.
• Warfarin also interacts with many herbs and spices, both those eaten in food (e.g. ginger and garlic) and those used for medicinal purposes (e.g. ginseng and Ginkgo biloba). All may increase bleeding and brusing in people taking warfarin; similar effects have been reported with borage (starflower) oil or fish oils.St. John's Wort, sometimes recommended to help with mild to moderate depression, interacts with warfarin; it induces the enzymes that break down warfarin in the body, causing a reduced anticoagulant effect.
  

And what about essential oils?

Methyl salicylate is the component to be aware of. When it is applied topically to the skin it is absorbed transdermally without any problem, quickly finding its way into the bloodstream and once there it can potentiate the anticoagulant effect of warfarin and could cause internal hemorrhage. Methyl salicylate is a component found in many liniments, however it is also found in large quantities in the essential oils of Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) and Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) both of which are composed of naturally occurring methyl salicylate at around 98 - 99%. This makes it a very easy oil to adulterate by simply adding synthetic methyl salicylate. While there are those who find these oils to be very effective in sports therapy, muscle blends etc, if you must use then, do it with great care and only over very short periods of time.

Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs, in their book Essential Oil Safety, say

These oils should not be used in therapy, either internally or externally. Do not use if taking anticoagulants (e.g. aspirin and heparn).

Also in Essential Oil Safety, Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs have a listing on blood clotting mentioning that both garlic and onion oils demonstrate anti-platelet activity which is essential for blood clotting. However these are not two oils that one would find in most aromatherapist's kit. They do however say that :

Anti-platelet activity is also demonstrated by eugenol and iso-eugenol and is due to an anti-prostaglandin action. It would be prudent to avoid oral administration of garlic oil, onion oil, and all eugenol-rich oils in those with blood clotting problems. This group includes people with haemophilia, liver disease, kidney disease, prostate cancer and systemic lupus erythematosus. It would be prudent for anyone taking anticoagulant drugs, such as aspirin, heparin and warfarin to avoid oral use of the same group of oils.

Note the method of use they are talking about is oral. All the other references for contra-indications for herbs and warfarin I was able to find in the reference books I have on drug-herb-vitamin interactions were also for the oral use of the herb. If you wanted to carry this over to the use of the essential oil, then it would pertain to the oral use of the essential oil. With the exception of Birch and Wintergreen, essential oils applied topically on the skin or by one of the inhalation methods should not present a problem. Oils taken internally might. Another reason why we don't recommend the internal use of essential oils unless one has had specific, extensive training in that method.

Herbs listed as having a potential interaction with warfarin by A-Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions, Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr DC, Editor in chiefr, Alan R Gaby MD, Steve Austin ND, Forrest Batz PharmD, Eric Yarnell ND, Donald J Brown ND, George Constantine, RPh, PhD :

Ginger as it has been shown to reduce platelet stickiness in test tubes. Although there are no reports of interactions with anticoagulant drugs, people should discuss it with a health-care professional if they are taking an anticoagulant and wish to use ginger.

Herbs containing Coumarin Derivatives
Although there are no specific studies demonstrating interactions with anticoagulants, the following herbs contain coumarin-like substances that may interact with warfarin (coumadin) and may cause bleeding. These herbs include dong quai, fenugreek, horse chestnut, red clover, sweet clover and sweet woodruff.

The only herb on this list that we do have an essential oil for is fenugreek and I will say that, as far as I know, none of these cautions have found their way into aromatherapy literature.

Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions Bible, Richard Harkness, Pharm. FASCP & Steven Bratman, MD information on herbs for which we have essential oils:

Ginger - possible harmful interaction.
The herb ginger is used for nausea associated with motion sickness, morning sickness in pregnancy and the postsurgical period. Ginger appears to thicken the blood by interfering with the ability of blood platelets to clump together. As with feverfew, this raises the concern that ginger might increase the risk of abnormal bleeding when taken with warfarin (coumadin). However, there is no evidence at present that the blood-thinning effect of ginger is significant in humans. Though an additive effect of ginger and warfarin appears to be theoretical based on current evidence, it may be best to avoid this combination except under medical supervision. Ginger flavored drinks should not present a problem, but candies containing whole dried ginger are potentially of concern.
St. John's Wort - possible harmful interaction
The herb St. John's wort is primarily used to treat mild to moderate depression. Evidence suggests that St. John's wort may interfere with warfarin, possibly requiring an increased dosage of the drug to maintain the proper therapeutic effect. Seven cases have been reported in which the blood thinning effects of warfarin have been impaired in individuals taking St. John's wort. A 'hidden' risk lies in this type of interaction. Suppose your physician has raised the warfarin dose to take into account the effect of St. John's wort in holding down drug levels. if you then stop taking the herbal product, it would be like releasing the brakes, and your warfarin levels could surge dangerously high. For these reasons, if you take warfarin, avoid St. John's work except under a physician's supervision.