Halloween in Essential Oils

As usual time seems to be slipping by really quickly and it occurred to me this morning that if I would like to have a special blend that reflected the "Spirit of Halloween" I'd better get on with deciding what I'm going to blend so that everything has a little time to mellow and meld nicely together.

Halloween was not a holiday I had ever celebrated before coming to Canada.  As a child growing up in South Africa, the only 'trick or treating' I knew about came from the movies, and even when we moved to Germany it was not something that was celebrated.  So in order to create a blend that really captures the 'spirit' and 'soul' of the season I thought that I'd first do a little research on its origins.  Is there something special behind all the Halloween traditions practiced in North America or is it just a 'commercial holiday' celebrating chocolate?

Here is a sampling of what I found.  It is said that Halloween began in Ireland, originating in Pagan times.  The traditions that have been celebrated around this holiday are somewhat different but in many countries they appear to be traditions that honour the spirits of the dead.  For instance in Austria bread, water and a lighted lamp are left out to welcome dead souls back to earth, while in Belgium it is the custom to light candles on this night in honour of their dead.  In Czechoslovakia, chairs are placed around the fireplace, one for each living family member and one for the spirit of each of their family members who have passed on.  In some parts of Germany, apparently people put away their knives to prevent harm to, or from, the returning spirits. In Hong Kong October 31 is known as "Yue Lan" (Festival of the Hungry Ghosts) and is a time when it is believed that spirits roam the world for twenty-four hours.

Apparently the English stopped celebrating Halloween in 1517 when Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation began to spread.  Some time after 1605 they started celebrating Guy Fawkes day on November 5, to remember the Catholic Plot to blow up the Protestant English Parliament.  Bonfires were lit across the country. People made lanterns from carved out turnips and children went begging for "a penny for the guy".  The pennies were collected in order to buy more wood for the bonfire upon which Guy Fawkes was to be burned alive. So I learned something new to me as I certainly remember celebrating Guy Fawkes Day on November 5th with lots of fireworks, until fireworks were banned for sale because they were considered to be too dangerous.

One of the origins of "trick or treating" appears to refer to the practice of souling - going from door to door on or about All Souls Day to solicit gifts of food in return for prayers for the dead which is said to have evolved from a pagan ritual that was practiced all over Europe, possibly as early as the 10th century. Failure to supply the food would result in practical jokes being played on the home owners.

So enough about the history, which essential oils am I going to choose from for my 'Halloween Blend'?

The first oils that come to mind are the spicy ones of Cinnamon and Nutmeg that remind me of Pumpkin and Pumpkin Pies, but I also want to include oils that would honour 'souls of the departed'.

Here are three of the Rubrics I've chosen from Dr. Berkowsky's Spiritual PhytoEssencing Repertory to build the blend from.

Death-Rebirth Miasm: Cinnamon, cacao
Fear, of ghosts: camphor; cedarwood; cypress; eucalyptus; helichrysm; hemp; jasmine; lemon; mastic; oakmoss; parsley; patchouli; peru balsam; rosewood; sage; tarragon; turmeric; vetiver; yarrow.
Talks - Dead people, with: bergamot; buchu; carrot seed; catnip; celery seed; orris root; tarragon; tea tree.

My oils for the Halloween Synergy are:

Bergamot - In Spiritual PhytoEssencing the theme of 'Light and Darkness' are central On a Subtle level, Bergamot opens the Heart Chakra and allows love to radiate. It is uplifting and eases grief. Bergamot can help release relationship stress both with others and yourself. When one has guilt over past actions, meditation with Bergamot may hep give one insights into the situation and help one to learn and grow from the experience.

Cinnamon - In Spiritual PhytoEssencing,the cinnamon type, has, in a broad-sense, undergone a rebirth in his life in that he felt compelled to remake his image in his own eyes. He struggles with might and main to effect the "death" of his doubt-filled self, so that he may be reborn as an individual who is secure in his self-worth. On a Subtle level, Cinnamon can help transform sorrow into happiness.

Lemon - On a Subtle level, Lemon clears and cleanses the room. It helps to alleviate fears of emotional involvement and promotes joy. It helps one to receive and understand intuitive information. It can be warn during the Full Moon to attune with its energies.

Sage - Sage has often been associated with longevity and even immortality. On a Subtle level, Sage cleanses and purifies and is also thought to connect one to Ancestral memories.

My final synergy of 5 parts Bergamot;  1 part Cinnamon;  5 parts Lemon;  3 parts Sage, is made up, mellowing nicely and will be ready for October 31.

What oils are you going to add to your Halloween Synergy? 

Upcoming Events

November 3.  Free Introduction to Spiritual PhytoEssencing at Natural Comfort Wellness Centre in Tsawwassen at 7.30 pm.

November 20.  Last scheduled Reiki Level 1 class for 2011.  In 2012 the Reiki classes will be offered the same way as all the other workshops, by arrangement.

Contact me if you are interested in attending either of these.