Peppermint Personality and Soul Qualities

This morning as I had my morning coffee I was gazing out at my courtyard and enjoying the plants and colour still there.  I don't know how much longer I'll have the roses and other flowers to enjoy but for now it is still a welcome feast for my eyes.  When I was thinking about what to blog about today my eye lighted on my peppermint plant and even though I've grown it in a container this year, it has certainly flourished giving me both a beautiful and aromatic display and a medicinal and culinary plant right at hand.  I got to thinking just how much I've used and enjoyed this plant this year - from adding it to a floral display to bring into the house, to adding it to many recipes, to chewing on it to get a quick lift or reduce a  minor complaint.  It certainly has performed with great abundance for me this year.

I have blogged about peppermint essential oil before and if you check the archives you will find the mini profile of this oil both in the previous blogs and in the Articles Archives on the website.  Peppermint essential oil has traditionally be used for headaches and many digestive problems.  It is also a very cooling oil and is helpful for inflammation, fevers and hot flashes.  Menthol is a major constituent of peppermint essential oil and it has been shown to prevent the contraction of intestinal smooth muscle. It is thought that this is the component in peppermint oil that makes it good for indigestion and intestinal cramping.

Today I thought that I would share with you all two different ways of looking at Peppermint - one from the standpoint of Valerie Ann Worwod`s work Aroma Genera and the other from the standpoint of Dr. Bruce Berkowsky`s work Spiritual PhytoEssencing.  These are certainly two different ways of looking at personalities, but they do give clues as to the type of person who might benefit from using peppermint essential oil to support their personality and soul growth.  I hope you enjoy their viewpoints and that they give you some food for thought.

In her work,  Aroma-Genera, Valerie Ann Worword describes the Peppermint Personality Profile as follows:

The Peppermint personality is difficult to forget once you have met one as they cause an immediate reaction:  either you like them or you can't stand them.  There are no half measures.  Some timid souls find them brash and overpowering, but they are never dull.  Peppermint has an almost fearless spirit and this spills over into their relationships with people and animals... Peppermint's swiftness and quick thinking, combined with a good sense of humour, makes them witty.  Whatever the work, they are usually dynamic and if working for someone else will charm them with wit, agility and adaptability...  Peppermints are friendly people, who are quite concerned about the fate of others, even though they do like to be the centre of attention...Peppermints will be very loyal in relationships - no matter how stormy.

In his work, Spiritual PhytoEssencing, Dr. Bruce Berkowsky, describes elements of the Peppermint type as follows:

When the peppermint oil individual is frustrated in his quest for receiving love and by the lack of acknowledgment of his efforts to give love, he feels mightily oppressed. He alternately flares up with anger and restlessness, then simmers with despair. He needs ongoing communication established through intimacy and continual contact. Lacking this, he feels as if he cannot breathe deeply and looks outward, like a cornered animal, for an avenue of escape to a realm of open air and light. If he cannot establish at home the communication through language and touch that he constitutionally craves, then he may concoct elaborate fantasies regarding the discovery of these through travel. He is sexually charged, and like the element phosphorus, eager to combine, and so, may long for adulterous affairs. Yet in the long term, he can only be truly sexually fulfilled if his sexual relations are established within the context of honest communication and meaningful contact. on a soul-spiritual level is that the peppermint type urgently needs both to hear and be heard by those they are close to. If he does not “hear” genuine caring and respect in a partner or relative’s words, or his words fall on “deaf ears,” he becomes angry, restless and despairing and consumed with the idea of breaking free in order to find someone he can have a mutually satisfying exchange with.

If you too, have some Peppermint growing in your garden you might like to try this recipe for Fresh Mint Chutney to be found in  Lois Holes, Herbs and Edible Flower.
2 cups (500 ml) fresh mint leaves, firmly packed
1 medium onion diced
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup (85 ml) lemon juice
4 Tbsp (60 ml) sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cayenne pepper
Add all the ingredients to a blender and grind till it forms a paste.  Scrape the sides of the blender to ensure even blending.  Serve with lamb.  Will keep in the fridge for 2 - 3 days.

I will be teaching the Reiki Level II Class this Sunday and I still have a spot or two open if anyone would like to join us here in Tsawwassen.  Pre-requisite is Reiki Level I.