AROMATICS AND THE SACRED SELF

With the dreary weather in this part of the world, it's a good time to go for a long walk in the woods and commune with Nature. However, not many of us are in a position to abandon the vagaries of our everyday lives to wander in the soul lands - a pity, but certainly a symptom of these times of great change, the end of one Age and the eve of another.

So, for those who are able to savor a few moments over a cup of herbal tea (or fair trade coffee), here's an article that I wrote which first appeared in Eagleye magazine, when I was hopeful about promoting my aromatherapy business, Hypatia Therapeutics. (Things have evolved since then.)

Give yourself a little "chakra tune-up" as you read it, just for good measure, by envisioning the colors shining clearly in each of their appropriate places on your body.

Blessings on this blustery late May morning,
Jessica

AROMATICS AND THE SACRED SELF
(c) 1999, Jessica North-O'Connell

“It has been found that aromatic molecules are one of the basic components of the interstellar space in which new stars are constantly being formed. This interstellar “atmosphere” or gas is the almost direct source of the atoms of which we ourselves, along with the earth and the other planets, are made” - Alain Omont

Ah, the scented garden of aromatherapy! Many are the years I have spent in the intimate exploration of that realm, from potpourri to baths and steaming pots of herbal tea to essential oils distilled from the leaves, stems, barks, blossoms and grasses of the plant world. And what a privilege it is for us to be blessed with the companionship of our plant allies for our nourishment, our healing and our pleasure!

While the term “aromatherapy” applies specifically to the therapeutic applications of essential oils in the treatment of particular conditions, who can underestimate the uplifting power a fragrant bouquet of roses or freesia has upon the human psyche, or the comfort imparted by the aroma of one’s favorite home-cooked meal? As we now know, healing encompasses not just the treating of physical systems but also of one’s Being in its entirety, as the whole human consists of an interconnected series of systems playing between our physical, etheric (thought), astral (emotional) and spirit aspects.

An integral part of these aspects are the energy centres known as the chakras, meaning vortex, (plural, vortices).Traditionally, the major chakras are seven in number and correspond physically to the glands of the body’s endocrine system, though this is only one of their manifestations. Briefly, these energy centres are, in descending order, the top of the head (pituitary/hypothalamus), middle of the forehead (pineal), throat (thyroid), middle of the chest (thymus/heart), solar plexus (pancreas/adrenals), two inches below the navel (reproductive organs) and perineum/cervix (adrenals/testicles).

Each of the chakras deals with particular departments or aspects and issues of life, a simplified version of which are: the seventh our Divine connection/Soul’s purpose, the sixth imagination/intuition, the fifth communication, the fourth compassion/love, the third personal will/intellect, the second creativity/instinct/emotion and the first survival issues. Bear in mind also that the domains of the chakras overlap and interact, as the chakras themselves are interdependent.

The chakras are said to be connected to the spine like flowers on a stem each featuring a color of the spectrum; from the seventh chakra they are violet, indigo, aquamarine, green, yellow (gold), orange, red. Each chakra has both a front and back which appear correspondingly on the front and back of the body. When they are balanced, we experience maximum well-being. When they are blocked, they become sluggish and dull, reflecting difficulties in the various issues and departments to which they relate. One time-tested method of supporting the chakras is aromatherapy via both topical application of essential oil blends during massage and inhalation using a diffuser. Starting with the astral body (scent stimulates the limbic system, sometimes called the “old brain” which is concerned with our instincts, emotions, memory, creativity, sexuality, etc.,) aromatherapy is then able to address all aspects of the self, from the physical to the spiritual.

The ancients, aware of the power of scent, assigned various essential oils to the chakras. Examples of these include:

Chakra seven: frankincense, myrrh (violet, top of the head)

Chakra six: sandalwood, lavender (indigo, "third eye")

Chakra five: bergamot, benzoin (blue, throat)

Chakra four: rose, geranium (green, heart)

Chakra three: ginger, cinnamon, anise (gold/yellow, solar plexus)

Chakra two: clary sage, neroli (orange, belly)

Chakra one: cedarwood, patchouli (red, perineum)

There is no one “authority” on the allocation of essential oils to the chakras, however, and one will invariably find differences from one practitioner or source to another.

In my many years of teaching and researching the chakras and mythology, it occurred to me that the “character” of the chakras may also be reflected in aspects of the Divine as presented in the various guises of archetypal goddesses and gods. Following is a sampling, in honor of the universal Great Mother:

Chakra seven: Maya (India) - as Mother of Creation, she bestows both life and the desire for life and weaves the web of the physical realm, earning her the title “Mother of Illusions.” As her creations, we tend to forget about the “invisible” realms. As Queen Maya, she was the mother of the Buddha.

Chakra six: Urania - (Classical Greece) - one of the nine Muses (goddesses of inspiration), she is associated with the art of astronomy, and is patron of astrologers. This is also one of the titles of Aphrodite, goddess of sensuality, in her aspect as “the heavenly one.”

Chakra five: Iris (Greece, pre-Classical period) - “Messenger of Light” and “source of the waters from on high,” she is goddess of the many-colored rainbow which links the corporeal world with the heavens. Hera’s messenger, she also has the ability to travel to the Underworld to obtain water from the River Styx for use in the swearing of sacred oaths.

Chakra four: Guanyin (also, Kwan Yin; China) - “She who hears the cries of the world,” she is considered to be the most powerful deity in the (pre-revolutionary) Chinese pantheon. She is the merciful and compassionate Bodhisattva of Buddhism, whose decision to remain incarnate until the last earthly being achieves enlightenment endears her to humanity. Associated with sound and called “the melodious voice,” her heart sutra is chanted in Buddhist centres throughout the world daily. A matron goddess of Victoria, B.C., where her image is ubiquitous.

Chakra three: Hestia (Greece , Classical & pre-Classical) - possibly the oldest deity of the early Greek pantheon, she is the hearth fire. According to Pythagoras, she is also the fire at the Earth’s core. She symbolizes family unity and had an altar at the centre of every home, the kitchen hearth. Oaths sworn on her name were considered inviolable.

Chakra two: Yemaya (Caribbean, Brazil; also, Imonja, West Africa) - beloved mother of oceans, she is also known as a goddess of commerce. Often pictured with a mermaid’s tail, her emotional temperament is as powerful as the seas. Hers are the waters of the womb and of creation, washing away the troubles of her followers and rendering them cleansed.

Chakra one: Hecate (Thrace; also Heqit, Egypt) - Queen of the Underworld, goddess of magic, midwives, witches and the waning moon, she is also guardian of the crossroads and bestower of both wealth and wisdom. The Egyptian Heqit was goddess of the primordial waters from which all corporeal life was birthed.

From my files: a pro-active project for you, dear reader!

Juno’s Delight Bath Salts (c)

To 250 gms Epsom salts, add 4 drops cypress, 4 drops petitgrain*, 6 drops bergamot, 2 drops patchouli essential oils in 16 drops vegetable carrier oil. Blend well and allow to age for a few days in a covered glass container. Store in an attractive colored glass bottle. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons (or more) to your bath as desired. Celebrate your queenly self!

The Pipes of Pan (c)

To 30 ml vegetable carrier oil, add 5 drops lime*, 5 drops lavender, 1 drop rockrose and 1 drop patchouli essential oils. Blend well and store in a brown or blue glass bottle. This yields enough for a full-body massage. Add a little more carrier if needed and play on!

*Caution: Do not suntan for at least 12 hours after applying essential oils and avoid over-exposure to sun, especially after using citrus essential oils. Never apply essential oils to the skin without first diluting them in a vegetable oil carrier (with the exception of spot applications of lavender and tea tree).