When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade.
Dale Carnegie

Family: Rutaceae

Synonyms: C. limon

Aroma: Fresh, sharp, sweet citrus

Colour: Pale yellow

Plant: Small evergreen tree with fragrant white and pink flowers and long stiff spiky thorns.

Main Growing Areas: Southern Europe, Florida, California

Major Constituents: limonene, beta-pinene, citral, nonanal, heptenal

Interesting snippets: Lemons were issued to sailors to counteract the effects of scurvy in the British Navy.

Lemons were used by ancient Egyptians as an antidote to food poisoning and to cure epidemics of fever.

Part of Plant used/Extraction: Peel by cold pressing or steam distillation

Therapeutic actions: Varicose veins, cuts, boils, greasy skin, tension headaches, cold and flu, neutralises unpleasant body odours from cancer

Emotional and Spiritual: Refreshing and cooling when feeling hot and bothered.

Robbi Zeck writes that you may need to develop new and innovative behaviours that will enhance the way you learn, execute tasks and deal with stress. Take a step back and examine what you are dealing with. The vibrant warmth of Lemon enhances rational, logical thinking and any intellectual pursuits.

Aromatherapy Insight Card:
RATIONALITY
Uplifts you emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Release emotional, irrational outbursts from your life. When feeling out of your depth and irrational, lemon clears your head and enables you to focus on the task at hand. Rescue your mind and release self-doubt. Don’t get bogged down in life, cool the environment, so that you can respond in a rational manner and achieve a positive result.

Fragrant Change Healing Card: I focus on what needs to be done and how to do it.

Contemplations for the Soul:

Are you feeling confused, overwhelmed or out of your depth?
Do you feel there are too many decisions to be made or too much responsibility for you to handle?
Do you sometimes lash out at people because of stress, fear or a lack of trust in yourself to make the right decision?
Take a few slow deep breaths to clear your head so you can calmly focus on what needs to be done and how to do it.
Try looking at the situation from a different angle.
Ask for more clarification about the situation if you’re feeling confused.
If you’re feeling out of your depth ask for support. Make a decision and trust that it’s the right one.

Safety: Non-irritating, non-sensitising, non-toxic, photosensitive if cold pressed.

Sources:
Battaglia S, The Complete Guide To Aromatherapy. The Perfect Potion, Australia (1995)
Bowles E.J, The A to Z of Essential Oils. New Burlington Books (2003)
Hodges C. Contemplations for the Soul (2016)
Hodges C, Fragrant Change Healing Cards (2015)
Jefferies J, Osborn. K, Aromatherapy Insight Cards. Living Energy, Aust. (2nd Ed. 2005)
Price L, The Aromatherapist Vol 4 No. 3 (1997)
Zeck R, The Blossoming Heart. Aroma Tours (2004)