Tag Archives: apathy

Juniper (Juniperus communis)

Juniper header

Family: Cupressaceae

Synonyms: Juniper

Aroma: Fresh, warm, rich balsamic, woody sweet pine needle like

Colour: Clear to very pale yellow

Juniper berriesPlant: Small tree that can grow to 12 metres in height with blue green needle like leaves, greenish yellow flowers and small round berries. The same tree carries green unripe one year old berries and blue ripe two to three year old berries.

Main Growing Areas: Northern Italy, Austria, Czech republic, Hungry, Croatia, Serbia and France

Major Constituents: alpha-pinene, beta-farnesene, beta-elemene, camphene, sabinene, myrcene, 1,4 cineole

Interesting snippets: Juniper branches were burned in temples as purifying herbs.

In England juniper branches were often strewn on the floor to sweeten the smell of the room and to cleanse the air of infection and disease

During the 19th century, the berries were burnt in French hospitals to prevent the spread of smallpox.

To the ancient Germans, juniper was the “Tree of Life” and branches were buried with the dead to facilitate their easy passage to their heaven, Valhalla.

ginJuniper berries are used for making gin.

Part of Plant used / Extraction: crushed, dried or partly dried berries/ steam distilled

Therapeutic actions: antiseptic, carminative, diuretic, weeping eczema, acne, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, rheumatism, arthritis, lower back pain, tiredness, poor circulation, cold hands and feet.

Emotional and Spiritual: nervous and intellectual fatigue, lethargy, apathy, negative thoughts, confusion

Fischer-Rizzi writes that psychologically juniper strengthens and uplifts the spirit during times of low energy, anxiety and weakness.

Keim Loughran and Bull state that juniper clears the body/mind/spirit of the damaging perceptions that interfere with our confidence and self-worth. She releases old thoughts, strengthens our intuition and deepens trust in our inner voice.

Robbie Zeck writes when you are feeling distressed and shut off from the experience of joy in your body and in your life, Juniper prepares the way for finding your centre. It brings clarification and stability during times of emotional and spiritual challenge. Juniper reduces the negativity stemming from habits, beliefs and behaviours that rob you of your joy of life.

Gabriel Mojay states that juniper is suited to the type of individual who feels burdened and aloof, deeply absorbed in their own thoughts – thoughts which revolve around worries, pressures and unpleasant memories. Feeling unsupported and misunderstood by others, they tend to withdraw and lose their social confidence. Juniper helps to purge them of the worry and self-absorption that is rooted in a fear of failure. Restoring their determination to overcome life’s obstacles, it replaces stasis and isolation with movement and openness.

Aromatherapy Insight Card:PREPARATION
Prepare for emotional, physical and spiritual challenges ahead. Set your goals and focus on preventing any of life’s little negative surprises. It is only when we are not prepared that we get those “surprises”. Failure to prepare leads to an emptiness and dissatisfied state allowing disappointment, self-doubt, guilt and low self-esteem to creep in. Be prepared and move beyond your limitations.

Fragrant Change Healing Card: I cleanse my body, mind and spirit of negativity so I can soar.

Contemplations for the Soul:Are you feeling mentally exhausted due to the never ending thoughts going on in your head about how unworthy you are or the guilt and shame over something you have or haven’t done?
Are you afraid to do something because you feel you will fail or not make the grade?
Are you feeling angry, frustrated, uncertain or confused?
It’s time to cleanse the negativity from your body, mind and spirit and allow clarity and insight to shine through.
Take a shower or bath imaging you are washing away all the negativity. Watch the dirty water and negativity drain away.
Make the decision to meet whatever challenges come your way; ask for support when you need help to overcome them.
Be all you’re meant to be.

Safety: Non-irritating, non-sensitising, non-toxic. Skin sensitisation may occur if the oil has oxidised.

Note: Often adulterated with fermented berries. May also be adulterated with pinene, camphene, turpentine oil fractions, juniper wood and twig oils.

There are some trees in the Juniperus genera whose essential oils are called cedars such as Juniperus virginiana known as Virginia cedarwood or cedarwood, Juniperus ashei known as Texas cedarwood and Juniperus procera known as east African cedarwood. True cedarwood comes from the pinaceae family and the genera Cedrus.

Sources:
Battaglia S, The Complete Guide To Aromatherapy. Third Edition. Black pepper Creative Pty Ltd, Australia (2018)
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)
Fischer-Rizzi S, Complete Aromatherapy Handbook. Essential Oils for Radiant Health Sterling Publishing Company (1990)
Jefferies J, Osborn K, Aromatherapy Insight Cards. Living Energy, Aust. (2nd Ed. 2005)
Keim Loughran J, Bull R, Aromatherapy Anointing Oils, Frog Books (2001)
Kerr J, Juniper Essential Oil Profile. Aromatherapy Today, Vol.18 (2001)
Mojay G, Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. Hodder and Stoughton (1996)
Tisserand R and Young R, Essential Oil Safety Second Edition, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014
Worwood V.A, The Fragrant Heavens. Doubleday Publishing UK (1999)
Zeck R, The Blossoming Heart. Aroma Tours (2004)

Sweet Orange (Citrus sinesis)

Sweet orange

If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange,
a circle of sections, held together but separable – each segment distinct.
Letty Cottin Pogrebin

Family: Rutaceae

Synonyms: C.aurantium var.dulcis, Portugal orange

Aroma: Sweet, citrus orange peel aroma

Colour: Deep golden to dark orange

Orange treePlant: Small pyramidal tree. Leaves are oblong, evergreen, smooth and shiny. During spring and summer white fragrant flowers appear followed by orange aromatic fruits.

Main Growing Areas: Brazil, United States, Israel and the Mediterranean and Australia to a much lesser degree.

Major Constituents: d-Limonene (up to 96% has an orange like odour), linalool, a-pinene, myrcene.

Interesting snippets: The name orange is derived either from the Sanskrit for the fruit, naranji or the arabic narandj.

The orange is native to China and it was brought to Europe by the Arabs or Portuguese explorers (depending on which source you read) and later introduced to the Americas by Columbus. I tend to think it was the Arabs as they were distilling products from the Seville Orange in Spain from the 11th century.
The orange is a traditional Chinese symbol of good luck and prosperity.

In Australia nothing is wasted. After the juice and essential oil is extracted the left over remnants are used as a stock feed supplement, which is said to improve the milk yield of dairy cows.

When grown in the best conditions, some orange trees can live up to 50 years, continually flowering and fruiting every season.

Orange and peel 2Part of Plant used /Extraction: Outer peel. Extracted by cold pressing of ripe or very ripe fruit. The essential oil is extracted from the flavedo (outer part of the orange peel). The thin part of the peel is removed from the rest of the orange. It is mixed and crushed with water in a cold press and processed through a hydrocyclone and centrifuge to separate the essential oil from the water molecules, and finally out through a polisher refined centrifuge to ensure absolute purity of the oil. 500kg of oranges yields approx.1kg of essential oil.

Therapeutic actions: Good digestive oil, poor appetite, indigestion, constipation. Calms a nervous stomach, good for bronchitis and colds. Useful to help get children to sleep.

Emotional and Spiritual: Helps in depression, sadness, hopelessness. She energises when apathetic, resigned and unable to make necessary changes. Helps reduce the fear of the unknown. Conveys joy and positivity.

Robbi Zeck writes to use orange when you are feeling gloomy and unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes you may not even have an explanation for why you feel that way. I particularly like this sentence she ends with as I feel it sums up Sweet Orange perfectly. “Like a perfumed cascade of flowers in spring, Orange brings moments of laughter and touchstones of happiness to a beaming heart.”

Aromatherapy Insight Card:

Orange Sweet

SERIOUSNESS
Remove the seriousness that is bogging you down in life. Sweet orange is for the hard working, efficient perfectionist. Acting like you know everything, and have little tolerance for other people’s mishaps and learning experiences. Stop being so boring and feeling YOU are the only one who can do anything. Lighten up and enjoy life. You can be responsible and efficient and have a light spirit at the same time. Smile and find your sense of humour.

Contemplations For The Soul Card:

Sweet Orange CFTS Card

Feeling stressed, worried, frustrated, let down or generally blah?
Do you feel you have to do everything because no one else will or can do it properly?
Have you forgotten how to laugh and have fun and wonder what joy is because you’re not feeling it?
Spend time in the early morning or late afternoon sun allowing the rays to warm your skin.
Do something that brings joy to others.
Teach others how to do things and allow them to do them in their own way so you can get on with life.
Look for joy in your life and you will find it. It may take some work on your part to feel joy again but it will be worth it.

Safety: Non-irritating, non-sensitising, non-toxic, non-phototoxic. Should be used fresh within 6-12 months as it tends to oxidise relatively quickly. Best to store in a cool dark place like the refrigerator.

If it stops smelling like the fresh fruit then best not to use on the skin as it can than cause skin reactions. You can still use it in cleaning products.

Sources: Battaglia S, The Complete Guide To Aromatherapy. The Perfect Potion, Australia (1995)
Fischer-Rizzi S. Complete Aromatherapy Handbook. Essential Oils for Radiant Health Sterling Publishing Company (1990)
Guba R. Sweet Orange. Essential News. Vol 8 (2002)
Hodges C. Contemplations for the Soul (2016)
Jefferies J. Osborn. K. Aromatherapy Insight Cards. Living Energy, Aust. (2nd Ed. 2005)
Kusmirek J. Aromatherapy. An Introduction & Guide to Aromatherapy. Wigmore Publications Ltd (1999)
Mailhebiau P. Portraits in Oils. The C.W.Daniel Company Ltd. (1995)
Mojay G. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. Hodder and Stoughton (1996)
Sydney Essential Oil Company, Harvest: Australian Sweet Orange essential Oil. Oily Spring Edition (2010)
Zeck R, The Blossoming Heart. Aroma Tours (2004)