Tag Archives: sadness

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)

Bergamot

Bergamot lightens the shadows of the mind, bringing illumination and laughter.
Valerie Ann Worwood

Family: Rutaceae

Synonyms: Citrus aurantium ssp. bergamia

Aroma: Sweet, fruity and refreshing

Colour: Light yellow with a hint of green

Bergamot treePlant: The bergamot tree grows up to 12 metres high but is kept to 4 or 5 metres for easy picking. It has deep green leaves and small white fragrant flowers. The fruit ripening from green to a lemon yellow colour is the size of a small orange and slightly spherical with a sour bitter taste.

Main Growing Areas: Italy, Ivory Coast.

Major Constituents: Limonene, linalyl acetate, linalool, bergaptene, alpha and beta pinenes
The alcohol and ester content can vary significantly due to the weather, the time of harvest and the handling of the fruit. All this will affect the aroma of the essential oil.

black-teaInteresting snippets: Used to flavour Earl Grey Tea and as a major ingredient in eau-de-cologne.
The essential oil has a long use in Italian folk medicine as a remedy for fever and worms.
Bergamot was once used to help treat malaria.

Part of Plant used /Extraction: Cold expression of the peel of the almost ripe fruit

Therapeutic actions: Skin problems including acne, cold sores, chicken pox, shingles and eczema. Also helpful for respiratory and digestive issues including flu, sore throat, laryngitis and bronchitis, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, indigestion and loss of appetite. Vaginal and urinary infections – use in douche or hip bath.

Emotional and Spiritual: Tension, irritability, frustration, depression, grief and sadness. Uplifting.

Robbi Zeck writes that there are blessings in discomfort if you choose to examine why your spirit is flat, sad or depressed. During these times of dark reflection bergamot will heal and cheer your soul, encouraging you to continue to explore your deeper innermost feelings.

Gabriel Mojay writes that bergamot oil encourages the release of pent-up feelings – feelings that can lead not only to depression, but also to insomnia, anxiety and sudden mood swings. It also helps us to relax and “let go”.

Aromatherapy Insight Card:

Bergamot

CHEERFULNESS
Bergamot promotes cheerfulness and soothes feelings of anger and frustration.
Feeling flat and tired? Lost your spark and enthusiasm for life? Use the essence of Bergamot to access your deeper levels and cheer your heart and soul, lift depression and help gain confidence and motivation. Release repressed emotions that are blocking your vital force and stopping you from being all that you want to be. Allow your mind to wander to a place where “cheerfulness” lives, where you can think lively thoughts and feel refreshed. Create a productive and caring environment.

Safety: Due to the furocoumarins, bergamot is photosensitive and can cause serious skin burns or a condition known as berloque dermatitis. (An irregular darkening of the skin which can last several years). Avoid direct exposure to sunlight or sunbed rays for 12 hours after applying the diluted oil to the skin. This rule doesn’t apply to soaps and shampoos or any products that are immediately washed off the skin. You can also buy Bergaptene free essential oil which has no photosensitivity issues.

Contemplations for the Soul Card:

Bergamot FCHC

Are you feeling flat, tired, angry, stressed or depressed?
Have you lost someone or something and closed yourself off to the love and happiness that is available to you?
Perhaps it’s time for some soul searching to see what lies behind these dark feelings you have.
One cause maybe a lack of self acceptance and self love.
It’s time to shine a light on these areas, examine and then release them.
Allow the feelings of lightness, joy, serenity, wisdom, self-acceptance and love for yourself and others to enter into your life.
Feel your creativity and inspiration begin to flow as you release the dark and allow the light to enter your soul.

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)
Fischer-Rizzi, S, Complete Aromatherapy Handbook. Essential Oils for Radiant Health Sterling Publishing Company (1990)
Hodges C. Contemplations for the Soul (2016)
Jefferies J, Osborn. K, Aromatherapy Insight Cards. Living Energy, Aust. (2nd Ed. 2005)
Kerr, J, Bergamot Essential Oil Profile. Aromatherapy Today, Vol.11 (1999)
Mojay G, Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. Hodder and Stoughton (1996)
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)