Tag Archives: spruce

7 Essential Oils for Christmas Calm

7-essential-oils-for-christmas-calm

There are essential oils that we associate with Christmas and New Year that can help you to stay relaxed during this often busy and stressful time. They can be used in the diffuser, as a room spray, in a massage blend or add a couple drops to the inside of the toilet roll to scent your bathroom or toilet.

In addition to diffusing these oils remember to drink plenty of water to keep hydrated, and get plenty of sleep so you can cope better with both minor and major upsets. If you do find yourself getting stressed or upset take some time out to go outside or to another room and do some slow deep breathing. If you are able to go outside and spend a few minutes in nature and ground yourself all the better.

Do something you really like just for yourself. Have a relaxing bath or massage, listen to some of your favourite music or go for a walk along the beach. Finally just enjoy the season in whatever way you wish.

7 Essential Oils for Christmas
Frankincense (Boswellia carterii) was one of the gifts given by the three wise men to the baby Jesus. She was at that time a very costly oil. She slows the breathing and induces feelings of calm and can help you to break free from the past, relax and access your inner guidance so that your true self can be seen.

Frankincense resin Myrrh (Commiphora molmol) was another oil given to the baby Jesus at his birth. She can help keep everyone calm. She clears emotional blockages, helps to close the wounds of loss and rejection and restores peace of mind. Both Frankincense and myrrh could be burnt as incense if you wished.

Pine (Pinus sylvestris) or Spruce (Picea mariana) can be used to bring in the scent of a Christmas tree. In addition both oils purify the air and clear negative energy from yourself and your environment. Add a few drops to pine cones if you have them.

Christmas tree

Mandarin or Tangerine (Citrus reticulata) can be used to bring a playful energy to the gathering. She is also useful to help overtired children relax and sleep.

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) although not traditionally a Christmas oil can be used to calm everyone down if arguments develop or children become overtired. She can also be used to nurture and nourish you emotionally.

Christmas Room Spray
Combine spruce pure essential oil 8 drops, sweet orange 5 drops and cinnamon or nutmeg 1 drop in 16 drops of oil to water dispersant or sobuliser and add to a spray bottle containing 50mls distilled water. Shake well. If you don’t have sobuliser make sure to shake the bottle well before each use. This is a good blend to spray to cleanse an area especially if there have been arguments.

3 Wise Men Diffuser Blend
Frankincense pure essential oil 2 drops, Myrrh 2 drops, Sweet orange or mandarin 3 drops in the diffuser.

3 wise men

Tropical Christmas Diffuser Blend
Lime pure essential oil 3 drops, Mandarin or tangerine 3 drops, Cinnamon 1 drop in the diffuser.

Spruce (Picea mariana)

Spruce Picea mariana

Family: Pinaceae

Synonyms: Bog Spruce, Swamp Spruce, Shortleaf Black Spruce, Abies nigra, Abies mariana, Picea nigra.

Aroma: Fresh, woody, pine-like.

Colour: Colourless to pale yellow.

spruce conesPlant: Small upright evergreen coniferous tree between 5 and 15 metres tall. The dark purple cones which ripen to a red-brown are the smallest of all the spruces. They are produced in dense clusters in the upper crown and open at maturity.

Main Growing Areas: Eastern Canada and North Eastern USA.

Major Constituents: Camphene, tricyclene, borneol, borynl acetate.

Interesting snippets: Spruce was used by the Lakota Indians to enhance their communication with the Great Spirit. Native Americans made spruce beer to prevent scurvy. Various native North American Indian tribes made a string from the long roots of this tree and used it to stitch the bark of their canoes and to sew their baskets.

Part of Plant used / Extraction: Needles and twigs / Steam distillation

Therapeutic actions: Respiratory conditions including bronchitis and coughs. Helpful in cases of inflamed, stiff, painful joints and tired, achy muscles.

Emotional and Spiritual: Mental exhaustion and stress. Calming and helps poor self-confidence, low morale, melancholy and a negative outlook.  She can help to overcome a sense of defeat or failure.

Robbi Zeck writes that spruce encourages a broadening and opening to a sense of spaciousness within, a way of seeing your journey through life in a brand new way. Spruce adds a depth of insight previously unknown and has the capacity to shift you from feelings of defeat to feeling refreshed and motivated.

Safety: Possible skin irritant.

Sources: Grace U-M, Aromatherapy for Practitioners. The C.W.Daniel Company Ltd. (1996)
Zeck R, The Blossoming Heart. Aroma Tours (2004)
https://materiaaromatica.com/default.aspx?go=article&articleid=167,

Essential Oils for Cleansing

essential oils for cleansing header

September is the month when many people decide to do some spring cleaning here in Australia. You may wish to clear the build-up of negative energy from your home, workspace or self.

There are many essential oils that can help you. These include:
Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) – helps clear the mental clutter. She clears and cleanses a room and brings in positive energy.

Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) – helps release and cleanse the physical, emotional and mental clutter.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata) – cleanses negativity in people and their environment, giving a sense of freedom and spaciousness.

Frankincense (Boswellia carterii) – helps break ties with the past that may be weighing you down.

Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) – dissolves emotional energy blocks and heavy negative feelings, especially blame, anger and frustration.

Juniper (Juniperus communis) – cleanses and clears a room or person of negative energies and protects against negativity.

Lemon (Citrus limonum) – clears emotional confusion. Clears and cleanses the room.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) – clears and cleanses a room. Dispels negative energy and releases limitations.

Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) – clears feelings of agitation and heated emotions. Purifies the mind and body.

Pine (Pinus sylvestris) – clears and cleanses a room. Repels and clears negative energy.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) – clears and cleanses a room. Provides protection from negative influences.

Spruce (Picea mariana) – clears and cleanses bringing a sense of spaciousness.

How to Use
Cleansing and Protecting Your Aura
Use juniper or pine to cleanse or protect your aura before or after visiting crowded places, for example a shopping mall or train. Put one or two drops of the oil in the palm of your hands and stroke them lightly over the physical body and/or through your aura. Make sure the strokes touch the ground and sweep away from yourself or the person you are cleansing.

Bath
Add up to 6 drops of essential oil to half a cup of full fat milk and add to the bath water. (The milk helps the oil disperse through the water rather than sitting on top of it. You could also use a solubiliser for this purpose). Lay in the bath and breathe in the cleansing aroma. If you use frankincense you could also visualize cutting all the old ties that are weighing you down.

Vaporiser
Use up to 4 drops in the vaporiser to clear the room after an argument or heavy healing session.

Spray
Make a spray using 50 mls of spring water and up to 15 drops of essential oils to spray your room (don’t spray furniture) or self (make sure your eyes are closed). This is also useful for cleansing areas after you have de-cluttered a space or your wardrobe.