A Short Summary of Essential Oils
Apr 15, 2025
Through out history, plants and trees have been used medicinally, even pre-dating written history. Early man, as a hunter-gatherer, must have sampled different plants to find out if they were edible and if so, what effects the plants had on the body. He would have learned quickly that some herbs bring on stupor, some enliven, others purge and of course, many nourish the body. A deep understanding and connection would have been formed between man and plant. As anyone who has lived close to the land soon learns, plants have a spirit of their own and can commune their intent if one is open enough to listen to their “energetic frequency.” In early times, man probably had a much keener awareness of his environment and worked more closely with the rhythms and vibrations of the earth. His sense of smell would be more honed, the odor entering the brain allowing him to intuit the efficacy of the plant by tuning into its vibration and sensing whether it would a healthy fit for his body. Modern man has lost a lot of innate connection to the spirits of the earth.
Still in pre-written History, we have Ancient Traditions telling of Rituals and Ceremonies using plants. “Smoking” was a basic form of an “Energetic” cleansing ritual in which herbs were gathered and usually dried, then set afire so that the smoldering smoke would envelop the person or object being cleansed, clearing them of all negative (evil) energies (Spirits). In our modern day we still use sage for ‘smudging,’ as in earlier times, to clear unwanted negative energies from a room or a person. The ancients might well have seen how burning certain plants would bring on different and desired effects. Some smoke would sedate and lull, some invite visionary experiences, while others would invigorate and energize, even causing anger or aggression. Buring herbs and plants in confined shelters with groups of people would have a community effect where the entire crowd would experience a similar sensation, creating the space for mass consciousness (or mass hysteria). Given the right mixture of herbs, a shaman or warlord could arouse the populous to do his will, for good or even evil purposes. Those in ancient power understood the power of the plants and plants spirits.
Incense of myrrh balances the emotions and cools the atmosphere of tension, anxiety and high-strung emotions. Stimulating the 6th and 7th charkas, this resin resonates with the color blue/indigo, encouraging us to speak our truth from our higher selves. Again, a wonderful gift for the baby Jesus, considering his connection to God. Later there are references to Mary anointing Jesus feet with Spikenard, and other cherished and expensive oil of therapeutic capacity. Spikenard, because of its great cost, was usually given in a beautiful ornate box, which legend has, could only be opened by the recipient. It carries a high vibration, enabling a deep connection to ones spiritual self and ones inner being. Its calming properties enable a deep state of meditation, almost trance like in nature. Spikenard also is useful for its regenerative properties and is great for dry scaly skin, especially for tired and calloused feet. To anoint, back then, meant to rub on or massage“ did Mary know a bit of reflexology maybe, for someones weary feet? There have been suggestions, in The Jesus Scroll, that the translation of the Garden of Gethsemane was indeed a mistranslation and that it really was the garden of Jessamine or the jasmine garden. Jesus spent his last night (and nighttime is when jasmine is its most fragrant), a night of internal conflict and questioning, in a garden surrounded by the sweet scent of this high vibrational flower. Research has shown that jasmine stimulates a neurotransmitter called encephalin in the brain, causing an opening of the emotional centers. We know jasmine relieves fear, tension and anxiety, and brings in trust, compassion, love and optimism. How perfect would that have been for Jesus, to be supported by such a euphoric, warming scent during such a dark and fearful night. And I loved the idea that I read when researching this article that the stone used to close Jesus tomb was actually the stone from the jasmine extractor trough. Apparently back then, to extract jasmine oil, they would sprinkle the jasmine flowers in a stone trough and pour olive oil over the flowers, then take a large round stone and grind the flowers down into the oil, causing the essential oil to express and bind with the olive oil. How symbolic for the burial stone to be impregnated with this supreme oil!
One of my favorite books that I have used in researching this history series is Robert Tisserand The Art Of Aromatherapy. He has discovered, translated and written about some very unique and interesting tidbits from throughout history. One of his discoveries pertained to medieval times. Apparently herbalists and alchemists back then used to categorize the way the body responded to herbs and plants according to properties such as hot, cold, dry and moist. These divisions correlated to the Chinese Five Element philosophy, which stated that plants were hot and dry if they had a yang quality and they were moist and cool if they were yin. There were four degrees of hot, as there were 4 degrees of cold, again paralleling the Chinese yin and yang beliefs. These categories of herbs also related to the 4 elements air, water, earth and fire with air being hot and moist, fire being hot and dry, water being cold and moist and earth being cold and dry.
Across the ocean, in America, the mainstay of medicine in rural communities was the home remedy to control small medical emergencies. Physicians often used plant and herbal preparations to treat minor illnesses. Then the pharmaceutical companies, with their influence over the medical community, began to undermine the trust that was put in home preparations.
Luckily, there is a trend to get back to basics and more ancient remedies, formulas and recipes are being rediscovered. Herbalists, natural health therapists and homeopaths are all going back to the origins to find ways of healing the body/mind with natural, whole substances. And schools and colleges are producing experienced massage therapists, skilled in the knowledge of the effects on the body of essential oils. People are beginning to trust the natural wisdom of the body, returning to the belief that the innate knowing of the body can instigate self-healing and the reversal of disease forms. History has shown us the gifts of the plant kingdom and our symbiotic relationship to it. Long may this relationship reign!
