Hello, natural beauties! An old friend of mine died the other night. It was unexpected. He was funny, generous and kind. He was popular and well-loved around the world. He will be missed. Remember to smell the roses, the lavender, the muraya, the jasmine, the osmanthus, the frangipani and all the beautiful scents of nature.
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This post is for him. Just all the pretty things I love – botanical scent and flowers. His name was Steven “Tizza” Taylor and he enjoyed life. He was the good-time guy. He smelled the roses, tasted the roses, gifted the roses, accepted the roses,, lived with the roses, lived without the roses, saw the world through rose coloured glasses and was very a rosy friend. Thanks, Tizza.
Just enjoy life people. Take time to smell the roses, especially when things get tough.
bliss with roses, by meJasmine officinalis by mefrangipani, Sydney, by meOsmanthus fragrans, by meAcacia (wattle)in Hanoi – pretty in pink, by mefragrance in Saigon, by meLavandula stoechas, my own pic thanks yes it is wonderfulFlowering rosemary in my client’s gardenI’ve got these gorgeous chamomile flowers in a teapot nest to my bed – sweet dreams!wild freesia , Freesia alba x Freesia leichtliniicinnamon – by me pretty wild violet, by meJuniper berries at the spice market, by me
Hello natural beauties! How is your rat year going so far?Australia is still burning and we have had some really extreme temperatures and fluctuating conditions. From strong winds to fires to full-on hail storms, this is global warming. In light of this, I’m very happy to bring you a wonderful story from South America, involving the very pungent Palo Santo wood and essential oil. Read on for a great story from Ecuador.
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Many years ago I imported some Palo Santo oil from Ecuador from a company called Ecuadorian Hands. I was quite surprised when I opened the oil, as it’s so pungent and has deep earthy and woody tones. You can read my story from 2016, on my reaction to the oil here.
I’ve stayed on the mailing list and recently they have posted a new article on the replanting of Palo Santo in the forest of Ecuador.I love their story, you will too.
This pic is from Ecuadorianhands.com and heads the story on planting trees
In the coastal province of Manabi in Ecuador, the article fromEcuadorianhands.com says that in the past 4 years they have planted over 10,000 Palo Santo trees, “regenerating the tropical dry forests of Manabí where palo santo wood grows, which are currently threatened by man.”To attain the 6-year-old trees for planting, they rely on pigeons to eat the flowers of existing trees in the forest, expel the seeds, then they create saplings from those seeds in their nursey. Thanks, pigeons! Read this article from 2019 here.
In the latest article on their website they talk about their 2020 plan:
“Within our planning is to plant about 4000 trees native to dry forests such as the dog zapote (Colicodendron scabridum), Aromo (Acacia farnesiana), Jolote (Cojoba Arborea), Cerezo (Muntingia calabura), Palo Santo (Bursera Graveolens) among others, on the 50 hectares located in Joa / Jipijapa / Manabí , which is in the last processes to declare it protective forest.’
Check out their video:
“To reforest Palo Santo trees we use the method called transplantation, which consists in determining an area of the forest that has overpopulation of the same species for the extraction of trees that are very close to each other and transfer them to an area of the forest where no there are trees so that they can continue with their natural development. In this way, the space that remains when extracting the trees will be used by other native species of the dry forest, in this way, we are helping with the restoration of tropical dry forests.“
This pic is from Ecuadorianhands.com and is in the story on planting trees
There’s obviously a particular way to carry out the reforestation, from choosing the right spot to the depth of the hole to plant the seedling in. 20 people helped the planting this year and more people are wanting to help.
Thanks so much to the people of Ecuador, and Ecuadorian Hands for helping mother earth and the beautiful trees we rely on for health and happiness. Bravo!
Yes, it’s a new year (almost)! How was your pig year? It seems to me there were a lot of people feeling pushed towards the end of the year, but sometimes that’s just life. The rat brings exciting times as the first animal in the Chinese Horoscope. The rat is smart, fast and engaging and has an attractive personality and an outgoing lifestyle. What does the Year of the Rat have in store for you?
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This year is connected to metal and water andcould see an increase in those industries.
Money and finances for all signs could increase, but only with the will, planning, and determination. Luxury, opulence and shiny things are characteristics of the rat year too.
The rat year brings new opportunities and new experiences for the ones who jump on their lucky opportunities quickly.
Hello natural beauties living in this crazy world! Are you having a cold Christmas or a super hot one like me? I love summer in Australia and I always feel so much better with the warmth and sun on my skin, but due to climate change our country is on fire! Lets hope we can move towards a new society where we put our earth first.
Wherever you are, here are 10 essential oil recipes for your diffuser, for a hot, or a cold Chrissy.
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Hello natural beauties I hope you’re all well and happy. I’ve only just recently made a few essential oil inhalers and I quite like them. I’ve given some away and have others stashed in various bags. They are great for a quick burst of essential oil healing magic.
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When you get your inhalers, which you can buy from many sources including ebay, it will usually come in a few parts: the outer cover, the inhaler (which sits inside the cover), a cotton wad on which you drop your essential oilsand the screw lid to keep the cotton inside your inhaler.
I tried using 20 drops of oil but found that it was too strong, so dropped it to 15. You can re-use the cotton wad if you are topping up with the same essential oils. I think you could probably make your own inserts when you run out too.
The cotton insert
Ensure you have a clean workspace, and then just drop the essential oils onto the cotton insert.I usually place a towel down when I’m working.
MMM delicious look at the beautiful green bergamot!
Hello natural beauties I hope you’re all well and happy. I had a fabulous weekend on the Gold Coast in Australia at the Aromatica Australia 2019 conference. Here’s my little movie so you get an idea of how energetic it was.
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I barely had time to do any filming as I needed to shop (of course), chat and eat. The day’s agendas were jam packed, so stay tuned next time I’ll tell you about each presenter and their talk.
Please forgive all my “fantastics” and “amazings”.I was feeling inspiredand excited and tired and busy.
There is a bright future for aromatherapy and essential oils but we must look at sustainability and absolutely be more aware of where our money goes. Plant medicine and nutrition will always connect us to the earth. We must look after our planet.
Hello natural beauties I hope you’re all well and happy. Spring has sprung in Australia and there’s no better way to appreciate the weather than with a bush walk, talking to the flowers, hugging the trees, listening to the cockatoos and kookaburras overhead and breathing the wild bush air.
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The Kuringai WIldflower garden in St Ives, a northern suburb of Sydney, boasts a few walking tracks, lots of protected bush, a fern garden, a playground with a tame swamp wallaby and a very beautiful lace monitor (big lizard) in its midst. It borders Kuringai National Parkand the lovely Kuringai creek. We walked the Mueller track which takes about 1.45 mins and listened to whipbirds, admired angophras and delighted in the bright wild flower colours.
Acacia (wattle) in the Kuringai Wildflower Garden
Last week i wrote about Japanese Forest bathing, well this is Australian bush bathing at its best.Here’s a little snippet of what we experienced.Being in the bush helps me relax and expand my awareness, and appreciate life in the simple and bold colours and scents of nature.
Grevillea …I loved the bright orange flashes of fungi
The visitors centre has a display of “what’s flowering now”and sells some natives in pots too.
I loved this little soft pink flower that seemed to be everywhere
Enjoying nature in the the lovely weather is a true gift.
Hello natural beauties! Following on from the last post about Sal Battaglia’s AROMATREE book, I’d like to share 2 other lovely experiences from that day in Sydney: Shinrin-yoku (Japanese forest bathing) and the very powerful yakusugi oil.
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Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, was created in Japan in the 1980’s as a way to invite people into the beautiful forests to simply experience the serenity, power and positive energy they provide. This was spearheaded by the director of the Japanese Forestry Agency to help people destress. He had himself been inspired by 17th century haiku poets, and the notion was to simply commune with nature. Not walking or running, not listening to a podcast, just being in the beauty of nature.
In this little guidebook we are invited to dip our hands and fingers in a stream, feel the trunk of an ancient tree, smell the fragrances of the forest and use all our senses to drink in the delights ofnature.
The benefits include, reduced muscle tension and stress in general, improved cognitive function and help with anxiety and other emotional disorders. I walk in the Australian bush all the time and I know it makes me happyas I get a kick from the beautiful eucalyptus oil and smells of the bush.The phytoncides (including essential oils) from trees and shrubs give us the immense connection to the divine while having our entire physical and emotional senses enlivened.
Of course I bought the little collection of Japanese oils and have bathed with them many times. Not only that, I also received a free gift …
And now to the very interesting and extremely limited edition of Yakusugi essential oil which would have already sold out by now.When I realised this oil was in short supply I did buy it and then opened it straight away. I said to the lady sitting next to me that I thought it had a moist fungal-like scent to it. Since then I also get a slight hint of Palo Santo.
Sal describes the scent:“a delicate, woody note with a sweet-resiny woody undertone”, and recommends the oil could be used as an enhancement to spirituality, and a stress reliever. The oil is high in sesquiterpenes but has had little research into its qualities. So if you get a chance to experience the oil, just enjoy!
This oil is also called Japanese cedar, and hails from the island of Yakushima. The oil is steam distilled from ancient fallen trees (deadwood) from Cryptomeria japonica, by a local producer. If you’re interested in this oil I’d sign up to the Perfect Potion email list in the exciting event that Sal is able to buy more of this precious oil.
I feel very fortunate to have this subtle yet powerful oil in my collection.
Hello natural beauties! Its been a while since we’ve seen each other but I am helping my elderly parents navigate their 90’s! I managed to escape the other day to a wonderful masterclass and an introduction to his new book, Aromatree, by the wonderful Sal Battaglia of Perfect Potion.
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It’s not often I actually attend a specific aromatherapy workshop, and couldn’t even tell you the last time I did. I managed to see this event one night and thought “yep”, I’ll do that”. As I arrived at the Swissotel in Sydney I was surprised to see over 100 bubbly excited people jostling for good spots in the lecture room, was given information by lovely Perfect Potion staff, and took a seat. I have never heard Sal speak or present, and as the day wore on I realised I was in the minority.
The gorgeous AROMATREE book with illustration (and original painting) by Japanese artist
My neighbours to my left and right, gave each other knowing looks as Sal burst onto centre stage.
He’s wonderful isn’t he?
“I love his infectious enthusiasm.”
“He’s so knowledgeable.”
“I do all his masterclasses.”
And so it continues all day,, as I too get caught in the wave of his gentility, enthusiasm and brilliance. Where have I been the past 25 years? I suppose just working, and writing.
Aromatree, the book has been in the making for 30 years as Sal has gathered information and created hypotheses about essential oils and how they fall into categories:
roots and rhizomes
wood
resin
fruit
seeds
leaves
flowers
Sal looks at the oils in each category and invites us to experience the oil first, before we try and make judgements about what we think it should do. However the oils within the categories have some common properties.
Sal’s amazing text book – the original which I’ve had for 20 years and the 3rd Edition which is the latest
In each section we are taken on a journey: what oils belong to the section, what are the plant families and aromas, the botany, chemistry and symbolism, the properties of the oils in each category and how they work with our body and mind. There’s so much more but you get the drift. At the end of the book there are some more technical terms explained with loads of great references too.
It really is a gorgeous book, easy to read with lots of colourful illustrations. The cover artwork was created as a beautiful original painting by Japanese artist Tomoko Ichikawa. I highly recommend AROMATREE by Salvatore Battaglia, the true Svengali of aromatherapy.
Me and Sal with the colourful Aromatree book, personally signed by Sal with an inspirational message
I’ve got a brilliant idea. Make dinner and have an aromatherapy treatment all at the same time. My choice for today is pesto, vegan of course. This classic Italian dish with a vegan twist is made with fresh sweet basil. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the kind most used for pesto and other European dishes, and the most common basil essential oil.
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Basil takes its name from the latin ’Basileum’ meaning royal.There are many types of basil, which belong to the herb family that includes lavender, mint, thyme, patchouli, marjoram and many others.
Holy Basil, also known as tulsi is from India (Ocimum tenuiflorum), and also makes a great essential oil and is used in Ayurvedic medicine.This holy plant and is dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna.
Thai basil used across South East Asian has the botanical name (Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora) but I’ve never used it as an essential oil. It’s used in Vietnamese cooking too and tops a lovely pho.
Thai Basil from bonappetit.com
So what can basil, and essential oil of basil do for you? Sharp and spicy, basil helps clear the head and open avenues of expression. It is a very powerful clearing oil, particularly effective when used in a vapouriser as an inhalation, or when you are cooking. It is used for mental and physical fatigue and its anti-spasmodic properties make it ideal for treating menstrual problems and digestive disorders. It is also used for
* Sinus congestion, asthma and bronchitis are all soothed by basil.
* Fever can be treated effectively with basil.
* In the middle ages it was prescribed for melancholy and depression.
Vegan pesto from taste.com.au
I love the fact that this modest little herb with a big presence has been around for ages. Literally ages. The old herbs of healers and witches alike are still here because they work. Food is medicine, and always has been.Fantastic. Get cooking. Click here for a really easy and authentic pesto recipe.
Remember, treat yourself first, than everyone else benefits!
suzannerbanks 