Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

 

Cardamom essential oil is a wonderfully supportive oil for your digestive system. It is made from steam distilling the seeds of the cardamom plant. 

Cardamom is often found as a cooking spice, and it's a close cousin to Ginger. It is native to Southeast Asia, where it's a common spice used in Indian dishes and teas. You'll usually find it in Chai tea, one of my favorites! Both the herb and the essential oil are good for your digestive system. Cardamom oil is stimulating and energetic. It creates movement and warmth wherever it's applied.

When using cardamom essential oil to support digestive health, you can add a few drops to a carrier oil like olive oil or jojoba. Massage into your abdomen in a clockwise motion (with 12 o'clock being above your belly button). Or, try this recipe!

Cardamom essential oil has a great scent. It's spicy and warm, with a cool, almost eucalyptus-like finish. 

Cardamom essential oil is also very supportive for your respiratory system. It contains a component called 1,8 cineole, which is great for respiratory health. So while you're enjoying the scent of cardamom essential oil, you're also supporting your health!

Cardamom: The Oil of Objectivity

Energetically, this oil helps us to stay level headed in times of anger. Use Cardamom to help you feel mentally balanced and to not lose control of your emotions in difficult situations.

Do you find yourself obsessing about things that make you mad? Cardamom essential oil helps us to break down these feelings of frustration and redirects that energy to the solar plexus, the center of responsibility. In this way, Cardamom is a good oil to use for the Third Chakra, or the solar plexus chakra.

When you find yourself re-hashing feelings of anger or resentment towards someone or some situation, use Cardamom to help you work through it. Rub a couple drops of Cardamom over your solar plexus and practice deep breathing while you focus on letting go of your negative feelings. Cardamom can help us to stop objectifying others and to stop seeing them as inconveniences. Cardamom helps us take personal responsibility for our feelings.

Negative emotions that Cardamom can assist with - being easily frustrated, anger, objectifying others, blaming, unable to think clearly due to anger and resentment.

The Positive emotions Cardamom can help - being objective, self-control, respectful, tolerant, patient, and mentally sober.

Basil

 

Did you know that this popular culinary herb can be made into an essential oil? The oil is steam distilled from the leaves, stems, and flowers of the basil plant. 

I probably don't have to describe for you what Basil smells like. It's a wonderful spicy, sweet, herbaceous, green, and somewhat camphorous scent.

I grew Basil in my garden last summer and I loved grabbing a couple leaves and crushing them in my hand to release the scent. Bees love the flowers!

Basil essential oil has many therapeutic properties. It is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and a decongestant.

Basil essential oil can be beneficial for your skin. It can help keep it clear and clean. Add a drop of two to your favorite carrier oil such as olive oil or jojoba, which are both also great for your skin.

Just like the herb itself, Basil essential oil can be used in cooking. You only need a drop or two, as it's much more concentrated, and the flavor is intense. Also make sure that the Basil oil you use is certified as food grade and that it's not just a synthetic fragrance.

Basil essential oil can help with focus. Try diffusing it or using it in an inhaler next time you need to study or concentrate on a task.

When shopping for Basil essential oil, you may encounter more than one kind. The two most common are Sweet Basil and Tulsi (Holy Basil.)

Holy Basil is a chemotype of Basil (Sweet Basil), meaning it is a different version of it. It contains a component called eugenol, which is also found in clove and cinnamon. Because of this eugenol, Tulsi basil has a spicy, sweet aroma.

Tulsi Basil essential oil has many therapeutic benefits. It's great for muscle aches and soreness, and can help support your immune system. Tulsi basil essential oil is an adaptogen. This means that it can "adapt" to give you what wellness support your body needs. For example, it can be either relaxing or stimulating. Pretty cool little plant, huh?!

Basil: The Oil of Renewal

Basil essential oil can be helpful for those experiencing adrenal exhaustion, as well as nervousness, anxiousness, and despair. The smell of basil oil can bring strength to the heart, and relaxation to those people under a lot of stress and mental strain.

Basil essential oil may be helpful for those trying to give up stimulants, as basil can help restore our natural energy. It can give hope and optimism. It is a wonderfully supportive oil for those who are tired in both body and mind.

Basil and the Two of Wands

In the Herbal Tarot, Basil is associated with the Two of Wands. In this card, a young nobleman holds a sphere, or globe, and seems to be surveying all that is available to him. This could be a very positive outlook, or a very self-centered view. This card teaches us to not mistake material wealth for spiritual wealth. Basil can help with this by supporting idealism and a clear inner vision. It can help us to follow through on our projects.  

Here is a recipe for using Basil essential oil to make a soothing oil for tired, achy muscles. You can use either Sweet Basil or Tulsi Basil for this blend. Combine the essential oils in the jojoba. Make sure to use a glass bottle or a PET essential oil safe bottle. 

Aborvitae

I really love this oil because it smells like the woods I grew up in, in the Pacific Northwest. And no wonder, because Arborvitae oil is made from the bark of the Western Red Cedar found in the northwestern part of the US and in Canada. It basically smells like a deep, damp forest.

 

The Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), has often been known as the "Tree of Life". It has been used by ancient civilizations to enhance their potential for spiritual communication during rituals and ceremonies.

Arborvitae is a wonderfully supportive oil in that it is antibacterial, antifungal, and makes a great insect repellant! Body systems most affected by Arborvitae are the Respiratory System and Emotional Balance. Check out this recipe for making a furniture polish with Arborvitae! 

Arborvitae is the Oil of Divine Grace.

This oil helps us stop the constant struggle for achievement and learn to accept the flow of abundance. Arborvitae can be grounding and calming. It helps us to see the grace in our everyday lives and to find balance.

Arborvitae's Latin name means "to sacrifice". Use this oil to help you surrender to divine grace and feel in the flow of life.

The positive emotions of Arborvitae: peaceful, surrender, grounded, trusting, relaxed.

In fragrance, Arborvitae is a top to middle note. It is an enhancer and equalizer. It blends well with other "woodsy" scents, like Cedarwood, and also with Eucalyptus and Cassia.

Laurel Leaf

Native to the Mediterranean, laurel leaves are a symbol of victory in Greek mythology and were used as a head decoration to symbolize rank and achievement. For example, the winner of the ancient Olympic games was traditionally given a laurel wreath.

Laurel Leaf essential oil (Laurus nobilis) is steam distilled from the leaves of the shrub. It is most commonly harvested in Turkey or Bulgaria.

Laure Leaf is also referred to as bay leaf. What is the difference? Bay leaf is the culinary term for laurel leaf. Bay leaves are sometimes used in flavoring soups and stews.

Laure Leaf essential oil has an herbal, spicy, and somewhat minty scent. There is a hint of sweetness at the end, which I think must come with that slight minty-ness. It's a wonderful smelling oil!

Laurel Leaf essential oil is good for cleaning. One of its main chemical constituents is eucalyptol, which is highly cleansing (and this is probably where it's herby, eucalyptus-type scent comes from). It is gentle enough to be used to help cleanse the skin, yet powerful enough to be used as a refreshing surface cleanser.

Laurel Leaf essential oil can be helpful with circulation and purification and also with lymph congestion. Try it in a massage diluted in your favorite carrier oil to help support the body's natural detoxification process.

Laurel Leaf is very supportive for the respiratory system as well, and can be used in a steam. To make a steam, pour almost boiling hot water into a heat safe bowl, set it before you on a table, and add one drop of an essential oil or blend. Drape a towel over your head to make a "tent", and then breathe deeply of the essential oil enhanced steam. Make sure you close your eyes! I find it so soothing and it usually clears me right up. Sometimes you need to do it more than once.

Combine in a 5 ml bottle with an orifice reducer and use it throughout the season for your steams. You only need one drop per steam. 

Energetic and Emotional Properties of Laurel Leaf essential oil: Laurel Leaf uplifts the mind and can help with focus and concentration. It can help move stuck energy, both emotional and energetic, and give you a confidence boost.