Aromas of Autumn

The Aromas of Autumn

Autumn is my favorite time of year and the topic of aromatherapy and scent is one of my favorite topics. The sense of scent is our most powerful and the smell of things can conjure up memories of days long ago; some even say past lives. There are certain scents that immediately bring thoughts of autumn to mind; earthy scents, scents reminiscent of the last harvest. These may bring us memories of Halloween celebrations, a roaring fireplace, and maybe even the first snow. For those of us who follow pagan paths autumn is a very spiritual time of year, and often Samhain is our biggest holiday. This the time when the veils between the worlds are thinnest and we honor our ancestors. It is steeped in ritual and merriment.

I am going to discuss some of my favorite scents for fall and both their health and therapeutic benefits, as well as, their magical and ritual uses. I know that pumpkins and apples often bring thoughts of fall, but I will only address those plant spirits that are available in essential oil or loose herb form. I caution anyone; in particular witches from avoiding synthetic scents. The can often be toxic and will not provide any physical, mental or spiritual benefit. In addition, if you follow an Earth based path please honor the mother by using her gifts and not lab created candles and so- called magical oils. When using essential oils by the highest quality therapeutic and organic oils you can afford.

Cinnamon Bark- Cinnamon is probably one of the most recognizable scents in history and definitely is a scent for fall. However if the essential oil is used, caution must also be used. The oil should be avoided in pregnancy, and should not be used on the skin or in baths because it is an irritant. It can however be used by dropping some oil on a cottonball and sniffing, or you can buy cinnamon sticks and crush them and leave little bowls throughout the house. Because this is a highly potent oil I do not recommend beginners to use it for health and healing (just stick to using the spice and bark), but inhaling it and using visualization aids in tapping into the psychic mind and can also be used to ward off spite and malice.

Cypress Oil- An ancient Mediterranean pine tree that has great affect on the respiratory and circulatory system. It is an oil that can be both stimulating and relaxing depending on frame of mind, and amount used. Add 10-20 drops to a bath or to an ounce of carrier oil and massage in to relief sore muscles or menstrual cramps. It can also be blended with other oils (such as ravensara and naiuoli) and massaged into the back or feet to relieve respiratory congestion and coughs. Magically, cypress oil when inhaled or diffused helps to smooth transitions, particular the loss of friends or loved ones; therefore this is a perfect oil to celebrate our elders with during Samhain. Cypress is also an oil that can be used to honor the Goddess Hecate.

Myrrh Oil or Resin- Myrrh the mother of spiritual plants (frankincense being the father) has been revered since the beginning of time. Beyond ritual its health benefits are cooling and cleansing, and it can be used as an anti-fungal. I also use it to calm tense muscles. It can be used in a bath, diffused, or mixed with a massage oil. It will stimulate the 6^th and 7^th chakras. Myrrh can be used to consecrate objects or inhaled to awaken your awareness into the spiritual realm. It also wards off negativity and will protect you during a ritual. Again, for Samhain if Hecate is the Goddess you want, myrrh will certainly make her happy.

Oak Moss Oil- Oak the sacred tree of the Druids is one of my favorite scents; there is no comparing the earthiness. Oak Moss is actually a lichen taken from the base of an oak tree and is an extremely viscous oil. It is difficult to get even one drop out of a bottle, but it’s worth it and that is all you need. Normally used as a perfume fixative I also use it on the sinus points to clear congestion. Inhaling oak moss promotes fertility, power, balance and protection.

Orange Oil – (sweet never bitter) Oranges always remind me of fall, being Italian we ate more fruit and nuts than sweets for dessert and there were always oranges and tangerines at our Thanksgiving table. Orange oil helps the digestive system and is an anti-depressive and nerve sedative. I diffuse it in the house and add it to my bathwater any chance I get. It is also highly anti-viral and dissipates bad odors quickly so I use it in my cleaning products. Orange increases you bioelectric energy field so it is an ideal oil to use during divination practice, and will ensure you are entering into your divination without depression and at peace with yourself.

Patchouli Oil- Yeah, yeah I know so many people laugh at patchouli because it was so overused in the 60’s but it really is such a glorious earthy-musky scent that I encourage people to give it another try. It can be an aphrodisiac so I encourage wearing it, putting it into the bath or diffusing it if you would like at little romance to culminate your Samhain Sabbat. It is also a nerve sedative and anti-depressant. It also great for dry, oil or wrinkled skin just blend a few drops in vitamin E and jojoba oil and apply. Patchouli can also be used to manifest money if inhaled and proper visualizations are done. Patchouli is also associated with Samhain, Hecate and the Underworld.

I hope you enjoyed this list of oils and their uses. I chose to feature oils associated with the Samhain Sabbat and the Goddess Hecate as the honored Goddess for the holiday. These oils can all be used at the altar, or if you do a bathing ritual prior to celebrating all oils (except cinnamon) can be put in the bath. If there are any questions on the use or where to get these oils feel free to email me. I normally use Mountain Rose Herbs because there oils are all organic or responsibly wildcrafted and the prices are reasonable. There is a link to their page on my blog.

Breakfast Quiche Muffins

My son who does not eat veggies, is eating one (with spinach) as I type this, telling me he likes the green stuff! I guess I will have to start taking pictures too.

Breakfast Quiche Muffins

4 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

10 slices of bacon cooked and chopped

1 cup cheese of your choice- I use Havarti Dill

Small onion chopped

1 cup spinach or broccoli (or both)

Salt, pepper, ground mustard powder and smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 375.

Sauté onions and vegetables in the bacon grease and a tablespoon of butter, set aside

In bowl whisk the eggs, add the cream and seasoning & whisk some more. Add cheese, bacon and vegetables (with slotted spoon so it’s not too soggy).

Coat muffin tin with cooking spray, and pour quiche batter into each cup (about ½ way)

Bake for 20 minutes and check with a toothpick to see if it comes clean. I generally cook these for 30 minutes but oven temperatures vary.

These freeze well so you can make several batches.

http://walkingwithinthespiral.blogspot.com

Fire and Water

Until 13 years ago I always lived within an hour from the ocean. For several years of my life my dad lived right on the beach, so when I spent time with him I could smell and feel the ocean right from the balcony of his home. This is when I began to appreciate the ocean at any time of year not just in the summer frolicking in the water, riding waves, and sunning myself.

The ocean is a part of my soul, one that I wish I could feed more often than I do at this stage of my life. I need the ocean to balance that strong fire element that lives within me. I need Mother Moon to shine down on me and show me her light. I know that many people feel this way and that many people love the ocean. But when I think about the gorgeous moments I have spent on the beach I come up with memories of being on the beach when it’s cold or raining and the tides are unforgiving.

When you take a beach vacation you pray for sunshine and beautiful weather. It’s your one or two week chance to get to play and the disappointment of a rainy week at the beach is almost more than you can bear. But when you are blessed to be near it all year you appreciate the solitude of being on the beach when no one else wants to be there.

Or if you grew up like I did near the Jersey shore, it was inevitable that at least some of the years your vacation “down the shore” would be a rainy one. So you made do, and you found a way to have fun anyway. I remember swimming in the ocean with the rain beating down on me more times than I can count.

One year my mom and I drove down to Virginia Beach in celebration of her divorce from my dad and her getting a shiny new Camaro. There are many memories from that trip but two of the funniest ones involved rain. We were laying on the beach and one of those typical fast and furious storms rolled in. We were scrambling to gather our stuff, wind blowing it everywhere and chasing down our umbrella that was flying down the beach at breakneck speed. By the time we got our stuff together the sun came back out.

Later in the vacation we were planning a nice dinner out in a really fancy seafood restaurant. As we were driving to the restaurant Mother Nature released another downpour; we were dressed head to toe in white (what can I say it was the 80’s), we had no umbrella, and could not find a parking spot any closer than two blocks away. We figured that we were not the only ones caught in the storm without an umbrella and decided to make a run for it. Needless to say we were drenched, literally dripping and looking like we were entering a wet t-shirt contest. We go in the restaurant anyway and as it turned out we must have been the only people to forget our umbrellas because everyone else was dry and dressed in their finest. Staring at us because we chose to sit down and eat anyway, with the waitstaff bringing us towels.

I miss watching the surfers ride their waves in march and april. On the Jersey Shore that is the best time for big waves and my step-sister and I used to dress in our warmest sweats and wrap ourselves up in cuddly blankets to go watch all the cute boys surf. I love the feeling of a cold beach and warm garments. I love the feeling of the cool humidity curling my hair.

Being caught in the rain at the ocean seems to be a trend for me. One year in Wildwood Mother Nature unleashed her fury yet again. My friend and I were on the other end of the boardwalk from where our house was, which was about 5 miles away. Wildwood has trolleys so we were hoping to catch one home; the rain came so fast that we were drenched and as we walked every trolley chose to pass us by. I guess because we looked like wet dogs. So we ended up walking the entire way, skipping through the puddles, singing, dancing and cold. I think it rained the whole week so we played and swam in the rain because we had no other choice. I think we did a lot of drinking too!

Now here I am living in Colorado, in one of the driest places on the planet. I stay because I love the people; my husband, son, and friends. But sometimes I feel like I am ready to burn up. There is a hole in my soul where the ocean used to be. I only spend a week a year there if I am lucky. Sometimes I go for a day or two when I visit my mom and I get so disappointed when I have to leave that sometimes I wish I did not go at all so that I did not have to feel that. There are some small things I can do in my life to be able to visit more, but my major goal in life is to find that one thing that will allow me to buy a place there. Ideally it would be a place where the weather is not gorgeous all the time; but a place where I can go when Mother Nature decides not to be nice.

Welcome to PNN!

This is your blog, and this text is in what is called an article box.  In fact everything on this page are in boxes like this one.  And, everything  can be moved, edited or deleted.

To move a box:
Put the cursor in the blue menu bar at the top of the box, click and  hold the mouse button, and drag it.  Let go of the mouse button to drop it where ever you want.

To edit something:
Click the 'edit' link in the blue menu bar.  Edit the content, click 'save' and you're done.

To delete a box:
 Click on 'delete' or the big red 'X' icon.

To change how the page looks:
If you look on the left you'll see a vertical tool bar.  Click on 'Page Design' to change the style or layout.

Change your personal preferences:
Click on the 'Profile' button.