More on grief

It seems we are on a roll.

Sunday I met with a young woman whose partner had disappeared in mid February.  Earlier this month the police found her body.  Suicide? Accident? We don't know and will never know.

Her friend is truly traumatized.  Not only the loss of her partner, under tragic and traumatic circumstances, but she is facing having to move out of their home, and just a long list of other difficult changes.   So I invited her to come to the shop and play scratch and sniff... because perhaps some of the oils might help.  And although she knows nothing about the oils,  she is desperate for tools that can help her through all this, so she came.

First I offered her our Emotional Trauma blend.  "Where do you feel this."..  and she gestured to her heart.. her heart chakra.  "It feels warm"... good, this is a yes.  And we have inhalers.  That works.  Now, what else.

And I offered a scent strip with our Solace Blend.  No.  It smelled good, but she couldn't feel it, it didn't touch her.  Okay.   Black Sacra Frankincense.  Same thing. She thought the aroma was interesting. "Is it a Citrus? it has a touch of lemon to it."  Good nose! Frankincense and incense are not part of her background so she didn't recognize that, but she picked out the limonene, the trace of lemon present in many Frankincense oils. But no, the oil isn't for her.

But I want to use Frankincense in a grief blend.. I am sure we need this... Frankincense CO2? Boswellia carterii, CO2 extracted to give us the incensole acetate? Perhaps. Yes.. "this feels really calming."  Okay.. that's  a possible.

Wild Rhododendron, in the mountains.

And I took scent strips with some of the carterii CO2,  and some Rhododendron (thanks to Sara Holmes reminder that it is good for grief and anxiety blends!)...  and a whisper of Spikenard.   and.. she didn't much care for the scent (Spikenard IS an acquired taste!)..but it felt good.  And I added a  smidge Rose Damascena 5%...

"It feels like home.  This is what I need."

So we blended in a small bottle.. PERHAPS 3 parts of the Boswellia carterii.  Perhaps 4 or 5 parts of the Rosa Damascena CO2 5%, and 4 or 5 parts of Rhododendron.   and one or two parts (drops) of the Spikenard...just enough to anchor the softer lighter oils  More Rhododendron because it is so light and airy, it takes more to hold it's own and not be overwhelmed.    Before we added more Fractionated Coconut we dipped an inhaler core in the blend til it was saturated about 2/3 of its length, (yes, you can QUICKLY make an inhaler by dipping the cotton core into a bottle of essential oil, did you know that?)  and we topped the bottle off with more Fractionated Coconut oil, for skinsafe dilution.

My friend labeled her new products, "Home Blend"   so she'd know.  And I'm sharing this so I won't forget.  (And, yes, she gave me permission to share about this, because someone else might find the blend helpful.)

We have to remember, while we are busy dealing with physical ailments and aches and pains, that perhaps the most powerful and effective uses of some of these beautiful oils is their ability to facilitate emotional and spiritual healing.   

I'd like to thank Sara Holmes of Botanical Healing Arts,  author of A Fragrant Memory, for sharing her wisdom so generously.