I love all things aromatherapy. I love burning essential oils at home. But essential oils are also often used in magic and spell casting. Here is my current list of essential oils and their magical properties:
Bergamot – Communication, Employment & Love.
Cardamon – Relieves Anxiety, Promotes Peace & Death Rites.
Cedarwood – Spiritual Growth, Money & Healing.
Cedar – Wisdom, Strength & Protection.
Chamomile – Calmness, Money & Cleansing.
Cinnamon – Magical Booster, Success, Lust & Love.
Citronella – Cleansing, Relaxation & Aids Sleep (small amounts).
Cypress – Endurance, Healing & Protection.
Frankincense – Peace, Death Rites & Psychic Abilities.
Geranium – Sleep, Blessings & Spirit Work.
German Blue Chamomile – Healing, Peace & Balance.
Grapefruit – Healing, Optimism & Positivity
Jasmine – Relaxation, Peace & Love.
Lavender – Protection, Psychic Skills & Aids Connection to the Astral Plane.
Lemongrass – Dissolves Obstacles and Negative Energy, Raises Energy to a Positive level & Communication. (Interesting sidenote: Cats don’t like the smell of lemongrass, so it is perfect to put on furniture you don’t want them to use as a scratching post.)
This durable hardback has 256 glossy pages of full colour with plenty of photos. It has an A-Z of essential oils, for each oil covering:
An introduction
What it is good for?
Best Uses
Methods of use (i.e. bath oil, massage oil, compress, skin care, etc.)
The Plant
The Essential Oil (how the essential oil is made)
A photo of the plant or herb
Then the book goes on to sections on: Base Oils, Essential Oil Recipes and Healing Remedies.
The Essential Oil Recipes includes a really useful table of common conditions and which oils are good to work with around these conditions.
This book is backed by Neal’s Yard whom are famous for their shops selling essential oils.
The only thing that was missing out of the book for me was spiritual/magical uses of essential oils. But other than that I would (and have to all of my friends) highly recommend this book.
Reading Time: 2minutesI’ve been struggling with sleep recently. So one morning, feeling like a zombie, I searched for sleep on Amazon. I came across these:
Anyone that knows me, knows that I love essential oils and often have them burning at home.
In the Survival Kit you get:
De-Stress (10mls) is made-up of the following essential oils: orange peel, lavender, geranium and patchouli. The fresh smell of orange, along with one of my favorites patchouli makes this my absolute favourite out of all of the bottles I bought.
Sweet Dreams (10mls) is made-up of the following essential oils: lavender, sandalwood, bergamot, jasmine and ylang ylang. Unfortunately the smell of lavender overpowers the other scents, meaning that lavender is all you can really smell. This was disappointing as I love the scents sandalwood, jasmine and ylang ylang.
Energy (10mls) is made-up of the following essential oils: jojoba, bergamot, lime, orange peel, cypress, grapefruit, coriander and juniper. I loved this pleasant subtle yet addictive scent.
As well as the Survival Kit above I also saw this and bought them both:
Sleep Better (10mls) is made-up of the following essential oils: lavender, cedar, cypress, sandalwood, bergamot, jasmine and ylang ylang. Unfortunately the lavender overpowers the other scents, which is a huge shame.
All have rollerballs, with the packaging recommend you apply it on your temples, behind your ears and on the nape of your neck.
I wasn’t sure about the roller ball, but it’s great. You may need to tilt your head or the bottle to get the oil to apply. All I would say is that when it comes to applying the essential oils less is more.
Use the roller ball to apply the oil to your temples, behind your ears and nape of your neck. Then use your first two fingers to massage these points. Don’t use the roller ball to massage these as it will continue to apply oil.
The other great thing is that you can use these in an oil burner easily.
Reading Time: 7minutesWe all have non-essential items at home that hold great sentimental value to us. Here are 15 of mine:
15. Crystals
15. Crystals
I love crystals. This bowl of crystals (my friend Jayne bought me the bowl as a Yule/Christmas present) is just the tip of the iceberg.
My home is filled with various types of crystals (clear quartz, smoky quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, lapis lazuli, citrine, turquoise, loadstone and many others), in various forms (tumbled, natural, points, beds & raw).
Each crystal is unique, with its own energy and feel, which is what I love about them and why they hold such sentimental value.
14. Amethyst Tree
14. Amethyst Tree
This Amethyst Tree was one of the first ‘pagan’ things I bought, when I was sixteen years old. I had to save up for it for weeks. It’s only small and wasn’t expensive. But it holds great sentimental value.
It reminds me of my past. How much I’ve grown and continue to grow. In every aspect of my life.
13. Sun God Wall Plaque
13. Sun God Wall Plaque
I love this sun God wall plaque that I bought myself on my recent adventure to India. It celebrates the sun, which I worship in all senses of the word.
12. My Fabulous Gay Mirror
Two years ago, before Simon and I went away to Wales (see Mid-Wales Part 2: Aberdovey Beach & King Arthur’s Labyrinth) I bought a lottery ticket. Then we went away. While away I bought this fabulous gay mirror. I was reluctant to buy it because I didn’t have much money. But the lottery ticket turned out to be a winner and covered most of the cost of the mirror.
I like the mirror just as much as I did on the day that I bought it. I love the bright colours, the shape and it’s weight. It is hung on the wall in my bedroom. The mirror also reminds me of the good memories Simon and I created on our trip to Wales.
11. Pentacle/Pentagram Wall Plaques
11. Pentacle/Pentagram Wall Plaques
Pentacles and Pentagrams are symbols of protection. I bought the bronze pentacle for myself, as a moving in present, when I bought and moved into my apartment 7 years ago (see The Move). It is hung above the door to my master bedroom.
The wooden pentagram was bought for me by the Watts family, at a gay pride stall of all places. The Watts family and I have mutually adopted one another. It is my priviliage to be considered part of the Watts family. The pentagram is hung above my front door in my hallway.
10. This Handmade Box
10. This Handmade Box
My friend Simon bought me this handmade and unique box for my 21st birthday. It is beautiful. I keep an array of essential and magical oils in it.
Simon and I have a close relationship and share a wide range of interests. He always buys tremendous gifts and presents, many of which could have made it on to this list. Each gift or present is chosen or made with great care.
Like this box, my friendship with Simon is handmade, unique and beautiful.
9. This Glass Tealight Candle Holder.
9. This Tealight Candle Holder
This handmade glass tealight candle holder was bought for me as a Christmas present by younger brother Alex, prior to his death. So for obvious reasons it holds huge sentimental value.
8. Apollo Statue.
8. Apollo Statue
Every time my friend Kay goes on holiday, she brings me back a wonderful souvenir. I love the god Apollo, so one year when she was going to Italy, I asked her to bring me back a statue of Apollo. She brought me this statue back. It is among my prized possessions.
Kay has brought me many lovely things back over the years. Each of them has found a place in my home. Each makes me smile and think of Kay every time I see them.
Kay is a amazing friend and one that I am very lucky to have.
7. My Altar – here is a photo of my Altar, which has a various items for various reasons.
7. My Altar
My altar is ever-changing. It changes with the passing of the seasons and according to pagan festivals. I’ve had altars on and off over the years, usually depending on physical space.
Although having an altar isn’t essential, it reminds me that I am a Witch and to practice meditation, spells and other spiritual endeavours.
6. An Illustration of Me – drawn by my good friend Sye Watts.
6. An Illustration of Me
For Christmas in 2011, my friend Sye, who is a superb Illustrator, drew this illustration of me. It is framed and hangs on the wall in my hallway.
It makes me smile every time I see it. It always reminds me of what a wonderful friend I have in Sye.
5. My Childhood Teddy Monkey.
5. My Childhood Teddy Monkey
This is Monkey, my childhood teddy, bought for me by my Auntie Sue. Monkey has velcro hands and as a child he came everywhere with me. Once my mum even had to rescue Monkey from under a bus.
These days Monkey lives quite happily on my bookshelf.
4. This Willow Tree Brothers Figurine – given to me by my long lost brother.
4. This Willow Tree Brothers Figurine
My brother Shaun bought me this Willow Tree Brothers Figurine for Christmas one year. Shaun is my Long Lost Brother. He’s my older brother and despite not growing up together, we’re really close. Shaun is supportive, loyal, makes me laugh and always has a story to tell. I’m so glad that we met.
I just wish we had met sooner, so that my younger brother Alex and Shaun could have had more time together.
3. This Photograph – a rare photo of two of my brothers and myself.
3. Photograph
This photograph. It’s a photo of two of my brothers and myself. It was a photo taken on a family meal for my 21st birthday. Alex, my younger brother (on the very left of the photo), died a few years after this photo was taken (see My Darling Baby Brother). It’s been 5 years since Alex died and I am so glad I have this photo of us brothers together.
2. iMac – my writing tool.
2. iMac
I bought my iMac in January 2012 (see iMac Part 1 & iMac Part 2). It is so many things to me: a tool for writing and for sharing my writing through my blog & creative writing page; a visual collection of memories via my photos; an entertainment station playing music, films, DVDs, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube; a tool to communicate through Facebook, Twitter, email, forums, Skype, FaceTime; and a tool to learn through the Internet.
It is one of the best things that I’ve ever bought myself.
1. Books (image is part of my top shelf where all my favourite books are kept).
1. Books
The photo (left) is a photo of some of my favourite books. Books that I have read again and again. For me books inspire creativity, educate and inform, but mostly: ignite my imagination.
