Spiritual-Path.com - Aromatherapy. A guide to the alternative health field of aromatherapy, covering it's history, usage and the various essentials oils and their uses

Aromatherapy

In Ancient times the etheric qualities of essential oils were widely employed by priests and priestesses of virtually all religions. Being so subtle and immaterial, scent was regarded as divine. Amongst other things, fragrant oils were used to attract spirits, gods and goddesses, to banish evil energies and to purify the temples. Devotees and worshippers anointed themselves to offer sweet aromas to the gods and to facilitate divine communion through the subtle energy of these sacred scents.

Recently, the study of the physical and emotional effects of aromatics has become a specialised aspect of herbalism, now widely known as aromatherapy. Aromatherapists employ both the phytochemical properties of essential oils (e.g. anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory etc.) which render them effective remedies, as well as utilising their more etheric qualities as therapeutics for the mind and spirit. Aromatherapy can therefore be regarded as a truly holistic treatment for the body-mind and the spirit.

Using essential oils to alleviate both physical and emotional symptoms is one of the most popular of all the complementary therapies. Aromatherapy utilises plant oils extracted by a process of distillation. Today, over 300 oils are used by professional practitioners.

Although touch, in the form of massage, is the main tool of the aromatherapist, there are many other ways of delivering essential oils to the nervous and circulatory systems of the body and olfactory centre of the brain. Oils can be added to a bath or footbath, inhaled from a bowl of hot water, applied in lotions or compresses, used in a mouthwash vaporised on an oil burner, and, very occasionally, applied directly to the skin or taken orally, although this is not advocated by all aromatherapists.

Sense of smell is also very important in aromatherapy and is reflected in the name. Although smell seems to be generally considered as the least important of our senses, odours, both good and bad, can affect mood and behaviour and can be tailored to have very positive affects on emotional and physical health.

Research to validate aromatherapy is still incomplete, but aromatherapists say that esters, aldehydes and other chemicals the oils contain can have a powerful affect on our emotional state, relaxing us, energising us or relieving stress, anxiety or depression. Essentials oils may also relieve physical complaints. For example, lavender essential oil has been found to have analgesic properties and can be used to treat headaches, and tea tree oil is a proven anti-viral, making it useful for cold sores and warts.

Below is a list of aromatherapy essentials oils and their uses. A selection of the most popular aromatherapy kits and candles can be found on our Aromatherapy Kits page:

Aromatherapy Essential Oils and their Uses

Aromatherapy Essential Oil	Guiding Planet	Uses and Effects
Amyris	Jupiter	Inner peace, centring, meditation, compassion, relaxation, perfumery.
Anise, Star	Jupiter	Consecration, protection against negative powers, involving beneficial spirits, purification.
Aniseed	Moon	Happiness, protection against disturbing dreams, "Anise is most helpful in treating those who feel most unfulfilled and are of the conviction that romance would cure the trouble". Use with caution.
Basil	Mars	Aura cleansing, purification, ceremonial cleansing of sacred space, helps to attract spirit beings, courage, inner strength. Relaxing and revitalising, Basil is revered as a sacred herb all over the world. In the Hindu religion it is sacred to both Vishnu and Krishna. Use with caution. Avoid during pregnancy.
Bay	Sun	Associated with the Delphic Oracle, sacred to Apollo and Daphne. Prophetic dreams, spiritual cleansing, purification, increases psychic sensitivity, empowerment, symbolically signifies honour. Bay has narcotic properties and should be used with caution. Avoid during pregnancy.
Bergamot	Sun	Used to elevate the spirit, clarify the mind, assist confidence and inner strength, to help overcome disempowerment, victim consciousness, despondency, assist connecting to higher self and inner purpose, relaxing and revitalising. Photosensitising; only use Bergapten free oil on skin that is exposed to sunlight after use.
Benzoin	Venus/Mercury	Wisdom, understanding, letting go of painful emotions, detachment, recognition, of the principles of love as a balance of give and take. Relaxing, soothing. Use with caution.
Cajeput	Moon	Purification, cleansing, protection, to help dispel negative thoughts and energies and to break habits and compulsions, allies metal clarity. Use with caution.
Camphor	Moon	Purification, to help dispel negative energies, protection, mental clarity, crystal cleansing, health, used as an aphrodisiac, to cool excessive passion. Use with caution.
Carnation Absolute	Sun/Mars	Protection, healing, courage, strength.
Cardamom	Venus/Jupiter	Associated with love, an ingredient of many aphrodisiac potions, may assist bringing clarity to a situation where selfishness destroys love, or the mind is confused and the heart torn between two lovers. Relaxing. Use with caution.
Carrot Seed	Mercury/Mars	Associated with love magic and aphrodisiac potions. Also used for revitalising mature skin.
Cedarwood Atlas	Sun	Purification, to assist alignment with one's purpose, focus, clarity of intent, consecration of magical tools and sacred spaces, centring, to help letting go of mental and emotional anguish and to gain a sense of inner composition. Avoid during pregnancy.
Cedarwood Virginian	Sun	Used for protection and purification of magical spaces, aura cleansing, to dispel negative energies, exorcism and banishing rites, to open spiritual channels, very potent. Use with caution. Avoid during pregnancy.
Chamomile Roman	Sun	To help bring inner peace, letting go of fear and worry, acceptance, gain confidence based on inner attunement, compassion.
Chamomile Blue	Sun	Can be used instead of Roman Chamomile for added potency used to gain wisdom, compassion and healing rituals, can help to break compulsive mental worry patterns, grounding.
Cinnamon	Sun/Mercury	Used to stimulate mental powers, focus of intent and concentration, to open channels of communication on spiritual as well as physical planes, to open heart chakra, used in love potions, to clear energy blockages connected to issues of giving and receiving and thus may stimulate flow of money. In Egypt it was used for preserving Mummies. Use with caution. Avoid during pregnancy.
Citronella	Sun	Used to refresh a weary mind, uplift the spirit, hope, purification, letting go of heavy and dark thought-forms, dispel negative energies. Insect repellent.
Clary Sage	Jupiter	Help to release tension, purification, protection, chakra work, energy balancer, connection with higher self, to help gain spiritual perspective on mundane problems, wisdom, understanding. Use with caution. Avoid during pregnancy. o not use n conjunction with alcohol.
Clove	Mars/Jupiter	Used to revitalise and stimulate mental and physical energy, invoke courage, inner strength, protection, healing, stimulate kundalini energy, used in love potions and money magic. Use with caution.
Coriander	Moon	Used in love potions to act on the base and heart chakras and thus is suitable for wedding/hand-fasting rites, especially when the bond is intended to last beyond space and time. Compassion, protection, astral travel.
Cumin	Mars/Jupiter	Used to stimulate base chakra energy, often added to love potions, amulets for protection, good luck charms and prosperity.
Cypress	Saturn	Promote spiritual understanding, letting go of pain, overcoming separation and losses, rites of completion, death, purification. Avoid during pregnancy.
Elemi	Saturn	Rites of passage, transcendence, journey to the spirit realm, important ingredient in ancient Egyptian embalming lotions.

Eucalyptus	Moon/Mercury	Purification, healing rites, exorcism, banishing negative energies.
Fennel, Sweet	Mercury	Protection, consecration, purification, longevity, courage, focus, transformation, meditation, understanding, concentration, fertility. Use with caution. Not recommended during first months of pregnancy.
Frankincense	Sun	Considered as food for the gods, used for purification, consecration, meditation, spiritual understanding, focus of intent, courage, protection, help overcome fear, negative feelings, loss, grief, compassion, pranayama.
Galbanum	Uranus/Saturn	Purification, protection, banishing negative energies, journeys to the spirit realm, used as an ingredient of embalming lotions in ancient Egypt.
Geranium	Venus	Protection, dispels, apprehension and negativity, balances inner male and female energies, detachment, flexibility.
Ginger	Moon/Mars	Used for self awareness, to stimulate energy, mental or magical work, courage, protection, success, stirs kundalini, love potions.
Grapefruit	Sun	To assist mental clarity, self-confidence, overcoming self-doubt, insecurities and negative emotions that keep one bonded to the pain of past experiences, to help deal with jealousy, envy, despondency and bitterness, releasing frustration.
Ho-wood	Mars	To help overcome inertia, and breaking patterns of holding on to dissatisfying situations especially when due to the fear of the unknown, to help face the here and now and build courage to change, escapist 'if only...' daydreams may be turned into reality.
Hyacinth Absolute	Venus/Saturn	Used for grounding, commitment, to start new projects, changing thought into action, facing sorrow, grief and death, letting go, breaking compulsive behaviour patterns, repression, fear of love.
Hyssop	Saturn	Purification, protection, spiritual/aura cleansing, consecration of sacred objects and spaces, banishing of negative energies and angst. Avoid during pregnancy or if suffering from epilepsy or high blood pressure.
Jasmine Absolute	Venus/Moon	Used to increase inner strength, reawaken lost interest, to attract love, stimulate kundalini energy. Jasmine is thought to resonate on both physical and spiritual levels and is thus used in tantric rituals, for mental and emotional peace, astral travel, to lift the spirit, dispel heavy emotions, birthing rites. Avoid during first 4 months of pregnancy.
Juniper	Sun	Purification, protection, to dispel negative energies and entities, healing rituals, psychic cleansing, crystal cleansing, aids concentration, focus of intent, centring, skin toner, relaxing. Use with caution. Avoid during pregnancy.
Lavender	Mercury	Used for inner peace, purification, meditation, protection against emotional/physical violence, health, spiritual love, understanding, mental clarity, to lift the spirit, centring and grounding, love commitments, hand-fasting/marriage, birthing rites, new beginnings. This is probably the most widely used essential oil in aromatherapy and is employed in a vast array of conditions.
Lavender, Spike	Mercury	Uses are the same as for true lavender.
Lemon	Sun	Used to increase clarity of mind, to refresh the spirit, energising, purification, healing rituals, break apathy and inertia, compassion, love.
Lemongrass	Sun	Purification, to clear psychic channels, break apathy and boredom, energising, to overcome self-pity and exaggerated self-centredness. Insect repellent. Use with caution.
Lemon Verbena	Sun/Venus	Purification, cleansing of ritual tools, spiritual love, dream work. Use with caution.
Linden Blossom Absolute	Venus	Used for spiritual, transcendental love bonds, compassion, to open heart and mind in communications where differences needs to be settled, understanding, sincerity, integrity, higher self awareness.
Lime	Sun	Used for revitalising the mind and spirit, protection, energises intent of action, purification, cutting through blurred vision and fuzziness, to help gain clarity and decisiveness. Use with caution.
Mandarin	Sun	For letting go of negative emotions, soothing emotional wounds to help gain a sense of self-acceptance, to diffuse self-hate, to elevate the spirit, to open the heart chakra, promote inner peace and happiness.
Marjoram, Sweet	Venus	Sacred to Venus, used to increase compassion, to open the heart chakra, overcome irrational fear and paranoia, to help gain perspective, grounding, used as a funeral herb to promote an easy transition and blissful existence in the spirit realm, protection against thunder and lightning. Avoid during pregnancy.
Melissa, True	Jupiter	Used to lift the spirit and gladden the heart, to dispel fears and worries, protection, for inner peace and purification, cleansing ritual objects and to promote prosperity consciousness.
Mimosa Absolute	Saturn	Protection, purification, prophetic dreams, love, healing.
Myrtle	Venus	Attract love and peace, promote prosperity, fertility, happiness, rejuvenation.
Myrrh	Saturn	Traditionally considered to be one of the most holy plants used for purification, dispelling of negative and harmful energies, protection, psychic sensitivity, protection on journeys to the spirit realm, rites of passage, spiritual understanding, letting go or transcending pain, grief and sorrow, grounding, an essential ingredient of Egyptian embalming lotions. Use with caution. Avoid during pregnancy.

Narcissus Absolute	Venus	Spiritual love, trance work, prophetic dreams, inspiration, transcendence, new beginnings, rites of passage, journeys to the spirit realm. Use with caution.
Neroli	Sun	Used for centring, focus of intent, to clear mental confusion, to open the heart chakra, dispels fear and worries, attracts positive energies, happiness, soothes restlessness, hysteria and shock.
Niaouli	Mercury	Purification, protection, release of negative energies that 'clog up' the physical and mental bodies, aura cleansing.
Oakmoss Resinoid	Jupiter	Grounding, consolidating one's intent, protection, affirmation, faith, prosperity.
Orange	Sun	Used to refresh the mind and uplift the spirit, energise, rejuvenation, letting go of heavy thought forms, opening the heart and mind for love joy and happiness.
Palmarosa	Venus	Protection, love, healing, focus of intent.
Patchouli	Saturn/Pluto	Used as a potent aphrodisiac, to enhance sensuality, awaken kundalini energy, grounding, assist manifestation.
Pepper, Black	Mars	Protection, energy, drive, to help overcome inertia and lethargy, stimulate sex drive, strength, courage and endurance. Use with caution.
Peppermint	Mercury/Venus	Purification, mental clarity, dispel negative thought forms and energies, cleansing sacred space and ritual objects, to increase psychic sensitivity. Caution: Not recommended during first 4 months of pregnancy.
Petitgrain	Sun	Used for easing mental anguish, to help release emotional tension, grounding, to soothe emotional wounding and help let go of pain. Caution: Not recommended during first 4 months of pregnancy.
Pimento Berry	Mars	To break inertia and any kind of subtle energy blockage, to energise, promote prosperity consciousness, healing rituals, protection, courage. Use with caution.
Pine	Saturn	Purification, cleansing of sacred space and ritual objects, dispel negative energy, crystal cleansing, protection, fertility, birth, inner strength, understanding, healing rituals, prosperity consciousness, manifestation.
Rose Otto	Venus	For love, inner peace and compassion, to open heart chakra, happiness, prophetic dreams, to help overcome dependency and attachment, letting go of the past, dispel fear, sadness, grief and regrets. Caution: Not recommended during first 4 months of pregnancy.
Rose Absolute	Venus	Uses are the same as Rose Otto. Caution: Not recommended during first 4 months of pregnancy.
Rosemary	Sun	Used for inner strength, self-confidence, mental clarity, focus of intent, to break apathy and inertia, protection, purification, cleansing of sacred space and ritual objects, spiritual awareness and understanding, for memory, to assist transition into the spirit realm, funeral rites, rites of passage. Caution: Not recommended during first 4 months of pregnancy or if suffering from high blood pressure.
Sage, Spanish	Jupiter	Used for aura cleansing, to dispel negative energies, purification, protection, spiritual understanding and wisdom, divination. Caution: Avoid during pregnancy or if suffering from high blood pressure.
Sandalwood	Jupiter	Extremely sacred in Eastern religions, spiritual awareness, inner peace, alignment with higher purpose, wisdom, dispel fears and negative energies, divination, meditation, understanding laws of manifestation, prosperity consciousness, healing rituals, passage into the spirit realm, transcendence, relaxing.
Spearmint	Venus	Healing rituals, purification, aura cleansing, crystal cleansing, protection against negative energies during dream work, mental clarity and focus. Avoid during pregnancy.
Spikenard	Mercury/Jupiter	Protection, purification, attract good luck and helpful spirits, as a charm to stay true to one's love, memory, learning, anointing oil.
Tea-Tree	Moon/Mercury	Used for aura cleansing, protection, purification, to open mental channels and mental clarity, unclog upper chakras. Wide application in aromatherapy.
Thyme, White	Venus	Emotional balance, to help align balance between give and take, promotes health, purification, protection, inner strength and emotional courage. Use with caution.
Tuberose Absolute	Venus	Sacred to the Maya who revere it as the origin of the gods, used for attracting visions, trance work, psychic sensitivity, love, compassion, to open heart chakras.
Valerian	Mercury	Protection against lightning, peace, passion, taming, purification, harmony in relationships, centring, grounding, favourite of feline familiars. Very relaxing. Use with caution.
Vanilla Absolute	Venus	Love, to stimulate base chakra, mental powers, stimulate energy.
Vetivert	Venus/Jupiter	Grounding, prosperity consciousness, understanding laws of manifestation, protection, attracting love.

Yarrow	Venus	Protection, courage, love friendship, psychic powers, to banish negative energies.
Ylang Ylang	Venus	Used to attract love, enhance sensuality, dispel fear and apprehension, negative projections, assist to gain a sense of self-worth and confidence, helps to centre one-self, let go of guilt and other negative emotions such as jealousy and anger which prevent one from moving forward.