Photo credit: Celeste Horrocks on Unsplash
I confess to being lunar cycle devotee and an astrological dabbler.
Each zodiac month has a flavour, an energy if you will, which is unique to its place in the season and the calendar. We are now well into Virgo season (23 August - 22 September); a mutable, practical earth sign ruled by the quicksilver communicator Mercury; Virgo is renowned for its logic, industry, diligence, eye for detail and being the ruler of 6th house governs our day-to-day routines, systems, organisation, our health and wellbeing.
We are in that transition phase of casting a wistful backward gaze to the hazy days of Summer holidays and looking ahead to the seasonal shift into Autumn, with September heralding a back to school vibe and that ‘fresh start’ energy !
Virgo impels us to get organized, make a plan, let go of clutter - physically and metaphorically, release out-dated routines and practically apply ourselves .
So, in the spirit of the maiden goddess and master organiser, I thought I would share with you my practice of choosing essential oils to support me through each zodiac month.
On a physical level, in astrology Virgo rules the intestines, abdomen and our digestive process. An area which is affected by stress, anxiety and overwork (among other things), Virgo season prompts us to look at ‘getting rid of waste’; to sort and process what you need and let go of what no longer serves you, be that outmoded thoughts and beliefs, physical clutter, food choices etc.
I have chosen four essential oils which perfectly fit and support me during Virgo season; gently supporting the energies of the month and helping on a physical and emotional level. I love these oils for their clarifying, balancing and revitalising actions, and a win-win is the whole plant can be included in your diet too! I use them in a variety of ways; diffusing, direct inhalation, in baths, meditation, as massage blends and in floor washes / cleaning recipes for my physical space.
So, come with me to my aromatic cabinet of delights and I’ll introduce you to my botanical companions.
Lemon - Citrus limon
Image credit: Cristina Anne Costello on Unsplash
You cannot go wrong with a Citrus! This sunny, piquant citrus oil has a reticent, sheer sparkling quality; its airy lemon-y aroma is ideal for purifying and cleansing on a physical and emotional level. It clears stagnant energy and is ideal to use in cleaning personal space and diffusing in the home / workspace.
In colour therapy, Yellow is linked to intellect, so this is a lovely oil to use when studying, reading dense material or simply to help retain facts. Lemon essential oil is fresh, subtle and transparent in its presence; it does not overwhelm. It is refreshing, mood-uplifting and aids clarity of thought, so would be helpful for overthinking, or getting stuck in repetitive thoughts. Use on its own in a diffuser or blend with peppermint for added energy and clarity of thought.
Energetically, Lemon is great to use when establishing new habits or endeavours, be they new wellbeing routines - diet, exercise, sleep, relaxation or starting a hobby, work project or having a major declutter of the closet.
For anxiety and stress-related digestive issues, add 2 drops of Lemon essential oil to 5ml of carrier oil (can be cold pressed olive, sweet almond, jojoba oil etc) and apply in soothing circular strokes to abdomen.
Use lemon (the fruit, NOT the essential oil) in your cooking
Add a slice of lemon to hot water in the morning to stimulate your digestion (grated ginger and honey optional!)
Peppermint - Mentha piperata
Imaged credit: Josefin on Unsplash
A Mercury-ruled herb, Peppermint, is energising, cooling and uplifting. The essential oil’s minty-green, piercing quality has a cephalic effect; it opens up and clarifies the mind so is excellent for dispelling mental fog, indecision, aiding clarity and assisting cool thinking. Diffuse while studying, decision-making or decluttering; I use it in my ‘Marie Kondo’ blend when I have to make tough ‘keep/sell/recycle/charity bin’ decisions :-).
Add 1 drop on a cotton pad, tissue or piece of blotting paper to sniff when experiencing low energy or muddled thoughts; great before a meeting, presentation or interview to sharpen your wits!
The cooling, menthol note gives a lovely airy, expansive sensation, it makes a nice adjunct to breathing exercises to balance the nervous system and calm a busy, overactive mind.
Peppermint essential oil is a useful anti-spasmodic - relieving tension and stiffness. So, it’s ideal to combat headaches, shoulder, neck stiffness caused perhaps by excess workload, worry, perfectionist tendencies and the curse of ‘busyness’. For a physical application, as an on-the-spot tension reliever, I like to make up a rollerball. Add 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil to 9ml of neutral carrier oil, (such as grapeseed, sweet almond, jojoba), stir and pour into a 10ml rollerball bottle, label and carry with you. Ideal to use on temples or back of the neck to relieve tension, fatigue and irritability. Use up within 6 months.
Use the fresh plant! I like to make a pot of fresh mint tea, it makes an excellent digestif before or after eating, or add a strong mint infusion to a foot bath for grounding and dispersing nervous energy.
Lavender - Lavendula angustifolia
Image credit: Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Lavender, ubiquitous in its balancing and relaxing effect on the psyche, another herb ruled by Mercury - ideal for Geminis and Virgos who tend to get caught up in anxiety, overthinking and cerebral dilemmas. Lavender is a wonderful harmonising and soothing oil to aid balance in life and work.
This historically rich plant possesses soothing sedative properties, but is also gently revitalising; a panacea for the modern ills of a digitally-dependent life! Lavender offers quiet support when overwhelmed, anxious, frustrated and when feeling ‘tired but wired’.
It’s familiar fresh, herbaceous, aroma with hints of floral are relaxing and transporting; ideal to use in meditation or in creative visualisation practices. Encouraging inner peace, tranquility and releasing of blocks - all homes should possess a bottle!
It can be used alone or blended with any of the other oils, with peppermint to relieve headache, mental and physical tension, or lemon to remain calm under pressure and get into flow with a project or task.
Personally, I am not a fan of pillow sprays to help with sleep, so I make a simple foot massage oil and massage into my feet before bed, which helps diffuse overthinking and prepares me for a restorative sleep. Alternatively, a Lavender infused-epsom salt bath - mental and physical bliss!
If you fancy yourself a culinary whizz, or wish to start developing your kitchen skills, why not explore Lavender recipes? It combines extremely well with coriander seeds for an intriguing meat rub, be light of hand and ensure you use culinary lavender buds. I make up a small jar and muddle together 1 part lavender to 2 parts coriander seeds.
Fennel - Foeniculum vulgare
Image credit: Fennel flower heads - wikipedia
Another Mercury ruled herb! Aromatic fennel has a warming, stimulating quality, so on all levels can help us to release ‘stuck’ patterns, physical and psychological, thereby helping us to let go and welcome in space and change.
The whole plant offers a great variety of uses. Fennel seeds can be added to cooking or made into a tea (with a little dollop of honey), the bulb can be eaten raw or roasted for fragrant dishes to warm and nourish and the fronds are decorative additions to cleansing salads. It is an excellent digestive, the essential oil has antispasmodic properties, so is useful in stress-related stomach issues. Use as an abdominal rub to aid digestive flow, ease cramps and to help with stuck creativity, or to shift blocks relating to making choices.
Energetically, Fennel is wonderful to incorporate into your routine when feeling stagnant and wanting to shift gears, to tread a new path and make a decision; it aids clarity and focus. It heightens intuition and supports creative action to develop new habits/ideas and a resilient mindset. It imbues courage and helps dispel self-doubt and negative thought patterns.
The aroma and flavours veer from anisic/earthy to mild, sweet liquorice, depending on which plant part you are using and how. Fennel essential oil is aromatic, sweet, somewhat spicy with an anise-licorice like note. Admittedly, the aroma can be an acquired taste! I tend to blend the oil, either in a diffuser blend or massage blend. It partners well with the other oils, Peppermint and Lemon.
For a mindful moment, brew a fennel tea using the seeds. You can adjust the taste by combining with chamomile flowers, or peppermint leaves and once brewed add a slice of lemon and/or honey. Inhale, sip and relax into some ‘tea therapy’.
I hope you have found this useful and you discover new ways to incorporate essential oils and plants into your routine for a little bit of aromatic self-care!
See you next month for luscious Libra!
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I tend to purchase my essential oils from the following companies, I love their consistency and quality and they offer smaller sizes, which is really helpful when choosing new oils to sample.
www.materiaaromatica.com I pick their High Altitude Lavender, it truly sings!