Imbolc Arrives with Scents for Spring
Moments in the Flow—An Aromatic Uplift for a New Season
Hello again,
If you follow the Celtic Calendar as I do, you won’t be surprised if I say that Spring arrives at the cross-quarter festival of Imbolc/Candlemas/Gwyl Fair (Irish/Christian/Welsh). The green shoots from bulbs are appearing, along with early flowers and buds on flowering trees. We’ll be surrounded by the delicate spring-green leaves and blossoms on some trees well before we reach the Vernal Equinox.
About the Festival
The Irish/Gaelic word Imbolc recognizes the time the ewes give birth and create the milk for their lambs. Candlemas refers to the Mass of the Candle Blessings. It comes down from the old faith and the use of candles to honor the turning of the solar cycle that brings noticeably increasing light hours. We don’t have the information on the Welsh Druid words for this time, but current Welsh recognizes the arrival of ‘the beautiful time’ as plant life reawakens.
The Festival is celebrated on February 2nd (calendar style). It is also celebrated at the Gate of Aquarius, at the midpoint between the Midwinter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. That midpoint is 15 degrees of Aquarius and it arrives this year between February 3-4. Others may choose the Leo Full Moon, this year on February 1st.
In my post, The Voice of Spring, there is more information about the Irish Mother Goddess, Brigid, who is honored at Imbolc. It also discusses the domains of this Goddess, with a focus on the inspiration for the Bards and Poetry. As an offshoot of Brigid’s domain of Healing we can speak now about the beneficial effects of the plant kingdom in the form of Aroma.
The Welsh Goddess of the Cauldron is Ceridwen and through the similarites to Brigid, she can be a Goddess of this time, too, You can find my post with a lot more about Ceridwen and if you follow on to read the next two posts in that series you will find Gwion and the Goddess, a retelling of a famous myth from the medieval Mabinogion where Ceridwen plays a major role.
Shifting Scents for Shifting Moods
In the Upstate South Carolina Piedmont, we have had an unusually long cycle of freezing and just above freezing temperatures. This included an ice storm that affected many areas. I’d never experienced one before and feel lucky and grateful that we kept our power here.
Despite the cold, the bulbs are pushing up their green leaves, daffodils have been spotted and my camellia buds are waiting for a break so they can bloom. We are expecting another polar vortex blast this week, but the angle and length of sunlight inspires a ‘ready to go out and enjoy nature’ mode. We are ready for some new aromas to accompany this reawakening, too.
In the plant and tree world, the winter time of the Pine and Fir is over. In the Ogham tradition there is a Tree with attributes that relate to different parts of the yearly cycle. We can view these on a beautiful tree calendar created by Yuri Leitch. Find it on his Facebook Page and view his YouTube is about Brigid and the Rowan Tree. Rowan is the second tree of the year. He also mentions how to get earlier talks where there is more information on Brigid and the Rowan tree itself.
The Ogham is a newly developed aspect in the neo-Druid practice, but I feel that this honoring of Trees and their connection to seasons relates to our ancestral knowledge. Aromatherapy also shows this in a seasonal practice that uses plants and essential oils to support us through that time.
In winter, the conifer and evergreen essential oils were calling, and we reached for the warming spice aromas and the sunny quality of sweet orange to lift our spirits during the dark days. But now we will turn to other aromas that relate to the energy arising in Spring.
Please Note: For the purpose of this article, I am focused on the Subtle effects of essential oils on our mental, emotional, and spiritual levels and recommending the diffusion method only. These essential oils suggestions are not intended to be medical treatments or a substitute for medical or psychological treatment.
Suggested Scents for Spring Blends
The focus for Imbolc/spring is on cleansing, encouraging, stimulating, and early floral scents.
Tree Scent
· Atlas Cedar—Cedrus atlantica This oil is obtained from the steam distillation of the wood, stumps, sawdust. Most comes from Morocco and Algeria.
· Subtle properties: energetic profile: fortifying and strengthening. It is a grounding base note that helps hold the other oils in a blend while it provides strength, confidence and feelings of security that help us cope with stressful life situations. It creates a steady, confident morale boost.
‘Herbal’ Scents
· Juniper Berry--Juniperus communis This essential is distilled from the partly dried berries.
· Juniper Berry is well known for its diuretic properties and as a lymphatic decongestant. Juniper has a warming, stimulating energy and there is a clarifying and balancing effect on the mind and emotions. It encourages activity and exploring new ideas and experiences. Juniper has an association with purification and was used for spiritual purification in ancient times. The Juniper leaves are still used in Native American Sweat Lodge to clear negative energy.
· This property of purification works well in a diffusion blend for the home as it resonates with the famous ‘Spring Cleaning’ associated with this time.
· There are some things to note: a little goes a long way and there are contraindications for use during pregnancy or with kidney disease. It is not clear if this is true for diffusion, but be on the safe side.
· Cypress—Cupressus sempervirens This essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves and twigs.
· Cypress was well known to the Egyptians, and the tree was dedicated to Pluto/Hades by the ancient Greeks. In modern Aromatherapy it is recognized as a primary decongestant for the veins. Helping to stimulate the blood flow, and stimulate the chi, Cypress relates well to spring as we reawaken from more sitting to more movement.
· In Subtle aromatherapy, it is helpful for use during times of changes (including bereavement, relationship endings, but also seasonal shifts) and brings serenity and harmony. It is also helpful when looking for answers to problems (or information for starting new projects).
· Rosemary—Rosmarinus officinalis or Salvia officinale This essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves and twigs. There are three variations: camphor (Spain) 1,8 cineole (Tunisia) and verbenone (France). The camphor type is best known for general stimulation. This quality, associated with the nervous system gives it a stimulating effect on memory. But it can also be clearing for the mind and invigorating in general.
· The Subtle attributes are youthfulness, mental clarity and determination. This also relates well to the ‘newness’ of Spring and increased activity.
Spice Scent
There may be other spice scents that appeal at this time, like cardamom and cinnamon for uplifting those with lingering ‘winter blues.’ But here I profile one that also aids in stimulation.
· Ginger—Zingiber offincinale This essential oil is distilled from the dried, unpeeled, ground rhizomes. Ginger is another stimulant for circulation that may be needed after less activity. As a spice, assistance with digestion is well known.
· The Subtle attributes are boosting personal drive and optimism to act on plans and intentions. It brings determination and clarity which is helpful with spring cleaning and beginning new projects.
Citrus Scents
Blends for all seasons can be created with citrus notes. I list two that are being harvested now.
· Orange--Citrus sinensis This essential oil is cold pressed from the rind of the fruit. Among the many helpful attributes of the orange, the energetic profile finds it helps circulate the chi.
· The Subtle properties are bringing cheer, courage, optimism and self-confidence. A sweet and refreshing note for blends, all appropriate for the new season of spring.
· Grapefruit—Citrus paradisi This essential oil is obtained through cold pressing of the rind.
· Subtle properties blend well with the others in the list with an energetic profile that finds this oil is clearing, cleansing, and cooling. It is found to assist in times of difficult situations as it brings comfort, stimulates self-esteem, creates euphoria, and self-worth.
Early Flowers of Spring
· Hyacinth--Hyacinthus orientalis This fragrance is extracted from the purple hyacinth petals. It is more accurately called an absolute oil as it is extracted through a chemical solvent interaction and then treated to remove the solvent.
· Subtle properties begin with the pleasure of its beautiful, strong aroma that relieves stress and anxiety. It is one of the first flowers to emerge in early spring, which makes it relate perfectly with the season. And it is a flower aroma strong enough to blend with some of the herbs and spices already listed.
· Linden Blossom—Tilia vulgaris/Tilia cordata This can be found as an absolute or CO2 extract.
· For those who live in areas where Linden Trees grow, the aroma of this blossom may be associated with spring and the ‘spring fever’ that creates a slight euphoria.
· The Subtle property of Linden Blossom is just that gently euphoric feeling that relieves stress and anxiety. It can relax the mind and promote sleep. This Flower also relates to the season itself.
Creating A Spring Blend
Your nose can tell you which oils you want to use. A quick inhalation will yield a quick yes or no response. A maybe is a no. Don’t keep inhaling for an answer. Instead, try that one again after you’ve added others. The yes or no should be obvious now.
To make a quantity of the blend that will serve for more than one use, get a small glass dropper bottle, 5 mls in size. I would suggest starting with the Cedar (or other base note*) and adding aromas on top of that. The herb scent might come next, smell the one you choose with the base note and decide how much or if you want to use that or choose another. Choose a citrus and smell that with the blend. Decide how much to use and add it to the bottle. Shake the combination well, let it sit covered for a moment or two. Open and inhale. Does it want the spice now? Does it want a flower? Add or increase aromas till you are happy with the scent. That’s a good indication that it’s giving you the qualities you require.
Blending for Diffusion
The easiest way to diffuse these days is with an electronic diffusor that uses water and has a timer. You can add drops of each oil on its own (one is sometimes enough with this method) or as mentioned above, you can get a small 5 ml glass dropper insert bottle and create a blend with more drops of essences, using less of the stronger notes. Then you can use the bottle to put a few drops of the blend into the water.
DO NOT use bottles with a rubber dropper top because essential oils will eventually break down the rubber which will run into and ruin the blend of essences.
Timing: An hour of electronic diffusion is enough to saturate the environment with the fragrance and leave two or more hours between diffusion, so you don’t overload the air with the blend.
The gas state of the essential oils will be present even after you stop noticing the aroma. You can test that by going outside, breathing a bit of fresh air, and coming back in. You should smell the blend again when you reenter the room.
An Air Spray can be created with purified water in a mister spray bottle. It’s best to have a premade blend and you will need it to have enough of the blend to create a one ml (20 drops) to one ounce of water ratio. For complete dissolution, 2 tablespoons (for a I 0z bottle) of food grade alcohol (colorless and odorless and NOT rubbing alcohol) are added to the bottle first and then the drops of essential oils go in. Shake well. Then add the purified water and shake well. This will assure that the essential oils are absorbed into the water.
I hope you’ll enjoy experimenting with essential oils to create diffusion scents you and your family or visitors will also enjoy.
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See you next time!
*The Notes refer to how long it takes for the essential oil to vaporize and lose its scent. The base note anchors the blend because it is the slowest to vaporize. Cedar is our base note here. The middle note comes next and an example of this is rosemary. The top note is one that has instant power, but vaporizes rapidly. An example on the list is both citrus oils.