I love the scents of the season from times past, as we make preparations to celebrate the Longest Night of the Year…
Winter Solstice is a celebration of the longest night and the return of the sun. It is also the first day of the winter season.
In ancient times, the Romans honored the god Saturn with a “Saturnalia” celebration using some familiar traditions such as exchanging gifts, feasting and decorating with mistletoe, holly, and pine cones. (Early Pagans used the holly and the ivy to represent the masculine and feminine energies).
I prefer Winter Solstice to Christmas. It is a more solemn, personal time; to meditate on darkness and to welcome back the light. To go to that quiet place inside and honor this moment in my life. I also love the scents of the season, whether from burning candles, peeling a mandarin orange or from diffusing essential oils. (My Winter Solstice blend has traditional holiday oils like Scotch Pine, Cedarwood, and Frankincense, but the addition of Mandarin and Juniper Berry that adds a freshness that balances the blend.)
On this longest night, let's remember how connected we all are. How each small gift of kindness makes that connection stronger. It is also important that we take a moment to nurture our own spirit. To find the balance…
I Wish you a Blessed & Happy Winter Solstice!
My blog is for information only & is not meant to
replace medical advice.
Essential Oils are not for ingestion & should always be diluted before topical use.
Never leave a candle unattended
References:
Battaglia Salvatore. The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. 2nd edition, The International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy, Australia, 2003
Davis Patricia. Aromatherapy an A-Z. New revised edition, Vermilion, an imprint of Edbury Publishing, a Random House Company, 2005
Lawless. Julia. The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, Thorsons, 2002
Tisserand, Robert, & Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety, 2nd Edition, Churchill Livingstone, 2014
http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_wheel_of_the_year/yule_-_winter_solstice.asp http://www.altogetherchristmas.com/traditions/hollyandivy.html