Although it now seems weeks ago, I think that the Open Day went well.  We had more than 90 come, and had to turn away 50 more. 

As usual some arrived before I was barely awake but, as they know the routine well, they quickly had the tea urn bubbling and by the time I returned from the nearby railway station
all were in their seats and ready to go.

Speaking of seats, at this time of year chairs in the local community are at a premium.  As the days draw in, all activities are driven indoors and the W.I. competes with the Gardening Club, the Watercolourists with the Ornithologists, Playgroups with Cubs and Scouts, for places to park posteriors.

Fortunately, only days before the Open Day, I had rushed to Wales to collect 100 chairs, which Justin had shrewdly purchased on eBay in the possible event that the local chairs had been booked already. A quick call to the Village Hall confirmed that there was not a seat to be hired!

Still, now having seats and space, I do feel that here might provide a location for those seeking a spot for seminars, workshops, exams, training courses, or whatever, outside the urban sprawl.  Just a thought!    

Do you ever feel completely out of touch with the modern world?  Justin tells me often that I am, but I resist the notion with some passion. Nevertheless, on this occasion, I really began to wonder.  I am sure that Jeannie and Peter had requested “a power point” which, in my dotage, I had assumed was a socket for connecting an electrical device to the mains. Wouldn’t you?

You clown, Justin ranted, they mean PowerPoint and we don’t have a projector!  What? It’s ease-of-use technology for broadcasting presentations directly: users can deliver a presentation, displaying the slides in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) along with the narration as streaming audio and video if need be.{ED - As expected he still doesn't really understand what  was required}

Of course I didn’t understand a word he was saying, but I did get the very distinct message that I had screwed up big time!  Nevertheless, he fished my tail out of the fire by producing numerous acetates that could be used instead on the OHP (overhead projector), which we do have.  My sincere apologies to him, Jeannie and Peter, for whom it must have been quite an anxious moment.

Suffice to say, I doubt that we shall be without a projector long. Still, it does make me wonder if the day is not fast-approaching when the physical presence of speakers will no longer be required.  However, meanwhile, I much prefer them “live”.     

Jeannie held us rapt with a most professional, interesting, and informative presentation on the use of aromatherapy in palliative care and oncology: most inspiring.  Should any wish a copy of the key points of her talk, please let me know. Nicole maintained the morning’s momentum, as only she can, with a stylish mix of the ethereal, historical, and whimsical.

After lunch, Peter, despite the lack of a PowerPoint presentation, kept us all enthralled with his finely illustrated talk; and a practical demonstration of his unique extraction process was a real bonus.  Sara assumed perhaps that we knew already something about Bach Flower Remedies and Homoeopathy but I, for one, know little and probably would have benefitted more if I had done. 

Still, as I drove Sara to the station in still-warm, early-evening sunshine, she commented that it reminded her of going back to school.  I knew exactly what she meant: it had been one of those magic days that you wish will never end.

Out and about.
These days, it is very rare that I allow myself to be inveigled into speaking myself: bluntly, I know that I am undisciplined and ramble.  However, a few months ago I must have been caught off guard, because I agreed not only once but twice to venture from behind my desk to say a few words elsewhere.

In truth, I deemed it a great honour to be invited to speak on a subject of my choice at the International Federation of Aromatherapists (IFA) AGM, but what subject?  Rashly, I chose “PLAI - Nature’s Alternative to Voltarol?”.  I must have been mad because, as the day drew near, I realized that I knew barely enough about Zingiber cassumunar to occupy 5 minutes, let alone 45. There would have to be a lot of padding about GINGER (Zingiber officinale) in general!

On the morning of the AGM, I awoke with the most ghastly head cold and, therefore, arrived rather later than I would have wished, missing (so I was told) a most inspiring talk by Jane Elwood: Aromatherapy for Special Needs. I should have liked also to learn a little about Vibromuscular Harmonisation Technique (VHT) from Anne Hindley Cook and Jo Fernandez , but I missed their talk as well.    

Still, it was marvellous to meet again, after almost twenty years, Valerie Ann Worwood, the author of the Fragrant series, Pharmacy, Mind and Heavens: she looked younger than ever. I was also thrilled to meet at last Bharti Vyas, who is a walking advertisement for her belief that “Beauty on the outside.......begins on the inside”. 

All in all, I had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and I only regret that I had to decline one of the finest-looking luncheon spreads that I have seen in a long time, for fear that I might fall asleep during my own talk!  As it was, I muddled through.

A few days later found me on the road heading towards Cirencester, where I was scheduled to say a few general words to members of Glosaroma, a most enthusiastic group of therapists based in Gloucestershire.

In crepuscular light, Cirencester is a hauntingly-attractive historic market town and I could understand well why my parents, more than forty years ago, had chosen it for their retirement years.  Sadly my father died too young.

It is rare that I am genuinely impressed by a venue, but the Subtle Aromatics Therapy Centre is one of the most tasteful and attractive spots that I have attended for some time: a real credit to its owner.  In fact, so welcoming was it that I rambled on for a couple of hours and would probably still be there had I not realized that one of the ladies had to get home to Hereford!

Although I know nothing of the criteria to join this group, if any live in the vicinity of Cirencester and environs, and would enjoy the odd evening in the company of like-minded individuals, it would be worth contacting Judy Swatton , the Secretary, on 01452 527972.   

Saintly Spikenard.
One of the oils which I had taken to talk about in Cirencester was Spikenard (Nardostachys grandiflora DC or Nardostachys jatamansi DC).  Commonly called Jatamansi, Balchharh, Mansi, Machhi or Spikenard, this member of the Valerianaceae is found in the alpine Himalayas from Himachal Pradesh to Sikkim and Bhutan, at altitudes between 3000-5000 metres.  In Himachal Pradesh, from where we source our own plant material, it is found on alpine rocky slopes in Manjiban, Jakha-Kanda and Tanghai between 3000-4000 metres.  It has been collected also from the Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu district.

It is an aromatic, erect, perennial herb, 10-60cm high with long, stout, woody rhizomatic rootstock covered with tail-like brown fibres left over from the withered leaves towards the stem, while the root continues to penetrate deep in the soil.  The leaves are long and narrow and the flowers are creamy white, often rosy or pale pink in appearance, arising in terminal corymbose cymes.  The fruit is small, 4mm long, covered with minute hairs.

The part used for essential oil production is a short portion of the rhizome, as thick as a little finger, dark-grey, covered by a tuft of fine, reddish-brown fibres, matted together to give the appearance of a tail.  It has a heavy aromatic odour and tastes bitter.  The hairy roots contain the essential oil. The dried, comminuted root is steam distilled to yield the oil.

Unfortunately there is a number of Nardostachys species and also other root plants, not only to the Valerian family but also to quite different families which yield roots, which are sold commercially as “Indian Valerian Oil”.  Consequently, there are different opinions on the odour and taste of Spikenard Oil.

As a general description it can be said that the oil is a pale yellow to amber coloured liquid with a heavy, sweet-woody and spicy-animal odour, somewhat reminiscent of valerian, ginger, cardamom and Atlas cedarwood.  The flavour is warm-spicy, root-like in sweetness, somewhat pine-wood-like and slightly bitter-burning, powerful.  Its chemical composition can vary according to plant species.

In its native India, Spikenard has always been valued as a perfume, medicinal herb and in skin care. It was highly prized in the Middle East and regions of the Mediterranean thousands of years ago, for it is mentioned in the Bible: in the Song of Solomon, and in the gospel of St. John where we find the story of Mary Magdalen, the patron saint of perfumers, anointing Christ’s feet with ointment of Spikenard, very costly [she used a whole pound of ointment which, in today’s money, cost more than US$4,000!]. Dioscorides described Spikenardas warming, drying and diuretic and good for heavy periods, vaginal discharges, kidney and liver problems, inflammations of all kinds and for dispersing accumulated toxins.

Modern use suggests that Spikenard does have a balancing effect on the menstrual cycle. The white discharge to which Dioscorides referred is one symptom of vaginal thrush and as the oil is antifungal it could be useful to combat candida albicans organisms. The oil is helpful for allergic skin reactions and all kinds of rashes.  Being a balancing oil, it can be used in facial massage and skin care preparations for all kinds of skin but it is most valuable for mature skin.

It might be worth trying Spikenard for the treatment of cellulite as it is not only diuretic and detoxifying but also deeply relaxing, and cellulite is made worse by stress. It may help also hormone imbalances, sometimes associated with cellulite.

It is considered an excellent oil for anybody tense and anxious, and has the ability, rather like Frankincense, to help people let go of old pain or emotional blocks that they are holding inside.  Aromatherapists who work with chakra energy or auric massage would find this a very appropriate oil.

Mary Magdalen’s use of Spikenard to anoint Jesus on the night of the Last Supper suggests that it may also have significance for therapists working with the terminally ill.  Jesus knew that his death was approaching, and the magdalen knew this too: her anointing of his feet with Spikenard was a form of sacrament in preparation for that moment.  Aromatherapists working in hospices might like to include Spikenard among the oils to help people nearing the end of their earthly lives.

The oil’s mode of action is interesting. On the heart and circulatory function, it strengthens the autorhythm of the heart, as a result of the harmonizing balance between sympathicus and parasympathicus effect and systolic and diastolic movement of the heart musculature. It has an influence also on all three skin layers.

The oil regulates the heart beat when the pace-maker function of the stimulus conductive system is interrupted.  It has a harmonizing effect on the three blood circulations - the heart’s own circulation, the large body circulation, and the lung circulation. By means of this all organs and organ systems are optimally taken care of, and in the case of previous nervous restlessness, they are calmed down, because the nerve tissue is supplied with nourishment.

Spikenard oil is helpful in finding one’s inner balance in the emotional, spiritual and physical inter-play of energies. It stimulates the arterial circulation, as well as the extension of venous vascular walls, so that an optimal metabolism between venous blood and body tissue can take place.

Hair and teeth being formations of the skin, from all three layers of it (the root of a hair is a papilla of the corium in the subcutis and is nourished by blood vessels; teeth consist of epidermal enamel on fibrous dentine and cement of the root, which is also nourished by blood vessels), the oil has an especially regenerative effect on them.

Spikenard oil unites the functions of the three skin layers in the corium into a harmonious, balanced skin picture, with an initial regeneration of all its functions.

Sacred Lotus.
Back in 1998, Christopher McMahon, with whom I had established a warm friendship via e-mail, was working with another old friend, and supplier, Philip Samuel.

Christopher first became intrigued with Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner) and its ethereal fragrance in the summer of 1997 when he visited a Pink Lotus pond near Jodphur, Rajasthan.  There, looking from a ruined Rajput summer palace upon thousands of blooming blossoms exuding their other worldly odour in the early dawn hours, the idea came to him that it might be worthwhile to attempt an extraction of its fragrance.

There was a time when Indian perfumers produced a true attar from the flowers for the country’s royalty, who were keen on supporting the perfumers’ art and craft. It was one of the most costly and exotic perfumes of ancient India because the blossoms were considered sacred and were only available in limited supply.

Even though attar production continued after the decline of India’s royalty, the making of a true lotus perfume ceased due to price constraints.  Also the modern fragrance and flavour industry was not interested in producing such exotic oils because they were able to achieve the same result by using synthetic aroma chemicals blended with a few natural essential oils and absolutes.

With the growing interest in aromatherapy, Christopher felt the time right to offer this oil again, using modern extraction techniques, as he believed that it could stand on its own as a natural fragrance and might, in the due course of time, prove to have some therapeutic value.

I was most fortunate to have the opportunity to analyse the first samples, and I see from my notes that I thought the fragrance quite indifferent!

According to Christopher, the flowers have to be harvested just at the right stage of their development. They must be plucked on the third day of their blossom pattern: it must not be too early or too late in this pattern. When the blossoms first emerge they do not open right away but take a few days to mature.  Once open they continue to bloom for another few days, but their essence is most potent on the third day.

By gently cutting away the green stem from the base of the flower, each petal is carefully separated from the entire blossom. This is done so that every part of the flower is exposed to the solvent thus allowing the maximum amount of oil to be extracted. With such a costly item as lotus, it is imperative that every part of the operation is done with meticulous care so that nothing is wasted.

The odour of lotus has been described as powerful herbaceous, with a medicinal topnote that settles into a gentle, sweet warm, floral middle note that continues deep into the dryout.  This middle, or heart, note is the real essence of the flower and has strong diffusive power.

The oil can be best appreciated if diluted in Sandalwood: 15 drops lotus absolute to 85 drops of sandalwood oil.

The red flowers are sacred in India, Tibet and China, being the ‘padma’ from which the lotus motif of Asia is derived.  In Hindu religion, it is considered to have sprung from the navel of the god Vishnu and to have given birth to Brahma (sacred colour red) creator of the world.

Buddha considered this flower sacred because of its medicinal gifts. The flower opens, beckoning the mind into stillness, meditation and unfoldment.  This oil is beloved by the goddess Lachmy, the giver of prosperity. It increases clarity, devotion, prosperity and is extremely opening to the heart chakra.

Liang Fang or Ling Fong, as the lotus receptacle is called in Mandarin Chinese, is considered to be haemostatic, astringent, a foetal relaxant and antitumoral. It is indicated for uterine bleeding, menorrhagia, blood in the urine, infantile diarrhoea from food poisoning, foetal unrest, threatened miscarriage, cervical cancer, lochial retention, and pemphigus. [Holmes, P. (1996) . Jade Remedies, Vol. I, 216].

In aromatherapy, the oil is reputed to work wonders on the skin; it is cooling and highly astringent.  Lotus is good for headaches and vomiting and can be used for morning sickness and nausea. Rare, expensive, and highly prized! [Miller, L. & B. (1995). Ayurveda & Aromatherapy, 318].  Also, the batch that I have just received from India smells not at all bad: I am fast-revising my view of this oil.

Shrinking Lotus.
I was interested to read recently in Kew magazine that the rare Himalayan Snow Lotus (Saussurea laniceps), which occurs at altitudes above 4,000 metres on the rocky slopes in China and Tibet, was shrinking. And it hasn’t happened as a result of natural selection. The evolution of the new dwarf lotus has been driven by human demand for the largest specimens according to Wayne Law and Jan Salick of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

It is used in traditional medicine to treat high blood pressure, headaches and menstrual problems, and bigger plants are considered more potent.  In recent years, people have also begun selling them to tourists as souvenirs and they too target the largest, showiest flowers.

Collectors remove the entire plant when its flowers are at their best - and before it sets seed. Wayne Law suspected that by preventing the tallest plants from reproducing, collectors were removing genes for large size from the gene pool, encouraging the evolution of ever shorter plants.

To test his theory, he and Salick compared the heights of plants from heavily picked areas with those growing on the sacred mountain of Khawa Karpo in Tibet where they are protected. Sure enough, those in the heavily picked areas were 9cm shorter. Collection has clearly had a profound effect on the size of the snow lotus.

Law warns that if the species is not given greater protection, it could eventually disappear altogether.  If people think in the short term and do what benefits them most without regard to the future, the end result could be the removal of these plants completely, he says. It’s important to think in the long term.

Remember this, when you are next in China or Tibet.

Oils for Bell’s palsy?
I wonder whether you have ever heard of any oils that might help Bell’s palsy? e-mailed Paula Bensley.

Bell’s palsy is unilateral or bilateral pain and paralysis of the muscles of facial expression, due to a lesion of the seventh cranial nerve.  It results in distortion of the face.

Formerly considered of unknown origin, it is now thought to be caused by Herpes Simplex Virus I (HSV) [Murakami, S. et al. Bell palsy and herpes simplex virus: identification of viral DNA in endoneurial fluid and muscle. Ann. Intern Med. 1996; 124: 27-30] but since not everyone exposed to HSV develops clinical infection, it appears that the host defence mechanisms are paramount in protecting against HSV infection. The cell-mediated immune system is undoubtedly the major factor in determining the outcome of herpes exposure: resistance, latent infection, or clinical disease. Enhancement of the host’s immunological status is key to the control of herpes infection.

This probably explains why, untreated, over 80% of all patients recover completely or almost so, while in a smaller number facial weakness persists; complete failure of motor recovery is very rare. My sister who contracted Bell’s more than a decade ago still has some facial weakness, but others I know have recovered completely and quickly.

If aromatherapy elicits the “feel-good” factor, then it may enhance the immune system. However, some oils may impact immune function at the cellular level, but no studies have measured the effect of aromatherapy on immunoglobulins in human blood or saliva as far as I know. Nevertheless, it has been suggested by some authors that the following oils may help the immune function: Clove (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & Perry), Niaouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake), Thyme CT. Thymol (Thymus vulgaris L.), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.), Lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.), Chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.), Bergamot (Citrus aurantium var. bergamia Risso & Poit.) and Patchouli Pogostemon cablin Benth.).

Rose remembrance.
If you were to ask me, regardless of aromatherapy and perfumery, I would probably say that the Rose is the ultimate symbol of love, and its petals infuse various dishes with a hint of decadence. However, for reasons of respect rather than taste or love, there is a tradition in the Lancashire Fusiliers of eating a rose at ceremonial dinners to commemorate their famous victory at the Battle of Minden in 1759 in the Seven Years War. Despite being heavily outnumbered by the French cavalry, the foot soldiers marched on, repelling charge after charge. At dinner in the officers’ mess, after the Loyal Toast, any new officer eats a rose in silence, in memory of how the soldiers picked and wore such blooms on their way to the battle.

I learn something new every day!

Formic firepower controls territory.
Researchers from Stanford University have identified an ant species that produces its own natural herbicide, resolving the mystery of how Devil’s Gardens are created.

Devil’s Gardens are large stands of trees in the rainforest that consist largely of a single species. Legend had it that the areas were created by evil spirits, but scientists suspected that the tree species - Duroia hirsuta - somehow kills off all competition.

However, they have now established that it is an Amazonian ant, Myrmelachista schumanni, which kills off competing plants, clearing room for its favourite tree to host more of its nests. It injects the leaves of competitors with formic acid and, within 24 hours, the plants begin to die.  Formic acid is a toxin common in many ant species and, in fact, its name comes from the Latin word for ant, formica. This is the first case of ants utilising their formic acid, which is usually used for interactions between each other such as an alarm signal, on behalf of their host plant.

To learn more, watch Sir David Attenborough’s forthcoming programme, Life in the Undergrowth. Fascinating!

Finally.........
Do you sell natural products?  Are you squandering natural resources? 

Are you irritated by these questions?  If you are, it’s only natural. 

Natural derives from a Latin verb meaning “to be born”.  Anything born is natural, but anything made is less so. But where do you draw the line? 

The ‘natural beauty’ of our country is the result of agricultural labour.  The ‘natural look’ favoured by some ladies is bought at the cosmetics counter.  As for ‘natural yoghurt’, it’s a factory-made, scientifically tested milk product encased in polypropylene to deter ‘natural’ entities getting in.

Science and technology are products of man’s capacity for rational thought, which is at least as natural as anything you’ll find in the rainforest or at the Body Shop.  But people like to believe that what they buy in an air-conditioned mall or at their desktop super-computer is pure and unadulterated.  Self-deception, too, is only natural!            


charles@essentiallyoils.com

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