So Divine...Angelica Essential Oil

Angelica Archangelica photo By Kat- St Albans, United Kingdom
via Wikimedia Commons

The essential oil I'm showcasing today, Angelica, plays an important role in my cozy mystery work-in-progress, Essentially Dead. As the novel opens my main character, aromatherapist Verbena Brazwell, is on the hunt for lacey white Angelica flowers for her shop's display vases. What she discovers is anything but angelic.

The Angelica plant was deemed so beneficial to mankind, it was called Holy Spirit Root and its essential oil, "oil of the angels." Angelica Archangelica (usually just called Angelica) was said to have been introduced by the Archangel Michael and was widely used to help with the ravages of plague in medieval Europe. Today, Angelica essential oil is a prime ingredient in aromatherapists' arsenals. It has a woody/peppery/spicy aroma and can be dispelled into the air by diffusers, inhaled through steam applications, and massaged into the skin with carrier oils. Angelica covers a myriad of benefits including aids as:

-anti-spasmodic for cramps and coughs

-carminative for intestinal gas

-depurative for high blood pressure

"Garden Angelica" By Franz Eugen Köhle (Public Domain)

-diaphoretic to promote healthy perspiration

-digestive to stimulate digestive juices

-diuretic to aid urination

-hepatic to aid liver function

-emenagogue for menstrual symptoms

-expectorant for relief from excess phlegm

-febrifuge for fever

-nervine for nervous disorders
-relaxant for calming and soothing

-stimulant for positive internal actions

-stomachic for balancing stomach acids and bile
-a tonic substance for strengthening the immune system

No wonder Angelica was considered a gift from Heaven!

Have a good couple weeks, dear Reader. Thanks for stopping by...y'all come back now! 

(As always: this post is for information only for adult use and does not replace medical advice. Тest out an oil first by placing a small diluted amount on your arm as a patch test. In particular, those who are or could be pregnant should always refer to their physicians before using any essential oils. Specifically Angelica should not be used in pregnancy or by diabetics and if applied topically, you should avoid direct sunlight for 24 hours.) 

Setting a New Course...and getting cozy

Illustration unknown

Over the past several months I've shared my research into diverse figures of cultural mythology, from Scotland's Kelpie to the Cherokee Little People. The purpose of this intellectual adventure was to aid in the writing of my current work-in-progress, Murmuration, a novel woven with threads of magical realism. And although I've found the subject fascinating, I've decided to set this project aside for a variety of reasons. Not abandoned. Just on an indefinite leave of absence while I pursue a different literary direction. 

Bath Oil with Herbs and Leaves in Glass Bottle
Photo by Matte via Wikimedia commons

My creative compass is pulling me toward a genre that feels right for me at present; one in which my natural tendency toward gentle humor and love of puzzling out solutions is at home-- the Cozy Mystery. Think Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple" series, Alexander McCall Smith's The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who" books. I'm in the very beginning stage of bringing this book to life but I do know a few facts: the main character is a female (age to be determined,) living in Edenton, North Carolina, who works as an aromatherapist/perfumier. My amateur sleuth's occupation will both lead her into and help her solve crimes that boil to the surface of this quaint southern town. My days as a certified massage therapist introduced me to the world of aromatherapy and the power of fragrance and essential oils. We all know how our sense of smell can affect our moods, transport us to a different time and place, rekindle memories (pleasant or un.) So! For the next several weeks, my blog posts will introduce us to the qualities and uses of essential oils. Of course, this information is never meant to be a replacement for appropriate medical care and if you try any of these oils, start with a small test amount to be sure you have no allergies to them. There are many great online sources of information regarding the use of essential oils and sources from which to purchase them. Always be sure your oils are pure essential, not the extracts you buy from the grocery store. A couple good online suppliers are Aura Cacia and Plant Therapy.

With all the "chill-you-to-the-bone" weather we are experiencing, I found several oils that

Ginger,  Photograph by Frank C. Müller, Baden-Baden
via Wikimedia Commons

warm us up, physically and emotionally. One of those is ginger. Pure essential oil of ginger root has been used for thousands of years to aid circulation, ease indigestion, and relieve muscle aches and pains. It has a lovely warm, citrusy fragrance that is a comfort on these cold days. There are many ways to use ginger oil but two easy and lovely methods are to add about 6 drops to your bath water just before you step in and add 6 drops to 10 ml of a carrier oil or lotion that you massage into your skin. I like to use pure jojoba oil as a carrier since it is very similar to our natural skin oil and is generally at home with any skin type.

Have a good couple weeks, dear Reader. Thanks for stopping by...y'all come back now! (And stay cozy.)

Kate