Aromatherapy – Part Iii: Esoteric & Spiritual Applications

Aromatherapy – Part Iii: Esoteric & Spiritual Applications
By By Danny Siegenthaler and Susan Siegenthaler

The Way Essential Oils Effect the Etheric Body or Psycho-spiritual Level

The historical use of aromatic oils and resins goes back many thousands of years in human history and traverses many cultures and civilizations on our planet.

In China, incense was burned to purify the atmosphere and rid the environment of evil spirits, in India, incense was and is used in all temples of all persuasions to sanctify the devotions; in Mexico, incenses were used in rituals to induce trance-like states in the participants to make them more accepting in their role of living sacrifice to the Gods; in Northern Europe the Druids used incenses which were sacred to the Earth Mother; the Greeks and Romans also used essential oils and fragrant herbs in all aspects of their daily lives, and many of their practices were learned from the Egyptians and Mesopotamians who were without doubt, the absolute masters in the Art of “Aromatherapy”.

The first people to dispense aromatics as medicines in Ancient Egypt were the priests - they were the first Aromatherapists. As the use of aromatic substances became more common, they were also used by the physicians.

At Heliopolis, the city dedicated to Ra the Sun-God, incense was burned 3 times a day: sunrise, noon, and sunset. This incense was called Kuphi or Kyphi and contained 16 ingredients including cassia, Calamus, Citronella, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Pistacia, Juniper, Acacia, Henna, Cypress, Myrrh, Raisins, Frankincense, and Morning Glory.

Aromatherapy was used in the healing temples in both Egypt and later in Greece, which also incorporated the use of colour healing utilizing solar light. Great glass windows of various colours were built in to the ceilings of these temples at specific points, corresponding with the journey of the sun across the sky. The patient was placed in the stream of coloured light and incense was burned or oils applied to the patient as need dictated. This form of healing is called Heliotherapy.

Even as recently as the Middle Ages in Europe, fragrant herbs were known to possess special healing properties by virtue of their fragrances, and were burned in the streets to counteract the odour and ill effects of the poor hygiene of the times. During the time of the Great Plague this method was also used to antisepticise the air.

Essential Oils, via their own innate LIFE FORCE ENERGY, can help change energy imbalances in our Aura (Etheric body). They can adjust the way in which we perceive, feel and think about both ourselves and our environment working from the Spiritual Level ‘downwards’.

They can help us have a more positive, relaxed or energetic mood, help us to concentrate better, develop our "psychic awareness”, and act as a bridge to help us access “deeper” or “higher” levels of consciousness. This function of Essential Oils overlaps with the effects oils have on the Brain, but it must be remembered that the Nervous and Hormonal Systems are the physical “translators” of the Etheric dimensions.

The use of Aromatic plants as Incense in religious and ritual practices is based on this knowledge. Incense purifies, acts as a libation or gesture of respect to higher intelligences and gives us a "doorway" for entry into the Astral realms.

It is believed that Essential Oils, when used in the form of “incensing”, are signals to those other dimensions where we find our Guardian Angels, Spirit Guides, Gods and Goddesses and states of pure “Cosmic Consciousness” and form a means whereby we can show our intention or willingness to open our consciousness to those realities. The result being that these Beings are able to communicate with us or through us more easily.

By developing our sensitivity to other levels of energy/being and other levels of our own consciousness, we are better able to develop our healing powers and accelerate our own personal/spiritual growth.

Because we are conditioned from birth to relate primarily to the physical plane of existence we tend to have some degree of difficulty in shifting to the spiritual levels without some assistance. Essential oils can help us with this.

THE SENSE OF SMELL AND ETHERIC ENERGY

From an energy point of view, the sense of smell relates to the Element called AKASHA or ETHER. This is the Universal and All-Pervading element, the Element of Spirit, and it has the ability to transform itself into anyone of the forms of Elemental Energy. It is also closely related to the Element of Air, which is related to the sense of taste.

Man's sense of smell is not as acute as that of a dog or a moth, however, it is never the less quite acute, and man is capable of distinguishing many thousands of odours. The exact way in which odour perception takes place is still quite a mystery to medical science. There is sound knowledge of the structures involved in odour perception, but the function itself still has many unanswered questions.

By developing the sense of smell we - history aroma therapy