Subscribe!

Essential Oils…A brief history



Hi Guys,

So this week I thought I would do something completely different.  We all love Essential Oils and their power and effectiveness has made them super popular and it seems like the entire world is raving about them right now.

In a way I am still a little protective of my wonderful oils because I know how powerful they are and I know how they changed my life and how they changed so many other peoples lives.

So I just wanted to remind everyone that Essential Oils are not just a fad but rather they have an incredibly rich and treasured history that stretches across many continents and centuries.

I believe this will help you all treasure those oils in your hands just a little bit more.

The history of Essential oils begins a few thousands years BC and the most commonly known beginning was from ancient Egypt.  The Egyptians were known to use oils for perfume, for aromatic purposes, as medicine, in religious and spiritual ceremonies and in so many different ways in their lives.

In fact in the Bible you can even read about the uses of cassia, cinnamon, clove,myrrh and spikenard.

Apparently even the Pharaohs had their own special blends!  We also know that clove and myrrh were used in the balming and preservation of Mummies.

For me I can literally imagine those Egyptian palaces and the likes of Cleopatra bathed in essential Oils.

In Greece, oils were also used heavily for medicine and the “father of medicine” Hippocrates, studied plants and their medicinal properties.  He apparently believed in the aromatic use of oils and using them in massage on a daily basis.

You can then move East towards China and India and where the use of oils were also heavily focused on medicine. 

Ancient Indian medicine known as Ayurvedic, is all about all natural balance.  Essential Oils are an integral part of the Ayurvedic system.  The Ayurvedic literature actually references over 700 different uses for oils and plants.

Pretty amazing right?

As you would imagine too, China used Essential Oils extensively in the Chinese Medicine practices.

Some of these historic references and texts are used by practitioners even today.

As with the trade of Spices and other items, oils also found their way to Rome and Europe and again became an integral part of medicine and used in spiritual practices and perfume.

So next time you place a drop of Frankincense or other Essential Oils on your body, think about the amazing rich history and uses of oils and how they have played such an important role in the history of us humans. 

I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson.  Now you can appreciate your oils even more.

 

XO

Hayley


Comments (0)

No comments yet.

Leave a comment