October AroMagic 2018 Purchase

Magic of Japan

Herbs and Oils for Mindfulness

This October, we are exploring Imperial Japan, a great empire with much to teach us about honor, discipline, beauty, and tradition. Japanese culture, to this day, places unrivaled importance on intention and mindfulness. Japanese Tea Ceremony is one of the most ancient forms of mindfulness and the art of Zen. Tea ceremonies are intended to celebrate the profound beauty in simple, and oftentimes seemingly mundane, things. They awaken participants to the here and now, and to finding extraordinary in the ordinary. Practicing mindfulness by refocusing your energy through plants is powerful. Just by holding a plant (live, dried, or its essential oil form) in your hands and paying attention to your body’s reaction can allow your body to unwind, refocus, and alert you of things that truly need your attention. Tea ceremony is a transformative practice, to really look within and sit in full awareness moment to moment. There are five steps in tea ceremony – Wa, Ke, Sei, Jaku, Wabi – and each herb and oil in this class represents one.

Hinoki Wood (Chamaecyparis obtusa) central Japan
Planet: Saturn
Zodiac: Pisces
Element: Earth, Water
Quality: Feminine
Chakra: Root

Hinoki wood represents Ke – respect. The guest must respect all things, all matters without involving their status or position in life. Hinoki wood, also known as Japanese cypress, is used as building material for sacred temples and shrines and to make traditional Japanese incense sticks. Hinoki is one of the most elegant types of wood in Japan. It plays a prominent role in Shinto purification rituals. It brings deep feelings of tranquility and is so fragrant and purifying that it’s used to make ritual bathtubs. Hinoki wood has a strong antibacterial and appeasing effect, and has a long-lasting fragrance which makes it a popular choice as a construction material. Most people recall a calming effect associated with hinoki. Hinoki wood does not smell like traditional cypress, as it is spicier where traditional cypress is effervescent.

• Discussion Question: Have you used hinoki in your rituals?

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Asia, Africa, Australia, Southern Hemisphere
Planet: Mercury
Zodiac: Gemini
Element: Air
Quality: Masculine
Chakra: Solar Plexus, Crown

Lemongrass represents Sei – purity. Lemongrass is purifying, refreshing, and energizing. It reminds us to keep things in perspective. It increases energetic awareness and mental clarity and is useful for overcoming fatigue and feelings of anxiety. Lemongrass brings balance and can assist in the areas of love, protection, and psychic development. Being ruled by Mercury, lemongrass can be used to clarify, enhance, or sweeten communication issues as well. The mildly sedating and relaxing effects of this herb make it a wonderful addition to dream pillows alongside mugwort and lavender, and it has been used for centuries in teas intended to increase psychic and divination powers. Lemongrass corresponds with the element of Air and the direction of the East so it can be used as an offering or to call in either of these when needed.

• Discussion Question: Do you infuse lemongrass in your food?

Hydrangea Root (Hydrangea arborescens) Southern and eastern Asia, Americas
Planet: Moon
Zodiac: Pisces
Element: Water
Quality: Feminine
Chakra: Third Eye

Hydrangea Root represents Wa – harmony in nature. Hydrangea root stands for friendship, devotion, and understanding. It’s energetically detoxifying and known for its love-drawing properties. Hydrangea root is used in traditional Japanese herbal remedies and as an offering to the gods and goddesses. Using hydrangea root can create a safe sense of boundary and protection. It is used in attracting a binding love; however, when hydrangea root is planted near the home, it is rumored to cause your daughters to remain spinsters. The root and flower can be used in many forms of dream and love magic, bringing about guided or prophetic dreams about a new love or a solution to an existing relationship problem. Hydrangea root is incredibly grounding and calls you into present time, allowing you to remain mindful.

• Discussion Question: Have you used hydrangea root in dream or love magic? What has been the response?

Matcha Powder (Camellia sinensis) East Asia
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Aries
Element: Fire
Quality: Masculine
Chakra: Heart, Sacral

Matcha represents Jaku – tranquility. Only after the first three concepts (harmony, respect, and purity) are discovered, experienced, and embraced, can you embody tranquility. Matcha is made of finely ground green tea leaves and is extremely high in antioxidants. It’s a detoxifier, helps alleviate negative energy, and boosts memory, concentration, and serotonin levels. The preparation of matcha is the focus of Japanese tea ceremonies and it’s known to bring spiritual rejuvenation and spiritual harmony. The difference between matcha and green tea lies in the cultivation methods. Legend has it that Zen Buddhist monks drank matcha green tea to improve their concentration to achieve peak mindfulness during meditation. Green tea is known as the miracle drink, as its properties provide an array of health benefits including weight loss and cancer prevention.

• Discussion Question: Do you prefer green tea leaves or matcha powder?

Bonus oil –  Wabi

Wabi Oil represents Wabi – appreciating the beauty. Wabi can be understood as spiritual solitude that arises from a quality of serene beauty. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese philosophy based on living in the now and finding beauty in the imperfect and impermanent. Your Wabi bonus oil contains a blend of champaka, yuzu, lily attar, orris root, and rosemary. Champaka is a natural mood elevator and stress reliever that helps you release anything that does not serve your Highest Good, bringing tranquility and increased feelings of sensuality and desire in its place. Yuzu improves clarity, increases focus, and brings calm to the emotional and physical body. In Japan, yuzu is used to enhance relaxation and promote sleep. Lily attar is associated with the Divine Feminine as it invokes nurturing and compassionate energies. It helps you heal wounds from your past and transform old thought patterns. Orris root has been used for ages to dig deep into the subconscious or psyche. The watery realms flow from the soul and open our hearts to emotional experiences, intuition, and connection to other dimensions and realities. Rosemary has a long, dynamic history of magical and ceremonial uses. The fragrance of rosemary is both grounding and invigorating, and the sense of purification that it brings forth is simply incredible.