From Aroma to Art: a Labdanum-inspired Poem and Collage

At the beginning of my Aromagnosis Mentorship, the first oil I worked with deeply on my own was Labdanum Absolute.

As I explain here, Labdanum is the aromatic created from the gum-resin of the Cistus ladaniferus plant. We also get another aromatic, often called Cistus, that is steam-distilled from the leaves and twigs of this plant. Both have a deep, rich, haunting odor.

My assignment was to sit with the aroma, breath deep, meditate, and allow the plant material to communicate with me (and also allow me to communicate with my unconscious).

I will often use automatic writing and collage to help this process. This time I ended up finding a poem in my writing.

Calling in the Corners

The farther you stretch,

the sooner you'll break

through the surface

see what's at stake,

hidden, forbidden,

only when you wake

can you find the true North.

Put down your stake,

claim your true power

that's been locked inside,

covered with water

placed up on high

in a tower

now crumbling down,

down falls the water,

tumbling on down.

There in the dirt,

you find your true crown,

mud covered jewels

you realize you've found

a mirror of sorts

imperfect, round.

It calls the four corners,

the center is found

in that place in your chest

within a bony cage

containing centuries

of trauma, destruction, rage.

The time is coming

to let it all go.

The tears bring mercy

through the ebb and the flow.

Face each direction,

sing to the wind,

the family of souls,

ancestors, kin.

Fear has a place

maybe even as a friend,

but don't ever let it lock

your heart up again.

Want to learn to use aromatics to help you go deeper into what’s inside you? I’ll be leading students through a Healing Circle Mentorship this fall, starting August 1. Join us here.

How to get yourself to write

Maybe you’ve got some ideas in your head you need to get out.

Maybe you’ve been wanting to start journaling.

Maybe you’ve taken one of my classes and you listen to me keep talking about how great writing is.

No matter what inspired you to bring pen to paper, the chances are that you’ve had the experience of getting stuck with how to actually let the words flow out of your pen.

Or maybe you always intend to take the time out but it just never happens.

Whatever the case may be, here is the perfect place to work through the initial blocks and finally get yourself to start writing.

In high school, I was introduced to the work of Natalie Goldberg and it changed my life. In her book, Writing Down the Bones, she outlines 6 guidelines for how to write down your “first thoughts.”

You see, when we start writing it externalizes what’s inside of us. We can find ourselves both writing and simultaneously commentating on what we’re writing.

This voice is the Censor, the Inner Editor, or the Critic. It’s the voice of fear and wants to protect us, and it will often edit what we’re trying to get out. Not only does it change what we’re writing, making it more safe and often less authentic, but it can be so discouraging that we stop or don’t even write at all!

So here’s Natalie Goldberg’s Guidelines

1. Keep your hand moving.

2. Don’t cross out.

3. Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar.

4. Lose control.

5. Don’t think, don’t get logical.

6. Go for the jugular.

Now, you can use these for just clearing your mind and head, but also if you’re a serious writer and just need to get started.

I like to pair writing with working with essential oils. Aromatics add a beautiful dimension to the connection between the our head and our heart.

You can join me in a 3-month journey in using essential oils for healing and transformation through creative expression in the Healing Circle Mentorship starting August 1.