White Lotus Aromatics Newsletter - Fragrance, Jan. 15, 2001
NewsNeNwsNNewsletter Archive ewsl
Fragrance
Dear Friends,
I am currently working on the Patchouli Newsletter. I hope to have it completed in a couple of weeks. The subject is an interesting one but does not have quite the emotional breadth of Rose. Still it is a worthy topic because the oil and absolute have a range of precious notes that can be appreciated both on their own and most certainly in combination with other oils. As all of you know, when we go to describe some wonderful essence we have inhaled we often have difficulty putting into words our actual experience. I think it may always remain that way for it is in a realm of perception which is very ancient and has no tangible form. But for the fun of it I will occasionally take up one word associated with this world of aromatic plants which we love so well and explore it. Everything associated with the mysterious world of plants and their aromatic emanations is a delight and it is great fun to see what writers have said about it.
Fragrant [a. F. fragrant (16th c.
in Godefroy) or ad. L. fragrant-em, pr. pple. of fr a gr a re to smell sweetly.]
Emitting a sweet or pleasant odour, sweet-smelling.
History:
1500-20 DUNBAR ŒNow fayre, fayrest¹ 7 Freshe fragrant floure.
1514 BARCLAY Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) xxxii, The fragraunt odour & oyntment
of swete floure. 1596 SPENSERF.Q. IV. i. 31 As fresh and fragrant as the floure-deluce
She was become.
1667 MILTON P.L. IV. 645 Fragrant the fertil earth After soft showers.
a 1721 PRIOR Garland ii, The flowers less bloomingthan her face, The scent less
fragrant than her breath.
1871 B. TAYLOR Faust (1875) I. xxi. 178 Thespringtime stirs within the fragrant
birches.
Figurative
1651 Fuller's Abel Rediv., Erasmus 84 In Basil He did end his dayes, As full
of yeeres as fragrant fame. 1782 COWPER Conversation 631 Their fragrant memory
will outlast their tomb.
1827 KEBLE Chr. Y., Churching i. This hallow'd air Is fragrant with a mother's
first and fondest prayer. Oxford Dictionary
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Fragrant \Fra"grant\, a. [L. fragrans. -antis, p. pr. of fragrare to emit a
smell of fragrance: cf. OF. fragrant.] Affecting the olfactory nerves agreeably;
sweet of smell; odorous; having or emitting an agreeable perfume.
"Fragrant the fertile earth After soft showers." --Milton.
Syn: Sweet-smelling; odorous; odoriferous; sweet-scented; redolent; ambrosial;
balmy; spicy; aromatic. -- {Fra"grant*ly}, adv.
Soon they came hastening back, and
prayed him to come and see how lovely the dark cell had grown. The rough floor
was spread with deep green moss, and over wall and roof grew flowery vines,
filling the air with their sweet breath; while above played the clear, soft
light, casting rosy shadows on the glittering drops that lay among the fragrant
leaves; and beneath the vines stood Violet, casting crumbs to the downy little
moles who ran fearlessly about and listened as she sang to them.
Alcott, Louisa May : Flower Fables
Helen realized that this ride would
make up for the hideous one of yesterday. So far she had been only barely conscious
of sore places and aching bones. These she would bear with. She loved the wild
and the beautiful, both of which increased manifestly with every mile. The sun
was warm, the air fragrant and cool, the sky blue as azure and so deep that
she imagined that she could look far up into it.
Grey, Zane : The Man of the Forest
I thought of those early days, when, hand in hand with Paralus, I walked forth
in the spring-time, welcoming the swallows to our shores, and gathering fragrant
thyme to feed my bees.We did not then know that bees and young hearts need none
to take thought for their joy, but best gather their own sweet nourishment in
sunlight and freedom.
Child, Lydia Maria (Francis): Philothea
Rain in the dreams of the mind --
rain forever -- Rain in the sky of the heart -- rain in the willows -- But then
he saw this face, this face like flame, This quiet lady, this portrait by Hiroshigi;
And took it home with him; and with it came What unexpected changes, subtle
as weather! The dark room, cold as rain, Grew faintly fragrant, stirred with
a stir of April, Warmed its corners with light again, And smoke of incense whirled
about this portrait, And the quiet lady there, So young, so quietly smiling,
with calm hands, Seemed ready to loose her hair....
Aiken, Conrad : The House of Dust : A Symphony 1920
When a lady, in a delicate and costly
summer garb, with a floating veil and gracefully swaying gown, and, altogether,
an ethereal lightness that made you look at her beautifully slippered feet,
to see whether she trod on the dust or floated in the air, -- when such a vision
happened to pass through this retired street, leaving it tenderly and delusively
fragrant with her passage, as if a bouquet of tea-roses had been borne along,
--then again, it is to be feared, old Hepzibah's scowl could no longer vindicate
itself entirely on the plea of near-sightedness.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel-House of the Seven Gables
And the sheets. Oh, those sheets of Norah's! Why, they were white, instead of
gray! And they actually smelled of flowers. For that matter, there were rosebuds
on the silken coverlet. It took me a week to get chummy with that rosebud-and-down
quilt. I had to explain carefully to Norah that after a half-dozen years of
sleeping under doubtful boarding-house blankets one does not so soon get rid
of a shuddering disgust for coverings which are haunted by the ghosts of a hundred
unknown sleepers. Those years had taught me to draw up the sheet with scrupulous
care, to turn it down, and smooth it over, so that no contaminating and woolly
blanket should touch my skin. The habit stuck even after Norah had tucked me
in between her fragrant sheets. Automatically my hands groped about, arranging
the old protecting barrier.
Essential Oil Safety
Before listing some of the oils which have recently arrived, I would just like
to add a few words about safe use of essential oils and absolutes. It is a deep
subject which needs careful consideration on the parts of all of us. Each oil
has its own particular qualities which may positively or negatively affect any
specific individual. One needs to exercise due caution with regards to their
own personal use of the oils but even more care is required when sharing the
oils with others. I think almost all of you are well aware of the safety precautions
regarding the different oils. If not kindly review the available literature
on the subject. When an oil is going to come in direct contact with the skin,
then one has to be very conversant with the properties of the oil. But one can
also consider the fact that an oil that may not be safe for direct application
on the skin, may work wonderfully in a diffusor blend, and altogether delightful
way to imbibe the virtues of essential oils. Some can also be effectively used
in creating natural incense, potpourri, etc
Following are some links which may be of use to those who wish to know more
on the subject-
http://www.naturesgift.com/warnings.htm
Marge Clarke's excellent and succinct cautions on various oils
http://www.educre.com/safety.html
safety tips
http://www.fragrant.demon.co.uk/eosafety.html
Martin Watts safety information
http://www.aromaweb.com/books/tissera2.asp
Robert Tisserand's Essential Oil Safety Guide
http://pages.prodigy.net/ewinslow/danger.htm
safety tips in chart form
There are many more such sites up on the internet-a veritable treasure house of information on the subject.
Here are some web links related to oils which have recently come in:
Calamus Root
http://nepenthes.lycaeum.org/Plants/Acorus/calamus.html
good page with useful links
http://walden.mvp.net/~tonytork/plant6.html
uses
http://walden.mvp.net/~tonytork/plant6.html
great image
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/acorus.html
http://www.ayurveda.com/materiamedica/Acorus%20calamus-Vacha-Sweet%20Flag.htm
ayurveda
http://www.thehimalayadrugco.com/h-acorus.htm
monograph of acorus calamus
http://www.pioneerherbs.com/acorus_calamus.htm
good chemical information
http://www.herbal-shaman.com/database/acorcala.htm
good information of uses of calamus amongst the American Indians
http://www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/biologie/b_online/thome/band1/tafel_042_small.jpg
stunning botanical illustration
http://www.shaman-australis.com/Website/Acoruscalamus.htm
shamanistic information
Here are some web links related
to oils which have recently come in:
Costus Root
http://www.rain-tree.com/costus.htm
ethnobotanical and phytochemical information
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/farmacy2.pl?906
phytochemicals
http://www.pioneerherbs.com/saussurealappa.htm
herbal uses
http://www.holistic-online.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h167.htm
holistic information
http://www.unanimedicine.org/acoaaqes.htm
in Unani System of medicine
Orange
http://onhealth.webmd.com/alternative/resource/herbs/item,77174.asp
bitter orange peel in medicine
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/citrus-aura_tinc.html
orange peel tincture
http://www.execpc.com/~goodscnt/data/es1009381.html
olfactory characteristics
http://www.nina-sd.com/mypages/greek26.htm
bitter orange peel preserves
http://www.rx.com/reference/natural/Bitter_Orange.jhtml
therapeutic, includes safety information
http://www.rain-tree.com/orange.htm
phytochemicals and ethnobotanical uses sweet orange peel
http://www.health-angel.com/orange.htm
excellent information on sweet orange peel and bitter orange peel
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/citrus-sine_cortex.html
tincture of sweet orange
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/o/oraswe12.html
comprehensive herbal information
http://www.frontiercoop.com/Aromatherapy/AromaNotes/Note8.html
sweet orange essential oil
http://www.drgenie.com/Naturaopathic/O/Orange%20Peel,%20Bitter.htm
naturopathic information
http://www.presentmoment.com/articles/enhance/orange.html
uses for sweet orange
tuberose
http://hammer.prohosting.com/~fdlol/mudas34.htm
fine image
http://www.bartleby.com/65/am/amarylli.html
information on family to which tuberose belongs
http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoilspz/tuberose.asp
essential oil profile
http://www.perfume2000.com/magazine/Sep2000/magazine3.asp
nice article with image of Indian woman plucking tuberose
http://www.aromatherapy-studies.com/ma-tuberose.html
Nice article on symbolic application of tuberose absolute