*Note: Scents can be harmful as well as helpful. Please, be aware and considerate of your own allergies/sensitivities and those of the people around you/that will also occupy your space. Nothing written here is in lieu of/can replace professional medical advice. Always perform a patch (dilute oils first) or sniff test before using an oil/herb/etc.. Always research an herb/oil or ask a qualified professional before ingesting/using. Not all herbs are safe to ingest, use, burn. Please be safe and responsible.
 
Good or bad, scent can trigger the earliest and deepest memories. How we perceive or react to particular smells can be cultural, but is also influenced by our own emotions and experiences. Scent travels through different parts of our brains to create unique sensory experiences and memories. The olfactory cortex distinguishes one odor from another, the thalamus connects odor messages to higher thought functions, and the neocortex analyzes those odor messages and helps to relate them to other senses and higher brain functions that stimulate conscious thought.
 
Historically, anthropologists speculate, people started burning gums and resins as incense. Eventually people started adding fragrant plants to animal fats and vegetable oils, and between 7000 and 4000 BC olive and sesame oils became popular for this. These plant infused oil concoctions were used for many purposes; both personal and religious. Not only were they used to heal wounds, and protect hair and skin, they were also used to perfume the skin, for massage, and to anoint the body (for ritual and other religious/sacred practices). Frankincense was used a lot in churches to not only cleanse/purify spaces and souls, but the monks also knew of its effectiveness at combating depression. Even then they realized how different scents could affect someone’s mood and emotions.
 
Different scents can affect the body and brain in different ways. Scents like Clary Sage and grapefruit stimulate the thalamus, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang can activate the pituitary gland for endorphin production, and Marjoram can trigger the secretion of serotonin from the  naphe nucleus.  Studies have also shown that Rosemary can increase cognitive performance involving memory and recall speed, Peppermint can help ease headaches, Chamomile reduces stress, and Eucalyptus can help support respiratory health. All these benefits can be had without ingesting or applying oils/herbs directly to the skin.
 
There are many different ways available to utilize aromatherapy for personal and sacred use. Oil diffusers are a common and readily available way to utilize scents. You can purchase ones that use oils diluted in water, or one that has the little reeds that are put into the concentrated oil to disperse the scent into the air. Other popular methods are scented candles, incense, wax burners, and simmer pots. You can use concentrated oils, diluted oils, or fresh or dried plants/flowers/herbs/resins, to create whatever scents you want/need. You can create shower or bath bundles. Even your morning cup of tea/coffee can have healing or ritual applications if you stop and take the time to do it mindfully and with intent.
 
When we use scents to heal, we call this aromatherapy. While this is a healing art all on its own, it is often used in conjunction with other healing modalities like massage, reflexology, Reiki, crystal healing, and is even used sometimes in therapy/counselling, hospice care, and in some clinical settings. You can also use scents to compliment other practices like yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and breath work. When used with ritual practices, it can set the tone for your ritual, compliment your spell work as a corresponding component, put you into a ritual/meditative/trance mindset (especially if you use the same scent to prepare yourself each time), and, of course, many fragrant herbs/oils are used to cleanse and purify spaces. Oils infused with herbs/oils/resins can also be used to anoint the body (please use caution when doing this and always do a patch test for sensitivities/allergies), dress candles, or consecrate/activate objects, tools, statues, etc..
 
When using herbs/oils for healing purposes, especially when ingesting or directly applying, it is important to use actual herbs or essential oils (the real deal), which is generally not an issue, since most are readily available, and many herbs/oils have more than one property, and there are generally plenty of substitution options as well. The health benefits are in the plant itself. However, if you are looking only to diffuse the scent, sometimes a fragrant oil is a viable option. Especially if you are looking to trigger particular memories, looking for the right scent for meditation or other mind-body work, or a scent that makes you feel a certain way. That said, always be aware of your allergies/sensitivities and those of the people who will occupy that space as well. Please use scents responsibly.
 
If you would like to learn more about aromatherapy for health there are many books on the market. One I would recommend is Aromatherapy A Complete Guide to the Healing Art by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green. Many books are also available that provide the metaphysical applications and uses for herbs/oils/resins. The most comprehensive I have found is Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kynes, but plenty of books reference them. If you are looking for practice specific references (if your practice is specifically pagan, Wiccan, Heathen, etc..) there are plenty of available options.
 
As you can see, scents can play an important part in everything from your daily life to your sacred rituals. How do you utilize scent in your practice? Are they an important part of your health or ritual practices? Would you use them more after reading this? I would love to know.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I have talked in previous posts about sound healing. Sound healing tools like singing bowls and tuning forks have gained in popularity lately, partly due to more research being done on their healing properties becoming more readily accessible to the public. There are many books on this topic, from basics like Sound Healing for Beginners by Joshua Goldman and Alec W. Sims (filled with plenty of research backed information), to Tuning the Human Biofuels by Eileen Day McKusick. These are just two good examples, there are so many more.
 
I want to preface this blog post by saying that it is NEVER ok to place a vibrating tuning fork, singing bowls, tingsha, or any other vibration tool next to your ear. Even when you cannot hear it, it can still cause damage to your ear and possibly cause hearing damage and/or loss. I have seen several videos lately with people talking about/showcasing tuning forks where they do this. I cannot stress enough how dangerous this is.
 
I would also like to point out the difference between weighted and non-weighted tuning forks. The weighted tuning forks have knobs at the end of the forks. These ones are pressed against the relevant body parts (on chakras or acupressure points, meridians, above organs, etc..) to facilitate healing. The non-weighted forks are used within the body’s aura/energetic field. They can also be placed above or near the relevant chakra, Meridian, etc..
 
Each tuning fork/singing bowl/etc.. has it’s own frequency, and therefore, its own healing properties. There are many to choose from for varying purposes. One can purchase individual vibrational instruments, or complete sets, such as Chakra sets or the Solfeggio set. While many of the available frequencies focus on healing particular physical or energetic issues, there are some that are used for more general tasks like aligning oneself with certain states or cleansing/clearing.
 
One such frequency is the Ohm frequency 136.1Hz. This one is considered Earth’s orbital frequency and aligns one with the natural cosmic vibration, creating a universal connection. This one resonates at the vibration that occurs when ohm is chanted during meditation. There are actually three Ohm frequencies., this first one being the mid-ohm. The other two are the low-ohm (68.05Hz) associated with deep grounding, emotional release, and facilitates the opening of energetic pathways. The third one is high-ohm (272.2Hz), that is associated with aligning one with their highest potential, bringing in clarity and purpose, facilitating a connection with one’s highest self, and clearing karmic imprints, blockages, and energetic debris (to name a few things).
 
Energetic clearing is another use for these frequency tools. Whether that is clearing a physical space, a person, or an object there are a few options. 417Hz is generally used to clear negative energies, either past or present, and undo negative situations. 741Hz is often used to remove both emotional or physical toxins. 963Hz is associated with purifying a physical space or body, the spiritual body, and to attract positive energy. If you are looking to specifically cleanse a crystal, there is a 4096Hz crystal tuner made for the job. It is also used to enhance the energetic properties of said crystals. While this is its main job, it is also associated with rebalancing chakras and creating a connection between Earth and higher spiritual realms, which is why it is also referred to as the Earth Angel Frequency.
 
While there are many more frequency tools/tuners available for purchase, there are just too many to talk about in one blog post. You can find them in many metaphysical shops as well as online. The frequency Hz is usually stamped into the Y junction on a tuning fork. Singing bowls may be labeled according to either Hz or corresponding Chakra (quite popular), but are not usually stamped as such. Tingshas are not usually standardized to one frequency, though some modern ones may be attuned to certain frequencies like 528Hz. Whatever the type of healing you are searching for, there is a frequency and a tool for that.
 
Have you ever used a singing bowl or a tuning fork? Have you participated in a sound bath or had a healing done that incorporated one? (I do highly recommend experiencing this at least once, the results can be quite amazing).
Would you? I would love to know.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We all dream. Even when we don’t remember them, we do. There are many theories as to why we dream. These theories range from dreams having no meaning or purpose at all, to working through our day or issues, to premonitions/messages. It is my opinion that dreams are both our subconscious working through things and one way it sends us messages. Our subconscious uses people, places, situations, and symbols that we are familiar with to accomplish this. That is why dreams, and their meanings, are so personal. While you can purchase books about, or look up online, basic dream interpretations, they may not be entirely accurate for you. Our own feelings and beliefs about the world around us and the things in it can be very different for every culture, and individual. An example of this would be a dream that takes place on the ocean. For some people this may be a place of calm and peacefulness, while for others the ocean may cause feelings of anxiety or fear. Your feelings/beliefs about something in general, as well as how they made you feel in the dream are important to its interpretation. I talked briefly about dream interpretations in a previous post called Dare to Dream. That said, the focus of this post will be on types of dreams, specifically realistic vs lucid dreams, with a bit about premonitions near the end.
 
As mentioned above, some dreams are said to be about our subconscious working things out or sending our conscious mind messages. While our regular nightly dreams can fall into this category, so too can realistic or lucid dreams.
 
Regardless of the reason for the dream, some feel so real we feel that we are really there, and that things are really happening. Even when something seemingly unreal or bizarre is happening, we can just accept that it’s real anyway. Realistic dreams are immersive, in the dream you are a passive participant (not in control), and when you wake up it can feel like it actually happened, which can be rather disorienting for a few minutes. When studies have been done, little activity was detected in the prefrontal cortex of the brain (which is associated with logic and self-reflection). I often have this kind of dream, and have since I was a child. Sometimes they do become lucid.
 
During lucid dreams, however, more activity (than in realistic dreams) has been recorded in the prefrontal cortex. During a lucid dream the dreamer not only becomes aware that they are dreaming, but can then begin to control aspects of their dream and its narrative. It can still feel very real, like a realistic dream, but you are no longer just a passive participant. Lucid dreaming, while a fascinating field of study (I find), is difficult to actually study. Sometimes, once the dreamer becomes lucid, they will exit the dream rather quickly. Sometimes, frequent and practiced lucid dreamers in normal life, find difficulty becoming lucid in dreams once they are being studied. That said, some studies that have been conducted show that actions taken within lucid dreams have some waking world results. For example, performing exercise while lucid dreaming does raise heart rate, and actions practiced while dreaming lucidly have increased skill levels with that action while participants were awake. It has even been used, with limited success thus far, in therapies for things like PTSD. However, results are fairly split between whether lucid dreaming provides real improvement in a person’s mental health, or can be detrimental. They do believe, however, that studying lucid dreaming, when compared to regular/realistic dreaming, can improve our understanding of human consciousness. Which is fascinating in and of itself.
 
If you would like to learn more about lucid dreaming and how to do it there are plenty of instructional videos online. Llewellyn has even published an entire book called Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming by Clare R Johnson (which was an interesting read). You can begin your dream journey with journaling your dreams immediately upon waking. If you wait too long you can forget important details. Journaling also allows you to keep track of the types and themes of dreams/their messages so you can see patterns, and, if you journal about your day/life, what was happening before and after you had the dreams. This would be a good way to help determine if your dreams have a premonitory aspect as well.
 
A little side note on premonitions. This is not a skill that I personally have, however, I have known people that have premonitory dreams. This can seem, as any gift can, like a blessing or a curse, depending on the content. I have been told that often, especially when unpracticed, these dreams can be mere fragments, or jumbled pieces, and can make no sense to the dreamer until whatever it was happened. I understand how this could be really frustrating, and even scary. I would recommend, if you have such dreams (or think you do), you should try to find others who are more practiced with this skill to help guide you on how to develop it. I do believe that we have the skills we do for a reason, and to not develop or understand them can make them even more frightening or unruly. Our gifts (and our guides) can be persistent that way. Books are fantastic, but there is nothing quite like real world experience. Trust your instincts.
 
 
So, have you ever had a realistic or a lucid dream? Is this common practice for you? Do you remember your dreams? Do you want to? I would love to know your experiences.