Borage (Borago officinalis) - the herb of Gladness - the oil of Healing

Borage oil is one of my favorite oils - and it is not an essential oil. Borage oil is a carrier oil, produced by pressing the seeds of the Borage plant. This oil is desired as an excellent source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3, cis 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid), for which borage is the highest known plant-based source (between 26-38%) and in addition to GLA contains the fatty acids palmitic acid (10-11%), stearic acid (3.5-4.5%), oleic acid (16-20%), linoleic acid (35-38%), eicosenoic acid (3.5-5.5%), erucic acid (1.5-3.5%), and nervonic acid (1.5%).

Borage oil has many wonderful properties. It is used for regulation of metabolism and the hormonal system, and consider it to be a good remedy for PMS and menopause symptoms such as the hot flash. I personally have taken it for several years - since entering into premenopause - and have not suffered from hot flashes. I have recommended Borage Oil to numerous other women dealing with hot flashes, and all who took this oil reported that the hot flashes stopped after about taking this oil for a couple of weeks.

Additionally, Boragae oil is used medicinally as an anti-inflammatory, for treating arthritis, as well as certain skin conditions (e.g. atopic dermatitis) and respiratory inflammation.

Topically, Borage Oil is incredibly healing. When a loved one was undergoing Interferon treatment and her skin was irritated and breaking down, I gave her some Borage oil to apply topically. She told me that the Borage oil was what kept her from going insane scratching. Another powerful demonstrations of the benefits to the skin of topically applied borage oil is a clinical study done on 48 infants suffering from severe infantile seborrhoic dermatitis, a common condition in infants known as "cradle cap." This condition is characterized by dry scales and crusts on the scalp, eyelids, face, armpits, breast and groin. The infants were treated twice daily with topically applied borage oil and the condition cleared within two weeks. Not only was there improvement in the areas where the borage oil was directly applied, but also in the areas where it was not. This result indicated that the borage oil was effectively absorbed through the skin and became available throughout the body as a source of gamma-linolenic acid for the biosynthesis of Prostaglandin 1. If the treatment was discontinued, the symptoms came back within 1 week. However, if the treatment was maintained until the infants became 7 months old and was then stopped, there was no relapse.

(The authors hypothesized that these infants were born with an immature D6D enzyme system and were unable to produce sufficient gamma-linolenic acid on their own, thus giving rise to the symptoms of "cradle cap". The borage oil treatment corrected the symptoms by supplying GLA until the infant's own enzyme system caught up.)

As an herb - Borage is interesting as well. Borage (which has a cucumber-like taste)is an excellent companion plant for tomatoes, squash and strawberries. The plant actually improves the flavor of tomatoes growing nearby. Borage has been used since early times in teas to relieve depression and reduce fevers. The flowers or leaves are helpful for relieving the symptoms of bronchitis, and also act as an anti-diarrheal remedy. Take a cupful 2-3 times per day.

Externally, Borage leaves can also be ground into a paste (add hot water or tea, and maybe a little oatmeal for consistency) and make a cooling and soothing remedy for sprains, swelling, and skin inflammations and irritations.

Finally, the beautiful blue Borage flowers (one of the few blue edible flowers) and leaves are the traditional decoration for gin-based summer cocktails, and may be set in ice cubes to garnish other drinks.

Aromatherapy in cars - not so new

But in this economy, it is a good marketing stategy to promote it.

Nissan Forest air-con utilizes aromatherapy, 'natural' breezes to reduce fatigue

...
Aroma
Taking a hint from the pleasant effect of forest air on people, Nissan studied the effects of aromas on human mental activity. The resulting Forest AC system intermittently and alternately furnishes two unique aromas, borneol*1 and leaf alcohol*2, to alleviate boredom and stimulate the driver's brain. Borneol combines a compound made from fragrant Kapur wood, lavender and other essential oils to promote calm and focus, while leaf alcohol is found in most plants and is thought to have a calming effect and reduce fatigue. The system utilizes a special interchangeable aroma cartridge (with a one-year life) to produce the forest effect.

Development of the Forest AC was based on results of a joint Nissan research study with Professor Kikunori Shinohara of the Tokyo University of Science, Suwa, Japan. "The relaxed state," said Professor Shinohara, "is one in which the person calms down from external conditions or the consequences of what he or she has done and achieves mental acuity, resulting in good work." Test subjects simultaneously exposed to these aromas and controlled ventilation simulating a natural breeze exhibited changes in cerebral blood flow. This, Shinohara says, can create the relaxed state of a person sitting for calligraphy or a tea ceremony - alert and focused, yet with tension relieved...

Hmmm, that sounds like it would be good. I have a blend DH loves - of Frankincense and Spruce Fir EO's - and I think I might just give him some for his car now.

I've travelled for years with a clay angel diffuser in my car, and just a drop of my 'Spicy Citrus' synergy (a blend of CO2 Ginger EO with Orange, Grapefruit, Lime & Lemon EO's)really cleans & spices up the air in the car. On longer trips, we always diffuse the Peppermint EO to help keep us awake and avoid car sickness.

Personally - I would go easy on the Lavender EO in the car - don't want to get too relaxed. Heh ;-)

Happy Birthday Leos!

Well, as I like to say, sun sign astrology can be helpful, but to really know what is going on with a person, you need to cast their chart. However, it is a good start to know the general traits and tendencies of a sign - and with Leo the sun in in the sign it rules, so it is hard to mistake a Leo sun sign. It shines out. Heh.

Leo is the fifth Sign of the Zodiac, and it's ruler is the Sun. These folks are impossible to miss, since they love being center stage. Making an impression is Job One for Leos, and when you consider their personal magnetism, you see the job is quite easy - people are drawn to their natural warmth (Leo is a fire sign). Leos are an ambitious lot, and their strength of purpose allows them to accomplish a great deal. The fact that these folks are also creative makes their endeavors fun for them and everyone else. It's quite common to see a Leo on stage or in Hollywood, since these folks never shy away from the limelight. They are also supremely talented and have a flair for the dramatic. The fifth house is the house of creativity, love & children - and Leos take great pride and are very protective of their home & all of their 'babies'.

It's the Lion which symbolizes Leos, and the king (or queen) of the jungle is a most appropriate mascot, since these folks consider themselves the rulers of their universe (and the Zodiac at that). Strong with big hearts, Leos are very loyal to their family, friends & followers - and demand total loyality back. Like Lions, Leos tend to be dignified and strong, and it is this sense of their power which allows them to get things done. A Leo on your team is a good thing, since Lions are eager to see their projects through to completion. Putting these folks at the helm is a good thing, too, since the Leo-born are natural leaders. They may ruffle a few feathers along the way, however, since they can also be overbearing and somewhat autocratic. This may be in keeping with the Fixed Quality assigned to this Sign -- Lions are indeed opinionated and set in their ways. That said, they are well organized, idealistic and have a knack for inspiring others. Leos are very protective of their 'pride' and will fight to the death to protect all who are lucky enough to be loved by a Leo.

Solar Eclipse today

Asia watches long solar eclipse

What does this solar eclipse @ 29 degrees Cancer represent? First off, it will have a very big impact on those who have their moon, sun or ascendant placement close to the degree of the eclipse.



All eclipses shut something down, taking away elements of our lives no longer true for us. Cancer is ruled by the moon, and is the sign of home, mother, family, and intimate feelings. So a form of our personal past or how we define our needs will end, with the void sure to attract new forms of expressing this energy. Solar eclipses occur with the New Moon - and this is an excellent time to give up old habits that have emotionally tied us down and start positive new ones.

Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)

You are starting to see Tea Tree essential oil in many products these days, because it has won a reputation as a 'cure all' because of its powerful antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties. It can be used ‘neat’(without dilution) for athlete's foot, nail viruses and other fungal infections. I also use it in acne remedies; it is good for all skin infections. When fighting off a cold or flu, I massage tea tree oil (diluted to 10%) on my sternum to stimulate the thymus and enhance my immune system.

You can use it as well in a diffuser to combat the flu and other viral infections (it’s in my ‘Germ Free Synergy’). It is often recommended as the remedy for a vaginal candida infection. (I would most assuredly combine the tea tree EO with lavender EO and dilute the blend to 10% for that!)

Now the smell of Tea Tree – well, let’s call it "robust" because it is a definitive, in your face sort of oil. At first I did not like it at all, but I've come to respect its assertive, medicinal strength. A MUST HAVE for your essential oil first aid kit!


Here is some clinical information from the American Society for Microbiology:

Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties

...Complementary and alternative medicines such as tea tree (melaleuca) oil have become increasingly popular in recent decades. This essential oil has been used for almost 100 years in Australia but is now available worldwide both as neat oil and as an active component in an array of products. The primary uses of tea tree oil have historically capitalized on the antiseptic and anti-inflammatory actions of the oil. This review summarizes recent developments in our understanding of the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of the oil and its components, as well as clinical efficacy...

and

...Of all of the properties claimed for TTO, its antimicrobial activity has received the most attention. The earliest reported use of the M. alternifolia plant that presumably exploited this property was the traditional use by the Bundjalung Aborigines of northern New South Wales. Crushed leaves of "tea trees" were inhaled to treat coughs and colds or were sprinkled on wounds, after which a poultice was applied (135). In addition, tea tree leaves were soaked to make an infusion to treat sore throats or skin ailments (101, 135). The oral history of Australian Aborigines also tells of healing lakes, which were lagoons into which M. alternifolia leaves had fallen and decayed over time (3). Use of the oil itself, as opposed to the unextracted plant material, did not become common practice until Penfold published the first reports of its antimicrobial activity in a series of papers in the 1920s and 1930s. In evaluating the antimicrobial activity of M. alternifolia oil and other oils, he made comparisons with the disinfectant carbolic acid or phenol, the gold standard of the day, in a test known as the Rideal-Walker (RW) coefficient. The activity of TTO was compared directly with that of phenol and rated as 11 times more active (121)...

...contemporary data clearly show that the broad-spectrum activity of TTO includes antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiprotozoal activities....

And

A paradigm shift in the treatment of infectious diseases is necessary to prevent antibiotics becoming obsolete, and where appropriate, alternatives to antibiotics ought to be considered. There are already several nonantibiotic approaches to the treatment and prevention of infection, including probiotics, phages, and phytomedicines. Alternative therapies are viewed favorably by many patients because they are often not being helped by conventional therapy and they believe there are fewer detrimental side effects. In addition, many report significant improvement while taking complementary and alternative medicines. Unfortunately, the medical profession has been slow to embrace these therapies, and good scientific data are still scarce. However, as we approach the "postantibiotic era" the situation is changing. A wealth of in vitro data now supports the long-held beliefs that TTO has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

About Nicholas Culpeper...

"Gather all Leaves in the hour of that Planet that governs them." ~ Nicholas Culpeper

Nicholas Culpeper, born October 18,1616 – died January 10, 1654, was an English botanist, herbalist, physician, and astrologer. His published books, The English Physitian (1652) and the Complete Herbal (1653), contain a rich store of pharmaceutical and herbal knowledge. (Please click on the links provided to have access to both of his works online.)

Per wikipedia:

...Culpeper spent the greater part of his life in the English outdoors cataloguing hundreds of medicinal herbs. He criticized what he considered the unnatural methods of his contemporaries, writing: "This not being pleasing, and less profitable to me, I consulted with my two brothers, DR. REASON and DR. EXPERIENCE, and took a voyage to visit my mother NATURE, by whose advice, together with the help of Dr. DILIGENCE, I at last obtained my desire; and, being warned by MR. HONESTY, a stranger in our days, to publish it to the world, I have done it."[1]...

Culpeper was the son of Nicholas Culpeper (Senior), a clergyman. He studied at Cambridge, and afterwards became apprenticed to an apothecary. After seven years his master absconded with the money paid for the indenture, and soon after this, Culpeper's mother died of breast cancer.[2] Culpeper married the daughter of a wealthy merchant, which allowed him to set up a pharmacy in the halfway house in Spitalfields, London, outside the authority of the City of London at a time when medical facilities in London were at breaking point. Arguing that "no man deserved to starve to pay an insulting, insolent physician", and obtaining his herbal supplies from the nearby countryside, Culpeper was able to provide his services for free. This, and a willingness to examine patients in person rather than simply examining their urine (in his opinion, "as much piss as the Thames might hold" did not help in diagnosis), Culpeper was extremely active, sometimes seeing as many as forty people in one morning. Using a combination of experience and astrology, Culpeper devoted himself to using herbals to treat the illnesses of his patients.

...Culpeper attempted to make medical treatments more accessible to layperson by educating them about maintaining their health. Ultimately his ambition was to reform the system of medicine by questioning traditional methods and knowledge and exploring new solutions for ill health. The systematization of the use of herbals by Culpeper was a key development in the evolution of modern pharmaceuticals, most of which originally had herbal origins.[3]

Culpeper's emphasis on reason rather than tradition is reflected in the introduction to his Complete Herbal, though his definition of reason was not that different from the Romantic philosophies of the era presenting nature as refuge. Culpepper paired the plants and diseases with planetary influences, countering illnesses with nostroms that were paired with an opposing planetary influence....

For more info & a natal chart of Nicholas Culpeper - please check out Astro.com's post about him.

Uh oh...dark days ahead?

With a series of six triple eclipses starting July, astrologers predict tumultous times

The world will witness a series of triple eclipses, beginning next month. And astrologers are divided on this rare astronomical event's effects.

The first series of the triple eclipses will begin with a lunar eclipse on July 7, followed by a solar eclipse on July 22, and another lunar eclipse on August 7. Six more such triple eclipses will occur over the next decade, until 2020....

Astrologer couple, Dr D K Hari and Dr Hema Hari, has authored a book on the triple eclipses. According to them, triple eclipse series in the past have coincided with tumultuous times on earth. The first recorded triple eclipse in 3067 BCE (Before Common Era) coincided with the Kurukshetra war.

The destruction of the city of Dwaraka also coincided with another set of triple eclipse in 3031 BCE.

More recently, in the first half of the 20th century, there were a series of triple eclipses between 1910 and 1945, which coincided with events like World Wars I and II, the Holocaust and the nuclear bombings in Japan.

"There are positive effects of the triple eclipse as well," said Hari...All bad things that happen are for the good and the ultimate effect of the triple eclipses will be positive."

Let's hope so. I believe everything happens for a reason, and radical change - while very upsetting at the time - can allow for old, outdated things to be removed so newer, more appropriate things can take their place.

What are the meanings of the eclipses in astrology? Well, very simply, a solar eclipse is actually a very special New Moon (where the Moon is totally dark). It is a powerful time to start new projects. Things that are begun between the eclipse and the next Full Moon (about 2 weeks), seeds we plant, projects we undertake, contacts we make, and intentions we set, take on added significance 6 months down the road.

Likewise, a Lunar eclipse is a very special Full Moon. Decisions we make, things we let go of, and things we finish during this waning cycle have significance in the future. It is an excellent time to give up an bad habits, like smoking.

A series of eclipses signifies great changes on both the personal and community levels - and how it impacts you depends on the planet placement in your natal chart.

The first and most potent cause of such events lies in the conjunctions of the Sun and Moon at eclipse and the movements of the stars at the time - Ptolemy

Time to break out the 'Germ-Free' oil synergy!

By now I'm sure all of you have heard of the 'Swine Flu' H1N1 pandemic. Please check out the CDC's recommendations to protect yourself against this virus.

One natural way to help protect your family this flu season is to diffuse 'Germ Free' synergy oil in your home. This is a wonderful, warm, spicy blend that I developed to help clean the air of nasty bugs and germs that cause colds and flu. Certain essential oils have been proven to be highly antibacterial and antiviral in the air as well as on contact(please see this article: Antiviral and Antimicrobial Properties of Essential Oils) and these were the ones I wanted to diffuse to clean the air of my busy home!

Another fact is that while each of these oils are highly effective germ killers – their overall effectiveness increases with them being used together as a synergy. Good stuff! For my 'Germ Free' synergy oil I blend the clean, fresh scent of Orange, Tea Tree, Oregano (highly antiviral essential oil), Pine, Lemon Eucalyptus (anti-fungal), and the powerful germ killing, yet wonderfully spicy and warm - Cinnamon and Clove essential oils.

Please note – this is a pure essential oil blend - DO NOT use this blend on the skin, because it could irritate and sensitize you. It is designed for the diffuser, or to be diluted into a room and countertop spray (using alcohol & water). I have also used a couple of drops of 'Germ Free' on a bandana when in crowd or on a plane traveling - the scent is warm and comforting, especially if someone is sneezing or coughing near you!

If you are interested in obtaining a bottle or two of my 'Germ Free' synergy blend, please contact me via email: celtic.selky@gmail.com or via phone:407-595-7036.

Zen thought for the day

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains..."
~ Diane Ackerman