Aromatherapy Thursday - Rose

Around age 9 we moved to the country farm that had been in my family for years.  My Grandmother had just passed away and the farm was pretty much done but there were still fields to work and buildings to tend to.  My grandmother was an avid garden and took great pride in her flowers.  I remember mostly her Lily of the valley and Trumpet Lilies in the spring and her Rose bushes in the summer. 

This beautiful piece can be found in ETSY Shop Nightside Ink at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/nightsideink?ref=seller_info

I was blessed as a child because I was able to spend most of my days outside in, what seemed at the time, thousands of acres of fields, forest, and flowers.  We had a driveway that passed over a creek and on either side were beautiful pink Wisconsin Wild Roses all the way up to the edges of the fields.  They were not ever-blooming but their fragrance is sweeter than any other rose.     

Found in ETSY Shop Lannarfelt at
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/lannarfelt?ref=seller_info

Every summer, as soon as they started to bloom, I would grab paper grocery bags and run down the driveway. I picked bags of their beautiful petals, but I was always careful to leave enough in each area so that it would still be pretty as we drove by.

This beautiful print is from ETSY Shop The Butterfly Letters (I am partial to the name:) at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ButterflyLetters?ref=seller_info

After I picked my fill I would bring my treasures back home and begin my little projects.  I would dry many of them and in my early years I just kept them as they were but some I would add to paper pulp concoctions and other fun crafts. 

This Wisconsin Wild Rose Bath Salts is found in ETSY Shop Summer Wind Soy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SummerwindSoy?ref=seller_info

The best craft was one I had found in a book that belonged to my grandmother; Rose Beads.  Although this is an easy craft it was very time consuming but well worth the work.

I would hoard a box full under my bed and throughout the winter I pulled it out and find my heavenly scented black beads.  And I would plan all the things I would do with them and how the next summer I would make even more beads as presents for everyone. 

In those days I didn't have access to fragrance or essential oils so the scent they had was purely from the wild roses themselves.  This recipe is a treasured recipe and can be especially fun for kids, with supervision of course.  But once the clay is made it will keep them busy for a long time, making the time invested well worth it.  For the recipe click on the icon below.

Using roses to fragrance the skin and home has been traced back as far as ancient Egyptian times.  This alluring fragrance has a long history and for many cultures it was reserved for the elite. 

This beautiful Cleopatra Pocket Mirror can be found in ETSY Shop Solocosmo at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/solocosmo?ref=seller_info

The image of the rose conjures romantic thoughts and is often related to femininity.  Its fragrance has been found to be uplifting and sensual.  The aroma can also help enhance moods and relieve feelings of grief.  The rose also is known to be good for dry skin and can help with relieving feminine issues during times of PMS and menopause.

This wonderful bath set can be found in ETSY Shop The Bonnie Bath Co. at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BonnieBath?ref=seller_info

Not only can the rose be used to create beautiful sensual baths and beauty products but it has other great properties such as toning the skin and increasing circulation.




As with any aromatherapy and essential oil, check for allergies first and consult your physician prior to use.