Guest guest Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 Hello, My name is Lori and I want to say thank you to the moderators for their warm welcome. It has been a while since I signed up so apologize for the late intro. I am trying to find a resource on sacred use of essential oils and am only finding aromatherapy novels and MLM garbage on the net. I would like an authoritative publication to use as a reference guide that addresses the oils used historically in world religions. Maybe Martin or someone else here could make a recommendation for me. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 >My name is Lori and I want to say thank you to the moderators for their >warm welcome. It has been a while since I signed up so apologize for the >late intro. I am trying to find a resource on sacred use of essential >oils and am only finding aromatherapy novels and MLM garbage on the >net. I would like an authoritative publication to use as a reference >guide that addresses the oils used historically in world religions. Maybe >Martin or someone else here could make a recommendation for me. Thank you. I'm sure that Martin will chime in... but it's my understanding that the aromatics that were used in ancient times were infused botanicals, or dried herbs, etc. They simply didn't produce essential oils in, for example, Biblical times. Which does not mean that you can't use the oils in place of the raw aromatics... For example, we use Frankincense, Myrrh, Spikenard, etc... in our Magdalene's Anoint. But we don't ever try to pretend that it is the same as what was mentioned in the Bible. and before I forget...welcome. Seems to me years ago Graham published a list of the aromatics mentioned in the Bible...that would be a starting place. And I *may* have something sent by one of my Indian suppliers about the flowers used for various religious purposes there. If I can find it, I'll send it on. Since 1995 - supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare Professionals Website: http://www.naturesgift.com Blog: http://naturesgiftaromatherapy.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 > I'm sure that Martin will chime in... but it's my understanding that the > aromatics that were used in ancient times were infused botanicals, or dried > herbs, etc. They simply didn't produce essential oils in, for example, > Biblical times. > >Thank you very much for your response Marge. I have often assumed that ancient cultures used infused botanicals vs our modern distilled eo's. So many website try to proclaim that their " anointing oils " are the same formulas used in the Bible and I just find that a hard pill to swallow. Of course, I may be wrong. I would like to eventually teach a class on the classic forms of anointing oils of ancient civilizations if I could ever find enough info. I just actually ordered a book from Amazon that I found on Aromaweb, called " Aromatherapy Anointing Oils: Spiritual Blessings, Ceremonies, and Affirmations " by Joni Loughran. There was another book listed written by an Egyptologist, but I did not have the funds available to purchase as it was a higher price point. I am looking forward to more responses to my quest! Blessings, Lori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 ATFE2 , " Lori " <lkschuster wrote: > > > I'm sure that Martin will chime in... but it's my understanding that the > > aromatics that were used in ancient times were infused botanicals, or dried > > herbs, etc. They simply didn't produce essential oils in, for example, > > Biblical times. > > Hi there, Although i have been a member of the group for a while this is my first time posting. Hello everyone! From my understanding a persian (modern day Iranian)called Abd Allah ibn Sina identified/devised the distillation process somewhere between 980-1037 (check Wiki). Before then i think that probably the ancient Egyptians who used botanical produce in perfumery for embalming and the like. I know that in my family (from Yemen) still burn frankencense resin (daily) and sandalwood at funerals and that depending on the quality they can be extremely expensive. Recently bought a few grams of Sandalwood in Abu Dhabi for my late grandmother for couple of hundred £'s. But hey I digress! Take Care Bex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 Ditto on what Marge said. All this stuff about sacred essential oils is hogwash promoted by Young Living. It is highly unlikely that any essential oils were around during the several hundred years over which the Christian stories were written. Certainly infused oils and resins were used. Of course I am assuming when using the word " sacred " that you mean the Christian uses as there are numerous other religious practices that use " sacred " plants or their extracts. The only books that I would half trust are those written by botanists on the Ancient uses of plants, or perhaps Lisa Maniche book on Ancient Egyptian medicinal plants. At least she can read the glyphs on the monuments but cannot always put a plant to what the glyph says. This is always the problem when dealing with Ancient uses of plants. Often the dialect used to write about them is not fully understood by modern users of that language. Martin Watt http://www.aromamedical.com http://www.aromamedical.org ATFE2 , " Lori " <lkschuster wrote: > > Hello, > > My name is Lori and I want to say thank you to the moderators for their warm welcome. It has been a while since I signed up so apologize for the late intro. I am trying to find a resource on sacred use of essential oils and am only finding aromatherapy novels and MLM garbage on the net. I would like an authoritative publication to use as a reference guide that addresses the oils used historically in world religions. Maybe Martin or someone else here could make a recommendation for me. Thank you. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Hi All, I've done a bit of research on this . . . we are learning more and more as archaeologists continue to unearth history and it is all fascinating to unravel. A recent excavation in northwest Pakistan shows evidence that alcohol was distilled (rudimentary) as early as 500 BC, however the practice only became common somewhere between 150 BC and 350 AD (quite a spread of time and not accurately pinpointed yet). Most probably, alcohol distillation using an alembic was attributed to Jabir ibn Hayyan around the 8th century. The Latin verb, stillare, is translated as both " to distill " and " to drip " , so the search is still on to pinpoint exactly when the latter became the former. Joseph Lambert, in Traces of the Past, writes about a wooden Etruscan ship that sunk off the coast of Giglio ca. 800 BC made with tar extracted from pine wood. A sophisticated GC/MS has been used to identify ancient resins used to preserve a mummy, and a reconstruction of a mediviel apparatus for producing the tar depicts a vessel sunk in the ground to collect the tar with an upper vessel filled with the bark or wood being extracted with holes in the bottom to allow the tar to flow down into the collection vessel. The two are sealed so that a fire can be built in the pit surrounding the upper container to heat the wood to a point of extracting the tar. The analysis found crudely refined bitumen in the tar, which only could be produced by high heat. We've been enthralled by this article http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/21/oldest_perfume/ in which archaeologists discovered the world's oldest perfume . . . 4,000 years old. This of course, is long before the purported time of Jesus. However, the technique of burying a long-necked jug filled with herbs, oil and water over embers for 12 hours would be closer to what we call 'infusion'. None of this, of course, is true distillation, which requires vaporization and condensation. These reports, however, perhaps are the beginnings of the long journey to " pure " distillation with steam or water that we attribute to having invented somewhere in the 11th Century. Be Well, Marcia Elston, Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence http://www.wingedseed.com <http://www.wingedseed.com/> http://www.aromaconnection.org <http://www.aromaconnection.org/> " The most commom way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any " : Alice Walker _____ ATFE2 [ATFE2 ] On Behalf Of Martin Watt Tuesday, May 19, 2009 4:51 AM ATFE2 [ATFE2] Re: intro and quest Ditto on what Marge said. All this stuff about sacred essential oils is hogwash promoted by Young Living. It is highly unlikely that any essential oils were around during the several hundred years over which the Christian stories were written. Certainly infused oils and resins were used. Of course I am assuming when using the word " sacred " that you mean the Christian uses as there are numerous other religious practices that use " sacred " plants or their extracts. The only books that I would half trust are those written by botanists on the Ancient uses of plants, or perhaps Lisa Maniche book on Ancient Egyptian medicinal plants. At least she can read the glyphs on the monuments but cannot always put a plant to what the glyph says. This is always the problem when dealing with Ancient uses of plants. Often the dialect used to write about them is not fully understood by modern users of that language. Martin Watt http://www.aromamed <http://www.aromamedical.com> ical.com http://www.aromamed <http://www.aromamedical.org> ical.org ATFE2 (AT) (DOT) <ATFE2%40> com, " Lori " <lkschuster wrote: > > Hello, > > My name is Lori and I want to say thank you to the moderators for their warm welcome. It has been a while since I signed up so apologize for the late intro. I am trying to find a resource on sacred use of essential oils and am only finding aromatherapy novels and MLM garbage on the net. I would like an authoritative publication to use as a reference guide that addresses the oils used historically in world religions. Maybe Martin or someone else here could make a recommendation for me. Thank you. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 At 04:31 AM 5/20/2009, you wrote: >We've been enthralled by this >article http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/21/oldest_perfume/ in which >archaeologists discovered the world's oldest perfume . . . 4,000 years old. >This of course, is long before the purported time of Jesus. However, the >technique of burying a long-necked jug filled with herbs, oil and water over >embers for 12 hours would be closer to what we call 'infusion'. > >None of this, of course, is true distillation, which requires vaporization >and condensation. These reports, however, perhaps are the beginnings of the >long journey to " pure " distillation with steam or water that we attribute to >having invented somewhere in the 11th Century. Thanks, Marcia... I had missed that..or forgotten it. Since 1995 - supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare Professionals Website: http://www.naturesgift.com Blog: http://naturesgiftaromatherapy.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Agreed there is lots of evidence that distillation was know about in Ancient times. What there is no evidence of, is that they used it to create essential oils. Those stills used for aromatic plants seemed to have been principally for the production of aromatic waters. The perfumes were all animal fat or vegetable oil extracts, and made using the crude resins. During distillation, doubtless they noticed the fine layer of oil, but if they went further to collect that as a separate item I can see no evidence of. Destructive distillation was also used to make tars which are nothing like a distilled oil. The biggest use of stills seems to have been to extract crude kerosene for oil lamps from the natural pools of crude oil that popped up all over the Middle East. Martin -- In ATFE2 , " Marcia Elston " <Marcia wrote: > > Hi All, > > I've done a bit of research on this . . . we are learning more and more as > archaeologists continue to unearth history and it is all fascinating to > unravel. A recent excavation in northwest Pakistan shows evidence that > alcohol was distilled (rudimentary) as early as 500 BC, however the practice > only became common somewhere between 150 BC and 350 AD (quite a spread of > time and not accurately pinpointed yet). Most probably, alcohol > distillation using an alembic was attributed to Jabir ibn Hayyan around the > 8th century. The Latin verb, stillare, is translated as both " to distill " > and " to drip " , so the search is still on to pinpoint exactly when the latter > became the former. Joseph Lambert, in Traces of the Past, writes about a > wooden Etruscan ship that sunk off the coast of Giglio ca. 800 BC made with > tar extracted from pine wood. A sophisticated GC/MS has been used to > identify ancient resins used to preserve a mummy, and a reconstruction of a > mediviel apparatus for producing the tar depicts a vessel sunk in the ground > to collect the tar with an upper vessel filled with the bark or wood being > extracted with holes in the bottom to allow the tar to flow down into the > collection vessel. The two are sealed so that a fire can be built in the > pit surrounding the upper container to heat the wood to a point of > extracting the tar. The analysis found crudely refined bitumen in the tar, > which only could be produced by high heat. We've been enthralled by this > article http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/21/oldest_perfume/ in which > archaeologists discovered the world's oldest perfume . . . 4,000 years old. > This of course, is long before the purported time of Jesus. However, the > technique of burying a long-necked jug filled with herbs, oil and water over > embers for 12 hours would be closer to what we call 'infusion'. > > None of this, of course, is true distillation, which requires vaporization > and condensation. These reports, however, perhaps are the beginnings of the > long journey to " pure " distillation with steam or water that we attribute to > having invented somewhere in the 11th Century. > > Be Well, > Marcia Elston, Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence > http://www.wingedseed.com <http://www.wingedseed.com/> > http://www.aromaconnection.org <http://www.aromaconnection.org/> > " The most commom way people give up their power is by thinking they don't > have any " : Alice Walker > > > > > > _____ > > ATFE2 [ATFE2 ] On Behalf Of > Martin Watt > Tuesday, May 19, 2009 4:51 AM > ATFE2 > [ATFE2] Re: intro and quest > > > > > > Ditto on what Marge said. All this stuff about sacred essential oils is > hogwash promoted by Young Living. It is highly unlikely that any essential > oils were around during the several hundred years over which the Christian > stories were written. Certainly infused oils and resins were used. Of course > I am assuming when using the word " sacred " that you mean the Christian uses > as there are numerous other religious practices that use " sacred " plants or > their extracts. > > The only books that I would half trust are those written by botanists on the > Ancient uses of plants, or perhaps Lisa Maniche book on Ancient Egyptian > medicinal plants. At least she can read the glyphs on the monuments but > cannot always put a plant to what the glyph says. This is always the problem > when dealing with Ancient uses of plants. Often the dialect used to write > about them is not fully understood by modern users of that language. > > Martin Watt > http://www.aromamed <http://www.aromamedical.com> ical.com > http://www.aromamed <http://www.aromamedical.org> ical.org > > ATFE2 (AT) (DOT) <ATFE2%40> com, " Lori " > <lkschuster@> wrote: > > > > Hello, > > > > My name is Lori and I want to say thank you to the moderators for their > warm welcome. It has been a while since I signed up so apologize for the > late intro. I am trying to find a resource on sacred use of essential oils > and am only finding aromatherapy novels and MLM garbage on the net. I would > like an authoritative publication to use as a reference guide that addresses > the oils used historically in world religions. Maybe Martin or someone else > here could make a recommendation for me. Thank you. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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