May 27, 2008

300 Years Old:::Kyukyodo Company


The ground for the first Kyukyodo store was broken in 1633 in the Teramachi district of Kyoto, by a descendent of a warrior, whose deeds are chronicled in The Tale of the Heike. More than 300 years later, Kyukyodo still stocks incense, sumi ink, and calligraphy brushes. But they also sell rubber stamps in kanji and English, washi photo frames, and gold wedding albums. Customers are just as apt to be foreign tourist groups strolling Ginza's Chuo Dori as kimono-clad women looking for that perfect New Year's card, scroll hanger, or shrine book. The first floor of Kyukyodo's main Ginza branch stocks more than 250 different rolls of washi in every color and style imaginable, from delicate two-color patterns and in-your-face sakura motifs to thick lacquer-like red and black paper. Washi letter sets and more expensive Chinese types for calligraphy are also on offer.
-From Metropolis, Japan's #1 English Magazine

May 24, 2008

Bursera graveolens

Palo santo oil, made from the "holy wood" of Ecuador's Bursera graveolens, is a powerful oil used in prayer, spiritual and energy work, physical healing...more


May 17, 2008

Hina


India’s exotic, Hina attar possesses a subtly sweet and exotic floral aroma renowned for brining good fortune, spiritual blessings, happiness & balance; Gul Hina is also known as the flower of paradise and is an attar used in obstacle removing, anointing, and Meditation
A warming and relaxing scent known for sharpening psychic abilities and bringing clarity to the mind. Nourishes heart energy and devotion. In small amounts it is balancing to all three doshas.
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Hina, India's Mystery Perfume

Harmal and Soma


In Turkey Peganum harmala is called yüzerlik or üzerlik. Dried capsules from this plant are strung and hung in homes or vehicles.

In Iran, dried capsules (known in Persian as اسپند espænd or اسفنددانه esfænd-dāneh) - mixed with other ingredients - are burnt so as to produce a light, distinctly scented smoke or incense. It is used as an air as well as mind purifier, perhaps linked to its entheogenic properties....More

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Soma (Sanskrit: सोमः)
was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the later Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, which contains many hymns praising its energizing qualities(ojas and tapas). In the Avesta, Haoma has an entire Yasht dedicated to it. Peganum harmala is just one of the many ingredients in soma, and is said to bring Supreme Truth ---represented by India's Indra...more


click Harmala for imformative database search results

Blue Lotus


Nymphaea caerulea,
also known as the Egyptian blue lily or sacred blue lily, is a
blue water-lily in the genus Nymphaea that grows along the Nile, amongst other locations (eg. Thailand). It can be confused with Blue Lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, as they can both be known by this name. It has historically been known as the blue lotus and sacred lotus, particularly in discussing its revered status among the Ancient Egyptians, Nubians, Abyssinians, and any number of historic African civilizations of the ancient world. more...[wikipedia]

An "must have" for anyone working with the chakras, doing energy work, or using the oils as a part of their spiritual journey.
~Nature's Gift Aromatherapy Products

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Blue Lotus Export: more


Gymnadenia Orchidis


Gymnadenia is an orchid grown in the "roof of the world," the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau nature reserve. Elevation; 3000-6000 meters--cold, snowy, and no pollution--natural, pure and unique to the area as luxury herbs. Gymnadenia Orchidis is a powerful tonic similar to ginseng in its properties, and is widely used in Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicines. It is a key ingredient in all of The Dhoop Factory Incenses, (from Bhutan)...more


Russian Sage



Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is an interesting plant---It is not Russian, nor is it a sage. Native to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Tibet, and a genus of the mint family, it provides a warm and unmistakable scent--and the little purple flowers make salads even tastier. Grown better in zones 4-7, this mints flowers can be used as a mild and resinous smoke for nervous conditions and meditation(in Iran). Cut and bundled, makes for a great smudge stick too.

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:: :Angkor Wat::: :





Angkor Wat...more







May 10, 2008

Pikake Lei


Transcendental Scent: Pikake Lei


In Hawaii, the flower is known as "pikake" or "pikaki," and is used to make fragrant leis. In South India, jasmines are strung into thick strands and worn as a hair adornment. In China, the flower is processed and used as the main ingredient in jasmine tea.

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May 9, 2008

Sweet and alkalizing:: : :Melissa:: : :



Melissa
is a sweet- and pleasant-smelling
essential oil that is also commonly referred to as lemon balm. In Greek, Melissa means honey bee and the plant is often found growing near bee hives. It is considered to be one of the most medicinally powerful oils in aromatherapy practice, due to its strong antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and sedative qualities.
In addition, its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties are excellent. Melissa is expensive because it takes anywhere from three to seven tons of plants to make one pound of oil. Therefore, it is usually diluted to make it more affordable. Melissa oil is associated with helping nervous disorders, headaches, ph balancing, alkalizing emotional imbalances and daily stress.


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May 7, 2008

: ::The Burn:: :

Transcendental Scent: Oudh, agarwood, aloeswood


The first thing your sense of smell picks up in an Arab house is the heady aroma of Oudh wafting in the air. Oudh is considered as a supreme fragrance in the Gulf countries. In Bahrain, Oudh is burned as a mark of respect and hospitality and is a traditional gesture of welcoming and honouring guests. In fact, Oudh is considered an important feature at most social occasions....[more]


Agarwood
or just Agar is the
resinous heartwood from Aquilaria trees, large evergreens native to southeast Asia. The trees occasionally become infected with mold and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. As the infection grows, it results in a very rich, dark resin within the heartwood. It is this precious resinous wood that is treasured around the world.
The resin is commonly called Gaharu, Jinko, Aloeswood, Agarwood or Oud and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, thus it is used for
incense and perfumes....more

Oudh
Scents of the Earth
Aloeswood Attar

oriscent


Agarwood is the most rare
and precious wood on the planet...
[click]



Around the World

The West
Aloeswood/Oudh oil is slowly making an appearance in The West where the majority of people do not know about this natural gift of nature.

Middle East
The Aloeswood oil termed as 'Oudh' in the Middle East is highly valued for its fragrance, it can go upto astonishingly high prices due to the level of demand that exists. It is worn on clothes and skin, mainly used by men during special occasions such as Eid and Friday prayers.

Oman
One of the most prized fragrance items in Oman is oudh, which is imported from Cambodia, India and Malaysia. It is a musky-smelling wood which may be burned or from which oil can be extracted. It is very expensive and only used on important occasions such as Eid, weddings, funerals and to celebrate the birth of a child. The oudh oil will often be given as part of a woman's dowry, together with gold and other gifts.

Japan
The wood is carved as settings for precious stones and Aloeswood is an excellent wood for sculptures and carvings In Japan, Aloeswood is used in a complex fragrance guessing game called koh-do, part of the ceremonial appreciation of incense adopted from the Chinese, who still use the expression wenxiang, "listening to the incense." Japanese Shamans use Aloeswood Oils for its psychoactive properties. They believe enhances mental clarity and opens the third eye as well as all of the upper charkas.

China
There are many stories about Aloeswood being buried under the ground for hundreds of years. This legend comes from an old Chinese book on incense. Aloeswood oil is prized in China for its psychoactive properties.

Buddhist
Used chiefly for Incense for the Mind - during meditation, Agarwood is highly psychoactive. It is used for spiritual journey, enlightenment, clarity and grounding. Buddhists use it for transmutation of ignorance

Tibetan Monks
Tibetan monks use it to bring energy to the center and calm the mind and spirit.

Sufis
The Sufis use Agarwood oil in their esoteric ceremoniesPractitioners Around the World It is recommended by experienced practitioners for providing motivation and devotion to meditation
.

...Used to facilitate communication with the transcendent, refreshes the mind and body, drives away evil spirits, takes away exhaustion, removes impurities, expels negative energies, brings alertness, calms the nervous system, relieves anxiety, invokes a sense of strength and peace, creating natural order in your sacred living areas, enhances cerebral functioning, remedies nervous disorders such as neurosis, obsessive behaviour, etc., and it is a companion in solitude. Chinese, Tibetan, Ayurvedic and Unanai physicians have all used Agarwood in their practice to treat various diseases as well as mental illness.Aloeswood Medicinal Uses Stimulant, tonic, nausea, nerves, regurgitation, weakness in the elderly, aphrodisiac, diuretic, relieves epilepsy, antimicrobial, carminative (gas), smallpox, rheumatism, illness during and after childbirth, relieves spasms in digestive and respiratory systems, shortness of breath, chills, general pains, lowers fever, asthma, cancer, colic, digestive and bronchial complaints, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, cirrhosis of the liver and as a director or focuser for other medicines. It has also been used as a treatment for lung and stomach tumours....[more]





Kyara
This is the most famous and well known of all Aloes wood some believe to come from either Vietnam or Cambodia. Kyara is a particular odor described as: "A gentle and dignified smell with a touch of bitterness. The fragrance is like an aristocrat in its elegance and gracefulness." Kiyoko Morita notes in her published work, "The Book of Incense," that opinions differ from incense masters on what is kyara.

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