Remember that You Are the Cosmos

June 2, 2024 juniper stokes

Nothing on this site has been written by AI.

Y’all know I love me some A’s — astrology, aromatics, ascension, anointing…

So I’ve often wondered…do people think I’m a flaky dilettante when they peruse my writing?

I mean, one day I’m sharing a deep dive into the Age of Aquarius, the next I’m channeling a meditation with an Egyptian goddess, then I’m waxing poetic on ecological trauma, and then I’m going on about natural perfume fragrance families!

But it is all connected. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Historically, aromatic plants were always tied to spirituality through perfume. They were always a reflection of our connection with the Earth and the environments we live in. They were always understood in relationship with the cosmos.

And this is true cross culturally, though with some differently flavored systems ;)

In Western alchemy and esoteric traditions, every plant is ruled by a planetary god (or gods). Rose graces us with the blessings of Venus, and nettles protect us alongside Mars.

I’ll share more on this later. For today, I want to dive into an area of astrological aromatics that not as many people are familiar with…Taoist cosmic perfumery.

(How absolutely juicy are those words? I think the word “juicy” is super cringe. But Taoist Cosmic Perfumery??? I mean. It does give juicy vibes.)

Taoist philosophy teaches us that our bodies are microcosms of the universal macrocosm. The cosmos are reflected in our own physical beings. Mountains and oceans of energy rise and pool throughout our energetic vessel, just as physical mountains and oceans are energetic forces upon our Earth.

And just as stars form constellations in the skies, our meridians, organs, and acupuncture points form constellations within our bodies.

The Big Dipper is one of the most important ones: Polaris, our north star, resides in our heart while the rest of the seven sacred stars rotate around it. (How beautiful that the north star is a guiding light for our souls across cultural traditions.) In a way, our hearts are portals to our connection with the cosmos all around us.

Unfortunately, life often weakens, blocks, or severs our connection with the cosmos. You can probably see this in people around you, most of whom go through life not feeling their connection with the cosmos, unaware of the universe within themselves.

When this happens, the microcosmic orbit — our inner energetic flow that forms the basis for health, vitality, and longevity — isn’t able to flow freely. And we suffer as a result.

This is where the aromatics and anointing come in.

I’ve written before on the Taoist tradition of using essential oils to anoint acupuncture points. Again, this is not a modern invention. True distillation existed in China thousands of years ago, and oils and waters produced by this process were seen as pure alchemy.

Essential oils in particular are said to carry the jing of a plant. Jing is a type of chi that’s kind of like our genetic makeup, the divine blueprint of our physical and energetic bodies. And plant jing is perfectly evolved to support human jing :) When we receive the jing of a plant through an essential oil, it activates our body’s innate memory of its divine blueprint for health and cosmic connection.

Blending these oils into healing formulas is a whole world of complexities…which is perfect for my overactive, maximalist mind ;)

Within a Taoist anointing blend, every oils plays a different role. Some target a specific organ or meridian, some might move the energy in a different direction, and some might be part of traditional formulas for ghost points.

And, in every blend, at least one oil has the role of restoring your connection with the cosmos.

The blend simply won’t work without this. We are cosmic beings and our relationship with the cosmos is central to our health.

As a shamanic healer, natural perfumer, and all-around alchemist and artist, is it any wonder I’m obsessed with these Taoist practices? (There’s probably an oil to use for that obsession…)

Beyond all the healing and magic here, I delight in the potential for beauty that this healing pathway brings us. Because at heart, I’m a perfumer.

I started my natural perfumery journey in 2007, so it’s been at the core of my creativity for nearly two decades. I trained at the Institute for Natural Perfumery in 2012. I apprenticed with magical, witchy, professional perfumer Roxanna Villa in person back in 2019.

At this point, even though I’m a clinically certified aromatherapist and my Taoist teacher claims that her blends don’t smell great (lol, she’s very functional and effective and they smell fine…), I struggle to make anything that’s not absolutely beautiful smelling.

And so, Taoist anointing, astrological influences, and artistry comes together in my magical perfumes.

Anyone can purchase my magical perfumes, and I’ll be opening a few slots for custom ones soon. But only my shamanic healing and wild alchemy coaching clients get to have me make Taoist blends for them. That might change in the future, but right now I find that I need to really understand the spiritual, energetic, and physical influences at play in order to create effective blends. (Plus, since I’m still learning, I’m bringing my case studies to my mentor, so you have both of us working on your blend.)

June is filling up, but you can grab a spot with me here.

Alchemessence™

Remember that You Are the Cosmos

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