The Healing Spiritual Properties of Lavender
With its sweet floral aroma and vibrant purple hues, lavender has long been used in spiritual practices for its uplifting and therapeutic properties. This beautiful herb has served purposes from blessing new homes to repelling evil spirits throughout history. Today many still value lavender for its spiritual effects in promoting calm, balance and inner peace.
Historical Spiritual Uses of Lavender
Some key ways lavender has been used for spiritual well-being include:
- Ancient Egyptians used lavender in the mummification process, as well as burning it as an offering to gods.
- In ancient Greece, lavender was seen as a sacred herb used to cleanse ritual spaces and invoke positive spirits.
- European folklore believed lavender had anti-evil properties, using it to repel evil spirits and misfortune.
- Early European settlers brought lavender to America to bless & protect new homes.
- The Victorians used lavender flower codes to express spiritual devotion.
Modern Spiritual Practices with Lavender
Today lavender remains a popular choice for spiritual self-care and holistic therapies including:
- Meditation - Lavender essential oil or dried buds can enhance meditation.
- Energy cleansing - Lavender is used in smudging sticks or household sprays.
- Chakra balance - Lavender aligns with higher chakras bringing peace.
- Yoga and breathwork - Lavenders aroma promotes relaxation.
- Prayer rituals - Lavender flowers are offered to deities.
- Aromatherapy - Diffusing lavender uplifts mood & energy.
Evidence-Based Spiritual Benefits of Lavender
Beyond lavenders historical spiritual symbolism, modern research explains some science-backed ways it enhances wellbeing:
Promotes Calm & Inner Peace
Multiple studies confirm using lavender - topically, aromatically or as a supplement - has positive effects on mood. Lavenders scent interacts with limbic system networks related to emotion in the brain. Using lavender brings feelings of serenity and comfort, allowing the mind to find its center point of balance.
Harmonizes Body & Mind
Through relaxing physiological stress systems, lavender helps establish equilibrium between body and mind states. The parasympathetic nervous system controls rest/renewal functions - lavender activates these calming processes allowing holistic harmony.
Enhances Spiritual Connection
By reducing anxious thoughts and inducing theta/delta brainwaves as seen on EEGs, lavender allows meditative mindfulness states to arise more easily - key for spiritual awakening. This manifests as increased intuition, inspiration, inner wisdom.
Protects Energy Field & Aura
Called the aspirito lavendae by holistic healers, lavender essence has cleansing properties that act at subtle energy levels. Sprinkling lavender water, misting aura space with hydrosols or inhaling oil clears energy blockages - opening free flow between spiritual layers surrounding the body.
Connects to Divine Feminine Energy
With moon cycles of blooming and signature purple color, lavender carries Divine feminine qualities like nurturance, receptivity, mystic vision. Connecting with lavender sparks these intuitive elements helping regress societally conditioned patterns around masculine yang dominance & balance polarities.
Growing Lavender for Spiritual Uses
Taking up gardening and cultivating lavender plants heightens spiritual connection with this special herb. Follow these organic growing tips:
Choosing Varieties
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) with munstead and hedgehog types is ideal for herb gardening. Spanish lavender, French lavender also work. Choose roses, whites or purples depending on color magic correspondences.
Soil & Site Selection
Lavandula species need fast-draining alkaline soil and at least 6 hours full sunlight daily. Amend native soils with compost or sand if needed. South facing spots with airflow are optimal. Start seeds indoors or plant nursery starters after frost risk passes.
Care & Harvesting
New lavender plants need watering 2-3 times per week. Established plants prefer drier conditions. Prune plants after flowering finishes to encourage regrowth. Harvest flowers on sunny days when dew dries, mid-morning is prime time.
Preserving the Harvest
Bundle lavender stems and hang upside under cover out of sunlight to fully dry. Cure dried flowers another 2 weeks minimum. Store in containers, preferably with light protection. Craft dried lavender into smudging sticks, potpourri, dream pillows or ritual herbal mixes.
Cautions & Considerations
Potted lavenders must be brought indoors or heavily mulched before first fall frost. Extreme summer heat causes flowering issues. Overwatering invites fungal root rot allow soil to dry between waterings. Research before ingesting essential oils or supplements internally.
Lavender for Spiritual Self-Care Practices
Once you have a steady supply of organic lavender, here are some meaningful ways to engage it for enhanced spirituality in everyday life:
Crafting Ritual Tools
Handcraft lavender wands, healing pouches, smudge sticks, gemstone bottles, dream pillows and more for personal shrine spaces or sacred ceremony.
Tea Time Altar Rituals
Brew therapeutic lavender tea, add fresh flowers. Enjoy at home altars or garden shrines as daily grounding rituals. Sing, give gratitude, offer libations.
Anointing Body & Space
Infuse olive or almond oils for anointing rituals. Make lavender spritzer mists to clear home and personal energy fields. Apply as perfume to pulse points anchoring present moment awareness.
Potpourri, Sachets, Baths
Fill sachets for clothing drawers, make potpourri bundles or relax in therapeutic baths with dried buds. Visualize auric field cleansing and soaking in divine light & peace.
Essential Oil Magic
Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to candles, diffusers or cleaning sprays. Charge oils under moonlight if crafting intention-filled products mixing with crystals amplifies energy. Use judicially.
However you choose to welcome it into lifes small rituals, lavender's magic persists through providing a little daily respite, sensory delight and harmonic equilibrium all souls intrinsically crave.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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