Ruler: Mars
Colour: Scarlet
Element: Water
Season: Winter
Essential Oils: Peppermint, Lemon, Chamomile and Lavender

The Scorpio Personality
Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac and represented by the scorpion. Scorpios are truly the contradicting sign. They can be the best and worst of both worlds – independent and clingy, loving and cold. Above all else, they are intense about almost everything. Scorpios are often mysterious because their true feelings run so deep and they keep their emotions hidden. They are very intuitive. They have determination and loyalty and are popular leaders. They are very adaptable, often changing careers and going down new paths. Scorpios are very loyal friends, but can be possessive. Scorpios are also conservative when it comes to money but when they do spend it they know the right investments to make and can be kind and generous.

Aromatherapy perfume for Scorpios

Ingredients:
12 drops Lavender essential oil (in the language of flowers Lavender stands for loyalty and fortitude so perfect for Scorpios)
3 drops Chamomile essential oil (this is the oil which calms the extreme emotions)
12 drops Lemon (improves focus and enhances intuitive strengths)
5 drops Sandalwood (takes prayers and wishes heavenward – helping you find your path through life)
8 drops Jasmine (because Scorpios are very special and like to feel special)
20 mls grain alcohol (vodka)
30 mls of Rosewater (Rose Hydrolat)

Instructions:
Add the essential oils to the grain alcohol. Place in a spray bottle or a cologne bottle and top up to 50ml with Rosewater.

Peppermint (Menthe Piperita)
Peppermint distilled from the flowers and leaves of the herb is an inexpensive and very useful oil when used to treat stress-related conditions. It is believed to have ‘cephalic’ properties. It stimulates the hippocampus at the centre of the brain, facilitating focused concentration and clarity of thought. It is therefore ideal for individuals whose stress symptoms are overwhelming them to the point where they cannot think straight or concentrate. The other benefit of Peppermint as a stimulant is that it can counteract feelings of fatigue. It is particularly useful to scent the car because it can help to maintain driver alertness. It is also an effective painkiller and is frequently cited by aromatherapists as an excellent remedy for tension headaches and migraine. Evidence from the interior of Egyptian tombs dating back to 300BC has shown that the medicinal properties of Peppermint have been recognised since early civilisation. The name Peppermint is derived from the Latin word ‘mente’ meaning thought, because the Romans used Peppermint as a tonic for the brain. The Greeks, however, claim that the name Peppermint is derived from ‘minthe’ who was a mythological lover of Pluto and whom Pheresphone beat to the ground and killed in a fit of jealousy. On the spot where she died, the herb sprung up, which has since borne her name. Because of this the Greeks believed that the herb could ‘stir up passions’ and they forbade their warriers to eat it in case it diverted their attentions from battle. Conversely, the Jews historically scented the floors of their synagogues with mint because they believed that it helped to purify the mind in readiness of prayer.

Lemon (Citrus Limon)
Lemon has long been respected for its ability to lift the spirits and is often recommended for stress-related fatigue. It also boosts mental performance and can be used by students or drivers to maintain concentration and alertness. It has an affinity with the respiratory system and helps to treat viral infections including those passed via air conditioning in aeroplanes and offices. Lemon is also a powerful antiseptic but care must be taken if the skin is sensitive.

Lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia)
Lavender essential oil is distilled from the flowers and leaves of the herb and is a very well known, widely used and inexpensive essential oil which is an effective anti-depressant. It is a good “balancer” so it is useful in helping people to recover from mood swings, is a well known treatment for insomnia and is equally good for relieving tension headaches. It has a restorative, tonic effect which makes it useful for treating individuals with debilitating fatigue or lethargy and it is an effective pain killer and anti-spasmodic so it is valuable in treating tension related “aches & pains” of a muscular nature. The name derives from the Roman Lavare which means “to cleanse”. It refers to the Roman custom of scenting baths with the leaves and flowers of the plant. Matthiole the Sixth Century Botanist regarded lavender flowers as most effective against conditions of melancholy. Lavender was popular in the monastic medicinal gardens of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and even earlier than that, in the twelfth century, Abbotess Hildegarde dedicated a whole chapter in her herbal to the medicinal uses of lavender. Lavender has been used since pagan times to purify the air and the mind. This is linked to another of its pagan uses which was to drive out wicked spirits and, later on, witches. Gerard in his Sixteenth Century Herbal said that the flowers helped to cure “lovesickness” and keep one chaste. However in the seventeenth century,  prostitutes would wear a sprig of Lavender to advertise their trade. The Victorians thought that it was an excellent headache cure and would often wear a sprig under their hats.

Chamomile (Chamaemelum Nobile)
Chamomile, distilled from the herbal flowers, has been used for over 2000 years for treating nervous complaints. It is therefore one of the best essential oils available for treating anxiety and insomnia, as it has both a calming and antidepressant effect. It has a profoundly balancing effect on the emotions which makes it ideal for the hyperactive, workaholic types or chronic worriers. It is a useful oil for treating stress-related skin conditions such as allergies and eczema and it is also generally believed to stimulate the immune system, making it useful for people who tend to succumb to ‘bugs’ when they are working hard. Its name derives from the Greek ‘kamai’ meaning ground apple because of its fresh fruity scent. It was called Maythen by the Saxons and was revered as one of their nine sacred herbs, later being adopted by the Christians and dedicated to Saint Anne who was the mother of the Virgin Mary. In the language of flowers chamomile stands for ‘patience in adversity’. It is often known as the ‘plants physician’ because it seems to improve the health of the plants within its immediate vicinity.

Ruler: Venus
Colour: Green
Element: Air
Season: Spring
Essential Oils: Rose, Geranium and Clary Sage

The Libra Personality
Cool, reserved, and a social butterfly, your world is in “balance” when everything is just perfect. You are right all the time. With great gifts come great responsibility. Try not to snap so hard when the world doesn’t live up to your level of perfection.

Aromatherapy perfume for Librans

Ingredients:
10 drops Rose essential oil (reflects and enhances your natural warmth and loving personality)
10 drops Geranium essential oil (to help balance the emotions and the hormones)
4 drops Clary Sage essential oil (to chill out and relax those perfectionist tendencies)
5 drops Frankincense essential oil (to soothe feelings of irritation)
8 drops Tangerine essential oil (for energy to manage the responsibility of work and home)
20 mls grain alcohol (vodka)
30 mls of Rosewater (Hydrolat)

Instructions:
Add the essential oils to the grain alcohol. Place in a spray bottle or a cologne bottle and top up to 50ml with Rosewater.

Rose (rosa centifolia)
Rose essential oil, which is extracted from rose petals by distillation or solvents, is in my personal opinion beyond compare for treating stress related conditions, particularly depression and anxiety. It has a very gentle but strong, uplifting effect on the psyche and a balancing effect which can help individuals to “see problems in proportion”. Many aromatherapists believe that Rose can mimic the effect of hormones so it is often used to treat psychological problems linked to female bodily functions such menstruation or child birth, e.g. PMS or post natal depression.

Geranium (pelargonium graveolens)
Geranium essential oil has a close affinity with the female system and is therefore a popular oil for the aromatherapy beginner as well as the professional. It helps to treat hormonally unbalanced skin, broken capillaries, blemishes and bruises and is a gentle insect repellent. It also works on the mind to ease grinding teeth, nervous tension, mood swings, irritability, anger and female rages, while soothing period-related pain and problems, settling the cycle after miscarriage or preparing the body to conceive. Geranium is emotionally soothing and has a fabulous scent that makes it ideal for room fragrancing.

Clary Sage (salvia sclarea)
Clary Sage essential oil has a euphoric effect which makes it a useful oil for treating stress-related nervous tension and fatigue. Some people find it helpful in the treatment of migraine and it can also reduce pain associated with back ache and muscle stiffness. The medicinal application of Clary Sage began prior to the birth of Christ. The Egyptians used it as a cure for infertility whilst the Greeks and Romans believed that it could prolong human life. It was one of the Anglo Saxons’ nine sacred herbs and by the sixteenth century it was grown in every medicinal herbal garden. It became known as ‘clear eye’ as it was believed to cure eyesight problems. Under the guise of its therapeutic properties it was often added to beer and wine, however it was possibly appreciated more for the fact that it enhanced the effect of alcohol, making weak beer seem more potent.