most often used by herbalists in soothing herbal teas; Roses are frequently paired with Lavender or Melissa to enhance a generous feeling of well-being. The taste of Pink Rose is pleasant and sweet and goes right to the heart. For serums, elixirs, and infused vinegars these petite pink roses produce a jewel-like color to the finished product, have the highest concentration of volatile oils, and offer the most alluring perfume. These are also the varieties used in medicinal aromatherapy. The most desirable Rose essential oil
is from the Bulgarian Rose (R. damascena), although e.o.’s distilled from China Rose (R. chinensis) and Moss or Cabbage Rose (R. centifolia) are also absolutely sublime. Rose oil is fragile and will deteriorate if the blossom isn’t harvested the very morning it first opens. During its peak season, farmers are up before sunrise to collect the burgeon- ing flowers still damp with dew. The hand- harvested Roses are dried straight away, or processed immediately into essential oil. The highest quality essential oil is
steam-distilled (sometimes called Rose Otto), in other words, processed only with pure water. The young flowers are placed in a still and the water beneath is heated to a specific temperature to allow steam to rise through the plant material. The vapor that has passed through the Roses carries traces of the volatile oil and consolidates in a specially designed chamber back into liquid. The liquid will naturally separate into the essential oil and the hydrosol (or rose water) because of the varying density. It takes approximately 1,000 pounds of rose petals to make an ounce of steam- distilled essential oil.
Because the cost is so prohibitive,
there is great temptation to adulterate Rose essential oil and many products are im- pure, cut with alcohol, of poor quality, or blended with a very large amount of car- rier oil. Frequently, the actual amount of Rose oil in such products is fractional. The market also offers Rose absolute, which is produced with a chemical solvent, often hexane; I personally will only use medic- inal-grade, steam-distilled Rose essential oil. A single drop of this wonderful medici- nal essence goes a long way and is worth every penny… approximately $300-$500 per quarter ounce (roughly 240 drops). The divinity of the Feminine is an as-
pect of her magic and symbols of Rose appear in every culture and religion. In Earth-based spiritual traditions, the 5 pet- als of the wild rose are representational of the 5-pointed star, a holy symbol. The name of the devotional prayer beads used in Christianity, the rosary, is derived from “rose garden” or “rose garland.” Churches and cathedrals throughout Europe often exhibit elaborate rose windows, complex stained-glass designs that utilize power- fully sacred geometric patterns. The spiritual medicine of Rose offers
peace and stillness; it infuses Love on all levels. Compassion is one of her lessons, starting with empathy for one’s own self. Quan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of com- passion could be likened as a counterpart to Mary, The Divine Mother who is often represented by the Rose. It is said that when Visions of Mother Mary appear to devotees, the scent of Rose accompanies her.
Research has been done measuring
the vibrational frequency in Mega Hertz (MHz) on a variety of essential oils; one MHz equals one million oscillations per second. According to Dr. Marcy Foley, au- thor of Embraced by the Essence, a healthy human body vibrates at around 62-68 MHz, and disease begins at oscillations below 60 MHz; Cancer has a low frequen- cy at 42 MHz. Rose, by far, has the highest vibrational frequency of any essential oil, 320 MHz, compared to the next highest, Helichrysum which oscillates at 181 MHz. It’s reasonable to believe that utilizing this transcendent oil will raise anyone’s fre- quency! I often use this magnificent grade of
Rose oil in cooking; a few drops in choco- late chip cookies is beyond description, and stirring a little into melted chocolate just before dipping strawberries will result in a confection that approaches a religious experience! I have also created a strawber- ry and Rose sorbet that tastes exactly like Love. When using Rose oil in cooking, be sure to use only the highest quality steam- distilled Rose essential oil. If it isn’t in your budget, Rose water is frequently available in specialty shops for a modest amount of money (although a reputable Aromathera- pist will likely offer a better quality prod- uct for close to the same price). Rose syrups, jams and jellies are deli-
cious and make a fun project for the whole family; kids are especially fond of making flowers into food. Experiment with Rose in your recipes; you may be surprised at how versatile her flavor can be, adding new di- mensions to old standards in the kitchen. Rose hips, the fruit of the rose, are tart and
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June 2010
www.naturalnutmeg.com
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