Samhain is a Celtic holiday that has more recently been ‘translated’ as Halloween. In fact, Samhain is a fundamental moment of passage in the tradition of Celtic spirituality; essentially the beginning of the period in which light ‘descends into the earth’ and in this passage the realms of the Hereafter and the Beyond meet, defining a point of no return.

This holiday can be experienced as a moment of release of what is complete and past, and as an opening towards something new and of a more inner, higher level. As we move into winter, the light “descends into the earth” and we are symbolically led to look more into ourselves and to stay more “inside”. In our culture there is actually an acceleration of things in this period, which does not correspond to the natural cycles – Nature from now on progressively withdraws to give birth with spring to all that has settled, regenerated after the fullness and “natural selection” of autumn, and the rest and recollection of winter.

Samhain is associated with several symbols of the natural kingdom, such as the apple, the pumpkin, and also rosemary. I would like to focus on the latter, in particular on Rosmarinus officinalis chemotype verbenone, a precious gem of aromatherapy.

This essential oil is distilled from Rosmarinus officinalis plants, often found in Corsica, where we find a particular biotype that gives this essence.

The olfactory characteristics of this rosemary are clarity, balsamic, ‘saltiness’ – I personally call it ‘Rosemary of the Heavens’, because when I smell it carefully, it often gives me images of sky, blue, and openness.

This celestial characteristic makes it an ideal atmospheric diffusion essential oil, to maintain alertness and improve clarity. It can also be a meditation oil, to close the eyes and access an inner state of presence and inner silence. A particularly upwardly directed essence, it recalls wide blue spaces, accompanied by a sense of space.

Having said that, remember that the presence of verbenone ketone makes it an essential oil to be used in low doses and for short periods of time, and it is not recommended during pregnancy or in the presence of serious illnesses.

In aromatherapy, this essential oil is used for bronchitis and sinusitis because it is an excellent mucolytic;
it is a nervous and cardiac regulator, making it ideal when there is mental fatigue and stress;
it also has an endocrine regulatory function and is a liver regenerator;
it has an interesting lipolytic action and is also a skin regenerator, making it interesting for aesthetic massage applications.

A real “treasure chest” should be used with common sense, bearing in mind that a few drops are already sufficient in these cases, both for diffusion in the environment and for use on the body using a carrier (massage oil, cream).