Today I have been putting together video for the Animal PsychAromatica Level 1 on-line course. This involves diving deep into my video archives as I look for the best possible examples of animals self-selecting essential oil. I came across this clip taken at a workshop I did in Wisconsin some years ago. It’s such a …
Gipsy is an old dog now. As we walk meditatively around the block it is hard to remember the days when she would chase balls endlessly and run three miles for every one I rode. However, I still have a lot to learn from her, the end-of-life lessons can be powerful. Recently I had a lesson in simplicity and seeing what is in front of my nose without undue emotion. An oft repeated lesson I have to admit.
It's May and I'm in England. The sun is shining brightly, the oak trees are out before the ash, which is hopeful (Oak before ash we're in for a splash, Ash before oak we're in for a soak), and the green fields here on my friend Pauhla's organic farm are full of healthy lambs. I am walking down the lane with Doug the Collie, who at 18 months old needs time out from his brother and sister and a little special attention to keep him on the track to being a good citizen.
I often mull over the fact that with our animals we play God, creating them in our own likeness: the nervous rider whose horse jumps at everything, the over-anxious dog owner whose dog is aggressive to strangers, the owner who is unhappy with their life so keeps finding non-existent problems in their horse, even the super-happy person with super-happy pet!…. For me one of the most important things animal owners can understand is how they affect their animals and how their own world view will affect what they see in their animals.
Lemon essential oil is simple and unassuming, but so useful, and at the moment it seems to be everyone's favourite.
The horses surprised me by selecting it this weekend when I was demonstrating self-selection during a workshop here. Ellie chose it first, then her daughter and brother joined in, till they were all standing around in a trance. Then I was working with a Level 2 student, teaching meridian assessment and oil selection, and lemon came up again for her dog with warts.
