“When you want essential oils, how do you choose between oils from organically grown and wildcrafted plants?”

The top two concerns when you are choosing essential oils are purity and potency. How do you know that you are getting the best essential oils, if you have two kinds to choose from: those made from wildcrafted herbs, and those made with organically grown herbs?

For some people, it really is a matter of preference – and it depends on which essential oils you want. For some kinds of essential oils (rose, for instance), it is important to know the country or region of origin, as well as whether it is wildcrafted or organically grown. Most people know that the best rose essential oils come from a region in Bulgaria; the roses may or may not be grown organically, and they almost certainly will not be wildcrafted.

The main difference between wildcrafted herbs or flowers and organically grown is that wildcrafted herbs generally are not grown under commercial conditions and, therefore, not subject to the chemicals and fertilizers that agricultural companies might apply to the soil or crop. So they will usually already be free of objectionable substances, which is one of the main reasons you would seek organic essential oils – for their purity.

As for the potency, some people feel that wildcrafted herbs and flowers may be more potent than their organically grown counterparts. That may or may not be true. Until widespread laboratory analyses are conducted to reveal scientific differences in compounds, you must compare the results of both kinds, to select what feels right to you.

The differences can often be simply in what you prefer: the pristine conditions of a plant grown entirely in Nature, with no assistance from humankind – or plants grown under careful organic or biodynamic standards, that ensure proper health and well-being of both the plant and the humans or animals who will ultimately benefit. Most of the time, both essential oils made from wildcrafted herbs and organic essential oils will give you the results you want – with none of the unwanted properties from commercially grown/chemically treated herbs or plants. After all, total well being is one of the reasons people turn to essential oils in the first place.

Another way to look at this situation is that sometimes you can use both oils made from wildcrafted herbs and organic essential oils. For instance, in making the Blue Eagle Invocation™ Liquid Smudge (made by traditional Native Americans in a sacred way), both wildcrafted and organically grown herbs and plants are used. The formula is stronger because of the careful way the ingredients are chosen, and in the way the essential oils and organic grain alcohol base are blended and prepared.

From long term experience with the Blue Eagle Invocation™ as well as with both kinds of essential oils, I would say that both wildcrafted and organic essential oils have merit and should be considered for any of your aromatherapy needs. Look first to what you want the oils to do for you, and how they will be used; then look for which kinds of oils will offer you the very best results for the purpose you have in mind.

“Here’s what you need to know before you start!”

If you are interested in the energy that moves through your space – and how it affects all the aspects of your life, from your health and well being to your finances to your relationships – then you should learn what the principles of feng shui can do for you. Feng shui is the art of arranging your physical space to assist the energy (or “chi”) to flow without hindrance. While the practice of feng shui originates from China, it also widely popular with people who care about how their spaces look and feel – and with what kind of life experience you have within those spaces.

Many books have been written on feng shui (find some good ones here at our Amazon.com store) especially as Westerners want and need to adapt the feng shui principles into the modern Western settings of their homes, offices, and buildings. Without going into the entire feng shui system, or all of its practices – which DOES take a book to deliver – we will share here with you the 3 essential steps you first need to know, to get you started.

1) The map. The Chinese call this 8-sided map the Ba Gua. The Ba Gua tells what kinds of activities properly belong in which parts of any given space, whether a room, an office, or an entire house. That is important information to know, if you wish to create harmony and good energy flow within your space.

The usual kinds of activities assigned to the eight areas of your space are:

Work/Career
Relationships/Love
Health
Fortunate Blessings (Prosperity)/Wealth
Center/Harmony
Helpful Friends/Networking
Creativity/Children
Spirituality/Connection with Source
Inner Fulfillment/Education

It is important to know where each kind of activity will receive the maximum life force energy – and what kinds of things will obstruct it. After you know that, it is simple to create an auspicious environment where what you wish to happen can easily and harmoniously unfold.

2) Clear the space. Before you even start to do feng shui work on a new or established space, you need to clear the energy that is already there. Why? Because energy attaches to surfaces, and can even be held within objects. It is important to learn how to clear and cleanse the area first, to remove stale or unwanted energies, and to invite new, fresh life force into the space.

While you can burn incense or “smudge” (Native American sacred herbs) before starting the feng shui process, there is a new product available that is even better at clearing energy from spaces. It is good for places where you can’t burn things, and for people who might be allergic to smoke. The product is called Blue Eagle Invocation™ Liquid Smudge. It is based on the traditional sacred herb formula and was created by traditional Native Americans in a sacred way.

The Invocation™ immediately reaches the stale or trapped energy in all areas of the space, dispels negativity, and provides a clean fresh new start. Invocation™ is actually more effective for feng shui than burning incense or herbs, because the properties of the ingredients are amplified, not consumed. And it can be used in places where it is not possible to burn things (such as office spaces, clinics or hospitals.)

In any case, you must consider how to best clear the space you wish to prepare for your feng shui work. Whether you choose to burn incense, herbs, or to use the new Liquid Smudge formula, the clearing must be done.

3) Install corrective elements to enhance and balance the energy of your space. This last step is the hardest part of feng shui work, but you can easily find what you need in any of the many great books on this topic at your local library, online, or here at our Amazon.com store.