Essential Oils / Plant Profiles

The Sunflower Family

The Sunflower Family

Celebrate the sun and the light and our manifestation here on earth and hold an intention for the day.

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky,
is hardly a waste of time.”
~ John Lubbock

The Compositae (Asteraceae) or Sunflower ☼ Family

Planetary Association: The Sun
Ruling: Banishes inner darkness, the urge to create and realize our dreams
Appearance: What looks like a single large flower is actually a composite of many smaller flowers.
Energy: Yang to Yin

This month I have chosen to focus on the Compositae family of plants with their planetary association being the Sun. The lack of sun light for the past month here in Hong Kong, may just be the reason why I have been drawn to the essential oils extracted from this versatile family of botanical plants. I have found myself selecting oils from this family and incorporating them into many of my creams and lotions for skin conditions and perfumes to address emotional disharmony.

The family contains several species that are important sources of cooking oils (Sunflower) and herbal teas (Chamomile, Chrysanthemum). Some of these plants produce essential oils used by aromatherapists, others are used as herbal infused oils (Calendula, Arnica). Herbalist also use them whole or in parts, as do flower essence and homeopathic practitioners.

Many of these plant’s “flower heads” with their petals shooting out resemble the sun’s ray. Looks are deceiving and the Asters are highly evolved plants despite their simple appearance. The “petals” make it appear that there is just one big flower face but if you look closely inside you will discover many smaller flowers — dozens or even hundreds of them!

Some of my favourite essential oils from this family are:
~Chamomile, German
~Chamomile, Cape
~Chamomile, Roman
~Immortelle

Properties:
These oils are excellent skin healing agents with strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. In particular, German Chamomile when distilled produces a liquid blue organic chemical component called “chamazulene”, which gives the oil it’s therapeutic properties making it my first choice for serious skin conditions such as shingles and chronic eczema.

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