ORIGINAL BLOG POST FROM THE HIGH VIBE OIL LIFE:
Wow, what a holy weekend! Not only did we experience a glorious full moon, but three major religious traditions had significant holidays: Easter, Passover and the night of 15th Shaban.
I loved seeing beautiful pictures of my friends’ family get togethers during Easter. Easter is a Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and is preceded by 40 days of fasting, prayers and devotion, called Lent. My thoughts also floated to my Jewish colleagues and the first Seder I went to. For Jews, Passover is a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery and bondage in ancient Egypt under the leadership of Moses. I stood alongside many of my Muslim friends here in Allen, TX., to pray the night of 15th Shaban, often considered as a time when the fortunes of individuals for the coming year are decided and when forgiveness is granted by God.
What’s common among these sacred holidays? All three traditions emphasize the rising from past difficulties (slavery, persecution, crucifixion, the heavy weight of past mistakes) and the creation of something new (resurrection, freedom from bondage, and from the sins of the past). What allows this transmutation to occur, is forgiveness.
As I contemplated the holiness of the weekend, I stopped to reflect on what I wanted to create and bring in to my life. And thus, this week’s blog, and a message of peace.
All world religions have more in common than not. Not only do I know this because of my travels around the world and residencies in different countries; but also, my work to help communities create resilience against violence on an interfaith platform was yet another confirmation of how our shared values strengthen us, if we chose to focus our energy that way.
And we have more in common than we think. Of course, values such as humility, service, charity and kindness prevail in all faiths. But we also share so many of our ancient healing practices.
Learning about essential oils has indeed been an unconventional way of adding even more knowledge to my interfaith repertoire. It doesn’t matter whether you’re religious or not, and use the terms God, the Divine, the Universe, or the Life Force….it’s amazing how all spiritual traditions spiral back to the medicinal uses of spices, herbs, oils and plants for wellness.
The healing power of aromas and oils is often used as a way to purify, correct imbalances, and to calm and center before prayer. One of the oils used in all the Abrahamic faiths is olive oil. Often described as an anointing oil, the sacred texts of Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome attest to its spiritual power. In Judaism we know olive oil is used in the seven branched Menorah, and other spices often mentioned are myrrh, cinnamon, cane and cassia. Christian texts mention olive, myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, spikenard, frankincense, cypress, myrrh, cedarwood and rose.
In Islamic countries, rosewater, frankincense, juniper, lemon, pine, sage, lavender, cypress and rosemary incense and oils are common. In the Quran, verse 23:35, it states: "Kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth though no fire touched it.”
Ancient wisdom is returning to us in a very strong way, as millions of people look for “alternative” ways to uplevel and heal. As we continue to learn how to integrate this ancient wisdom within our modern lifestyle, pretty soon, what was considered normal thousands of years ago, may not seem so “alternative” to us anymore. 😊