/ Aromatherapy
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The beautiful, evocative scent of patchouli is a firm favorite in aromatherapy, perfumery, and spiritual practices. In this guide we will take a dive into the history of this sumptuous incense, its many spiritual benefits, and how to bring it into your own practice to get the most from it.
History of Patchouli
So where does Patchouli originate from? It is native to Southeast Asia, and it was named by the Tamil, a group of people from South India. They were the people to discover that it is more than just a shrub with a lovely scent, and actually holds spiritual and medical powers.
The word “patchouli” means “green leaf”, which gives some indication as to its humble appearance to the Tamil people. It spends most of the year as a green shrub, a member of the mint family, but when fall arrives it erupts in beautiful, delicate lilac-pink flowers.
The patchouli plant loves the damp, tropical climate of Southeast Asia, and grows in abundance. The Tamils used its pungent green leaves for both medical and spiritual purposes. It was a popular insect repellant, perfect for keeping the tropical bugs at bay, and it was even used to treat headaches and bruises, and to support deep, uninterrupted sleep.
As time went on and the spice trade routes opened up throughout the Middle East and Europe, patchouli started to become popular further afield, often marketed as an insect repellent.
It was Napoleon Bonaparte who gave patchouli the boost from bug spray to fancy fragrance. He was a fan of importing it as a moth repellent for his Egyptian silk, but people discovered that they loved its deep, sensual scent, and started to use it in perfumery in the West.
Benefits of Patchouli
Patchouli is one of those good-at-everything incense. It has profound healing abilities, bringing comfort and peace to millions around the world.
It is also considered a scent with an almost magnetic quality. Those who use it claim its manifestation powers are strong, drawing coveted things to them, such as love, peace, money and serenity. Here are just a few of its benefits.
Prosperity
Patchouli is commonly used in money spells and financial manifestation practices. It is said to work two-fold, both by drawing money towards its user, but also by bringing its user financial clarity, enabling them to make decisions surrounding money and work with a clear head.
Try burning patchouli incense in the office or workspace, or even near where you keep your purse. This gives direction to the manifestation in order to attract prosperity into your life.
Love and Fertility
With its deep, sensuous scent, the association between patchouli and love is unsurprising. It has been considered an aphrodisiac for hundreds of years, and used in rituals of love, lust, and desire for just as long. It was thought by some people in the nineteenth century that washing with patchouli soap, or using patchouli perfume, was the key to romantic attraction.
Going hand-in-hand with love is fertility. Patchouli has been considered a boost to fertility by people looking to grow families throughout history by burning incense around the bedroom.
Protection and Cleansing
Patchouli creates a powerful and impenetrable wall around its users to ward off bad spirits and unwanted energies. When we wear the fragrance or burn its incense at home we are creating a safe, positive, clean space, free from harm and protected from outside threats.
When we use patchouli in cleansing activities, such as bathing or smudging, we remove existent bad energy, allowing stress, ill-will, and negativity to flow away. In turn, this leaves space for love, understanding, relaxation and prosperity in its wake, allowing us to flourish.
Good Dreams
Many of us are plagued by poor quality sleep, and patchouli could be the answer. It works in two ways; banishing insomnia by calming the mind, and then allowing positive, uplifting dreams in.
When used before bedtime, patchouli starts the process of slowing the brain down, allowing a distinct end to the day and start to the night. It sets the scene for serenity, enabling you to leave anxieties and stresses in the day and welcome relaxation and positive thoughts for the night.
And once you arrive at sleep, patchouli is thought to promote positive dreams, especially when used in the bedroom. Some people even claim that it enables a type of lucid dreaming.
Deeper Meditation
One theme seen throughout these patchouli benefits is its ability to help to clear the mind of negativity. In doing so, we allow for deeper meditation when all distractions fade away into the background and we are able to focus totally and completely on the connections we form.
How to Use Patchouli
Now that we know the benefits of patchouli incense in our day to day lives, it is time to take a look at how to access them, and what to do to get the most out of this beautiful herb.
In Meditation
When we use incense during meditation practices we make the decision to contribute specifically to the process. This means that if we are hoping to bring prosperity or love to our lives, we can choose an incense scent which will complement this specific endeavor.
Try burning patchouli in the space where you meditate in order to promote the benefits outlined above. You can even magnify the effects by utilizing complementary crystals on your altar. Give citrine a go for prosperity, rose quartz for love, or amethyst to help to clear the mind.
In the Home
Patchouli does not have to be used in intensive rituals, it can also be used around the home to see more long-term benefits. Try burning patchouli incense in the bedroom to promote love and good quality sleep. You can even burn patchouli, carrying it room to room, smudging at entrance ways in order to protect the home, banishing bad energy and promoting positivity throughout.
The Takeaway
Patchouli is a powerhouse of a herb, bringing many spiritual benefits in one fell swoop. Buy patchouli incense today to bring protection, love, prosperity, and relaxation into your life.
