Essential Oil - Ginger

Botanical name: Zingiber officinale

Color: Very light amber

Consistency: Medium-thin

Perfumery note: Top/middle

Related Planets/Deities: Mars/Aries

Aroma: Present, strong-smelling, spicy, complex, strident, slightly woody with a hint of nuttiness

Energetic Properties: Radiant, warm, earthy, sexual.

Aromatherapy Properties: Ginger oil is a pale yellow, amber or greenish liquid with a warm, fresh, woody-spicy, and occasionally nutty scent. It blends well with sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, frankincense, rosewood, cedarwood, coriander seed, rose, lime, neroli, orange and other citrus oils.

Spiritual Uses: Ginger has a long history of use in spiritual and magickal applications. It is often used for its strength in areas of love and sexuality. Ginger has traditionally been associated with prosperity, and is one of the most oft-used plants for money charms.

Blends well with: As a strident, strong-smelling oil, Ginger can easily overpower other essential oils. It blends nicely with other citrus oils for a warming, uplifting blend. Also mixes well with Sandalwood, Neroli, Rosewood, Frankincense, or Ylang Ylang for an energizing yet contemplative blend.

History: Ginger is one of the most widely-known and highly regarded plants in the world, with a long and storied history. Because it isn’t found in the wild, Ginger’s exact origin is uncertain, although its use in cooking and medicine likely predates historical records. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata, the epic Hindu work written around 4,000 BCE, and was revered in both Chinese herbal and Ayurvedic medicine. Confucius himself once wrote that he never ate a meal without Ginger. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Ginger nearly vanished from Europe; its presence in the West was revived after Marco Polo’s visit to the Far East. It quickly became a very coveted -- and expensive -- recipe ingredient and medicinal herb. Most Ginger is now grown in Jamaica, followed by India and China.