This year is not a drop less eventful than any other year in the previous twelve that have passed, with a full commitment to embracing the transformative aromatic work I was called to do. For the history, to follow this calling, I “had” to change countries. I moved from urban continental Hungary to rural Mediterranean Greece. This is when my true alchemical life as a healer, teacher, and, most surprisingly, as a distiller began to unfold on the island of Crete.
There had been traces of this direction prior to the actual move so that you can mark it in a calendar for 2013. However, unlike puzzle board games that come with a preview image as guidelines, many individual pieces of your puzzles in life only give a hint at the bigger picture when you have made a good deal of progress and displayed some of your achievements. Internally and externally.
The traces of subconscious desires for some form of intimacy with the process of distilling aromatic plants had shown up in my recorded notes during the preparation years BC (before Crete), clearly, as I look back. These days have come along with personal healing work, personal development, and self-empowerment. I had to step out of the status quo and move forward to acquire the skills and professional expertise in the field I was heading into. Aromatherapy was at the heart of the work and began to gain fame, much like a celebrity, whose name became associated with my attributes. However, naturopathy provides a better framework for my approach to holistic medicine.
Whatever personal and professional experience I had in these areas, I still aspired to acquire a decent depth of knowledge in a series of diverse, connected disciplines that ranged from botany, herbalism, natural perfumery, various healing modalities, bodywork, kinesiology, and others, such as bioenergetics. The recognition began to surface that, along the way, I was also on a path to something that is a ‘prerequisite’ for authentic support of these types of practitioners: artisan distillations. Not so fast, though; climbing up the stairs of the Maslow pyramid, I find myself laying the foundations firmly. There were long years of studying, attending seminars, taking courses, travelling, attending conferences, engaging in book learning, practising, seeking mentors, undergoing additional training, and doing more, all culminating in fieldwork in Nature. Eventually, self-actualisation brought about my alchemistic nature. And the plants welcomed me, one after the other, alone and in community. Crete offers its energies to a slow-paced lifestyle, which is often misunderstood and simplified. And when you engage in that fairy land with bountiful botanical beauty and biodiversity, you keep yourself busy. As in fairy tales, I had been wandering around for a couple of years, only to arrive at acknowledging the essential nature of the aromatic adventures already behind me.
Alchemist with a traditional copper distiller
One fine day in 2016, I felt brave enough to enter the circle of individuals invisibly tattooed with an Ouroboros. Carried out with a 30-litre traditional copper alembic, my distillations of Cretan aromatic plants have been ceremonial. An inward-looking process done with special care in every detail, from the field, in small batches, slow and artisanal, connecting theory and practice. Working with well-identified, genuine plants, either organic (by nature of source and not necessarily by authority stamps) or ethically wild-crafted joyfully, with respect and consent of the Plants. Born from my own inner needs for a high-quality, pure and authentic outcome.
Partnering with a traditional copper distiller in this way invites you to join a sacred society. It turns out that in some countries, it is almost a secret society, even though we are centuries away from the dark ages when witches and alchemists were once hunted for their work. Additionally, while polymaths were once highly regarded throughout history, what we now call a holistic approach to integrated multidisciplinary practices, with a broader perspective, is becoming an enemy of our modern-day social and economic system. A self-destructive side-effect of a society that over-regulates life in the name of safety for our health and well-being.
In contrast to these aforementioned side effects, I firmly believe that both the experiences and the side effects that come from interacting with Nature are the greatest antidotes for the experiences and side effects gained from what is called and regulated as “normal life” in the world. When we find time for plants, it will help us find time for ourselves and better connect with other human beings.
Finding Your Calling
It seems that my calling has been to build bridges between the Spirit of the Plant kingdom and the Soul of our human nature. In other words, living and working somewhere in the triangle of healing, personal empowerment, and the restoration of connecting Plants and People. This aligns with several other triangles that comprise my Tree of Life, which describes the journey, as seen, for instance, in Kabbalistic mysticism, as well as numerous esoteric traditions around the world. For what I call a personal alchemy work. Personal alchemy work encompasses the triangle of connecting with nature, discovering ways to deepen your connection with yourself, and igniting your divine spark. In another way, it facilitates being more engaged on the path of authentic, conscious living, which, in turn, suggests a co-creative partnership with these elements, promoting transformative, life-changing processes in return. Inevitably, plants will line up for you in these processes. Alchemical plant distillations, however, offer a unique combination of working on multiple levels, from the physical to the metaphysical. Essential (or etheric) oils and hydrosols (used to be called spiritual waters), by nature, are both physical and spiritual.
Let me put here something dating back more than 25 years: “Scientific exploration will not be able to explain the living nature of essential oils from plants, as by its own admission the scientific paradigm operates from an assumption that the universe is ‘dead matter in space.’ The hegemony of the scientific paradigm is built on the latter premise and therefore squarely denies that there is anything special in an oil except its being composed of random chemicals. This paradoxical situation characterizes so much of what goes on in today’s world in general, in medicine, and in dealing with alternative modalities.” I quoted this from a book called Medical Aromatherapy: Healing with Essential Oils, by the respected and beloved author Kurt Schnaubelt. His professional titles include PhD in chemistry, scientific director, researcher, teacher and author in aromatherapy, and also, an artisan distiller. I find great solace, hope and encouragement in Schnaubelt’s work. These words are a great acknowledgement, confirmation and validation of the path I encourage us to follow.
And indeed, living and working with plants is, and should be, a living mystery as part of a life extraordinaire. And so are artisanal distillations, which, for me at least, are not so much about the precious essential oil, nor the lovely hydrosol, but rather for the Journey itself. The journey where I am being guided as well as being a guide. The explorations, the aha moments, the plant work, the experiments, and the ongoing research, both in the field and in the collective knowledge base of humanity. Wonderfully creates a sense of meaning in sensational experiences of existence as sentient beings. The road less travelled that can make us feel a part of something bigger and dance with the Universe.
It is distilling yourself through the cycles of life, death, and rebirth in eternity. As in yoga traditions go, SA-TA-NA- MA. Shedding layers, evolving as a human being, and developing gifts. By living, processing and transforming these gifts, which then become the authentic way to offer the outcome to others, necessarily with a humble approach, be it physical, intellectual or spiritual.
Learning Through Plants – A Random Top 7
What have I learned from the plants and their distillations? – you may ask. Well, so far, I have distilled over 50 different plant species over the years, and each has brought about a plethora of learning and lessons, with every distillation being a new journey, a contemplation, an experiment, and an exploration that finds the microcosmos in the macrocosmos, and vice versa. Please allow me to guide your focus away from a reductionist style summary starting like “Top 10 most important things you need to know about…” our subject. There are neither top picks nor a hierarchy of importance here. I would rather do what I would do with Oracle cards. First, I ask the question: What have I gained through the endless lessons I’ve learned from plants? Then I let the answers arrive, seemingly random, but mostly valid for the very question and moment of life for personal alchemy. Here is what dropped out from our card set this time to acknowledge some of our beloved aromatic plants:
Rosemary, through whom I discovered the importance and various faces of creativity and breaking free from preconceived notions. Rosemary also kept me aware that scientific knowledge is constantly evolving, as exemplified by its re-classification from Rosmarinus officinalis to Salvia rosmarinus, while helping me stay focused on being open to life’s incredible possibilities.
With Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), I faced the necessity of adaptability and unexpected turns in life. Working with this large, happy tussock tested me to be flexible and open to surprises, as things don’t always go as planned.
Rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) taught me about the nature of balance. Way beyond her harmonising and regenerating nature, it is through her profoundly beautiful plant character with resilience and vigour as she lives and grows in nature.
Sage and her local Cretan varieties – Salvia pomifera and Salvia fruticosa, cousins of Salvia officinalis, from which I learned about the subtle differences in aroma and properties between plant species of the same genus. I also experienced how factors such as climate and microclimate, weather conditions, soil, plant populations, harvest time, and distillation methods all influence the outcome of the distillation.
From Bitter orange (Citrus × aurantium) trees, besides the ecstatic joy of distilling my own Neroli essential oil, I gained insight into the versatility of a single plant species, as taught in aromatherapy. That is how different parts of the same plant – flowers, leaves, and fruits – can yield distinct essential oils and hydrosols with unique properties.
My experiences with Marjoram (Origanum majorana) in my garden taught me about the importance of timing and intuition in harvesting plants. Again and again, I was reinforced to trust my instincts and adapt to changing conditions, whether it meant making slight or significant changes to my plans.
Cretan Dittany (Origanum dictamnus), an endemic plant of Crete, showed me the true nature of sustainable cultivation methods. I discovered innovative approaches to growing plants in their natural habitats, as well as the human aspect of sustainability.
Alchemical Journeys
Learning through Plants is a wonderful way of life that gives you a sense of purpose for a lifetime. Never boring and always leaves plenty of blank pages to draw your life line towards something new and exciting – an approach to life with curiosity, respect for nature, and an openness to continuous learning.
The above lessons, along with many others, have now taken the form of a book, filling up a few hundred blank pages. Titled Aromatic Journeys – Heal, Grow & Distill Yourself: Exploring Plant Alchemy, my book was born from these experiences that plants uniquely offered, not only deepening my knowledge of botany, aromatherapy, and plant distillations but also contributing to my personal growth and understanding of the nature of life. With every batch, I continue to distil myself, fine-tuning my senses, expanding my awareness, and, nonetheless, serving better in my role as a Plant Alchemist to offer the outcome and aromatic experiences to the wider world.
My alchemical journeys have been unique in that they came with an inherently inseparable and apparently infinite source of inspiration, as well as teachings that aim to stretch beyond our holistic community to the scale of humanity. The task I was given is to bring ancient knowledge into this lifetime, masterfully combine and refine methods and components, and assist people and plants in connecting more deeply. As transformative as it can be, it is to capacitate a sacred togetherness when both plant matter and human essence are being spiritualized to support liberation of the Soul, sometimes in a very subtle manner at the conjunction of parallel realities.
Distilling aromatic plants also led me to this metaphorical discovery, as distillers all over the world help the process of the awakened feminine and masculine to surface, balance, heal, and reunite within each of us and in society. Therefore, I believe we artisan distillers are doing much more than just distilling for essential oils or hydrosols. We are making this change happen by starting with ourselves and by bringing goodness to our communities holistically. What a journey for us all!
The article was originally written for and published in the Steamworks 2025 edition (a special supplement about distillations) of Aromatika Magazin, an online publication to support holistic living, the practice and professional education of aromatherapy, phytotherapy, naturopathy and related subjects. My special thanks and gratitude goes to Gergely Hollódi, editor-in-chief of this beautifully constructed aromatherapy periodical, and for his always encouraging support. Hope you would enjoy this post here. The original copy of the electronic magazine is available for download from the website of Aromatika Magazin.
PS: If you are on this journey of self-discovery, healing and empowerment and feel the call of the magical power of the plant world, you may want to check out what else I have for offer on my aromatic retreats page. With love, Ildiko
