With legions of feather-like leaves and coherent clusters of small flowers which are somewhat reminiscent of the phenomenally organised nature of bees and their hives, I have been persistently guided by Yarrow to find my way home. And you may ask, where is your home? One of those simple questions that may be responded to with reflective questions before getting to the answers. Answers as in plural.
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Ildiko Berecz carries two decades of experience in substantial conscious life-changing practices from her own journey on Planet Earth, along with being such a catalyst in other peoples’ lives through various personal aspects as an aromatic adventurer, holistic therapist, consultant, mentor, author, photographer, forager, distiller and plant alchemist. More reflections and continued extracts here from the aromatic plant journal, part two of Extractions and Distractions – A Survival Guide For Aromatic Living in Lockdown.
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By sharing excerpts from her journal, plant alchemist Ildiko Berecz would like to offer some highlights of the past year of how life went on during the pandemic with almost a whole year of lockdown on the Mediterranean Island of Crete in Greece. It is highly emphasised that the journal is not a panacea for pandemic, neither complete nor unbiased, yet focuses on the bright side of a dark year with aromatic and medicinal plants.
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Storytelling, myths, and symbolism appear in our lives from the moment we are born, if not earlier. Ever wondered what form they may take and how they permeate our inner world?… Perhaps, make yourself a soothing decoction from the wonderful leaves of Melissa, and then decide whether to continue reading my composition with an open mind, or else, start out with your own research to gain further experience.
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Complementary therapies such as aromatherapy may significantly improve health conditions in a number of various areas from pain relief, mood enhancement, skin conditions, nausia, improved concentration all the way to anxiety and depression, to mention the least and perhaps some of the most common ones. Yet, it is very unexpected to have all this experienced by the side of someone close who gets diagnosed with breast cancer. And I found myself in a very special position both as a friend and an aromatherapist through the year of her healing…
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“This trip was so full of conflict, argument and self-questioning; it was a struggle that had begun long before she had found herself on Cretan soil.” Sounds like a statement from me and my personal journey, or perhaps many of you reading these lines may feel sort of that way… Engaging in an aromatic journey through life-changing decisions, we are learning to embrace the past and with it reclaim our innate power to change and pursue a more healthy, inspired and balanced life.
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Spring is the season of renewal, and also the time when nature showcases its abundance and offers unprecedented streaming bandwidth for those who wish to connect and witness changes from one hour to the next. By the time May arrives, Oregano is typically ready for harvest on Crete and I was preparing myself to invite this power plant as a guest speaker for this chapter of my aromatic adventures…
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In the series of my unexpected encounters on Crete, there came lemongrass one day and greeted me with a sort of casual looking grass appearance tufted with some grounded elegance. There is no way you just overlook a hugely overgrown tussock like this with grand linear and lanceolate leaves. A straight character catching you with its refreshing an uplifting tonality.
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There used to be a beautiful row of eucalyptus trees along the way between our village and the next. Not only felt heartbreaking to see more of them having been cut out during the past year, but now…
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