Crete

Extractions and Distractions – A Survival Guide For Aromatic Living in Lockdown – Part 1

Leave a Comment / Aromatherapy, Aromatherapy Journal, Aromatic Adventures, Crete, Life Transformation / By ildiko

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.

Eucalyptus: A Breath of Hope

Leave a Comment / Aromatic Adventures, Crete, Nature / By ildiko

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…

A Bay of Inspiration And Victory Over The Self

Leave a Comment / Aromatherapy, Aromatic Adventures, Crete / By ildiko

The magic of bay leaf is another profound opportunity for me to demonstrate how disconnected we human beings have become from the living and powerful Nature, and its capacity to communicate via fragrances.

Lavandula Spica, The Bright Star

Leave a Comment / Aromatic Adventures, Crete, Inspirations / By ildiko

Spica is the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo and one of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky. According to Wikipedia. To me, Spica is the brightest, strongest and without question my all time favourite type of lavender essential oil. This one specifically. Organically grown and “cultivated” as it was wild by Gill …

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Carob: food for smart monkeys

Leave a Comment / Crete, Programs, Taste of Life / By ildiko

Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) is one of the hundreds treasures of Crete. In some countries they call it St John’s bread, locust bean or even monkey food (although that would probably be baobab). Well donkeys and goats like it too… My mom told me that in her childhood in Hungary it was a favourite sweet …

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Mullein, The Great

Leave a Comment / Crete, Inspirations, Nature / By ildiko

As the weather so the landscape is offering a bit of summer blending into automn on the last day of September. A few drops of rain, yet only the ones sitting on the leaves, and taken into dance by the wind. That’s why a Sunday walk at the foothills of the White Mountains of Crete is …

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Cistus Creticus –  Ignite Your Inner Fire

Leave a Comment / Aromatherapy, Aromatic Adventures, Crete / By ildiko

Going through my distillation diary, I couldn’t help noticing some concurrences… My first time distilling Cistus creticus in the summer of 2017 happened to be the 14th in the series of my distillations. The second time for the same plant, in just about a year, got to become number 28. I have always loved numbers. …

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Take Your Thyme, Be Strong & Courageous

2 Comments / Aromatherapy, Aromatic Adventures, Crete, Life Transformation / By ildiko

As I contemplate over the characteristics of thyme and the richness of my own personal history and experiences with it, I recall these words from the Hungarian poet Mihály Váci: It’s not enough to fear,Fight the fight instead.It’s not enough to flicker,But burn with flames of red.Not enough to talk.But say what’s not …

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Crete island: Inner Self Daydreaming

Leave a Comment / Crete, Inspirations / By ildiko

While waiting for spring to take off, it is just so good looking at this video expressing that plentiful abundance and warmth Crete island has to offer. In this official teaser in the series of Incredible Crete the Tourism Development office and the creative film-makers at IndigoView really did a nice job to capture some …

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