Rosa Damascena for Grief

"Dat Rosa Mel Apibus - The Rose Gives Bees Honey"

Engraving (possibly) by Johann Thedore deBry (d. 1598)

The Queen of Flowers, quite possibly the Queen Flower of Heaven, angelic, joyful, anti-depressive, dreamy, spiritual, comforting, euphoric Rosa Damascena.  A rose is not a rose unless it is the Damascena.  The quintessential oil for women next to Spikenard, which of course is next to Rosa Damascena.  

 I have a very small amount of this oil,  just enough for me, myself and I. Would I share it with you? Let me think.  Um, depends on who is asking. lol

I've been relying on the Rosa Damascena more than usual, after losing one of my life-long best friends suddenly in January.  Inhlation mainly and massage with rice-bran oil occasionally - because sometimes the scent can transport you into realms outside the grip of grief.  I'd rather be outside grief's castle than being locked inside the dungeon unable to see the light of day. 

Grief is a real pain in the ass, you know?  It interferes with all sorts of things - physically, emotionally, mentally.  I can be fine one minute and the next I'm an emotional trainwreck. While the oil is not a cure-all it does help to calm my anxiety/melancholy/sense of loss (is that the right way to phrase it? No I don't think so but let's say it puts me in a better state of mind.)  Dealing with the "if only she....." or "why didn't I see/hear/sense......." scenarios over and over again really could make one go quite mad.  So instead of going mad I try to sew my broken heart back together.

Anger is another tentacle of grief I can do without.  Try as it may - the rose oil just doesn't cut it sometimes and I  find myself incredibly angry with her at times.  I hope she doesn't think she can come fluttering by me with freshly made spun sugar wings and not expect me to throw on my Docs and kick her angelic ass for leaving me and everyone else. I mean, REALLY!  She's the one who is supposed to be cooking for all of us girls, bossing us around and making sure there's someone to change our Depends when we're all old bats, with wrinkles down to our ear lobes or eyebrows lifted up to our hairlines with that stunned, permanent look of surprise.  You all know who you are...lol.

Rose lets you laugh and dance with angels, soothes your senses, lifts you up when you don't think you can get up on your own.   Perhaps I'll blend it up with a bit of Spikenard and of course, Patchouli.  Talk about something sacred and profound -it doesn't get much better than that.