How to use essential oils

Essential oils are highly concentrated, and have to be used with great care. Only lavender oil and tea-tree oil can be used undiluted, and under no circumstances should any oil be consumed by mouth. Also, however much aromatherapy appeals, it should be avoided during pregnancy as some of the essences may stimulate contractions.
Essential oils should not be used for children under two years old. For the rest of us, the oils can be used in several different ways.
1. In a burner
Burning essentail oils perfumes the air, often creating a sense of well-being. you will need a special burner which consists of a shallow bowl over a small chamber containing a night light. Put a tablespoon of warm water in the bowl, add a few drops of essential oil, light the night light, then sit back and enjoy! You will need to top up the water as it evaporates.
Once lit never leave the burner unattended, even for a few minutes. (But we are all adults here!!!)

2. In the bath
Relax in a scented bath and enjoy the soothing benefits offered by an added essential oil. The oil (no more than 10 drops) should be diluted in a little almond or other vegetable oil in a bowl before being added to the bath waters as this will help to disperse it.

3. For massage
An essential oil blended with a carrier oil such as almond, wheatgerm or soya oil makes a perfect massage oil. Blend the oils in the proportion of 2 - 3 drops of essential oil to 1 tsp of carrier oil.
For larger quantities, use 20-60 drops of essential oil to 100ml/3 1/2 fl oz carrier oil.

4. As an inhalation
Inhaling tiny droplets of essential oils into the lungs means they can be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Add six drops of essential oil to a bowl of steaming water. Lean over the vowl, and breathe in deeply through your nose.

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King of Herbs - panax ginseng

Called the "King of Herbs", ginseng is the most well known herb of all time to longevity enthusiasts. The Taoists say that ginseng has the strongest ability of any herb to condense the earthly ch'i and the five elemental energies into it's root. Thus it can impart the "three vitalities" (ch'i, jing and shin) to anyone who partakes of it. Ginseng is revered for its ability to impart a clarity and awareness to its users. In the first recorded Chinese treatise on herbs, Shen Nung said: "Ginseng is a tonic to the five viscera, quieting the animal spirits, stabilizing the soul, preventing fear, expelling the vicious energies, brightening the eye and improving vision, opening up the heart benefiting the understanding, and if taken for some time will invigorate the body and prolong life..."Ginseng root is said to aid in replacing ch'i to the meridians and organs. It develops the center (earth element) and supplies an adaptability to stressful situations. It's name means "essence of the earth in the form of a man". The chief constituents of ginseng are largely long chain polysaccharides, saponins, ginsenins, panoxic acid, panaxin, panaquilon, elemental minerals, and some B vitamins as well as other substances. Over 28 of the ginsenosides discovered in the past few years in research have been used in studies proving ginseng's great value to health and long life.
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Herbs in South Africa

I am cutivating herbs here in South Africa on my farm. I tried to market fresh herbs, but the market is not there. People prefer buying dried herbs in a bottle. It is more convenient, but fresh herbs give much more aroma and taste in your food.
I am also trying to find out more about using herbs for horses. But most information I get is about herbs from overseas, mainly because England and America have been studying this for longer.
We have a weed growing here called Kaki Weed, and my horses love to eat it. It's internal propperties is good for gastritis, indigestion and intestinal worms. It is also used as an insecticide.
To my knowledge this weed is exotic. The British brought it over from England with the horse feed during the Boer War.
I will talk more about the herbs and their uses with my next posts, and more about my herb farm.