Botanical Name: Rosemarinus Officinalis

Origin: South of France

Safety Data: Not to be used by epileptics.

Blended with Lavender Absolute and then blended in Apricot Kernal will result in an awesome massage oil that would be useful for treating muscle aches and pains whilst also being extremely stimulating on the brain aiding mental clarity. Not to be underestimated, this absolute is utterly compelling and a really useful addition to every therapist.

After Lavender, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) is probably the most important plant of the labiatae family used in aromatherapy. The bush, with its silver-green needle shaped leaves and pale blue flowers, grows freely all over Europe, but is most at home near the sea. This is reflected in its name, which is taken from two Latin words (ros + marinus) meaning 'dew of the sea', for the plant was originally a native of the Mediterranean coast. Legend says that the flowers were once white, but that they turned blue after the Virgin Mary hung her cloak on a rosemary bush when the Holy Family stopped to rest when making there way to Egypt.

Rosemary was one of the earliest plants to have been used in medicine, and this undoubtedly overlapped with its use in cooking and in religious rites. The country people in ancient Greece, who did not have access to prepared incense, burnt sprigs of Rosemary on their shrines, and it was often called the 'incense bush'. The Romans, too, revered it as a sacred plant, and traces have been found in Egyptian tombs.

The perfume of Rosemary does bear some resemblance to that of Frankincense. Both are very penetrating. It was used throughout the Middle Ages to smoke out devils during exorcisms, and continued to be burnt in sickrooms as a fumigant for many centuries. The practice of burning Rosemary in hospital wards in France, persisted into the present century, ironically being abandoned at about the same time that modern research proved its antiseptic properties.