Welcome back to another episode of Essential Aromatica! This episode is a bit different—I’m taking a moment to say hello again, reconnect with you, and reflect on why I started this podcast in the first place. From gaps created by the pandemic to a deep desire to share knowledge and cultivate connection, this podcast has been a personal project of passion and purpose.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Reverend Ben DeHart, a guide in my foray into podcasting, co-host of Our Triune Pod, and someone whose encouragement made all the difference.

This episode is an opportunity to revisit the core reasons behind Essential Aromatica:

• Rebuilding connection through shared passion – The aromatherapy school I taught at shut down soon after the pandemic started, I felt the loss deeply. My podcast became a way to continue sharing, to reach others, and to keep inspiring—even without an in-person classroom.
• Connection to nature – A personal story on how aromatherapy became my path.
• Making aromatherapy accessible – It’s about connecting with nature, plants, everything that is bigger than and includes us. (Go for a walk outside!!!!)

Along the way, I’ll share insights from my newly published article on Rhododendron anthopogon, a gem of an essential oil I’ve come to think of as Nepal’s Frankincense. Its ability to bring clarity, lightheartedness, and mental stillness makes it invaluable when we seek lucidity amidst overwhelm.

Plus, in the spirit of balancing bitterness and sweetness, I have to bring up Hecate, a guide through liminal spaces, and introduce Lilith into the mix. These gloriously “dark” archetypes are juxtaposed against Jasmine and Yuliana Kireyeva’s mesmerizing olfactory sound composition.

Chapter highlights:

~1'40" Shout out to Reverend Ben DeHart

~2'20" Why Essential Aromatica was brought into existence

~11'55" Notes on Rhododendron Essential Oil: Lucidity, Nepal's Frankincense

~15'15" Dr. Kurt Schaubelt on the interchangeability of essential oils and "less is more"

~18'10" The Bitter: When Lilith Met Hecate (a poem)

~20'30" The Sweet: Jasmine and Yuliana Kireyeva's olfactory sound composition