Your Aromatherapy Star Sign - Libra (24 September - 23 October)

Dates - 24 September to 23 October

Ruler - Venus

Colour - Green

Aromatic - Rose, Geranium & Clary Sage

Element - Air
Season - Spring

Librans are one of the most admired signs in the zodiac because of their kindness and compassion towards others. They make wonderful friends and great lovers who make you feel loved and appreciated.   Because a Libra values beauty so much, they may sometimes become too focused on outward beauty and forget to look deeper into a person's full character. Libras do not handle criticism very well, which often makes them seem insecure.

Rose (Rosa Centifolia)
 
Up to the Middle the Ages the rose played an essential part in the materia medica being used for lots of different disorders including digestive and menstrual problems, headaches and nervous tension, liver congestion, poor circulation, fever, eye infections and skin complaints. The rose has traditionally been associated with Venus, the Goddess of love and beauty. Today rose oil inspires emotional calm and stability without sedative effects. It has a very gentle but strong, uplifting effect on the psyche and a balancing effect which can help individuals "see problems in proportion".  Many aromatherapists believe that Rose can mimic the effect of hormones, so it is often used to treat psychological problems linked to female bodily functions, such as menstruation and childbirth, e.g. PMS or Post Natal Depression.  The aroma is powerful and comforting.
 
Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens)
 
Geranium has a close affinity with the female system & is therefore a popular oil for the aromatherapy beginner as well as the professional. It helps to treat hormonally unbalanced skin, broken capillaries, blemishes and bruises.  It also works on the mind to ease nervous tension, mood swings, irritability, anger and female rages, while soothing period-related pains and problems.  It is emotionally soothing & has a fabulous scent that makes it ideal for room fragrancing. It is a gentle insect repellent, hence its folk use as a window box plant.
 
Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea)
 
Clary Sage has a euphoric effect, which makes it a useful oil for treating stress-related nervous tension and fatigue.  Some people find it helpful in the treatment of migraine and it can also reduce pain associated with back ache and muscle stiffness.  The medicinal application of Clary Sage began prior to the birth of Christ.  The Egyptians used it as a cure for infertility, whilst the Greeks and Romans believed that it could prolong human life.  It was one of the Anglo Saxons' nine sacred herbs and by the sixteenth century it was grown in every medicinal herbal garden.  It became known as "clear eye" as it was believed to cure eyesight problems.  Under the guise of its therapeutic properties, it was often added to beer and wine, however it was possibly appreciated more for the fact that it enhanced the effect of alcohol, making weak beer seem more potent.  Avoid during pregnancy.