Over the years, I’ve come to learn more and appreciate the depth and beauty of Valerian (Valeriana Officinalis). I appreciate (and find rather funny) the contrast of the dainty, sweet, light pink flowers to the pungent, almost cat-urine-like smell of its root. And ironically, it’s in the root where we find the most medicinal power and benefits – if you can get past the smell! Luckily for us, we’ve found the perfect blend of complimentary herbs, like sweet orange, lavender, and rose to balance out the strong Valerian aroma in our Valerian Rose Healing Oil.
Herbalist like Michael Tierra and Suzanne Fischer-Rizzi open a window into their relationship with Valerian and the wisdom they’ve collected and cultivated over the years. When Michael Tierra describes Valerian in his book The Spirit of Herbs: A Guide to the Herbal Tarot, he says that it’ll “help to relieve self-judgment and the mental ‘spasms’ in which one may indulge during trying times. It will help one to ‘feel warmer’ toward the self.” And Michael suggests that when you feel called to use Valerian, you can say the affirmation “I fully acknowledge my goodness and worth, for I am a child of Divine Spirit.”
Suzanne Fischer-Rizzi takes us on journey to where Valerian lives in its most natural and beloved habitats. She describes in her book The Medicine of the Earth, that “Valerian awaits us in the forest, in a small clearing, along the edge of a trail, in a wet, deciduous wood or mixed woodland, in a wooded marsh, or close by a river. He likes the wet element and wilts quickly when picked.” She goes on to say “the spirits of the water and of the moon, water nymphs, and fairies are said to dance around him on moonlit nights.” I don’t know about you, but I love this visual!
Valerian is graceful, like an airy pink cloud, and the flowers hover over the stem and reach toward the light. Such beautiful personification – I can really see the spirit of the plant in my mind’s eye!
It’s said that long ago, Valerian was called Baldrain because people perceived in the plant the radiant energy of Balder, their god of light, purity and kindness.
And when researching further, I found that the word Balder actually means “the most helpful” and that people thought of Valerian as a plant to help for all ailments!
In our need to categorize and simplify information in our minds, we’ve somehow diminished the power of Valerian. I’d like to suggest that if you feel called to use our Valerian Rose Healing Oil, take a moment before applying it, to ask the spirit of the plant to go where it’s needed most and to help heal what’s out of balance. In the spirit of allowing Valerian to break out of the restrictive box that we’ve put it in, simply ask the plant to heal what’s needed at the time, whether that means relieving a tense muscle in the shoulders, soothing a tight jaw or simply saying, “I give permission to the spirit of Valerian to help my physical body, my emotional body and my spirit body where it needs it most.
Take a moment to see how Nathalie likes to use Valerian Rose Healing Oil.
