Each time we apply the ancient healing and magical arts we are creating changes in the lives of our clients and often in the lives of those individuals around them. Our entire existence in this world is made up of a series of contacts with others. We laugh together, play together, share loves, sorrows, joys, and tears, and unveil the deepest secrets of our souls, one to the other.
Each blend that emerges from the table of the aromatherapist must carry with it the responsibility of the effects that it will bring to people’s lives.
In its healing applications, this is obviously true. Just as we may help someone to recuperate from an ailment or relieve pain and suffering, our work could also function to worsen the condition of the one we seek to help. Just as different individuals may have a negative reaction to certain medications, so may there be similar unfavorable responses to specific scents. There may be allergic reactions to specific essential oil ingredients to consider. It is the responsibility of the practicing aromatherapist to not only blend the correct ingredients for the particular condition that is to be remedied but the correct ingredients for the particular individual as well.
There are certain oils that are irritant oils. While there may be some people who have little or no negative reaction to these oils, others may suffer considerable discomfort when in contact with these scents through breathing their aromas or through physical contact with the skin. Likewise, there are specific oils that are almost universally accommodating. These are the carrier oils. Sometimes, these user-friendly oils may be used to dilute the effect of an otherwise irritating essential oil.
In the appendix, there are lists of both these essential oil types. But a word of caution—do not ignore the individual response factor! One of the most unusual situations I have encountered so far in the application of aromatherapy has been the uncovering of an allergic reaction to a carrier oil. Out of three family members treated, the mother and one daughter had the exact same allergic response to the supposedly universally acceptable oil. The responsible aromatherapist deals with the foundation principles of the art but does not close his or her eyes to the real life people for which the art is plied. Braced with the knowledge of the ancient wisdom of aromatherapy, the fragrance artisan also has eyes wide open toward the effects created through the practice as they unfold.
On the magical side of aromatherapy, there are additional complications in responsible working. While involved in therapeutic use, there is little question of ethics. To relieve an ailment or ease the suffering of a fellow human being—how can there be a question as to the virtue of the act? In the magical application, however, there are many questions that may arise. Remember that when an effect is created on one individual, it also exerts an influence on those directly and indirectly involved with that individual. The one who is responsible for effecting this change should also be willing to stand up for the thrust of any backlash that may occur from it.
The possible solutions are few. Either do not pursue the magical side of fragrance arts or else enter into it in a responsible manner. There are many ways to define the righteousness of a magical undertaking. One of the most simple is one that was given to me through my own studies in the magical arts. Before making a decision to pursue a magical undertaking, the question must be addressed whether or not this is an operation that is good for everyone it touches. To determine this, use the following three-circle system of magical responsibility.