 AnimOILS Essential Oil Therapy for Animals and MGEOTA
At this time of year, we all seem to be pre-programmed to go into retreat and for many, there is a tendency towards pessimism!
The sun is low in the sky, the grass stops growing and turns an insipid yellowy-green, the birds stop singing and the leaves have fallen from the trees leaving them apparently bare. Yet, if you look carefully, there are next years leaves all snug and tucked up in their casings, the buds just biding their time to respond to lengthening day and increasing soil and air temperature to burst back into a radiant mantle of green.
I loathe winter with a passion, probably from years of getting up before dawn to milk the cows and then doing it all over in the afternoon only to go home in the dark once again and yet there is some comfort in the knowledge that the cycle that is life will grind round to spring again in its own time. There is no point wishing the seasons away. They will come and go in their own time and if this one isn’t so good, the next may be kinder. That is the patient, watchful optimism that comes with living with a natural cycle.
However, there is no denying it that some individuals, both human and non-human animals, really struggle in winter. Many people seem to suffer from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) a depressive condition that can drag one down both physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and is thought to be linked to lack of sunlight. The use of special “light boxes” to emulate the suns rays appears to be very effective for many as does the use of herbal remedies such as St. John’s Wort in individuals for whom there are no contra-indications.
But do our animals suffer from the winter blues too or is it just that our generally gloomy outlook rubs off on them? I suspect that, left to their own devices, most animals are far more in tune with the seasons than us and are well capable of finding their own balance. Of course the ultimate solution is hibernation and for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the tendency to stay indoors, keep warm and sleep for longer does seem to be quite strong. Why is that?
The 5 Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
The Five Element Theory that comes from Traditional Chinese medicine gives us a clue to the reason for these natural tendencies. This philosophy uses the elements of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal and their respective characteristics to define the character and energy traits of the individual and in doing so, helps us to understand the role of the individual as a part of the whole i.e. The Universe.
When a body is out of balance either physically or emotionally, it can be more vulnerable to illness. By understanding the characteristics of the elements and how they appear when both in and out of balance, we are able to look at the body in a more holistic way and spot potential problems before they have a chance to manifest themselves as physical illness. Because the body is a dynamic energy system, the balance between one element and another will fluctuate and, although most people will find that they and their animal companions are more of one element than another in character, we are in reality a mixture of all 5 of them.
The Elements are usually drawn as a series of interconnecting circles flowing in to one another. This is because the Elements work in two ways: the cycle of Creation and the cycle of Control.
- The cycle of creation starts with Water, the beginning. Life came from the seas, life needs water to thrive, Water triggers seeds to swell and grow.
- Water in turn feeds Wood to make the seed grow into a tree.
- Wood feeds Fire to keep the flames burning.
- Fire feeds Earth just as the ashes return to the earth when the fire dies down
- and Earth feeds Metal just as earth provides the minerals for metal ores to form deep below the surface of the soil. Metal is about grief and letting go, this forms tears which are Water and so the cycle continues.
The cycle of control works in this way:
- Water controls Fire by quenching the flames.
- Fire controls Metal by heating and tempering it so it can be worked.
- Metal controls Wood by cutting it with a sharp edge.
- Wood controls Earth as the roots hold the earth stable.
- Earth controls Water as the banks hold the river in its course.
But how is that relevant to the seasons? Well, each season, has its own element and for Winter, this is Water. Its colours are blue and black (like the bright blue skies after a frosty night and the dark grey clouds full of rain and snow and the long dark nights) and although technically the cycle can begin and end anywhere, it is often considered to be the “end” of the cycle, just as winter is the end of the year…and so of course it also marks the beginning again! Energetically Water controls cold, urine, the Bladder and Kidneys, the Northerly direction, the ears, bones and the emotion of fear.
Think how many connections you can make there… there’s the childhood rhyme ”the North wind doth blow and we shall have snow and what will the robin do then poor thing? He’ll fluff himself up to keep himself warm and hide his head under his wing…poor thing”, there’s the relentless, cold Northerly wind, the extraordinary way cold weather seems to activate the kidneys and keep you rushing to the loo, the biting cold that gets into your bones and makes your ears hurt and of course the primeval sense of fear about survival. Farmers spend much of the summer harvesting food and grain to feed their animals in the winter and so still connect with the old tradition of laying down stocks for the months ahead and while the rest of society may not have to hunt and lay down stores to keep us alive as the hunter gatherers of old, we still stock up the freezer with bread at the first suggestion of snow, worry about the “wolves” coming down from the mountains to get us (i.e. the tax man!) and of course winter is the time when elderly people are most susceptible to illness, depression and fear as to whether they can afford to turn on the heating. We are not so far removed from our ancestors after all and our animals have just the same concerns…basic survival.
Riding the Big Dipper!
With my work as an Essential Oil Therapist for Animals, I often come across “winter-related” problems such as Mud Fever in horses, colds, chills and muscular arthritic and rheumatic conditions. Many of these are caused or exacerbated by damp conditions and, not surprisingly, the oils that have an affinity with these conditions are often “Water” oils such as Ginger to warm and relieve pain and Juniperberry to dispel excessive fluid and protect from further damp. In fact, Ginger is beloved of Donkey’s who have no natural grease to waterproof their coat and so are not suited to the UK Winter unless they have the protection of a waterproof rug or a stable or field shelter. Ginger also “gingers you up” and provides motivation and a sense of “can-do”…no bad thing when you have the bulk of the winter ahead of you and are already feeling as gloomy as Eyore!
Classification of essential oils by their element is often quite subjective and one person may find that one oil works in a different way elementally to another. For instance, as it is an excellent diuretic, I often class Cypress as both Metal and Water and I find other Metal oils are useful for winter such as Cajeput and Peppermint. Metal is the element of Autumn and the time when so many of these problems start to show as the strength of sunlight reduces, the days shorten and life begins to retreat down into the soil again for the long winter rest. Metal also governs the emotions of grief. Many people feel almost bereft going into winter after the brief blaze of glory that is autumn so Metal oils can be very appropriate to help them accept and move on from this feeling. Interestingly, many of the Metal oils have an action on the lungs, the organ governed by this element. Grief is often about breathing out and letting go and so many of the Metal oils are also supportive of pulmonary issues such as bronchitis, congestion, coughs and chills. Tea Tree, Peppermint, Cajeput and Eucalyptus all come under this umbrella.
Perhaps we fight the seasons too much, most of us being divorced from them due to city living or mad, chaotic, over-pressurised lives. We need to get back to the acceptance that comes with an understanding that this cycle will go on with or without us and we may as well accept it. So, don’t feel depressed that you feel depressed. We are at the bottom of the roller coaster ride of the year but the most skilfully designed of Big Dippers have just enough momentum at the bottom of the dip to carry you up back up to the top again ready for the next plunge into the unknown…. just like the seasons of the year, just like the elements, just like life!
© Pauhla C. Whitaker www.animoils.co.uk/2008
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