Lavender for neurotic artists to overcome self-doubt
Stop wallowing in creative self-doubt: lavender's astrology & chakra benefits.
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If any of you have opinions on which essential oil I should focus on for May, go ahead and leave me a comment! For now, I’m thinking tea tree. May and Melaleuca (tea tree’s genus) both start with M, and that is literally the only reason I am planning tea tree.
But I’m open to requests.
For now, let’s talk about how lavender oil can…
Nurture your neurotic Virgo energy
Author Gabriel Mojay connects lavender with the astrological sign of Virgo.
That’s thanks to the deep sense of calm composure lavender evokes:
“It is the kind of self-possessed equanimity symbolized by the plant’s astrological ‘ruler,’ the sign of Virgo. And just as characteristics of Virgo include over-sensitivity and inhibition, so too can lavender calm the nervous anxiety that results in shyness and embarrassment.”
We’ve all got a little neurotic Virgo energy in us.
If you’re a creative person who wallows in self-doubt and fear every time you try to share your work—or if you never speak up in groups because you are secretly sure that you are a stupid ass-monkey who has nothing worthwhile to contribute—lavender can help you express yourself more freely.
Use it to overcome perfectionism, find your voice, and finally get your art out into the world without hyperventilating.
It can really comfort you through your doubts and anxieties. Here’s some nerdy science on how that works.
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Lavender and Your Chakras
Throat Chakra
Your throat chakra is your center of power for clear communication and self-expression.
It’s all about being seen and heard, and listening clearly.
When your throat chakra is balanced, you can speak up for yourself. Because you feel heard and have a healthy sense of goddamn self-esteem, you have no need to dominate the conversation or interrupt others. You have a good sense of when it’s time to shut the hell up, and you can truly listen to other people. Truth and honesty flow through you with clarity.
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Balance your throat chakra with lavender so you can:
Speak your mind with clarity and conviction
Perceive and share truth
Trust that others won’t ignore you or make fun of you when you talk
Listen deeply and hear what others have trouble saying
Feel okay with being wrong/receiving info that contradicts your beliefs (an imbalanced throat chakra might always be interrupting people, ignoring facts that contradict their feelings, or going “Um, actuallyyyy…)
Connect with your inner guidance
Set healthy boundaries
Cultivate self-esteem and self-love
Invite creative inspiration
Overcome creative blocks and perfectionism
Find the right words to say what’s in your heart
Market your business; be seen and heard
Ask for—no, demand—a raise, fuck yeah!
Share your art without internally collapsing on yourself like a broken folding chair
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Another cool aspect of balancing your throat chakra is that it helps your relationships flourish. When you can tap into your own truths, share them clearly and honestly, and listen to others with patience, your relationships feel stronger. (Because you are no longer a shallow asshole, basically.) (I’m lookin’ at you, Jean.)
Lavender can help you get these benefits in any way you’d like to use it.
But as you might imagine for the throat chakra, it’s a good idea to apply a lavender blend around your throat, shoulders, scalp, and upper chest.
Of course, you can also use other essential oils for your throat chakra. And lavender isn’t limited to just this one chakra. (It’s also great for your heart and crown chakras.) Intuition and personal preference play a big role in aromatherapy, because not everyone responds to the same oil in the same way.
For example, lavender can calm anxiety.
But if you can’t stand the smell of lavender (like me!), you’re going to be annoyed when you use it.
Maybe it will soothe your anxiety… or maybe it’ll just be something else that irritates the hell out of you.
In that case, you may want to include lavender in a blend where you can’t smell it so much. (The components of lavender can calm anxiety even if you can’t smell it.)
Or you can turn to a good substitution for lavender, or any oil that makes you feel tuned in to yourself and comfortable sharing with others. Perhaps it’s frankincense or jasmine—something that makes your heart feel protected.
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Share this post with your spiritual-but-not-religious bestie.
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REFERENCES
Mojay, G. (1997) Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press