Healing Oils – Deep Healing for the Body and Soul

As our signature tag line -- Love Heals -- states: the mission of Thistle Farms is to promote healing. For the women who come into the program, and for all who come into the community circle. Thistle Farms Healing Oils were created to aid in the process and are derived from plant essences steeped in a long history of healing.  A blend of essential oils, when combined with a carrier oil and loving intention, can help in many life situations.

In our modern day, the use of essential oils is generally relegated to the realm of ministry. Baptism at the beginning of life and Extreme Unction at the end of life are rituals performed by clergy using essential oils. We’ve lost the art of performing sacred ritual for ourselves in our daily lives.  Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting stories of people who have used the healing oils to make meaning out of ordinary life events.  Anyone, anytime, and with loving intention can perform a simple ritual using an essential oil to mark a major transition, to honor a milestone, or to ease a burden.

The first story comes from Jennifer, a 2012 graduate of the Magdalene program. Jennifer came to Thistle Farms skeptical of what essential oils could really do for her healing. “I have always been searching for things outside of myself to make my insides feel better,” Jennifer said when remembering how the healing oils changed her life. Her days at Thistle Farms revolved around healing oils from the very start. Placed in manufacturing, Jennifer handled the oils on a daily basis. The aroma of the healing oils had an impact that she never expected. When working with the oils Jennifer’s moods would shift depending on what oil was being used, “…my moods would alternate between calm and serene to happy and joyous.”

It was not until a family donated a still to Thistle Farms, however, that Jennifer began to learn about the healing properties of essential oils. “After being the one called on to run the still I thought it would be nice to research the oils we were distilling. I learned that when we rub essential oils into our skin they absorb within twenty minutes and start to act like other nutrients that would normally be absorbed though food and other sources.” After researching the oils and running the still to make the oils, Jennifer started to use them herself. “I believe in these oils, and I know for a fact that they really do work. My personal favorite is Ahimsa that contains cinnamon and clove. This oil is really good for circulation and always sooths my knees and feet after a long day.” One of Jennifer’s other favorite oils is the geranium oil, which soothes her migraines.

Jennifer’s story does not stop with the affect that the healing oils had on her body and spirit. Earlier this year she met Nicholas Hitimana who started Ikirezi, a farming cooperative that works with survivors of the Rwandan Genocide. The group produces the organic Geranium oil that Thistle Farms uses. Upon meeting Nicholas at the Thistle Farms National Conference Jennifer’s life was changed. While speaking at the conference Nicholas invited Jennifer up on stage and apologized to her on behalf of all men. “I couldn’t believe what happened,” Jennifer said, “He said he was sorry for the harsh and brutal ways that men have been treating me all my life. He said he was sorry that I was treated like an object with no dignity…up until that moment I had not realized that I was looking for or even needed an apology. At that moment something inside of me lifted. It was as if a heavy weight that had been holding me down was suddenly pulled away.” Jennifer discovered that, “healing comes from within and from the most unusual and unexpected places. Who knew that these strangers and essential oils would be the most important piece of my healing.”  


To purchase your own healing oils, go to our online store.

Story by Julia Nusbam
Thistle Farms Intern