Incantations

This post is part three of a five part blog series on Snake Oil: The Art of Healing and Truth-Telling by Becca Stevens. For previous blog posts in the series, click HERE and HERE.

Going through life from day to day, there are rituals that mark our coming and going, our starting and stopping, our beginning and ending. In Chapter Eight of Snake Oil, Becca talks about how the ritual of incantation brings us to a place that allows us to appreciate the beauty around us.

“The ritual readies us for prayer. It wakes us up to get out of our ruts and invites us to step quietly into this space of prayer. In a prayerful and humble position, we’re ready to give and receive love.”

Shrouded with layers of cultural context and meaning, the ritual of incantation has much to do with a posture, an attitude, and a reminder to live with loving intention. The use of healing oils in ritual invites us to a deeper level of connection and healing.

Ahimsa is the healing oil inspired by this chapter, blending cinnamon, clove, sweet orange and cedar. Ahimsa is the art of universal love and nonviolence practiced by Ghandi and Martin Luther King. Using "Ahimsa" with the intention to "sow universal seeds of love and nonviolence" calls forth this quality in our lives. 

Whether your incantation is “Peace be with you” or “Welcome to the circle," a daily practice using words that call us to loving action help us stay centered. Ritual allows us to experience and appreciate love in small spaces throughout the day, making sacred the ordinary rhythms of life.

You can order "Ahimsa" or our entire line of healing oils on our online store. For more information on the book, Snake Oil, visit the Jericho Books website or purchase online at:
Parnassus Books
Amazon
Barnes And Noble
or find at an Independent Bookseller near you

Story by Abby Hardaway
Photos by Peggy Napier & Carolyn Snell