Frankincense or Olibanum as it is also known, is traditionally associated with the Christmas season. I was listening to the radio on the way into work this morning and heard a news story regarding the uncertain future of this ancient resin, and so decided to have our last blog of 2011 researching the story.

Apparently the Boswellia papyifera tree species is under threat and the frankincense forests in general are in decline. The old trees are dying continuously and germination of the new saplings is notoriously difficult. Although the resin is obtained from cutting the bark, this in itself is not the whole reason for the decline – although constant tapping does affect the number of seeds a tree can produce. The bark and any new seedlings are favoured by marauding goats and the tree also finds itself under attack from the long horn beetle. The locals have realised that the land yields more profit when used for other purposes such as housing construction and agriculture, and therefore some dedication to the cultivation of the frankincense resin has been lost.

Each tree can produce around 3kg of resin per year, and research suggests that after tapping for 5 years, the tree should be rested for a similar period in order for it to recover.

Frankincense is collected by creating an incision into the tree bark. A sticky white sap is then produced intended by the plant to seal the wound in the same way our bodies would respond to a cut by creating a scab. The first flow from the tree is the most revered and has a yellow colour. As the tree continues to attempt to seal its wound, the resin gum becoms darker and darker. Collectors wait until the sap has hardened, and then chip off the reddish glass like masses.

Frankincense has a long and spiritual history. It is mentioned in the Bible many times as a result of being used in temple worship. Israelite law governed what could and couldnt be burned in the temple. Frankincense was one of the oils and resins that were deemed worthy enough to be included. Scholars have estimated that the temple in Jerusalem would have used in excess of 700 pounds of frankincense a year. The Boswellia trees do not pour out the resin gum freely and as a result it was an expensive commodity that only the wealthy could afford.

Incense making, like perfume making was an art and a science. The knowledge of how to make the incense was passed down from one generation to the next, and there was a lot of mystery surrounding its make up. For this reason the exact ingredients used in the ancient sacred incenses are unknown - although the ingredients allowed in the incense were laid down by law, the exact proportions were only known by Artisans. The oldest known temple recipe contained just 4 ingredients as follows….

Stacte (most probably Myrrh, but could also have been Balsam)

Onycha (musk)

Galbanum

Frankincense

In olden times, frankincense was seen as a spiritual medicine – being burned to create a connection between life on earth and the spiritual realm. It was a healing herb for many conditions such as anxiety, depression, arthritis, the healing of infected wounds and also as a sedative. In fact, it was used to intoxicate criminals and put them into a state of relaxation before their execution. Frankincense was the ancient equivalent of Prozac, creating clarity of the mind and a long term relaxing calming state.

The Egyptians were also no strangers to frankincense, using it in temples, medicines and cosmetology.  It was used in the embalming process of turning a Pharoah into a mummy and also left in the sarcophagus to ease the way from one realm to the next. Kohl was created by the egyptians by using the burnt ash from frankincense along with other fragrant substances and using this mix to dress up their eyes, making themselves feel more attractive.

As stated earlier, frankincense was used to calm a troubled mind, and maybe in the last minute run up to Christmas day I might borrow a little essential oil from the lab which can be used as a bath additive for a truly relaxing festive soak…..if it works, you’ll be the first to know

Our final note for Christmas and the New Year is a poem I found a couple of years ago that I would like to share with you…

Seek out a forgotten friend
Share some treasure
Give a soft answer
Encourage youth
Keep a promise
Find the time
Listen
Apologise if you were wrong
Be gentle
Laugh a little
Laugh a little more
Express your gratitude
Welcome a stranger
Gladden the heart of a child
Take pleasure in the beauty
and wonder of the earth
Speak your love
Speak it again
Speak it still once again

All the best for the New Year from all at Carvansons.

Bali next……

 I have been here once before in 2007, and i felt that it was a very spiritual place – I couldn’t really put my finger on why….. I hope that my second visit leaves the same impression.

Its night time when I arrive, and one thing I hadn’t noticed before was the shape of the moon. When we have part moons in the UK , we get a crescent shape, but the moon here is lit from the underside making it look like a large Cheshire cat smile in the sky.

As you can imagine its very warm here even at 9pm but guess what, they even have hoodies here in Bali! They are all hanging around the airport asking if you need any help with your bags. I arrive at my hotel and am given a beautiful free garland of flowers and a glass of fruit nectar! The flowers smell divine  – a combination of fragrant Jasmine blossoms and small red rose buds, and the aroma hangs around for 3 days (much longer than the delicious drink!)

The following day I am collected from my hotel by our local agent for Bali, Mr Benny and our Indonesian agent Andy for today’s visits. I notice that a lot of the trees and the roadside statues have checked cloths around them. I ask the reason for this and am told that they denote cosmic duality – the concept of good versus evil. The Balinese see the world in terms of opposites, night and day, good and bad, mountain and sea. One cannot exist without the other. The cloth is known as Poleng and is the perfect representation of this view – the squares are of equal size, perfect black and perfect white. Grey squares contain both black and white strands to show that you cannot have one without the other.

Most of the statues are also shaded by ornate parasols which are seen as symbols of protection for obvious reasons.

There seems to be an awful lot of activity around the temples and this is because there are many public cremations to be held today. In Denpasar alone there are a total of 40 bodies waiting to be cremated. It is a day of great ceremony –  all the villagers help to build the funeral pyres, even the children help to thread the flower garlands that will decorate the cemeteries  and the bodies. Cremations are an important and elaborate event in Bali, but because of the monetary cost, most people can’t afford to have their departed cremated straight away. Families therefore, often wait months for the public cremation so that the villagers can pool resources and have a ceremonious send off. I think the fact that everyone is involved whether you have anyone to cremate or not brings the village together as a whole and also de-mystifies the process of death….here it is always a celebration of life rather than a sad occasion. I like the idea of death being so much a normal part of life.

Our main business here in Bali is fragrance for Incense. The whole island has a fragrant aroma, with incense being burned on every street corner, in every home and every temple. It is burnt as an offering to the Gods. No-one knows exactly where the Gods might be at any given time, but the Balinese believe that smoke from the incense will find its way to the Gods, assuring that the relevant prayers and offerings will be delivered.

As I leave Bali on my way up to Jakarta, I spy a wooden lizard in one of the craft stalls at the airport. The lizard now adorns my lounge wall and is known to everyone as Mr Benny!

Next stop Surabaya and Jakarta…..

Growing from the mud at the bottom of ponds, streams and marshes, the exquisite lotus flower rises above the water unfurling its delicate petals towards the sun.

It possesses an amazing ability to flourish in a variety of environments ranging from clear ponds to muddy marshes.  With its exceptionally hardy seed pods that can remain quiescent during cold, dry seasons, it is no wonder that the lotus symbolises immortality and resurrection. Seeds of the Indian lotus can germinate some 200 years after they are shed!

In Buddhism the lotus represents purity and divine birth.  Buddhist say this is how people should rise above everything which is dukkha. A flower may be very beautiful and have a wonderful scent, but it soon withers and dies. This shows that nothing in life is perfect. (Dukkha is loosely translated into English as suffering)

In fact the lotus flower has symbolised spiritual enlightenment across many religions over the years, with many deities being pictured sat on a lotus flower, rising from within it, or holding a lotus blossom.

Alabaster vessels found in Tutankhamuns tomb when it was opened in 1922 contained lotus oil that had still retained its scent after 3,000 years. Cleopatra was said to have bathed in a lotus bath every day. At the time lotus, cinnamon and marjoram were among the most commonly used top notes in perfumery.

The lotus flower contains many euphoric chemicals that can produce a powerful hypnotic effect. Many historians believe that the Egyptians used it to induce an ecstatic state and create hallucinations. It was used as a sedative and also as an aphrodisiac.

You need to plan to pay a premium for true exotic oils such as lotus. If the price seems to good to be true, then it usually will be. The true oil is very rare and only available in very small quantities. It takes around 100 flowers to make 1 gram of oil. Only 1000 to 3000 grams of the true white lotus oil has ever been exported as far as we know, and you can expect to pay over £200 for approx. 5mls.

It has a beautiful delicate fragrance and is effective in improving skin conditions, mild fungal infections, fever and cholera.

And finally, it is the most famous flower associated with good Feng Shui, used to create an environment of harmony, peace and good energy, inspiring contentment and new opportunities…..maybe we should be hosing the streets of London tonight not with water but with lotus oil!!