UNBECOMING: Your Unorthodox Guide to Radical Wholeness
Chapter Eight: Unbecoming your story
Essential Oils
Cedarwood
Cedarwood oil, also known as ‘Cedrus Atlantica‘, is distilled from the bark and wood chips of the Cedrus tree, native to North Africa. The oil has been used for centuries, particularly for its anti-septic properties and in treating uterine track infections and chest congestion. It has a deep, woody and masculine aroma also is commonly known as an aphrodisiac.
Please note that there are several species of the Cedar tree which Cerdarwood essential oil is distilled from, some of which are endangered. I source Virginia Cedarwood which is distilled from Juniperus Virginia, a sustainable source of cedar.
More About The Oil
Promotes courage, faith and strength
Enhances the feeling of being supported in difficult situations
Opens awareness to the joy in your connections with friends and loved ones
Encourages you to be more open and intimate with those around you
Promotes feelings of being supported
“The shadow isn’t filled with darkness the world must never see. It’s filled with parts of you that the world truly needs.”
-Dr. Morgana McCabe Allan
From Morgana
Virginian Cedarwood is very potent, and makes it such a great accompaniment to all ritual and cleansing work, including all forms of shadow work and cultural deconstruction. It’s actually a juniper, not a true cedarwood, but has similar properties to true cedarwood, with the advantage of being more sustainable. I grew up on a street called Juniper, in a country where juniper is prolific in the wild, and as such developed a fascination with the junipers and their properties.
In particular, virginian cedarwood essential oil is a wonderful oil for helping you reconnect to nature, an essential part of rediscovering your own true nature, for you are nature. In a very real way, you are the universe, experiencing itself. In the western world, we’ve been taught to divorce ourselves from that truth, placing ourselves and “culture” as somehow separate and greater than the natural world. However, nothing could be further from the truth: culture is simply part of our nature, like colonies are part of ants’ nature, or prides are part of lions’ nature. The fact that we can make things does not separate us from dependency on, or responsibility for, the natural world.
Dr. Morgana x
Practice Reminder
A really easy way to use virginian cedarwood is to put 1 drop of virginian cedarwood oil into ¼ to ½ a teaspoon (1 – 2.5ml) carrier oil (I like fractionated coconut or apricot kernel) and then dab one spot onto the centre of your forehead (third eye chakra) and one spot into your heart (heart chakra) before a meditation or nature walk. Set the intention to connect to the universe, the divine, nature and/or your own true nature.
Always make sure to check all safety information for any oil before you try using it. For more information, get the download here.
Why I picked these oils
When I was choosing the oils to accompany Unbecoming the book was already written and had already been read by 100s of people around the world. Adding them wasn’t a planned part of the book, but rather an acknowledgement of what the work actually takes - Unbecoming doesn’t happen in isolation, but in practice, with tools that support you every day, even when you’re not actively “doing the work”.
Over the 2 years since I completed writing on the first edition, I’ve been reflecting on what tools and guides have best accompanied my own Unbecoming throughout life, as it’s a process I’ve essentially always been in. Beyond that, which have best served mentees in my various different roles as a leader and facilitator of spiritual growth, over the past 27 years. The more I looked, the more I realised essential oils were everywhere - they were literally the reason I was thrown out of church in the first place.
The six oils I selected ultimately reflect the needs we have when we’re cut loose from a reality that felt real to us, albeit restrictive and ill-fitting, and begin to create anew. We need to cleanse negative energies with a clear head (eucalyptus), and to reconnect to nature and our own true nature (virginian cedarwood). We need to take back our power (ginger) and to ground into and amplify our own being and intentions (black pepper). We need to heal our wounds, grieve and move forwards positively (marjoram) and to consider what our own Unbecoming means for past, present and future generations, reconciling where we’ve been with where we wish to go as we move forwards, individually and collectively (Siberian fir).
These oils are all incredibly potent on their own, but also offer many beautiful blending options to meet your changing needs day-by-day as you explore your own Unbecoming and the infinite expansion it offers.
Dr. Morgana x
Further Reading
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