Wandering the streets of India, I notice the smell of cardamom fills the air, especially when approaching a sweets shop. I had never been immersed in its heady fragrance before my sojourns to India, but now it is one of my favorite scents and flavors. Perhaps it is because in all of its uniqueness, cardamom encourages a sense of self-responsibility, an owning of what is.
Have you ever felt righteous in blaming someone else for something that happened to you? We have all been there. Sometimes it just seems like it had to be something they did. You were innocent. Weren’t you? Unfortunately, there is never a time when we are truly without blame. Even in the most intense of situations there is a piece of us which knows that, at a higher level, somewhere in the grandness of it all, we called this in for our growth. Cardamom is the gentle, delicious reminder that when we take full responsibility for our lives and what happens, we are suddenly empowered—more fully—not disempowered.
Sweets in India stand out as bold and somewhat irresponsible to me. At least they did at first. How dare rose and pistachio, cardamom and ghee take such a front seat in the garden of delights? I had no idea these flavors could shine so much with no fear for the flavor they bring. In the west, cardamom is perhaps less well known. It is the spice people love to claim ignorance about, much the same way individuals love to claim blame in situations where it seems they could have easily been the victim. The scent of cardamom, when breathed in and really contemplated, allows us to own the hurt, the frustration, the objectification, the anger. It allows us to sit in the hot seat of our created life and BE the spiced jewel of the moment which seems to be dealt a raw deal.
Cardamom essential oil is food for an expanded consciousness. It is the gift that says YES—in the receiving and owning of even this, you will find sweet release. It is the ticket to the front row seats of empowerment you long to find on your journey of self-worth—the ones you will never find as long as you throw off responsibility on anyone else for anything that has ever happened to you in your life.
By choosing to align with the fragrance and vibrations brought to us in cardamom essential oil, I believe we are owning the spice, owning the ways in which we “mix things up” in reality every day—which may seem to bring us back “less than favorable” experiences…but which, in the end, if owned—every bit—show us the miraculousness of our journeys and the unique essence of our truth.
Life isn’t about conformity and it isn’t about being accepted, though acceptance and belonging we all long for. Life asks us, instead, to stretch our wings and expand our sense of who we think we are and what we can be in order to break the molds and show up in ways life has perhaps never seen. Often in attempt to “spread those wings” or be bigger, we run into resistance—we run into anger, into those who feel uncomfortable with our level of expansion and activation. This is no wrong doing on our part…but we DID create the ripple, which caused the response. By breathing with cardamom essential oil we get more comfortable in the wakes of transition caused, often by us—and our choice to be BIG and bold and ourselves.
Cardamom essential oil couples well with rose oil to embrace the heart of who we came here to be, and with jasmine as a sensual reminder that our divine essence is pure feminine creation at its best. It is delicious with ginger and clove in a sort of cosmic chai blend for empowerment and boundary bliss.
The best thing about cardamom essential oil is its ability to help us feel objective about what is going on around us and to not attach ourselves to the outcomes or the emotions which may be arising in any situation. It is great for those who tend to easily anger or get frustrated when things go other than how they’d like. It helps to cultivate a witness perspective which can honor all aspects playing out and brings clarity of mind to whatever may be surfacing so that distortions may be fewer and indigestion avoided.
Physically, cardamom is a great digestive and assists the body in stomach and bowel issues. It is peace-promoting and moves extra air and flatulence. It’s great for the skin and it boosts the metabolism. It is energizing and uplifting in every way. Cardamom is one of my all-time favorite smells and is a pure delight to diffuse and keep around, especially during family meals or holidays to make things go a bit smoother. Doctors and psychology offices could benefit from this oil as it keeps everyone objective and less blamey/demanding. It calms the overall mood and helps us get to the root of things...which is where Love comes in.
Get a little more Love in your life through owning it fully with cardamom essential oil. It’s all Love, they say…and it certainly can be when we choose to take it upon ourselves to own what we see, own what we feel, and come back at life with a positive attitude.
