There's Something About Basil

I love the smell of basil.

In a farmer’s market, in someone’s garden, in the supermarket, I always stop to smell the basil.

As a foodie, I also love pesto and that made specifically from basil (I’ve come to know other pestos - such as made from spinach and kale - such blasphemy!). My first experience with basil pesto was in Italy in 1988 when my uncle’s wife, who was from the Liguria region of Italy famed for pesto’s origin, made it fresh for my family. What is this, I asked? I had only had tomato sauce previously. It was delicious.

As the years went on, decades actually, and I studied holistic health, one of those branches was aromatherapy, and a life-changing book purchase was Emotions & Essential Oils by Daniel Macdonald.

At the time, this was a relatively new concept to me, that plants can have an association with emotions and the healing of those emotions. But it made sense!

The book touted basil’s benefits as an essential oil in renewing mental clarity, calming the nervous system, reducing intellectual exhaustion (providing clarity) and promoting renewed enthusiasm and internal strength.

Was my attraction to basil due to these qualities? Perhaps so. I do enjoy making use of the aroma of basil, whether in essential oil form or inhaling the leaves of the plant.

I also read something interesting about the use of basil in ancient folklore and specifically for bringing abundance (as in financial wealth) into one’s life. That is, placing a basil leaf into a wallet to attract money, and, to be honest, I do notice that when I open my basil-laden wallet, it does smell a bit like the Benjamins!

So, whether you use basil for pesto, emotional regulation, or to attract wealth - enjoy!