Pretty in Pink

Pretty in Pink: Rose Harvest 2018 in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria

I recently attended a rose retreat in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria near the town of Kazanlak.  Silvia of Rose Overdose (https://www.roseoverdose.com) invited me and she was the most gracious host I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her family has been harvesting roses and producing rose oil, and other rose infused products for generations. It was a rose jam packed week of rose picking, rose yoga, rose workshops, and rose dinners. I would like to give a shout out to my friend, Nicole Santos of Gallery Rosa in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur who trusted me and said "YES", to join as a travel buddy for the adventure.

We visited a rose distillery, a rose museum, and the tombs of great Thoracian kings. Bulgaria was a culturally infused place with influence from Slovic, Russian, Arabian, Turkish, and Grecian civilizations. Driving through the romantic rose valley there was nothing but rose gardens for miles. What I liked about these gardens is many were unattended, growing wild, free, engrossed in their natural state and the flowers covered the land what seemed to go on for an eternity.  The constant rose aroma opened my gypsy heart to a portal of another realm. Those that know the power of one sniff of rose can only image what it felt like to be amidst the aroma for week. it was constant. Rose notes even began to show up in my under arm odor. My essence infused with e rose essence. 

Botanical Name: Rosa damascena

Plant Part Used: Rose Petals

Method of Extraction: Steam Distillation

Note: Base and Middle

Aroma: Floral, Exotic, sometimes Citrusy or Smoky

Blends Well With: Bergamot, cardamom, geranium, ginger, jasmine, lemon, neroli, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, and frankincense

Rose Yoga

We kicked off our stay in the valley of roses with a once in a lifetime chance to practice in a studio that was filled with over 3000 roses. There was even an unexpected photographer there from national geographic to capture some images of our group doing "rose yoga". This was never really done before Silvia designed the concept and just so happened to take a day's harvest of here 40 acre farm to let us play in roses. My favorite was making "rose angels" (like when you lay back in the snow and make snow angels but with roses)

There is a reason why the rose has been used for centuries by lovers as a symbol of the heart. The oil is a gentle tonic for the heart w/ the highest measured frequency of all oils at 320 MHz. The rose garden itself is a living meditation w/ an endless sea of blossoms where the opening of petals never seemed to end.. Rose helps us to find the softness underneath it all, while helping to open our hearts a little more and experience a deep sense of peace, love, and joy. The many layers of this scent reminds of our “journey” not just the destination. This aroma is a gift of the earth bringing wisdom to those who have built walls around the heart. Breathe in this heavenly scent and get ready to receive.

Beauty Ritual, Goddesses, and Roses

 These three themes go hand in hand as rose elixir’s have been recorded in written history dating back 5000 years. Rose is also known as  “THE QUEEN of FLOWERS” Both in India, Egypt, Roman and Arabic writings deities, queens, and goddess are associated with the rose. The greek poet, Anacreon wrote that the white rose (Alba species) first sprang forth during the birth of  Aphrodite, the goddess of love.Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt was known for her beauty and one of her most famous recipes was her bath consisting of honey, milk, and roses. She even had her living quarters filled with petals so that when Marc Anthony met her he would long remember her every time he smelled a rose.

Whether dealing with libido, mood, or post natal issues working with rose oils can support healthy sexual and female challenges. Try taking Cleopatra’s lead and soak in a milk, honey and rose oil bath to support healthy hormonal function and uplift the mood.Rose has therapeutic compounds that are specifically regenerating to mature skin. The oil also benefits dry, hormonal, and problematic skin issues.

Recipes:

Night Serum - Take 1 drop rose oil to ¼ cup of Avocado oil. Apply a small amount to the face and neck each night before bed.

Moisturizer -Take 1 ounce coconut oil and mix 6 drops of rose oil and 6 drops of geranium. Massage into the skin, including legs, arms, elbows, hands and feet.

Love Potion - 7 drops rose oil, 4 drops ylang ylang, 1 drop neroli. Add oils to a cup of witch hazel in a glass mister. Eo’s float on top so shake the bottle to activate the ingredients

Rose Maks - 1 ounce of bentonite clay powder, 3 tbs of rose water, 3 drops of Myrrh oil, 4 drops rose oil. Apply to a clean moist face. Let dry for 15 mins and rinse.

Here is our "Caravan Girl", botanical perfume inspired by our trip and infused with rose essence.

Rose Oil Production

About 60,000 roses are used to produce 1 ounce of Rose Oil. This is about 7000-9000 kilos of petals in 1 liter of rose oil, or 30 kilos in just 1 gram! I recently had the pleasure to visit a 10 acre rose garden in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria. My friend, Silvie who invited me is carrying on the art of rose growing as did her family for generations. The entire rose harvest lasts around 3 weeks and begins mid May. Each morning the rose pickers, which many whom are “gypsies” wake up before the Sun to start picks by 5 AM- 10AM. When it begins to warm up the roses with begin to ferment so the day’s harvest goes right to the distillery which is nearby to be steam distilled into oil. 10 pickers will pick around 300 kilos of blossoms in a morning. One picker is needed per acre.

After rose picking one morning our group visited the Rose distillery. The exotic aroma that filled the air was one like no other. My nose captured rich notes of sultry smoke, earthy tobacco, tart fruit, fresh green, hint of citrus, and heavy floral aromatics. Yes, it was intoxicating and I finally understood the meaning of Silvia’s brand, Rose Overdosed! It was almost like being drunk on roses but that was another night of the retreat!

Rose Museum & Dinner

So far I have shared Aromatic and Topical ways to use the essence of the rose  but there are also internal uses through culinary delights. My favorite evening in Bulgaria was a Rose dinner hosted in Silvia’s family home. Her family had been making Rose Champagne, Rose Wine, and Rose Liqueurs for generations. Each sip was savored like a drop of love straight to the soul. The dinner also included a salad with edible roses, Bulgarian Cheeses with Rose Jam, Rose Risotto, and Rose Sorbet. In between each coarse we sipped on the beverages and got to smell different rose oils produced by different seasons or growers which of coarse effect the notes. Rose water, rose petal infusions and rose oil were all bases to the culinary delights. Earlier in the day we also got a surprise treat of sipping rose champagne on pink carpet in the gardens of the rose museum of Kazanlak.

Recipe: Rose Petal Jam

3 1/2 cups of water

3 cups of rose petals

2 1/2 cups of sugar

½ cup of fresh lemon juice

1 cup rose water

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the rose water. Remove from heat.

Add petals, cover,  and steep for 30 mins. Strain liquid. Discard petals.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer into a hot mason jar to seal the lid.  Let cool. And store in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

Thracian Tombs

The Thracian people were from the Odrysian kingdom an ancient, mysterious tribe with elaborate burial rituals who drank wine from gold cups, built structures to withstand the test of time, treasured their horses, and didn't bother to write anything down living in the moment.  I chanted in the Golyama Kosmatka Tomb of King Seuth to checkout the acoustical value 9while making a prayer wish and sending it out there in the universe somewhere. and thought Droko of the  known Dothraki (nomadic horse-mounted warriors from Game of thrones) was going to rise from the grave in which we were sitting. I instantly felt a weird , creepy, but powerful vibe and fled out of there quickly.  I will tell you within a few weeks my wish that I had made in the tomb came true but maybe that also had to do with the power of the roses. 

Rose Picking

Last but not least, my favorite activity was being out in the gardens picking the roses. A divine process it was! The scent though! Nirvana accessed right from the nose.  Silvia likes to call it "A living meditation".  The roses had the company of many bees, and wild flowers growing under the rose bushes including flowers springing up from two very precious essential oils Helichrysum and Tansy.  We also learned how to make mega flower crowns. Here is a magical moment in the garden while I was picking a local girl sang a beautiful song. I could not hold back the tears and forever more I will be looking at the world with as pair of rose colored lenses. 

Please contact me if you may be interested in attending one of Silvia's retreat or would like to inquire about purchasing some of her wonderful rose oil or rose water. 

Tribal Beauty of Ancient Egypt

The Egyptians regarded beauty as a sign of holiness and believed in the magical properties of their beauty ritual ingredients.

Ancient Egyptians not only used the precious metal of gold as adornment, but also used gold as a therapy for the skin. Historically in Egypt, gold was used for its curative and antibacterial properties. The exclusiveness of this ritual has not changed throughout the years, as only a certain number of elite spa’s around the world offer the expertise in using this expensive metal for skin and energy revitalizing purposes.

The ancient Egyptians were not entirely misguided in believing that kohl would prevent eye infections because it actually did prevent an ocular infection that was caused by the flooding of the Nile. The lead-based substances in the kohl promoted the production of nitric oxide in their skin, which helped strengthen their immune systems against diseases ("How the Pharaohs Fought Ocular Infection"). The soot in kohl helped in reducing the damaging effects of sun glare on their eyes. The ancient Egyptians created a remedy for burns by mixing the cheek and lip stain and other remedies for improving skin with red natron, northern salt and honey. However, the ancient Egyptians strongly believed that the healing effects of these cosmetics were magical rather than medical.

The beauty technique, known as hair extensions was widely used in ancient Egyptian history, followed the Egyptians predecessors to their grave. Hair is something that ancient Egyptians went great lengths to nurture and enhance. Hair symbolized wealth, status, beauty and in some references, motherhood and fertility. To maintain natural hair growth and the strength of their hair, Egyptians were pioneers in using castor oil. Ancient Egyptians initiated the use of this oil for their hair due to its nourishing properties. Castor oil has since then been used to enhance healthy hair growth and in strengthening hair follicles.

One can not help but think of the legendary queen Cleopatra of Ancient Egypt known throughout history for her beauty and charm. 

Her father was exiled and so she took the thrown at 18 ruling w/ her brother who was 10. A woman was allowed to rule but not alone. She then decided to remove her brothers name from all of the records and print only her face on the coins. She was 1st women to rule Egypt solo. Eventually she needed a partner to possy up with and form a stronger position in ruling so she seduced Julius Ceasar for political reasons, showing up for the first time at his palace rolled in a rug then rolled out to surprise him. She and Ceasar had a son heir to throne. After Ceasar died she formed an alliance w/ Mark Anthony, her great love and had three more children. Sadly, she died by age 39 taking poison but beauty and intellect have never been forgotten. 

• Born 69 BC and died by age 39

• Egyptian people loved her

• Beautiful, smart, and seductive

• Spoke nine different languages.

• Wrote a book on cosmetics

• Built a cosmetics factory near the Dead Sea.

• 1st of her royal line to learn to speak Egyptian.

• Last Pharaoh to rule Egypt

Cleopatra knew that physical beauty can attract the eye (this is why she took such a good care of her skin and body), intellect can help become an interesting and skillful communicator (this is why Cleopatra loved to read books, learn new things and grow mentally), but she also knew about one invisible, yet important ingredient of feminine beauty – charm; she knew that, if you want to be irresistible and truly beautiful, it’s important to cultivate the inner confidence and inner charm of a true lady!

Milk and Honey was the backbone combination for a multitude of Cleopatra’s ancient skin care regimes. Because of the dry climate and the risk of premature aging due to cell dehydration Cleopatra knew the value of locking in the moisture to her skin. Rose was another favorite due to it's regenerating effects. Though rose also native to Turkey which is closer to Egypt, Cleopatra would have imported her species of  rose from bulgaria if she wanted the highest grade and I am sure she did! Her roots were also Greek and Greece borders Bulgaria. so Bulgarian rose was most likely an accustomed luxury.!

• Roses are native to Bulgaria

• Have the highest level of healing properties

• Powerful against wrinkles

• Soothes skin issues

• Natural emollient /hydrating

• Preserves our skin to fight aging

So in honor of being a skin care enthusiast like this queen who loved to nourish her body, mind, and soul celebrate your own beauty by indulging in a luxurious Cleopatra Bath of milk, honey, and roses.  Milk contains lactic acid; a form of Alpha Hydroxy acid, removing dead skin cells, causing the younger skin to emerge. Honey is a humectant that retains h2o, locking in moisture for the skin. Indulge in Rose which resonates a love frequency.

Elegant Savage also inspires a rose infused, skin regenerating "Harem Serum" w/ ingredients that was celebrated back in ancient Egypt. Combine w/ "Kudra's Kiss, our coconut milk bath soak to for the vegan version on Cleo's bath! Enjoy!

El Espíritu del Cactus

As I drove down the Hwy 1 of Baja California (Mexico) and through the “Valle de los Cirios”  I finally submitted and let go to allow my gracious friend to take control of the Land Rover reigns as I set back in passenger mode. Finally I got to really sink into the landscape and take in the visuals. In awe of the dense fields of cardon cacti I was captured by the spirit of the desert. These vertical rods became so heavy at one point that it was all my eye could see for an eternity besides the smoky spirit mist that lay thick, lingering between the mystical plants.

“I was lost in a moment of rapture as the desert called me to wander through “her” abyss to meet the unknown.”

2000 miles of driving south from my Oregon home to my new Mexico home in Todos Santos, I am currently surrounded still by the beauty of the cacti and here are some amazing botanical facts:

The Cardon,  Giant Mexican Cactus, or Elephant Cactus all refer to the Pachycereus pringlei. 

This means that these plants are ancient, and no wonder they demanded my attention. Most of these wondrous cati had 3,4,5 or more arms! The plants can grow up to 60 feet tall. The skin is thick, waxy, light green, and serrated into ridges. The  flowers are large, white, and fragrant. TThe flowers are pollinated by bats, birds, and insects that feed on the nectar.   The fruit of the Saguaro is cylindrical, scaly, and about 2-3 inches long.  The color matures from green to red and splits open during the summer when ripe.  The flesh of the fruit is bright, luscious red and contains many black seeds. It has been used medicinally through the ages by many native tribes for:

• High levels of vitamin C
• Boost the immune system
• Protect Gum Health
• Improve eyesight
• Rich in B12 to strengthen the nervous system
• Support rheumatic disorder

It is also known to be psychotropic but alkaline based versus mescaline based like the peyote. The flowers have been collected (not an easy task considering the height of the plant) to be infused as a flower essence. Cactus flower essence helps individuals to know and trust their inner wisdom and authority. It restores the will to live, to heal and to be the best that one can be. It assists in accessing the perfect inner father who encourages us on in life.

Root to Soul: Essential Oil Education in the Baja 2016

Tribal Beauty Benefit Gala for the Healing Hands Foundation

Tropical to fresh we will be celebrating exotic culture, indigenous lands, and the native farmers who bring us the finest CPTG essential oils on the planet.

Lives and entire communities are being empowered thanks to doTERRA. doTERRA's co-impact sourcing practices captures hearts and makes a sustainable impact w/ love.   Besides educating our own oil community to raise awareness on "Co-Impact Sourcing"  we are also raising funds for doTERRA's Healing Hands Foundation this night.

The dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to improving lives through partnering with organizations that bring healing and hope to the world as well as lives free of disease and poverty, and to ultimately teach impoverished cultures how to be self-reliant. dōTERRA International, LLC, ensures that 100 percent of all donations go directly to those receiving aid.  The cost of a ticket is $25 and includes:

• One drink ticket to try one of our many doTERRA mocktails at the elixir bar.

• One entry into the doTERRA essential oil product raffle
• Live music from artists including global DJ Gobi
• Essential oil and co-impact sourcing education w/ various regions to "tour"
• Sampling at our Tribal Beauty Bar
• Trunk show w/ exotic, handmade, local goods from Pacific NW artists
• Silent Auction representing items donated by gracious patrons representing the arts including: healing, garden, music, art,  dance, and culture.