LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

Some enterprising Christians have been selling a candle called "His Essence", which is said to smell like Chirist was prophesized to smell like. I was tempted to make a lot of fun of this latest exercise in what I call 'consumer Christianity' until I took a closer look at the components of this scent, and what their real effect on people would be.

The scent, they say, is composed of Myrrh, Aloe, and Cassia. Here are the aromatheraputic and spiritual properties of these scents:

Myrrh: cleansing antibacterial, promotes spiritual growth, resin from a bush- woody, resiny smell.

Aloe (Lign Aloe)is an Asian heartwood, not the common aloe vera plant. The wood aloe is very rare today. It has an incredible scent. (Morining Star's Aloewood is a great example in Japanese incense.)It is used extensively in Japan, China and Tibet in Buddhist and Shinto rites.

Cassia is a member of the cinnamon family. You can tell cassia bark from regular cinnamon because it rolls up like a scroll, rather than like a carpet. Cassia is more commonly used as the spice. The scent also raises spiritual awareness.

So, "His Essence" is already in wide use among folks who seek spiritual growth, enlightenment, peace, and insight. Who knows, maybe it'll do the same for True Believers™, too. One could hope...