[Versione italiana dell’articolo – Il nuovo anno lunare 2023]

Tranquility, playfulness, lightness: these are some of the characteristics of the sign of the Rabbit according to Chinese tradition, a sign into which we enter from Sunday 22 January 2023.

Inspired by these characteristics, we could choose our own essential oils or synergies that bring us serenity and lightness.

To lighten any feeling of inner heaviness, we can diffuse into the air the essential oil of Mandarin, light, and carefree, which brings a smile and the ability to take the burdens off our shoulders. If we don’t have a diffuser, we can always pour a drop onto a paper handkerchief and sniff it, or make a small spray to carry around for every occasion.

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) is a citrus fruit from China, like most citrus fruits (their origin is South-East Asia) – it arrived in Europe in the 1400s and from then on spread to such an extent that today we think of citrus fruits as ‘ours’ when in fact they were all imported from the East.

If we desire a somewhat more rounded and full-bodied note, we cannot but smell Clementine (Citrus x clementina), a hybrid of the Mandarin, which retains the fresh and lighthearted note but adds a roundness and sweetness that are the bearers of pure well-being and comfort.

In case you also need a splash of energy, you can’t forget the essential oil of Ginger (Zingiber officinalis), a rhizome with a thousand resources, which can also be sniffed in diffusion or put in synergy with Citrus. This essence has balsamic, digestive, invigorating properties… and we know that even in herbal tea format (with the dried rhizome) it can be an ally in cold periods, warming, helping digestion, and toning the body.

Its pungent scent clears the mind, and if we feel tired and cold, a herbal tea with Ginger (and possibly Cinnamon) can invigorate us.

These three essential oils can be blended together to create a pleasant synergy that will bring sprint and good cheer, and accompany us through other new beginnings, including Imbolc (Celtic holiday on 1 February) and the Tibetan New Year (Losar, 21 February).