One of the basic premises of Project Sanctuary is that stories "carry" more information than lists of dry facts, and are therefore, superior information transmission devices. Stories (as opposed to lists of facts or statistics of such) also work more naturally with the actual neurology of human beings - stories are more memorable, more impactful, and far more stable across time than any other form of human communication. I have used this principle to transmit extremely complex information in a wonderfully easy way, easy enough in fact for little children to engage with the information content. 121 special stories, and all are available free online.

The Story Of The Aroma Stories -

How To Make Infinite Complexity Accessible & Easy

In early 2007, I began to engage with a project that revolved around the energetic properties of essential oils, such as are being used in aromatherapy, and how they interact with the human energy system, to bring about changes in state, emotion, awareness and thought.

This is a mission with absolute n-complexity - infinite complexity.

We have the incredibly complex energetic structures of essential oils that contain in a little bottle sometimes up to one million flower petals; these energetic structures depend on all manner of variables in the first place, such as the weather that was experienced by the plants who yielded the flowers; the nature of the land they grew on; how these plants were harvested, the methods by which the essential oil was extracted, how they were treated in transport; if and what dilution occurred; how long they were held in storage before they finally arrive on my desk in an envelope.

So a single bottle of any of the many essential oils is a UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL with n-complexity in its very structure; and now we start to talk about how that relates to a human being, who is also by definition entirely unique in all ways? And what about when we take the infinite complexity and begin to blend various essential oils together - what do we have THEN? Infinity by the power of infinity - and by the power of infinity again?

For all those variables involved, there are underlying structures which give all Lavender essential oils a certain direction; and the human energy system likewise has certain underlying structures that respond to Lavender in a predictable if subtle way. To explain those interplays in simple terms, at first I turned to examples of what kind of people would benefit the most, and in what way.

But then a breakthrough occurred.

It came to me to write a story about each and every essential oil, a metaphor teaching story if you will, that explains the action of the oil in a basic, simple and timeless way.

121 Aroma Stories later, and I am really impressed how the stories have not just lifted the entire project, but brought it to life, made it accessible, made it real and SO INTERESTING.

• I've observed many times that people seem to be endlessly HUNGRY for good stories.

Stories that move you, stories you haven't heard before, and old stories too which give a reliable boost every time you interact with them.

Stories are AMAZING.

• The "aroma stories" are lovely, small vignettes that show us something, a snapshot of a moment when something CHANGED for a person, when something shifted, and they became different as a result.

That's the action of the aromatherapy oils, but it also the action of the stories themselves.

Below is an example story from "Aromatherapy For Your Soul" and you can read all the rest for free online at my new aromatherapy website.

I highly recommend you have a go at the "Magic Bottle" - and being a PS player, you will get not just an "essentials" prescription, but indeed, A STORY PRESCRIPTION for the day!

This is an aromatherapy site, but it is also a multi-level event for many other purposes. EMO practitioners can practise energy movements with the colour images of the many plants which I have created to broadcast strongly, and Project Sanctuary players can use the site's search engine to SEARCH THE STORIES for an archetype, an emotion, a landscape, a feeling, a metaphor, a simile or even a colour!

There's no end to the fun that can be had with these things; they are all free, freely available and I offer them to you with the hope that you get a little pleasure, a little fun out of it to help YOU have a better day :-)

Enjoy!

Silvia Hartmann

Author, Aromatherapy For Your Soul,

February 2008

Pine: "Wisdom"

Pinus Sylvestris: Strong, resonant, lifting, upraising, deep strength, acceptance, wisdom.