Dear Rose, m an indian, living in Mumbai, India & have seen that u recommend the use of frankinscense oil & myrrh…But these r not really available in India. Can u suggest options ? cos the rituals r all done with these & I cant do them otherwise. Lots of warm regards..Poornima

Merry Meet Poornima, I am happy to hear that you are interested in doing some rituals with frankincense and myrrh. Although these items were originally found in Arabia and northern parts of Asia, they are also found in remote parts of India. Frankincense is called Indian olibanum or salai guggul. Frankincense or olibanum (Arabic language: Loban) is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra (syn. B. carteri, B. thurifera) (Burseraceae). It is used in incense as well as in perfumes. You can use this scientific terms to enquire about its availability in India. In Indian language Hindi it is called ” Dhoop” Click the links below for more detailed information- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankincens… http://www.answers.com/topic/frankincens… It is also used for ” Agarbattee ” or incense sticks . Click on the link below – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incense Myrrh is called Indian bdellium, false myrrh or guggul . Myrrh is currently used for lowering Cholesterol by many people around the world. The Egyptians believed in its healing powers: they burned Myrrh every day as part of their worshipping rituals. In the Greek culture when soldiers went to battle is was an essential part of their combat gear because of myrrh’s extremely high antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It was used to clean wounds and to prevent infection. It was also used to prevent the spread of gangrene in already infected parts of the body. Toothpowders and tooth pastes use Myrrh, which is a common ingredient for these products. It is often used with borax in tincture, along with other ingredients, as a mouth-wash. It was used in embalming, as a cure for cancer, leprosy, and syphilis. Myrrh, mixed with coriander and honey, was used to treat herpes. It was used as an anti-infectous, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent and as a tonic. According to the Advanced Textbook of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology, myrrh and frankincense are quite similar in their use internally. The authors say that both herbs regulate qi and blood, and that they are often used together, but “their difference lies in that frankincense can also ease the tendons and muscles, while myrrh is better at activating blood circulation and removing stasis.” Hope this helps. Brightest Blessings. Rose.