A Catholic's Guide to Essential Oils

You are a faithful Christian who desire to thrive in God's bounty. You love the beauty of his creation because it speaks to you of His goodness and His love for you. You may still have doubts about using essential oils because they seem tainted by association with New Age and witchcraft. You want to do the right thing and avoid any possible occasion of sin. You know that God's creation is good and that he has had a plan for your health and well-being since the beginning of human history, but you need a Catholic guide who has already been down this road and can answer your questions along the way. You need a simple, orthodox vocabulary for thinking, using, and talking about essential oils so that using them is as natural as using butter or salt and does not feel weird. In December 2019, A Catholic's Guide to Essential Oils was published and it immediately topped the best-seller list in aromatherapy books. This engaging, quick-read answers common questions Christians, and especially Catholics, have about essential oils: Are Catholics allowed to use essential oils? Why use oils? Aren't essential oils New Age? What do the Bible and the saints say about oils? What about using oil blends for emotions? Is direct selling essential oils a legitimate family business for Christians? How do I know what to look for when purchasing essential oils for my home? Christopher answers all these burning questions and more. Finally! - the no nonsense truth about essential oils and how Christians utilize their benefits in good conscience. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: When Christopher was introduced to essential oils in 2012 by his holistic family physician, M.D., he found essential oils were the perfect complement to the balance he was already striving to achieve with his health. Christopher holds a B.A. in Theology, history, and philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. Homestead farmer, business developer, and freelance author, Warner is the editor of the online blog, "A Christian's Guide to Essential Oils". Christopher's published editorials, interviews, and essays on Christian culture have been featured in Catholic World Report, National Catholic Register, Free Republic, Orthodoxy Today, Sophia, RISU, and First Things. Along with other human staples like wheat, water, milk, and salt, Jews and Christians have been using olive oil and aromatic oils for thousands of years. The way oils have been used has fluctuated from age to age according to local resources and tradition, but oils have been a part of everyday life for Catholics since the time of Jesus. Excerpt from the first chapter: "Jews and Christians have used oils throughout history in liturgical services as well as at home - for ritual ceremony, food, health, and wellness. Modern Catholic oil users are no exception in that we utilize oils with our own unique style and flair. If you thought there were already enough oddballs in the world, don't forget about us! We're the ones carrying around aroma-rock rosaries and who have children that sneak holy water into the essential oil diffuser at home. We put pepper essential oil on our grill steaks and spike our Glühwein (mulled wine) with cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange essential oil during Advent and Christmas. You can spot our houses on the block by the Mary statue in the front yard or the Christmas lights we leave up until the end of the Christmas season - February 2nd. We walk around on Ash Wednesday with ashes on our foreheads and then it's fish sticks with lemon oil on Fridays and no sweets or booze until Easter! We love to use essential oils in bed, but only if you're married, otherwise you better go to confession!..."