The Symbolism Behind Your Favorite Stress-Reducing Scents
Smell is a highly underrated sense.
We often speed through our days without honoring the power and specificity of things like smell, but carefully curated sensory enhancements can positively influence mental health, sleep, and general well-being. Oftentimes, these healing properties can be the result of scientific effects as well as associations rooted in mythology, medicine, and even capitalism.
Here's a look at the deeper meaning behind some of our most beloved scents.
1. Citrus
In art, citrus fruits tend to symbolize eternal life and the hope of resurrection, and a citrus scent can carry some of this optimism and energy into your daily life. Citrus fruits have a long and varied history, but through it all, their scent has been linked to inspiration and energy.
There may be a scientific basis to the reason why citrus scents can be immediate pick-me-ups: Vitamin C-packed fruits can trigger impulses in the brain that increase alertness and energy levels. Also, decades of seeing advertisements that linked citrus scents to cleanliness might trigger an unconscious feeling of happiness in our brain when we smell these acidic fruits.
Lemon, in particular, has been shown to leave a positive impression. Lemon is known to stimulate the nervous system and can spark tantalizing images of summertime escapes even in the heart of winter. Historically, the lemon has symbolized good fortune and optimism and is often associated with healing and light. Lemons were used in ancient Jewish rituals. In ancient Rome, they were status symbols for the elite, and some of those associations may have carried into our world today. For example, the lemon market may have played an integral role in kickstarting the mafia in Sicily.
▲2. Peppermint
Peppermint—with its crackling, cooling taste and its sharp but cleansing scent—is often associated with clarity, focus, and purpose.
In traditional Chinese medicine, peppermint was used to expel fevers and to rejuvenate a flagging qi, or internal life energy. Mint also makes several appearances in Greek mythology. Minthe was a beautiful river nymph, and Hades, the god of the dead, was about to have an affair with her when Persephone caught them. Hades turned Minthe into a plant and gave her a sweet smell to preserve the memory of how lovely she had been.
In another myth, mint is used to clean a house that eventually provides refuge to two wandering strangers, one of whom turns out to be Zeus, and after this, mint became a symbol of hospitality among the gods. In the Victorian language of plants, mint was symbolic of virtue, and in some herbal magics, it is used as a vampire repellent. Today, some scientists suggest keeping peppermint essential oils beside your desk for when you have to take an exam, as it has been proven to increase focus and mental acuity.
▲3. Lavender
The word "lavender" comes from the Latin word "to wash," so it's always been linked to cleanliness. Lavender is typically associated with purity and innocence of the body and the soul, which is perhaps why we tend to associate it with relaxation and safety.
In ancient Greece and Rome, lavender was a status symbol, so you can see why it was later associated with purity and refinement. The flower has also been historically used as a cautionary signal, often given to soldiers about to leave for war as a reminder to exercise caution or restraint.
Because of its purple color, the flower is commonly linked to the third-eye chakraand is frequently incorporated into various meditation and yoga practices. Contemporary research has found that lavender can be helpful in combating insomnia, anxiety, and depression, which aligns with the ancient belief that lavender can help reestablish emotional and spiritual balance.
▲4. Vanilla
Vanilla is one of the world's most popular and beloved fragrances. Many believe that our generally positive associations with the scent might have something to do with childhood memories that involved baking with vanilla, and this idea provided the inspiration for the opening passages of Proust's In Search of Lost Time, in which a whiff of vanilla conjures hundreds of pages of childhood memories.
The vanilla plant is a member of the orchid family, and its first discoverers are said to be the Totonac tribe of Mexico. When the Aztec people conquered the Totonacs, they began using vanilla in their rituals, and in Aztec mythology, vanilla is associated with Xanath, the daughter of the Goddess of Fertility. In the myth, Xanath could not marry or be with men on Earth, so she decided to become a vanilla plant so she could spend her existence spreading the scent of love. Another myth tells the story of a couple who eloped and was slain, and in death they became a vanilla plant.
Today, vanilla is a common ingredient in love and passion spells and perfumes. In general, vanilla is often associated with purity, simplicity, and calmness. It can also be a catalyst for desire and is commonly used as an aphrodisiac. Vanilla oil is also commonly used in spells that attract money, prosperity, and abundance.
▲5. Rosemary
Rosemary has been valued for its medicinal properties since ancient times. Like most of these scents, it has different symbolic associations depending on where in the world you're looking. In England, the flower was first discovered on hillsides by the ocean and was often referred to as "dew from the seas." It has also been associated with the Virgin Mary, who is said to have hidden in a rosemary bush as she fled Egypt.
In the Elizabethan era, rosemary was used for both weddings and funerals. The 17th century poet Robert Herrick once wrote, "Grow it for two ends, it matters not at all, Be it for my bridal or burial."
Rosemary is also linked to memory. In ancient Greece, students often wore garlands of rosemary to improve the accuracy of their memories. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia says, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance, pray you love, remember." The plant also appears in the famous folk song "Scarborough Fair," alongside a couple other herbs commonly associated with memory—parsley, sage, and thyme.
Scientific research has proven that rosemary actually can help improve memory, or at least that it can improve cognition speed. Rosemary has also been shown to have physical properties that fight headaches and fatigue, and it can improve digestion and blood circulation.
▲6. Jasmine
Jasmine scents are dominant in North Africa and the Middle East, imprinted in these parts of the world's consciousness and memory much like vanilla and lavender are ingrained in Western culture. Jasmine incense, along with amber, was often burned in ancient mosques. In Sufi poetry, Jasmine has links to spiritual longing and love.
Because the jasmine flower can only be picked at night, it has associations with the moon and is nicknamed the "Queen of the Night." It has also been used in traditional and contemporary medicinal practices around the world, often to help fight cirrhosis, dysentery, and cancer.
Today, the 2011 Tunisian revolution that kickstarted the wildfire of revolutions across the Middle East is often referred to as the "Jasmine Revolution," named because of the flower's associations with a sense of group conviction, the absence of a single leader, and togetherness. Currently, the poet Mohammed al-Ajami is still in jail for a poem he wrote called "Tunisian Jasmine," which called for revolution in Tunisia.
In a more general sense, the scent of jasmine is associated with optimism, confidence, and hope. It can soothe muscle spasms and menstrual cramps and fight infection, and it can also trigger beta waves in the brain that stimulate alertness and attention. It has also been shown to help with sleep, anxiety, and depression. Associated with purity and sensuality in equal measures, the jasmine plant is a versatile scent that has power in every sense of the word.
▲7. Cinnamon
Cinnamon has been lauded for its healing properties and potency since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians used it in their embalming rituals, and in the Old Testament it is referenced as an anointing oil. Later, Arab traders transported cinnamon via complex land routes on the Silk Road, making it a rare and expensive commodity, status symbol, and medicinal tool in medieval Europe.
Around 1518, invaders forced their way into Sri Lanka, which was Ceylon at the time. To frighten away early traders, the Sri Lankans created a myth that said cinnamon was guarded by a great phoenix surrounded by serpents and bats. Unfortunately, this didn't deter the invaders for long, and soon enough cinnamon spread around the world. It became a popular ingredient in cooking and later in modern aromatherapy practices.
Today, cinnamon is a popular choice for those seeking relaxation, warmth, and comfort. It is said to reduce physical and mental tension, and can combat drowsiness and irritability. Studies have shown that it can keep blood platelets from clumping together, meaning it can be used as a blood thinner. It has also been shown to stop the growth of certain bacteria and fungi, and can even control blood sugar levels, making it useful for people with diabetes.
Typically associated with fire and the sun, cinnamon is also often linked to protection and passion, which perhaps stems back from its ancient role as a sacred anointing tool.
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