Welcoming in a New Year after difficult times

I'm writing this on New Years eve, after the hardest of Seasons - the first one without my darling Mum there to wish me love and offer me her warm hugs.  But even as these days have been hard, I can see on the horizon a new year, with new light, new opportunities.

My mum passed away in February earlier this year after a short unexpected illness, when the nightmare of Covid was ravaging the NHS and as result we weren't able to be with her during her final weeks.  It was beyond heartbreaking and I've struggled at many points during the year to cope with the combination of the guilt and the trauma of her loss. 

But, as always, I've leaned on the things that I'm grateful to have and that have helped me in the past: the love of friends, my husband, my dogs, my kids, and of course the warm enveloping hold of mother nature which blesses me daily in this far west corner of Cornwall with her open skies and the murmer or roar of the sea (which always seemed to be in just the right mood to mirror my own).

Running underneath all of these pillars of support has been my daily use of essential oils, whether in a candle that I'm burning near my favourite photo of my lovely Mum, whether through a deep inhalation as I sweep a luxurious oil across my face in a ritual of self care, or whether in a bath at the end of a long and emotionally hard day - you name it, I get my daily fix somehow.  And wow, have I at times needed it!

The most supportive oils for me in times of grief have been:

• Frankincense (wound healing, heart holding, strong)
• Mandarin (joyful on dark days)
• Helichrysum (my all time favourite for wound healing and strength)
• Neroli (for maternal self care and sweet caressing of a broken heart). 

These oils seem to have a universal appeal for so many when the going gets tough.  If you haven't tried them yet, I urge you to get some of these on your shelf. They're heaven sent!

The oils I'm increasingly turning to are oils that lift the spirits when down, and are infused with an energy of strength and hope.  These are going to be my go-to across January to wecome in the New Year, with their vibrant detoxifying energy and their strong and energised characters:

• Mandarin 
• Lemongrass
• Cardamom
• Cedarwood

I hope your year hasn't been full of pain, but if it has I send you my warmest wishes and human love. I hope that the light on the horizon that I see glimpsing through the clouds today is a sign of good times ahead.  That we can all soon put the collective anxiety and personal grief of the past year behind us and move towards brighter days full of closer human contact, hugs, and smiles.  Maybe I'm wishfully thinking, but if we send out a whole lot of light maybe the darker forces won't stand a chance.  I certainly hope so.

Sending each and every one of you who have continued to support Bloom on the journey, my love and best wishes for 2022.  You're all amazing in your own unique ways, and we're so very grateful that you found us! 

Marie xx

PS the Bloom social media accounts were hacked just before Xmas, with some content posted that caused that the accounts (both instagram and facebook) to be blocked by the 'powers that be'.  I can't (obviously) get hold of anyone at Facebook to contest this as I think the corporation is managed by android versions of Mark Zuckerberg, so if you're wondering where Bloom has gone, well, we've gone!  Hoping to get the account back, but if not will be starting from scratch in January.  Eye-roll.  Wondering if i'll bother!