After May’s Playshop in Montreal, Canada, Marie had an opportunity to tape an interview where Mikael. They had a conversation that covered some detailed questions that often arise about these fine aromatic essences. Enjoy!
Interview with Mikael Zayat 1of2
Interview with Mikael Zayat 2of2
UPDATED INTERVIEW OF Mikael ZAYAT,* ALCHEMIST and CLINICAL AROMATHERAPIST for the past 25 years, with Marie Allizon
Marie: Can you tell us how aromatherapy works?
Mikaël : First, essential oils are the “life force” of plants. Unlike fatty oils, these are subtle, volatile, and aromatic liquids extracted, through distillation, from flowers, aromatic plants, fruits, and herbs, and the seeds, leaves, branches, and bark of trees. A great quantity of plant material is required to extract the essential oil. They are one of the most valuable and oldest forms of medicine known to human beings. Most natural essential oils are antiseptic. This is an important aspect, but used vibrationally, natural grade “A” essential oils act as a booster since they raise tremendously the vibration of the person who wears them. It will balance the physical, emotional and spiritual states.
On one hand, essential oils help the body fight certain bacteria and viruses, to strengthen the immune system, but on a more subtle level, it helps us become more in tune with our Higher Consciousness. As you know a newborn first recognizes his mother by her odor more than her sight or voice. Since the dawn of time, smell is one of the most important ways to recognize and discriminate what is good for us and what is not; it tells us what to get and what to avoid. When you use the right oil, and I mean a high-grade essential oil – preferably from plants that grow in your surroundings – it helps you to reach a higher state of consciousness, you become more energized, more vibrant and gain charisma. The royal families knew that and they had their own perfumes that nobody else had the right to use. One of the essential oils most valued by kings and queens was the true Rose oil.
Unfortunately, since the beginning of the century, perfumers succeeded in developing a full range of synthetic perfumes which only hide the undesirable odors and imitate true natural essence. Not only do they not compare with true essential oil, but they lower, for sure, the vibrational level of the user and they are known to cause allergies. True Rose oil, for example, is rare because it takes 30 fresh roses to make one drop (about $2 a drop), while a synthetic rose perfume sells for $2 per oz. which no doubt explains why they replaced the true ones. The chemical labs developed a wide range of synthetic perfumes: lily of the valley, lilac, gardenia, honeysuckle, peach, apricot, banana, apple, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, etc. These fragrances cannot be extracted from natural sources. They are just a mixture of chemicals with not one drop of Mother Nature in them. They can even be dangerous because our sense of smell become confused, as we are naturally attracted to what smells good. So, we don’t know we are being misled. Don’t be fooled by aromatic soaps, bath oils, candles, etc. with these fragrances. To raise your consciousness level, use only true essential oils because this will enable you to interact with the subtle kingdoms.
Marie: But with so many oils on the market now, how can you identify the “pure” ones?
Mikaël: Since most essential oils used in the cosmetic industry, are now synthetic and produced in a laboratory, you have to be aware of imitations that can destroy your own sense of smell and keep you away from your reality. Only pure oils contain a full spectrum of compounds that cheap imitations simply cannot duplicate. A major herb company just started a line of pure essential oils and discovered that and I quote: “Surprisingly a majority of essential oils currently on the market are tainted by foreign substances. Because of the enormous amount of raw product used to make wholly natural essential oils, nearly every other product on the market has been polluted with lower quality, commercial-grade oils or contain other chemical substances to reduce the cost or increase the profit margin – a fact not usually revealed on the label.” Using high-tech Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometer analysis, quality standards can now be measured. But you can also use strict olfactory (smell) evaluation, country of origin, method of extraction, and plant species as measuring factors. All the oils I use are either steam distilled or cold expressed (citrus oils).
Marie: What are the best oils you recommend for people living in North America?
Mikaël: In the North, conifers, of course, are among the most appropriate ones. Above all, firs and pines like Black and White Spruce, Red Pine, Arbor Vitae (known by the native Americans as the tree of life), Larch, Hemlock Fir, Wild Tansy, and of course for those who live in the South, all citruses, and Monard, Virginia Cedar, Cypress, (wonderful to tonify the veins). For the West, the Texas Cedarwood, also called Mexican Cedar can be used.
Canadian Tsuga, which is abundant in Quebec and the Northeastern region of the United States, helps you get in the “here and now,” so you can get rid of fear, the first and most important obstacle to the ascension towards other dimensions. Balsam Fir is the traditional Christmas tree known for its antiseptic properties. Its smell brings joy. If you add a few drops of Cinnamon oil, you will have a cheerful mix for the season, as Cinnamon brings joy, abundance and prosperity!
Marie: How can we use Essential Oils?
Mikaëll: As you know aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for the benefit of the body, the spirit and the soul. It enhances physical, emotional and spiritual health and beauty. Here are simple ways to use them.
(1) An essential oil can be inhaled, thus reaching the brain which in turn responds to the particular scent affecting our emotions and chemical balance. Put a few drops on a handkerchief and breathe in deeply.
(2) If you mix it with a neutral oil (almond, olive, safflower, canola, jojoba, or sunflower), it will make a wonderful massage oil. Your body will absorb it and carry it throughout via the circulatory system to reach the appropriate internal organs.
(3) Use a diffuser which will send tiny drops of oil in the air.
(4) In some cases, you can also take one drop internally with honey. Not all essential oils can be taken internally. Only those extracted from herbs used in the kitchen, like Aniseed, Basil, Carrot seeds, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Coriander, Fennel, Marjoram, Peppermint, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme, etc. and they should be 100% pure and natural.
If you breathe in an essential oil or place it under your feet and behind your ears, it will be distributed to every cell of your body in a few seconds and last 21 minutes. It will even penetrate a toenail to reach the fungus underneath – with Arbor Vitae. It may also be worn as a perfume or on the bottom of your feet, neck, face, back, wrist, and on your heart. If you do not like the smell of an oil, it is usually because it is not appropriate for you. Each person responds differently to an aromatic stimulus. Try one and enjoy what was once available only to the “elite.”
Thanks to my many friends throughout the world, I carry just about every essential oil, all of which are top quality. No fillers are used in my products. I also carry other wonderful natural products like Shea Butter and Argania, which come from the nuts of an African tree. Its natural vitamins A, D and E rejuvenate, protect and smooth your skin. It also fights wrinkles and dry skin without leaving your skin oily.
▪ “Zayat” in Arabic means “the one who makes oils,” which is what Mikael’s ancestors have done for centuries in Syria. Mikael has a Master’s degree in education, speaks 7 languages, and gives workshops in the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
SPIRITUAL AROMATHERAPY
One day I was in the mountains of Mexico near Popocatepetl far removed from pollution. I was visiting a friend and he took me to a small shrine where I met a master, a leader named Guru Macelli who was giving a meditation course. I sat and listened to his lecture. He was a very sensitive man, taking special care with each little object. He discussed incense and its importance to people throughout the ages. Guru Macelli went on to say that now much of the incense on the market is manufactured from synthetic fragrances. Today, many people, when buying incense, are not careful to look at the origin. They just smell the box or envelope. If it smells like strawberries or vanilla, things that they like, they buy it. But these are just pieces of wood with a wood powder attached to it – dipped into synthetic fragrances. When these products burn, they do just the opposite of what we are looking for…they drag us down instead of lifting us up.
Long exposure to artificial products has the potential to be harmful. These can be found in many areas in our homes…candles, incense, cleaning products, soaps and many perfumes. The base of the scent is extracted from a petroleum product. Synthetic incenses have been tested in temples in India and found to be more toxic and more pollutant than the smoke from cigarettes. They try to fool us, but when you burn these over a period of time, they might make you feel ill…they tend to make you feel low, people don’t understand this.
I recall being a young boy in times of spiritual celebration, looking at the smoke from the burning incense….smelling the pungent aroma, watching the white smoke rising from the incense burner. It was uplifting. I felt like the smoke was carrying our souls with it. Our spirits wanted to rise with the smoke soaring up the heavens. There was a sense of unity with all of those gathered around us. The products were extracted from various trees, frankincense, etc…and the memory, the feeling of goodwill and safety returns whenever we encounter these fragrances today, in incense and oils.
There is a truth in essential oils and aromatherapy. I believe that it is my responsibility, my duty, to educate people to the importance of pure essential oils in our lives. This is my mission.
Mikael Zayat (above with one attentive student) is a distiller of essential oils in Quebec. He has been doing research for over 25 years. He is the president of Foundation du Havre, a foundation dedicated to promoting a healthy, balanced life-style.
Interview with Mikaël Zayat:
Alchemist and Clinical Aromatherapist for the past 22 years by Marie Allizon, editor of Fourth Dimensional Shift, November 1998
Marie: Can you tell us how aromatherapy can help us reach other dimensions?
Mikaël : First, essential oils are the “life force” of plants. Unlike fatty oils, these are subtle, volatile and aromatic liquids extracted, through distillation, from flowers, aromatic plants, fruits and herbs, and the seeds, leaves, branches and bark of trees. Tons of plant material is required for just a few hundred pounds of oil. They are one of the most valuable and oldest forms of medicine known to human beings.
Most natural essential oils are antiseptic. This is an important aspect but used vibrationally, natural grade “A” essential oils act as a booster since they raise tremendously the vibration of the person who wears them. It will balance the physical, emotional and spiritual states. On one hand, essential oils help the body fight certain bacteria and viruses, to strengthen the immune system, but on a more subtle level, it helps us become more in tune with our Higher Consciousness. As you know, a newborn first recognizes his mother by her odor more than by sight or sound. Since the dawn of time, smell is one of the most important ways to recognize and discriminate what is good for us and what is not.
When you use the right oil, and I mean a high-grade essential oil—preferably from plants that grow in your surroundings—it helps you reach a higher state of consciousness; you become more energized, more vibrant and gain charisma. The royal families knew that and they had their own perfumes that nobody else had the right to use. Unfortunately, since the beginning of the century, perfumers have succeeded in developing a full range of synthetic perfumes that only hide the undesirable odors and imitate true natural essence. Not only do they not compare with true essential oil, but they lower the vibrational level of the user and are known to cause asthma and other allergies.
True Rose oil, for example, is rare because it takes 25 fresh roses to make one drop (about $2.20/drop), while a synthetic rose perfume sells for $4/ounce! The chemical labs developed a wide range of synthetic perfumes: lily of the valley, lilac, gardenia, peach, apricot, banana, apple, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, etc. These fragrances cannot be extracted from natural sources. They are just a mixture of chemicals with not one drop of Mother Nature in them. They can even be dangerous because our sense of smell becomes confused, as we are naturally attracted to what smells good. So we don’t know we are being misled. Don’t be fooled by aromatic soaps, bath oils, candles, etc. with these fragrances; to raise your consciousness level, use only true E.O. because this will enable you to interact with the subtle kingdoms.
Marie: But with so many oils on the market now, how can you identify the “pure ones”?
Mikaël : Since most essential oils are now synthetic and produced in a laboratory, you have to be aware of imitations that can destroy your own sense of smell and keep you away from your reality. Only pure oils contain a full spectrum of compounds which cheap imitations simply cannot duplicate. A major herb company just started a line of pure essential oils and discovered that—and I quote—“Surprisingly, a majority of essential oils currently on the market are tainted by foreign substances. Because of the enormous amount of raw product used to make wholly natural essential oils, nearly every other product on the market has been polluted with lower quality, commercial-grade oils or contains other chemical substances to reduce the cost or increase the profit margin…” Using high-tech Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometer analysis, quality standards can now be measured. You can also use strict olfactory (smell) evaluation, country of origin, method of extraction, and plant species as measuring factors. All the oils I use are either steam distilled or cold expressed (citrus oil).
Marie: What are the best oils you recommend for people living in America?
Mikaël : In the North, conifers, of course, are among the most appropriate ones. Above all, firs and pines like Black and White Spruce, Red and White Pine, Arborvitae, Larch, Canadian Tsuga, and Wild Tansy. For those who live in the South, all citruses and Monard, Virginia Cedarwood, Cypress, Juniper of Virginia (usually called Cedarwood—wonderful to tonify the veins and shrink internal/external hemorrhoids).
For the West, the Texas Cedarwood (also called Mexican Cedar) and Sweet Orange, and for the Midwest, Peppermint.
Canadian Tsuga (abundant in Quebec and the Northeastern region of the U.S.) helps you get in the “here and now” so you can release fear, the first and most important obstacle to the ascension towards other dimensions. Breathe it consciously and put a few drops on your solar plexus or hands; for a loving touch, massage your feet with it. For someone experiencing fear or who is too tense to meditate, put a few drops on your hands and apply it on the adrenals (it helps the circulation and the production of adrenaline). You will feel more energized and uplifted. If you travel, make sure to carry Canadian Tsuga with you, as it promotes a smooth transition and prepares you for the energies of the countries you are visiting. For Europe, add Lavender and Sage; for Asia, Palmarosa; for the South, some citrus (lemon, orange, etc.); for Africa, add Basil. Apply the oils on your hands and feet 2–3 days before departure, while on the plane and for 2–3 days after.
Balsam Fir is the traditional Christmas tree known for its antiseptic properties. Its fragrance brings joy. If you add a few drops of Cinnamon oil (brings joy, abundance and prosperity), you will have a cheerful mix for the Christmas season!
Marie: How can we use essential oils?
Mikaël : As you know, aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for the benefit of the body, spirit and soul. It enhances physical, emotional and spiritual health and beauty. Here are simple ways to use them:
Inhalation An E.O. can be inhaled, thus reaching the brain, which in turn responds to the particular scent affecting our emotions and chemical balance. Put a few drops on a handkerchief breathe in deeply.
Massage Essential oils mixed with a neutral oil (almond, olive, safflower, canola, jojoba or sunflower) make a wonderful massage oil. The body will absorb it and carry it throughout via the circulatory system to reach the appropriate internal organs.
Diffusion Use a diffuser to send tiny drops of oil in the air.
Internally Essential oils extracted from herbs used in the kitchen (e.g., Anise, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Coriander, Fennel, Marjoram, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme) can be taken internally. Use 1 drop of the oil with honey. Not all essential oils can be taken internally. For sore throats, use a drop of Thyme mixed with honey. If you breathe essential oil or place it under your feet and behind your ears, it will be distributed to every cell of your body in a few seconds and last 21 minutes. It will even penetrate a toenail to reach the fungus underneath (with ArborVitae). It may also be worn as a perfume or on the neck, face, back, wrist and on your heart.
Thanks to my many friends throughout the world, I carry just about every essential oil, all of which are top quality. No fillers are used in my products. I also carry other wonderful natural products like Shea Butter
