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Neroli Essential Oil: Benefits, Uses, How to Use Neroli & Spiritual Meaning


Neroli essential oil is one of the most fascinating essential oils to work with. Distilled from the beautiful white flowers of the bitter orange tree, Neroli has a remarkable range of uses — from anxiety, menopause and meditation to creativity, self compassion, manifestation and Full Moon rituals. Over the years, I have done many videos about Neroli oil so I wanted to bring them together in one place, to make it easier for you to follow the trends of the oil as they come up.

Beautiful Neroli essential oil is distilled from the fragile white blossoms of the Bitter Orange Tree. Header to the article and vidoes by Elizabeth Ashley about Neroli Oil
Beautiful Neroli Oil Distilled from the Fragile While Blossoms of the Bitter Orange Tree

What Is Neroli Essential Oil?

Neroli essential oil is distilled from the white flowers of the bitter orange tree, Citrus aurantium.

The flower is particularly important when we think about Neroli because the bitter orange tree gives us several different aromatic materials, while Neroli comes specifically from its blossom.

And there is something rather beautiful about that.

The blossom comes before the fruit.

It is the stage of possibility — the moment when something is opening but has not yet become what it will eventually become.

That idea runs through almost everything we explore about Neroli.

It is an oil that seems to encourage opening: opening the mind, opening creativity, opening possibility and sometimes opening us to the changes we need to make in our own lives.


What Is Neroli Essential Oil Used For?

Neroli essential oil is used in aromatherapy and personal aromatic practices for relaxation, emotional wellbeing, meditation, creativity, self compassion, menopause support and spiritual or ritual practices.

In our work with Neroli, we’ve explored its use for:

·       Anxiety and situational fear

·       Menopause and the emotional experience of hormonal change

·       Essential oil meditation

·       Self compassion and self love

·       Creativity and inspiration

·       Manifestation and the Law of Attraction

·       Full Moon rituals

·       Dreaming and visualisation

·       Emotional overwhelm and mental load

·       Spiritual and magical practices

One of the things that makes Neroli so interesting is that these uses aren’t completely separate.

The same oil that can help you soften anxiety can also help you open creativity. The same oil that can be used in meditation can become an aromatic anchor during manifestation work.

There is a thread running through all of it.

Neroli helps us change state.

In my first two videos, I explore the physical ways, and then the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of using neroli essential oil with Hungarian aromatherapist and co-creator of our Tongue of the Trees Oracle Cards. Gergely Hollodi. Gergely's expertise is in massage and botanical perfumery, so his blending notes and my notes on how to use neroli essential oil safely will probably be your most interesting parts.

Physical Medicine

Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Medicines of Neroli Essential Oil, followed by Botanical Perfumery Blending Notes and Safety.

In these videos, I speak of three of my products. The Tongue of the Trees Oracle Cards, which I channeled from the Melissae, and the Knowledge base that helps you to understand the oils on a much deeper level through medical astrology, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic doshas.


These videos are also connected to my Recipe Hub, a collection of over 500 essential oils recipes for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual healing using the oils of the Tongue of the Trees cards deck, one of which of course, is Neroli Oil.


Exploring Neroli Essential Oil For Fellowship in Essential Oils with Adam Barralet

Elizabeth Ashley and Adam Barralet explore Neroli from several different perspectives in this collection of conversations, bringing together essential oil education, scientific research, personal experience, psychology, spirituality and the magical traditions surrounding this extraordinary flower.


If you’re searching for Neroli essential oil benefits, Neroli oil uses, how to use Neroli essential oil, Neroli for menopause, Neroli for anxiety, Neroli for meditation or Neroli for manifestation, this guide brings those different strands together in one place.


Neroli Essential Oil for Anxiety

Can Neroli essential oil help with anxiety?

Neroli is particularly interesting for anxiety because there is research into its use in situations where people are frightened, stressed or experiencing pain.

Some of the research discussed in our videos comes from medical situations where anxiety can affect outcomes — including dentistry, childbirth and painful procedures.

Think about what happens when you’re frightened.

You tense.

Your perception of pain can increase.

Your body becomes flooded with stress signals.

And suddenly the thing you’re experiencing feels even more overwhelming.

Neroli is fascinating because calming the anxiety can also change the way you experience what is happening.

Elizabeth talks about using Neroli around childbirth, and Adam describes reaching for Neroli after an injury because of its ability to help him relax and breathe through the experience of pain.

This is particularly interesting when the anxiety is situational anxiety.

A driving test.

A presentation.

A dentist appointment.

An operation.

Giving birth.

Something frightening that you know is coming.

Rather than describing Neroli simply as “an essential oil for anxiety”, we think of it as an oil that can help you meet a difficult situation from a different state of mind.

How do you use Neroli essential oil for anxiety?

One of the approaches discussed in our videos is inhalation.

The aroma can be experienced directly or used as part of a calming practice in which you deliberately stop, breathe and give yourself time to move away from the immediate stress response.

Neroli Essential Oil for Menopause

Is Neroli essential oil good for menopause?

Neroli is particularly interesting for menopause because of the research Elizabeth has explored into its use during this stage of life, as well as her own experience of menopause.

Menopause isn’t simply about physical symptoms.

For Elizabeth, anxiety and overwhelm were a major part of the experience, alongside the feeling that her identity was changing.

Neroli has large amounts of research backing up is amazing effects on menopausal mood swings, hot flushes and night sweats.

In this video we look at some of the science supporting that. This is a two part series which then shows you how to do the essential oil meditation with neroli to help healthy hormonal support.

This is one of the projects I am most proud of.


Neroli Essential Oil for Self Compassion and Self Love

Can Neroli essential oil help with self compassion?

Neroli can be a beautiful aromatic companion when you are trying to practise more self compassion and self love.

We are surrounded by messages telling us that we aren’t doing enough.

We aren’t productive enough.

We aren’t successful enough.

We aren’t attractive enough.

We haven’t got our lives together enough.

And eventually that external pressure can become an internal voice.

Neroli offers a very different experience.

It can be an invitation to soften.

To stop carrying the whole day into the night.

To recognise that perhaps you didn’t complete everything on your list — but you did what you could.

Elizabeth particularly likes Neroli in the evening, when you can use the aroma as a way of transitioning out of the demands of the day.

Instead of lying in bed mentally whipping yourself for everything you didn’t achieve, you can allow yourself to say:

I did my best today.

That is not laziness.

It is self compassion.

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Neroli Essential Oil for Creativity and Inspiration

Can Neroli essential oil help with creativity?

Neroli can be particularly useful when you aren’t looking for concentration, but for inspiration, imagination and creative flow.

Elizabeth describes having two very different sides to her work.

There is the scientific side: chemistry, receptors, research and getting the facts right.

And then there is the part that wants to describe the flowers, the bees, the Moon and the stars.

Sometimes you don’t need more concentration.

You need to change gears.

Elizabeth uses Neroli — sometimes alongside Lemon — to help open that more creative space.

Her process is often to write the logical material first, then return to it later after giving herself time to relax and reset.

She describes Neroli as almost opening the skies and allowing the beautiful words to come through.

For anyone struggling with writer’s block, a university essay, a creative project or simply trying to find a new way of looking at a problem, this can be a very different approach to “try harder”.

Sometimes the answer is to stop forcing it.

Neroli Essential Oil for Manifestation and the Law of Attraction

Can Neroli essential oil be used for manifestation?

Neroli can be incorporated into manifestation work as part of visualisation, intention-setting, dreaming and creating an emotional association with the future you want.

Elizabeth’s own relationship with this idea began with bees.

She had been focusing her intention on having her own bee swarm arrive in her garden.

And then one did.

Wondering whether she had somehow called it in, she reached for her Tongue of the Trees cards and asked whether she had really manifested the swarm.

The card she drew was Neroli — manifestation.

That experience became the beginning of a much deeper relationship with Neroli and the idea of manifestation.

But there is an important distinction.

Manifestation isn’t simply:

“Universe, I want this. Please deliver it.”

Elizabeth describes a different idea:

dreaming the dream with the Earth.

You have your intention.

The Earth has its own requirements.

And somewhere between the two, you have to find the place where the dreams meet.

Adam describes this through the idea of an aromatic anchor.

If you use Neroli while visualising the future you want, the scent can become associated with that emotional state. Later, experiencing the aroma can remind you of the intention and help bring you back to that state.

And there is practical work involved too.

If you want something to change, you have to ask:

What do I need to do?

What needs to change in me?

What practical steps will create the conditions for this to happen?

Neroli doesn’t do the work for you.

It can help you become ready to do it.

Neroli Oil for a Full Moon Ritual

How can you use Neroli oil in a Full Moon ritual?

Neroli oil can be incorporated into a Full Moon ritual as an aromatic aid for intention-setting, manifestation, dreaming and personal transformation.

There is a long association between white flowers and the Full Moon.

Neroli comes from a white flower, so Adam considers it particularly appropriate for lunar work.

But there is another reason he loves it.

Neroli has a history of enticement.

Stories associate the scent of orange blossom with nymphs beckoning people out into the night, with newlyweds, with seduction and even with Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Whether you approach these stories historically, symbolically or magically, the image is compelling.

Neroli says:

Come out of your comfort zone.

If you want something different, you have to become willing to move towards it.

Adam suggests pairing Jasmine and Neroli in Full Moon work.

Jasmine can carry the desire outward.

Neroli asks:

What part do you play?

If you want the new relationship, what do you need to become ready for that relationship?

If you want the promotion, what needs to change?

If you want a different life, what are you prepared to do differently?

The universe meets you halfway.

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How to Use Neroli Essential Oil

What is the best way to use Neroli essential oil?

Neroli can be experienced through inhalation, meditation, bathing and appropriately diluted aromatic applications, depending on your purpose and circumstances.

For many of the practices discussed here, inhalation is particularly important.

Elizabeth often recommends simply taking some time to breathe with the aroma.

You might put a small amount on your hands, use an appropriate dilution, or experience the aroma in another suitable way.

The important thing is to create a few minutes in which you’re not demanding something else from yourself.

Five or ten minutes of simply sitting with the aroma can become a meditation in itself.

Neroli can also be incorporated into an evening bath or used as part of a personal ritual.

The point isn’t always to find the one “correct” way to use Neroli.

It is to understand what you are trying to do.

Are you trying to calm yourself?

Open creativity?

Meditate?

Reflect?

Dream?

Prepare for change?

Manifest something?

Your intention changes the way you work with the oil.

What Are the Spiritual and Magical Properties of Neroli?

What does Neroli represent spiritually?

Neroli is associated in our work with dreaming, manifestation, creativity, enticement, transformation, beauty and opening to possibility.

The white blossom itself provides much of the symbolism.

A flower is not the fruit.

It is the stage before the fruit.

It is possibility becoming visible.

This makes Neroli particularly interesting for practices concerned with what comes next.

It can be used when you are asking:

What am I becoming?

What am I ready to change?

What am I dreaming into being?

What needs to open?

What do I need to do to meet my future halfway?

And perhaps this is why Neroli appears so naturally across very different practices.

It can be calming and stimulating at the same time.

It can settle the mind while opening imagination.

It can help us feel safe enough to step outside the familiar.

Frequently Asked Questions About Neroli Essential Oil

What is Neroli essential oil?

Neroli essential oil is distilled from the white flowers of the bitter orange tree, Citrus aurantium. It is used in aromatherapy and personal aromatic practices and is explored for relaxation, emotional wellbeing, meditation, creativity, menopause and spiritual practices.

What is Neroli essential oil good for?

Neroli is explored in our work for anxiety, menopause, meditation, self compassion, creativity, inspiration, manifestation, Full Moon rituals and emotional wellbeing.

How do you use Neroli essential oil?

Neroli can be experienced through inhalation, meditation, bathing and appropriately diluted aromatic applications. Inhalation is particularly important in many of the practices discussed in these videos.

Is Neroli essential oil good for anxiety?

Neroli has been researched in situations involving anxiety, fear and pain, including medical and dental settings. It is particularly interesting for situational anxiety — moments such as dental treatment, childbirth, medical procedures, presentations or other events that make you feel frightened or overwhelmed.

Can Neroli essential oil help with menopause?

Neroli is particularly interesting in relation to menopause, both because of the research Elizabeth discusses and because of her own experience of menopause. It can also form part of a meditation practice designed around the emotional experience of menopause.

Can you use Neroli essential oil for meditation?

Yes. Neroli can be incorporated into an essential oil meditation by using the aroma as a focus while sitting quietly, breathing and allowing the mind to settle.

Can Neroli essential oil help with creativity?

Neroli can be useful when you need inspiration, imagination or creative flow rather than simply concentration. Elizabeth uses it as part of her own process when moving from scientific and logical writing into a more creative mode.

Can Neroli essential oil be used for manifestation?

Neroli can be incorporated into manifestation practices involving intention, visualisation and dreaming about a desired future. It can also be used as an aromatic anchor, associating the scent with the emotional state connected to your intention.

How can I use Neroli oil in a Full Moon ritual?

Neroli can be incorporated into Full Moon rituals involving intention-setting, manifestation, dreaming and personal reflection. Its connection with the white blossom of the bitter orange tree also makes it symbolically appropriate for lunar work.

Is Neroli good for self love?

Neroli can be used as an aromatic reminder to practise self compassion and gentleness, particularly when you are carrying mental load or being excessively hard on yourself.

What is the difference between Neroli and Orange Flower Water?

Neroli is the essential oil distilled from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. Orange Flower Water is a different aromatic preparation made from the same flowers. Elizabeth discusses using both in her own practices.

Explore the Neroli Essential Oil Video Collection

There is much more to Neroli than any single use can explain.

In these conversations, Adam Barralet and Elizabeth Ashley explore the oil from multiple perspectives — from Neroli essential oil benefits and practical aromatherapy to menopause, anxiety, meditation, creativity, manifestation, the Law of Attraction and Full Moon rituals.

Watch the full Neroli collection and explore the different ways this extraordinary flower can become part of your own practice. As I make more videos I shall add more to this. Because I am such a scatter brain, it is highly likely that there are more videos on this playlist than there are on this page!

If you want to go deeper into essential oil education, plant wisdom and the relationship between aromatic plants, science and spiritual practice, explore more from Elizabeth Ashley and The Secret Healer.

[VISIT THE SECRET HEALER]

A Final Thought About Neroli

The more I work with Neroli, the harder I find it to reduce it to a list of benefits.

It is an oil for anxiety.

An oil for menopause.

An oil for meditation.

An oil for creativity.

An oil for self compassion.

An oil for manifestation.

An oil for ritual.

But underneath all of those things, I keep finding the same invitation.

Open.

Open your mind.

Open your imagination.

Open yourself to a different possibility.

And then, perhaps most importantly, take the next step towards it.

Because the flower comes before the fruit.

And sometimes Neroli’s greatest gift is simply helping us become ready to blossom.

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