The Steam Between Worlds By Jade Shutes
- Aromatika Magazine
- 15 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Pg. 6-10 - 4-minute read
Twenty years into my aromatherapy journey, I thought I understood distillation. I knew the science, the chemistry of essential oils and hydrosols, and I had worked with them extensively. But standing before my own copper still, with yarrow from my garden ready to be distilled, I realized that true understanding comes from participation, not observation. Distilling yarrow is a two-day devotion: preparing the still, cleansing it with care, and clearing my mind to meet the plant fully. The process demands patience, presence, and an openness that extends beyond technique, teaching me that preparation is as much about intention as it is about equipment.
The yarrow itself is a teacher, reminding me that healing requires attentiveness and respect. Each harvest carries a unique message, a different essence depending on season, soil, and even the world around it—as I discovered during the first COVID shutdown when the distillate flowed a surreal blue, a phenomenon I could never replicate. Harvesting requires listening, discerning which stalks are ready, and arranging them in the still with reverence. As the steam rises and condenses, I feel an almost sacred exchange—between plant and process, between healer and healing—where the vapors carry not just chemical compounds, but presence, intention, and memory.
Over the years, I have come to see distillation as dialogue, not just extraction. Each batch of hydrosol holds the story of its season, its weather, and my own attention, whether clear, complex, or fleetingly magical like the blue year. My shelves of jars, labeled with dates and conditions, are records of these conversations, proof that the wounded healer archetype lives in practice, not myth. Distilling my own plants has transformed my work and heart alike, showing me that healing is reciprocal and that even the simplest drops of yarrow water can carry lessons in patience, presence, and the mysterious alchemy of attention.
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