I have to confess something. Prior to studying the oils of the Bible I had never heard of Cassia, and for sure never Cassia Essential Oil. Not once in all my years studying the Bible, pouring over every word with a fine tooth comb for seminary papers or Old Testament finals did I ever once see this word recorded. And yet – here it is in Exodus 30:22-25 (ESV) in the recipe given to Moses by God.
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
So beautiful to imagine the aroma of this anointing oil blend, now that I have started to study essential oils and even smell them myself. We will get into Myrrh in a later post, cinnamon I’m sure many of you can already smell that aroma in your mind, so let’s chat about Cassia Essential Oil. Cassia is a sweet and spicy oil similar to cinnamon. Actually to me this oil smells a lot like Big Red chewing gum. 🙂 The two oils are actually two different species of the same genus, Cinamommum, in the Laurel family of plants and are both steam distilled from the bark of the tree. As much as the two aromas could be comparable, cassia is chemically and physically different from cinnamon. Cassia essential oil tends to be more red and smells more spicy, while Cinnamon essential oil is more of a brown color and sweeter in aroma.
I love random, obscure details and found this one to be fascinating: The cassia tree must be planted near water in order to survive, because it’s branches retain water. This resonated with me, because like that tree, we need to be firmly planted in Christ (the Water of Life) and once we drink of it, we will retain that water for eternity. Look at John 4:13-15 as Jesus is talking with the Samaritan woman. 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” Do you see the parallel?!? I’m not trying to say anything hokey about that Cassia tree, but what I am saying is I love how I will read some seemingly obscure detail in a book that is not the Bible, and it will cause me to call to mind a Scripture verse and promise of God. And, I love that!! So for me, this was a beautiful reminder that those God has saved and justified, He has sealed for eternity and I can never lose my salvation. Hallelujah!
A BIT OF HISTORY
Cassia was a key ingredient in the temple incense. It is rich in biblical history and is mentioned in one of the oldest known medical records, the “Ebers Papyrus” dating from the 16th century BC. (This is an Egyptian list of 877 of recipes that they used for wellness). It is mentioned indirectly 65 times in Scripture! The oil has been used historically to maintain digestive health, emotional well-being and overall well-being.
SOME SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
Ez 27:18-19 (ESV)
Damascus did business with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind; wine of Helbon and wool of Sahar 19 and casks of wine from Uzal they exchanged for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were bartered for your merchandise.
Psalms 45:8 (ESV)
All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
As you can see above Cassia Essential Oil has quite a few amazing ways to benefit from it. They are expanded upon a little more below:
WAYS TO USE IT
*It is traditionally diffused for nervous tension, stress & low self-esteem.
*Diffuse to support balanced emotions and uplift the spirits.
*Add to your DIY muscle rub to soothe aching joints and muscles after a long day or after exercise.
*Love to add to my roller ball with oregano and thieves to keep our family well all year long.
*Supports healthy bathroom function
*Wonderful to use during women’s monthly cycle to relax muscles during that time and normal cramping associated with ovulation
*Promotes healthy, strong hair growth
One last note before I sign off. This is a hot oil, so you will want to dilute well when you use it topically. Have you ever used Cassia Essential Oil? What makes you most excited to want to use it?
Did you miss a post in this series? Read my kick-off post here! (post #1)
Overview of The Oils of the Bible (post #2)
Aloes/Sandalwood (post #3)
When you are ready to get started with a Young Living membership order here. (More information about what is included with the membership and how it works is here!)
