Air, Fire, Water and then Earth Thanks again Dulci: I remembered that Aristotle's Alchemical Theory was outlined in some old textbooks I kept (I minored in philosophy) and looked them up when Anne posted earlier about what order to use the MM shampoos. Basically, the theory is that, "Air feeds fire, fire dies by water, water is contained by earth, and earth creates the air. The cycle is meant to show the interconnection of all things, and the cycle of birth, life, change and death."

*~~~Balleryna~~~* Ears~Collarbone~Waist Type2c3bcFiii Botticelli &Corkscrew *~Chestnut/Auburn to Golden*~ ****Fairy Tales: My Story**** www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/247824 I LOVE: ballet, ballet & ballet... fairy tales..any&everything pink.... pearls&lace...ruffles&frills..movie musicals...classic novels...an evening at the opera...victoriana

Thanks Dulci:
they've got 5 elements They've got Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and "Ether".....where does that last one play in? (ether is the conditioners)

I noticed that Fifth Element too when I was looking at the MM page yesterday. And then I googled around a bit and discovered that Aristotle later added a Fifth Element, "Ether which was a perfect substance and what the heavenly bodies are composed of."

(Originally I had looked up Aristotle's Alchemical theory for Anne from my Philosophy 101 book. Apparently it didn't go into enough depth LOL.)

The Ayurvedic tradition also uses Five Elements. From my copy of Ayurveda, the Science of Self-Healing, by Dr. Vasant Lad:

...in the beginning the world existed in an unmanifested state of consciousness. From that state...the suble vibrations of the cosmic soundless sound aum manifested. From that vibration there first appeared the Ether element. This ethereal element then began to move: its movements created the Air...The movement of Ether also produced friction, and...heat was generated...and the Fire element manifested.

...Through the heat of the Fire, certain ethereal elements dissolved and liquified, manifesting the Water element, and then solidified to form the molecules of Earth. In this way, Ether manifested into the four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth."

So they are in the same order as Aristotle put them. The way I figure it, is the four shampoos are supposed to be used in a certain order so that the detox can proceed in an orderly fashion. The Conditioners, the "Ether" element, are used everyday, kind of like how Ether is all around, inbetween.

Or it could all be just a new-age gimmick LOL. But using them in a certain order is harmless, yes? And kinda fun

A little more: http://www.friesian.com/elements.htm

And on Aristotle: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/7997/aristot.htm

All substances were combinations of elements and elemental qualities. The elements are: fire, water, earth, and air. (Aristotle added later another "element" - Ether which was a perfect substance an what the heavenly bodies are composed of) The qualities are: hot, cold, wet, dry. The qualities define the character of "elements". Fire was seen as ideal mixture of hotness & dryness. One element could be changed into another like mixing solutions. Combustion and other chemical reactions were considered a type of motion. Aristotle's elements differed from alchemical elements. He believed that Asenic was actually a kind of sulfer, and it was used in his time to harden copper. Aristotle along with other Greek Philosophers questioned whether matter was composed of divisble or indivisible particles. To Aristotle, all material was made of atoms with the exception of the Prime Mover(God). He also argues that there would be no motion at all unless there is first a force of movement that is itself unmoved, namely God.

Ingredients: Sweet Almond Oil, brahmi, shatavari, ashwagandha, cinnamon, sage, rosemary, basil, and rose.

Thanks Fox:
The oil you mentioned sounds like an Ayurvedic based oil. It stems from India, and uses Indian herbs. I will type this in here and also on the boards.

*Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) - This Ayurvedic herb is also known as Indian ginseng and winter cherry. It's very important in Ayurvedic medine. It rejuvenates and energizes the nerveous system. Helps prevent stress related depletion of vitamin C and cortisol. Increases physical endurance and improves sexual function. Has an inflammatory and anti-aging effects. In laboratory studies, has modulatated and stimulated immune function.

**Brahmi (Bacopa monniera, herpestis m)Brahmi is a popular Indian Ayurvedic herb. Brahmi is also one of the most frequently used herbs in Japanese medicine. In both cases, it is used primarily as a nerve tonic, to treat insomnia and nervous tension, with secondary applications as a diuretic.

Brahmi contains saponins (dammarane type glycosides called bacosides) yielding ebelin lactone on acid hydrolysis. Saponins of similar character occur in Zizphus jujuba, jujuba fruit, and have been shown by Chinese physicians to strengthen the nervous system, and decrease insomnia. Jujuba and bacopa are both used for nearly the same purposes, and their chemistry turns out to be nearly identical also.

Brahmi also has marked hypotensive and diuretic properties. Brahmi has some anti-cancer properties against Walker 256 in the rat.

Brahmi facilitates the acquisition, consolidation and retention of learned tasks in rats. Acquired responses involved shock-motivated brightness-discrimination tasks (negative reinforcement), active conditioned avoidance responses, and conditioned taste aversions (positive reinforcement).

In this research it was also determined bacopa has no central depressant or stimulant action. The nervous system properties of bacopi appear, therefore, to be receiving ongoing validation in basic research.


Brahmi, insofar as its diuretic action increases the renal excretion of sodium and chloride, may potentiate the hyperglycemic and hyperuremic effects of glucose elevating agents.

Brahmi should not be used with methotrimeprazine, a potent CNS depressant analgesic.

The use of diuretics may require dosage adjustments of antidiabetic drugs.

Brahmi possess no known side effects or toxicity at normal doses.

***Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is a warming herb. It's in my herbal "immune formula" tea I like to drink when I'm not feeling well. Historically it's been used as an effective anti-bacterial, antispasmodic, anti-ulcer, choleretic, sedative, hypothermic, antifungal, antiviral, antipyretic, lipolytic, antiseptic, anesthetic, anodyne, and cytotoxic properties.

+Shatavari is a rejuvenating herb that cools the body and strengthens and nourishes the tissues. It may be taken by both women and men to remove excess vata and pitta from the system and to support the proper function of the reproductive organs. Traditionally used to stimulate the production of female hormones, Shatavari may be translated as "100 spouses," implying its ability to increase fertility and vitality. It encourages the production of milk in lactating mothers, and is also useful during menopause and for women who have had hysterectomies. Shatavari serves to build immunity, improve the intellect, stimulate digestion, and enhance strength and energy. It helps remove toxins from the blood and supports the proper function of the liver. Shatavari also acts to soothe, protect and nurture inflamed membranes of the lungs, stomach, kidneys and reproductive organs.

++ Basil(Ocimum basilicum)

The King of Plants, like rosemary, mint, and marjoram, basil belongs to the Labiatae family. It has large, oblong, smooth leaves and can reach 60 centimeters in height. Its name comes from the Greek word basilikon, which means "royal". That goes to show how much the Ancients admired basil! Basil was used by the Egyptians to embalm the dead, was associated with mourning among the Greeks, and hate among the Romans! In the Middle Ages, it was used to treat an assortment of ailments like the common cold, plantar warts, even depression. In fact, basil does have sedative and diuretic properties, and has proven effective as an antidote for insomnia and migraines. Basil grows best in warm regions. The main basil-producing countries are Spain, Italy, France, Egypt, and Mexico.

Most of the information was found at the sources below and you can even read more by using the links.

Over all it sounds like a very soothing, relaxing oil!

*From something I read in Prescription for Nutritional Healing:

**Info from :http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/crops/special/medconf/ibrahimc.html

***Info found: http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/crops/special/medconf/ibrahime.html

+ Info Found:http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/products/tablets/shatavari.html

++ Found Here: http://www.ducros.fr/FRPGPROM/FRCUISIN/FRPRODUI/PGFRHEEP/BASIUS/basius.HTM