Sacred Essential Oils for End of Life
Introduction to AromaGnosis Method and Practical Guidance on Using Aromatic Allies for End of Life.
Recorded July 17, 2025
Presenters: Cathy Skipper & Florian Birkmayer MD
In many traditions, scents in various forms play an important part in death rituals. High quality, alive essential oils and a holistic view of the human psyche can help people heal longstanding unresolved soul wounds when dying.
In this presentation, we will introduce you to the AromaGnosis method and give you practical guidance on using aromatic allies for the end of life. Our intention is to inspire you to incorporate aromas in your work with the dying and in palliative care, so that people can be supported to make the most of this precious time through a profound connection to scent.
Cathy Skipper
My workshops and consultations here in New Mexico, internationally and online help clients learn how to use the senses, depth psychology, journeying and much more to peel away the layers, heal deep-seated and ancestral traumas and explore their entirety.
B.Ed. Hons. in Speech and Drama from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London. Herbalist Degree at Ecole Lyonnaise de Plantes Medicinales. Four year training in advanced kinesiology (Cellule de Vie) in France. CTA Certified Coach.
Florian Birkmayer, MD
Through my commitment to my own Wounded Healer’s journey, I help our clients and students find their own personal myth or soul’s purpose.
Alive aromatic allies, in the form of high quality essential oils, powerfully help our ego, our conscious story of ourselves, partner with our soul, Shadow or unconscious by bypassing the intellect and weakening the Default Mode Network. In response to the recent groundswell of interest in psychedelic therapies, I have pioneered the use of essential oils to enhance the benefits of psychedelic therapies in a variety of ways. Essential oils synergize with psychedelic therapies on multiple levels and ultimately my hope is to remind everyone that aromatic allies can be powerful by themselves to help us live in alignment with our soul’s purpose.
After a career in mainstream academic psychiatry and addiction treatment, I became frustrated by the overemphasis on pharmaceuticals to cover up symptoms and decided to use my knowledge and experience to help people recover from pharmaceutical medications.
I received my bachelor’s degree in molecular biology at Princeton University, where I learned to question assumptions and discover the hidden gifts of the unseen side of life, the shadow. I received my medical doctorate from Columbia University, which taught me how to think critically about ‘business-as-usual’ medicine and inspired me to become an addiction psychiatrist. Psychiatry Residency at the University of New Mexico. Board-certified in Psychiatry. ASAM-certified in Addiction Medicine. Certified Life Coach (CLCI).
************
Embracing End of Life (EEoL) Community Education Series
Our live interactive online Embracing End of Life (EEoL) Series are free events brought to you by Final Passages, a 501(c)3 non-profit.People who register for the live events often givbe a donation at the time they register, and get the replay at no cost. We offer these replays as a fundraiser. Contributions for Replays are directed to provide scholarships for our training programs, for reproducing and developing educational materials, publication of our book about family-directed home funerals, and other community and national outreach programs, including this monthly online series. To register for the next live EEoL event, see our home page. If you are unable to attend live, register in order to get the replay. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get announcements of this and other trainings and events offered through Final Passages.
