Figure 5: Bois

The four standard fragrance families are floral, oriental, wood and fresh. Floral and wood are fairly self explanatory, oriental refers to scents that have rich notes of: spice, resin, vanilla and/or amber, where as the family fresh governs fruity/citrus, green and oceanic.

The word bois in french means wood, the fragrance Figure 5: Bois belongs smack in the middle of the wood family. Additional notes of tobacco, leather and resin support the hearty timber to deepen the experience of a magical, mysterious forest. The fragrance evokes an old growth woodland where one might hear whispers and echoes of mystical creatures from long lost legends.

According to Kleercut.net, we humans have managed to eradicate 80% of our original old growth forests from "logging, clearing for agricultural land, and oil, gas and hydroelectric development."

Figure 5 Bois, like the fragrances Q and Sierra, remind us of how important trees are to our fragile eco-system and life here on planet Earth.

As with most of the fragrances I create, the formula is complex and dense, with quite a long list of essential oils that went into the orchestration, the most dominant notes come from what is referred to as cellulose fibers of a tree and end with wood:

- Cedar
- Cypress
- Sandal
- Guiac
- Ho
- Agar
- Holy / Saint (Palo santo)

I have also weaved leaves, resins and roots.

The energetics of this fragrance, due to so much wood, is primarily associated with the 1st chakra, providing strength, fortitude and stability, like the trees. Other attributes related to the other essential oils include: higher knowledge (7th chakra), perspective (6th chakra), and unconditional love (4th chakra).

The illumination for this fragrance reminds us of the balance in our dualistic nature and the importance of embracing her dwindling land and the elemental deities that dwell within.