The alchemical trinity of Chaparral

The perfume Chaparral is not a reference to the creosote bush, Larrea tridentata, which sometimes goes by many name chaparral, as well as greasewood and la gobernadora. I named the fragrance after the California biome distinguished by wet winters, hot summers and drought-tolerant shrub land. This biome is also found in the Mediterranean, South America, Australia and South Africa. The word chaparral comes from the Portuguese and Spanish word “chaparro" meaning evergreen oak shrub land.

Back in 2006, when Chaparral was conceived and launched, my intention was to bring awareness to this community of plants which are very undervalued in Los Angeles where residents opt for pesticide and water hungry lawns and non native palm trees, rather than the local sages, artemisias, oaks, etc. 

In creating the perfume Chaparral®, I weaved together my love and commitment to the indigenous plants of California with skills in aromatic plant preparation and the artistry of perfume formulation.

“Art arises when the secret vision of the artist

and the manifestation of nature

agree to find new shapes.”

~ Kahlil Gibran

My husband, Greg Spalenka states that there are three main components of great art which applies to the full spectrum of the sensory realm including visual, auditory, culinary and olfactory orchestrations.

He adheres to these three components as a trinity of "Mind, Body and Spirit":

Mind; the idea and/or concept

Body; representing the materials

Spirit; the love, passion, integrity and/or soul nature

In alchemy the trinity is Sulfur, Mercury, and Salt, code words for what is also referred to as "Soul, Spirit, and Body"

Sulfur = Soul = Consciousness 

Mercury = Spirit  = Mind

Salt = Body  = Mineral

So if we go back to Greg's trinity, I have overlayed Greg's trinity with that of alchemy in this way, substituting Greg's word Spirit for Soul/Love.

Mind; the idea and/or concept / Mercury = Spirit

Body; representing the materials / Salt = Body

Soul/Love, passion, integrity and/or soul nature / Sulfur = Soul, Consciousness

All these components, working together at a high level of sophistication and awareness, create a synergy, where each component becomes more than the sum of its parts.

In perfume the mind aspect (Mercury) is the concept that the fragrance is built on, encompassing much more than a scent based on a fragrance family or type. The body aspect (Salt) is made of the materials contained within the perfume, the artist’s palette. Soul (Sulphur) is the burning passion of your creation, this is where the true artist weaves their own authenticity into the constructed artwork using their consciousness. Each is important and is required for the finished art to transcend the ordinary, to reach the heights of the sublime.

Over the last twenty years I have come to keen realizations regarding California natives and their value. The journey beginning with guided instructional walks led by herbalist David Crow back in the 90's when he would lead nature walks in the Santa Monica Mountains. Davids introduction than deepened with lessons from communicating with the mighty Oaks on my property and its surroundings, when we lived in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The California native Coastal live oak was the one who spoke to me and revealed the value of native plants just as I began organizing my community to protect four large trees on an lot next to us. In an attempt to secure the safety of the trees I created a perfume devoted to them. The perfume is called “Q” for Quercus agrifolia and was the first in a series titled Californica.

The second perfume in the series, Chaparral® was birthed in October 2006 when I was researching incense. Incense was used by a variety of cultures depending on the plant material in their particular region. The indigenous people of California use the sacred white sage, Salvia apiana, to clear a space or fumigate an individual. I chose to create an incense themed perfume devoted to the California indigenous people based on the plants of the area.

The trinity mentioned above works in Chaparral like this:

Mind/Concept | Mercury/Spirit: The native plants of California, the chaparral.

Soul/Love: The soul nature of this perfume is expressed through the mindful harvesting and preparation of the plant material. The fragrance is created by hand with an intention to expand awareness of native plants.

Body/Material: actual, vital plant material used in tinctures and essential oils to represent an “authentic” fragrance of the regions native plants.

California native plants add tremendous value to a California garden including: authenticity to a landscape design, low water needs, benefits to wildlife habitat, increased biodiversity, and the ability of these plants, particularly the Coastal Live oak, to sequester carbon. Learn more about the chaparral at the website for the California Chaparral Institute.

Related links here at the journal:

Restoring the Woodland

California Dreaming

The Shadow

Medicine Wheel

Rain!

The rains have FINALLY arrived to Los Angeles! I'm so happy as I am sure the woodland plants and beasties are as well. We were able to get all the natives we purchased at the Theodore Payne Foundation and redo a few of the walls around our 1950's ranch style house completed within hours of the rains arriving.

Since we are up in the hillside and have had several challenges with water drainage on from our own and neighbors properties we've slowly been making adjustments. The hard work over the last fifteen years here have paid off. The only thing still on the list is to create a system to capture water into a tank for irrigation as well as a grey water system.

Since we've had a little respite the last few days we purchased a few more plants, more native ceanothus and artemisia but also drought tolerate, a bee loving rosemary, a couple flats of lantana and two types of cistus, also known as rockrose.

As soon as Greg got them in the ground this afternoon it slowly starting sprinkling again. Yay!

California Christmas 2015

While driving south toward Hermosa Beach on Christmas morning I had the warm snuggly thought that, last night and on this morning, all over the world people were opening little packages of botanical perfume sent with love from a little perfumery in Agoura Hills. Maybe this had occurred to me in previous years, in one way or another, but in that moment it felt like a new thought and brought an extra bit of cheer to the extremely brisk morning.

The cerulean sky looked expansive as our tires rolled over asphalt traveled by millions along the 101 and 405. As we made the turn down toward the little beach community we were met by an even deeper darker share of blue of the Pacific ocean, more in the phthalo range.

As is the custom every year with the Neuhart clan, we begin the morning festivities with a drink (tea for our clan), followed by the yearly holiday photo in the living room with the opening of presents.

This year was no exception to gifts of camera related equipment and books. Can you see my reflection in that new portrait lens on Eve's camera?

After the debauchery of gifts we moved to the dining room for a bit of gluttony beginning with a fresh, vietnamese salad followed by a Yemeni egg dish Marilyn learned to make in the 70's when her and John spent time there. Assorted breads, sausage, chocolate and of course the yearly oranges were also on hand.

Robert the cat, also know as Bob, was a bit perturbed that his daily ritual of sunning and napping in quiet had been interrupted by so many intruders.

Another Christmas come and gone leaves me a bit wiser, with a few more silver hairs and anticipating another year of adventures and stories yet to be unwrapped and shared. May 2016 unfold as a joyous magical journey for each of you.

What are your favorite FALL Colors in 2015?

FALL officially arrived to Northern hemis-peeps* the day of the Autumnal Equinox,  but to us here in parched Los Angeles the sign posts became obvious this week. Ginkgo biloba, Liquidambar, Lagerstroemia indica (aka crepe/crape myrtle) and the two natives Platanus racemosa (California sycamore) and Vitis californica have been displaying their beautiful cloaks.

The Liquidambars being the most stunning of all. We have a essential oil that comes from the resin of this tree used to create Amber chords for Oriental family perfumes. The scent is warm and deep.

The Pantone Corporation, the supposed authority on color trends, unveiled "The Color of the Year" along with these other hues for the FALL 2015 line up which includes lots of natural, haute-hip hues...

1.) PANTONE 17-0627 Dried Herb
2.) PANTONE 16-0110 Desert Sage
3.) PANTONE 18-4214 Stormy Weather
4.) PANTONE 16-1144 Oak Buff
5.) PANTONE 18-1438 Marsala
6.) PANTONE 18-4726 Biscay Bay
7.) PANTONE 19-4326 Reflecting Pond
8.) PANTONE 15-1340 Cadmium Orange
9.) PANTONE 16-2215 Cashmere Rose
10.) PANTONE 17-3628 Amethyst Orchid

As you all know I have a specific color palette I use for my brand which shows up in the wax seals for my perfumes. I've matched up some of the wax seals on the little pots with some of the Fall 2015 colors in the chart above.

* Yes, I made up a word hemisphere + people + hemis-peeps.

Spring in Summer

Some of the plants in my garden are acting as if its Spring, even though we are in the middle of Summer. I'm guessing this is due to the extremely weird weather coupled with a little extra watering with our shower water. If you didn't know, California is having a massive drought and thus we are suppose to be mindful about our use of H20. Here at the woodland cottage we take showers with tubs and buckets to collect the water and use for our plants.

The fairy duster planet we put in the ground back in the Autumn of 2012 or so has gotten quite large, has had some children and is FINALLY attracting honey bees. Yay! For a little while there we thought there was something wrong with it. I am not sure why it took so long, but, relieved that the reason why we purchased it is now manifested. Judging by how many honey bees are on it all day long I'd say hands down its the favorite plant in the entire garden.

I love how the flowers of the Fairy Duster first appear like little balls of yarn which slowly unfurl into their magnificent red strands that then call over all the different pollinators.

The Matilija poppies, which didn't flower last year have now started to bloom. I thought they weren't going to produce flowers this year because in the neighborhood and other parts of the Santa Monica Mountains they were blooming back in Spring. Ours generally bloom in July, thus I'm thinking it must have to do with where they are placed. Something else that is happening with these is that they are spreading. This is exactly what we wanted! In a few years we are hoping that they will be covering a quarter of the front slope.

Other positive things happening in our garden is that lots of natives have been coming up on their own accord, like Quercus agrifolia, our native oak, and Artemisia californica. This is especially potent since our neighbors continue to hack down large grandfather oaks in the area. When I see people cut down those ancient trees I can't help but think humans are one of the stupidest species on the planet, really. I mentioned to Greg that before allowing someone to purchase a house here in the woodland people need to be asked the question "Can you be a steward of our woodland flora and fauna?" If not, than hey, go find another seat on this airplane.

Everlasting

Friday evening, during the Street Art Live event at Wizard (Whizin) Center a gentle soul who auspiciously resembled Frodo came by the perfumery. We began chatting and soon found we shared a love of plants, specifically those of the California wildwoods. My friend Marie, who was spending time with me at the perfumery that evening, commented on how it seemed like a visitation from Middle Earth to the Elven/Fairy realm...she believes me to be part fairy.

Eventually we ended up trading small bunches of Everlasting which also goes by the names of Immortelle and Helichrysum. He gifted me a Gnaphalium, also termed cudweed, which might be the bi-color variety. There's quite a challenge with determining the exact name since so many sources don't agree. For our purposed today lets call it Gnaphalium bicolor, a two-toned greenish perennial with sticky, woolly-white leaves that contain grey undersides...thus the secondary name of bicolor. Gnaphalium comes from the Greek meaning "lock of wool", relating to the woolly-leaves.

The elongated, dual toned leaf contains a superbly interesting aroma with notes of valerian, sage, patchouli and agarwood. Being a lover of earthy and unusual notes I'm loving it and enjoying the difficulty in pinning down the aromatic profile, particularly since it doesn't quite share similarities with its relative that goes by the same common name of Helichrysum italicum. The little papery flowers are small and creamy yellow in color with a very subtle herbaceous scent.

I gifted him Helichrysum italicum (angustifolia) organically grown in Ojai. This variety has a maple-like fragrance with very similar looking flowers to Gnaphalium bicolor although the color is golden yellow.

The other native varieties to California, that are often confused is Pearly everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea and California everlasting, Gnaphalium californicum. The latter grows abundantly here in the Santa Monica Mountains and has a sister plant on the East coast called "White Balsam" Gnaphalium polycephalum.

Everlasting has such a perfect affinity with the Summer Solstice today as it is a plant of the Sunflower family (Asteraceae) and thrives in full sun and dry, arid hillside regions with little flowers that emulate the look of our fiery golden star which gives us light and warmth called the Sun. The word Asteraceae comes from the Greek Aster meaning star.

Roxana Illuminated Perfumes featuring helichrysum are Impromptu and the upcoming Mellifera which is found at my fan funding page or the perfumery.

Photos and text: ©Roxana Villa

California Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas from Southern California, where the day was cool with brilliant sunshine. Here's a pictorial display of our day down in Hermosa with the Neuhart clan.

The morning usually starts off with hugs, kisses, a drink (tea in our case), the traditional family photo and opening of gifts. Santa is very abundant at the Neuhart house, he must like the beach.

Books is generally the most often given and received gift along with food. Eve and I found this beautiful rainbow pasta from Italy at Blue Table in Calabasas.

After the gift exchange we moved into the kitchen and family room to get ready for brunch. We bought some beautiful orange tulips on our way over that were the perfect accessory for the table. As you can see from the photos, the Neuhart house is big on really bright, bold color...especially orange. 

Although normally we are told to just bring ourselves, this year we contributed olive bread and homemade lemon poppyseed.

The "big gift" for Eve this year was a twin lens reflex Mamiya camera from 1970, which auspiciously is the same era of the bright green vintage dress she wore that day.

Photos: Roxana Villa / Home: Marilyn Neuhart