Happy New Year from the oak woodland in Topanga State Park!

Time is perceived linearly, associated with duality, such as beginning and ending, day to night, birth to death, etc. The truth beneath this concept is quite different, instead of a line with a beginning and an end, time is complex, like an old growth oak forest.

I’m visualizing us at this new threshold, holding hands, walking together with open hearts and the power of the wild magick by our sides.

The Celtic word for oak is 'duir' meaning door. The archetype of the OAK is related to strength in all three realms -> the physical, the spiritual and the mind.

Longevity and fortitude of the physical body, and elevating our perception out of duality, to the spiritual realm.This concept stems from the wood being hard and dense, without rotting, along with the oaks vast root system. Adding to the idea of power and steadfastness is the oaks ability to withstand the strikes of lightning, amongst other severe conditions.

Tolkien referred to the ancient oaks as Ents, “shepherd trees”, in his epic and rather foretelling tale of a dark lord attempting to control Earth and her sentient beings.

Here are a list of symbols relating to the oak

• Divine and inner strength
• Wisdom
• Knowledge
• Courage
• Overcoming any problem, especially in terms of physical health
• Protection at all levels
• The recovery of self-confidence
• Strengthening the auric field
• Renewing vital forces
• Balancing the energetic realms of the entire being

Anoint yourself with Q while intending these qualities, breath deep, connect with your inner oak, especially when you feel yourself being pulled off center by chaos. Now, focus on what you want to create!!

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

Oak Tree Circle

Yesterday, just as I was about to head off to the perfumery a gardener with a chain saw almost starting going at the oaks on the neighboring lot. We were able to fend off the fellow by taking photos and calling the police. Since I'm not sure if this method of protection will be sustainable I am asking each of you to encircle the seven trees in love and protection. If you have some Q Perfume than please anoint yourselves with this elixir devoted to the California oak.

Q
Fragrance family: WOOD, CHYPRE
Main notes: Resin, wood chord/accord, Italian bergamot, tinctured Coastal Live Oak leaves

Return of the Light
A New Green Cloak
Q Queurcus agrifolia - Reviews
+Q Perfume - Review
Celtic Lunar Month Oak - Reviews & Links
Ode to Trees
Celtic Lunar Month: Oak
Q Review - Review
The Green Man
A Secret in the Forest
The Duir Way
Save the Oaks
Scent of the Day: Oak
Spirit of Nature
Medicine Wheel

The Wood Land

I woke up Thursday morning to the sound of chainsaws echoing through the woodland. When I hear this sound I become a bit distressed because every so often it is a neighbor taking down an Oak, or some other native tree like the grand Sycamores.

After breakfast I became so agitated by the sound I decided to go off and investigate. I put on my hat and headed off toward the sound. Sure enough I found the source but couldn't get a good enough view to see if they were cutting down or trimming the large, ancient oak on the property. This particular neighbor has taken down oaks before, usually on the weekend when it is difficult to get someone out here to stop them, thus I was very worried.

 As I attempted to get a better look from the street a neighbor from another home came out and asked if I needed help. I explained to him that I was concerned that the person with the chain saws might be cutting down an oak tree. He immediately launched into a story explaining how last week he tried to stop some unlicensed tree trimmers who were digging up oak stumps from a lot just up the way. Then he invited me in to look at the pictures he had taken, which I have included in the post.

The lot that these oak stumps were being removed is one of many that greedy developers have decided to take oaks out before getting their plans approved. A despicable act that occurs quite often, despite that the developers don't end up getting what they want. Usually a ten year moritorium is put on the lot before they are allowed to build. This causes them to sell the lot which then brings in a new developer. It's a vicious, re-occurring circle.

In the case of this particular lot, one of my oak protector buddies came out to video tape what was taking place and told the tree trimmers that since the stumps had new growth they were not allowed to take the stumps out. Another neighbor called the police and the stumps were saved, for now.

Although the economy doesn't seem to be getting better, I'm thinking it must be if the developers are swooping into the woodland once more. This will require all of us in the Oak tribe to organize and work together to protect the few grandfather oaks that still exist in this little patch of woods.

I created the fragrance Q (for Quercus) as my way of making art to deal with these hideous folk who take out the native oaks. Besides making art and organizing the neighbors I'm not sure what else I could possibly do, thus here I am writing to get the frustration out of my system.

Branch Out

"The creation of a thousand forests are in one acorn."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The rain from the last few days has caused quite a bit of challenges here in the wood lands. Many non-native trees, like the Pink Pepper Berry, have landed in the street. This morning one of the neighbors conifers was blocking the street on one side. It's still laying there, like a large corpse.

Los Angeles residents still haven't made the connection that the trees that continue to fall during these heavy rain storms are generally non native trees. Since Oaks are very deep rooted it is rare for them to fall, when this does occur it is usually because of grass, requiring regular watering, or cement/asphalt is at the base of the tree.

Speaking of Oaks, Q liquid is completely out of stock at the moment. I am not sure when this amber-licious botanical perfume will return, most likely sooner than later.

Magick Monday

Moonday greetings to you on this auspicious day related to the silvery round lantern in the sky that gravitates toward the forces of the Earth. I have a new project to announce that will be be showcased here on each Magick Monday as it evolves.

The household in and out of our little woodland house has fallen into the rhythmic, abundant flow of this Harvest season. Acorns are more and more abundant and thus the local squirrel population is quite busy. Each day, around 6am we are awoken by running little feet on our roof top as the acorn fairies jump of the limbs of the oaks onto the roof and dash about protecting their territory.

Though the quality of light has begun to shift the weather is still warm, sometimes hot during the day. This time of the year signifies The Moon, called Luna by the Romans and Selene or Artemis by the Greeks embodies the divine feminine aspect and is associated with clairvoyance, divination, maidenhood, cycles, fertility.



The project I am working on wonders into the magical sector of my interests with a multi-faceted alignments in art, books, potion making, spells, herbalism, shamanism and of course perfume. Ideas our still unsettled and whirling about with the creation of a Book of Shadows, a Grimoire. In Wicca this book is a place to store information about my magickal tradition. In a way I have already begun this, but it is spread out among many different binders and folders within the studio.

I found some really gorgeous handmade Grimoires online. I might create one, having been an avid book binder in college I feel crafty enough where I can put something together, especially with the assistance of online tutorials. I am curious why we didn't make one of these in the Shamanism class I was an apprentice in for three years? Oh well, now is the time, perhaps because Greg will be involved and he wasn't part of my life back then.

Opening image and book photograph ©RoxanaVilla

O is for Oak

Q stands for Quercus agrifolia the botanical name for the coastal live oak of California. At this time of the year the oaks are very heavy with acorns, proving a very busy time for the local squirrels. I've been dutifully gathering both acorns and acorn caps daily from the Quercus agrifolia on my property. The caps are for a upcoming project while the acorns are for perfume packages and photo shoots. As of yet there are no acorns from the Quercus lobata, a deciduous native oak. Those acorns are much larger than the ones from the agrifolia, hope they manifest soon as I'd like to get a photo with lots of varieties of acorns and leaves.


Yesterday as I photographed a bottle of Q liquid organic perfume I saw the stack of wood type letters that Ben had brought over the weekend. It occurred to me that yes "Q is for Quercus" BUT "O is for Oak" and there were lots of O's in the pile. Perhaps they are zeros, in either case, they like like O's and will suffice. Here's one...more to come soon.


I just listed the honey pot tub of Q solid natural perfume in the E-shop. The actual amount by weight in these tubs is between 3.6 and 4.7 grams. The solid compact version contains about 5.3 grams. Each one varies slightly because I pour each and every solid perfume myself. There's no machine or robot making them with an exact measuring devise...at least not yet.


Photos: Q organic, botanical perfume, Acorn caps, Acorns on wood type and the new 5 gram Q natural perfume all ©RoxanaVilla

The Giving Tree

Once there were four large oak trees and three smaller ones in a grove and they loved a girl. And everyday the girl looked out at the trees but didn't really see them. Until one day, the girl learned about the value of native plants and old growth oak trees.

The girl learned that the trees grow very slowly from the fruit of the trees, acorns. Once a long, long time ago before man came to the wooded hills there was a vast forest of oaks in the village where the girl now lives.

As the girl learned about the trees they began to talk with her and share their secrets. The trees were happy that the girl would listen to them. The girl was happy that the trees spoke to her. She promised to create a beautiful native garden in their honor.

Then one day a contractor came and said he would cut down the trees and build a huge mansion in their place. The girl began to cry and didn't know what to do.

Looking out at the trees the girl had an idea. On the high Celtic holiday known as Beltane she asked the trees permission and gathered some leaves. She cleaned each leaf by hand and put them into her organic grain alcohol with the intention that her new tree friends would be saved.

The girl asked her best friend to join her in the mission and together they asked more friends to form a circle around the trees to protect them. The high council listened to the concern and the petition from the villagers.

In the meantime, the girl, took her tinctured oak leaves and created a botanical perfume devoted to the California native oaks.

The high council has deemed that the trees add distinction to their location and the trees remain in tact. And the girl was happy.

The End

The above is a true story reconstructed in a similar manner to Shel Silverstein children's book The Giving Tree. As a student in high school I was a member of the Speech Club and told the story of The Giving Tree in competitions.

The perfume is titled "Q" for Quercus agrifolia, the botanical name of the oak. The girl shares profits from each 7 gram flacon and solid perfume compact that is sold with the California Oak Foundation.

Plant the seed of truth, and watch it grow
and when it spreads it's branches,
come with us, and sit under the blossoms.

There, your eyes will open to the secret of truth.

~ Rumi

Inch by Inch

The fruit of the California live oak, the acorn, matures between August and October. From there, if conditions are right, a little sprout will eventually emerge. That little sprout, inch by inch, over many years will develop into a gorgeous tree.

Like the California live oak, my perfume company continues to grow, inch by inch. I owe much gratitude to those who have supported me with patronage and the writers who have helped get the word out. One such writer is Beth Schreibman Gehring, who has written a piece for the Examiner about the botanical perfume "Q", devoted to the California live oak, Quercus agrifolia. Here is the link for your reading pleasure: The Examiner.

Much gratitude to the oaks, each of you and to Beth!

The Oaky Scent of Philanthropy

"Immediately upon entering her house, your nose is filled with an indulgent spectrum of aromas. Verdant, musky, sweet smells enter your senses, encouraging you to breathe deeply. This is the home of Roxana Villa..."

Read the rest of this article written by an expert word smith and a fellow devotee of the flora and fauna of Planet Earth, Megan Walla-Murphy in the Topanga Messenger.

Celtic Lunar Month: OAK

"With foot beat of the swift Oak,
Heaven and Earth rung,
Stout guardian of the door,
His name on every tongue."
~ Gwion

The circular door opens into the mighty realm of the Oak today, with the seventh moon cycle of the Celtic Tree Alphabet. From now until July 7th the steadfast OAK, the most sacred of all the Druidic trees, empowers us with strong roots as we become who we are meant to be. The Celtic word for oak Duir, derived from the sanskrit for door, is the Ogham in this new cyclic phase. This enduring ancient tree stands guardian to the door of self knowledge, tall and steadfast, the wise verdant entity provides courage as we overcome our trials.

Just as the Oaks of England are struck by lightening and born anew, so our native oaks display their resistance to our yearly California wild fires. New, fresh leaves sprout triumphantly from the blacken trunks. The oak teaches us to send our roots deep into the sustaining earth where stability reigns supreme. From that place of connection to this sacred moment we then reach out wide and far. The Oak is part of the central creation myth for the Celtic people. From the acorns, embedded in the Earth, the God Dagda and Goddess Brighid are born.


Today, on this blessed and auspicious occasion, I bring you the solid botanical version of Q, our perfume devoted to Quercus agrifolia the Coastal Live Oak of California. I have hand infused leaves from one of the mighty Oaks that encircles our property. The intention weaved with the infusion and throughout the formulation of the fragrance is for greater awareness of these splendid native trees.

"Every majestic oak tree was once a nut who stood his ground."

I have written quite a bit here on this journal about my history with the native oaks and much of the symbology of this Oak Celtic lunar phase. Instead of repeating myself, I invite you to travel to Greece. Helg, the authoress of Perfume Shrine, will enchant you with her new Mythology series launched today. Rich in philosophy and beauty, like her Greek ancestors, Helg weaves marvelous tales to delight all our senses, specifically focused on olfaction.

The Q solid is now available in the antique finished compact and as a solid mini at our boutique on Etsy. Eventually the entire solid perfume collection will be added to the Illuminated Perfume website. I'm working on manifesting this as you read these words.


Illuminated Perfume
Illuminated Perfume at Etsy
Perfume Shrine
California Oak Foundation

Links to reviews of the botanical perfume Q

Images: The opening painting is by John Millais titled The Proscribed Royalist, 1651 (1853), it is owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and was utilized by Heather Ettlinger to illustrate her blog post her thoughts about the botanical perfume Sierra. Celtic Tree Wheel engraving has been modified in photoshop and placed on parchment. Other two images are photos I took of Q solid in the compact and as the mini solid.

Spirit of Nature

Thursday is named after Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. This dense gaseous mass in astrology is associated with luck and expansion. At the hearing Thursday evening Jupiter along with his 63 moons must have come out to bless us with some luck. The developer was NOT granted the right to remove the oak trees or build on the lot.
We feel extremely relieved, to say the least. This story will definitely have more chapters. For now, the four large oaks, several small ones and the land remain whole with Sovereignty, all the deities, Gods and Goddesses ensuring the beauty of nature.

Scent of the day continues to be Q, for Quercus agrifolia the Coastal Live Oak of California. I am intending to release the solid botanical perfume of Q on June 10th, the first day of the Celtic lunar calendar month of the Oak. Stay tuned for details and a giveaway!

Q, Quercus agrifolia

Here on this page you will find of links to my writings relating to the perfume known as Q, which includes a few reviews, in no particular order. Enjoy.

"I love fragrances and everything that my favorite ones evoke but I was truly captivated by Roxana's Q perfume the first time I experienced it. It evokes something ancient and at the same time very intimate and personal. To me it's a "remembered" fragrance that taps into the green world of Faerie in the same way that a painting or sculpted image can. When I wear it, which is often, I feel closer to that elusive and magical world."

~Wendy Froud

Heather Ettlinger of Perfume Tourist

Perfume Smellin' Things, Beth
Sprig: BEST Natural & Organic Perfumes
Perfume Shrine
Perfume Smellin' Things, Tom

The Non-Blonde

Posts here at this journal:
The Duirway
The Origins of Quercus, now Q
Beltane Perfume
The Heart Note

Q perfume at the the Illuminated Perfume website

Illuminated Image for our perfume has been created by Greg Spalenka, ©Splaenka

Q Review at Perfume Smellin' Things

A review of Q, our perfume devoted to the splendid California Coastal Live Oak, is up over at Perfume Smellin' Things. The magical mystery tour has been transcribed by Beth in the poetic language of a bard or a troubadour of the court.

Q Review at Perfume Smellin' Things

Prepare for an enchanting story, perfect before bed here on the west coast. Scent of the day for the morrow is Q.

Image titled Divinus ©Greg Spalenka www.spalenka.com

Ode to the TREES

On planet Earth today we celebrate the trees! Those beloved beings that give us oxygen, shade, fruit, wood, and provide homes to many creatures. Thus, the scent for today is the botanical perfume Q, devoted to the California native Oak, the Coastal Live Oak Quercus agrifolia.

"I am the Lorax,
I speak for the trees,
for the trees have no tongues."
- Dr. Suess

Let's be crystal clear here, the Palm, more a grass than a tree, that has become emblematic with Los Angeles is not native to this region. Further south it is...but not in LA. Thousands, maybe more, native Oak trees have been removed for the sake of human housing and industry. To add insult to injury folk have been removing oaks and replacing them with palms to create an "exotic" feel to their homes. Hello? Even the City of LA does this! Oak trees give us shade, convert Co2 into oxygen, provide homes to beneficial insects and wildlife and aesthetically work beautifully with other native plants to bestow an authentic style to a Los Angeles home.

Kill your lawn, go native!

The word Oak in the Celtic language is Duir meaning door. My path to awareness of the California Oak and native plants began with this gracious tree. Read more about this at the links provided below.

Anoint yourself today with the the botanical perfume Q, connecting to the energetics of the Mighty Oak. Open the Duirwaigh. A percentage of the profits from every 1/4 oz flacon of Q sold is given to the California Oak Foundation.

I leave you with this clip from Lord of the Rings.




Get a sample of Q botanical perfume at our shop on Etsy
A few posts about Q and the Oak here at our journal
The California Oak Foundation
Arbor Day Foundation

Scent of the Day: OAK

For the scent of the next few days I'm choosing Q, the botanical perfume devoted to the Coastal Live Oak of California. The Celtic tree month of the Oak isn't until June, we are currently in the Alder phase. The oak, with it's association to strength feels like a good one.

Here is what the renown faerie artist Wendy Froud has to say about our Oak perfume, Q:

"I love fragrances and everything that my favorite ones evoke but I was truly captivated by Roxana's Q perfume the first time I experienced it. It evokes something ancient and at the same time very intimate and personal. To me it's a "remembered" fragrance that taps into the green world of Faerie in the same way that a painting or sculpted image can. When I wear it, which is often, I feel closer to that elusive and magical world."

Wendy and Brain will be making an appearance at the Trolls and Legends Festival in Belgium. Here's this from the website:
"Around the theme of Faery, enter the world of Fantasy and live three days in the universe of fairies and elfs with, concerts, animations, a games convention, many entertainments for everyone, a fairy market and about fifty authors for an unforgettable moment!"

I wanna go! Here's a link.

Froud website
Image above is ©Brain Froud

the LIFE body

"Our sympathy and antipathy works on the etheric body. We can easily see this through ordinary observation. We know that the etheric body rules the glands. When, for example, a gourmand sees tasty food, the saliva glands become active and the 'mouth waters'. To the extent that we learn to master ourselves and balance our sympathy and antipathy, the glands in our body will dry out and become like the bark of a tree that protects what is within. In plants, the juices flow up and down. For this reason they cannot withstand the cold of winter; they die. Trees, on the other hand, allow the outside to dry up and become bark, thereby protecting themselves from the drastic effects of storm and cold. It is the same with initiates. Their life body does not die from one incarnation to another. Thus were the Druids. And 'druid' means 'oak', which is the strongest of the trees. "

~ Esoteric Lessons, Berlin March 14 1908, Rudolf Steiner
Steiner Books

The image above is of our perfume devoted to the California Coastal Live Oak. Samples, one gram vials and the quarter ounce flacons are available at my satelite store at Etsy. Read more about Q here at the journal and on our website.

The Heart Note

In Perfumery terms we refer to the heart note, or middle notes, as the scent of a fragrance as it evolves from the initial hit of the top notes. As the first fragrance impression dissipates the next progression is the heart of the perfume followed by the lingering base. The heart notes represent an important turn in a well constructed perfume and are often where the soul of a fragrance can be found. In garden design a tree, like the middle note of a perfume, provides the heart of a landscape design.

California offers a wide variety of splendid native trees which are beautiful, provide habitats for wildlife, offer color and fragrance as well as shade. Now in January is when some of these trees lose the last of their leaves and provide interesting structural forms in the landscape. The leaf litter is rich in nutrients. Instead of gathering up decomposing organic matter provided by nature, use the leaf matter as mulch. Oak and pine are ideal for this purpose. Mulch is beneficial in the garden because it helps retain soil moisture, moderates soil temperature, suppresses weeds and adds natural beauty to garden.

The native arboreal delights include:
Calocedrus decurrens, incense cedar
Platanus racemosa, Western sycamore
Quercus agrifolia, coastal live oak
Quercus lobata, valley oak
Quercus engelmannli, Engelmann oak
Pinus ponderosa, ponderosa pine
P. torreyana, Torrey pine

On our property we have a bounty of native oaks including the Quercus agrifolia, coastal live oak and Quercus lobata, valley oak. As you will notice, the palm tree which regrettable has become emblematic of the City of Angels, is not on the above list.

Here in the wooded hills of Los Angeles our native oak grooves are being disseminated for the purpose of housing developments, McMansions and just plain ignorance. In many cases old oaks will be removed and replaced by non native palms. The palm provides a specific appeal to those wanting to create a fantasy location such as the middle east or the tropics. Palms provides little to no shade and do not contribute to native biodiversity.

This month we will be speaking out to protect a few grooves in our local woods. To learn more about California native plants visit the Theodore Payne Foundation where you can purchase a few woody specimens as well as learn all about the delight of California flora. Save Oak Savanna provides support and is hard at work protecting wildlife, open space and native oaks as well as informing, organizing and educating the local community.

I created the Californica series of perfumes in an effort to contribute to spreading the word on native plants and facilitating consciousness to this realm. Each of these perfumes hold the intention to evolve the consciousness of humans to the value of the plants, specifically those that are native to the California biome. "Q"(for Quercus agrifolia), was the first in this series,  followed by  Chaparral™ and Sierra.

Thank you to Lili Singer of the Theodore Payne Foundation for her article titled "Native Trees, Please" in the Poppy Print Winter 2009 issue. Her contribution was the inspiration for this post and provided much of the valuable knowledge. Please refer to her article for more in depth information about native trees.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™
The image of the Philosophical Tree is by J.D. Mylius created in 1628. Old oak leaf engraving was placed on of parchment using photopshop, Tree image is ©Greg Spalenka.

Weaving Magic

I became conscious of working with magic in the nineties when my daughter Eve was about three. The adventure began at a drum making workshop in an artist loft space at the Brewery. My friend could not attend the event, so I went in her place.

The Brewery is an old beer brewery that has been transformed into artist live work spaces in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. I arrived to the large open space unaware that it was a portal and would literally "altar" the course of my life.

The class was taught by a Native American individual who brought all the materials we would need that day to make our very own whoop drum. I created a 21 inch drum which I have been using regularly at drumming circles ever since. The drum has a deep resonant sound.

Shortly after creating the drum I began participating in drumming circles hosted by the individual who facilitated the drum making class. I learned that this individual was a Shaman and was putting together a group of "initiates" to learn the path of presence. Since I had been asking for a teacher to step forward I saw this as an opportunity.

Auspiciously at around the same time I was introduced to essential oils and aromatherapy. Thus, in tandem, I began learning the properties of essential oils while peeling away some of the veils to conscious living.

For the next three years I studied individually with my teacher and within the group. This is where I began the journey into working with magic.

The first perfume I created utilizing many of the techniques learned was with the formulation of "Q", the oak perfume. Intention and mindfulness are utilized whenever a perfume, accord, tincture or infusion is crafted here in the studio. However, weaving magic has many layers to it and a few of the perfumes contain more magical fibers than others.

The new Sierra solid perfume was created this past October with numerous magical techniques implemented. I began with the idea of prosperity employing essential oils with both ancient and modern affiliations to the concept of abundance on all levels. More on that in the morrow.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Image at top: old engraving cleaned up and placed on parchment. Image below at left: Q elongated ©Greg Spalenka.