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

Ring in the New

Thank you for being part of Illuminated Perfume for all these years, whether it has been as a client, patron, student or just onlooker, I appreciate every single one of you!

In the nineties, when I started creating healing fragrances from plants, I felt like a tiny, lone fish swimming upstream, it has now become a movement! At the core of true plant perfume is well being for both the planet and all her beings, supporting organic agriculture and small sustainable businesses.  Although my business is small the very act of working with plants, distillation and the sense of smell elevates consciousness. We become more illuminated by breathing in plant molecules. Like the butterfly effect, small vibrations can affect our entire cosmos.

The year 2019 has been filled with change and chaos for me personally, which on a micro scale reflects the tumultuous events around the world. As sensitives, the rather loud uproar is unsettling to say the least! Yet, my upbeat Leo sun continues to feel hopeful for us visionaries, to feel empowered and be part of a significant shift in this new decade—a shift that will set the stage for the next century to come.

I first witnessed the power of essential oils back during a sweat lodge more than twenty years ago, but it wasn't until 2008 that, with the California oak by my side,  Roxana Illuminated Perfume was launched. Shifting from working as an editorial illustrator, making social commentary through visuals, I pivoted to creating a full sensory experience of our natural world. At the time I was one within a handful of others who were in the aromatherapy industry. What made me different was that I choose to work with a palette exclusively of whole plant matter while bringing awareness to environmental issues such as native plants, peace and honey bees. I'll be completely honest with you, it's been really difficult, but inch by inch, slow and steady, here I am.

In 2015, to help expand the reach of plant fragrance, I began teaching local botanical perfume classes in Los Angeles, which eventually expanded to a presentation at Bastry University introducing the Art of Botanical Perfume online course.

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."

~ Albert Einstein

In the summer of 2017, I made what still feels like the boldest move yet, I sold my sweet home and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico where the new perfumery is located alongside the School of Lost Arts. 2019 was the start of the Perfumed Bestiary series, although slightly derailed this last month, resumes with the letter H. An introductory splash was made here in the oldest capital city by participating alongside Greg Spalenka in the Santa Fe Art Tour, a full page article in the Santa Fe Reporter and being named Artist of the Month by our local brick and mortar art supply store Artisan. And that’s just the beginning! In 2020, the mission of elevating consciousness and becoming illuminated by plant fragrance continues with fragrances inspired by beautiful New Mexico and the rich stories that imbue this glorious landscape to bringing the current line of fragrances up to dates and adding more classes & courses.

Please join me in expanding the vision and impact in the year ahead by your continued support, patronage, insights and business acumen. As conscious creatives, we have the vision to use our choices in transforming the culture of business toward one that is more equitable and just. Roxana Illuminated Perfume has been leading the way and are honored to have the oak, the pinon and you by my side.

With love and gratitude,

Roxana

The Golden Cloak of Autumn Arrives to Santa Fe

A few of the sign posts signaling the arrival of Autumn here in Santa Fe, New Mexico have been sighted. We begin with a flowering native commonly referred to as Rabbitbrush, Chamisa, and Rubber Rabbitbrush,  the latin is Ericameria nauseous and/or Chrysothamnus nauseous.

Chamisa

Above: Chamisa in June

I find Chamisa particularly interesting to watch through the seasons. In early Spring the little, elongated leaves begin to emerge with a gorgeous sage/teal color which stays through Monsoon season until late Summer when you start to see the golden yellow flower pods. In late August early September the flowers begin to open with the landscape around Santa Fe turning gold.

Above: Chamisa in August 2019

Above: Chamisa at the end of her bloom cycle September 2017

Chamisa is a drought tolerant, perennial with great value to the pollinators and animals that browse and forage. The leaves, flowers and seeds are all food sources as well as a source of shelter for small animals, hence the name rabbitbrush.

I've witnessed chamisa to be quite tolerant in the harsh desert climate where water can be scarce while the heat and wind intense. Another lovely feature of chamisa is that it provides us with a hydrosol and essential oil.

Cholla

Above: Cholla, April 2019

Above: Cholla, September 2019

The cholla (pronounced "choy-ah") cactus, also called cane, jumping and walkingstick cactus (Cylindropuntia imbricata), is another one with variety through the seasons. From my observation, in general, the fruits begin to turn yellow gold in late Summer/early Autumn and maintain this hue almost right up until May when the cholla seems to awaken with a very short window of spectacular magenta flowers. There is some variation from plant to plant, as I have seen some of the stalks go to seed and some of the fruits dry up. This is one that I am still getting to know, and as you may recall helped in bringin forward the Perfumed Bestiary series.

I've been told that The Shed in downtown Santa Fe, cooks with the fruits of cholla.

Above: Cholla, May 2019

Above: Cholla, Late June 2019

Opuntia

Our other local cactus is the Opuntia, commonly known as Prickly Pear. The fruit is the part called the prickly pear as well as tuna, sabra, nopal (paddle, plural nopales) from the Nahuatl word nōpalli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word nōchtli for the fruit; or paddle cactus.1

Above: Opuntia, June 2019

The fruit of the opuntia is edible, another feature of the plant is that the insect is extremely valuable in the plant dye industry. Although cactus plants exist in many parts of our Earth they native to the Americas.

This beauty comes in many colors and has a cycle which is not quite as striking through the four points of the season wheel. Below is the peach colored blossom from June with of photo of how it looks now in September.

Above: Peach Opuntia, September 2019

I've heard that besides the cochineal that live on the plant, the fruits can also be used for plant dye, thus I will be mindfully gather them and doing some tests.

Above: Juniper berries, September 2019

There are many other plants that thrive in this high desert landscape, like the pinon, juniper, asters, etc. which I will share as I continue to learn, study and communicate with them.

1 Wikipedia

The Goddess Eostre

A very happy and splendid day to each of you. Spring is a trickster having many different days where she officially begins, whether we call it the Spring Equinox, Eostre or Easter or we don't name the yearly occurrence and instead observe a shift in the weather, plants or behaviors of animals, such as the ground hog.

Whatever name we choose for the Season, we welcome her with open arms as we transition from a cold dreary winter to a landscape filled with vivid colors, scent of flowers and birdsong. The transformation takes place on both an exterior and interior level as we defrost and emerge from a dark cocoon of reflection. Renewed by a period of deep reflection, we birth ourselves anew to the brightness and warmth of the extended sunlight.

"Eostre is generally said to be an Anglo-Saxon Goddess associated with the renewal of life: Spring (season), fertility and the hare (for its quick and numerous reproduction). Eostre has been made to be a "goddess of Dawn" by modern writers, improvising on the theme of Eos; there is no sanction for this aspect in any historical document or ancient tradition. Though it has been said that she was sometimes depicted with a hares head, no authentic animal-headed deities appear in Germanic or Celtic cult objects. And, perhaps for good reason, there is no Celtic depiction of an Eostre whatsoever. Most likely the name of the Spring Goddess was lost and the name "Eastre" was substituted in the transcriptions of the 8th century. Other names given to her include Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Estre, Eostre, Eoster, Eostra, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron, and Ausos."
- edited from Wikipedia

I tend to like to explore words and associated mythologies that humans have chosen to attribute to different days, festivals, etc. Any of you who are regular readers of this journal or my work have most likely already sensed my exploratory nature in those realms. And, again, you may have already noticed, I have an affinity with the roots of things and more ancestral & pagan traditions when humans lived in harmony with nature.

A re-occurring theme that author Leonard Schlain writes about in his book The Alphabet and the Goddess is the patriarchal trend on usurping a female deity with a masculine one. For example the attributes of the ancient Goddess Eostra have clearly influenced traditions, such as Christianity who adopted the Springtime symbols to denote the Easter Resurrection of Christ.

Symbols, the Pink Moon and the Tree Ogham of Willow

Attributes associated with this Eostre, Spring, and Easter are:

Colors: White, green, pastels
Symbols: Rabbit, egg
Suitable offerings: hard-boiled eggs, honey cakes, first fruits of the season
Associated Planet: Moon

Along with Eostre we had a glorious full moon a few nights prior in the astrological sign of Libra, called The Pink Moon. The name is in reference to the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring season.

Beginning April 15th we entered the Tree Ogham phase of the Willow, botanical family is the Salix. According to the modern neopagan Ogham calendar, it is the fifth month of the cycle falling between April 15th through May 12th. The Willow, termed Saille in this system of Tree Lore, is associated with flexibility and patience with an emphasis on femininity.

Like me, you may find yourself interested in ceremony and ritual, if so then I suggest venturing off to find a grove of Willow in your area and ask for a wish to be granted. We begin this little ritual by tuning into the imprint and hive mind of the willow spirit and the individual tree, asking for permission and sharing your desire.

If permission is granted, select a pliable shoot and tie a loose knot in it while holding the desired outcome in your mind and heart. When your wish has been granted, return to the site and untie the knot while remaining in a state of gratitude and love. In some traditions a gift is left for the Willow, such as tobacco. I suggest asking the willow what gift it would like from the start, as I have noticed the trees are more interested in an intentional gift like LOVE rather than a physical endowment.

Here in New Mexico we have the red willow, Salix laevigata, also called the polished willow, which grows in abundance near sources of water. The plant is currently threatened by invasives such as Tamarisk trees, which are equally thirsty and difficult to eradicate. The ancestral roots of this tree are related to basket weaving by the native people. In Santa Fe we find a plethora of red willows in Dale Ball Trails in Upper Canyon. The photo below is in Fall when the red willows turn red.

"The Tiwa (or Tano) are a linguistic group of Pueblo American Indians who speak the Tiwa language and share the Pueblo culture. Tiwa (also known as Tano) is one of five Tanoan languages spoken by the Pueblo people of New Mexico. The name Taos is derived from the Tiwa word for “place of red willows.” The red willow is a variety known for its reddish or purple twigs and bark rich in tannin. It is also known as the basket willow, having pliable twigs used in basketry and furniture."
- NMHistoricPreservation.org

SPRING "Illuminated" Perfumes

Floral perfumes are the most aligned with the energetics of Eostre, Spring, and Easter but fragrances in the green family also work nicely. From our illuminated line I suggest either Vera (fresh, herbal, fougere), Hedera helix (Deep, rich forest green) or one of the many fresher florals such as Lyra, Fleurish and Aurora, find them all in their varied formats as well as sample sets here.

The EGG

Of all the different symbols associated with Spring, the one that has me most inspired today is the egg. The origins of the word Easter are found in the ancient Saxon Lunar Goddess known as Eostre and Norse Goddess Ostara. In both these traditions, as well as those of the Greeks and Egyptians we find the symbolic use of the egg and a theory of the Cosmic Egg as the source of all creation.

In contemplating the symbol of  the “egg” as a popular thematic image in our modern Spring rituals and archetypes there is the world egg in Vedic mythology related to an egg shaped Universe, but most interesting to me is the Upanishads where the universe divides into two halves, which alludes to the duality principal in Alchemy as well as the Ouroboros, symbolizing the unity of all things through the eternal process of change.

In August of 2003 when Greg and I attended the Visionary Art workshop titled Old Masters, New Visions in Austria, I learned a deeper meaning to the symbolism of the egg, specifically in reference to the Mishe technique where we use the whole egg for this painting procedure that has its roots with the Flemish brother painters Jan and Hubert van Eyck.

By utilizing a whole egg in combination with a specific layering of different colored glazes light is able to pass through the painting to produce a glass like appearance, resulting in fantastical depth to a two dimensional painted image. Go to a museum which has a Van Eyck painting in their collection and you will experience what I am typing about. Assuming of course, that the painting is the original, and not a reproduction.

Opening photograph: Mia from Alice of the WonderLand, Dale Ball Trail, Hedera helix collage and Eggs in Next photos ©RoxanaVilla, The Orphic Egg on parchment, original by Jacob Bryant, 1774
References: Desert Wild Flower
Copy ©RoxanaVilla

Aroma, Alchemy and Medicine of the Soul in Words and Images

Last Thursday (I can hardly believe its been a week already!) Cathy Skipper and Florian Birkmayer arrived in Los Angeles from Albuquerque for the transformative Alchemy and Medicine of the Soul classes and experiences beginning with the Panel on Alchemy in Cypress Park.

Originally we had set up the discussion to take place at a friends home in Woodland Hills, but as the RSVP's continued to mount I began searching for a new location. Out of the blue, we had a very generous offer via e-mail from Meike Kopp informing me that we could use her gorgeous space as a venue. Although we lost many attendees from the San Fernando Valley stretching up to Ojai, we gained the same amount back and also had a glorious, large open space which we took advantage to film the event. As soon as the footage has been edited I will share it here at the journal.

The next day the Hydrosol Distillation began at 3pm up on the warm, sunny plateau of Topanga. It was an absolutely gorgeous day which started off with taking Cathy and Florian over to visit the perfumery, lunch at Blue Table, a stop at the house to cut the white sage and then hauling all the gear up the mountain and setting up.

Auspiciously the flowering Salvia apiana, white sage, from my garden had already been pollinated by the honey bees. This was confirmed by Cathy as she used her magnifier to examine the botany of a flower. So, besides her wand, a little medicine bag with crystal offerings for plants and her journal Cathy also has her magnifier at the ready!

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."

Saturday and Sunday was the two day workshop, what I consider the main course of the aromatic venue. Each morning everyone arrived and squeezed into the teaching space of the perfumery where Florian lectured about Jung, our collective imagination and shared his point of view on the Alchemical processes as a tool to recognize and move through emotional challenges. Cathy interjected regularly adding her strong intuitive approach and her own personal stories of transformation.

On Sunday we finished traversing all the alchemical processes with some work on our shadow, culminating in creating a blend and a group photo.

Monday evening was the dessert, featuring an encounter of the aromatic kind with sipping gorgeous and very diverse hydrosols. As we inhaled and sipped the high vibrational plant waters we each tuned into the message shared with each of us through the elixir.

The five days were a magical mystery ride with Cathy and Florian as the chauffeurs in partnership with the botanical intelligence from the plant kingdom. Personally, I was able to re-visit work in a very similar vein as an initiate in a Celtic Shaman group. The facilitator, Kaitryne, also had a Jungian psychology background which she had woven with Celtic & Native American shamanistic concepts. Thus there was quite a bit of overlap as well as concepts I had introduced with The Tree Of Life presentation at Bastyr.

Next stop for Cathy and Florian is teaching the two day workshop in Seattle followed by returning to New Mexico to finish up their online course.

Alchemy Panel Discussion, Distill your Own Hydrosols & Hydrosol Encounter

As part of the Alchemy & Medicine of the Soul workshop we have three other happenings taking place all within the Santa Monica Mountain area. Please note there is limited space available for some of these events, be mindful to grab your seat while they are available!

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Alchemy Panel Discussion

with Cathy Skipper, Dr. Florian Birkmayer, John Steele and Roxana Villa

April 20th, Thursday evening

The word alchemy is often associated with essential oils due to the transformation of physical matter through the process of distillation. Historical origins of alchemy point back in time suggesting that Hermes Trismegistus, which in Egypt was called Thoth was the father of the art.

Learn more about the different points of view on alchemy and its relationship to essential oils, aromatherapy, botanical perfume, psychology and altered states in this unique panel discussion.

Free to attend with RSVP

Location: Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, CA

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Distill Your Own Hydrosols

with Cathy Skipper and Dr. Florian Birkmayer
April 21st, Friday 3pm-6pm

The process of obtaining the essence of a plant through the process of distillation goes back in History to the early alchemists in Egypt. In this afternoon workshop we will distill native plants personally selected and harvested with Cathy and Florian.

The word hydrosol, ‘hydro’ water and ‘sol’ solution means water solution and refers to the fact that a hydrosol is water that contains plant molecules and is produced alongside essential oil in the process of steam distillation, it is sometimes referred to as flower water.

With a small, portable, inexpensive, copper still, Hydrosols are easy to make, much safer and easier to use than essential oils and have great potential for use both in physical ailments and when working on a subtle, emotional level.

Mankind has distilled plants in order to extract their aromatic core for thousands of years and there is evidence that all the major civilizations used this form of extraction.

Making one’s own hydrosols and being a part of the process from the harvesting to the final product is not only easy with a small home still but also extremely revealing. The plant seems to open up on another level allowing us to come into contact with its healing vibration with ease and clarity, thus deepening our knowledge and intuitive information about it. There is a time for everything and although there are herbalists that have been distilling and using hydrosols regularly for years, I believe that now is the time to integrate their use into regular practice, they do not replace other forms of plant preparation but add a precious element to the medicinal plant tool box.

The one-day introduction to Hydrosols will include:

• Practical distillations
• Learning what constituents a hydrosol
• How to use hydrosols

DATE and TIME: Friday, April 21st in Topanga Canyon, CA from 3pm - 6pm

LOCATION: Details provided upon registration.

Please arrive unscented. Be mindful of laundry, cosmetic and bath & beauty products on this special day. We need to keep our palettes clear and free of odorants and be respectful of the flora and fauna we will be working with.
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Hydrosol Encounter

with Cathy Skipper and Dr. Florian Birkmayer

April 24th, Monday evening 7pm - 9pm, Blue Table, Agoura Hills, CA

As part of the Alchemy & Medicine of the Soul weekend workshop we are offering an evening encounter with hydrosols, led by Cathy Skipper & Dr Florian Birkmayer MD.

During the distillation process plant matter gently imprints the water with its molecular trace particles resulting in an aromatic water that is useful in skin care, therapeutic applications, refreshing sprays and in cooking. Although these "waters of life" are part of daily life in our recent past, hydrosols are one of the lost arts that is now circling back and finding a home as a new form of aromatherapy. The waters that result from distillation have been described as “the soul of the plant”, able to transmit non-verbal messages, bypassing the thinking mind

In this informal gathering at Blue Table in Agoura Hills, we will explore the transformative subtle frequencies of several hydro distilled elixirs. Our focus will be the emotional and spiritual "properties found in the barely detectable aromatic trace molecules which exist in concentrations of parts per billion, bringing the worlds of matter and spirit."

"Drinking exotic plant hydrosols such as Jasmine Sambac, Blue Lotus, Golden Champa and Frankincense is an immersive experience which is exquisite, both in smell and taste. These plant teachers invite us to participate in a subtle, yet often euphoric, aromatic conversation with the natural wisdom of botanical intelligence."

Join us in this profound inquiry into the relationship between smell and higher consciousness — and feel it spark into your own work. Celebrate the extra-ordinary in the moment as you feel yourself elevated by botanical intelligence.

DATE & TIME: Monday, April 24, 2017, 7pm-9pm

LOCATION: Blue Table at  Whizin Market Hall, 28914 Roadside Dr, unit #219, Agoura Hills, CA 91301, find a map here.

Please arrive unscented. Be mindful of laundry, cosmetic and bath & beauty products on this special day. We need to keep our palettes clear and free of odorants.

“With an increased floral consciousness, 

humans will begin to make full use of their ‘light brain’ 

and make more refined and sophisticated use of their ‘smell brain.’ 

The two are portentously linked. 

In fact, they overlap to such an extent that they may be considered inseparable.”

~ Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume 

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FEES

The panel discussion is free and open to everyone who RSVP's in advance. If you are registered for the Alchemy & Medicine of the Soul workshop the class on distillation is included in your tuition. If you would like to attend the Hydrosol Encounter, the fee is $40 which covers all the expenses, including the very special and unique hydrosols we will be sipping.

Alchemy and Medicine of the Soul

Alchemy & the Medicine of the Soul 

The Wounded Healer, A Journey Through the Alchemical Stages & the Sacred Union

A Workshop with Cathy Skipper & Dr Florian Birkmayer MD
Seats are limited sign up here

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“We each have something to contribute to the global healing process, a particular gift or vision, 

skill or song. Individual healing has a lot to do with finding this gift and using it 

for the world’s sake, finding our song and singing it.” 

~ Miriam Greenspan, Healing Through the Dark Emotions

I am delighted to host a spectacular series of events which includes a weekend workshop with two very heartfelt souls and leaders in the transformative power of aromatic plants, essential oils and hydrosols. Cathy Skipper and Dr Florian Birkmayer bring together a knowledge- and skill-set that encompasses French medical aromatherapy, holistic psychiatry, spiritual alchemy and intuitive plant communication.

The pleasure of meeting Florian and Cathy was akin to that feeling when we discover kindred souls, it took place at the first Beyond Aromatics conference in Seattle Washington, at the time Greg and I were rooming next to Florian and the two had not gotten together as a couple. At the conference, both Cathy and Florian presented topics that were perfectly paired for their profound approach to working with plants, essential oils and psychology—which would set the stage for this profound workshop. Florians approach has since evolved further by working closely with Cathy — whose own expertise as a herbalist, aromatic medicine practitioner and workshop leader is the product of decades of experience and study.

Cathy and Florian share their unique insight into the healing potency of essential oils by bringing to bear teachings distilled from spiritual alchemy, Jungian psychology, and their own unfolding healing journey... aromatically infused with plant wisdom from both the blue plateaus of Provence and the sagebrush deserts of New Mexico.

Florian will show how the Jungian understanding of alchemy is a revealing model for aromatic soul medicine, elucidated by his experience of using essential oils to treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues in his work as a psychiatrist. Cathy will draw from her long experience of French clinical aromatherapy, plant communication and kinesiology. Both Cathy and Florian have a personal and professional background in ‘healing the healer’ — a central theme of the workshop.

The workshop is suitable for aromatherapists, herbalists, bodyworkers and psychotherapists, and all those working in the healing arts wishing to deepen their relationship with aromatic plants as well as their own healing journey. Join us for a memorable weekend of learning, sharing and aromatic inner healing... but please don’t delay in booking your place, as numbers are limited!

COURSE COMPONENTS

• Distillation with Cooper Alembic of California Native Plant Flora.
• The seven alchemical stages and their relationship to distinct phases within the cycle of growth and healing.
• Identifying the different emotional/energetic states that arise within each alchemical stage and the essential oils that can help to transform them.
• Exercises and experiential work to deepen our understanding of each alchemical stage and the psycho-therapeutic actions of specific essential oils.
• Looking at ways this work can be used with clients in an aromatherapy or psychotherapy practice.

This workshop is intended to:

• Help participants develop a deeper and more personal, intuitive relationship to aromatic plants and essential oils.
• Offer participants a model of transformation that can be used to assist them on their own healing journeys and those of their friends, family and clients.
• Highlight the importance of soul healing in achieving a state of inner harmony, vitality and optimum health.

Cathy Skipper
Workshop Co-Facilitator

English by birth, Cathy Skipper spent her adult life in rural France, where she farmed, trained and worked as a herbalist and aromatherapist, and taught practical herbalism, botany and aromatherapy at the L’Ecole Lyonnaise de Plantes Medicinales in Lyon. She participated for four years in an approach to energetic healing called Life Cell, under French Kinesiologist Caroline Gupta. Her medicinal plant education in France included a two-year course with Claude Lefebvre in Plant Communication. She emigrated from France in 2015 to live and work in New Mexico with her partner, Florian Birkmayer.

Cathy’s work involves building bridges between aromatic medicine and herbalism as well as recognizing the importance of healing the healer and reconnecting with nature. In her teaching she marries theory, practical work and energetics with the intention of helping students develop an intuitive relationship between themselves, the plant/essential oil and the patient, as a poweful impetus for healing.

Cathy’s work with Florian has a core vibration with the work of Carl Jung, the psyche, aromatic molecules, and the mind. She is co-author with Patrice de Bonneval of Aromatic Medicine.

For more info about Cathy follow this link to her blog and this post which delves deeper into this workshop we are presenting.

Dr Florian Birkmayer MD
Workshop Co-Facilitator

Florian Birkmayer is a Wounded Healer and the co-developer with Cathy Skipper of AromaGnosis, which synthesizes Jungian depth psychology and aromatherapy. A holistic psychiatrist, he has an extensive background in trauma and addiction as well as Equine-Assisted Therapy. A bridge-builder between different medical worlds, Florian works closely and respectfully with a wide range of healers.

Florian received his B.A. from Princeton University and his M.D. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York. He completed his psychiatry residency at the University of New Mexico. He has previously served as the director of the Dual Diagnosis Clinic at the University of New Mexico Psychiatric Center, and as the director of the Substance Use Disorders program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albuquerque, USA.

For more info about Florian, visit: aromagnosis.com

LOCATIONS AND DATES

• Friday, April 21, 2017 California Native Plant Distillation, Topanga Canyon
Time and location to be announced

• Saturday & Sunday, April 22 and 23, 2017 (2 days).
Times: 9:30 am to 5:00 pm daily.
Course Fee: Early Bird $296
Please note that the course fee is in all cases non-refundable and non-transferable.
Tel: 818-992-0490 for further info.

REGISTER

To book a place in the course, please submit your contact details and the course fee in any one of the following 3 ways:
• To book in person please contact Roxana to meet at the Perfumery.
• To book by making a credit/debit card payment, please follow the link to the website.
• To book by post, please send a cheque (payable to Roxana Villa) with your name, address, tel no and email address to: Roxana Villa, PO Box 884, Woodland Hills, CA 91365

Accommodations

For overnight accommodations near the Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills, we recommend this hotel in the area: Homewood Suites

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!

Rosa, a California wild woman

Happy New Year! I decided to take the day off and work in the garden with Greg. It's been awhile that I've indulged in the luxury of tending my planties, and what a mess things have become. Quite quickly it became crystal clear that we shall need many more days to tend the landscape, but at least we got the natives we purchased at the Theodore Payne Foundation in the ground before the supposed" rains arrive.

Speaking of California natives the new edition of Rosa, in her liquid form is in process, as are several other fragrances that have sold out, including the ever popular Gracing the Dawn. As I looked over the Rosa formula and analyzed which essential oils needed to be ordered I discovered that some of the essences that were in the original are now available again. This is one of the crazy making aspects of authentic, botanical perfumes that are handmade in small batches.

Rosa was named after the California rose and my great grandmother Rosa Groppo whose postcards you may have seen at the perfumery and in many of my shared photos.

When I began sketching Rosa I began by pairing Bulgarian rose otto with oud and wood to mimic the plants dwelling in the native landscape around Malibu Lake. From that simple pairing I added a few chords and many other essences resulting in a complex fragrance that was built upon slowly and methodically.

Stay tuned, it will be a bit of time before she is ready again, definitely worth the wait. In the meantime, there is one vial with 1 gram of the latest edition still available here.

Photos and text are copyright Roxana Villa, please respect my artwork and ask before re-using.