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Here we are once more, entering a cycle deemed by the Gregorian calendar as the New Year. Did you know that before our current model of tracking the year, there were others? The one that makes most sense to me, and aligned with the Northern hemisphere seasonal shift and alchemy, begins in March.

If you have visited the perfumery recently, perhaps you ascended the stairs to the lab being mindful of the twelve alchemical processes, each one corresponding to a zodiac sign. I'm currently working on a piece related to time, alchemy and other deep dives for Wandering the Wonderland about this topic. Sign up to receive posts delivered directly to your inbox.

Today I am here to express gratitude and wish you blessings as we head into what may be an even more chaotic, interesting and transformative year.

I'm feeling very grateful just knowing that since the Solstice on the 21st, we are incrementally moving toward more light.

Wafting delicious aromas that nourish and inspire,

Roxana 🌸🐝

Remember Your Quest

According to the Arthurian legend of the Green Knight, he arrives at court on a bitter cold evening toward the end of the year, with a challenge.

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The tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight serves as a poignant metaphor for the New Year, but more importantly the personal quests we embark on in our lives. It encapsulates the journey of self-discovery, courage, and the inevitable confrontation with our own flaws and fears.

Just as Gawain faces the challenges set before him, we too must confront our internal and external obstacles to pursue our goals. The Green Knight symbolizes not only the tests we face but also the moral and ethical lessons learned along the way, reminding us that the true essence of our quests lie in the growth and understanding we gain through the trials we undertake.

The idea for creating a fragrance based on the Green Knight dropped in as the world became gripped by fear beginning in March 2020. After becoming a fully realized fragrance, it was released in 2022 as the first in my ritual perfume series. If you haven't experienced it yet, get a sample of the solid in these sets here. Read more about this fragrance here on a dedicated webpage.

I suggest anointing yourself and taking a journey to encounter the Green Knight for clarity on this upcoming Gregorian year.

The ESSENCE of YOU

Illuminated Perfume was formerly birthed at the Ojai Lavender Festival after many years of gestation as I migrated the landscape of perfume. By weaving my authenticity into the branding and embracing principals of design learned from renown stylist Jennifer Butler, I formerly came out of my shell in 2006.

Since then, I have aligned with Jennifer and her team to bring this knowledge to customers, students and all those interested in a deeper understanding of themselves. Jennifer returns for a third visit toward the end of this month.

January 23 - 26, Santa Fe, NM

If you are new to her work, consider joining one of her free online events, next one takes place on Saturday, January 4, 2024 at 11:00 AM MST, enter the promo code SPECIALGIFT to register free of charge.

Illuminated Perfume in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The Illuminated Perfume space is divided into three parts: the scent bar, the teaching area and the lab upstairs. Since I am a one woman show, usually upstairs formulating or off teaching somewhere, please make an appointment to visit, schedule a class, or custom perfume session.

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I bow, acknowledge and offer gratitude, respect & love to Oghá P'o'oge, the land here that I call home and create on. The name comes from the Tewa people and means "white shell water place.". The first known ancestral people of the area were here in about 1050 to 1150, but abandoned it around 200 years before the Spanish arrived.

In 1610, Spanish governor Don Pedro de Peralta renamed the area Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís, which translates to "Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi". The name "Santa Fe" is Spanish for "Holy Faith".

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Illuminated Perfume / 1600 Lena Street, A6 / Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
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