Another presentation from the Box of Aromatic Wonders From Afar, a tall amber glass vial with a gorgeously dark and syrupy tincture which upon opening smells of sweet fermenting plums. Nary a titch of musky muskiness. Upon application on skin, it remains sweet and darkly fruity, almost like Hoison sauce without the salty vinegary edge. It's really quite intriguing. Yet, where's the musk? After minimal research I discovered that it releases its musky animalness only after coming in contact with water, so I dipped a finger in water and rubbed it over the spot where I'd spread the musk root tincture on my hand. Still, no musk, but a strange thing did happen ~ the plum fruitiness expanded, became deeper, richer, and took on a floral tonality, something in the neighborhood of osmanthus, and smells nearly identical to a dark and decadent Calimyrna fig tincture I made years and years ago, the difference being that this musk root lasts for hours on the skin, and the Calimyrna fig faded after an hour or so. Ah, so now the musk arises, after so many minutes and so many more applications of water, the sweet plumness becomes more robust and is cuddled by the barest sheen of musk.
Related to asafoetida, both of which have a vast array of medicinal uses, our musk root might well find its uses in perfumery as a component of kyphi, as asafoetida itself is a common ingredient in ancient kyphi formulations, or as part of an all-natural accord built to mimic animal musk. The possibilities ...
In other news ~
The Academy is considering another switch-up in curriculum. We are thinking of offering workshops and mini courses in perfumery, reducing once again the 6-month course into an optional 3-month course, fast tracking some of the more impatient and time free amongst you to apprenticeship. This means we will continue to offer the 6-month course, but will open a 3-month course of the same curriculum some time during 2013. Last year I conducted a kyphi class which I was supposed to record and post on the Academy site as a workshop/instructional, but I began and ended the class as a spiritual practice more than educational/instructional, and unfortunately because of the odd start, I made a decision not to stop and record it as the class became a special experience to me and the students who attended. This was a classic case of 'you had to be there'. I will, however, be recording an instructional (not in a classroom setting) to add to the course curriculum for the students coming in later this year. I must say that the kyphi made during that class I didn't record turned out beautifully, both in scent and in spiritual vibration. I've heard tell from some of my clients it is the best kyphi they've ever experienced.
Hi Justine,
ReplyDeleteCan I ask what ratio you tinctured your musk root at and if you " recharged" it of just did a single tincture?
I have a musk root tincture I started about a year and a half ago, 1:5 ratio, and I wasn't too impressed with it initially so it got tucked in a drawer and forgotten about for some time. Reading about yours makes me was to pull it out and check on it again.
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI really couldn't tell you the ratio as it was gifted, but I can tell you that it's quite thick, like a simple syrup or a thin maple syrup.
When I smeared a drop on my hand, it dried tacky, in fact, I had to spend a little time washing it off as it didn't release easily.
Evaluate your tincture a little more. Perhaps the aging has helped improve its scent profile. Adding water releases more of its scent, but don't add it directly to the tincture bottle. I think what I'm going to do with mine is create a musk accord and add just a tiny bit of water to release the musk root's muskiness, then work the accord into a larger composition.