Eight days. It's taken eight days to grind, stir, soak, melt, and mix the first batch of lavender themed kyphi. Now the fussing begins. Officially, 'the fussing' is the bit where the kyphi maker adds more to the mix -- a smidge of lavender bud here, a sprinkling of rose petals there, a handful of powdered Sumatran benzoin, a few drops of spike lavender, a drop or two of elemi oil. Then wait. Days. A week. Perhaps a month, and then more fussing and drying and tempering the kyphi until it's just right. All the while, the kyphi dries, becoming clay-like, binding up, and changing scent. It's like working a sculpture, always changing, always needing something more, bending to the will of the muse who comes in dreams and whispers, "Wouldn't it be divine if you put a little more myrrh in the mix? Perhaps that lovely old vintage opoponax resin?" The job is to not go too far astray from the theme. Keep the lavender intact, but add and add and add all those lovely elements that make it kyphi, until it smolders, flameless, dark eyes under heavy lids staring up, and breathes, "Done."
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| Boswellias serrata and carteri with pine resin in mortar |
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| Close up of frankincense & pine |
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| Sifting powdered resins from the whole |
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| Powdered |
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| Back into the mortar it goes |
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| Honey and boswellia and pine resins set to boil |
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| Up close -- not pretty but smells divine |
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| Herbs, resins, wine & fruit with myrrh powder |
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| Boiling honey and resins |
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| One hour later |
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| Close up |
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| Kyphi pre-'the fussing' |
Thanks for this.
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