New Diffusions

I've been diffusing frankincense, with a handful of other aromatics, since around the first of November. I don't have a diffuser, per se, so I've been using a 1/2 quart steel pot with dents from last year's New Year revelry as my stand-in diffuser, simmering on the stove at all waking hours. I haven't changed the water since that first day in November when I dumped in a tablespoonful of frankincense absolute, a drizzle of frankincense carterii tincture and a big dollop of Mz. Bella's "Victorian Rose" potpourri powder. I've just been adding water when it burns off, and more aromatics when the scent fades, so the sludge in the pot was getting scary. Orange peels were going into the pot, as were drops of rose absolute, myrrh, chamomile, antique resinified Mysore sandalwood, vintage styrax resin, lemon wedges -- but mostly frankincense (thank you, Trygve).

I've been living in utter chaos since the beginning of fall. Do you know how physically stifling chaos is to creativity? Stifling and, sometimes, inspiring. I am bursting with ideas, not the least of which is formulating a languid frankincense fragrance -- in oil, or a solid. Something more substantial than alcohol-based; tangibility is important to the manifestation of this fragrance.

Someone asked me just the other day why I seemed more creative when I had my storefront, Delicia. I answered that it was because the creativity was expected -- I had customers coming in daily wanting to know "what's new?", so I felt compelled to make new items all the time. Since closing the store and staying home to create, I've been less prolific -- no pressure. Plus I felt I needed to devote more time to study the craft. Reading and research took the place of the doing. I'm going to be doing more in this new year. And not reading so much online dreck. Nothing shocks me more in this business than the absolutely unnecessary and cruelly narcissistic flaming, lies and hatefulness being vomited onto the blogosphere by grown up people who should know better, regardless of who they are writing about.

Yesterday I cleaned the diffuser pot as best I could -- the frankincense tincture is so resinous it sticks to anything it touches like super glue -- and refilled it with purified water, then added another tablespoonful of frankincense absolute, a drizzle of frankincense tincture and the peels from the orange I had for breakfast. New year, new pot, though I don't think I'll wait until next year to clean the pot again. New moons will work.

Read this excellent article about frankincense by Tony Burfield at Aroma Connection.