Heavenly Air

When making incense, the evolution of scent never ceases to amaze. Fermentation, age, and odd chemical reactions do fantastic things to the scent profile of incense, increasing its diffusivity, and changing it into a more cohesive, intense, and mind-blowing fragrance than when it was begun. With roses in the mix, the scent tends to go boozy and languid with fat heady nuances. I once created an incense, a body incense meant to be used prior to ritual or cleansing work, with just finely powdered white sage and bone white Boswellia sacra. Initially, it smelled divine and beautiful, ethereal, really, but after it aged for a year, the scent became angelic. Neither the sage nor the frankincense existed as themselves anymore, and some new creature emerged from the chemical soup. The scent became warm and sweet, heady and floral (think gardenia). Every so often, I will dip into the remnants kept in the scent library to revel in its beauty. Sometimes, not often, I catch a hint of its former self, a shadow of frankincense, a hint of musky sage, but then this magical element emerges, the heavenly air. It's crazy and beautiful and surprising. Isn't this what we want? This experience with these materials? I do. I will always.