Updated! This is article is currently being updated — check back soon for what is becoming a rich resource for you aromatic studies!!!

In the meantime, you might enjoy taking a look at the Complete Guide to Magickal Anointing Oils and my growing collection of Spiritual Perfumes.

Scent holds the unique power to transcend the physical realm and connect us with the spiritual. Across cultures and civilizations, the use of fragrances in spiritual practices has been a common thread that weaves together the human experience with the divine. 

It seems our ancestors intuitively knew the wisdom we’re reclaiming today: Fragrance can invoke emotions and trigger memories, shift both our vibrational frequency and our chemistry, and alter our state of consciousness. Fragrance elevates our rituals, creates sacred spaces, and facilitates a deeper connection with the unseen realms.

Of all the many historical and ritual uses of fragrance, it is the art of perfumery that inspires true soul-level alchemy. Through spiritual perfumery, the healing spirits of nature and the gods themselves are invited into elixirs of beauty and transformation.

The alchemy of making spiritual perfumes is one of the lost temple arts.

As someone who walks the path of the wild priestess, I’ve been initiated into ancient temple arts by guides in both human and spiritual form. I’ve studied with shamans throughout the world, apprenticed in Taoist anointing practices, become clinically certified in aromatherapy, been mentored in Western magickal practices, and professionally trained with the preeminent natural perfumers of our time. I’ve traveled to temples and perfumeries in India, Egypt, and Greece. 

Many people who are drawn to natural perfumery are motivated by their spiritual connections with plants and perfume — yet it’s been incredibly challenging to find teachers in human form who truly bridge the artistry with the depths of spiritual practice possible when it comes to the alchemy of spiritual perfumes (though my teacher Roxanna certainly brings spirit and art into her creations). And so, I also learned perfumery as a temple art from the goddesses themselves. 

In the deepest part of my soul, I’ve always known that perfume is a path to the sacred. 

Through the alchemy of beauty, art, ritual, intention, and the healing power of the plants themselves, perfume has the potential to shift us out of the mundane and into the magical. 

It breaks the spell of our collective sleep. It rewires us for pleasure and delight. And it bridges the physical with the spiritual.

In this article, I’ll share an overview of the alchemical art of making spiritual perfumes. Together, we’ll dive into the aromatic history of spiritual fragrances and the importance of the priestess path when it comes to aromatics. We’ll explore the divine nectar of fragrant plants — and look at why spiritual perfumes must be made with natural materials. And we’ll look at rituals and ceremonies for both creating and using sacred scents.

You are about to step into the endless world of spiritual aromatics — a world that has been subtly and intentionally removed from us, with devastating effects on our psyches and feminine power (read “Severed from Scent” for more on this). But we are reclaiming the true potency and transformative power of these lost arts. And your journey of remembering is just beginning. 

Creating an Elevated Perfume and the Feminine Reclamation of Beauty

Fragrance is sacred. Aroma is healing. And the spiritual use of scent has taken many forms throughout history. 

So what sets spiritual perfumes apart? 

The word “perfume” can be a bit of a confusing word because of its dual meaning: It can refer to both a pleasing aroma in general, as well as the liquid fragrances you probably first think of when you hear this word. 

While I adore fragrance in all its forms, this article is about perfumes in the “perfume in a bottle” sense — and why bringing back the sacred and the natural to the art of perfumery is a divine act mandate for bringing our world back into cosmic balance. 

Okay… yes, that probably sounds a bit over-the-top. But bear with me. Perfume is powerful.

Part of what sets perfume apart from other spiritual fragrances is its emphasis on beauty. Far from the superficial reputation “beauty culture” often has today, beauty is actually an essential part of the cosmos. 

Beauty reminds us that we are not here only to survive but to thrive. We are not here only to learn and grow but to delight in pleasure and the sensual nature of our embodiment. 

Pausing to fully experience the beauty of life is an act of rebellion in a culture that’s always pushing us to go and grow. It is a reclamation of feminine value, power, and ways of knowing.

Beauty awakens our hearts to gratitude. It is the celebration of the natural world and the potential of elevated human creativity and culture. 

And all of this comes together in an elevated spiritual perfume. 

When I create true spiritual perfumes, I bridge the magic of nature — partnering with plant spirits and using only natural materials — with inspiration from spirit — filling each aromatic bottle with a transmission of spiritual power. And, I always do so within the context of artistry and beauty. An aromatic blend might be healing and spiritual (many aromatherapy blends are), but it’s not a perfume unless it ignites the senses with blessings of artistry and beauty. 

This is why the alchemy of making spiritual perfumes is so close to my heart. And why I hope you become inspired to reclaim the temple arts of the priestess path and journey into the world of spiritual perfumery.