CACAO CEREMONY 

| THE SACRED WOODS |

Creamy heart woods and dark cacao express divine sensuality and honor our senses as a sacred path to bliss. Plants revered for their connection to the spirits combine in an ecstatic alchemy, a dance of synergy. An oblation. Pleasure Medicine. 

Style: Woody gourmand

Strength: pure perfume extrait 

Prominent Notes:

Palo Santo

Dark Chocolate

Rose

Ylang Ylang

Oud / Agar wood

Tulsi

Cedar

Frankincense

Oakmoss

Vanilla

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The Personal, The Process, The Gathered

The word perfume translates back to through smoke. It isn't surprising that ancient perfumes are tightly connected to the use of incense - another way to volatilize aromatic molecules of plants. Palo santo is related to the frankincense and myrrh trees, all belonging to a category of woods and resins that hold a high status of spiritual use in many cultures - from prayer to cleansing the air, to rites of passage, to healing the ill, to embalming the deceased. 

Palo Santo wood gives a very distinct aroma, some say of burnt apples or caramelized oak - it is very unique and for some, an acquired taste. For a time I didn't love it, until complimentary oils and experiences brought out the beauty of this special smell, both grounding and thought provoking. I find it soothing on cool nights and especially supportive for creativity and contemplation.

Cacao Ceremony is my homage to sacred sensuality, to safe touch, to honoring the body and its senses. To embracing desire and wholeness, to healing, to integration of desire and personal agency. 

In an era of deep confusion over empowerment and exploitation, of finding personal expression without being targeted, of incredibly beautiful diversity at the cost of our lineage and cultural traditions, we need small ways to feel connected, to feel spiritual, to feel blessed, to honor our primal selves in new and non-violent, non power tripping ways. 

These plants are the same - they have themselves been exploited, subject to appropriation, used for pseudo-spirituality, stereotypes, unfair trade, unethical labor, and over-harvesting. Cacao, being such an aphrodisiac and in such incredible high demand in commerce, is a controversial plant material - we need it to satisfy our senses, our wallets, and yet not many of us hold the respect for it that we should or could. I acknowledge the important work of fair trade agents here. 

Oud, or in this case, agarwood (slightly less aged oud) is a rare and expensive type of heartwood that has been affected by a specific fungus that transforms the scent of the wood, an is explained better here, from Eden Botanicals. Here is a scent excerpt: 

"Agarwood essential oil envelops with a highly persistent sweet warmth, deep, precious and magnificent noble woody aroma, shades of smoky, amber-y incense, honeyed tobacco, and sensuously underscored with animalic notes resembling musk/castoreum. The aroma becomes sweeter and musky/woody in the very long drydown. This is it - rich, balanced, complex, unforgettable, and absolutely amazing!"

Its tenacity and complexity contributes to the longevity of wear in Cacao Ceremony, the theme of sacred incense trees, and the euphoric feeling from the perfume. 

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100% Natural Botanical Artisanal Fragrance by GATHER perfume

A NOTE FROM THE PERFUMER

** Due to the fact that I - Gather perfume - use exclusively 100% natural materials, batch variance is to be expected. This is the same in any luxury, handcrafted art medium ( such as dance and opera) and agriculturally dependent arts such as viticulture, honey, or microbrewery. Gather perfumes are often limited editions for this reason, as well as the fact that some materials can only be obtained for small windows of time or no longer available at all. If you prefer uniformity in your fragrances, you may want to consider a more commercially available or mixed media brand. 

With Love,
Ananda

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No refunds or exchanges. Please see policies before purchasing. Samples are always recommended. Perfume is subjective.