Anointing oil · riv
An anointing oil and an oil painting.
First the oil. This face oil was blended on Easter Sunday for the purpose of aiding in rituals of contemplation regarding all that which needs resurrecting, especially against the background of the much misunderstood idea of ‘letting go’ of everything.
‘Let go of this, let go of that,’ the self-appointed daily gurus say these days, as if they all had a deep understanding of Eastern practices such as Zen Buddhism, where ‘letting go’ is part of the program.
But as usual with most who only deliver the meme, not the program, it turns out that letting go is not so easy – if at all possible – since it involves sharp knowledge of what the premise for letting go is. And lo and behold, sometimes we discover that the contrary applies, that is to say, instead of letting go, what we ought to do is resurrect…
The oil contains key notes of the biblical frankincense coming from three boswellia trees, namely, boswellia sacra, boswellia serrata, and boswellia rivae, the latter difficult to find as an essential oil. In addition to the frankincense, there are three other resins that go into the mix, namely, elemi, labdanum, and Siam benzoin. To top it off for the Easter vibe, I’ve added white Maroccan armoise, or artemisia alba.
The essential oil concoction is sunk into camellia japonica seed oil and my own extraction of whole frankincense resin, the boswellia sacra type, in cold pressed virgin olive oil. A natural oil perfume that goes against our noses corrupted by years of inhaling synthetic fragrances.
This edition consists of nine bottles of oil (10 ml each) whose purpose is to anoint your face. Since I created the mix around the rare boswellia rivae resin, I call it RIV, the short for being riveted.
The oil painting. In addition to the precious and original scent, you also get an original monotype print, oil on paper, initially created as a sigil whose purpose was the topic of achieving peace of mind. Together with the anointing oil, the idea is to let the scent invade your mind, and through the contemplation of the painting to strengthen your awareness of what you need to resurrect, rather than let go of. I will choose which painting you get, so you have the pleasure of thinking of it as an oracular event.
How to use it
First cleanse your face. If the pores are open, all the better. For maximum effect, sit with a wet hot cloth over your face for a few minutes, in order to prepare the face for the oil. That’s the most efficient, especially if you want to use the oil during the day, and not after a bath or a regular wash.
Add a few drops to your palms. Bring your hands to your nose and take a deep breath. Then spread the oil on your face. You can also use the oil for your hair.
The oil suits both men and women. Although intended as a face oil, it can also function as a perfume oil. Note, however, that as a perfume, it is not as intense as the oil that’s crafted exclusively for fragrance.
What’s in it
boswellia sacra, boswellia serrata, boswellia rivae
canarium luzonicum, styrax tonkinensis, cistus ladanifer
artemisia herba-alba, rosa damascena attar, camellia japonica
olea europaea, prunus amygdalus dulcis, rosa canina
What they say
‘I really loved RIV. It blew my mind. You have an incredible taste regarding smells.’ – Juan Negrete
About Agger Senses
We use knowledge to remedy our human condition. But we can’t remedy the odours that enter our noses. I’m interested in that. In addition to weaving words, I blend perfume oils. Old Testament style. The Song of Songs style. Nothing more, nothing less.
While I fling my books to the larger public, I reserve my alchemy for the noses who already know what the world of desire is really about.
Under the signature, AGGER SENSES, I create limited edition fragrances. Agger is a magical place in Denmark at the edge of everything. In this liminal space I encounter the purity of elements, with the Zephyr, the west wind, leading the way. The sea is only 200 meters away from my house. I hear its waves and smell the salt. The lyme grass and its roots is my local ‘vetiver,’ the strong ingredient in perfumery. The buckthorn is my ‘frankincense.’ The wild rosa rugosa is my precious ‘rosa damascena.’
The whole place oozes with secrecy, the kind that we encounter in old perfumery books, the books we read for the type of knowledge the Greeks call metis, the knowledge derived from keen observation, acquired skill, subtle wit, and quick judgment. I invite you to experience my ‘reading’ of plant matter and precious elixirs in the form of a blend of talismanic proportion, a magical artefact that does more than correct a corrupt nose.
In this kind of work I collaborate only with leading professionals who can guarantee the quality of their distilled oils, concretes and absolutes, such as Esensera in Denmark, Hermitage Oils in Italy, Enfleurage in New York, alongside with a small number of ethnobotanist nerds and distillation fanatics.
I like to think of the stuff I pour into my scent creations as the ‘stuff of the gods,’ as only the best will do. This means investing a considerable amount of money in the basic and precious ingredients, which also means, invariably, that what I make can only qualify as exclusive, insofar as it is both scarce and occupies the high end spot on the spectrum of things of value.
For more insight into this work, read my reflections here, Scents and Divination.