{poem + story} sew the raspberry leaves in our bedsheets.

sew the raspberry leaves in our bedsheets
moonlight brings you
on my skin

of course i’ll add the rose petals
scattered across the floor
like pieces of my wild fuchsia dress

would you rather i string the violets
impatient, and partly whole
in winds

would you rather i string the summers, light
waters, restless and southern pearls

take the stairs to the moon
when i slip into dreams, always wake me
like a night
i’ll be waiting

A little more:

A little love poem today, because I am in a romantic mood. Inspired by the beautiful poetess Beth Ann.

Last time, when we talked about Spirit Babies and Conscious Conception we talked about the importance of, and how to, align to our natural rhythm as women. And there, we talked about scents. If you know me, you know how much I love perfume oils, body oils, candles, and even now as I write this my candle burns and scents the entirety of this room. Vanilla is my favourite. Always, always, always. Most people know me as the sweet scent of vanilla also surrounds them when we meet, because vanilla perfume oil is what I usually wear. And as I am getting (super super super) excited to launch my own perfume oils, all handmade and very special, let’s talk scent.

Our oldest and strongest form of memory actually occurs in the olfactory bulb – it is this that gives so much power of connecting us to the liminal, to spirit, to soul memory, and to lineage. To past lives too, if that’s something you believe in. You know this: Each time you smell something familiar, you right there, all the way back to the moment when that thing happened. Scents open doors. And we enter these doors, and time doesn’t exist. There are no clocks. All is unclockable in these emotional and spiritual wild lands. 

In many Indigenous cultures, Eastern beliefs and magical practices, people build relationships to the otherworld by olfactive offerings. Depending on the intention, is how you pick the herbs and oils and fruits that are associated with these vibrations and resonances. This gift helps to form and build a bridge of connection and reciprocity. It is considered a ritual to offer something when entering a temple, in exchange for the gift of peace and harmony that you will receive in that space. This exchange of energy, of giving and receiving, is what essentially builds the bridge of connection and begins the language with that which cannot speak. 

Scent is very important in aligning to our natural rhythm. With so many harmful contents and toxins in cosmetics, food, house cleaning supplies, and don’t even get me started on the toxins in contraceptives, our hormonal health is constantly disrupted, and our bodies can become too numbed in our senses. It is a well known fact that we choose potential partners based on their body scent – and if our senses are off, well … yeah.  

In Spirit Babies and Conscious Conception we talked about the many love, passion and fertility oils, such as vanilla, cacao (chocolate), ylang ylang, night jasmine, rose, damiana, sandalwood, patchouli, citrus, cinnamon, and … raspberry!

Raspberry is not only one of my favourite fruits, and one that I grew up with because we were surrounded by raspberry bushes at my great-grandparents’ house, but it truly is such a precious oil. The leaves of it can be used as tea – which has many benefits, and is particularly recommended by doulas for pregnant women, but also for all women for their overall well-being. Then, there’s raspberry oils for the body which are packed with vitamins also. And then, there’s the magic. 

For centuries the scent of raspberries has been known to stimulate our “love senses” and used in magic to attract love and passion, increase fertility, abundance, and to bind fidelity. In the old days, newly weds would actually sew raspberry leaves into their mattreses so that their marriage would be blessed with long-term passion, love and fidelity. 

Each scent is associated with particular emotions and body organs. In general, it is believed that we are attracted to those scents that we are currently aligned to, or are pulling into our aura, or are already in our energy field, or we want to embrace more; while those scents that we feel an aversion to are usually those we have current resistances to, or just those we are not focused on. And this changes through the years and months. For example, maybe sometimes you love patchouli, but then one day you wake up and you suddenly dislike it. Don’t force yourself to like it. Use scent as guidance to your natural rhythm, and as a deepening of understanding of your body’s language. The body is intuitive and knows, always, what it needs.

Trust your flow, follow the scent. 

& may many blessings come your way.