The Aromas of Autumn
An ode to the fragrance of decay
It is only when we lose our sense of smell that we realize how much of a gift it is. Yes, we smell fragrances and flowers and foods. But we also smell people, books, homes, cities…and seasons.
The aroma of fall is my favorite.
The embrace of cozy spices that fill my home as I simmer a big batch of cider, made with fresh apples from our own aging tree. The scent of freshly baking bread and harvest soup drifting from my overflowing kitchen. The aromatic bouquet of clove, cinnamon, and sweet orange dispersed through the diffuser on my desk.
But what I really love is the scent of the wild autumn.Â
Valerian root, soaked with wet earth, perfumes the mountain woods. The uninitiated turn away from its so-called stench — but those of us who love the season welcome her pungent hearkening of darker days.Â
Leaves of scarlet and gold may delight the eyes, but it’s the scent of their decay that becomes a strangely welcome perfume upon the clear, cold breeze.
In the coniferous mountain forests of the Cascades, green persists until the first snow, dotted with bright red huckleberry bushes and pops of fiery vine maples. The rainy season rolls in, and soothing mists replace the seemingly endless smoke of summer in the West.
This is when the forest floor comes to life — earth, moss, and fungi in a wet and wonderful aromatic dance. The droplet-filled air entices Western hemlocks, silver firs, Sitka spruces, and red cedars to release their honeyed fragrance, made even more sweet with the sticky resins that pour from their trunks.
What is the Earth communicating to us through her olfactory language?Â
Perhaps these aromas reach into our souls, reminding us to savor the sweetness of our present while preparing us for the inevitable cycles of life and death we’ll confront.Â
Autumn in the Mountains
Golden leaves turn to flame
Lit by sun and backed by gray
Mountain valerian scents the trail
Embraced, sustained by fall’s sweet veil
Puddles and bones and smell of death
In beautiful waves, fill my breath
Cool autumn brings earth aware
Of coming sleep, and beasts prepare
Behind the breeze, antlers loom
A gift, a blessing, deep commune
by Juniper Stokes
What does autumn smell like for you? Share in the comments and help us all dream a bit more deeply into the aromatic pleasures of this life.
Of course, I’m in the process of creating natural perfumes dedicated to each season. Autumn is centered around the verdant sweetness of evergreens and sap brought to life by mountain rains, with a touch of porcini and dirt that I promise actually smells divine ;)Â
And, of course, as I make these fragrances during the seasons that inspire them, it probably won’t be finished until this fall is about over. But I do have a beautiful selection of autumn aromas that are available now — including perfumes dedicated to Bat, Inanna, Dionysus, and more. Find them in this article, which also includes a 15% code for paid subscribers.Â
Your shares mean the world to me.
To me autumn smells like decay and pancakes. Those turquoise waters in the photo, is it Clear Lake? I was just there the other day
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