Scent Families
There are four scent families: woody, floral, amber, and fresh. These families each take a respective space on the Fragrance Wheel, a circular diagram that illustrates the four scent families to each of their corresponding subfamilies.
Sacred Scents has made adjustments to connect the fragrance families to the four sacred medicines.
Cedar - Fresh
The Fresh family is comforting and common in cleaning products or laundry as we associate it with clean and fresh with underlying woodsy notes.
Think: citrus, white flowers, water, oceanic, clean
I chose to associate cedar with fresh in the fragrance family because when I think of cedar I think of walking in the woods after a fresh rain and you can smell the wood, the cedar, the rain, and the fresh air. This brings me back to mountain baths and that is pure and clean.
Sage - Woody
The Woody family is warm and deep. This is an elegant and complex scent commonly paired with citrus top notes.
Think: Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood, moss
I chose to associate sage instead of cedar with the woody because when I think of sage I think of an active smudge. The smoky, smooth powerful scent of lit sage is more woody to me than fresh cedar. It is deep and complex.
Sweetgrass - Floral
The Floral family is probably one of the most familiar to detect when it comes to scents. It is also one of the oldest used in perfume.
Think: roses, lavender, lilac, camomile
I chose to associate sweetgrass with floral in the fragrance family because when I take a braid of new sweetgrass and take a big breath in I sense the warm sweet aroma first. This to me is a gentle, sweet medicine, full of ceremony and respect just like our hair and our braids.
Tobacco - Amber
The Amber family is spicy and some may hear or have heard it called Oriental, this is due to the associated fragrances of spices. AMBER is what we use because the latter is dated and disrespectful.
Think: Vanilla, Myrrh, Anise
I chose to associate tobacco with the woody because when I think of spicy I think of tobacco. Imagine that powerful puff you get in the face when you open a tub of tobacco when ready to make ties and it is sweet and spicy. This powerful warmth is a sign of protection and connection to the creator.
“The only way to remember the past is perfumes.”