"I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order"-
John Burroughs
We might not readily think of fragrance as a gift of the Real World--our own everyday world is full of smells--not all necessarily pleasing, including our own. Holidays with their special traditions and foods are deeply connected to fragrance.
Outside in the Real World, fragrances--potent or subtle are the natural means of attracting , repelling and even staying alive. Over time we have take our understanding of this to market things we sell. Practically everything we purchase now is scented, but nothing is able to completely replace the real thing, whether it smells good or not. Think of freshly mowed grass; the strong rush of dried hay and manure in a cattle pasture- especially if you misstep, the wafting smell of fish that suddenly rises up in the quite corners of a lake, the scent of someones fire in the evening air, the dog's wet fur. All these and so many more awaken memories, catch our attention, move us beyond the moment into the intangible part of living. The smell of fallen leaves blanketing our yard, the honeysuckle bush that bursts into flower by our driveway on a mild winter day, the indescribable scent of snow on a dark night-- each one and countless others are pathways that invite us back into the natural world and into ourselves.
At Blackwater Pond the tossed waters have settled
after a night of rain.
I dip my cupped hands. I drink
a long time. It tastes
like stone, leaves, fire. It falls cold
into my body, waking the bones. I hear them
deep inside me,whispering
oh what is that beautiful thing
that just happened?
Mary Oliver, At Blackwater Pond
