Archivi categoria: Materia Viva in English

Materia Viva brings together research and stories devoted to aromatic raw materials, their histories, the places they come from, and the gestures that shape their journey. A sensory and narrative archive where botany, documented sources, experience and imagination intertwine to restore a living presence to matter.

In English, Materia Viva in English

Materia Viva, the Aromatic Ezine – Giant Sequoia, the First Issue

Materia Viva is a work in progress dedicated to aromatic raw materials: resins, plants, woods, essences, balsams, flowers, seeds, roots.

It arises where scent, word, image, and research meet. Of each material, what matters is not only its effect, but everything that accompanies it: where it comes from, which landscape generates it, which hands have gathered it, how it has become a symbol.

It is at once a cultural notebook and a sensory experience. Each material is traced back to its origin, through lands and customs, ancient trade routes, archives, faces, and sudden intuitions. Starting from a resin, a wood, a flower, the thread is followed: clues are gathered, the scent is listened to, an image is pursued, until a form surfaces.

Part of this work lives in texts and digital publications; another part becomes original artwork, printed in fine art.

The first issue is dedicated to Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Here is an excerpt:

There is a particular sense of wonder in opening a bottle of Giant Sequoia essential oil. The scent is resinous, woody, penetrating — from a tree that can rise beyond a hundred metres and live for three thousand years, an essence is drawn that concentrates this vastness, as if time itself became portable. The time of the Sequoia is not the time of the diary. It is the time in which bark thickens layer upon layer, in which roots intertwine with other roots, in which resistance accumulates without haste.

You can receive a free PDF copy by writing to us via the WhatsApp button on the site. Read more about Materia Viva, or continue to the next issue – Melissa.

Aromatherapy, Botanical perfumery, In English, Materia Viva in English

Samhain and Rosemary Verbenone: The Scent of Autumn

Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival marking the transition from autumn to winter. Traditionally associated with the meeting of the visible and invisible worlds, it represents a time of endings, renewal and introspection.

As nature gradually withdraws into its winter rest, Samhain invites us to slow down, release what has come to an end and turn our attention inward.

Among the plants associated with this seasonal passage is rosemary, particularly Rosmarinus officinalis ct. verbenone, an aromatic variety often found in Corsica.

Its essential oil has a distinctive olfactory character: fresh, balsamic, clear, with an almost salty quality. I like to call it “Rosemary of the Heavens”, because its fragrance evokes blue skies, open spaces and a sense of expansiveness.

In aromatherapy, rosemary verbenone is appreciated for its refreshing, clarifying aroma. Used in atmospheric diffusion, it can accompany moments of concentration, meditation and quiet reflection.

Its fragrance seems to move upwards, creating an interesting contrast with the seasonal movement of Samhain, when light symbolically descends into the earth.

A note on safe use: Rosemary verbenone essential oil contains the ketone verbenone and requires particular care. Use small amounts, avoid prolonged exposure, and seek qualified advice before topical or therapeutic use, especially during pregnancy or in the presence of medical conditions.

At this turning point of the year, its bright, expansive scent offers a beautiful aromatic counterpoint to the stillness of autumn (if you love Rosemary, check Materia Viva, the aromatic ezine, which has a monography on the plant).