Perfume and magic
Scent is just as much a form of self-expression as makeup or clothing. It says something about yourself and how you want the world to see you. It also helps set your intention for the day going forward. In this way, it is an excellent addition to your everyday magical practice.
Signature scents:
You'll see some talk in perfume communities about finding your 'signature scent', a perfume or cologne which you wear on an everyday basis, something that makes you feel more you. Some people swear by it, but I personally let my daily feelings, workings and emotions dictate what will be my signature scent for the day.
Finding a perfume:
One of the first things you do when finding a perfume, of course, is smell it. This will give you an idea of what you're going for, what scents attract you and feel comfortable to you. Are they light, heavy, musky or floral, masculine or feminine? There's a world out there to chose from of unique scents.
In your magical practice it helps to know what goes into a scent. Most perfumes and colognes have a breakdown on their box of what is in them, top notes, medium and base notes. These ingredients can be great for correspondence if you're big into herbal magic, or perhaps if there's a certain herb you work with regularly.
For example, I'm a big fan of the glossier "you" perfume, which is comprised of mainly base notes, including pink peppercorn. The pepper gives it protective qualities, but it's also floral and works with your own scent to create something alluring and perfect for glamour. Great for attraction magic.
Whatever you choose doesn't have to be expensive to be useful in your witchcraft, and it also doesn't have to seem "witchy." A perfectly modern body spray, when used with intention, can find its place in your practice. Hell, I sometimes use lynx body spray as a masculine glamour.
Using it with intention:
Putting on your scent with intention doesn't have to be a complicated process. It can be as simple as knowing that one of your perfumes has rosemary in it and you want a bit of extra protection today, or rose for connection to others, or pine for protection and energy. It's about being thoughtful about the process but also letting your intuition and nose guide you to what you want.
You can also dedicate a particular bottle for a particular purpose or deity: for example, I keep one of my colognes on my altar to Asmodeus so that when I wear it it helps bring me closer to him and keeps his infernal energies around me as a form of protection and glamour. This doesn't apply to just deities, however. If you have an altar for money or beauty, for example, you can add whatever bottle feels right to the display and use it to add to your workings.
Ritual uses:
As well as simple intention, scent can be a great and powerful addition to ritual magic. The energies you surround yourself with are important in a ritual, and the ones that you place on your skin are a powerful signal that can be used to boost your performance in a spell. In the same way incense or scented candles are used in rituals, so too perfumes or even room sprays have their place.
Glamour uses:
Perhaps the most obvious use of perfume that comes to mind when considering it's magical potential is as a glamour, and this is not without good reason. Glamours are chiefly about how others perceive you, and perfumes are a quick but effective way to help a person notice you with certain intentions. The right scent can draw someone to you, make you seem more powerful or interesting, or have a whole range of effects.
My favourite use of glamour magic when it comes to scent is to help make me seem more masculine. As a trans man, I find that wearing colognes is a gender affirming and simple way to help people perceive me more clearly as the gender I identify as.
I'm sure I'm not the only trans practitioner to use this method, but if you're non binary or gender fluid it can be great to experiment with different traditionally gendered scents and mix and match them. Floral and pine, sandalwood and roses, experiment! Find what works for you, and how you want people to perceive you when they're around you. Glamours are so much more than having people find you attractive as they're seen by many, and scent gives you a very real and immediate way to control how people are affected by your presence.
I hope this little guide is useful to some practitioners and helps you consider new ways to incorporate scent into your practice. Let me know if there is anything I missed!
