I heard there was a secret accord
that Mandy made and it pleased The Lord
but you don’t really care for perfume do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth,
The Gilead Accord for a spiritual lift,
Laudanum and elemi to soothe you,
Benzoin will make you dance
Or possibly fall into a trance
Hallelujah
(An interpretation of lyrics by Leonard Cohen)
Ancient Resins is natural body oil and hair elixir from Aftelier Perfumes. This potion was made for Leonard Cohen while he was tied to Mandy’s kitchen chair as she blended the ingredients above within a protective veil of frankincense.
I use this daily on my beard for a metaphysical start to the day. You could also comb this through your hair or apply to your skin after bathing. It is a surprising light and non-greasy oil with a deep scent that stays close to your hair or skin. This means you can also use other perfume on other parts of your body. Or you can just waft in the knowledge that you are wearing very precious oils that pre-date modern perfumery. In ancient times these resins were used for medicinal purposes and also burnt as incense to carry the prayers of the people to the heavens.
Beautifully named and splendidly composed, Ancient Resins is Like A Prayer.
Available from Aftelier Perfumes
2ml $US6
50ml $US40
Further Reading
Fragrant Moments – Ancient Resins review
Book: Essence and Alchemy – by Mandy Aftel
Come Healing – review by The Black Narcissus
The scent of Ancient Resins is like a protective spell – The Non-Blonde
People in Perfumeland – Mandy Aftel interviewed on Olfactoria’s Travels
Cuir de Gardenia – Press Release
Cuir de Gardenia – review – Olfactory Orgasm
Further Musings
Cohen is the name of the Hebrew Priests starting with Aaron, the brother of Moses.
Hallelujah is possibly not a human word but a word learnt from Angels and Jinns.
Further Viewing
KD Lang
Jeff Buckley
Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah
And my favourite quote from Mr Cohen
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.– Leonard Cohen
The Fragrant Man 
Enjoyed this post. The references to Leonard Cohen and Mandy Aftel piqued my interest as I am a long time fan of Leonard. “Ancient Resins” is beautifully described in your link to ‘The Non-Blonde’s post where she talks of a temple on a Mediterranean hill. Definitely a scent with a long history.
It does smell as she describes.
This stuff is wonderful. I love it in my hair.
I will try a comb through tomorrow.
Thank you so much Jordan, I appreciate the depth and creativity you put into your reviews! The connections to poetry and music and visual imagery add such a rich fabric to your work.
xo Mandy
You are wonderful. Thank you for your encouraging words and zoomin’ in. We are looking forward to your next book. Write On, Waft On.
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