Potions and Poppets

“Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earth’s greenings. Now, think.”- Hildegard of BingenAs the thin veil of Samhain floats by on the northern hemisphere and Beltane burst forth in the southern realms, Rhiannon Mapstone joins me from the other side of the world. We usually live in the same region, but this time she’s calling in from Cornwall, fresh from a Cornish witchcraft festival held under the biodomes of the Eden Project, in the pouring rain and a proper autumn storm. We talk about what these gatherings are really like, from local practitioners’ workshops to market stalls, and about the protective abundance poppet she stitched in black felt and dark green thread, filled with herbs and runes, with Cornish incantations spoken over every stitch. Along the way we explore why poppets aren’t only for baneful magic, the role of intent in ritual, a pad of paper voodoo dolls, and why Cornish craft and Wicca are not the same thing. Rhiannon also shares her encounters with Cornish wise women and herbalists, including a heart-healing tincture made with hawthorn berries and roses.Rhiannon is a perfumer, practising witch, and the founder of Cosmic Witch Society. Her work draws on naturopathy, singing and songwriting, and a lifelong study of plants, ritual and traditional magical practice. Her ancestry runs through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, France and Germany, and she was raised between Melbourne city and the countryside, where horses, open landscapes and the turning seasons shaped her earliest connection to nature. Through Cosmic Witch Society she creates perfumes, ritual oils, incense, teas and botanical blends from a working apothecary practice. Each one draws on folklore, mythology, witchcraft and the natural world, and each is made slowly, like a potion.Fragrances mentioned:Hearth Song Veriditas MagicaMentioned:Eden Project, CornwallThe Fragrance Files – The WitchLearn more about Hildegard of Bingen:Gone Medieval – Hildegard of Bingen: Prophetess, Composer, MysticBetwixt the Sheets – Orgasms & Skincare According to a Medieval NunFind Rhiannon at:Website:Cosmic Witch SocietyInstagram:@cosmicwitchsocietyTikTok:@cosmic.witch.societyTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books. Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.”- V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRueWhat happens when a novel about being forgotten meets an art form built on being remembered? In this episode, Daylesford perfumista Rhiane Schroder brings V. E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue to the table, and together we explore how fragrance can hold time, how memory shapes identity, and the deep human longing to leave a trace. Rhiane matches perfumes to the novel's many eras and moods, turning Addie's centuries into a trail of scent.A hair and makeup artist by day, Rhiane may be a fresh voice in social media perfume reviews, but her nose has been leading her for a lifetime, from her earliest scent memories in the garden to travels that have shown her how different cultures wear and celebrate fragrance. For her, a perfume is never just the final touch of the day, but an experience that conjures pictures, colours, textures and moods. So it's no surprise her bottles double as memory objects, and we talk about the very real anxiety of finishing a beloved perfume, and the joy of revisiting scents from different stages of life.Fragrances mentioned:Giorgio - Giorgio Beverly HillsFendi - FendiTihota - IndultPlacebo - KolidoIris Silver Mist - Serge LutensPistil - Miskeo ParfumsGardenia - Archer FarrarInterlude Man - AmouageInterlude Woman - AmouageMon Nom Est Rouge - Majda BekkaliEpic Woman - AmouageFate Woman - AmouageLibrido - Olfiction Lab EditionsAmBrosius - CB I Hate PerfumeViolet Empire - CB I Hate PerfumeVetyver Bucolique - Mad et LenBlack Lacquer - Tom FordWearing Scars Like Jewels - One Way Bridge PerfumesAbsince of Nothing - One Way Bridge PerfumesHaute Horopito - One Way Bridge PerfumesThe Typographers Daughter - One Way Bridge PerfumesBook discussed:The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V. E. SchwabFind Rhiane at:Instagram:@she.smells.everythingTikTok:@she.smells.everytTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains."-Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the SensesOn September 12–13, I'll be at the Geelong Fragrance Fair and to mark it, this special episode gathers voices from everyone I've interviewed on Paperback Perfumes this past year. Sixteen perfumers, founders and scholars, each paired with a book, woven into one conversation about scent, story and identity. Here they are, in the order they first appeared on the show. Come find me at the Fair and say hello!Ep 3, Return of the Rivers — Laura Bass (Lore Perfumery) pairs fragrance with Rivers of London and The Return of the King.Ep 21, Artistic Aliens — Corey Newcombe (Criminal Elements) on a decade of artisanal scent, nose training and dream-born fragrances.Ep 26, Inheritance — John Domjan (Örök Fragrances) on telling queer community stories through scent.Ep 44, Futurism — Dr Caroline McMillan on smell tech, sci-fi and the future of olfactory art.Ep 46, Resilience — Aysha Hansen on sensory memory, teaching perfumery and building a fragrance line.Ep 47, Story Keepers — Juliette Fournier & Richard Adamson (Hart + Hedi) on collaboration, memory and native Australian botanicals.Ep 49, The Land of Flowers — Justin James (House of James) on niche perfumery as artistic rebellion.Ep 51, Fairy Tales — Michael Nordstrand (Mythologist Studio) on myth, the hero's journey and Scandinavian fairy tales.Ep 54, Kings and Heroes — Ashek Zubayer (Byermia) on the Epic of Gilgamesh and his mythological Folklore series.Ep 55, Aesthetics — Dr Liam Sardea on the philosophy of aesthetics, memory and meaning in scent.Ep 60, More Than a Dandy — Katrina Cochrane (Archer Farrar) on natural perfumery and The Scarlet Pimpernel.Ep 65, Sacred Scent — Lee Couch (LA COUCH), a Gamilaroi woman, on Aboriginal bush medicine, songlines and healing.Ep 71, A Box of Spices — Alina Tadevosyan (ARAKYÁL) on Armenian heritage, memory and cultural resilience.Ep 78, A Beautiful Grimoire — Troy Vu (Grimoire Perfumes) on Dorian Gray, myth and the macabre.Ep 82, Finding Language — Saskia Dodds-Painter (KOLIDO, Nose Magazine) on the language we use for smell.Ep 84, Makeup and Murder — David Clarke (Rivendare) on Agatha Christie and building a perfume house from scratch.Sixteen episodes, one thread: scent as story. Listen to the full compilation now, then come find me in person at the Geelong Fragrance Fair, September 12–13 — I'd love to swap book and fragrance recommendations with you. Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.auTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can."- Alice Hoffman, Practical MagicAysha Hansen is an independent Australian perfumer with an uncompromising focus on exceptional quality, detail and sensorial elegance. Born in Geelong and raised in the coastal town of Torquay, Aysha's approach to perfumery is largely inspired by memories, daydreams and adventures. As an artisan perfumer, she draws on her passion for nature, history and travel to create fragrances that transport the wearer through evocative storytelling. Aysha conducts custom perfume workshops from her studio in Geelong, and has launched her eponymous luxury perfume collection in July of 2025.This episode welcomes back perfumer Aysha to reflect on a breakthrough year, including a finalist nomination at the Institute of Art and Olfaction's Golden Pears, an unforgettable trip to Athens, and the craft of turning memory into scent. The conversation explores community in perfumery, the restorative power of Aysha's workshops, and a book pairing with Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic that helps frame Aysha's first three fragrances: Golden Thread, Ghost Lover and Ambrosia.Fragrances mentioned:Golden ThreadGhost LoverAmbrosiaBook discussed:Practical Magic - Alice HoffmanFind Aysha at:Instagram:@ayshahansenfinefragranceWebsite:www.ayshahansen.comTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal RecordsAustralian listeners — the Geelong Fragrance Fair is on from 11–13 September 2026, and tickets are on sale now. It's a great opportunity for the Australian fragrance community to get together — come and see me pair books with Lore Perfumery live on the Saturday!Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“In the secular night you wander aroundalone in your house. It’s Two-Thirty”- Margaret Atwood, In the Secular Night Regina Mamou is a research-based installation artist whose work sits at the crossroads of history, ideology and scent. Raised in a multiethnic household, her mother Polish-American, her father a Christian Chaldean priest who fled Iraq for fear of persecution. Regina's practice blends fact and fiction to interrogate belief systems, particularly communism and totalitarianism. Since 2020, she has been the first artist-in-residence at The Wende Museum of the Cold War in Los Angeles, where she investigates Iraqi-Soviet bilateral relations through an immersive, experiential installation. She holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and completed a Fulbright project on mapping and memory in Amman, Jordan.In this episode, Regina shares her unique work at the crossroads of olfactive art, history and political memory, and how scent can evoke powerful narratives and personal histories. We talk about her use of tincturing, and materials like gypsum, ash and bitumen, to conjure historical and cultural memory, and the delicate process of capturing vapour in immersive, scent-based installations.We dig into the role of surprise, secrecy and the unexpected in her work, echoes of surveillance and propaganda, and how her Iraqi heritage threads through pieces exploring Middle Eastern history and identity. Regina's piece "Hang Our Gods" was a finalist at the Institute for Art and Olfaction's Golden Pear Awards, and we talk about the audience reactions it provokes. We also pair the conversation with Margaret Atwood's poem "In the Secular Night," exploring its themes of solitude, loss and spirituality alongside Regina's own meditations on memory and belief.Works mentioned:Hang Our Gods (Institute for Art and Olfaction Golden Pear Awards finalist), Iraqi-Soviet relations installation — The Wende Museum residencyPoem discussed:In the Secular Night - Margaret AtwoodFind Regina at:reginamamou.comresearchbermudatriangle.xyzTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal RecordsAustralian listeners — the Geelong Fragrance Fair is on from 11–13 September 2026, and tickets are on sale now. It's a great opportunity for the Australian fragrance community to get together — come and see me pair books with Lore Perfumery live on the Saturday!Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”― Lois Lowry, The GiverBawo Ijirigho is the founder and creative force behind Ilé Olomu, a fragrance house rooted in West African heritage and storytelling. A great-grand nephew of 19th-century Nigerian agricultural pioneer Nana Olomu, Bawo draws on his family's legacy and a modern artistic vision to bring the spirit of Nigeria into fine perfumery, co-developing each fragrance in Zürich alongside master perfumer Andreas Wilhelm.In this episode, Bawo takes us through his unexpected path from music into perfumery, and the meaning behind the name Ilé Olomu — Ilé means "house" in Yoruba, a deliberate departure from the French "Maison" tradition. We talk about how the Nigerian diaspora and indigenous flora, from the yellow trumpet to native lilies, shape his creative process, and the story behind Verdant, a fragrance built on memory, plantain and home, as well as the winner of the People Choice for the Gold Pear awards in 2026.Food and celebration run through the conversation too, with plantain, ginger and even a nod to Milo finding their way into his fragrance concepts. We also pair this episode with Lois Lowry's The Giver, exploring how storytelling and memory intertwine in both literature and scent, before Bawo shares his ambitions to take Ilé Olomu global and build lasting cultural connection.Ilé Olomu fragrances mentioned:MiloraVerdantAtalẹ GoldBooks discussed:The Giver - Lois LowryFind Ilé Olomu at:Instagram:@ileolomuWebsite:ileolomu.comTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal RecordsAustralian listeners — the Geelong Fragrance Fair is on from 11–13 September 2026, and tickets are on sale now. It's a great opportunity for the Australian fragrance community to get together — come and see me pair books with Lore Perfumery live on the Saturday!Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There I was, a woman on the rocks by the ocean, wrapped in a blanket, waiting for the return of her lover. Everything I knew about art would say that I was a painting. I was certainly a poem. Sappho was too - her life, perhaps, unknowable, but her feelings were mine. I was mythic.”― Melissa Broder, The PiscesApril Lea is the founder, perfumer and creative force behind LVNEA, a Canadian fragrance house known for its richly layered natural perfumes. Drawing on mythology, folklore, art history and the natural world, April creates scents that invite us to slow down, reflect and connect more deeply with the stories carried by fragrance.Recorded prior to the 2026 Institute for Art and Olfaction Awards in Athens, our conversation explores the inspiration behind her award-finalist Vanitas fragrances and the centuries-old artistic traditions that informed their creation. April shares insights into her creative practice, from collaborating with perfumers and working with living botanical materials to translating emotion, memory and meaning into scent.We also discuss the complexities of natural perfumery, including ethical sourcing, sustainability and the environmental and cultural histories embedded within fragrance ingredients. Together, we explore how perfume can be both deeply personal and inherently political, connecting us to land, community and place.LVNEA fragrances mentioned:Vanitas SelkieLes LunatiquesBooks discussed:The Pisces - Melissa BroderFind LVNEA at: Instagram: @lvneaperfumeWebsite: lvenua.caTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“At a small table, sitting very upright, was one of the ugliest old ladies he had ever seen. It was an ugliness of distinction—it fascinated rather than repelled.”― Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient ExpressMost perfumers focus on crafting fragrance but David Clarke, the creative mind behind Rivendare, transforms the entire process into a story. From an unexpected starting point with no initial interest in perfume, he has built a distinctive voice in artisanal perfumery from a remote corner of Australia, earning recognition from the Institute for Art and Olfaction.Please note: this conversation was recorded prior to David receiving the Golden Pear Award in the Artisan category from the Institute for Art and Olfaction in June of 2026. In this episode, David shares how a failed online business became the unlikely gateway into perfume-making, and how that pivot shaped his philosophy around creativity, independence, and experimentation. We explore the role of scarcity and mystique in niche fragrance, and how stepping away from commercial expectations can open space for truly original work.David offers an inside look at the realities of small-batch perfumery, working with rare materials, navigating the challenges of sourcing from regional Australia, and pushing beyond conventional industry standards in pursuit of artistic freedom. His approach challenges traditional ideas of luxury, shifting the focus from status and scale to craftsmanship, creativity, and the ability of a fragrance to inspire and transport.Rivendare fragrances mentioned:1747TundraDeath by VanityBooks discussed:Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha ChristieFind Rivendare at:Instagram:@rivendareperfumeTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Was I starting to feel evil? Yes, now I was worrying I'd be turned to the dark side by too much crochet.”― Naomi Novik, A Deadly EducationIn this episode, I have an excellent conversation with Benjamin Esposito, the self‑taught perfumer behind New York’s House of Mammoth. I have always admired the way Benjamin talks about his work, grounding it in what he calls radical attention, the practice of noticing the strange, tender and absurd moments that shape a life. His path into perfumery started far from fragrance, but he is someone who loved making things from scratch. That curiosity eventually led him to scent as a way to tell stories and hold space for memory.We talk about how his fragrances draw from childhood moments, pop culture references and the sensory imprints of his cultural background. Benjamin shares why patience and slowness guide every part of his creative process and how artisanal work continues to matter in a world that moves faster every day.Fragrances mentioned:Everett - House of Mammoth & Michael Nordstrand You & I (Will Die) - House of Mammoth Voices - House of Mammoth DinoS’mores - House of Mammoth Snippid - House of Mammoth Bad Lily - TALE Parfum Vetiver - Guerlain Joy - Jean Patou Rauque - Roberto Greco/Christopher Sheldrake Books discussed:Calvin and Hobbs A Deadly Education - Naomi Novik Find House of Mammoth at: Instagram: @house.of.mammothWebsite: houseofmammoth.comTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“These empires, however, have no power of the language of scent. Scent in situ resides outside of oppressive systems. Despite a massive market valuation for scented products, the language of scent itself cannot be commodified, owned or managed”- Catherine Hayley Epstein, Cognitive Impacts of Scent’s Languagelessness: A Persuasive Palette to Infuse Imagination and Healing, Nose Magazine, Issue 2 : Primed Saskia Dodds‑Painter is the founder of KOLIDO, a hands‑on perfumery based in the Yarra Valley on Wurundjeri Country, and the creator of Nose Magazine, an independent print publication dedicated to cultivating olfactive curiosity. Working with a small team, Saskia approaches scent as both craft and storytelling, designing and producing every perfume in‑house — from early formulation to bottling and shipping. Nose Magazine extends this creative vision into print, exploring the cultural and emotional dimensions of smell and appearing in stockists across Australia, Europe, the UK, and the US.In this episode, we explore how Saskia brings together her passion for scent, language, and community through the launch of KOLIDO and Nose. The conversation highlights the creative processes behind innovative fragrances, the importance of language in shaping how we experience scent, and the community‑driven approach that defines niche perfumery. Saskia shares how curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration guide her work, offering listeners insight into the evolving world of independent fragrance.Kolido fragrances mentioned:70s TaxiBareback Placebo Nymphetta Writing discussed:Nose Magazine - Issue 1: Top notes Nose Magazine - Issue 2: Primed Find Nose Magazine and Kolido at: Instagram: @nose.mag@kolido__Website: nosenosenose.comkolido.auTheme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.