The Green Witch of West Marin

Passersby the shop last evening caught a glimpse of a young coven of aspirants sniffing away at the goddess scent cloud offered up by Leila Castle.

Leila spoke to us about the long tradition of partnership culture and pleasure-oriented methods of healing through contact with the botanical world. It was such a delight to tap the beginnings of her deep roots of goddess knowledge, acquired through study and meditation, and to have the opportunity to smell the perfume blends she’s concocted over the years that correspond to various goddesses and power centers. The format of the workshop itself embodied a traditional passing down of knowledge as a group of young women gathered to listen, meditate, and nectorize for themselves the scent qualities that Leila has cultivated.

Leila conveyed to us that by relishing the scent of a goddess, you are awakened to those divine qualities in yourself.

She was also kind enough to bring, along with her tremendous good humor, a new supply of West Marin Trees bath salts, as well as a sample of the new salt she is developing, Flower Dream—a relief indeed. I took to heart her admonishment to use the blends, and to use them up! Sit in your own little scent cloud of bliss at the symphony. Be your own burning incense lamp. Aromatic medicine does no good sitting unused (and eventually rancid) on the shelf.