#175: In this episode, Frauke sits down with award-winning natural perfumer, educator, and author Mandy Aftel to talk about her new book Symbolorum: The Secret Wisdom of Emblems. Mandy begins by explaining what emblems are, and how valuable they were back in the 16th & 17th centuries. She shares how she came to write the book, what surprised her the most along the way, and why she believes it’s so valuable, and important, to learn from the past. Mandy then explains why symbols are so magical, how writing this book was very similar to writing Essence & Alchemy, and how it ties in perfectly with her perfume work. She also shares what drives her, and how lucky she feels to be able to do what she loves. Mandy then shares details about the book, including her favorite emblems. And she talks about her process of painting the b/w pictures into beautifully colored representations. This conversation is quintessential Mandy Aftel - heartfelt and beautiful in every way.
Check out Mandy’s new book: Symbolorum: The Secret Wisdom of Emblems
Visit Mandy's website www.aftelier.com
Learn more about Mandy's museum Aftel Archive of Curious Scents
Shop books by Mandy Aftel here
Connect with Mandy on social media: Instagram, Facebook
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#174: On this fifth anniversary of An Aromatic Life, just like every year, Frauke shares what her recent guests revealed when asked “What does the sense of smell mean to you?” This New Year's episode is a chance to reflect on this beautiful, complicated, and under-appreciated sense and ask what it can do for you. It's also an invitation to incorporate more smelling into your life in 2026. Be curious. Be open. And stay connected.
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#173: Attention all Capricorns! In this bonus episode, Frauke revisits a conversation with astrologer Karima from The Cosmic Vibe and animistic perfumer Mauricio Garcia which explored the intersection of astrology and aromatics. Here the focus is on the Capricorn sign (Dec 22 - Jan 19), which is part of the Earth element. Karima explains the unique traits, strengths and shadow sides of Capricorn, and then Mauricio layers on the aromatic support that’s most fitting. Have fun with this and feel free to share the episode with any of your Capricorn friends out there! Next month we focus on Aquarius. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #130.
Follow Karima on Instagram @the.cosmic.vibe.sf
Visit Karima’s website: www.the-cosmic-vibe.com
Visit Mauricio's website Herbcraft Perfumery
Follow Mauricio on Instagram @herbcraft.perfumery
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#172: In this year end episode, Frauke revisits some of her favorite guest insights from 2025.
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#171: To accompany your holiday preparations, we’re revisiting a beautiful conversation with writer and journalist Divrina Dhingra discussing her book, The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian Fragrance. This is another aromatic read you’ll want to gift to yourself, or someone you love!
In this episode, Frauke sits down with writer and journalist Divrina Dhingra to talk about her book, The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian Fragrance, and discuss some of the indigenous aromatic materials that have defined Indian perfumery for centuries. Divrina shares her experience going to Kannauj, known as the "Center of Indian Perfumery," seeing the rose fields, and witnessing the traditional distillation methods that have been passed down from generations. She talks about the role itr plays in India today, and shares her experience discovering the unique ingredient choya nakh. Divrina also discusses the difficulties the Indian sandalwood industry has had, with both poaching and adulteration continuing to dominate. Lastly, she also shares her perspective on what the future holds for Indian perfumery, and what she found most inspiring after writing the book.
Connect with Divrina on Instagram @divrina.d
Buy The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian fragrance (in India)
Buy The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian fragrance (on Amazon)
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#170: As we ease into the holiday season, we’re revisiting a beautiful conversation with scholar Xuelei Huang about her book Scents of China: A Modern History of Smell. You’ll definitely want to gift this aromatic treasure to yourself, or someone you love!
In this episode, Frauke sits down with University of Edinburgh Senior Lecturer and author Xuelei Huang to discuss her new book Scents of China: A Modern History of Smell. In the conversation she reveals a unique perspective on the smellscapes that permeated Chinese life from the eighteenth through mid-twentieth century. Xuelei explains the concept of "smell as the stranger" and shares some of the rich olfactory imagery of 18th century China through references in the novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She then tells how nineteenth century Shanghai shows an exemplary depiction of deodorization, which started to happen at that time. And how a subsequent (re)perfuming changed the olfactory smellscape of China once again. Xuelei furthermore showcases the unique way Mao Zedong used olfactory tactics to transform politics in the early twentieth century. Whether you know a lot about Chinese history or not, this conversation will give you new perspectives and leave you longing to explore more.
Learn more about Xuelei Huang here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/xuelei-huang
Check out her book Scents of China: A Modern History of Smell.
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#169: Attention all Sagittarians! In this bonus episode, Frauke revisits a conversation with astrologer Karima from The Cosmic Vibe and animistic perfumer Mauricio Garcia which explored the intersection of astrology and aromatics. Here the focus is on the Sagittarius sign (Nov 22 - Dec 21), which is part of the Fire element. Karima explains the unique traits, strengths and shadow sides of Sagittarius, and then Mauricio layers on the aromatic support that’s most fitting. Have fun with this and feel free to share the episode with any of your Sagittarius friends out there! Next month we focus on Capricorn. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #130.
Follow Karima on Instagram @the.cosmic.vibe.sf
Visit Karima’s website: www.the-cosmic-vibe.com
Visit Mauricio's website Herbcraft Perfumery
Follow Mauricio on Instagram @herbcraft.perfumery
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#168: In this episode, Frauke sits down with Jeffrey Paul Ames, aka The Aromatic Gourmet, to explore the deep connection between fragrance, flavor, and beauty. Jeffrey shares how scent has guided his life, from his Italian family’s aromatic kitchen to teaching sensory classes at the Institute for Art and Olfaction. You’ll hear how he merges gastronomy and perfumery, creating “edible perfumes” through salts, syrups, and spices, and how sensory awareness can bring color, joy, and mindfulness back into our daily lives. Jeffrey also offers simple ways to make your meals, or any moment, more aromatic, which is perfect as we head into the holidays. If you’ve ever wanted to cook like a perfumer or use scent to anchor memories, this episode is a feast for your senses.
Follow Jeffrey Paul on Instagram: @thearomaticgourmet
Jeffrey Paul Ames at The Institute for Art and Olfaction
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#167: In this week's whiff of wisdom, Oud Artisan Rahel Ali helps us understand the different grades of oud on the market so you know what to look for when you buy the chips or oil. To listen to the original full episode “Exploring Oud” go to episode #94.
Whiff of Wisdom is a biweekly format that spotlights an inspirational insight from a previous guest. The aim is to offer you a whiff of wisdom for your aromatic life, as well as give you some inspiration to try new things that use your sense of smell more.
Follow Rahel on Instagram @theoudartisan
Check out Rahel on YouTube: The Oud Artisan
Rahel's website: www.artisanperfumes.uk
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#166: In this episode, Frauke sits down with aromatherapist, herbalist, and botanical perfumer Sharon Louise Chapman to explore how plants and scent can be powerful partners in healing and self-discovery. Sharon shares her deeply personal journey, from leaving an abusive marriage and facing chronic illness, to rebuilding her life through gardening, aromatherapy, and natural perfumery. She reflects on how tending to plants and creating with scent helped her reconnect to nature, emotions and creativity after years of suppression. Together, Frauke and Sharon discuss how connecting with plants can ground and heal us through difficult transitions, the importance of building a healing relationship with plants instead of simply using them, what perfumery can teach us, and how scent can express who we are and help us grow into who we want to be. Sharon also introduces her new line of botanical perfumes inspired by classic Hollywood women like Audrey Hepburn and Louise Brooks. This episode is a gentle reminder that healing can begin with something as simple as a single potted plant, a walk through a garden, or the scent that brings you back to yourself.
Check out Sharon’s new line of botanical perfumes
Visit Sharon’s Substack Stories of Scent
Connect with Sharon on Instagram
Connect with Sharon on Facebook
Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn
Watch the Sedona Aromatics on YouTube
Listen to the Aroma Paths Podcast
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#165: Attention all Scorpios! In this bonus episode, Frauke revisits a conversation with astrologer Karima from The Cosmic Vibe and animistic perfumer Mauricio Garcia which explored the intersection of astrology and aromatics. Here the focus is on the Scorpio sign (Oct 23 - Nov 21), which is part of the Water element. Karima explains the unique traits, strengths and shadow sides of Scorpio, and then Mauricio layers on the aromatic support that’s most fitting. Have fun with this and feel free to share the episode with any of your Scorpio friends out there! Next month we focus on Sagittarius. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #130.
Follow Karima on Instagram @the.cosmic.vibe.sf
Visit Karima’s website: www.the-cosmic-vibe.com
Visit Mauricio's website Herbcraft Perfumery
Follow Mauricio on Instagram @herbcraft.perfumery
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#164: In this episode, Frauke sits down with Appalachian Botanical Co. CEO Jocelyn Sheppard to talk about transforming reclaimed coal mine land in West Virginia into thriving lavender fields. Jocelyn shares her unexpected journey from librarian and consultant to CEO of a natural products company, the challenges of starting an agricultural business in Appalachia, and how lavender became a symbol of healing for both land and people. They discuss creating second-chance job opportunities, working with local communities, the importance of zero-waste practices, and the future of Appalachian lavender in both regional and national markets. This is the feel-good story that we all need right now!
Visit the Appalachian Botanical Co. website: https://appalachianbotanical.com/ and use the code AROMATIC15 for 15% off total purchase (valid through 11/30/2025).
Follow Appalachian Botanical Co on Instagram @appalachianbotanicalco
Follow Appalachian Botanical Co on Facebook @appalachianbotanicalco
Subscribe to Appalachian Botanical Co on YouTube
Connect with Jocelyn on LinkedIn
Watch the video Coal Mines Into A Lavender Empire!
Watch the video Rooted in the Mountain State - Appalachian Botanical Co
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#163: In this week's whiff of wisdom, In-Glorious Smell-O-Vision co-director and producer Tammy Burnstock and historical scent technology aficionado Jas Brooks share how bringing scent into movie theaters deepens our connection to the story on screen. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #104.
Whiff of Wisdom is a biweekly format that spotlights an inspirational insight from a previous guest. The aim is to offer you a whiff of wisdom for your aromatic life, as well as give you some inspiration to try new things that use your sense of smell more.
Visit Jas' website: https://jasbrooks.net
Connect with Tammy on Instagram @inglorious_smellovision
Connect with Jas on Instagram @jas_x_flowers
Learn more about Tammy's documentary Inglorious Smell-O-Vision
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#162: In this episode, Frauke sits down with librarian, fragrance enthusiast, and Paperback Perfumes podcaster Clare Presser to unpack the emerging idea of olfactive literacy: what it means to understand, communicate, and create using our sense of smell. Together they ask: Can we read scents the way we read words? How do memory, culture, and emotion shape the way we smell? And what shifts when we begin to develop a deeper awareness and vocabulary around scent? From the foundational elements of smell health to the parallels with visual and digital literacy, and from perfumers crafting scent narratives to wearers interpreting them through lived experience, this episode is full of scent-loving curiosity. Perfect for anyone fascinated by the language of smell and the many ways it connects us to ourselves and the world around us.
Listen to Clare’s podcast Paperback Perfumes
Follow Clare on Instagram: @paperbackperfumes
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#161: In honor of World Alzheimer’s Month, in this week's whiff of wisdom, Clinical Aromatherapist Madeleine Kerkhof explains how you can use scent to support a loved one living with dementia. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #42.
Whiff of Wisdom is a biweekly format that spotlights an inspirational insight from a previous guest. The aim is to offer you a whiff of wisdom for your aromatic life, as well as give you some inspiration to try new things that use your sense of smell more.
Note: please only use essential oils and CO2 extracts on the most vulnerable if you are trained to do so. Essential oils are highly concentrated substances that need to be used with the utmost safety in mind. Thank you.
Links to Madeleine's books:
Complementary Therapies in Palliative end of Life Care
CO2 Extracts in Aromatherapy: 50 Extracts For Clinical Application
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#160: Attention all Libras! In this bonus episode, Frauke revisits a conversation with astrologer Karima from The Cosmic Vibe and animistic perfumer Mauricio Garcia from last December which explored the intersection of astrology and aromatics. Here the focus is on the Libra sign (Sept 23 - Oct 22), which is part of the Air element. Karima explains the unique traits, strengths and shadow sides of Libra, and then Mauricio layers on the aromatic support that’s most fitting. Have fun with this and feel free to share the episode with any of your Libra friends out there! Next month we focus on Scorpio. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #130.
Follow Karima on Instagram @the.cosmic.vibe.sf
Visit Karima’s website: www.the-cosmic-vibe.com
Visit Mauricio's website Herbcraft Perfumery
Follow Mauricio on Instagram @herbcraft.perfumery
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#159: Could your nose be an early alarm bell for dementia?
In honor of World Alzheimer's Month, in this episode Frauke sits down with neuropsychologist Alex Bahar-Fuchs, PhD to explore the fascinating connection between smell and dementia. While we usually think of memory loss or confusion as the first warning signs, research shows that changes in our sense of smell often appear years earlier. That makes smell not just a powerful scientific marker, but also a deeply personal one - something families and caregivers can notice in everyday life. Alex explains why smell is so closely tied to memory and cognition, what it reveals about the brain’s health, and how simple smell training might one day help protect against decline. It’s a conversation that blends science with hope, showing how something as ordinary as noticing the scents around us can hold potential for our future well-being.
Learn more about Alex and his work here.
Read The Mind Your Nose Study.
Watch “Smell Training': How It's Helping Fight Dementia”
Watch “Does training people's memory through the sense of smell, help their memory overall?”
Connect with Alex via LinkedIn.
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#158: In honor of World Taste & Smell Day on Sept. 14th, in this week's whiff of wisdom, photographer, food writer, and cookbook author Saghar Setareh shares how the food of her adopted country Italy became a lantern and a mirror for her to more deeply explore the cuisine of her homeland Iran. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #88.
Whiff of Wisdom is a biweekly format that spotlights an inspirational insight from a previous guest. The aim is to offer you a whiff of wisdom for your aromatic life, as well as give you some inspiration to try new things that use your sense of smell more.
Buy Saghar's cookbook wherever books are sold, including here.
Visit Saghar's website: https://www.labnoon.com/
Visit Saghar's Substack: https://labnoon.substack.com/
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#157: In this episode Frauke sits down with New York Times bestselling author Francesca Serritella to discuss her latest novel “Full Bloom,” a gripping read that blends emotional awakening, scent alchemy, and the seductive power of desire. Francesca shares the inspiration behind the main character, Iris Sunnegren, and how scent becomes the key to unlocking her deepest wants. They discuss themes from the novel that explore female ambition, sexual power, and the cost of being seen. They also talk about the theme of scent memories and the dangers of reconnecting with primal emotions. Francesca also explores the central question Full Bloom dares to ask: What happens when you remove your inhibitions? This is a scent-filled conversation you don’t want to miss!
Visit Francesca’s website: https://www.francescaserritella.com/
Buy Full Bloom here
Follow Francesca on Instagram @fserritella
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project
#156: Attention all Virgos! In this bonus episode, Frauke revisits a conversation with astrologer Karima el Atallati Lynch and animistic perfumer Mauricio Garcia from last December which explored the intersection of astrology and aromatics. Here the focus is on the Virgo sign (Aug 23 - Sept 22), which is part of the Earth element. Karima explains the unique traits, strengths and shadow sides of Virgo, and then Mauricio layers on the aromatic support that’s most fitting. Have fun with this and feel free to share the episode with any of your Virgo friends out there! Next month we focus on Libra. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #130.
Follow Karima on Instagram @the.cosmic.vibe.sf
Visit Karima’s website: www.the-cosmic-vibe.com
Visit Mauricio's website Herbcraft Perfumery
Follow Mauricio on Instagram @herbcraft.perfumery
Follow Frauke on Instagram: @an_aromatic_life
Visit Frauke's website www.anaromaticlife.com
Get No Place for Plants children's book on Amazon
Learn about Frauke's Scent*Tattoo Project