Mandy Aftel is a pioneering American artisan natural perfumer who has been called one of the fragrance industry’s “most prolific talents” by Vogue and an “angel of alchemy” by Vanity Fair. She is an author, educator, and founder of Aftelier Perfumes and the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents located in Berkeley, CA. Mandy is renowned for her deep focus on plant-derived essences, historical fragrance, and innovative perfume creation that connects scent to memory and emotion, establishing new standards in natural perfumery through her many books like Essence & Alchemy and Fragrant. Her new book, Symbolorum: The Secret Wisdom of Emblems explores the esoteric insights and enchanting imagery of the Baroque emblem book, a long-lost cousin of the tarot.On this episode, Mandy discusses the alchemical magic of perfume, favorite sacred scents, and her latest fascination with the esoteric emblem book.
Pam also talks about scented solar spells for Solstice, and answers a listener message from the snowy bottom of the globe.
Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)
Our sponsors for this episode are Mithras Candle, Zouz Incense, and Sister Temperance Tarot
We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.
And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave
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Mandy Aftel is a pioneering American artisan natural perfumer who has been called one of the fragrance industry’s “most prolific talents” by Vogue and an “angel of alchemy” by Vanity Fair. She is an author, educator, and founder of Aftelier Perfumes and the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents located in Berkeley, CA. Mandy is renowned for her deep focus on plant-derived essences, historical fragrance, and innovative perfume creation that connects scent to memory and emotion, establishing new standards in natural perfumery through her many books like Essence & Alchemy and Fragrant. Her new book, Symbolorum: The Secret Wisdom of Emblems explores the esoteric insights and enchanting imagery of the Baroque emblem book, a long-lost cousin of the tarot.On this episode, Mandy discusses the alchemical magic of perfume, favorite sacred scents, and her latest fascination with the esoteric emblem book.
Pam also talks about scented solar spells for Solstice, and answers a listener message from the snowy bottom of the globe.
Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)
Our sponsors for this episode are Mithras Candle, Zouz Incense, and Sister Temperance Tarot
We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.
And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave
Kelli Scarr is an American singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in New York's Hudson Valley. She is also the founder of Vera Jean Music, a pioneering record label dedicated to championing the talents of women artists over the age of 40.
Raised in Northern California, Scarr’s musical journey began in church, eventually leading her to Berklee College of Music. Over the years, she has woven her way through an eclectic range of projects, from fronting the bands Moonraker and Salt & Samovar to a significant collaboration writing, recording, and touring with Moby. Her artistry extends into film scoring, and she earned an Emmy nomination for her score to the HBO documentary In A Dream (2008) and has composed music for dozens of films, TV shows, and commercials. Notable projects include the documentaries Advanced Style and Far Western, and the forthcoming After All (2025), for which she composed the score and contributed six original songs.
As a solo artist, Scarr has released three albums—Piece (2010), Dangling Teeth (2012), and one of Pam’s all-time favorite albums, No Rush (2021)—establishing herself as a singular voice in atmospheric, deeply emotive songwriting. Her fourth album, Greater Mysteries, is out on this Friday, June 13, and marks a new creative chapter which draws on timeless mythic journeys to the underworld, and it is pulsing, potent, and sublime. This album serves as an invitation into the initiatory cycle of transformation—where endings become beginnings, and something new is ready to emerge.
Though Kelli’s work has spanned format and musical style, all of her projects embrace a sense of experimentation, improvisation, and sacred seeking through song.
On this episode, Kelli discusses how the myth of Inanna inspired her new album, the power of song channeling and sonic embodiment, and the transformational way music connects us to the universe.
Pam also talks about the divine link between songs and spells, and answers a listener question about using magic to rekindle her creativity.
Songs featured in the episode are all from Greater Mysteries by Kelli Scarr:
“Knowing is the Call”
“Pneuma”
“The Yes That Leads”
Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)
Our sponsors for this episode are UBU Skills, Mixed Color, Sister Temperance Tarot, Mineralogy Project, BetterHelp, LOGOS Candles, and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab
We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.
And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave
The Witch Wave
Mandy Aftel is a pioneering American artisan natural perfumer who has been called one of the fragrance industry’s “most prolific talents” by Vogue and an “angel of alchemy” by Vanity Fair. She is an author, educator, and founder of Aftelier Perfumes and the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents located in Berkeley, CA. Mandy is renowned for her deep focus on plant-derived essences, historical fragrance, and innovative perfume creation that connects scent to memory and emotion, establishing new standards in natural perfumery through her many books like Essence & Alchemy and Fragrant. Her new book, Symbolorum: The Secret Wisdom of Emblems explores the esoteric insights and enchanting imagery of the Baroque emblem book, a long-lost cousin of the tarot.On this episode, Mandy discusses the alchemical magic of perfume, favorite sacred scents, and her latest fascination with the esoteric emblem book.
Pam also talks about scented solar spells for Solstice, and answers a listener message from the snowy bottom of the globe.
Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you’re at it!)
Our sponsors for this episode are Mithras Candle, Zouz Incense, and Sister Temperance Tarot
We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.
And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam’s monthly online rituals, and more! That’s patreon.com/witchwave