Monday Musing: The Power of Scent

There is something amazing about scents and perfumes: our subconscious recognizes a particular fragrance, and in an instant it brings back a memory, a feeling, an emotion.

It can be like a portal.

Just as essential oils can help soothe the nervous system, support our health, sharpen our concentration, and influence our mood, certain scents can bring us back to childhood and to the earliest impressions of our life.

For me, it is the smell of calendula. I immediately associate it with time spent in my grandmother’s greenhouse.

And that greenhouse brings so much more with it:

a special place,

a sanctuary,

a place where new life begins to grow,

where seeds are stored,

where plants are cared for,

where we harvest,

where we witness growth and abundance.

It feels like a safe place for me, where I find my inner child — held almost like in a womb, within this field of possibilities, where nearly everything can grow if it is nurtured with care.

This place is warm and moist. It smells of earth and plants. It is vibrant, full of life.

Sometimes we can even perceive a scent without any obvious source. In those moments, it may feel as though a loved one or an angel is sending a sign — letting you know they are looking after you, wishing to deliver a message, or simply asking you to notice something.

Scent is fascinating and deeply personal. It can become a trigger that opens hidden treasure boxes within us.