A Life's Work: Bridging the Black and White Sun

A mystic's path can present itself in an infinite amount of ways, but most commonly, it's controversial; often turned political in nature, similar to an artist's. A mystic paints the universe with the forces around her. She will spiral up and down until she has either reached initiation, therefore leading to a temporary suspension in the middle [ultimately, balanced] or she has reached her ultimate destiny. This journey template takes place on what I've created as the Mystic Spiral. It's the map I see in my head.

My crudely drawn Mystic Spiral

You can see this as the path for one's whole life journey [within the current incarnation; however, I suspect a soul's journey functions similarly]

Another visual drawn to show spiraling up and down on the path. Each moment in soul history has its own pull towards these forces.

The Mystic Spiral and each moment's spiral

To illustrate further, a quote from A Treatise on White Magic by Alice Bailey:

"The hill and valley experience of the mystic is but one way of expressing this ebb and flow...He knows and feels himself to be a son of God. Later, however, the clouds seem to descend and he is sure of nothing, and seems to know nothing." (63)

One's journey will come to appear like this figure above. Spirals in consciousness, up and down, towards what?

The Black and White Sun respectively.

Each moment in the soul history has its own white and black sun.

Before moving any further into our eventually aromatic journey, we need to set a basis of what these impulses, places, and esoteric concepts are.

My Mentor Layton's artwork depicting the Black Sun

The Black Sun is the womb, the void, and Mother Mary consciousness. Where creation happens, where soul trauma collects and hides within recesses, and where dark feminine power lies. The true dark feminine essence is much deeper than the perversions it's connected with in modern history.

One scroll through the hashtag on TikTok will tell you that the dark feminine essence comes from either misleading, hurting, and tricking men or appealing to and coddling them. Faceless creators make thousands on this concept; books, workshops, retreats. While the first inverted definition aligns with what was early cosmic history, our Matriarchy, the second comes from conforming to traditional seduction standards and an unenlightened use of sexual forces. Both of these revolve around men and the masculine forces. That's because it's our poles. White and Black Sun. Male and Female. However, it's to be noted that we all have a Black sun, female or not. Men do in fact have a cosmic womb space (refer to Steiner's work on the Division of the Sexes). So, what is true dark feminine power/essence/energy/spirit?

It is the ability and capacity for transmutation. To shrink and sink oneself down into the deepest well within, sit with your (and humanity's) sadness, pain, anger, and trauma, and then you carry it back up with you for use during the creation of heaven and harmony on earth, not lashing out driven by an elite manufactured separation between men and women.

My Mentor Layton's artwork depicting the White Sun

The White Sun is the heart space, it is our sun, and it is Christ. It is where true and unconditional love is emanated, how we contact higher worlds, and where healthy masculine consciousness lies [in the form of Christ, Buddha, etc.,] Miraculously, there is much less confusion to the white sun than there is to the black sun. Perhaps it's because in our current epoch spirituality is lead by men instead of women. That's a rant for another time!

The goal on our path is to balance these forces within us, to make them meet in the middle. What we know as conception involving women and men, must happen within. We must facilitate inner conception to construct the Christ template. We, as humanity, are meant for so much more!

In order to illustrate the mystic spiral even further, I have come up with a list of 12 fragrances as a vehicle. Even if you are not a practicing mystic and are just a perfume junkie–a modern Pythia of sorts–I think you could benefit greatly from seeing fragrance from my perspective. After all, perfumery has its roots in alchemy, and after our discussion on inner alchemy above, you may start to notice the spiritual facet demonstrated by your signature scent. It is always that deep.

Let's begin.

Note: The order of these have been selected intuitively and are not entirely based on notes and their properties. While each note can denote a certain type of essence, usually based in many traditions including the Vedic tradition, that is not how I approached this list. I only have so many samples on hand and this is how I was instructed to do it.

We will work our way from the lowest stage of the Black Sun up into the highest rays of the White Sun.

The Deep Blue Void: Can be thought of as the inner world's Mariana Trench. You have relinquished control and are now surrounded by infinite darkness. There is a certain deep blue that emerges when channeling this. You are in free fall, but appear to be levitating in space. The fragrance chosen to represent this stage is L'eau d'hiver from Frederic Malle. Its notes are angelica, bergamot, iris, musk, and honey. Remarkably, this smells like a grey mitten covered in powdery snow. The name translates to winter water. I chose this not only because of it's name, but because it perfectly represents being as far as you can from the heart space. It's frigid, but there's something so comforting. You sway, carried by the eclipsed water, and remember that you were here once before, long ago, before your mother carried you inside her.

Petals of Reformation: I like to think that this is where the divine mother put you together when your soul passed through each of the planetary spheres before entering this one. The human form has gone through many different iterations throughout the spheres and the epochs. You may not see it or believe it, but you are peak form for the times. I see desaturated pink and fuchsia petals, peonies and roses. I chose L'Ombre Dans L'eau EDT from Diptyque to represent this stage. Its notes are rose, black currant buds, petitgrain, and black currant leaves. Its name translates to shadow in the water. Another fitting namesake! It is a shivering rose and to my nose, actually quite vegetal. What I find to be unique to this fragrance is how round it is. This is a being coming into being, condensing with the help of glittering sacred water waves breaking.

Your Midnight Rite: This stage sheperds us to ancient Egypt and the many Isis cults. The word cult back then was used as coven might be today. The deity Isis has been particularly helpful to me on this journey. I want to denote Your Midnight Rite as the depth in your Black Sun where memories from prior incarnations live. This is where you might find your fascinations for ancient Egypt, Atlantis, Lemuria, Babylon, etc., Your soul has many stories to tell, ones of great success and achievement, but also stories of great pain and trauma. The journey of a soul after death (and before birth) is a long one, but you are most often well prepared for it! That is why I chose Kyphi from Olympic Orchids. The notes are as follows: frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, labdanum, beeswax, spikenard, henna, lemongrass, wild orange, calamus, cassia, cyperus, saffron, juniper berry, and spices. This is the reflection of eternally burning flames on golden tombs marked with an ankh and the star-filled sky as a backdrop. The story you must tell is etched within, written in hieroglyphs.

The Cosmic Glue: As we rise out of the Black sun, you'll notice it seems to get more intense. This is because traditionally, you go down and then up. These next stages will be more intense because they prepare you for what we've just talked about. On our journey, we reach a place where our deepest desires and fears sit. The reason I have titled this "glue" is because unmoderated flames of desire and fear can form certain harmful thought forms and attract attachments. Getting attached to an outcome, good or bad, can create a sticky web one must find their way out of and if you don't tread carefully, you'll be stuck. To represent the Cosmic Glue, I've chosen Sex and the Sea Neroli by Francesca Bianchi, to which there is already an in-depth review on in this blog. The notes are Bergamot, Petit-Grain, Honey, Neroli, mimosa, coconut, immortelle, rose, iris, sandalwood, Vetiver, labdanum, benjoin, ambergris, civet, vanilla. For fear of being redundant because of my article, I'll leave it at this: It's carnal, a siren, covered in sugary seashells, approaching an ill-fated ship. This is the golden winds of motivation that may push you to the top, but also lead you to your death.

The Floating Lotus: This is where a novice may end up on their first dive. They are below the surface, but not much so. On a bad day, this is where I feel like anyone would end up without trying. This is where everyday anxieties and what is currently haunting you roams free. Additionally, the roots of these issues have the potential to bring you deeper. It can be extremely distressing to allow yourself to spiral in a moderated fashion, but the reward is delightful. Much progress can be made here that is quickly reflected in one's day to day life. No.13 Nouvelle Vague from Maison Louis Marie is the fragrance to represent the Floating Lotus. The notes are muguet, coconut waters, lemon, tuscan fig, tonka bean, agave, vetiver, amber, and santal. This fragrance is incredibly light and refreshing in it's opening, but it's dry down reminds me of someone familiar. This is the smell of a man's white collar shirt after a shower. A swing, buoyant in summer wind, like someone's sitting there. It's a reminder that nothing is missing for us to be whole, but our own love.

First Initiation: I remember being particularly afraid of what thought creatures I had created and had now taken habitat in my womb, like most women. But there comes a breaking point when you know it's not responsible nor healthy for you to live like this; being stalked by your shortcomings and reminded how life is fair, just not your kind of fair. I wanted to be free. So I took the first plunge and it was terrifying. It reminds me of the scene in the Star Wars sequels where Rey must face herself in that cave. I will dedicate Between the Sheets from Sorcellerie Apothecary to the First Initiation. The notes are figs, cream, beeswax absolute, cashmere, wool, and skin musk. It opens with an extremely strong wool musk absolute and it perfectly represents that first dive into the deep end. Once passing through that threshold, you find yourself comforted by the magical nature of your inner city. Gilded creamy cathedrals with crystalline beeswax windows. This is homecoming.

The Empyreal Bridge: Once you cross out of the Black Sun, it can be heavy, like you're a feather trying to drag a brick up a flight of stairs: it's not happening. You may know the euphoria felt after a crying session and the headache that may follow. Because you're moving towards two separate stages of consciousness, grounding should be your utmost priority. Think about bridging the underworld with heaven. For this, I've chosen Mississippi Medicine from D.S. & Durga. It's notes are red cedar, aldehydes, frankincense, cypress root, black pine, cascarilla bark, incense, Spanish cade, and birch tar. I want to personally thank Audrey (@foldyrhands) on X/Twitter for recommending me this one! It is the most grounding scent experience I've ever had. It's woody and ceremonial, bridging the earth and sky. It also has an incredible inspiration that you might find interesting if you're into anthropology or archaeology!

Doorway of Light: Now that you're grounded into your body again, it's time to enter the temple. This is where you activate your higher emotions without blasting off into the sky. Prepare bubbles of love, compassion, gratitude, and understanding for what you've brought with you. This is your rest stop at mass before traveling further. The fragrance that has helped life me out of the Black Sun many times is Encens Suave from Matiere Premiere. The notes are coffee extract, vanilla absolute, incense, labdanum, and benzoin. This is when you enter a holy space and you know you have, because you can feel the immediate weight off your shoulders. Full acceptance of body, mind, soul. The weight you carry does not phase Him. You've done well.

Morning: After needing to seek shelter from torrential downpour, the spring sun has risen. You left your muddied clothes out on the wooden post overnight for a natural wash and dry. This is where you choose if your ascent truly begins. You're weary, but content after a night's rest. You can stay here, it's a new day. This stage is where one might stay from day to day. You're momentarily graced with the divine in flashes and whispers from above. Petrichor by Marissa Zappas is fitting. Its notes are as follows damp earth, lemon, immortelle, orris, vetiver, ambergris, sandalwood, moss, and musk. Petrichor is the fading purple that comes with the sun's rise, the vivid green life that exists under strangled roots, and the bounty of wisdom that comes forth from the four elements. Petrichor is the heaven we find daily.

The Gathering: I like to think that this is where mystics typically reside when doing any sort of spirit work. Be it readings, meditation, rituals, etc,. This is the ultimate holy space. Spheres have aligned, stardust paints the skies, and there's a slight chill in the breeze. You turn behind you and see your sisterhood. Equipped with cloaks and chants, suddenly a single silver, Christ-woven thread falls from the heaven, landing on wet grass. Together, one by one, you all climb to the castle in the sky. Moon Bloom by Hiram Green is the obvious choice for this. The notes are tuberose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, coconut, leafy greens, and tropical spices and resins. The white florals are dense and creamy, painting a picture of serenity. This is one I save for special occasions. If someone walked by you wearing this, you might think you've witnessed an angel in human form.

Castle in the Sky: This is where I might place the flow state. Where Christ has joined your consciousness and where the greatest works of art are created. Whether it be paintings, music, weavings, or architecture, this is where His vision and powdery, indigo essence envelopes you. You have done this before, you have been here before, doing this skill. This is why I believe creativity is a definite portal to God. You are a direct channel of the Christ force. There is a level of innocence and playfulness that comes with this level of consciousness. I think it's easier for children to interact with this realm and they often do so when using their imagination. Naked Dance from .Oddity Fragrance captures this well. The notes are orange blossom, bergamot, green tea, rice, clay, lily, iris, a drop of Turkish rose, white musk, incense, sandalwood, vetiver, tonka, and guaiac wood. It is an acceptance of ourselves as divine perfection. We might have much more to learn, but in this moment, we are where we need to be and who we need to be. This is an ancient art studio in the middle of a lush garden. It overlooks the great blue and hummingbirds worship alongside you. You can no longer see the separation between yourself and what surrounds you.

The Garden: We've finally made it, to the White Sun. This is a stage of ultimate bliss, rarely touched and experienced by the everyday human. In that case, this is where you might see people crying because their heart is so full of the Lord's love and light. Another circumstance where I have heard this state of consciousness being reached is giving birth. Even as an initiated mystic, I feel I have only touched this level of consciousness a few times voluntarily. This has mostly been brought on by deep sun meditation, reiki healing or ritual. This is because it's an incredibly hard place to come down from. You feel so connected to the One that human life seems extremely small. It's as if for a moment you have become a giant and then shortly after, you shrink and must try and accomplish the same things you did as a giant. It feels pointless. Climbing high comes with falling even further downwards. But momentarily, the elysian ecstasy you experience teaches you why we're here. Philosykos by Diptyque is my Garden scent. Its notes are fig leaves, fig tree sap, fig tree wood, and black pepper. Forgive me, but I put this one here for mostly personal reasons! Philosykos was my portal into the world of perfumery. It was like a sickness, I smelled it once and I could not stop thinking about it. With one sample, I felt closer to the Gods than ever before. A reverie filled with dancing in twirling tide pools and moss mothered lakes where the nymphs like Chariklo and Okyrhoe play. A summer ceremony, donning puce colored bramble crowns with fastened laurel and fig. An embrace of the elements.

The Mystic Spiral and its stages

Now, you can see why it might be harder than you think to balance these two forces among the others we have working on us each day. I hope that if you were just here for perfume, you enjoyed learning some of the esoterica that came with it, and if you were just here for the esoterica, you can see how perfume may be used for both inner and outer alchemy.

To end with, another quote from Alice Bailey's A Treatise on White Magic:

"...for matter is but spirit on the lowest plane, and spirit, we are told, is but matter on the highest." (56)

With love, Abby.

A disclaimer: None of these perfumes have sponsored me or paid to be in this article. This is not medical advice. What you do with this information is the responsibility of you.

If you'd like to send me your fragrance or a fragrance to review, send me an email located on the contact page.

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