I’m crying, and I don’t know why. Is this a normal reaction to burning incense? Or is there something else in the smoke that is currently being wafted around me by perfumer Sileno Cheloni?
A Perfumer's Atelier in Florence
The part-sorcerer, part-Richard-E-Grant-lookalike, holds a black chalice while performing an incense ceremony in his elegant Florentine atelier in the heart of Bohemian neighbourhood San Niccolò.
I am surrounded by antique furniture and bottles containing refined essences. The curtains are drawn, music plays that bring the Islamic call to prayer to mind, and I occasionally hear birds outside sing.
It’s easy to think I’ve gone down some woo-woo rabbit hole, but I don’t think that’s the case.
A Master Perfumer's World
Cheloni is a master perfumer who creates personalised perfumes (a one-hour session costs €280) and exclusive scents for the likes of Gucci.
He also performs incense ceremonies (a bespoke one-hour ceremony costs €500). “Smells are elevating; they open your mind and powers of perception”, he explains.
The use of incense is nothing new: From the ancient Egyptians to modern-day India, cultures around the world have long burned incense for all kinds of ritualistic reasons.
Unveiling the Spirituality of Perfumery
Cheloni explains the spirituality of perfumery – the Latin word ‘perfumare’ means ‘to smoke through’. “You do an incense ceremony to change something in your life or make a request. The original use of the ceremony let people ask for planetary change – they asked nature or God to provide rain or end war; it was a way to connect with something else,” he says.
Cheloni’s incense ceremonies are bespoke, last up to 45 minutes, often have a pianist performing and sometimes take place in a forest.
“Perfume doesn’t cure anything, but it allows a certain potential to connect with yourself,” he reassures me. “The ceremony is a tool; see if it works for you. If all else fails, the nice smells will make you feel good.”
It doesn’t sound too woo-woo to me. It sounds like self-care – like meditation, mindfulness or yoga—another way to clear the mind and focus.
The Oud Experience: Earthly Connections
I’m alone today, and so we begin the ceremony in his atelier with oud – an incense associated with our connection to earth. Oud comes from resinous agarwood, the resin that the Southeast Asian aquilaria tree secretes when a particular fungus has infected it. It smells like wood and leather and takes me back to attending Mass as a child.
Cheloni walks in a circle around me, a thin line of smoke following him. He’s an elegant figure who gives off master wizard vibes: slender, dressed in black, his left hand adorned with rings on each finger and thick, black-rimmed glasses.
The smoke quickly begins to accumulate. The music seems to summon me to take this seriously. Even though I’m an atheist, I’m often moved by religious displays, so I start to feel emotional. Not wanting to appear a snivelling wreck – especially at the start of the ceremony – I close my eyes and feign nonchalance.
Journeying Higher: Frankincense and Spirituality
Cheloni moves onto frankincense to connect me with ‘higher up’. Incense has always been considered powerful: Ancient Egyptians believed that the souls of their dead were prepped for the afterlife on the tendrils of smoke produced as frankincense burned, while today, some believe its antibacterial properties are useful for cleansing their homes. It smells woody but also sweet.
My eyes, still closed, start to fill up with tears. My brain is rolling its eyes and smirking, but the rest of me is gradually becoming overwhelmed. What’s going on?
A Channel of Sweetness: Cannabis Incense
Then, a touch of cannabis incense is introduced. This is to open up a channel so I can express what I want to myself or God or whatever I believe in. It smells distinctly sweeter.
“It’s open now,” he says. I silently affirm my hopes and dreams.
He finishes with a white copal from Mexico – a powerful resin that closes the ceremony and keeps out the negative to protect my energy field. It smells sweet with a touch of eucalyptus.
After the Smoke Clears: Reflection and Transformation
It feels more like a traditional meditation now: eyes closed and deep breathing.
And then I open my eyes, and Cheloni is gone – like a puff of smoke. I walk out of the atelier into the sunshine and immediately smell the street in a way I didn’t before. It absolutely stinks – my powers of perception have been opened!
But better than that, I feel lighter and serene. I find myself making resolutions and telling myself how I’m going to get on with things now.
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