The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Mistletoe was never just a holiday decoration. In Norse mythology, it was the plant that killed Baldur, and the plant that brought him back. Sacred. Dangerous. Hung in doorways for protection, but never allowed to touch the ground. That tension between reverence and transgression became the starting point. Pomegranate brought its jewel-like tartness, its dark sweetness. But mistletoe proved the real challenge. It's not a gentle green, it's resinous, almost medicinal, with a waxy quality that can overwhelm a composition if handled carelessly. The goal was to let it speak without taking over. To make something that felt both precious and unsettling.
The name carries weight. Season Of The Witch isn't about horror, it's about the moment in late autumn when the veil thins, when the world goes dark and strange, when the ordinary becomes something else. Pomegranate is a fruit of death and rebirth. Blackthorn wood is dense, thorned, ancient. Patchouli has its own earthy darkness. These aren't decorative choices, they're thematic ones. Periwinkle is the unexpected note. It's not commonly used in perfumery, and here it does something interesting: it cools the black pepper's warmth, provides a floral counterpoint that keeps the composition from becoming too heavy.
The evolution
The opening is mistletoe's tell. That green, waxy quality arrives first, bright and slightly medicinal, a sharp contrast to the pomegranate's tartness. It doesn't linger. Within the first hour, it's already ceding ground to the black pepper, which arrives dry and warm, building slowly into the composition. The heart is where periwinkle earns its place. Cool and floral, it tempers the black pepper's heat, creating a middle ground that feels both warm and restrained. This phase lasts a few hours, longer than the opening, shorter than the base. The base doesn't arrive all at once. Patchouli and blackthorn wood emerge gradually over the next few hours, their dark, resinous quality settling close to the skin rather than announcing themselves. Prickly pear's subtle sweetness occasionally surfaces, a small softness in an otherwise dark composition. On fabric, the entire evolution stretches further, patchouli can linger for days.
Cultural impact
Season Of The Witch launched in 2024 as part of the Alchemist's Exclusives collection, a limited run that positions the fragrance as something deliberately unconventional. For wearers seeking something outside the mainstream woody-gourmand territory, this offers a dark, fruity-patchouli path less traveled. The witchy naming and alchemical branding attract those who want fragrance to mean something beyond aroma.
