The Story Behind Our Indigo Line of Fragrance Goods

Guided by the creative vision of owner Jasmine and our master perfumer and incense makers, we passionately introduce you to our new Indigo Line of fragrance goods.

The initial collection consists of four scents of candles as well as palo santo—a fallen aromatic wood sourced from Peru that’s been used for centuries in smudging ceremonies by native spiritual communities—and will include incense sticks and cones in the coming months. Our three timeless, single-note scents, and our original signature scent, stem from Jasmine’s desire for you to “bring Bodhi home with you.” 

Capturing the Essence of the Original Bodhi Tree Bookstore

One of our goals with this collection was to maintain the core DNA of the Bodhi Tree bookstore. “When I close my eyes and think of the original store, books, incense, tea (and the beloved cat, Lucia, of course) come to mind,” Jasmine says. Merging our history and future together, “we have preserved the former Bodhi experience for the previous customer while welcoming a new generation,” she explains.

According to the store’s founders, Stan Madson and Phil Thompson, one of the main reasons customers loved being there was to be enveloped in its unique scent. “We had a huge rack of incense and an extensive line of body oils and candles, and the scent permeated the whole building,” says Madson. Thompson adds, “It really is interesting that Jasmine created [the Bodhi signature scent] because scent was such an important asset to the store. People would come back week after week from 50–70 miles away to buy incense. It was important to them, especially as so many people started having home altars.”

The Transportive Quality of Our Scents

Our single-note fragrances, made of essential oils, are reminiscent of spiritual meccas and healing epicenters around the world: Frankincense is evocative of Persia, Nag Champa of India, and Cedar of the American Southwest. And they arouse the senses in different ways: Frankincense and Cedar are earthy and herbaceous, while Nag Champa possesses a “temple-like quality,” says Jasmine.

Our signature scent, Bodhi, was created over many years with our perfumer based in Los Angeles. “Bodhi is the olfactory memory of what the store really was for so many years,” says Jasmine. “Persephenie was a longtime customer there, so we were very much aligned in trying to capture the old store scent.”

We hope that each scent sends a subtle message to transport you to a place that may resonate with your own spiritual journey.

Our Candles and the Gift of Sacred Symbols

Intended as an opportunity for ritual and connection, each candle is adorned with a sacred symbol and includes a matching body-art tattoo.

Nag Champa is represented by the Flower of Life, an ancient sacred geometric symbol of overlapping circles that has been found in nearly every major culture and religion around the world. Believed to include all the geometric forms known in creation, it is a visual expression of the interconnectedness of all living beings.

Frankincense is sealed by a Metatron’s cube. Derived from the Flower of Life, it forms the map of creation that has been revered by numerous ancient civilizations. It also reveals the way creativity flows through Universal energy, and is a tool for transformation and inspiration.

Cedar is adorned with a Sri Yantra, the Hindu symbol for the totality of existence. Its nine interlocking triangles are believed to illustrate the union of the masculine and the feminine divine, and the center point is said to be the meeting place between the physical and spiritual world, allowing one to achieve a higher level of consciousness.

The symbol for Bodhi is a beautiful Bodhi Tree leaf. Made famous when Siddhartha found enlightenment under a Bodhi Tree, the simplicity of the solid, heart-shaped leaf links it to self-realization and the unity of consciousness.

Aesthetically Beautiful and Eco-Conscious Goods

“Another aspect that was really important to us was honoring the cradle-to-grave cycle of product creation,” says Jasmine. After the candle is burned, the glass can be used as an amplifier to charge crystals or jewelry: Simply add water and salt to the empty glass along with your valuables, then place it in the sunlight to charge your items with the essence of that vessel’s symbol. In addition, the linen bag that holds the palo santo is a keepsake you can use to store crystals or other treasures.

The Significance of Indigo for Bodhi Tree

If you look at photos of the original Bodhi Tree building, you’ll notice blue writing on the exterior walls. When re-envisioning Bodhi Tree, it was important to us to have a distinctive color unique to the brand. That’s why each item is either wrapped in indigo tissue paper or placed in an indigo blue–lined box. A marriage of lapis and tanzanite, we call this bespoke blue “Bodhi Indigo.” Representing the third-eye chakra gateway between the body and divine expression, this blue hue is about transmission and creativity. It’s our intention to infuse each of our products with this color’s magnetism, which we hope will enhance your experience of bringing a little bit of Bodhi home with you.