Attar Body Oil (Roll-On) Net. fl. 3g (3 mL)

Petch Petch (Attar): Divine Origins of the World’s First Perfume

In one creation story the lotus was the first thing to emerge from the waters of Nwn (primordial waters-chaos, the ultimate disorder) bringing with it its essence/perfume. Neteru/Gods were since associated with fragrant smells, chief among them and one of the oldest from primordial waters. Nefertem (beauty of Tem). He is creator of both healing and beautification, plus perfumes and aromatherapy who was closely bound to the blue lotus, a symbol of life and immortality. Nefertem is a creator neter/god who is also self-created and symbolizes the creation of the world and is shown coming out of a lotus flower. As to his role as a lion-headed neter/god, Nefertem could be more war-like. He was known as Khntuwy, 'Restrainer of the Two Lands', giving him a "dual" identity as a guardian-protector of both Upper and Lower Egypt. A New Kingdom hymn praising the son of Sekhmet describes him as the soul of plants and tutelary deity of perfumers: "I invoke Nefertem, in the following of Ptah. Thou art the guardian and protector of the perfume and oil makers, protector and neter/god of the sacred lotus. Osiris is the body of the plants, Nefertum is the soul of the plants, the plants purified. The divine perfume belongs to Nefertum living forever ". (Hymn to Nefertem, 18th dynasty Steve Van Toller, G. H. Todd: Fragrance: Psychology and Biology of Perfume, 1992 Springer, p.290). It was perfume, among other things, which put the king in a position to join the gods: “O King, I have come and I bring to you the Eye of Horus which is in its container(?), and its perfume is on you, O King. Its perfume is on you, the perfume of the Eye of Horus is on you, O King, and you will have a soul by means of it”. (Pyramid Texts, utterance 687 Raymond Oliver Faulkner, 1910, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 2004 Kessinger Publishing, p.296)

Not to be confused with the commonly used commercial fragrances or perfume oils made today which most contain a host of poisonous chemicals and preservatives. Attar also known as Ittar meaning “scent” or essence is a natural perfumed oil, derived from pure botanical sources. The science of making high quality traditional perfumes is an arduous & timely process. Commonly, the essence of attar oil is taken from the botanicals through hydro or steam distillation. Oil can also be expressed by chemical means but generally traditional pure perfumes which qualify as Attar's/Ittars are distilled naturally without any chemicals. The oils obtained from natural extracts of flowers, plants, spices, vegetation, wood (bark) fruits and even animals are generally distilled into a wood base such as sandalwood and then aged. The aging process can take from one to ten years depending on the botanicals used and the outcome desired.

These pure and natural perfumes are highly concentrated therefore they are usually sold in smaller quantities due to their potency and have traditionally been given in ornate tiny crystal cut bottles called itardans. A little goes a long way, a small quantity can last anywhere from several weeks to several months. Due to the purity and the nature of traditionally made oils, there is very little chance of spoilage. Attars have a permanent shelf life and some become stronger and smell better over time making them very aromatic. The tradition of giving a scent to one's guests continues to this day in many parts of the world. Attar's/Ittars have been used in the entire Eastern world for thousands of years.

Currently in the modern world, attars are an essential part of Muslim/Islamic culture. Although attar oils are synonomously linked to the Arab world and Muslim/Islamic culture, in ancient India early indications of the attar making perfume jars and terracotta containers of the Indus Valley civilization, where archaeological excavation has revealed round copper stills called degs, used for the distillation process that are at least five-thousand years old. Following the seasons of the flowers, traditional attar-makers (with their degs) traveled all over South Asia to make their fresh attars on-the-spot. Even now, a few traditional attar-makers still travel (with their degs) to be close to the harvest. Their equipment for making attar oils has changed little, if at all, ensuring the traditions of attar making remain in its purest form.

The Kemetic (Egyptians) people are known for being the first to produce perfumes throughout the ancient world as early as 3000 B.C (and before). Introducing another way of using herbal medicine to heal. Known as the “scent of the gods” or “sweat of the gods”, the original word for perfume is Petch Petch or Petch-t. Petch Petch was stored in pots/vessels called Nemms. Perfume makers were called Merh-tas’. Merh-tas’ were spiritual traditional priest & priestess. Being a Merh-ta wasn’t simple. They were “spiritually selected” and then commissioned by certain blood-lines to fulfill spiritual obligations, after successfully completing an intense initiation process. Petch Petch was formulated from the purest plants, resins, spices and flowers before they could be added to other oils. These usually consisted of frankincense resin, myrrh resin, root of iris, bitter almond oil & cardamoms, balsamon which may have been Mecca balsam, oil of lilies, balanos oil and cassia. White lily and lotus flowers were used for perfumes indigenous to Kemet (Egypt) or of foreign origin jasmine from Indus (India).

Petch Petch was originally used in spiritual ceremonies dedicated to certain Neteru/Deities (Gods), used as spiritual offerings, burial preparation, various healing modalities and eventually daily wear. Over time, history has revealed that the alchemy of Petch Petch (original traditional perfume) making has been shared from one continent to another, resulting in various cultures adding their acquired knowledge of plants, roots and herbs to the process. This has allowed the quality and integrity of the Petch Petch (original traditional perfume) making process to maintain itself, while continually evolving into what we know today as attar oil.

Benefits of Attars

Impacts all 11 systems of the body* depression & anxiety* cut and wound healing* enhances mood* concentration and focus* uplifts emotional well-being* stimulates six or more senses* improves vividness of dreams* enhances intuition* spiritual & physical benefits* enlightens ones behavior* reduces the level of blood pressure and maintains cholesterol levels* insomnia* hearth health* menstrual cramp relief & menopause*

Key Properties: *Pure Oil *Chemical Free *Hypoallergenic *Concentrated *Plant Based *Refreshingly Clean Aroma

Current Attar's: Black Stone Attar, Red Flowers Attar, Jasmine Attar, Royal Amber Attar

Ingredients: *Indian Attar Oil.

*=Clean Ingredients - Organic, Kosher, Wild-crafted, or Non-GMO

How to Apply: Apply or Roll Attar Body Oil On:

• Temples/Head/Hair
• Behind Ears/Neck
• Collar Bones/chest
• Elbows
• Wrists
• Behind Knees