A familiar perfume in an empty hallway. Cigarette smoke in a house where no one has smoked for years. The scent of a beloved dog beside the stove long after she is gone.

In The Stories We Breathe In, Nicole Blackwater explores the strange power of scent to carry memory, create atmosphere, mark sacred time, and teach us what magic is supposed to smell like.

We follow frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, palo santo, perfume, and incense through trade routes, religious practice, contemporary witchcraft, home fragrance, and modern metaphysical culture. Along the way, we ask how aromatic materials gather meaning, why spiritual marketing so often flattens distinct traditions into one vague mystical system, and what ethical sourcing looks like when meaning itself has a supply chain.

This episode also explores the practical and ceremonial uses of fragrance, the difference between describing an aroma and claiming spiritual authority, natural and synthetic materials, incense safety, shared air, and the responsibility modern makers carry when working with culturally significant materials and stories.

Sometimes fragrance carries an enormous historical inheritance.

Sometimes a candle just smells like apples.

Both are allowed.

This episode is the companion to Blackwater Apothecary’s July Just Add Magic Box, Temple of the Sun.

Full show notes, bibliography, further reading, and resources:
https://blackwaterapothecary.com/blogs/podcast-show-notes/show-notes-the-stories-we-breathe

MUSIC CREDITS

“Unraveling” by Scott Buckley, released under CC-BY 4.0.

“Incantation” by Scott Buckley, released under CC-BY 4.0.

“Hymn to the Dawn” by Scott Buckley, released under CC-BY 4.0.

“Petrichor” by Scott Buckley, released under CC-BY 4.0.

Music by Scott Buckley:
www.scottbuckley.com.au

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode is also a companion piece to Blackwater Apothecary’s June Just Add Magic subscription box, inspired by haunted waters, sea witches, mermaids, sirens, selkies, and the old stories that gather at the shoreline.

Blackwater Apothecary is an online witchcraft shop and educational space offering ritual goods, classes, podcast episodes, subscription boxes, and a little bit of beautiful nonsense for people who like their magic thoughtful, ethical, atmospheric, and just slightly unhinged.

This episode draws from folklore, mythology, art history, Black Atlantic memory work, water-spirit traditions, psychology, blue-space research, and modern conversations around vulnerability and performance. I’ve gathered a few starting points below for anyone who wants to follow the tide a little deeper.

When it comes to traditions and histories that are not mine to hold at the center, I encourage you to follow the work of scholars, artists, practitioners, and communities speaking from within those waters.

Equal Justice Initiative. The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Forgotten History of Slavery and Racism. Montgomery, AL: Equal Justice Initiative, 2023.

https://eji.org/reports/transatlantic-slave-trade

Turner, Chelsea E., et al. “Memorializing the Middle Passage on the Atlantic Seabed in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.” 2020.

https://www.oceandecadeheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Turner-et-al-2020.pdf

Hartman, Saidiya. Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.

Sharpe, Christina. In the Wake: On Blackness and Being. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2016.
 
Full Show Notes References & Sources: https://blackwaterapothecary.com/blogs/news/show-notes-unwilling-to-behave

You can find us online at:

Website: www.blackwaterapothecary.com
Patreon: https://patreon.com/NicoleBlackwater?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink
Podcast: https://theinnercirclewithblackwaterapothecary.riverside.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nicol3blackwat3r/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicoleblackwatersby/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackwaterapothecary

Big thanks to Played & Faved on youtube for the canoe paddling sounds! 

Inspired by Blackwater Apothecary’s April-May Just Add Magic double box, Persephone Rising, this episode moves between Greek mythology, modern retelling, personal reflection, and poetic ritual. We begin with the ancient story of Persephone’s descent into the underworld, Demeter’s world-changing grief, the pomegranate seeds that bind Persephone between realms, and the seasonal cycle of loss and return.

Then we step into a more modern, bittersweet interpretation of Persephone as a sovereign queen of two worlds: daughter of spring, bride of the underworld, keeper of longing, memory, and shadow.

This episode is for anyone who has ever gone through a dark season and wondered what it means to come back changed.

Featuring a reading of Nicole’s poem “O Mother Demeter” and the closing letter from the Persephone Rising workbook.

What is buried is not always dead.

In this episode:

• The myth of Persephone, Demeter, and Hades
• Demeter’s grief and the barren earth
• Pomegranate seeds as symbols of choice, consequence, and belonging
• Persephone as daughter, queen, and threshold figure
• Modern retellings of Persephone as a sovereign goddess of two worlds
• Descent as initiation, grief as proof of love, and return as transformation
• A reading of Nicole Blackwater’s poem “O Mother Demeter”
• The closing letter from the Persephone Rising workbook
  

Inspired by:
Blackwater Apothecary’s April-May Just Add Magic double box, Persephone Rising.

Find Blackwater Apothecary:
blackwaterapothecary.com

Explore the Just Add Magic subscription box


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We'll also dive into the deeper meaning of symbolism in magic, discussing how personalizing your practice is key—and why there are no rigid rules in crafting your own spiritual path. Whether you’re a seasoned witch or just starting to bring more intention into your life, this episode is packed with practical, accessible ways to make magic a part of your everyday.

So grab a cup of enchanted coffee, settle in, and let’s talk about how to infuse your world with everyday magic!

Have a magical habit you’d love to share? Drop us a message or tag us on social media—we’d love to hear from you!

If you love this and want to see more come find us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/NicoleBlackwater?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Special thanks to Justin Allen Arnold for our music.

Come find us! https://www.facebook.com/nicoleblackwatersby/

https://www.facebook.com/BlackwaterApothecary

Special thanks to Qhama, PascalColors, and Justin Allen Arnold for the sounds used to make this episode.

Meet Your Host: Nicole Blackwater, owner of Blackwater Apothecary in Downtown Salisbury Maryland. Nicole Blackwater is the owner of Blackwater Apothecary, a witch shop in downtown Salisbury, Maryland, and a passionate advocate for community, connection, and empowerment. With a background in both spiritual practice and social activism, Nicole blends ancient traditions with modern-day resilience. Known for her warm, welcoming presence—and her fearless embrace of both light and shadow—Nicole is dedicated to creating spaces where people can explore the mystical and the mundane, together.

If you like what you see and you are ready to step through the veil, join us in The Inner Circle: at www.blackwaterapothecary.com

Or you can find us on Patreon: patreon.com/NicoleBlackwater

If you like what you see and you'd like to see more, be sure to visit us at www.blackwaterapothecary.com and sign up to be a member of our Inner Circle