The Mother's Fragrances
| Fair Trade |
In May 2003, we visited the producers of The Mother's Fragrances in Pondicherry, South East India. To read our report and see some of the pictures we took, click here.
The Mother's Fragrances and Fair Trade
The Mother's Fragrances Incense is produced by the Mother's Commerce Company in Pondicherry, India. The Mother's Commerce Company provides excellent employment for over 700 people, mainly women.
Wages paid are above the minimum wage and far above the industry's average. Work is done in well ventilated and spacious areas. Workers also benefit from medical insurance and a savings scheme. For workers who live at some distance from the units, there is a bicycle project. A bicycle gives women great freedom and independence.
The excellent working conditions under which The Mother's Fragrances Incense is made have led to Greater Goods' accreditation as a Fair Trade importer by the British Assocation of Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS)
More
information on Fair Trade
How are The Mother's Fragrances made?
The Mother's Fragrances Incense is made using the age old masala method that uses only natural ingredients and avoids dipping.
A variety of scented flowers, herbs, leaves, essential oils, resins and wood powders or charcoal are blended with water to form a dough. Every fragrance has its own mix of ingredients. A tree resin which has adhesive properties is added to the mixture as a binding agent. The dough is rolled onto thin slivers of bamboo and allowed to dry in the shade. The result is a light and clean burning incense, with just enough smoke to carry the fragrance, but not cloud the room.
The scents of flowers are generally subtle and delicate. Charcoal, which burns without a scent of its own is therefore used for the floral fragrances. These sticks are black. The brown sticks contain a variety of wood powders and herbs and are used to create more woody fragrances like amber and sandalwood.
Where can I buy The Mother's Fragrances?
At the moment there are about 50 retail outlets all over the UK selling The Mother's Fragrances. If you'd like to know where you can buy The Mother's Fragrances in your area, please contact us with your name, e-mail address and postcode, and we'll get back to you.
Of course you can also buy The Mother's Fragrances in our shop.
Can I buy The Mother's Fragrances outside the UK?
Yes, you can buy The Mother's Fragrances in many Northern European countries and the USA, as well as on the following websites:
for Holland: www.wierook.nl
for the USA: www.merecie.com
How does The Mother's Fragrances Incense differ from other incense?
The Mother's
Fragrances have outstanding Fair Trade credentials.
The Mother's
Fragrances are made from natural ingredients only.
The Mother's
Fragrances are handrolled and made using the masala method: each fragrance
has its own mix of ingredients and the incense is not dipped.
How to use incense?
Incense sticks must be put in an incense holder and then lit. Blow the flame out after a few seconds. The heat of the smouldering stick evaporates the oils and burns the powders, releasing a pleasant fragrance. Always place the incense holder on a secure and uninflammable surface. Be careful with fire and never leave burning incense unattended.
What is incense used for?
Incense has been used for thousands of years and was common to many ancient cultures - usually as part of religious worship or as a luxury for the rich.
Today, incense is burned for a variety of reasons. Individual fragrances can have a positive effect on your emotions. Roses and Violets will make you feel happy. Lotus and Vanilla are other joyful fragrances. If you want to work or study, try Musk, which encourages activity. Amber helps you to relax, whereas Sandalwood stimulates intuition and meditation. Passion Flower ia a fragrances that inspires creativity.
Why is your incense called The Mother's Fragrances?
The Mother's
Fragrances are made in a project that was set up in 1977, based on the
teachings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. In short, their philosophy
teaches that All Life is Yoga: There is a spiritual element in 
everything
we do; an opportunity for inner growth and expression of our inner consciousness
in every circumstance. In their vision, the force of spiritual consciousness
must be used to uplift, transform and perfect the world.
Shrine to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother in one of the units where The Mother's Fragrances are made.
more information on The Mother's Society
Which Fragrance will suit you?
Fragrances are often associated with memories, emotions and feelings and can be used to bring these back to you. Individual fragrances will affect different people in different ways. It is exciting to experiment and find out which one is best for you to burn at different times of the day, which fragrance contributes to you health, your learning abilities, your intuition and emotional development and which one is best to give to a friend. You could start experimenting using our box with ministicks of 21 different fragrances, or use this guide to determine which fragrance will suit you.
Restful Fragrances:
Lavender, Amber, Sandalwood, Wild Flower
Inspiring Fragrances:
Passionflower, Autumn Leaves, Evening Rose
Happy Fragrances:
Roses and Violets, Lotus, Vanilla
Purifying Fragrances:
Spicewood, Sandalwood, Lotus, Jasmine
Fragrances for
Children:
Roses and Violets, Musk (helps with homework)
Adventurous Fragrances:
Oriental Rose, Passionflower, Musk
Fragrances for
Meditation:
Sandalwood, Lotus, Amber, Opium
Ancient Fragrances:
Frankincense, Myrrh, Patchouli, Gardenia