GUATEMALAN MAGICAL PERFUMES

Magical and lucky perfumes -- like the perfumed dressing and anointing oils used in African-American hoodoo -- are worn on the person or applied to objects to effect a magical change or transformation of events. These Guatemalan perfumes are typical of such spiritual supplies, which have a long history of use in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Magical perfumes and package amulets are sold in open-air markets throughout Guatemala. These were purchased from a street vendor.

"Siete Machos" translates as "Seven Male Animals" -- here depicted as seven horned buck goats whose heads are arrayed around a steaming cauldron from whence issues magical aromatic essences. Siete Machos perfume, which has a light, pleasantly musky fragrance, is worn by men to increase their manliness and to help them win in love affairs. It is believed to attract women.

Since billy goats are notorious for their highly developed sexuality and the way in which their strong odor attracts females, the use of the male goat as a symbol is highly appropriate for this occult perfume. The back of the label, unseen in this scan but visible through the bottle, bears the imprint of four roses; the logo of the company that manufactures the popular Siete Machos line of men's magical fragrance products.

"San Simon Esencia" is a perfume used by both men and women who seek the aid of the old Guatemalan Mayan god Ma'am under his contemporary guise as Maximon or Hermano San Simon. Maximon ensures bountiful crops, fertility, success in business, and good luck in gambling. His name (pronounced Mashimon) is a conflation of Ma'am and Simon; Hermano San Simon means "Brother Saint Simon" -- because as an "opener of the way," Maximon is identified with the Catholic Saint Simon Peter, the "keeper of the keys."

The aroma of San Simon Esencia is citrus-based, and the colour is orange, in keeping with the fact that offerings of kumquats are favoured by the god. Other offerings are shown on the label: a candle, a glass of alcohol, a stack of coins, and a smoking cigar. The perfume may be worn on the person or applied to objects to be blessed. Because it is difficult to import small bacthes of this perfume from Guatemala, we now make it here in our own shop. The fragrance is exactly the same, and so is the label, but we use standard rectangular glass bottles instead of the faceted one shown here.

Order Maximon San Simon Essencia Perfume Oil from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.

SEARCH THIS SITE: a local search engine and a named link to each Lucky Mojo page
Lucky Mojo Site Map: a descriptive entry-level index to the whole Lucky Mojo pile
Lucky W Amulet Archive Home Page: an online museum of folk-magic charms
Sacred Sex Home Page: essays on tantra yoga, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
The Sacred Landscape Home Page: essays on archaeoastronomy and sacred geometry
Freemasonry for Women Home Page: a history of mixed-gender Freemasonic lodges
The Lucky Mojo Curio Co.: manufacturers of spiritual supplies for hoodoo and conjure
The Comics Warehouse: a source for back-issues of comic books and trading cards
catherine yronwode, the eclectic and eccentric author of all the above web pages
nagasiva yronwode: tyaginator, nigris (333), nocTifer, lorax666, boboroshi, !
The Lucky Mojo Esoteric Archive: captured internet files on occult and spiritual topics