“Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. … The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.” It is reminders like this one that we desperately need in our own lives—a thought or an idea that we’d rather ignore, do everything to avoid and pretend is not true. Most often, our ego runs away from anything that reminds us of the reality that sits at odds with the comfortable narrative we have build for ourselves. Or, we are simply petrified to look at life’s facts as they are. And there is one simple fact that most of us are utterly scared to meditate, reflect on and face head on: We are going to die. Everyone around us is going to die. Such reminders and exercises take part of Memento Mori—the ancient practice of reflection on mortality. This brooch is an exact replica of one from the 1800s in the designer's collection.
About the maker: Seance’s founder began making perfumes long ago after becoming obsessed with the power of an aroma. Truly, the right scent can paint a picture, evoke a strong emotion, or transport someone to a certain place and moment in time.
From an early age, our founder learned she had the gift of intuition. Dedicated to harnessing this mysterious and intriguing ability, she honed her senses through extensive classes and research. Over time, she worked to help others develop these same faculties, hoping that they too would journey ever deeper into the vast expansiveness of what we have yet to explain.
Seance is built on this fascination with the paranormal and metaphysical. As human beings, we each strive to walk the fine line between what is scientifically rational and that which is emotional. Though technology advances and the world grows smaller each day, life offers each of us the same challenge: to find a place for those things that may only be felt.
And so it was in the Victorian era, a time which gives us inspiration and a sense of connection. Men and women of those bygone days were very open to the world of spirits, using mourning practices and incorporating other rituals into their daily lives. Chief among these, of course, was the seance. Through the help of a medium or by joining hands over a Ouija board, it was common for Victorians to experience a presence and emerge with a story of their own.