In “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” Aries novelist Patrick Süskind writes of the absolute power of fragrance.
“People could close their eyes to greatness, to horrors, to beauty, and their ears to melodies or deceiving words. But they couldn’t escape scent. For scent was a brother of breath,” he pens.
“Together with breath it entered human beings, who couldn’t defend themselves against it, not if they wanted to live. And scent entered into their very core, went directly to their hearts, and decided for good and all between affection and contempt, disgust and lust, love and hate. He who ruled scent ruled the hearts of men.”
Ruling the heart and riding high on memory, scent is the most powerful and evocative of human senses. A recent study found that more than half of Americans (51%) experience “scent-stalgia” missing the comforting scents of their homes after being away from it.
In honor of the rapture of redolence, here are the scents each zodiac sign invokes and the fragrance that suits them best.
ARIES (March 21 – April 19)
Aries smells of the tin taste of fresh blood, diesel fuel, and a blown-out birthday candle. Scents that invoke the gunpowder, gasoline, go-down swinging spirit of the first sign in the zodiac include Blazing Saddles by Outlaw and Burning Bridges by Snif.
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)
Fixed earth, Taurus smells like room service and estate sales, the belly of a ripe fig, semen, cacao, cold mashed potatoes and a lavender field at midday. Scents that suggest the dirt-born, full-bloom decadence of the sign include Love in White by Creed and Libre Eau De Parfum by YSL.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)
Ruled by the planet of conversation and communion, Gemini smells like tea leaves, hummingbird feathers, crushed-up Adderall, and a daisy plucked clean of its petals. Scents that mirror the energy and enthusiasm of the twins include Daisy by Marc Jacobs and the fresh AF after the rain, dandelions on a summer day smell of Tokyo Bloom by The Different Company.
CANCER (June 21 – July 22)
The cardinal tides of Cancer smell of moon water, crayfish urine, magnolia blossoms, amniotic fluid, someone else’s sweatshirt, nests of garbage, vinyl records, and aloe vera. The sign with a nose for nostalgia will respond to Maison Margiela’s distillation of the memory of a Lazy Sunday Morning spent in Florence 20 years ago and Phlur’s Missing Person, meant to smell like a love lost.
LEO (July 23 – August 22)
Ruled by the sun and synonymous with pleasure, play, and the inner child/insufferable tyrant that rattles within each of us, Leo smells like line-dried laundry, frankincense, popsicle sticks, gratuitous bouquets, and grudges. Scents that sing to lions include Solar Power by Phlur and Truth or Dare, distilled by apex Leo and patron saint of confidence as revenge and nudity as high art, ladies and gentlemen, Madonna.
VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)
Mutable, meticulous Virgo smells of graphite pencils, caraway, the rich rot of mushrooms, holy water, antacids, the cracked spine of a rare book, and the first bite of a granny smith apple. Scents that support these temple-tending, care-as-ritual, people-as-projects folk include Smyth by Henry Rose and Mushroom by Demeter, described by the manufacturer as “earthy and pungent, yet strangely sweet,” true of the fragrance, true to the sign.
LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)
Ruled by pleasure as birthright, get laid and get paid planet Venus, Libra smells like the inside of a vanilla bean, Damascus silk, Restoration Hardware, cinnamon, “The Great Gatsby,” white lies, and clean lapels, a silver spoon, catnip, an elevator pitch, and cufflinks on the nightstand. Fragrances that invoke the sign of the scales include The Soft Lawn by Imaginary Authors and the wildly popular Santal 33 by Le Labo.
SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)
Rulers of the eighth house of sex, death and secrets, Scorpio smells of root cellars, palo santo, motel sheets, clove cigarettes, melted wax, oyster brine, the husks of snakes, and other people’s money. Scents that summon the spirit of the scorpion include Ambre Nuit by Dior and Transformation by TokyoMilk.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)
Ruled by luck-dealing, pocket-padding, pony-betting planet Jupiter, Sagittarius smells of continental breakfast, asphalt at dawn, leather pants, lemongrass, neon lights, beanstalks, and sagebrush. Fragrances that align with this get-it-on-the-run sign include the poetically named Windows Down by Henry Rose and Sticky Fingers by Francesca Bianchi.
CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)
Rulers of the 10th house of legacy, Capricorn smells like old money, fresh cement, right angles, ivy, black licorice, yardsticks, and fine tailoring. Signature scents for sea goats include Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne from Jo Malone and f–k it I smell like dynastic wealth and exquisite taste Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)
Ruled by unruly Uranus, the unequivocally strange Aquarius smells like a lightning strike, triangles, down feathers, Tesla’s mustache, tungsten wire, space dust, chrome, and white amber. Water bearers will find a reason to ecstatically inhale in Mugler’s Alien and see themselves reflected in the radical individualism of Glossier’s You.
PISCES (February 19 – March 20)
Ruled by dreamy, murky Neptune, Pisces smells of sweet potatoes, opium, brackish water, nihilism, rainbow sprinkles, yuzu, and myrrh. Recommended fragrances for the fish folk include Black Opium by YSL and The Lover’s Tale by Francesca Bianchi.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the star
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.