Aromatic Rituals: Let your mind slowly drift and picture yourself in an era many years ago...in the 1st century B.C. in Egypt. Cleopatra was setting sail on the Nile with her entourage, her handmaidens busily scenting her sails with jasmine to announce her presence to her adoring multitudes. Of course, any prospective suitors she might encounter along the way would be intoxicated by the luxurious aromas wafting through the air. Cleopatra and other members of the royal family had their own priest perfumers, who deigned the exclusive right to create scent for rituals, religious events, lovemaking, childbirth and remedies for various maladies. Since Cleopatra felt she was above all that, she also created her own scents and cosmetics. Because she was the Queen, they did not cause friction by trying to stop her. For her, perfume was sacred, but it was also one of her main tools used to ensnare and entrap everyone from lovers to confidantes and servants. It was her preferred method of seduction. She oozed self confidence and power, and the fragrances she wore enhanced that sexual power even more.