About Us
From Our Circle To Yours...
Hi friend! We're Heather and Genevieve, the witchy BFF team behind Birch & Besom. We started our business out of a love for magic, self-care and superb smells.
Truth be told, a long time ago we were both die-hard fans of Halloween season at Bath & Body Works. But after developing headache sensitivities (and a more refined palette!), we decided to venture into the world of fragrance on our own.
Genevieve is our head designer and maker with years of experience reviewing indie perfumes online. Her hyperosmia (heightened sense of smell) allows her to masterfully blend fragrances to create little works of olfactory art. She can be found on Reddit lurking the Indie Makeup and More community as u/oaksandroses.
Heather handles the business side of things, including customer service, marketing, package design and fulfillment. She's a jack-of-all-trades with that entrepreneurial witch blood in her veins. On the weekends she's usually schlepping our magical wares to pop-up markets around Oregon.
There are plenty of amazing gothic perfumeries out there, so we created Birch & Besom to embrace the playful side of witchcraft and magic. Gorgeously captivating scents with a dash of whimsy, a smidge of spooky, and a pinch of silly humor is what we're all about. And if that mission resonates with you, you're our kind of people <3ļ»æ
Stay in your Power,
G & H
Land Acknowledgement
Birch & BesomĀ acknowledges that ourĀ workshop, home and gardenĀ are located withinĀ the traditional lands ofĀ theĀ Cow Creek BandĀ of Umpqua Tribe of Indians,Ā and the Modoc Nation; as well as the Shasta, Takelma, andĀ LatgawaĀ people, whoseĀ descendants are now identified as members of the Confederated Tribes of SiletzĀ Indians andĀ the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together ā who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed from the land. Most were sent to the Siletz and Grand Ronde Reservations. The Modoc were sent to Oklahoma after the Modoc War in 1873. The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians defied removal and remained in the region.
The result of forced relocation and genocide is that Jackson County, Oregon is no longer a population center for these specific tribal groups. As of the 2020 Census 4.6% of the population of Jackson County has some indigenous heritageāwhile this is more than twice the national average, it is a precipitous reduction from the pre-colonial 100%. We acknowledge that indigenous groups are too often relegated to the historical past when, in truth, indigenous people are essential members of the Jackson County community.
We take this moment to recognize the Indigenous people whoseĀ traditional landsĀ are where residents of Jackson County live today. We are committed to fosteringĀ understanding, deep respect, and honor for Indigenous people, and weĀ encourage you to learn more about the land you reside on.