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As of the time of this posting, imps are no longer available for the following categories of scents: Sephiroth Tarot Oils Oblation Any Twilight Alchemy Lab oils [including those sold at Black Broom]. If you request a sample of a limited edition scent, we will swap for a random general catalog scent. Thanks for understanding!

The old phoenix logo has poofed out in a whoosh of flame, and it is time for a new BPAL logo to rise from its ashes. Since this is a family of sniff-makers and not doodlers, we're leaving it up to you. We are looking for a new logo... simple, clean, and something that will work well as both black ink on white and the reverse… a Fin de Siècle, Decadent Movement-inspired phoenix. The logo will be used on a bevy of BPAL paraphernalia, will adorn the new label for our Black Phoenix blend, will be carved into a Black Phoenix Trading Post pendant if possible, and, of course, the artist will be given full credit and will be lauded in the annals of BPAL history as an artistic genius and the herald of a new eon of BPAL tchotchkies. And I might just be moved to get it tattoo’d somewhere indiscreet. Sage, that means I’m coming to visit you again soon. =) Please email a lo-res version of your artwork to me at cupcake [at] blackphoenixalchemylab [dot] com with ‘Logo Contest Entry’ in the title by March 30th, 2005. The contest will commence on April Fools Day, 2005. I will set the artwork up on our site, and there will be an anonymous public voting process, the details of which are still to be determined. Voting is only open to members of the BPAL Forum and the BPAL Livejournal community. And now for the details: your artwork does not need to be digital, but must be scanable if it isn't digital. If you are sending a hard copy of your work, please remit it to – Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Attn: Beth 5042 Vineland Avenue North Hollywood, CA 91601 If you are sending digital art, we will need a version that is at least 300 dpi to use for printing and etching purposes. When sending in your entry, please send a 72 dpi version and keep the 300 dpi file on hand. Yes, there is a prize for the winner and the two runners up. A woman is entitled to her secrets and little mysteries, no? =) Questions? Email me.

Ted, Brian and I will be out of town from Thursday til Sunday cheering on Teddy’s hockey team, the L.A. Riots, at the Can-Am tournament in Las Vegas. We will be back Sunday night and our Vegas-fried brains should be functioning by Monday morning. Chaste Moon is live. In addition, we’ve added the following concoctions: + A LITTLE LUNACY CHASTE MOON -- Though March marks the end of the desolation and chill of winter, it is not yet Spring, the time of rebirth, fertility and the Earth’s fecundity. March’s Full Moon is a Virgin’s Moon, pure, youthful, unsullied and innocent. This is the Moon of the Child, and the scent is as soft and gentle as a baby’s breath: milky blossoms and soft cream touch the last buds of winter, coupled with crystalline, bright traditional Lunar oils. + BEWITCHING BREWS AEVAL -- A raven-haired Fairy Queen of Ireland. One of her eternal duties dictates that she must hold a midnight court every season and hear the pleas of married Irishwomen. The court serves only to determine whether or not husbands are adequately serving their wife’s sexual needs. A judicious yet powerfully sensual blend, a mingling of justice and sexuality: sage, sweet pea, bold pale musk and warm tonka. JUKE JOINT -- A bawdy, gleefully wicked and unruly scent: Kentucky Bourbon, sugar and a sprig of mint. LEANAN SIDHE -- Most of the Gaelic poets, down to quite recent times, have had a Leanhaun Shee, for she gives inspiration to her slaves and is indeed the Gaelic muse -- this malignant fairy. Her lovers, the Gaelic poets, died young. She grew restless and carried them away to other worlds, for death does not destroy her power. – W.B. Yeats The name translates to “fairy, love of my soul”. A vampiric spirit and a dark muse, the love of the Leanan Sidhe is both a gift and a curse. These eerily beautiful Irish spirits drain the sanity and lifeforce of the men they inspire to artistic greatness. Her kiss infuses a man with depth of vision and feeling, otherworldly passion, and a sudden and ineffable understanding of the unending sadness that plagues mankind. Her perfume is a crush of Irish herbs and flowers, Gaelic mists, and nighttime dew. SANTA MUERTE -- Santa Muerte, Saint Death, is not a harbinger of doom and symbol of entropy. She is the Queen of Mercy, a source of motherly comfort, and a symbol to all sweethearts that love lasts even beyond death. She is a vision of beauty in her own right: glittering rings adorn every bony finger, she is draped in a cloak of the finest satin, and her grinning skull, beneath her cowl, is crowned by a bejeweled tiara. A deep, resonant scent, both comforting and soft: lovers’ roses, solemn chrysanthemum, dark vetiver and dazzling cactus flowers. - - - + FUNEREAL OILS DANCE OF DEATH – Carrying bouquet, and handkerchief, and gloves, Proud of her height as when she lived, she moves With all the careless and high-stepping grace, And the extravagant courtesan's thin face. Was slimmer waist e'er in a ball-room wooed? Her floating robe, in royal amplitude, Falls in deep folds around a dry foot, shod With a bright flower-like shoe that gems the sod. The swarms that hum about her collar-bones As the lascivious streams caress the stones, Conceal from every scornful jest that flies, Her gloomy beauty; and her fathomless eyes Are made of shade and void; with flowery sprays Her skull is wreathed artistically, and sways, Feeble and weak, on her frail vertebrae. O charm of nothing decked in folly! they Who laugh and name you a Caricature, They see not, they whom flesh and blood allure, The nameless grace of every bleached, bare bone, That is most dear to me, tall skeleton! Come you to trouble with your potent sneer The feast of Life! or are you driven here, To Pleasure's Sabbath, by dead lusts that stir And goad your moving corpse on with a spur? Or do you hope, when sing the violins, And the pale candle-flame lights up our sins, To drive some mocking nightmare far apart, And cool the flame hell lighted in your heart? Fathomless well of fault and foolishness! Eternal alembic of antique distress! Still o'er the curved, white trellis of your sides The sateless, wandering serpent curls and glides. And truth to tell, I fear lest you should find, Among us here, no lover to your mind; Which of these hearts beat for the smile you gave? The charms of horror please none but the brave. Your eyes' black gulf, where awful broodings stir, Brings giddiness; the prudent reveller Sees, while a horror grips him from beneath, The eternal smile of thirty-two white teeth. For he who has not folded in his arms A skeleton, nor fed on graveyard charms, Recks not of furbelow, or paint, or scent, When Horror comes the way that Beauty went. O irresistible, with fleshless face, Say to these dancers in their dazzled race: "Proud lovers with the paint above your bones, Ye shall taste death, musk scented skeletons! Withered Antinoüs, dandies with plump faces, Ye varnished cadavers, and grey Lovelaces, Ye go to lands unknown and void of breath, Drawn by the rumour of the Dance of Death. From Seine's cold quays to Ganges' burning stream, The mortal troupes dance onward in a dream; They do not see, within the opened sky, The Angel's sinister trumpet raised on high. In every clime and under every sun, Death laughs at ye, mad mortals, as ye run; And oft perfumes herself with myrrh, like ye And mingles with your madness, irony! A gloriously elegant representation of Lady Death. Dry, bone-white orris, black musk, serpentine patchouli and our murkiest myrrh. THE GHOST – Softly as brown-eyed Angels rove I will return to thy alcove, And glide upon the night to thee, Treading the shadows silently. And I will give to thee, my own, Kisses as icy as the moon, And the caresses of a snake Cold gliding in the thorny brake. And when returns the livid morn Thou shalt find all my place forlorn And chilly, till the falling night. Others would rule by tenderness Over thy life and youthfulness, But I would conquer thee by fright! A thin, sinuous, creeping chill, the scent of glee-filled undeath: white iris, osmanthus, Calla lily, tomb-crawling ivy and a coffin spray of gladiolus, lisianthus and delphinium. - - - + SIN & SALVATION ROSE CROSS -- A profound symbol of an individual’s personal initiatic process, spiritual refinement and evolution, synthesis, grace found as a result of trial and suffering, and the alchemical process by which we transform the raw essence of our souls through light in extension. This is a holy oil, a representation of the triumph of spirit over matter: purest rose with sacred frankincense. - - - + WANDERLUST PRAGUE -- Crocus with snowdrop and three lilies.

Due to some faulty wiring and a flooded modem, we are having some trouble connecting. Basically, no online access at home at all, and an erratic connection at the Lab.

Verbatim from the Shiny & New page, as I am about to fall dead asleep on my keyboard... - - - IF YOU ARE PAYING VIA PAYPAL, please do NOT use our online credit card processor. Place your order through PayPal using the payment address paypal [at] blackphoenixalchemylab [dot] com and fill your order info in the comments field. Please note that all orders, including domestic orders, are currently taking an excess of 21 - 45 business days to process, pack and ship out due to a heavy workload, the process of hand-blending and the nature of our product. Please refer to the Shiny and New section for more information about current ship times. All oils are made once they're ordered to ensure freshness. Our shipped-through info is constantly updated in the BPAL Forums. Black Phoenix Trading Post is now live! Black Phoenix Trading Post is the officially licensed creator and distributor of BPAL tees, perfume jewelry and tchotch. The first tee is up, the Established 1350 tee, but they will be adding more designs in the near future. In the Spring, the first in a series of demonic statues will also debut. Questions? Please contact the Trading Post's proprietor, Tedwin, at tradingpost [at] papow [dot] net. Our Beloved Kate has completed the BPAL Search Engine Scent Family Project, and searching the site for scents by genre, tone, and general feel is now possible. ALL HAIL KATE! While Tedwin is busy slaving away in the t-shirt mines, Miss Kennedy, the recently deified Customer Service Goddess and Anthony, the BPAL House Manager and Official Whip Cracker, will be handling all of your customer service needs. Please email them with any concerns, comments, praise or lamentation at answers [at] blackphoenixalchemylab [dot] com. BPAL will be vending at Convergence 11, so if you can manage it, please come down and say hullo. Chaste Moon is coming up on my birthday, February 24, so you can bet your ass that it should be a pretty groovy update, all in all. But, in the meantime, here is a peek at the scents that are new for February: LIMITED EDITION • DEAD MAN'S HAND -- To celebrate the opening of the Black Phoenix Trading Post, we are offering this rugged, visceral dark cowboy scent. Now widely considered a portent of doom, the Dead Man’s Hand is a term used in five-card poker when you have “aces over eights” or “aces backed with eights” – the hand allegedly held by Wild Bill Hickock when he was gunned down from behind by Jack McCall in Saloon No. 10, Deadwood. According to the saloon’s proprietor, Hickock was holding all black cards, aces and eights, and it is believed that he was about to draw at the time of his murder. Our Dead Man’s Hand is the quintessential western scent: dusty rawhide and oiled leather. • THE LIVING FLAME -- They pass before me, these Eyes full of light, Eyes made magnetic by some angel wise; The holy brothers pass before my sight, And cast their diamond fires in my dim eyes. They keep me from all sin and error grave, They set me in the path whence Beauty came; They are my servants, and I am their slave, And all my soul obeys the living flame. Beautiful Eyes that gleam with mystic light As candles lighted at full noon; the sun Dims not your flame phantastical and bright. You sing the dawn; they celebrate life done; Marching you chaunt my soul's awakening hymn, Stars that no sun has ever made grow dim! A luminescent red scent: breathless with passion, flickering with desire, and glowing with ardent and reverential love. FUNEREAL OILS • HOUSE OF NIGHT -- And by that light around the dome appear'd A mournful garden of autumnal hue, Its lately pleasing flowers all drooping stood Amidst high weeds that rank in plenty grew. The Primrose there, the violet darkly blue, Daisies and fair Narcissus ceas'd to rise, Gay spotted pinks their charming bloom withdrew. And Polyanthus quench'd its thousand dyes. No pleasant fruit or blossoms gaily smil'd, Nought but unhappy plants or trees were seen, The yew, the myrtle, and the church-yard elm, The cypress, with its melancholy green. There cedars dark, the osier, and the pine, Shorn tamarisks, and weeping willows grew, The poplar tall, the lotos, and the lime, And Pyracantha did her leaves renew. The poppy there, companion to repose, Display'd her blossoms that began to fall, And here the purple amaranthus rose With mint strong-scented, for the funeral. And here and there with laurel shrubs between A tombstone lay, inscrib'd with stains of woe, And stanzas sad, throughout the dismal green, Lamented for the dead that slept below. A sorrowful graveyard bouquet of somber blooms, funereal boughs, dismal green and laden with grief. SIN & SALVATION • LANGUOR -- An opiate torpor, soporific, trancelike, and sublimely languid. A poet’s morphine dream, a listless journey into a gentle dream and the precipice of intoxicated madness. Paperwhite and black narcissus, three lilies, black poppy and tuberose and a hint of hypnotic opium den haze. LOVE POTIONS • BRISINGAMEN -- The amber necklace of Freyja, Norse Goddess of Love, Sex, Attraction and Fruitfulness. Her magnificent necklace was bough from four Dwarves [Alfrik, Berling, Dvalin and Grer] at the price of four nights of her passion. When Brisingamen graces your throat, no man can resist your charms. A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle and apple blossom, myrtle, and carnation. • CASANOVA -- A name synonymous with seduction and licentiousness. From childhood aspirations of seclusion and priesthood came Giacomo Casanova, the self-styled Chevalier de Seingalt, the most notorious debauchee and playboy of all time. His memoirs, Histoire de Ma Vie, enflamed the Enlightenment with scandal and tales of sexual conquest. His restless nature and flair for sensationalizing his adventures drew him into and out of fortune, through numerous careers and affairs, and led him into a brief altercation with the Inquisition and a conviction on the charge of witchcraft. Though he had a life rife with drama and intrigue, he died peacefully at the age of 73, librarian to the Count of Waldstein. Who says librarians can’t be sexy? A rakish blend of leather, anise, lavender, bergamot and amber with tonka, lemon peel and lusty patchouli. • HETAIRAE -- The sublimely beautiful, fiercely independent, impeccably cultured, fascinatingly worldly and witty courtesans of ancient Greece. A seductive and dazzling blend of golden honey, fiery patchouli, sweet fig and clove, and a blushing touch of ylang ylang. DIABOLUS • NOCNITSA -- Also known as Krisky, Plaksy and Gorska Makua, she is a nightmare spirit, the Night Hag of the Woods, who haunts Polish, Russian, Bulgarian and Slovak children during the darkest hours. The only protection against her torments is a circle drawn around a child’s cradle with a knife, or an axe or protective poppet hidden under the floorboards beneath where a child sleeps. Her scent is that of a lightless fir wood, nighttime air, wet forest mosses and upturned earth. ARS DRACONIS • DRAGON'S HIDE -- Flame-kissed, warm, smooth, and highly protective. Dragon’s blood, leather and a hint of smoke. • DRAGON'S MUSK -- Dominant, passionate, devastating. Dragon’s blood and five deep musks. WANDERLUST • MOSCOW -- A rich, bold blend of imperial rose, carnation, lush jasmine, lily of the valley, dark musk, amber, bergamot and gilded tangerine. • SANTO DOMINGO -- An exotic, sultry blend of tobacco leaf, bay rum and heady Caribbean blossoms. • SILK ROAD -- A panoply of cultural treasures, spanning the herbs, flowers, oils and balms of the Romans, the Byzantines, the Mediterranean, the Levant, Northern China, Eastern Europe, Iran, the Bulgar-Kypchak, Mesopotamia, the Crimean Peninsula, Anatolia, Antioch, and North Africa. New this month, the long-awaited Sephiroth series. Due to the complexity of the blends, and the quality and scarcity of their ingredients, they are only offered in the 10ml size, and, like the Tarot Blends, they are $21.50 each. SEPHIROTH • KETHER -- The Supreme Crown, Rashith ha-Gilgalim, the Primordial Ether, Primum Mobile, the Source of All, the Origin of Will that radiates 620 pillars of light. • CHOKMAH -- The Primordial Point of Creation, Mazloth, Being Out of Nothingness, the Origin of Thought and the source of the 32 Ways of Wisdom. • BINAH -- The Womb, Shabbathai, the Uppermost Feminine in the Godhead, Supernal Mother, Divine Sorrow, Supernal Shekhinah, and the source of the 50 Gates of Understanding. • CHESED -- Loving Kindness, Tzedek, the Benevolence of God, and the source of the 72 Bridges of Mercy. • GEBURAH -- Din, Madim, the Heavenly Court, the Consuming Fire, Divine Wrath, the Force that Contains the Seeds of Sitra Ahra. • TIPHARETH -- Divine Beauty, Shemesh, Unity, the Balance of Justice and Mercy. • NETZACH -- Victory, Nogah, Eternity, Endurance, God’s Grace. • HOD -- Glory and Majesty, Kokab, God’s Judgement. • YESOD -- Foundation, Labanah, The Living God, Eternal Life, the Source of the Living Waters. • MALKUTH -- The Kingdom, Olam Yesodoth, Shekhinah, God’s Presence in the World, the Throne of Glory. The following is a preview of scents that will become available throughout the rest of the year. Please do not request samples until they go live on the site; they are all still in their prototype or conceptual stages and are not available for purchase in any form. • 51 • Aeval • Anath • Apocalypse • Ariel • Astarte • Avalon • Babalon • Bé b'lia • Belshazaar • Berlin • Bien Loin D'Ici • Boleskine • Camlann • Ceylon • Conjuration • Cthulhu • Decadence • Dragon's Teeth • Elegy • Ennui • Erebos • Eurydice • Event Horizon • The Eyes of Beauty • Fascination • Freyja • The Ghost • Giza • Gossamer • The Graea • Hades • The Hanging Garden • Havana • Hel • Hi'iaka • Howl • Isolde • Jinx • Koshchei • Lemuria • Loki • Lorenz Attractor • Melbourne • Miranda • Mu • Na-maka-o-Kaha'i • Nairobi • Naked Singularity • Oblivion • Odin • Orlando • Orpheus • Pandemonium • Percival • Prague • Prospero • Rebecca • Requiscat • Risis • Romeo • Rosmerta • Sanguine Moon • Santa Muerte • Schrodinger's Cat • Set • Sidhe • Sri Lanka • Superstition • Tannhauser • Thanatos • Thou Art That • Tristam • Tsuyu • Two, Five and Seven • Val Sans Retour • Vampyre • Vesuvius • Vitriol • Wasp in a Wig • Xanadu • Xochiquetzal • Yekum • The Zorya • ... and the Mock Turtle's Lessons Also coming later this year... more from the Great Alchemists Collection: • Christian Rosenkreutz • Demosthenes • Hermes Trismegistus • Dee • Al-Razi • Aquinas • Caligostro • Flamel • Geber • Magnus • Mirabilis • Newton • Paracelsus • Zosimus Several limited editions will be coming in sets this year. The first pairings of the year will be... • Agony & Ecstasy • Cain & Abel In addition, we will be working on a bevy of mythological blends, the Arthurian Collection, the Temple Blends series, the Loas, and an influx of Voodoo Blends.

http://www.blackphoenixtradingpost.com Black Phoenix Trading Post is the officially licensed creator and distributor of BPAL tees, perfume jewelry and tchotch. The first tee is up, the Established 1350 tee, but they will be adding more designs in the near future. In the Spring, the first in a series of demonic statues will also debut. Questions? Please contact the Trading Post's proprietor, Tedwin, at tradingpost [at] papow [dot] net.

Storm Moon will be live until 12.01am 1/26. Along for the ride in this update: Spooky Revisited. Please refer to the Limited Edition page for more information. Email head's up, straight from the site: From 1/27 - 2/3, Tedwin, the BPAL Customer Service Demon, and Elizabeth will be in Orlando for INATS East. When emailing customer service during this time, you will receive an immediate reply from the BPAL Autoresponder Demon. Email replies from a human will be slower, but will not cease. All pressing emails pertaining to order-related questions will be addressed as quickly as possible by Brian, Elizabeth's partner and the Brain behind BPAL's mechanics, and Anthony, the Lab's resident Jester and House Manager. The rest of the crew will still be hard at work filling your orders.

Reiterated almost verbatim from another post I made today: The Lab is still open and running, but there might be a slight delay on email replies that require physical look-ups as both Puddin and I are floored with the flu at the moment. We're doing our best to see to it that all emails are answered and all issues are looked into in a timely manner, but at this time its involving a heap of phone calls and emails back and forth from home to the Lab, so there's a small delay. To reiterate, all orders placed prior to 11/15 were shipped. If you have not received your package yet and you placed your order prior to that date, there is something amiss. Please email us to let us know, and we will do our best to take care of it for you. Please do not PM us with questions: the only way we can keep track of anything is through formal emails. Thanks for understanding! - - - I am reposting this in Announcements to make sure it gets read.

Happy holidays, all! Wolf Moon will be live until 12/27, 12.01am PST. New to the catalogue in the Midwinter and Wolf Moon updates: The Graces, the Charities, the Gratiae: Goddesses of beauty, charm, celebration and merriment. They are the personification of all these aspects as found in both nature and mortal life. Daughters of Zeus and the oceanid Eurynome, they are Aphrodite’s attendants and work in harmony with the Muses as fountains of inspiration in the arts. In their aspect as fertility and nature deities, these Goddesses are associated with the Underworld and the Eleusinian Mysteries. Euphrosyne Mirth Gardenia, tea rose and vanilla and jasmine. Thalia Good Cheer Plumeria, pear, champagne. Aglaea Splendor Three golden ambers, bright musk, peach wine and myrtle. - - - DORIAN -- The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself. Inspired by and created for my beloved Tedwin: my eternal, beautiful, wicked Dorian Gray. Refined, elegant, and lovely, with a noble bearing and seemingly gentle air. This blend is an artful deception: a sweet gilded blossom lying over a twisted and corrupted core. A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea. - - - Unseelie has been discontinued. - - - Coming in January: ANATH CALIBAN CTHULHU DEE FREYJA NOCNITSA ODIN SET THE ZORYA THE TEN SEPHIROTH ...and scents inspired by Baudelaire: 'the Living Flame', 'the Ghost', 'the Eyes of Beauty', and 'Bien Loin D'Ici' as well as scents inspired by Matthew Arnold's 'Requiscat' and Philip Frenau's 'House of Night'. - - - Courtesy of our beloved Tedwin, Black Phoenix Trading Post will its open doors in late January.

Happy Midwinter's Eve! This night is my Tedwin's favorite evening of the year, and to celebrate, the following has been added to the permanent collection: + SIN AND SALVATION DORIAN -- The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself. Inspired by and created for my beloved Tedwin: my eternal, beautiful, wicked Dorian Gray. Refined, elegant, and lovely, with a noble bearing and seemingly gentle air. This blend is an artful deception: a sweet gilded blossom lying over a twisted and corrupted core. A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea.

In case anyone didn't see the other related posts, Nella is no longer our customer service angel. She has taken a position in her chosen field, and we wish her all the luck in the world! Teddy [aka Puddin here on the boards] will be possessed by the BPAL Customer Service Demon for the next few months. As before, please do not PM him with inquiries. Send all questions, comments, love letters and rants to: answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com and our beloved Puddin will get back to you as quickly as demonically possible. Thank you!

Lunacies will now be live for 24 hours, rather than 12. Happy Thanksgiving!

I will be pulling the LE's from the site on 11/15. Any orders that need to be received by Christmas must be placed by tomorrow evening [11/14] at the latest.

We don't have any cucumber scents at the moment, but we're working on two for future updates.

SV, what an AWESOME THING to come home to!!! THE NEW FORUM LAYOUT IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!!! Have I told you lately how much we love you?

I know that I’m going to get razzed by some for posting the update while Halloween is still cranking out, but I’m sticking with our schedule, damn it, and that’s that. I want to make sure that the Yule scents go live with enough time so we can ensure they get out by the holidays. Two scents are being offered to BPAL Forum members only: The King & Queen of Diamonds. They will be available until November 15th, 2004. KING OF DIAMONDS Blindingly handsome, imperious, and gleaming with crystalline light. The perfect mate to the Queen’s shimmering hauteur: a white chypre shot through with shards of translucent musk. QUEEN OF DIAMONDS A glittering icicle of a woman, regal, proud and cold: shimmering white grapefruit, pale flowers and lemon bark with orchid, rose and a dash of mandarin. You can pick these puppies up here. The rest is verbatim from the Shiny & New portion of our site: Site update: 27 October 2004, 12.20am. First, a notice: BPAL will be silent from 10/28 til Election Day. Four of the Lab rats will be travelling to New Orleans for Halloween, so we will not be answering emails during that time. You will be greeted by a friendly autoresponder goblin during our absence. Orders will still be processed, packed and shipped, as the Lab itself is not closed. This trip only affects communication. Thanks to everyone for their patience! Surprise! The Frost Moon update is live. Due to circumstances way, way, WAY beyond our control, the update had to go live just under twelve hours ahead of schedule. The Lunacy blend will vanish at midnight. Quite a few changes have occured this month, and, as it is late and I am borderline babbling, I will commence with a stream of consciousness: there are two new Lab Rats, Julie and Alan, who we truly adore, who have been Heaven-sent to help your harried, frazzled narrator and crew get the holiday orders out as quickly as possible. Black Broom of Noth Hollywood, California and The Apothecary's Cat in the UK will be carrying BPAL blends in the very near future. I have a metric [blarp!] ton of new links to add, but those will have to go up when I have time to catch my breath! Two categories have been added: Ars Draconis and Oblation, which I'll blather about in detail later in this posting. An aesthetic choice was made, and the 'Old' has been taken out of the Wanderlust altogether. You will still be receiving bottles and imps with the old labels [OLD! GET IT!?] while we phase them out. Single Notes and Celestials have been discontinued along with the following blends:  Allegory  Arkham  Azazel  Bacchanalia  Banshee  Bat’s Blood  Bruja  Cabaret  Calliope  Carnivale  Chypre  Circe  Crucible of Courage  Damnation  Deimos  Despair  Dissipation  Entropy  Erato  Feu Follet  French Creole  Glasya  Goona Goona  Haitian Lover  Hakkotsu  India Bouquet  Juju  Ligeia  Lobban  Melpomene  Morella  Mystery  Naiad  Pandora  Phobos  Puck  Pulse Points  Sepulcher  Silentium Amoris  Spectre  Storm  Swallow’s Blood  Tears  Three Jacks  Torment  Typhon  Yuki-Onna It was akin to cutting off a limb, but it had to be done. RIP, my smellies. Now, let's go with our usual nose-dive into the new scents: Starting this month, Black Phoenix is introducing Oblation, a section devoted to our most beloved causes. A portion of the profit from each 5ml bottle sale goes to the scent's corresponding charity. More will be added as resources become available. We are starting with... OBLATION: SCENTS WITH A CONSCIENCE • CHIROPTERA -- Proceeds go to Bat Conservation International. A bat-friendly bouquet! Evening primrose, night-scented stock, moonflower, night phlox, lemon balm, lavender, honeysuckle, sweet sage, salvia and thyme. • OISÍN -- Proceeds go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. A legendary warrior bard from Irish lore and a renowned member of the Fianna. His saga is detailed in two of the four great Cycles of Celtic legend: the Fenian and Ossianic Cycles. A lyric, wistful blend of summertime Irish blossoms and herbs, glistening with vibrant white musk. • THUNDERBIRD -- Proceeds go to The Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program. Wakinyan, Hohoq, Kw-Uhnx-Wa. With eyes of fire, its glance is lightning, and thunder erupts as the great, sacred bird claps its mighty wings. A willing guardian and protector of mankind, a wise and benevolent teacher, and the creator of life-giving storms. The sharp tang of ozone and the deep bass growl of thunder over mountain trees. • CERBERUS -- Proceeds go to the Animal Assistance League of Orange County. Cerberus, the Three-Headed watchdog that guards the gate to Hades. Loyal, dutiful and ferocious to its master’s enemies, but possessed of a distracting fondness for honey cakes and the song of the lyre. A deep, rumbling scent, warm, soft and as cozy as a dog by a hearthfire, but with a fierce and feral soul: deep chocolate, deeper musks, with a dash of fig, bittersweet walnut, and the wild essences of juniper berry, cubeb and rum. The Yule Limited Edition scents have also whirled their way into this update to ensure that we are able to get them out in time for the holidays: LIMITED EDITION: YULE BLENDS • EGG NOG -- Sweet brandy, dark rum, heavy cream, sugar, and a dash of nutmeg. • GINGERBREAD POPPET -- Warm, cozy gingerbread spiced with nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. • HEARTH -- Sweet pipe tobacco, cherry wood, the warm, worn leather of an easy chair and a pleasant, subtle waft of fireplace smoke. • ICE QUEEN -- A majestic blend of precious pale musks, brittle winter blossoms, spruce, and frozen winter fruits. • MIDWINTER'S EVE -- A melancholy, deep scent, poignant and brimming with nostalgia. The perfume of sugared plums over a breeze of winter flowers. • MISTLETOE -- The plant of peace in Norse tradition. If enemies met in the forest and came upon a sprig, they laid down their arms and observed a truce until the next sunrise. • ROSE RED -- The perfected winter rose, dew covered and freshly cut. • SKADI -- The Snow-Shoe Goddess, Giantess, the Norse embodiment of winter. Frost-rimed winter berries, crisp pine needle, and a slush of bright snowy notes. • SNOW WHITE -- A chilly, bright perfume: flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night-blooming flowers. • SUGAR COOKIE -- Affectionately nicknamed 'The Devil's Bake Sale'. • YULETIDE -- The juice of ripe, bursting, blood red holly berries. More new stuff has also been squeezed into the General Catalogue... BEWITCHING BREWS • ANTIQUE LACE -- Nostalgia encapsulated. A soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes. • ARACHNE -- A victim of her own arrogance, conceit and hubris, Arachne, the greatest mortal weaver, had the temerity to claim herself superior to Athena. Arachne was truly gifted: not only was her art astoundingly beautiful, but the vision of her in the act of weaving was a joy to behold. When one observer commented that her skill was so great that she must have been trained by the goddess Athena herself, the proud woman scoffed: she was insulted, and proclaimed aloud that the goddess could do no better than she. Athena heard this, and, as she is not a vindictive or jealous goddess, gave Arachne the opportunity to redeem herself. Disguised as an elderly woman, she came to Arachne and warned her against hubris. She laughed at the old woman and declared that she would welcome a contest with Athena. The goddess accepted the challenge. Athena wove a stunning tapestry depicting her victory over Poseidon, thus gaining patronage over the city of Athens. Arachne, who couldn’t leave well enough alone, wove a vulgar piece that depicted Zeus’ dalliances with Leda, Europa and Danae. Appalled at the woman’s audacity and blasphemy, Athena tore Arachne’s tapestry to shreds, crushed her loom, and bonked the mortal on the head, forcing her to feel remorse for her actions. In guilt and grief, Arachne hung herself. Again, because the goddess is merciful, she took pity on the woman and, after sprinkling aconite upon her corpse, transformed her into the first spider. A gossamer scent, as light as a spider’s footfall, touched with sighing mists: pallid flowers, dusty woods and soft herbs. • BASTET -- Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus. • BELLE ÉPOQUE -- “The Pretty Era”, France’s Golden Time: an age of beauty, innovation and peace in France that lasted from the 19th Century through the first World War and gave birth to the cabaret, the cancan, and the cinema as well as the Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements. Sweet opium, Lily of the Valley, vanilla, mandarin and red sandalwood. • CENTZON TOTOCHTIN -- The Four Hundred divine rabbits of the Aztec pantheon that preside over parties and drunkenness. Bittersweet Mexican cocoa with rum, red wine, and a scent redolent of sacrificial blood. • EOS -- The Rising Sun. She is Ostara, Easter, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility and the dawn. She is a protector and friend to all children. Her scent is that of softly glowing skin, jasmine, buttercup and honeysuckle. • GRANDMOTHER OF GHOSTS -- Mania, Roman Goddess of the Dead, Matron of Madness, Governess of the Ancestral Spirits, Bestower of Divine Frenzy. Her scent swirls with a high-pitched tumult of laurel, stargazer lily, splintered woods, peony, mandarin and white musk, and is spiked with pale pepper. • GROG -- Arrr! Avast ye, matey! This be the scent of pirate rum! • HIGHWAYMAN -- A brace of loaded pistols He carried night and day; He never robbed a poor man Upon the king's highway; But what he'd taken from the rich, Like Turpin and Black Bess, He always did divide it With the widow in distress. Stand and deliver! Vetiver with gardenia, blood red rose, night-blooming jasmine, a dash of cinnamon and a faint hint of leather. • IAMBE -- Daughter of Pan and Echo and dear friend to Demeter. When Demeter was mourning the abduction of her daughter, Iambe was the only creature in heaven and earth that was able to lend cheer and laughter to the grieving mother. Her scent is one of comfort, beauty and joy: Sudanese amber, patchouli, rose, gardenia, gladiola and white tea. • MANTIS -- Crushed herbs and sweet amber resin with a streak of patchouli, neroli and golden musk. • NIFLHEIM -- The House of Mists, a land of icy fog, shadowy darkness and soul-chilling cold. Dark, damp blossoms winding through an impenetrable, murky gloom. • SOPHIA -- The Gnostic goddess of Wisdom. A solemn, deeply profound draught of lavender, soft musks, star jasmine, black rose, delphinium, and gentle spice. • YGGDRASIL -- The World Ash. Nine woods, nine leaves, and three herbs each for Ratatosk and Vidofnir, with three final herbs to placate Nidhogg. FUNEREAL OILS • ANUBIS -- He Who Counts the Hearts, Jackal Ruler of the Bows, He Who Is In the Place of Embalming. Jackal-headed guardian, protector and psychopomp of Egypt’s dead, he guides souls to the underworld and holds steady the scales upon which the deceased’s heart is weighed against Ma’at’s Feather of Truth. He is the creator and master of funereal rites, He Who Opens the Mouth of the Dead, and is the sentinel that watches over the sanctity of tombs and the virtue and privacy of his charges. His scent is a blend of holy myrrh, storax, balsam, and embalming herbs. SIN AND SALVATION • FALLEN -- Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heav'n. This is our song to Lucifer, Lucis Ferre, Heosphoros, the Morning Star, the Brilliant One and the Son of the Morning. He is equated with Samhazai, the Heaven-Seizer, and Azazel, one of the 200 Fallen Angels of Enoch. The essence of overweening pride and unearthly angelic beauty. A regal scent, glowing darkly, elegant and patrician, but unfathomably desolate. Cherubic white sandalwood and golden musk with a dark halo of amber, a breath of imperial florals, unbending woods, and the shadow cast by vetiver and violet. LOVE POTIONS • BATHSHEBA -- The Seventh Daughter, Daughter of the Oath. She was King David’s lover, and the mother of King Solomon. Her scent is breathtakingly lovely, exotic and powerfully sensual in its innocence: carnation, sensual plum, and Arabian musk. • KURUKULLA -- The Tibetan goddess of love and wealth. Her scent is a harmonious, sweet, enchanting blend of three lotus blooms and three roses. • NEFERTITI -- “The Beautiful One Is Come”. Egyptian iris and olibanum with red and white sandalwood, soft myrrh and a breath of North African herbs. • WHIP -- Agony and ecstasy: black leather and damp red rose. DIABOLUS • BLOOD COUNTESS -- Elizabeth Báthory, also called Erzsébet Báthory in Hungarian and Alžbeta Bátoriová-Nádašdy in Slovak, was the Bloody Lady of Hungary. In order to preserve her youth and loveliness, the brutal and incomparably savage countess captured, tortured and slaughtered innumerable young women and bathed in their blood as part of her beauty regimen. Ah, vanity. Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry. • MARQUISE de MERTEUIL -- Stately, bold, aristocratic and cruel. Opulent galbanum and amber, glistening peach, and a bouquet of French florals, with a merciless undertone of jonquil and heartless vetiver. WANDERLUST • DELPHI -- The smoke of Sacred Incense of Apollo twined through laurel branches, bay, and honey wine. • FLORENCE -- The pearl of the Italian Renaissance. Elegant iris, bright berries, gilded amber and velvety spices. • MANILA -- A tropical, humid, lush scent, with a faint echo of Pacific breezes, jungle blossoms, and deep wet woods. Sampaguita blossoms, banana leaf, palm, and narra. • TENOCHTITLAN -- The greatest of all Aztec cities, and capital of their empire. Amber, hyssop, coriander, epazote, Mexican sage, prickly pear and Mexican tulip poppy. Ars Draconis has been added so that we can consolidate the Dragonny smells!

Four of the Lab rats will be travelling to New Orleans for Halloween, so we will not be answering emails during that time. You will be greeted by a friendly autoresponder goblin during our absence. Orders will still be processed, packed and shipped, as the Lab itself is not closed. This trip only affects communication. Thanks to everyone for their patience!

Eek

I've received a few PMs from people re: emails they've sent to me that I haven't received. It seems my email monster is back. If you have sent an email to me at my cupcake addy, please hold off for about three days and resend. My poor, beaten-down computer has finally had it, and is being replaced this week.

There are no blends that contain tomato leaf. =) Honestly, at this point, I still don't have a clue what to do with it! Everything I've attempted smells like marinara.

BPAL Public Service Announcement: If you have any doubts about whether or not you'll have an allergic reaction -- no matter how mild -- please do not use the scent.

Please use paypal[at]blackphoenixalchemylab[dot]com for all future PayPal purchases. This is effective as of 5 June 2004. If you have made a PayPal payment to the email addy cupcake@papow.com in the past week please email Nella to confirm that we received it. The papow.com email address was spontaneously bumped off of our PayPal account, and as we had the URL pirated out from under us, there is no way for me to retrieve anything from that email at this time. Thanks!

As of noon today, the following remain: All Saints: 77 Dia de los Muertos: 23 Samhain: 14 Sugar Skull: 56

The following BPAL oils are only available for purchase through Black Broom in North Hollywood, CA: Abramelin Anointing Fiery Command Flame of Desire Helping Hand Lucky #20 Money Draw Seven African Powers The following Orisha oils are also available exclusively at Black Broom: Ellegua Babalu Aye Chango Obatala Ogun Orunla Oshun Yemaya The following BPAL loose incenses are being stocked at Black Broom this week: Abramelin Amber Banishing Black Candle Tobacco Cleansing Consecration Dragon’s Blood Fast Money Healing Hecate High John the Conqueror House Blessing Isis Lotus Love Lust Protection Reversing Rose Sage Seven African Powers Uncrossing Sol Luna Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Earth Air Fire Water Many oils and incenses are being added to the repertoire in the beginning of October. During the month of October, Black Broom will also begin stocking the full [yep, all of them] line of BPAL oils. Towards the end of 2004, we will be collaborating on incense sticks [in addition to the aforementioned loose incense], scent lockets, and a heap of other goodness. To recap, Black Broom’s address is: 5050 Vineland Ave North Hollywood, CA 91601 Hours: Tues-Sat 11:00am-7:00pm Phone: (818) 985-2944 Black Broom’s fledgling Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BlackBroom/ Their web site is on its way, and I'll be posting updates as they come.

CcNow erroneously sent out cancellation notices to many of our customers today. We have no idea why; however, we did receive a notice from CcNow stating the following: - - - Dear CCNow Client: You may have recently received inadvertent e-mail notification(s) from CCNow that order(s) within your account have been cancelled. Please rest assured that your order(s) HAVE NOT been cancelled. All pending orders within your account are still active and awaiting shipment by you. If you have any questions regarding the status of your orders, please use the "Contact CCNow" form in your account. We apologize for any issues this may have caused. Regards, CCNow - - - As far as we can tell, the orders have not been cancelled on our end. If you have any questions about the status of an erroneously cancelled order, it will be best for you to contact CcNow directly: http://www.ccnow.com/cgi-local/inquiry.cgi Thank you very much!