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Showing results for tags 'the fools journey'.
Found 38 results
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A visionary heretic, martyred to usher in a new Aeon: rose oudh, blackened myrrh, and cathedral incense. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. I've never been a "church" person, but I do love the smell of an old church, especially ones that have candles and incense burning. We have another glorious church scent here. Slightly smoky, but not cloying, but almost fresh, like a drafty church on a chilly day. The floral is a suggestion, so no fear here floral averse people! There is a touch of a creamy overtone that I can't quite explain. I think this will be traveling to Paris with me to wear on the day we tour the churches and cathedrals of the city.
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Speaking truth to kings, beggars, and popes alike, immune to retribution and lordly wrath as he flings wise quips like cream pies and barbed arrows. A motley tunic, festooned in bells: red currant and lemon peel over sugared patchouli and a bit of buttercream. A huge "Huzzah" to this Jester! Opens with a bright citrus-like sugar. Fresh and sweet, like smelling a lemon poppy seed cake. As it wears the Red Currant supports the brightness of the lemon, keeping me away from the scent memory of a lemon scented cleaner. The Patch is playful, delightfully tethering it to the ground or it will all float away. Substantial longevity and mild throw. Now I want to get out my bottle of Cherophobia 2016 and side by side test them.
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Guiding the aspirant to spiritual knowledge and attainment through silence, reflection, intuition, and direct experience. Red benzoin and rose. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. THIS THIS THIS!!! A scent with rose that I can adore, and wear with reckless abandon. She is so gorgeous. Smooth, creamy, feminine, this combination of red benzoin and rose is a winner. The creamy benzoin is the first thing I noticed. I didn't even realize this had rose until after a few minutes. Then she appears, but is kept well in check by the benzoin. It's like the perfect vanilla rose. I'm going to wear the hell out of this. Reminiscent of a softer, creamier Crucible of Courage, which has long been a favorite of mine. If you don't like rose, give this one a try, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised and loving the rose perfume life!
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The Mysteries of Persephone’s divine descent entwined with the Mysteries of the Temple of Solomon, forming a map of the Tree of Life. He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates and placed them on the chains. Pomegranate, dates, and cypress infused with ketoret smoke veiled in violet, purple, and crimson. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. Purple and green, with a hint of smoke. This starts of a tiny bit sharp, and a little soapy from the green, and like the pomegranate itself, it's sharp when you first bite down on the juicy arils, but then the purple sweetness coats your tongue. The drydown on this one is definitely evokes the violet, purple, and crimson. I'm not sure I love this one on my skin, but I may have to let it age out a bit to to see if it smooths out a bit.
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Energy, will, and the manifested Word of the Magus. It is the generative process, the act of creation: ash, rowan, oak, and elder wood, polished with sweet resins but handworn, glowing with inner fire. From wet to dry, this a lighter version of Antkythera Mechanism, with a lighter wood. I imagine the mop with Mickey smells like this!
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The unknown factor, the outsider entering your town uninvited, unannounced, and unknown: a narcotic black chypre with crushed violets, indigo lilac, patchouli, oakmoss absolute, labdanum, and clove. Super intrigued! Wet, it smells very cold, almost like a splinter of blue-black dark. I bet there are some opium notes in this because I get that soporific swell in some of the poppy-containing blends. Labdanum is one of those notes I love, but also jumps out on me, and the poppy-black-musk opening becomes gummy with warmth on my skin and lets out a spicy-sweet cloud of labdanum, made gritty and husky with the patchouli. This is really, really heavy and basically is prowling off my skin. Interestingly, it isn't until at least 15 minutes later, that I can get a bit of the oakmoss/lilac/violets. These are not whomp you on the head florals or greens... a tangle or dark crown or wreath of gray-green foliage scattered with dark, subtle petals, but still a menacing arrangement, lurking in the shadows. I like this, but it is farrrrrr to dark for this bright violet-wearing metal-aquatic werewolf. Still, this is super dark, moody, sexy. Complicated and layered. Even with the florals, I think this is unisex and may even transform based on who's wearing it... again on me, a guy, it's an unconventional, dark musky in tone with bruised purple florals lurking but not showy in the background.
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Flos campi and lilium convallium, Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley: the blossoms of transcendence and spiritual aspiration. First sniff was pollen heavy floral like orange blossom. Wet down I get intense white flower, I am not a lily/lily of the valley fan but I can imagine this is a white flower fan's dream. The flowers are dusky with almost a medicinal base, so not bright. I could see this being a contemplative scent. It dries down powdery white flowers taking on a department store style classic perfume element as it settles. I can't do white flowers but if I could I'd be all over this.
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The Sorcerer, the Cunning-Man, the Sage. He is the Kerux, Initiator and Psychopomp, the Divine Messenger who leads neophytes on their paths through the Mysteries and shepherds the souls to the underworld. Honey absolute, Oman frankincense, and asphodel. Lots of honey, with a floral note I'd probably guess was dandelion if I didn't know better -- my nose really isn't familiar with asphodel. The frankincense is just a gentle woodiness under the other notes. This stayed true on me through the whole wearing. Fairly mild throw, good longevity. Straight-forward and very pretty.
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The Ouroboros, the serpent as he consumes his own tail. Within this everlasting cycle, the spirit is reborn into eternity: frankincense, white rose, balsam, almond flower, and benzoin. The Magician’s Belt is the 2nd darkest. Belt is amazing, I may need a bottle. Sweet sugar with flowers and a spritz of citrus lime, really complex. This one is a hit. It has a cologne style to it - but light. Limes and white rose - which makes sense as it's very fresh rose. The benzoin must be the lime/citrus. The rose is like fresh rose petal kind, not the powdery old lady rose. Drydown it morphs to white rose which lingers on and on.
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The keeper of the secrets that are hidden [AB3] at the moment that life begins. Her light is the veil that cloaks the spirit; she is the mediator between the supplicant and the word of the gods. White carnation, cardamom pod, and honey milk. WOW. Bottle: Heady. Sticky honey and floral, just a hint of a green sharp or spicy edge. Wet: A blast of cardamom milk, liquid carnations. Dry: A little sweet, a little creamy. The carnation hangs out for a long time, on me. It's so comforting, I want to wrap myself in it. This is honestly one of the most well-blended scents I've ever gotten, from BPAL or anywhere else, so complex and beautiful and evocative it's bringing me to tears.
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The Hustler, the Scoundrel, the Grifter, using the magic of misdirection, charm, and subtlety to swindle his way through this world, and through all worlds, seen and unseen. Eloquent and glib, he is the quintessential knave. He is the Guardian of Gamblers and the Protector of Con-Men. A confidence trick: leather, sweet balsam, white sandalwood, thieves’ rosin, and dusty lavender. This is a lovely lavender, with sweet balsam, and thieves' rosin. I love it. Need a bottle. Stat!
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The integration of spirit with the material world: frankincense, styrax, oakmoss, patchouli, and birch tar. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. The notes suggested that this was going to be perfect for me. But the oakmoss is not playing well with the beautiful resins. Sharp, not smooth and creamy, like it should be. Patchouli is a winner for me 99 times out of 100, but this one is a miss.
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The sign of life, the sigil of eternity. The mathematics that form the structure of the universe, the finality of Omega, yet also the inconceivable, endless space beyond. Immortality and rebirth, the perfect aspiration of Spirit. Frankincense and black pepper, Himalayan cedar, cognac, and tobacco. The Leminscate is very woody - hard cold wood chips with black pepper. The wood is harsh. Dry down is pure wood with a light wooden element which maybe the tobacco trying to come out. I don't hate it but I don't love it enough I have a couple of hard wood scents already. Reminds me very much of They Lie Thus Chambered and Cold to the Moon. I dont get the warmth of the tobacco or the cognac I had hoped for, they are elements not the main stage on me.
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Who leads the star-dazed hero in a moon-blessed quest for his mythical lover: night-blooming jasmine, clove bud, cardamom, moonlit vanilla orchid, and moonflower. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. Oh, she is STUNNING! I adore night blooming jasmine, it's a note I crave but find it lacking in my collection. The evokes a moonlit lover, sexy, deep, but light and bright at the same time. A little spicy, the clove is kept in check by the florals, which is great because clove, while I like it, can be a bit of a bully in some blends. This may be one of my favorite applications of clove I've ever experienced in a BPAL blend. This blend is so smooth, nothing heady, sharp, soapy, or prickly in this moonlit bouquet of gorgeousness. I can see myself reaching for this time and again.
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Divine ecstasy and divine madness. Ambivalence and absolute faith. Frankincense and lemon peel drifting on a cloud of lemongrass, white coconut, sandalwood, and vanilla absolute. In the bottle, this is surprisingly less citrus than I would have guessed from the notes. It's mostly a whiff of a lemon kiss gliding over the meat of a coconut. The lemon like notes then veer more towards lemongrass, but it's subtle and not super sharp, as that note can be. With a little more time and heat from my skin, the coconut becomes more apparent, deepening, and then kissed and brushed with dusty medium brown sandalwood (a sweet, not super sharp, but just thrummy enough woodsiness to ground the higher notes)... and there's a bit of gourmand from the vanilla. Certainly not truly foody, but having elements of both the resinous citrus and yet creamy spice variety. With even more time, the lemon notes deepen and I can swear that the spritz of a lemon rind is now more apparent. On me, the scent does become quite subtle, and mostly a tasty buttery lemon-coconut.
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The three phases of the moon fashioned into a lunar triregnum: blue chamomile, mugwort, and orris root. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. Tea lovers rejoice! This smells like a perfect cup of herbal tea. So soothing, grounding, calming. I don't love this on my skin, but in a locket or a diffuser, this will be perfect. It's atmospheric. I want it in a room spray!
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The mystery of divine virginity, insemination, and the cradle of all birth. Fertility, wise counsel, and the gift of true wisdom. Gleaming amber and copal with white sage and sheer juniper. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. SAGE and AMBER!!! Who knew they could be so gorgeous together. Sexy as all get out, resinous but bright, the juniper adding to the herbal brightness without going soapy. She's really soft, though. I want more throw from this, it's just so gorgeous! This would be a great scent when you want to smell amazing up close and personal for a special someone.
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Virgin, huntress, witch, holding the mysteries and powers of womanhood between her palms: vetiver, white pine, hay, Sicilian lemon, leather, and agarwood. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. The hay is front and center, and I adore Beth's hay note, and it's here in all its glory, like you find in Hay Moon. I also find the light pine and lemon prickling beneath the hay. The huntress aspect of this scent is prominent, witch, secondary, and virgin, hmmm, not finding it. Definitely not a feminine fragrance. Vetiver and leather, two problematic notes for me, but they aren't too prominent here. I like this but I'm not as enamored with it as some of the others in the collection. I'd like to smell this on a man. I also think it will get better with age. Needs cellaring.
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The Raconteur, the Town Gossip, and the first character to appear on the stage in the first act. He is the Minstrel of the Heavens, the Devil’s Messenger, spinning morality tales, singing songs of loss, laughter, and triumph, and murmuring prophecies to all. Beeswax, leather, hearth wood, and campfire smoke. The Storyteller is amazing. The beeswax gives the scent a sweetness, but the leather, wood and especially the campfire smoke make it so SEXY. I haven't huffed my wrist like this for a scent since I can't remember. It's unique but not bizarre, and that's a fine line for someone like me, who is not a huge scent groundbreaker. This is bottle-essential. Nice wear length, decent throw.
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The affable fool who uses his own obtuseness and ignorance to his advantage: milk, honey, and wild fig with ambrette seed and almond buttercream. Narr opens thick and rich and sweet. It's a buttercreamy milk, heavy with almond and honeyed fig -- that's about the order of strength of the notes on my skin. At first, the ambrette is just darkening the blend a bit, its nuttiness blending into the almond. But in drydown, after the initial honey cream rush (which was pretty heady stuff), the ambrette comes into its own on my skin, building its nutty sort of musk. It reminds me a little of the ambrette in Fortuna Primigenia, which was kind of ambergris-like to me, but here it's mingling closely with almond and harder to separate. The buttercream milk and honey settle down surprisingly fast. What begins as omghoneycreamheartattack quickly mellows on my skin into a nutty, sweet ambrette with creamy and figgy qualities.
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Purity of ideal, unsullied innocence, liberation from base desires and worldly trappings. White rose, frankincense, verbena, and angelica root. In the bottle It's almost like sour lemon candy in the bottle, I think owing to the verbena and frankincense. Like Lemonheads! Wet on skin It's still a very candy-like scent but not as much so. I can smell a little bit of rose, but the frankincense and verbena still dominate. It's not what I was expecting, but it is pretty. It's a happy scent. Dry on skin after 30 minutes Once this has a chance to sit for about ten minutes, a bit more rose peeks out, and the rose continues to peek out rather than come forward and say "Hello!". It's not a citrusy scent, but the verbena and frankincense continue to give this that lemon candy edge without being overly sweet or, well, citrusy. Sophisticated herbal lemonheads, if there were such a thing. I like it. Thoughts I thought this would be much more rose-forward, but it ended up being more verbena-forward. This is not a scent meant for seriousness! This is a lot of fun and a blind bottle I don't regret buying.
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The pillars at the entrance to Solomons temple. And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz. These two pillars, therefore, stand for the two great spiritual principles that are the basis of all Life: Jachin typifying the Unity resulting from Being, and Boaz typifying the Unity resulting from Love. In this Dual-Unity we find the key to all conceivable involution or evolution of Spirit; and it is therefore not without reason that the record of these two ancient pillars has been preserved in our Scriptures. And finally we may take this as an index to the character of our Scriptures generally. They contain infinite meanings; and often those passages which appear on the surface to be most meaningless will be found to possess the deepest significance. The Book, which we often read so superficially, hides beneath its sometimes seemingly trivial words the secrets of other things. The twin pillars Jachin and Boaz bear witness to this truth. The Hidden Power by Thomas Troward, 1921 White cedar, cypress wood, sweet myrrh, honey myrtle, white sandalwood, spikenard, and frankincense. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. Another stunner! Again, nothing like this in my collection. Creamy, woodsy, resinous, perfectly blended, with just a breath of floral skimming below the surface. Cedar can be problematic for some people, but my skin loves cedar, rendering sweet, smooth, and gleaming. So well blended, no one note is screaming for attention. It's beautiful, I want to bathe in it.
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The twilight in between the stage performer and the Magus; the sleight of hand trick transforms into true sorcerous skill: black silken musk, dark clove, guiac wood, black pepper, frankincense, and cardamom. Herbal wood-spice and a little soapy. Turns into more soap-with a funky wet wood underlying. Some mineral like wet stone and a little alcohol like sniffing an herbal liquor. It’s the funkiness I don’t like, while I can imagine that might be exactly the perfect scent for someone else. It’s not my thing. I expect the funk comes from the clove/cardamom blend. I like both those spices on their own but obviously not together.
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Her scroll is sealed, her book is closed, and she is silent: the wisdom that she grants is that which cannot be put into words, that which cannot be recorded but must be experienced. Honeyed myrrh with a drop of Ceylon cinnamon. Beth continues to evolve as an artist. This collection is unique, and beautiful, complex, and stunning. Two problematic notes for my chemistry, honey, and cinnamon, and my skin is not having it. Myrrh is typically great for me, but unfortunately she's nowhere to be found. Honey and spice lovers are going to have so much fun with this one.
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The Magician’s right hand bears the wand of Will aloft, while his left hand points earthward. This is the descent of grace, the act of drawing Divine light and inspiration to the material, mortal realm. Sweet myrrh, calamus, ambrette seed, and Ceylon cinnamon. On wet: Sweet myrrh and juniper mainly. The Ceylon cinnamon keeps the juniper from getting to strong. I am not the biggest fan of this one. I am glad I got the decant, I won't need a bottle. The final dry down is sweet myrrh with hints of cinnamon and juniper. Pass.
