Ourobouros

[yeahbutnobut]

Wow, I'm first with this one...

 

Ourobouros (hope I spelt that right)

Brings aspects of your life to completion. Helps you tie up loose ends, bring things full circle, and find balance.

 

(Note: I won this decant on eBay, but I have no idea what it's intent or magickal purpose is, so for now I'm reviewing the oil on its scent here-I hope this is ok?)

In the imp: fresh and green, slightly lemony, and I think I get a bit of pepper. A clean, almost soapy scent.

Wet on skin: pepper or ginger, a soapy lemon scent (maybe lemon verbena?) and something moist and green and quite floral, possibly a lily note.

Dry on skin: yup, I'm sure there's a ginger note here, it's warm and spicy in a slightly savoury way, there may also be a mild pepper note here as well. It's a strange scent because behind this gingery scent, I get a soapy scent of lemon verbena and a green note and possibly a lily of some sort. It's both clean and fresh and warm and savoury-spicy, reminds me of a recently cleaned kitchen where spicy food is regularly cooked…

After a while: I now think there may be some cumin or coriander in this? I get another savoury spice note here that isn't ginger or pepper, it may be one of those. I still get the lemon soap aspect, but now I also think there's a bit of vetiver underneath it all…this vetiver becomes more noticeable on drydown.

Verdict (scent): The only thing I know is that the Ourobouros is the ancient symbol of the serpent that eats it's tail, and I think it's also an alchemical symbol? Other than that, I have no idea of the oil's purpose yet, but as for it's fragrance…this is an unusual scent! It has both a savoury-spicy aspect which to me smells of pepper and ginger, and a soapy scent of something lemony and clean, along with a moist green-floral like a lily, with vetiver undertones which strengthen as time passes. A strange combination of scents, it's not something I'd wear as perfume-but then again it's not perfume, and if I knew what it's intent was, I could wear it for that. For now, I'll wait for a mod to put a description up and maybe try it again for intent if it's purpose appeals to me.

 

edit: after reading the description, it seems this oil has come at a perfect time-the end of 2005 no less. A nice TAL to end the old year with-and it felt right as well.

 

EDIT: Description added. --Shollin

Edited December 31, 2005 by yeahbutnobut

[aidenraine]

After an incredibly tumultous month I thought a white candle annointed with this oil would be a good idea. My husband had already lit one next to the ashes of our dog so I rubbed the oil onto it, according to direction, and focused on what could help bring my life into balance. The herbal-lemon smell permeated the air and actually smelled a bit like cleaning products. Pretty cleansing.

 

I think at first, just on my hands, the smell was strongly more herbal than lemon. I thought it was a bit musky, even, but it seems to have settled down.

 

The oil is only as good, I guess, as the one using it, but I hope this helps.

[oedipa]

Since I don't use magical oils for anything other than, well, magical purposes, I'm not going to review Ouroboros as a scent except to say that it's a strong, sharp-smelling oil - I caught lemon and ginger and somehing distinctly pine-y, but that may just be me.

 

As far as magical use goes - wow!!

 

I've had a rather nasty falling-out with a friend, and he's definitely suffered the brunt end of some chaos (longtime girlfriend breaking up with him, father's sudden passing, etc) in part due to that. While I know I'm certainly not fully responsible, I do feel that I might have been a catalyst and so want to help him heal, close his circles, live and love again. So I dried some roses (white for sorrow, yellow for friendship) and anointed them - the white with Ouroboros, the yellow with Lionheart, while I burned a white and a yellow candle carved with his name and thought about all the things I wanted for him. Then I applied a little Ouroboros to my heart and asked that I be given the ability to move on and learn from this, should he not want to remain friends. Then one of the candles burned my finger and I spilled almost the whole decanter - frustrating, but somehow oddly appropriate! I bought the decanter only for use in this ritual, and it's pretty clear I won't be using it again.

 

Immediately after the ritual I felt 1,000 times better and I slept like a baby (no more terrifying dreams). This morning I dropped the roses and a note at his apartment and felt even better - that cycle of my life is complete, at least on my end. I now feel I've done everything in my power to try and help him through this, to the point where my worrying was starting to have a negative effect (letting go of things is not one of my strong points, alas!). I really think Ouroboros helped me work through this issue.

Edited May 16, 2006 by oedipa

[slave1]

In Bottle: Floor cleaner

 

On Skin: This smells quite noxious at first, eek! I smell industrial grade floor cleaner. Very bright, lemon or some citrus. Also a slighty deep spicier scent in the background. Also pine… very sharp and bright. This scent wakes you up, but gives me a headache in minutes. I’m not sure if I’d want a candle to scent my room with this, but…. I really want to see if it will help me tie up some loose ends in my life. Maybe end a few things so I can begin new things. We’ll see…

[Blood onmy hands]

This smells rather like Lemon PineSol to me. Not something that I'd wear as a perfume, but I actually don't mind the fragrance (I, uh, enjoy the smell of most household cleansers). It would be way too strong and all to wear as a perfume, but I don't mind it as a room scent. Which is what I've been using it for.

 

The few times that I have used this as a room scent while trying to work out some serious issues in my life... it really energized me and made me want to clean my entire house. It's not the result that I was going for, but my house is sparkly clean now, lol.

[Summerpixy]

Scent: Medicinal herbs and spices. This is not a blend to be use for scent at all.

 

Effectiveness: So far I cut ties cleanly with my roommates and it looks like we're all going to be able to get on with our lives. I burnt a candle annointed with Ourboros just to make sure that there would be no loose ends - seems to work so far. I certainly feel much better about it.

[starrykitten]

Ourobouros smells very green and herby and not at all like a snake!

 

I have a decant I bought from a forumite that I've used a few times. I feel like it helps me process through things faster, if that makes any sense. One time I used it and while it didn't change the real world problem I was having, I finally felt comfortable taking action. Another time I used it and had a dream that brought up a lot of unsettling fears--icky but things I think I'd been hiding. This weekend I was having a bad day and was slipping hard into bad places, and the Ourobouros helped me move that through my system and on its merry way.

[supremegoddessofall]

Lemon pledge with a touch of florals. 1/5.

[merivelle]

I think that this is an excellent oil to use for ritual work and it has been very successful for me. As far as the scent goes, yesterday I actually wore it as a perfume.(I had previously used it only to annoint candles.) I can see where some of you are getting the lemon scent, but I honestly feel, after wearing it for a few hours, that there is a strong carnation element to this oil. Oh well, the mystery remains. It is a wonderful oil for completion rituals.

[odd_duck71]

This stuff is amazing! During the first half of last year there was huge upheaval in my life. To the point that we dubbed 2006 The Year of the Weird. This included serious kerfuffles in three organizations we were associated with at the time. We were treated quite shabbily, and in all three cases, have no idea why. Even after leaving I still had a lot of anger about the things that happened.

 

Earlier this summer, I decided enough was enough and obtained a decant of Ourobouros from a forumite. After a simple ritual specifically closing those chapters of my life, I've felt SO much better. I still remember what various people said and did (or neglected to do), but there is little emotion attached to the memories now. It's all just something that happened long ago and far away and doesn't really matter.

 

There are a few other things I would like to "officially" put behind me, so I see a 5ml in my future.

[crazyredhead17]

My use of this oil picks up at the end of this review of STFU, as reference.

 

I don't generally care about how blends smell for ritual use (although I'd probably be hard pressed to use something that smells really rank in the bottle, but I digress), but this smelled like lemon pledge on my fingertips.

 

I had used STFU towards a person that was causing me unnecessary hurt, and it worked but between that ritual and using Orobouros there was sense of loose ends - and that it wasn't time to close the circle yet.

 

A few days ago I got an apology out of the blue, and after I recovered from receiving it, I put some Orobouros on the tips of my index fingers and just traced a circle in the air with my fingers. I can't recall what I said, but I know as I closed the circle and my fingertips met, I said "and now it's time to move on with life."

 

I feel like a major load has not only been lifted, but is gone entirely, and there are no loose ends to trip me and grab me, and the future seems a bit brighter for it.

[Medici]

In the imp: A green, slightly soapy, fresh scent.

 

This is one of the more "hardcore" blends in my arsenal, and since I've been using it on and off for the past month, I can safely say the results are instantaneous. I put a bit on my palms, and I rub it eeeeeeeverywhere: big ol' slap to the auric field.

 

There is a rather long and ugly story to accompany my experiencing using the oil to... eh... snikety-snikt-Berzerker-style the lingering threads to certain situations that were... ah... not wholly beneficial for me, but I won't go into it here, given that it's personal and painful and ugly to look at for long periods of time, and frankly, I'm mentally done with it (so tying it all out now that its done seems like I'd be flogging a dead horse, here.) I don't want to give the situation anymore energy than necessary.

 

Suffice to say, Ouroboros has been most beneficial for me in the mental disconnect. It gives me a strong sense of peace, using it to release the things that no longer serve me.

 

I do find I need to use it repeatedly, though. The downside is that where I feel better for using it, the other individual still holding on to the other end of the psychic string feels the sudden void of my mental effort not being there. (I hope that makes sense. Basically, after four days in a row of using Ouroboros, I got a phonecall from the very person I was trying to get over, which sort of reset the magical switch, which led me to starting over from scratch with the whole... accepting that this is "the end.")

 

So yeah, effective, potent, but I'd suggest paying close attention if there are other individuals involved in whatever situation you find yourself in. Ex-boyfriends included.

[lilirose]

Orobouros works. It's possibly now my number one TAL success story.

 

A month ago I was feeling very desperate about a situation that was taking forever to get sorted out. So, on the new moon, I dressed a green candle with Orobouros (which, BTW, smells heavy on the vetiver to me, but I'm not reviewing for scent). I dressed the candle in a spiral going up, then another going down, because that's what felt right to me at the time, and concentrated on my hopeful goal- that the situation would be completely resolved by the next new moon.

 

(Just as a side note, I know many magical traditions call for working by the full moon, but I've always been backwards. The new moon has always been my most powerful time. So please don't base your ritual step-by-step on mine, because it might not work for you that way.)

 

In all honesty, I thought there was no hope. I thought that what I was asking was completely and totally impossible. But in any case, the situation began to unsnarl within a couple of days after the ritual, and a month later- just after the new moon- it's resolved, in exactly the way I'd hoped.

 

I am certain that this oil had a huge influence on getting everything sorted out quickly and smoothly and in good time.

Edited September 1, 2008 by lilirose

[Nia]

Scent: Ouroboros has a fresh, citrussy beginning, and when it dries (on skin) or warms up (candle, etc), vetiver comes out. It doesn't smell in a way that could pass as perfume; you could anoint yourself or an amulet in White Light and just get about your day, but I don't think you'd want to do that with Ouroboros.

 

Use: I have used it a couple of times to make spiritually and ritually mine an object previously used and "charged" by another person, in one ritual to end a bad habit, and in another ritual to give an end to several months of on-and-off illness. The first ritual didn't really work; I didn't focus enough, wasn't ready, or didn't have the right intentions. The second ritual.... I did it a couple of days ago. I anointed a candle, did work related to my health such as stretching for more than an hour, wishing the pain away, anointed my chakras and all pain points and took a long shower with a soap that was a get-well gift. The ritual was supposed to involve only me, but the next day, a problem in my relationship with my partner came to a head and exploded. So, now two problems, and two phases in our lives, are over. On the one hand, my health is a lot better. A lot. Overnight. On the other hand, the undercurrent of discomfort in our life as a couple is hopefully over.

 

So, my conclusion is that Ouroboros works best in concentrated, somewhat ellaborate ritual and it can have effects in more areas in your life than the one you are concentrating in. In my experience, its use on its own it is not enough to overcome addictions or change bad habits.

Edited December 1, 2008 by Nia

[Syzygy]

Okay. So. There was this failed relationship, and even though more than enough time had passed and it was very plain that never again would our paths cross, I just could not move past it. All else having failed, I got a bottle of Ouroboros.

 

The ritual itself was a real patchwork affair, cobbled together from ideas I found on the forum and some real-life elements. First I wrote my ex a letter. As I wrote, I found myself ending each paragraph with the same sentence - "It is time to close the circle" - which made it into a kind of incantation. I sealed the letter in an envelope with my ex's name on it and put it aside until it was time to finish up.

 

When the waning moon came, I chose one evening after I'd had a good yoga class during which I'd focused on the ritual and moving forward. When I got home I dressed a white candle with Ouroboros in two spirals: one going up, one going down. I also anointed the rim of a 3-footed copper bowl, then I opened the envelope and drew a circle on it with the oil. I wore some White Light to put myself in a good space. I read the letter aloud, concentrating on my ex as if he were listening, then burned it in the copper bowl. Rather than go out looking for a stream at 10 p.m., I washed the ashes down the sink. Then I scrubbed the hell out of my bathtub (to tire myself out and because it needed it), took a shower, went to bed and slept like a rock. The next morning I dropped in for another yoga class, using it to kind of put the final coat of shellac on the ritual.

 

All that day, and for quite some time after, I couldn't really think about my ex. Every time I tried to, my thoughts would...bounce off. It was as though all that history had been sealed up and put away like a box of old letters or photos, and I couldn't open it up.

 

That was several months ago, and I wanted to wait to see if the ritual had really worked. Looks like it did. That relationship is safely in the past now. I'm no longer haunted and depressed. I can open up the box now if I want, and look at those old memories without any pain. Been a long time gone, and now I finally feel alive, awake, happy and free.

 

So, is Ouroboros effective? Holy cats, I should say so!

[kittycatpurr]

I have had strong results from Ourobouros, probably because I took the time to use a ritual.

 

It's very green and bracing, has lavender or a similar aromatic. This is good for me, I love lavender. There is something intense and persistent about it.

 

Last fall I switched jobs, and wanted to transfer as much knowledge as possible before leaving the old place. I rubbed Ourobouros on my fingertips, and marked the corners of my work notebook, and stated I wanted to complete as much as I reasonably could in a responsible manner for all involved. It did take one or two re-applications, but it was worth it each time. I got a lot done, and when I left my team member gave me a card thanking for me taking the time to train people.

Edited April 16, 2013 by kittycatpurr

[BoneBone24]

Intent: Wrapping up/making headway on the forever long list of chores on my to-do list. I’m such a procrastinator and chore-hater that my list of things to do has gotten ridiculous over the years, so I thought ouroboros would be a good fit for completing such never-ending tasks.

 

Other Materials: Red candle (to inspire action) , Paper (with intent written on it), Basil (to bring focus on the home), and Sarsaparilla (also to bring focus on the home).

 

Effects: While the candle was burning, I went through all the mail and paperwork that was laying around and tucked in drawers and bags around the house. I sorted, shredded, trashed, and filed all of it that day, and took care of a few other chores around the house as well. We’re talking two+ years worth of credit card applications, bank statements, takeout menus, etc. sent to my husband, me, and several previous tenants of our house. After the candle burned down I wrapped the contents of the ritual in fabric and twine. I’ve been leaving this in areas of the house where I spend a lot of time, hoping it would subtly inspire me to stop lazing around. Since doing so there have been a number of things that I have been meaning to do for months (and in some cases years) now that at long last have finally gotten done! I finally got the hole in the siding patched. (I’m a bad homeowner and have been putting this off for over a year.) I finally cancelled our unused gym memberships. (Our last visits were in, um, last December.) My husband finally got rid of the giant-ass record console that’s been taking up precious space ever since we bought the house - 4 years ago! And I’ve had a much better attitude when doing weekly chores (dishes, trash, etc.), rather than cursing out my husband while doing them like usual - ha! While my intent was chore-focused, other areas of my life may have been affected as well. I’ve been meaning to get back into a fitness and diet routine for ages, and have finally done that. I’ve also been putting off (but rather needing to) getting my budget under control and (whew!) I’ve actually done that too! Knowing how much of a procrastinator I usually am, I’d say the level of productivity I’ve had since doing the ritual speaks volumes for its effectiveness.

 

Scent: It smells earthy, cozy, and a bit smoky. Definitely vetiver, but softened somehow. Maybe some patchouli, spices, and woody herbs too. My husband thought it smelled like chicken.

[zankoku_zen]

To me, Ourobouros smells earthy and smoky. Vetiver, patchouli, spices, woodsy. It definitely has some of that earth energy, but less concentrated than say the Earth BO in terms of scent.

 

I originally anointed a candle, but forgot to light it. I also dabbed some on myself so as not to waste the oil, and thought about one person in particular while I did so.

 

Long story short: SUPER EFFECTIVE. Yesterday I had a 2+ hour conversation with the person in question about alot of things. It was deep, meaningful, and we talked about patterns of behavior that have to change. The other individual found the talk to be really helpful and I'm fairly optimistic that this will lead to some meaningful and hopefully positive changes.

 

Almost equally as important, I feel very good about the conversation, and there were key takeaways that I think will be helpful for all parties involved.