Thunder Moon / Blue Moon Update

[kebechet]

It’s the Blue Moon, boys and girls!

 

BLUE MOON

The spirit of the full moon is capricious, intense and passionate, yet still distant, aloof and cold. Luna herself governs glamours, bewitchments and dream-work, innocent wonder, transient pleasure and delight, the Moment, impulse, mystery and veils. The Blue Moon is one of her rarest manifestations, and this scent is formulated to encapsulate her most complex and profound nature:

 

Mugwort and bay, for psychic sensitivity…

Juniper, for divination through dreams…

Orchid and galbanum, for complexity, wisdom and noscere…

 

… with a potent lunar-charged blend of exquisite Asian woods, moonflower, Madagascan ylang ylang, Florentine iris, Greek cypress, davana, green tea absolute, palmarosa, cucumber, Clary sage, melilot trefoils, wood aloes, and pale creeping buttercup.

 

 

July’s thunderstorms are the harbinger of this month’s Lunacy scent: Thunder Moon.

 

 

THUNDER MOON

This is the scent of a summer storm: thick black clouds pass over this full moon, the Goddess roars, and Her Beloved hurls his forked bolts of lightning in the distant sky. Ozone deepened by liquid amber, and a spray of hot nighttime rain mingled with the scent of lightning-struck wood, water-soaked summer blooms, and sun-scorched grass.

 

 

And this month’s shapeshifter comes to us from Scotland, by way of Norway:

 

 

SELKIE

In Norway land there lived a maid,

'Hush bee loo lillie' this maid began;

'I know not where my baby's father is,

Whether by land or sea he does travel in.'

 

It happened on a certain day

When this fair lady fell fast asleep,

That in cam' a good greay selchie

And set him down at her bed feet,

 

Sayin' 'Awak, awak, my pretty maid,

For oh, how sound as thou dost sleep!

An' I'll tell thee where thy baby's father is-

He's sittin' close at thy bed feet!'

 

'I pray, come tell to me thy name,

Oh, tell me where does thy dwelling be?'

'My name it is good Hein Mailer

An' I earn my livin' oot o' the sea.

 

I am a man upo' the land,

I am a selchie in the sea,

And when I'm far frae every strand

My dwellin' is in Sule Skerrie.'

 

'Alas, alas, this woeful fate!-

This weary fate that's been laid for me,

That a man should come from the Wast o' Hoy

To the Norway lands to have a bairn wi' me!'

 

'My dear, I'll wed thee with a ring,

With a ring, my dear, I'll wed with thee.'

'Thoo may go wed thee weddens wi' whom thoo wilt,

For I'm sure thoo'll never wed none wi' me!'

 

'Thoo wilt nurse my little wee son

For seven long years upo' thy knee,

An' at the end o' seven long years

I'll come back and pay the norish fee.'

 

Now he had ta'en a purse of guld

And he has put it upon her knee,

Saying 'Gi'e to me my little young son,

And take thee up thy nourrice fee.'

 

She says 'My dear, I'll wed thee wi' a ring,

Wi' a ring, my dear, I'll wed wi' thee!'

Thoo may go wed these [thee's] weddens wi' whom thoo wilt,

For I'm sure thoo'll never wed none wi' me!

 

But I'll put a gold chain around his neck

An' a gey good gold chain it'll be,

That if ever he comes to the Norway lands

Thoo may have a gey good guess on he,

 

An' thoo will get a gunner good,

An' a gey good gunner it will be,

An' he'll gae oot on a May mornin'

An' shoot the son an' the grey selchie.'

 

Oh, she has got a gunner good,

An' a gey good gunner it was he,

An' he went out on a May mornin'

An' he shot the son and the grey selchie.

 

Alas, alas this woeful fate

This weary fate that's been laid for me.'

And once or twice she sobbed and sighed,

An' her tender heart did brak' in three.

 

The chill waters of the Orkney coast, tea-leaved willow, honey-touched Grass-of-Parnassus, sea aster, and Scottish Primrose.

 

-- A traditional Scottish ballad. This is a variant of the one collected by Francis James Child.

 

 

Happy birthday, Moonchildren!

 

CANCER

Cardinal Water: the essence of feeling.

Wild lettuce, wild pear, chamomile, germanica orris, sweet pea, and mallow.

 

 

Midsummer is approaching, and with it comes a small Midsummer Night’s Dream-themed update!

 

 

++ ILLYRIA

HELENA

I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell,

To die upon the hand I love so well.

 

Rose amber, calla lily, night-blooming jasmine, water lily, and white rose.

 

 

HERMIA

How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak;

How low am I? I am not yet so low

But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

 

Pink pepper, golden amber, honeysuckle, and passion flower.

 

 

LYSANDER

The course of true love never did run smooth.

Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, with a Venus-kissed tangle of myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin.

 

 

ROBIN GOODFELLOW

Now the hungry lion roars,

And the wolf behowls the moon;

Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,

All with weary task fordone.

Now the wasted brands do glow,

Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,

Puts the wretch that lies in woe

In remembrance of a shroud.

Now it is the time of night

That the graves all gaping wide,

Every one lets forth his sprite,

In the church-way paths to glide:

And we fairies, that do run

By the triple Hecate's team,

From the presence of the sun,

Following darkness like a dream,

Now are frolic: not a mouse

Shall disturb this hallow'd house:

I am sent with broom before,

To sweep the dust behind the door.

 

Dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage.

 

 

And a few new Shakesperean plants have bloomed in the Garden:

 

 

++ RAPPACCINI’S GARDEN

DIAN’S BUD

Be as thou wast wont to be;

See as thou wast wont to see:

Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower

Hath such force and blessed power.

 

LOVE-IN-IDLENESS

Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell:

It fell upon a little western flower,

Before, milk-white, now purple with love's wound,

And maidens call it love-in-idleness.

 

 

The Thunder Moon update will be live at Black Phoenix Trading Post tomorrow night.

 

 

This update, unfortunately, also marks the passing of the following scents:

ARACHNE

DUBLIN

EMPYREAL MIST

MANTIS

NEO-TOKYO

 

We absolutely hate doing so with zero notice, but we have no choice. Due to a grave emergency, one of our single note artists has closed their doors, and we are unable to procure some of the components that go into these blends elsewhere. All pending orders placed prior to this update will be filled, but we will no longer be manufacturing these scents. Thank you all so much for understanding.

 

We wish them all the best during this trying time.

 

 

We are currently working on the next Carousel and Carnaval updates, and new soaps, unguents, and tchotchkies will be available at BPTP soon!