Lotuses, chaos, butterflies, moths, and smut!

[kebechet]

(Forum burp!)

 

Lotus Moon is live at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and Black Phoenix Trading Post!

 

 

LOTUS MOON

"Courage!" he said, and pointed toward the land,

"This mounting wave will roll us shoreward soon."

In the afternoon they came unto a land

In which it seemed always afternoon.

All round the coast the languid air did swoon,

Breathing like one that hath a weary dream.

Full-faced above the valley stood the moon;

And like a downward smoke, the slender stream

Along the cliff to fall and pause and fall did seem.

 

A land of streams! some, like a downward smoke,

Slow-dropping veils of thinnest lawn, did go;

And some thro' wavering lights and shadows broke,

Rolling a slumbrous sheet of foam below.

They saw the gleaming river seaward flow

From the inner land: far off, three mountain-tops,

Three silent pinnacles of aged snow,

Stood sunset-flush'd: and, dew'd with showery drops,

Up-clomb the shadowy pine above the woven copse.

 

The charmed sunset linger'd low adown

In the red West: thro' mountain clefts the dale

Was seen far inland, and the yellow down

Border'd with palm, and many a winding vale

And meadow, set with slender galingale;

A land where all things always seem'd the same!

And round about the keel with faces pale,

Dark faces pale against that rosy flame,

The mild-eyed melancholy Lotos-eaters came.

 

Branches they bore of that enchanted stem,

Laden with flower and fruit, whereof they gave

To each, but whoso did receive of them,

And taste, to him the gushing of the wave

Far far away did seem to mourn and rave

On alien shores; and if his fellow spake,

His voice was thin, as voices from the grave;

And deep-asleep he seem'd, yet all awake,

And music in his ears his beating heart did make.

 

They sat them down upon the yellow sand,

Between the sun and moon upon the shore;

And sweet it was to dream of Fatherland,

Of child, and wife, and slave; but evermore

Most weary seem'd the sea, weary the oar,

Weary the wandering fields of barren foam.

Then some one said, "We will return no more";

And all at once they sang, "Our island home

Is far beyond the wave; we will no longer roam."

 

Soporose and lenitive: opium-laced golden lotus with rich amber, red sandalwood, pomegranate, frankincense, and rose otto.

 

Artwork by Jennifer Williamson! Lotus Moon will be live at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab & Black Phoenix Trading Post until 31 May 2010.

 

 

 

Hail Eris! The time has come for this year's Chaos Theory!

 

CHAOS THEORY VI

Chaos is the score upon which reality is written. – Henry Miller

 

An old take on Chaos! A new take on Chaos!

 

This year, we are offering the traditional chaos of the original Chaos Theories, manifested as Eris’ Tilt-A-Whirl, and a new Recursive Self-Similarity series.

 

Each CT:6 scent under the auspices of Recursive Self-Similarity, has a base of one of the following scents, in wildly varying proportions:

 

Amber

Frankincense

Vanilla

 

From these bases comes a new series of flowing, fragrant fractals that emanate from these three roots. Random combinations of oils have been added to every individual bottle, retaining their sensitivity to their initial component, resulting in a truly unique blend that swirls merrily around its core oil.

 

This is an exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct.

 

Most common allergens have been omitted from the experiment. No pennyroyal, no nuts, no cinnamon, no cassia. Regardless, if you have any sensitivities, please do not participate in Chaos Theory. The contents of the oils are not recorded [that's the whole point!] and we will not be able to answer questions about specific bottles of CT:6 or guarantee that an allergen is not present in your order.

 

By purchasing CT:6, you agree to absolve Black Phoenix of any responsibility related to an allergic reaction to one of the oils in this series.

 

Please make a responsible choice, and use caution and discretion when ordering. This is intended to be a fun, exciting project. Please bear in mind that all Black Phoenix oils are made in an environment that contains nuts, both literally and figuratively.

 

We hope that you enjoy these scents as much as we enjoyed creating them!

 

CHAOS THEORY VI: RECURSIVE SELF-SIMILARITY V5

The Amber Series

 

CHAOS THEORY VI: RECURSIVE SELF-SIMILARITY V6

The Frankincense Series

 

CHAOS THEORY VI: RECURSIVE SELF-SIMILARITY V7

The Vanilla Series

 

CHAOS THEORY VI: ERIS’ TILT-A-WHIRL

Turbulent, disordered beauty: sensitive to initial conditions, topologically mixed, and approached by periodic orbits with abandon. A dynamical system expressed through scent.

 

 

 

Also new this month, an entomological reminder of the finer parts of our souls:

 

METAMORPHOSIS

Lo, the bright train their radiant wings unfold!

With silver fringed, and freckled o'er with gold:

 

On the gay bosom of some fragrant flower

They, idly fluttering, live their little hour;

Their life all pleasure, and their task all play,

All spring their age, and sunshine all their day.

- "To Mrs. P--------., With Some Drawings...", Anna Laetitia Aikin

 

The grace, beauty, and complexity of butterflies and moths have permeated myths all over the globe. The symmetry and elegance of their form and the coquettish rhythm of their dance inspires visions of fleeting romance:

 

The dawn is smiling on the dew that covers

The tearful roses; lo, the little lovers

That kiss the buds, and all the flutterings

In jasmine bloom, and privet, of white wings,

That go and come, and fly, and peep and hide,

With muffled music, murmured far and wide.

Ah, the Spring time, when we think of all the lays

That dreamy lovers send to dreamy mays,

Of the fond hearts within a billet bound,

Of all the soft silk paper that pens wound,

The messages of love that mortals write

Filled with intoxication of delight,

Written in April and before the May time

Shredded and flown, playthings for the wind's playtime,

We dream that all white butterflies above,

Who seek through clouds or waters souls to love,

And leave their lady mistress in despair,

To flit to flowers, as kinder and more fair,

Are but torn love-letters, that through the skies

Flutter, and float, and change to butterflies.

- “The Genesis of Butterflies”, Victor Hugo

 

Though in some myths – notably, China’s Butterfly Lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, and Japan’s tale of Takahama and Akiko – butterflies are symbols of eternal love and devotion.

 

Most often, butterflies and moths represent change, transition, and metamorphosis. Butterflies are also seen as personifications of the soul,and symbols of mankind’s desire for spiritual evolution. They are harbingers of both love and death, and some believe that errant souls manifest in this form.

 

Moths and butterflies are, to some, symbols of blind desire and madness, perilously drawn to the splendor of light and flame. This mad desire is also portrayed, at times, as transcendence:

 

Tell it none except the wise,

for the common crowd defames:

of the living I shall praise

that which longs for death in flames.

 

In the love night which created

you where you create, a yearning

wakes: you see, intoxicated,

far away a candle burning.

 

Darkness now no longer snares you,

shadows lose their ancient force,

as a new desire tears you

up to higher intercourse.

 

Now no distance checks your flight,

charmed you come and you draw night

till, with longing for the light,

you are burnt, O butterfly.

 

And until you have possessed

dying and rebirth,

you are but a sullen guest

on the gloomy earth.

- “Blissful Yearning”, Goethe, translation by Walter Kaufmann

 

This series, though seemingly simple, is a complex narrative in scent. It was created with the intention of illustrating the beauty of transformation and transcendence, the sweetness of romance, the joy of freedom and personal liberty, and the perpetuity of true love.

 

Wake, butterfly -

It's late, we've miles

To go together.

- Matsuo Basho

 

 

+ THE MOTHS

GREAT GREY WITCH

Orris root, Roman chamomile, white sugar, ambergris accord, and cimarrón.

 

GYPSY

Bourbon vanilla, Egyptian musk, tonka, white sugar, and cardamom.

 

LUNA

Touareg tea, Asian pear, carnation, lime sugar, green musk, armoise, and thyme.

 

ROSY MAPLE

Lemon blossom, vanilla bean, huckleberry, sweet pea, rose sugar, acai berry, and candyfloss.

 

 

+ THE BUTTERFLIES

COMMON JEZEBEL

Apricot, lemon sugar, coconut, red currant, and vetiver.

 

MONARCH

King mandarin, red ginger, sugar cane, golden amber, mango, and pumpkin.

 

PAPER KITE

Coconut, white sugar, angelica, and black pepper.

 

SPICEBUSH SWALLOWTAIL

Brown sugar, sassafras, clove, and wild plum.

 

 

Lilith, this series is dedicated to you, my angel, for every time you say, "Bye Bye Butterfly", my heart expands with joy so fierce that it cannot be expressed in words.

 

 

 

And last, but not least: a scent created solely to benefit the CBLDF –-

 

BANNED IN BOSTON

Banned in Boston was a phrase coined in the 19th century that was used to describe material, be it a motion picture, photograph, literary work, or other work of art, that contained objectionable or obscene content. Boston city officials and the Watch and Ward Society took their lead from the Comstock Law, which prohibited obscene materials from being distributed via the US Mail service, and formed their own strict censorship guidelines. Provocative or offensive material was prohibited from distribution or exhibition within Boston city limits.

 

The effect was much like that of the RIAA’s Parental Advisory tags: if something was Banned in Boston, it only served to pique interest and spike sales or attendance.

 

Obscene, lewd, lascivious, and decidedly objectionable. A filthy, post-coitus scent: sweaty and sweet, laced with laudanum, splashed with booze, and stained by tobacco.

 

(Please note: the Banned in Boston label is NSFW.)