The Hermit

[Shollin]

The Hermit, from Tarot Oils.

 

First sniff: Less dry than Seance, definitely. This isn’t an old-crazy-guy-with-a-long-dirty-beard Monty-Python-type hermit… he’s holed up in a nice cabin in the woods so he can study his mysteries without interruption. A sabbatical hermit. The scent is dark but not ominous, and tinged with a purple that could be a sorcerer’s robe. Hermit isn’t one of the few Tarot cards I’m familiar with – I need to do some research and see what he means.

 

Wearing: On first touch it’s a fluid herbal scent with maybe a hint of citrus. Through the night it fleshed out into a warm purple, maybe red grapes or berries or even an inkstain. Decidedly unisex, very nice, and completely unlike Séance… so I’m glad I got to try them both.

[ipb]

The traditional hermit is a crusty, bearded character who has withdrawn from the company of men to live a life of seclusion and hardship. Card 9 supports this understanding. The Hermit represents the desire to turn away from the getting and spending of society to focus on the inner world. He seeks answers within and knows that they will come only with quiet and solitude.

 

There comes a point in life when we begin to question the obvious. We sense that there is a deeper reality and begin to search for it. This is mainly a solitary quest because answers do not lie in the external world, but in ourselves. The hermit on Card 9 reminds us of Diogenes, the Greek ascetic who is said to have gone out with a lantern in hand to search for an honest man. Diogenes is a symbol of the search for truth that the Hermit hopes to uncover by stripping away all diversions.

 

In readings, the Hermit often suggests a need for time alone - a period of reflection when distractions are limited. In times of action and high energy, he stands for the still center that must be created for balance. He can also indicate that withdrawal or retreat is advised for the moment. In addition, the Hermit can represent seeking of all kinds, especially for deeper understanding or the truth of a situation. "Seek, and ye shall find," we have been told, and so the Hermit stands for guidance as well. We can receive help from wise teachers, and, in turn, help others as we progress.

 

source

 

i think it's a pretty light scent, it doesn't want to intrude on you too much. musty old books. contemplative. reflection.

[ceithern]

I ordered Hermit just because the name appealed to me. I am quite a hermit and relish being alone, and I spend a lot of time thinking, and living in a little world pulled back behind my face.

 

I am happy to report that in this case, I seem to have found the perfect match.

 

This scent is wonderful. I wish I could know what notes are in it. It is in turns spicy, sweet, warm, but not intrusive at all. I have tried several other scents and noticed that it took some time for me to get used to them, but with Hermit it was perfect from the moment I put it on.

 

It smells a bit like carnations, but not as clovey, but with a sweet base that isn't sickly sweet or foody at all. There is a herbal undertone to this as well, it's almost like Hyssop or something. It lasted the whole day on me, and never once did it make my eyes or face feel itchy or my nose feel cloggy (my problem with department store perfumes).

 

I love it and am definitely buying a large bottle. This perfume is me.

 

-----

Kate

http://www.amberdragon.ca

[woodlandnymph]

My major tarot archetype is the Hermit, and I just had to try it. It is a unusual light scent blended with notes of light florals, watery scents, and faded incense. Kinda reminds me of the smell of old books that have been in grand old libraries. That description probably doesn't really explain it, but regardless it is a perfume that won't really stand out. Like the Hermit - contemplative, reserved. I'm so glad I got this one.

[Belladonnastrap]

I ordered the Hermit because his is the card that is currently ruling over the year for me.

 

 

First sniff

Mossy. Books. This actually smells a lot like virgo's inital sniff so I think it might have some oakmoss in it. It's a very wet sort of scent and definitely conjures up images of old bearded men grumping about...

 

Wearing it

Well holy crap. This just turned aquatic on me. Well no that's misleading...it went moss drenched in seawater on me. It's a very sort of subtle scent but I keep sniffing my wrists over and over because there's a note I'm missing but I can't place it. It's a bit sweet but mostly I get this overwhelming scent of tranquility wearing it. It's light but always lurking just beneath the surface. I'll update on staying power.

[feline.by.design]

I've worn this fragrance once and loved it, but forgot what I was going to say about it, so I've gone ahead and splashed some more on me. Whee!

 

The Hermit is a very clean scent. Oakmoss? Is that what I smell in the initial wet application? Not quite good with picking out single notes, but whatever it is, I like it. For those of you who like descriptions of colour, the scent makes me think of the white of an old man's beard, the white of table linens in a cozy abode, the white of robes. Not really a perfect white, but a very natural white.

 

I wore this to work one day, and I eceived a compliment (unfished) from my supervisor, Ronnie. This was after I had been wearing the fragrance for at least an hour, and she said it smelled like "White Shoulders." Whatever that is.

 

On my skin, the scent warms up, to reveal something I'm interpreting as very plant-derived, like a broken petal of a white lily or something, but it could be a broken leaf or anything (sorry, I'm bad at this!). For those of you who dislike "powdery" fragrances, you are in luck: I got no sort of powderish notes hitting my nose. The "light florals, watery scents and faded incense" that Woodlandnymph mentioned are spot-on what I got, though not necessarily in that order. With me, the watery-ness of The Hermit came first, and as my skin wore the fragrance on, the light florals or plant fragrance (as it doesn't strike me as a flowery scent at all) came next. Then, after a while, the final note described as incense, though I'd like to think of it as the remnants of herbal pipe smoke to keep up with The Hermit's image, lingered on in my skin.

 

Like ceithern, I ordered The Hermit because I relate to the hermit persona. I'll definitely order a big bottle of this in the future, as I am extremely pleased with the fragrance. It's utterly gorgeous, and if anyone doesn't like their imp or bottle of The Hermit, PM me and I will trade!

 

-doreen

[lorajc]

I haven't officially worn this yet, only tested it on my arm. It is, however, a Lovely scent. I think I'll wear it tomorrow. I haven't a clue what is in it. Beth recommended this for me to find inner peace. It smells a little aquatic and a little resiny to me. It is very soft and understated and a "peaceful" scent. I will write a full review after I wear it.

 

ETA: I wore this yesterday and while I had difficulty smelling it, my husband didn't like it, so off to my swap list it goes. If it does have oakmoss in it (as some above think it does), I cannot wear oakmoss well. Maybe this is the reason. I dunno.

Edited August 27, 2004 by lorajc

[madame royale]

A quiet, verdant scent, The Hermit is. It’s pungent in the manner of plants (and the air around these plants) after a rainstorm. The plants are a mystery to me--strange flora that hasn’t yet been categorized. Something is also lurking beneath the surface, a darkness. Hermits aren’t necessarily benevolent, and many can be menacing after all those years of living only with their thoughts. The woods are lovely dark and deep, this imp I’ll definitely keep.

[xoe]

First impression: light & mossy

 

*editing 'cause I've got more than a first impression now.

 

It's citrusy and sweet floral. Not powdery at all. I'm not getting a mossiness at all this time. Very feminine. This is great for both solitary seeking or for going out into the world. It envelopes you in softness.

Edited September 12, 2004 by xoe

[hypothermya]

Initial Impression

 

Wow. This smells good. I mean, it's a bit bitter, and all... But it smells more green than I expected it to. All of the other reviews said something about old books (and while I love the old books smell, I'm not sure I want to smell like I'd been stuffed into a library for several years myself); but this smells like herbs, almost like a sunlit garden.

 

Wearing It

 

There's green tea in this. I'm sure of it. It's got that smell that Phantasm and Embalming Fluid and Old Shanghai share. And it turns to pure sunshine on my skin... Well, not pure sunshine, but that languid afternoon sunshine in a garden with a stream nearby. Like green tea and moss and...a bit of spice? Maybe clove? It's very Zen like. And the bitterness goes away when I wear it...It's almost like a second skin.

 

...Huh. I've kinda gotten to the point where a lot of the BPAL oils (cause I've tried a lot of them) smell good and you recognize the quality, but you stop being grabbed by so many. But this one just grabbed me. Wow. It's wonderful smelling. I think I might want to bathe in this. I'm very glad that I got this imp.

Edited September 26, 2004 by hypothermya

[Tesseljoan]

The Hermit is my soul and personality card. In the bottle, it smelled a bit like men's cologne.... but on it has a more citrus feel, with weak incense, some flowers and herbs.. I really don't know the notes, but non-intrusive sums it up nicely. It has a definite presence, it's not gentle, but it will not come up to you, you have to come up to him.

[malanna]

Slightly cinnamon-y at first. How to describe this? The cinnamon goes down and there’s this…not quite musky scent, yet not quite warm, but it swirls and envelopes you. It is slightly musty, with a tang. It's hard to get a grasp of this scent. It's one of those scents that you'll remember, but will have difficulty describing. This isn't quite the scent of a library, but the pages of a book that hasn't been opened in a long time. After four hours, this is fainter, and I definitely get the tea impression. It's less hermit/indistinguishable-individual-notes at this point.

[sarada]

I wasn't sure quite what to make of The Hermit, and asked my friend who is a professional Tarot reader to try it out and see how it matched her understanding of the card. My own impressions were: aquatic, dusty, herbal. Here is what she said:

 

I am thinking there is a trace amount of pine or fir and some moss intermingled with a lake aquatic rather than an ocean aquatic. It reminds me of this time of the year (February)...that light scent before the buds push through where everything smells like it's melting. It smells like ice melting under a fir tree in late February or early March. My compliments to the lab to getting the metaphysical construct right. It definitely smells like being on a journey at night and the scents seem almost imperceptible but they are there guiding you along your path like a lantern.

 

I will be asking her expert Tarot opinion on other of these oils as I get them!

 

ETA: Now that my aforementioned friend is a forum member, I offer my own thoughts, having tried it again several years later!

 

This strikes me as one of the floral scents that i classify as "chemical" because of the way it strikes my nose. I recognize the note that turns me away from Asphodel and Darkness. I'm thinking it's narcissus, or black narcissus, although opium/poppy is also a possibility. There's also a moist, succulent aquatic sweetness that is probably lotus. I guess from the number of people who find this fruity that there is probably some lotus in there...always a culprit for the fruity-floral scent.

 

All in all I find it to be a very chemical-smelling wet, rainy floral to me with some sharp herbal edges. Since my initial sniff a couple of years ago I've come to recognize notes a lot better and I recognize a lot of notes I don't like. It shares something with Hod as well, another one that made me wrinkle my nose because it just smelled very harsh and chemical. My nose is just not built to like that note!

Edited February 10, 2007 by sarada

[Rheliwen]

In the bottle:

 

It smells like booze to me. Like a bottle of slightly ripe riesling.

 

Wet:

 

Very green and bright. I have this quote on my spreadsheet from another viewer that pretty much sums up The Hermit for me: "It is a unusual light scent blended with notes of light florals, watery scents, and faded incense."

 

Dry:

 

This is dew covered grasses and sweet watery florals. It's a bit soapy now, which is so sad because the wet stage is the ultimate come to me spring scent.

 

Overall:

 

It is very light and innocent. It doesn't expect anything, it isn't out to wrangle in a man or get you riches. It's sweet and unassuming. I'm going to have to give this another whirl to see if the soapy scent lasts.

[Falathwen]

First applied, this seems to be a lovely blend of evergreen and lily of the valley. There is a faint sense of water in this… It reminds me of a visit to a lake in Ireland where we walked along the wooded shore and examined the ruins of a monastic community that once existed there. As it dries down, I do get a scent surprisingly reminiscent of the scent of old books (I did a sniff check after reading the reviews above!) but not at all musty or dusty.

[scourgeotheseas]

The Hermit

 

In the bottle: Light, tangy, gorgeous!

 

On me: A light floral with tart fruits. Then all of a sudden, heavy musk or civet comes out of nowhere. It’s quite animalistic, but covered by a veneer of light florals and flowers. Then that fades too, and warm spices come to the forefront. Poof! Now’s it’s cinnamon. This one is a real shapeshifter, but the drydown is intense and unbelieveably good.

[brownbat]

Woody and a bit bitter. It's mellowing out now and getting sweeter. Arggh! I have no idea what's in this. Something is a bit floral and watery. It's a taupe or khaki colored linen scent.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: An aquatic herbal with a touch of floral and fruit.

Wearing: I'm really going to have a hard time with this one - the notes are impossible to pin down. It starts out mossy, with aquatic notes in the background. As it dries, the herbals come to the forefront (sage, maybe?). After several hours it is just a quiet, green sort of scent.

Final Impressions: This is a very introspective scent - don't wear this to a party! It smells different (in a good way). Oddly, I received an unsolicited compliment from one of my employees when I was wearing this. She has never mentioned my perfume before (or since). She is one of the people I most admire for her maturity, sagacity, and willingness to speak up for what is right, even if it is an unpopular view. She keeps herself apart from the extreme clique-iness of our workplace, but people often go to her for advice. I just find it so interesting that my "hermit" at work would recognize her scent!

[pekeana]

The Hermit is a very strong, almost boozy green scent. It's got a bite to it that stays on my skin long after application, and everything else is just your normal green mossy/floral/grassy thing going on.

 

Not loving it but not hating it, and it unsettles me a bit.

[laochodia]

This is such a lovely scent. Its wonderfully green and herbally, but light and a bit tart, changing every moment. Nicely complex. I definitely want more of this.

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

This reminds me of men's cologne. I was expecting something more...archaic, I guess, rather than something that's a close cousin of Marshall Field's cologne department. It's not bad, just not what I was expecting. At all.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This appears to be one of those scents that temporarily disappear as soon as they hit my skin because I can't smell anything at first and then I get...men's cologne, Pledge furniture polish and something vaguely dusty smelling that would be nice if it were more prominent.

 

Dry down:

 

As it dries, The Hermit pulls another vanishing act. I can barely smell it after only a few minutes on my skin, which makes me sad because I'd heard such good things about this and had such high hopes for it.

 

The bottom line:

 

Another adventure in bad skin chemistry, it would appear. I'm pretty sad that The Hermit doesn't like me since I was prepared to love it.

[fallow deer]

Like others, I chose The Hermit because it is my soul and personality card, and because I relate to the archetype it conjures. I also love the image of The Hermit in the Thoth Tarot.

 

Straight off, there's a really strong alcoholic note here, like a herbal tincture. The herbs are bitter and greeny brown, although I can't really identify them. Basil?

 

As The Hermit dries, the scent becomes lighter and greener, although the herbs still seem preserved rather than fresh. This 'preserved' aspect makes the scent seem much more inward looking.

 

It's a very interesting scent, and one which will be great for meditation or study.

[Witch's Dagger]

The Hermit

 

This was a part of the Tarot swap - since I need to review all of them in a very short time, this will be a brief review.

 

In the vial: Watery, deep, blue, sweet, and floral, with a hint of citrus.

 

On me:

Tangy citrus. A very luscious orange, with juices flowing all over.

 

In 10 minutes:

Completely gone.

 

Overall:

It fades too fast.

[cuervosueno]

I got this in a swap, and put it on before I went to bed.

I was surprised by its lightness--I expected a darker, more woody Hermit scent--heavier on the pine I suppose, but though it is green, I don't really get pine.

It is a light, slightyl herbally green--yes, with acquatic notes, and I agree that it is freshwater acquatic, not seawater. I wouldn't be surprised if there was green tea in it as someone else mentioned--it is that kind of light green note.

It is very springlike in its greenness....different then I expected.

I'll keep my imp because I'd like to have all the Tarot blends for reading cards, but...I don't think I'll need a big bottle.

eta: a much later addition. When I tried it again, it did smell piney to me, though not in a sharp strong way like in some of the Yule blends. It was light. Very green. And then a nice sweet scent rose up--like berries. But it was as Sarada's friend described it--a light scent, as being guided through the woods at night by scent.

Edited August 16, 2005 by cuervosueno

[oatmealneko]

The Hermit was very strange. I was expecting some green, but I didn't smell any at ALL. It smells like gardenias & cinnamon. I thought it was just something odd in the wet stage, but it didn't change at all. Maybe a little bit, when it dried off, the florals smelled creamy. Still, creamy gardenia spice. Ugh.