doomsday_disco

Softly, softly, hear the rustle Of the Spirits airy wings; They are coming down to mingle Once again with earthly things, With their rapping, and their tapping Rap-tap-tap to wake our napping, In the restless dream of error: Hear the weird the Spirit brings – Rap-tap-tap lost friends are near you; Rap-tap-tap they see and hear you; In their mystic converse rappy They declare good Spirits happy. Gently, gently, they are timid If a medium is not there; They may leave you in delusion, And dissolve again to air. Tis no fable – beings able – Rap-tap-tap upon a table; And their language is translated, While the watch with guardian care Rap-tap-tap lost friends are near you; Rap-tap-tap they see and hear you; In their mystic converse rappy They declare good Spirits happy Spirit Rappings, lyrics by T.E. Garrett, music by W.W. Rossington A joyful undeath: candied orange and pink peppercorn, sugared freesia petals, vanilla bean, and white honey.

Black musk, frankincense, leather, black pepper, incense smoke, ebony, angelica root, and a splash of Stygian fougere. John Martin

Crimson and ash-green velvet, leatherbound books, a scattering of ink-dribbled papers, beeswax, dried flowers, faded pipe smoke, mahogany, and oak suffused with warm beams of golden amber and dusted with pale sandalwood. Nelson Shanks

A symphony of rust and fire: dust-blasted leather and the jagged concrete and steel teeth of time-blasted ruins, spattered with blood, choked with smoke, and thrumming with the distant drone of engines.

Clove and Pink Pepper.

Gleaming red-tinged eyes peering from the shadows. Ink stains and smoke weave tendrils through aged blackened patchouli, rich amber, and infernal musk.

Black velvet steeped in tea leaves, infernal cologne, and crimson resins, Vinegar Tom exudes shadowy seduction. The scent evokes honeyed flatteries, secret pacts, and whispered promises slipping from the lips of a finely dressed lothario. Please note: this oil contains honey absolute.

I received an imp of this as a freebie in my Yule order. 🎉 Rakshasa Party Magician is all about that spiced amber, which is a deep amber that is also somewhat dry. The cocoa powder was fleeting on me, and the rice pudding just lends a hint of creaminess in the background, so the cotton candy plays the biggest support role here, adding some sweetness behind the spiced amber, although it also is gone by the end of the day, with only the spiced amber remaining after several hours of wear. The amber isn't heavily spiced, if you're worried about that -- I'd say this is a deeper and less spiced amber than the amber featured in The Lion. I'd definitely recommend this more to amber fans than gourmand lovers.

With apologies to my ancestors. Ube halaya and ube ice cream chonked with mango jelly, flan, boiled taro, evaporated milk, sweetened kidney beans, dried coconut, kaong, gulaman, tapioca pearls, and a copious shake of pumpkin spice.

And finally, we’re bottling up some Lemon Chiffon Pumpkin Pie as a reminder that a little silliness, joy, laughter, and sweetness will help sustain us, fortify our spirits, and get us through to the other side.

I wasn't sure how well lemon and pumpkin would go together, but it turns out that they actually make a really nice combo! At first, this smells like a lemon cream-filled cookie with some pumpkin spice, and I am here for the deliciousness. Over time, it gets less about the lemon and more about the pumpkin spice, but there's still some creaminess to the scent, as well as a creme brulee-like sugary aspect to the scent after a full day of wear. I'll be keeping my decant and wearing it until its gone like past pies (I used up my imps of Cherry Cream Pie Chypre and Pumpkin Pie Musk during the week of Thanksgiving last year 😭). All of this year's Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday imps were winners!

Hush is a scent to cool the nerves and help inspire serenity in dark times: lemon myrtle, ylang ylang, tangerine, sandalwood, and lavender.

The predominant notes on me are lemon myrtle and sandalwood throughout wear, although the lavender, tangerine, and ylang ylang lurk in the background (and are most noticeable during the first few hours of wear). The sandalwood in this is a dry, dusty variety, but all of the notes combine together to make a really nice, calming scent. I will definitely be hanging onto my imp (and may end up trying to find more imps in sales/swaps).

Electricity, which is an atmospheric emanation from God, and which is moved by his will, is that substance out of which all worlds and their splendid appendages were made. Hence, it will be perceived, that electricity contains all the original properties of all the various substances in being. All the varieties of the universe around us – all the beauties and glories of creation upon which we look with so many thrilling emotions of delight, were produced from electricity, which is the inexhaustible fountain of primal matter. By the living energies of the Divine Mind, electricity was condensed into globes ; not instantly, but gradually. The heaviest particle took the lowest point, or common centre, of our globe, and so on, step by step, lighter and lighter, till we reach the surface, which is a regular mould. On this we find water, a substance still lighter than earth ; next air, which is lighter than water, and so on till we reach the sun, which is the highest point in relation to our system, because it is the common centre. The sun is, therefore, pure electricity. Hence, the twenty-nine globes, belonging to our system, are electrically, geologically, and magnetically made. They are but twenty-nine magnets revolving around our sun as a centre. The sun being pure electricity or primal matter, is but an emanation from the Deity. It is consequently in a positive state. Hence, electricity is continually passing from the sun, as a common centre to the twenty-nine surrounding worlds : on the same principle that it passes from a positive to a negative cloud. Having done its duty in giving light, heat, and vegetation, as well as magnetic power to the globes, it is returned by reaction to the sun, and these two motions from the vertices that roll worlds around him. It is impossible that there can be any inherent attraction or repulsion in matter. Attraction and repulsion are but different dispositions of electricity. The best magnets are now made for the galvanic battery. Hence, electricity, galvanism and magnetism, are but in substance one and the same fluid, and the Eternal Mind, so that all the powers of attraction and repulsion originated in Deity. His will comes in contact with electricity, and through that subtle agent he moves the whole immeasurable universe in accordance with nature’s law. All worlds are in motion. They roll rapid as the lightning’s blaze, and in the most apparent confusion ; yet all is calm, regular, and harmonious. God is, therefore, connected with his universe, and superintends all its multifarious operations. Tho’ he is thus intimately united with inert matter, yet is he distinct from the whole. Thou apart, Above, beyond ; O tell me, mighty Mind, Where art thou? Shall I dive into the deep: Call to the sun? or ask the roaring winds For their Creator! Shall I question loud The thunder, if in that the Almighty dwells! Or holds he furious storms in straitened reins, And bids fierce whirlwinds wheel his rapid car! The Pittsburgh Post, 9 August 1847 The divine spark from which all things emanate; the perfume of the profound, unseen forces that connect us to the cosmos: the cold brilliance of metallic aldehydes, lemon pith, ambergris accord, and white lavender tethered to terrestrial patchouli, violet leaf, and a mineralic musk.

I decided to try this one since it contains lavender, although I was iffy on the metallic aldehydes (which can be too sharp). I am pleased to say that this scent didn't turn out to be too sharp at all! It starts off mostly being about the lavender and lemon pith (I agree with LavenderCoffee that the lemon pith lends some welcome sweetness to the scent), backed by the mineralic musk and ambergris. After a while, the musk and ambergris end up being the main players on me, and there's a light woodiness mixed in that I think may be from the patchouli. I'm going to have to spend more time with this one to see if I need more than a decant of it in my life, but I do enjoy this new lavender addition to the Evening with the Spirits line.

Vanilla sponge cake, royal icing, pudding wine, honey dust, and black fig. Rubens Peale

Honey dust and fig aren't notes that typically work on me, but I wanted to try this because I love the art and the first two listed notes. This is mostly about the fig and dessert wine on me. The honey dust is thankfully subtle in this one, probably because the fig and wine are so loud. It takes several hours before the cake note shows up on me, but like Little Bird said, it is a dry cake. If fig and wine are your jam, you will probably end up liking this one. Alas, I wish it were less fruity and more cake-y.

I tried this twice, and it is mostly about the candied orange and white honey on me. The orange is pretty light and smoothed over by the sugar and honey, and the honey is creamy, non-funky variety. After a while, I get the sugared freesia petals with those notes, and it becomes more of a honeyed floral with a touch of fruit than a honeyed fruit blend. The sugared freesia petals makes me think of a past Lilith scent: Muse of Fire, but this is much smoother than that one since there's just the one type of sugared floral here instead of like, a whole bouquet of them. I wasn't able to pick out the vanilla, but perhaps it will emerge with age. I like this and will definitely be keeping my decant. I'll have to give it a full-day slather to see if I need to upgrade this or not.

2024 version. This one does smell like the holidays! This is evergreen-dominant at first (but not intensely so), backed by some soft myrrh, and a bit of berry. I get no sharpness at all here (I did read that some people had that experience with the previous version of it, so that's why I went the decant route). There's a phase where I wondered if there were some secret bit of orange in here, or if that was just a phase of the fir. Eventually, it ends up settling into a predominantly sparkly sort of scent. Like Lunasariel, I think it might be a musk, perhaps infused with a bit of aldehydes, but there's nothing fizzy about it. This is really pretty, and perfect for the holidays. I'm going to retest this to see if I need a full bottle, or if my decant will suffice.

Among the most intelligent inquirers with whom I converse at Brighton was a lady of title. She told me that she was one of those present at the Davenport séance, held at the residence of Sir Hesketh Fleetwood. She was seated in the dark séance by the side of a gentleman whose previous scepticism, he confessed to her, was fast disappearing in the face of the facts they were witnessing, when a light was suddenly struck, and both of them distinctly saw the form of Ira Davenport glide close past them. This incident very much disturbed the confidence of Lady L—, and entirely satisfied the sceptic that imposition was practiced, and he left the room a confirmed unbeliever. I told Lady L—that, on his return to London, Mr. Ferguson spoke to me of this very fact, as one of the most curious that had yet occurred at any of the séances. He was holding, he said, the box of matches, as he usually does, when the box was snatched from his hand, and a light was struck by the invisible operator, and during the momentary ignition of the match he plainly saw a form, apparently of a human figure. He said nothing at the moment, but whispering the fact to Mr. Fay, he confirmed it, and afterwards several of those present admitted that that, too, had seen it. Mr. Ferguson, however, was not aware that anyone present supposed it to be the actual person of Ira Davenport, as no observation to that effect was made, and as Ira Davenport was seen instantly afterwards when the light was restored, fast bound to his chair, it was simply impossible that the suspicions of Lady L—or her friend could have been well founded. But, admitting that two competent witnesses did actually see the form of Ira Davenport on that occasion, it is corroborative of a very important and interesting fact, and distinct phase of these puzzling mysteries of spiritual appearances – viz., the duplication of individual form. Mr. Ferguson, who did not on that occasion recognize the resemblance to Ira Davenport, nevertheless has, as he solemnly asserts, seen at other times, when alone with them, the entire duplicated form of Ira Davenport, and a part of Mr. Fay ; and in my first conversation with the Davenport Brothers they told me, among other curious facts of their extraordinary history, that persons had said they had met one or other of them in places where they had not been. On one occasion their father went to a neighbouring shop to order some fruit, when he was told by the shopkeeper that his son Ira had just been there, and had ordered the fruit. It was, however, satisfactorily proved that Ira had not left the house, and that the man must have seen his “wraith,” or “double.” The Spiritualist, December 19, 1873 The uncanny echo of your second self: a shadow-blackened fougere steeped in an uncanny, discomfiting lavender tar.

I'm not sure how helpful this review will be, but here goes. If you're worried about the blackened part of the fougere, there's no intense smoke or anything acrid here. I'm not sure what it consists of -- I think there is probably oakmoss in the fougere, maaaybe a bit of ginger or something akin to it, and perhaps some grassy (but not bbq-like) vetiver. I also think there's a soft smoke in this may be the same or similar as the smoke in Fir Needle and Smoke, but I didn't deathmatch them to be sure. The lavender is most prominent in the beginning, and it's wonderful, but it becomes more about the fougere and the non-acrid smoke with wear. Of the two lavender scents I tried from this year's An Evening With a Spirits collection (I didn't try Where Are the Dead due to the wormwood and orris), I prefer All Worlds are in Motion. This is not something I could see myself wearing over other lavender or fougere scents in my collection, but it was nice to be able to try it.

Sugar-dusted and overflowing with Luxardo maraschino cherries and a hint of blackberry.

Like most sufganiyot scents, this is more about the filling than the pastry, but the pastry is present. It goes on as cherry jam and powdered sugar, but the cherry has a tartness to it that doesn't make it sweet enough to veer into cherry lollipop territory. The pastry ends up showing up with wear, but is mostly noticeable when you smell the scent close to the skin. It remains mostly cherry in the throw. My partner and I both really enjoy this since we both are fans of cherry scents, so I'll probably have to get a back-up bottle before it goes away.

Coagula. Let us join together in smug benevolence! The rewards will be plentiful for those gathered up in our aetheric cloud of sugared vanilla musk, candyfloss, and ruby chocolate warmed with a hint of clove.

This is mostly about the ruby chocolate on me, the same one from Millennial Pink, which starts off as like a white chocolate infused with raspberry, but gets creamier, less chocolate-y, and more fruity over time, so that it is more like a raspberry Mamba candy, or some raspberry yogurt. That notes dominates on me throughout wear, backed by some pink candyfloss and slightly smoky clove (which is more noticeable during the first few hours of wear than later on). Although I can't pick out the vanilla from the musk, these notes end up resting on a bed of musk by the end of the day. I like this, but I'm not sure it is something I need a whole bottle of... so I'll have to try it again and then make a decision. But I'm definitely keeping the coin!