Temple: Greek

[scourgeotheseas]

I really don't how to begin to describe this, but I'll give it a go.

 

In the bottle: At first whiff it has the herbal tang of sage. There is an underlying sweetness, like a ripe fruit. I find it calming, yet energizing.

 

Following fallow deer's lead, I'm trying a little on just to see how it unfolds.

On me/wet: The dry, almost astringent herbal smell is first, but warmed by something resinous and sweet.

 

Drydown: I can't take my nose off my wrist. A warm herbal bouquet.

 

I'm not a practicioner of any rituals, but I plan on using this in my wax burner when I need relaxation or mental cleansing.

[jj_j]

Scent - Oh, this is nice. Lavender; juicy fruit tones - sweetly tart grapes, perhaps, but not wine; a hint of cinnamon; and what I think may be olive leaf.

 

Intent - The lovely Chopchica purchased a bottle of this for me - I wanted an offering and bond to Pallas Athene, with whom I've felt a deep connection in the last few months. Annointing a candle and putting a couple of drops on charcoal last night as I offered thanks for all the recent and wonderful changes in my life left me with a huge smile and a sense of satisfaction that wasn't entirely my own. I very much felt like She was pleased.

 

I have a lovely tart warmer decorated with olive leaves and branches that I'll be using to fill my home with what is both a lovely scent and a fitting offering of gratitude for the wisdom and protection Pallas Athene has brought into my life.

Edited July 19, 2005 by jj_j

[shelldoo]

in the vial: fruity sage and lavander

 

wet: herbal, yet sweet and resinous

 

dry: hmmm i think there is something along the lines of some sort of tree resin, but not piney at all. and cinnamon spices, and sweet fruit not sure if it is fig or grape, or a combo of both.

 

this is a beautiful scent. i will have fun meditating on it and using it in ritual

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Oh, interesting! A bit sweet, herby, maybe some spice.

 

Just On: This is quite interesting, and I haven't a clue what is in it. It's more spicy than sweet now, and I'm not smelling the herbs.

 

An hour or two later: Hmm, I think maybe I'm getting sage, and some kind of leaf. It's a tiny bit sweet, like a very ripe, but not overripe, fruit.

 

Around 6 hours: A touch of herby goodness, a tiny whiff of sweet, and some spices. Quite nice.

 

12 hours: It's all gone away, and I miss it.

 

Overall: I really like this. I could see using it when I'm working on cooking things, and having this scent wafting through the room.

 

After reading other reviews: I certainly didnt' get lavender, so if it has it, it's not much, because lavender usually completely takes over a scent on my skin.

[Em-]

Thanks to Scourgeoftheseas for passing along an imp of this in a swap...

 

Absloutely lovely in the vial...very herbal and spicy. I am getting sage, thyme, maybe bay laurel? I can also smell something fruity under here.

 

I have read just enough on the forums to know that these oils are not necessarily meant as perfume, but I cannot resist trying just a bit...the scent stays very similar on my skin, which generally takes herbal notes well, and the three herbs I mentioned are certainly sticking around.

 

This is certainly evocative of what I can imagining that a Greek Temple might smell and feel like, and I really like this scent.

[darkling]

I received an imp of Temple: Greek in a swap with chopchica

 

This scent is exactly how I imagined Delphi would smell. It is a lovely mix of sweet cloves, herbs, and burnt offerings. The smoke/incense note does not dominate the scent but keeps the clove note from becoming sickeningly sweet. This is an incredibly balanced blend.

 

It puts me in mind of a temple to Artemis and Apollo in its balance of light and dark notes.

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - part of the TAL circular swap

 

Wet - much like Temple:Egyptian reminded me of a darker Cairo, this reminds me of a darker Athens. Honey, herbs and something bitter are the notes I get when wet. I think there is laurel in here and possibly olive branches.

 

Dry - as it dries the olive scent fades, and it's a gorgeous resinous honey and herb blend. I have bottles of both Anubis and Athens and this almost smells like a cross between the two, with a touch of Hexxenacht thrown in for good measure.

 

I have now tried four different temple blends and each of them has ranked among Beth's most beautiful creations, but this is my absolute favorite. In terms of fragrance I would give this a 5. I am sad this isn't a perfume, because if it was I would wear it all the time. As it is, I will probably pick up a bottle of this anyway, because while these days I have been closer to the Egyptain deities, I started out with the Greek pantheon, and this is the perfect blend to pay tribute to them.

[PurringPulsar]

Temple: Greek

 

Courtesy of the TAL circular swap.

In the imp: herbs and honey. There is something very Greek/Mediterranean about this scent.

Wet on skin: yup, still herbal honey. I think it's thyme, maybe some rosemary and sage, soaked in honey.

Dry on skin: this is lovely!! It's herbal honey, but it definitely makes me think of Greece. I have been to Crete and Corfu on holiday, and I remember the evening air being scented with thyme and other herbs. This is very much like that, but with sweet Greek honey, and something that reminds me of grains or bread. I think I can also smell olives.

After a while: I think there's a hint of wine here as well, and something smoky, like burning incense, and something woody, perhaps pine or juniper. The scent darkens as time passes, becomes more mysterious.

Verdict: I love the way that the temple blends can transport you to the places evoke, helping you enter that state of mind for ritual. I've only tried two so far-this one and Egyptian. Temple Greek really does evoke Greece, I think. It's like a warm breeze of herb-scented evening air, mingled with sweet honey and olive oil, and a hint of smoky incense, maybe some wine. It reminds me of holidays in parts of Greece, or even ancient Greece. Whilst I haven't got as much of an affinity for the Greek pantheon as I do with the Egyptian, it is one of the most familiar and the one I first learnt about (I used to be obsessed with Greek myths when I was a child). This is a wonderful blend truly evocative of that time and place, fit for the gods of Olympus.

[sihaya09]

Temple: Greek::

(Origin: TAL circular swap.) Soft green herbs. Basil, bay leaf, laurel, perhaps cypress. This smells sacred to me-- purifying. It smells ancient, in a way, or timeless. Though I don't smell any of the traditional aquatic notes, I feel like I should smell saltwater or clean sweat. Strange. I'm glad that I've arranged to have some of this come my way.

 

In a second imp I received, I got olive leaf and ripe red grapes with a little bit of bit of sage and bay.

Edited April 30, 2007 by sihaya09

[allamanda]

Temple Greek

 

Origin: TAL Circular Swap

 

Something fruity-sweet and incensey too. My first reaction is lotus and myrrh, but having read the other reviews honey might be more logical. Very nice but fades rapidly. There is a very pleasant herby feel to this, I agree it seems to be sage, but as sage often smells bitter to me I wonder if this is white sage which I love.

 

After what seems like forever, I suddenly get lavender. This is lovely.

 

As this was tested from a circular swap imp I applied the teeniest drop to my skin. It is beautiful but, given my own supply, I’d definitely use this with candles and / or a burner.

[helarctos]

Temple: Greek smells of cloves, olives (?), and a peppery spice I can't quite identify. Very evocative.

 

(Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Very herbal. Someone said sage? Sounds about right. Maybe some lemongrass, too. Perhaps lavender? Slightest hint, flickering in the background, of a wine note.

 

On me: Good mood-setter, it brings Greek columns rising up from the ground. It is a bit sweet, but mostly green herbs gathered in an exceptional bouquet. Sage is the only note that stays particularly detectable. Fades very quickly - I expect it would last longer, and better, in an oil burner. It's a very special fragrance, to be sure.

[Northernminx]

Bay leaf, some sage, something fruity (grape? fig?) and a dry down of sweet honey. This smelled, as someone pegged, like a darker athens, very mysterious and ritualistic rather than sunny and bright. My leanings are not toward Greek mythos and worship so I didn't use this one as Temple: celtic works much better for me in that regard but the scent was lovely

[edenssixthday]

Temple: Greek is a gorgeous scent. I don’t know how it is intended to be used or for what purpose, so I can only review the scent. It’s full of evergreen notes, which is something I don’t usually like at all in a fragrance. It’s also slightly juicy and reminds me a lot of Yuletide. This is a gorgeous scent with a moderate level of throw and phenomenal lasting power.

[Little Bird]

Temple: Greek is definitely an herbal blend to my nose. I'm picking up a strong sage note (and I have a negative association with sage, so I find that unpleasant) that strikes me as spicy and a bit dry. In the drydown... herbal lavender, sage, greenery, and a hint of something sweeter and slightly fruity. There might be a wine or honey note in here as well, sweetening things up.

 

This isn't a bad blend. I don't really like to burn/wear anything with sage in it, so I probably wouldn't use this... but it's a pleasant enough herbal scent with hints of sweetness and spice.

[Dymphna]

The deities to whom I'm devoted are (generally viewed as) Hellenic, so I had wanted to order this for some time. I sent an e-mail before ordering, just to make sure that there was nothing in the blend that would disagree with me, and wickedgoddess very kindly and patiently answered all my questions. She also told me that, in her opinion, it smelled very good. Boy, was she right!

 

Briefly: This is spicy and rich, with a background of astringent, dark green herbs and a base of velvety myrrh. I can't tell what the spice is. It's not cinnamon. It sort of reminds me of Shub, though it's not typically gingery. Maybe cardamom. *shrugs* Whatever it is, it's very strong, and wonderful once I got used to it. The idea of people using Temple oils as perfume makes me uncomfortable, but I have to say, this blend is just gorgeous. If it were a perfume, I would wear it as often as possible. As it is, I'm very happy with it as a ritual oil. I can tell just from the first use that it will have an immediate "signal" effect, letting me get into a ritual headspace more easily and quickly. The only problem I had with it is that, since this was my first time using it, I was a little distracted at first by how good it smelled!

 

Before using this in ritual last night, I had to make sure that it was acceptable to my Gods. It was. They were, in fact, very clear on that. I used my thumb to anoint the three candles and then my forehead, throat, and heart. The resinous spiciness just swirled around me. It was so rich and so...enveloping. It really contributed to the sense of being in sacred space, set apart from the ordinary world. So much so, in fact, that a temple environment spontaneously became a part of my meditation experience.

 

Once the oil dried and the spice relaxed a bit, I was able to identify the myrrh. It's so gorgeous and gives the oil such a sense of sacredness. After the ritual, I washed my hands (twice) and even rubbed at my thumb a bit with the soap, but the scent remained. Between that and what was on my forehead/throat/over my heart, I fell asleep completely surrounded by this rich scent. I slept for five and a half hours and woke up with it still there. The spice had more or less retreated by this point, but the myrrh was still going strong. And here I am, more than four hours later, and I haven't showered yet (yeah, I know, ew) and I still smell this wonderful scent wafting around me. It's sort of keeping me from getting on with my day because it makes me feel sort of...otherworldly. I smell holy, in a very pagan way, if that makes sense.

[Extispex]

Wowee this is beautiful. If it were a regular BPAL, I would buy this to wear as a perfume. As it is, I'm very glad I get to smell this everyday, because I bought it as an offeratory oil for my altar and I make daily offerings. Whether used upon candles, on my offering bowl (I annoint the rim of the bowl with this), or on my skin, this blend definitely creates a halo of 'sacred space'. It has an enlivening, almost intoxicating (but gently so) quality that I find very conducive to the purposes for which I bought it.

 

Temple: Greek is a very sweet herby aroma. I can detect honey, sage and other herbs, and also something fruity that gives it a 'juicy-fruit gum' smell for a brief moment after applying. On my skin it dries down to a gorgeous honeyed herb scent, but the honey doesn't overpower. It has good throw, and as I go about my offerings and prayers, I catch whiffs of it as I move. It really creates a lovely atmosphere, reverent but not too solemn, a sense of holiness, but not at all churchy. It lets you know you're going about sacred business, but that the duties are sweet and sublime.

 

I am so glad I got a bottle of this - Temple:Greek will become a permanent fixture on my altar.

[Kelthara]

Temple: Greek is beautiful. On me it's all honeyed clove, with a hint a sage, and a drop of cinnamon. At least, that is what my nose registers. It's spicy, and sweet, and a little green. The Mediterranean, dry, sun-warmed kind of green, as befits the blend. But there's also something soft and velvety about it. It feels ancient, reverent, but a little playful around the edges, a little mysterious, a little sensual even. The image that comes to mind is that of a benevolent Goddess, but with an impish smile and a sparkle in her eye.

 

I've loved this blend since I got it over the summer, shortly after I got into BPAL, but it's been such a comfort to me lately, with everything that's been going on. Freedom is the one thing I've built my whole life around, and I've been feeling like a rat in a cage and sometimes will go into a bit of a claustrophobic panic, the idea of no being able to go anywhere terrifies me. I don't even know when I'll be able to go back to my own country. I've been wearing Temple: Greek at night, sometimes just to feel calmer, sometimes to meditate and connect with my deities. One of them in particular has always responded to this blend very well. When I close my eyes, it transports me to wide open spaces, to the wild places of the earth, and my world feels a little less small. I'm very grateful to have a bottle, and I will treasure it in the coming weeks.