Handfasting

[UltraViolet]

 

 

 

 

In the bottle

Mmm, pretty, orange blossom and another white flower. A bit of sweet of foodiness underneath, fresh smelling.

On

Lovely orange blossom. Maybe lemon verbena.

30 minutes

This is stil a nice, medium-strong citrus that doesn't lessen in intensity at 30 minutes. The foodiness that I smelled when wet isn't there now. The orange blossom scent has turned lemony.

Throw:

a bit more than average

Scent category:

Floral/Citrus

Summary

Handfasting is a lovely ancient Celtic wedding ritual (almost always Pagan or Wiccan) in which the bride's and groom's hands are tied together.

TAL's "Handfasting" blend is fresh smelling and citrussy. It starts out a soft orange and turns into a more astringent, almost lemony citrus.

Purchase again?

Yes

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4 (I would like it more if it had a bit more floral)

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Beth should just go ahead and label this "Handfasting, Squee!" because if you have reason to use it... ! Buying my bottle has actually been one of the things that's made my impending wedding seem the most real. I will be using it to anoint our handfasting cord before the ceremony, and also our rings, my bouquet...everything I can think of to weave a love spell around us both on the happiest day of our lives. I am testing it today because we are going to get our marriage license!

 

In the bottle, Handfasting smells like citrus over what I can only describe as "the TAL smell"...that rich, herbal scent you find as a base in many of these blends. Lightly testing it, I smell strong, sharp lemon verbena on top of something warmer and "chewier", perhaps herbs combined with musk or a touch of resin? It's a little sharp to use as a wedding day perfume, which of course isn't really its intent anyway, but it will impart a lovely bright scent to all the ritual items used in Handfasting. And now...one more !

[Koukla]

This is a review for purpose only, not fragrance. I will say that it is a light scent and would probably not be offensive, potential allergies notwithstanding.

 

I used Handfasting in a couple candle rituals for the purpose of helping me find and maintain a healthy, happy, long term relationship. (Rather than its possible more obvious use as an offering for, or marker of, such a relationship already found and being formally cemented). Within two days of the first ritual I had found it in myself to swiftly delete off of Facebook and out of my contacts and telephone, a man who I had previously fallen for and was still mope-ily attached to, despite all the obvious reasons not to have ever been. When he emailed me later (and then later again) I had no problems or hesitation doing what was right for myself and ignoring it. It was like a switch had flipped in my head and I simply no longer wanted him or the unhappiness and confusion he had consistently brought me.

 

A few weeks later I did a similar ritual again. Within days I was suddenly gripped by a visceral need to go see someone I had met the previous year (and had not thought of in months) who was quite a bit of everything I want and that would be good for me--but have never wanted in action, or been actually attracted to. He was someone I felt compelled to reject thoughts of at first even though I *was* attracted to him, unusually enough. There were practical obstacles at the time which I had focused on and used as my reasons to myself, but possibly not insurmountable obstacles--they were in fact just excuses. We still have great chemistry, and though those obstacles are still there they don't seem nearly as large.

 

I don't know what will happen, of course. But I can say that Handfasting is turning out to be extremely good at helping me change my own self-defeating patterns and desires where finding a long-term mate to be actually *happy* with is concerned.

 

It works.