The World

[jj_j]

From the Tarot collection; no description of scent provided by BPAL.

 

This is an incredibly complex scent that manages to balance notes I didn't realize could be balanced. Sandalwood, cinnamon, running water, lemon, eucalyptus - these are just the start of the components in the World. This is earthy, airy, warm, and crisp all at the same time.

 

This strikes me as the ultimate no-category scent, because it's all categories at once. I'll wear this on a regular basis because it's compelling and ethereal while still being grounded, but also because it's a scent that fits any mood on any day, in any season and for any occasion.

 

Wearing this elicits a feeling of wholeness.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Bright, sweet fruity and hopeful. A youthful smell, representing more youth's eagerness to learn and experience and their optimism than their naivete. An eagerness to embrace and envelop everything that it encounters.

 

After Wearing It:

This scent was so uplifting ang cheering for me. When I first put it on, it smelled very sweet, almost with a light sugar note tying light fruit, floral and wood scents together. I think I smell some jasmine, a sweeter type of sandalwood and maybe a light plum. The scent deepened after a while, smelling less sweet and more warm. Like the feel of warm sunshine on bare skin.

 

The feelings I get from this scent are of relief and joy. That a clear, warm, sunny day after weeks of horrible storms. That serene, but happy feeling that you get when you are reminded that life does go on and everything will be okay after all.

 

Final Thoughts:

This is so not my usual fare (LOL cheerful scents aren't me much(, but I'm so glad I have a full bottle of this. It promoted a state in me that fell somewhere between serenity and mild euphoria. A very beautiful and potentially therapeutic scent.

[twistygirl]

Because this is so complex, containing so many elements, it is the perfect embodiment of The World. It smells incredibly balanced and is indeed a very cheerful scent. I have never smelled a scent so complex and yet so whole and so harmonious. None of the notes battle with one another. This is something I will want to always have on hand, because I agree that it will suit virtually every mood I can imagine.

[ipb]

It's Thanksgiving Day. You've just finished a delicious meal, and there's a hot mug of coffee in your hand. Friends and family are arguing about the latest fiasco, the baby's cooing at you from across the table, and your feet are rubbing the belly of a devoted mutt. You're happy, fulfilled and truly thankful (at least until you have to start the dishes!). For this moment, the World and everything in it is yours.

 

We all recognize this feeling. It can come at any time or place and is always welcome. We can feel it at home raking the leaves or on the world stage accepting the Nobel Prize. It can seem quiet and simple, or wild and glorious. What is this feeling, and where does it come from? Card 21 can help us find out.

 

A major element of happiness is wholeness - the sense that everything is working together in harmony. Not in a static way, but with dynamic balance. Involvement is also important. To be happy, we must feel connected - engaged with what is around us. There is also accomplishment - knowing that we have goals and are moving toward them successfully. When all these elements come together, we feel fulfilled and blessed.

 

The World represents these moments and all that goes into them. In readings, it is a very positive sign that you are in a position to realize your heart's desire. What that is for you depends on the situation, but it will always feel great. Remember, though, that Card 21 is a symbol of active contribution and service. To hold the World in our hands, we must give of ourselves to it. That is the source of true happiness. 

 

source

 

 

love it in the bottle, can't wait to try it! the cinnamon and sandalwood stand out in the bottle, but not like screaming here i am, more like nudging other things and going back. balanced and cheerful and happy - which is only fitting, eh.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Earthy and spicy with a little sweetness to it.

 

Second Impression: Oh glorious scent. It's the best of everything. It's woodsy, sweet, spicy, airy, crisp, fresh, earthy, deep, light, bright. How it can be all of these at once, only Lab Goddess knows. I smell sandalwood, cinnamon, the lightest hint of lemon. Beautiful.

 

Final Analysis: All I know is that it's wonderful and I just want to bathe in it!

[TygherRayn]

The World card pictures a dancer in a Yoni (sometimes made of laurel leaves). The Yoni symbolizes the great Mother, the cervix through which everything is born, and also the doorway to the next life after death. It is indicative of a complete circle. The Dancer has one leg crossed over the other, just like the Hanged man. She is, in a sense, his opposite, the hanged man right-side-up. As the Hanged Man saw infinitely inward, the Dancer sees infinitely outward. Which brings us to the Lion, Bull, Cherub and Eagle standing for Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio, the fixed signs of the Zodiac (these link the ever turning World card to the ever turning Wheel of Fortune), and so symbolic of the four elements, four compass points and the four corners of the universe. All within the Dancer's sight and power.

 

Thus, the World card, very aptly, represents a successful conclusion, all aspects accounted for and taken in. Simply put, this card tells the Querent that the end to a long-term project is in sight, and that it will be accompanied by well-earned praise, celebration and success. With Saturn as its ruling planet, this card can also indicate that the Querent, now an expert in their subject, is likely to become a teacher or sought-after lecturer. And, finally, on a more mundane level, the World card indicates travel, not short business trips, but long, fantastic trips. Maybe a lecture tour, book signing, or just a trip around the world. This is a wonderful card of wholeness, perfection, satisfaction and happiness.

 

In the bottle: Earthy was my first impression. Cinnamon, perhaps. Something a little woody .. but it's not cedar, that's for sure. The cinnamon's tempered by something, making it not as strong as something like, say, mars or Wrath.

 

Wet: Yes, cinnamon. After a minute or so it sweetens, like there's a floral scent in this as well. The World card is a depiction of the cyclical nature of things .. and this scent seems to mimic that. It morphs constantly, I can't pin down the notes except for the cinnamon, but I know there's more.

 

Wearing: This scent makes me happy. It makes me feel connected and grounded. And that's rather what I expected of a scent pattered after this Tarot card. It's warm and soft, it's sweet and woody. It's 'Elemental', if that makes sense. It seems to have all the elements in it, and that's a lovely thing indeed.

Edited June 27, 2004 by TygherRayn

[hypothermya]

I don't spend much time with my Tarot decks, but I did want to give several of the Tarot oils a try. I especially wanted to try the world because of the earthy descriptions mentioned in the earlier reviews, and the sense of completeness and happiness associated with it.

 

First Sniff

 

This is earthy, but very complex. The is definitely cinamon in there, but there's a ton of other scents that I can't even begin to recognize. There's definitely eucalyptus, and maybe some pine underneath (and I mean way underneath)... It smells bitter, and earthy, and solid, and fresh, and fruity, and... Everything.

 

Wearing It

 

When it hits my skin, the sandalwood comes out in the open. The cinamon provides a close friend to the sandalwood, and the rest of the scents mingle into this weird, flowing, spicey, watery, earthy background noise. It reminds me a lot of the prototype of The Lion that I got to try, although I think that that's the cinamon talking. But I also think that I'm catching a whiff of that grassiness that was in The Lion. Overall, this reminds me incredibly of a tea I drink called "Good Earth," which has this strong cinamon flavor to it, but also some other stuff... It gives me that same warm feeling that drinking the tea gives me. Makes me feel comforted.

 

Lasting Power

 

This guy lasts for about 2 hours on me, if I remember correctly. Part of the issue is that it seems to blend so well with my natural body odor (no, not the sweaty nasty body odor, but the scent of me) that it almost seems like it belongs on me skin... all of it except for the cinamon, which is just a small kick of spice. But after about 2 hours, I can't smell it anymore and the cinamon has faded to the lightest bit of spice.

 

 

I really like this scent. On the other hand, I treat it a lot like I treat Voodoo -- very carefully. These scents are just so complex that I like to wear them around the house when I'm not so emotionally guarded. When I can just relax and let the scent take me somewhere else. But I still like the scent, so I'll probably keep it around.

[Scylla]

Sigh. I had high hopes for this one because of the glowing reviews. But, my body chemistry made this smell exactly like the medicinal hand soap they had in the bathrooms at school when I was a kid.

[Ishtar]

The World strongly reminds me of a softer, more rounded version of Voodoo. Same woodiness with a touch of something sweet and a bright lemon or lime note, but not as changing and "busy" as Voodoo.

In fact, this is a very calm, grounded scent.

 

When first applied, the cinnamon and wood notes are prominent. I cannot really pin down what kind of wood I am smelling. At first I thought it was pine, now I rather smell sandalwood. Maybe both? It doesn't really matter anyway, all I know is that this scent is beautiful in an unusual way. Incredibly serene and comforting.

 

During drydown... well I am sorry to say that I have no idea of what happened during drydown since I put this on at night and next thing I knew I was sleeping like a baby! All I know is that I woke up very well rested and cheerful this morning. After 10 hours a soft earthy/lemony smell still emanates from my skin, as if it was my natural scent.

 

A keeper, definitely

[xoe]

As everyone has said, at first this is quite cinnamony. But as it dries down it becomes so much more complex.

 

On me it's cinnamon, sandalwood, everything else. It's light a floral and fruity. And good. Yeah, I know that's a prosaic review. But really, this scent is too complex for me to describe, and good really fits the bill.

 

The World is good.

[malanna]

Not really floral or fruity on me. This is cinnamon, but not full-blown cinnamon like Three Witches. Cinnamon tampered by something (maybe sandalwood). When I was smelling this, I was reminded of a warm, rough wool blanket. It isn't loud, but a bit comforting (well, if I liked cinnamon). It reminded me a bit of Sagittarius, but not too much.

[Electra]

Oh yeah. This is a good one.

 

Wet: smells shockingly similar to Florida Water (which is good, as Florida Water is one of my favorite scents). Like Florida Water, it manages to be cool and refreshing and spicy (warm spices, no less) at the same time. Really nice.

 

Drydown: It's woodsy-earthy on me now. Subtle. I don't know that I'd wear this one as a perfume, but it's the perfect scent to wear for meditation.

 

I'm going to play with this one some more, but I suspect it'll be a 10 mL purchase.

 

Edit: Oh, hell. Now I'm getting Eau de Pencil Shavings. Still definitely like it for meditation purposes, but definitely not for a perfume.

 

Edit again: I'm giving The World another shot, and it's marvelously calming and grounding. Oh my god, I love it. Still not a perfume, but much more of a "mental health" scent. I will be buying a bottle in my next order.

Edited November 20, 2004 by Electra

[BubbleDragon]

First sniff: Ack - something is a really high scent in this. I don't spell the cinnamon at all! Not quite right. But I'll try it.

 

Later: Still too high - I agree with the comment about pencil shavings. Very green and woody, and not me at all. This is the first oil I've sampled that gave me a headache. *pout* Which is sad because the World is one of my favorite cards - I can see, though, how the blend is the perfect... 'personification' for the card.

 

This might make a good sachet for my underwear drawer or a nice linen spray, but it is definately to high and greenish for me to actually wear. Ahh, headachey.

 

~bubbles

[Camilla T]

Wow, this a really unique scent!

 

In the bottle it is very minty and cinnamon-y. The first two things I can smell - but it's as if there's something more in there just waiting to come out.

 

When first applied, the cinnamon is very clear, but in a nice way, because there is so much else going on. It soon becomes more woody/earthy, but in a floral way (if this makes any sense!) I'm not usually too much into the woody/earthy scents, but this is nice!

 

Later on it is more woody and subtle, and there is also something floral and watery there.

 

I really like this scent. It is very complex, but not in a heavy way. It's not overpowering or headache-inducing. It made me feel motivated and happy. This really is a scent that can be worn on every occasion at any season. It is The World! And I want it

[ChupaChup]

Yay, I found it! One of my favorite shampoos is made by Morrocco Method, it's called Earth. I had been hoping to find a BPAL oil that smelled like it and tried several of the ones that were described as earthy. The World is it, it comes so close it's amazing. I can smell a tiny bit of cinnamon, eucalyptus, something a little nutty like almond, resins and earthy notes like vetiver or patchouli. It's so refreshing, uplifting and calming at the same time, I love it

[diabolique]

opening this vial, i thought it smelled dirty, gritty, and ugly. it was rough and rugged. i kept putting it away, then going back and opening it up, though, because i was drawn to it.

 

it's morphed into something entirely different for me. i don't wear it because of the way it smells, but because of the way it feels. it helps me earth and center myself. it's a running conceit for how i feel about the world sometimes; it has its fair share of dirt and grit, and it's certainly not an easy place to live in, but that's the beauty of it. this is a reminder to me that i'm a small fraction of this world, and, in turn, the world is a small fraction of the ever-expanding universe. this is a protective scent, it's warm and enveloping. i'm a little sad that my imp is almost out.

[Penance]

This is the first one of the Tarot oils I've tried and I have to say, I think it's going to remain my favorite.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Green and loamy at the same time. The oil itself is a light green color, so I would expect something woodsy but earthy at the same time. Maybe with a hint of aquatic notes. This is the interpretation of The World after all.

 

First sniff:

 

Sandalwood and something spicy. Cinnamon, maybe? I wasn't expecting this at all. This is beautiful, but nowhere near what I thought it would be like. This almost reminds me ofa cross between Sin and Tushnamatay straight out of the bottle.

 

Wet on skin:

 

The cinnamon seems to have disappeared and been replaced by eucalyptus. There's the green I was expecting! It's beautiful, fresh and invigorating but calming at the same time and quite lovely.

 

Dry down:

 

Resiny and spicy and vaguely herbal. This one's a real shapeshifter on me. I've loved all the stages so far; it's really lived up to what I expected out of it and even exceeded those expectations.

 

The bottom line:

 

I love this. I was afraid that it would be too complicated for me or that there would be one note that would ruin the entire scent for me (like lemon, it tends to pop up and ruin a lot of otherwise wonderful scents), but this is absolutely gorgeous. A definite winner!

[Tesseljoan]

My first impression of the World is of dry hotness. Then it's dry earth. Then it's wet cinnamon. Then it's wet earth.

 

It's incredible to have a scent that has so many components that don't seem to work together, but they do. Very well.

 

Unfortunately I left my imp a bit to long, and the patchouli became more pronounced, much to my dismay.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: I've not got clue 1 about what is in this. It is green, herbal, spicy, woodsy, earthy... with a touch of citrus.

Wearing: It is still all of the above things, but different - sharp, but balanced.... This does have great staying power.

Final Impressions: I have had a bottle of this for the better part of a year now and have avoided reviewing it because I just can't describe it. I still can't. I don't like it, but I can't say why. Strange.

[Korki]

I can't even begin to explain this blend. I do like it an awful lot though. I got this as a gift from a friend. It is my first try of BPAL oils. I have worn this for three days straight and my review kind of shows that. It seems to be different every day that I wear it.

 

In the bottle I find it to be very, very sharp. In fact if I was basing this scent totally on the smell from the bottle I would be tucking it away somewhere. Out of sight, out of mind. I think that is the cinnamon. But maybe I am only picking cinnnamon because others have mentioned it. Other sniffs have made me think more of pepper than of cinnamon. Then another time it smelled like Mentholatum.

 

When I first put it on it is still pretty strong. Then once it has been on for awhile it softenes and becomes a very, very nice scent. On me the scent seems to be gone after about 30 minutes. Then after awhile it appears to be back. It mellows out and becomes very soft and pleasant. I want to say almost floral, but not really. Almost powder, but not really. Hard to describe. And it changes every time I wear it.

 

I really like this scent and I like how it makes me feel. It seems to relax me a lot.

 

Sorry my first review wasn't very good, hopefully I will get better, but this is a very strange mixture to try to review anyway. But I'm lovin' it!

[Rheliwen]

In the bottle:

 

Incredibly resiny, like dense amber.

 

Wet:

 

It seems to stay true to the bottle scent here. It's definitely resiny. It has a tinge of medicine in there, but fades after about a minute. This one is funny because with each passing moment, another scent is added...like a symphony.

 

Dry:

 

The resin has dried down a bit and I have now been introduced to salty aquatics, ozone and bright summer florals. It's definitely getting softer over time...fine by me! Now it's a soft resiny floral, salty and bright.

 

Overall:

 

This one is definitely complex...but how could it not be!? I can most definitely pick out elements for earth, air, fire (less so) and water. What an interesting blend!

[Falathwen]

This is a hard scent to review. I had two different experiences with this blend the two times I have tried it so far, so I will describe both.

The first time, when wet I thought I could smell sandalwood and a hint of mint. A faint fruit/floral (possibly lotus) scent came forward, with the sandalwood remaining as an undercurrent. This blend was calming…like Coiled Serpent it felt more like a meditation oil than a perfume. The drydown was almondy, with just a hint of soft evergreen. I seemed to catch a different echo of scent each time I sniffed my wrist.

The second time I tried it, the wet scent was a light sweet cinnamon. As it dried down, wafts of some sort of evergreen (perhaps alder?), almond, and mint came forward. The drydown was soft and woody - like sandalwood or perhaps vetiver.

Both times, this scent was light and evoked a calm mood.

[darkitysnark]

The World

 

I'm going to forego my usual review style because this one defies catagorization for me. It is the perfect yin-yang scent, absolutely balanced between extremes.

 

In the end what I got was a dark, resinous, incensy and yet light, airy, and clean scent that was very gentle and persistent.

 

Not a favorite of the Mr.'s (he's become a chocolate scent lover) but this is not something I would wear for him or anyone else. This is a private "me" scent for tumultuous days. Something to steady the boat and give me a chance to realign.

 

Beautiful.

[shelldoo]

the world is earthly, soft tho, i was shocked at how soft. it is woodsy, and spicey w/ just a breath of floral it dried to be incredibly light barely there scent. very nice

[scourgeotheseas]

The World

 

In the bottle: Green and herby, but very light.

 

On me: Seems more complex than some of the other Tarot oils I’ve tried. A combination of light, sweet, green, and herby. It’s warm and comforting, kind of like a warm wet summer day – dirt and grass.

 

Eventually: Its stays kind of sweet, but turns much more floral-y.