The High Priestess

[jj_j]

From the Tarot collection; no scent description provided at BPAL website.

 

Sharp and sweet at the same time, when first out of the bottle - pine and a sharp, astringent note quickly move forward. The bright, astringent note, which I can't identify, is pleasing and yet causes unease at the same time. Almost metallic as it dries down.

 

This stays crisp and, for lack of a better term - bright. In fact, this scent resonates and really shines out from its spot on my arm, and if I close my eyes, get close, and just breathe in and out for a minute, I'm practically floating here in my chair.

 

Disconnected and otherworldly in itself, but a connector by its nature.

[Nadirah]

At first whiff I'm thinking bubblegum, or maybe jollyrancher. It is NOTHING like that at all, peppery, and light, once this hits my skin. It might just have some pinepossibly pennyroyal? maybe a splash of fruit, definatly peppery, a truly interesting and blessed scent!

Edited March 2, 2004 by Nadirah

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Totally interesting. I smell pine and cherry with something else almost minty - pennyroyal? Very sweet, yet almost astringent at the same time. Very contradictory.

 

Wearing: This smells like Christmas to me. Sweet minty pine... Unfortunately, the cherry quickly overpowers everything else, and i end up smelling like I washed with pinesol then dowsed myself in cherry slurpee. The drydown is simply sweet cherry.

 

Final Impressions: I'm learning that I can't wear cherry scents because the cherry overpowers everything else. While this is interesting, it doesn't work for me.

[friendthegirl]

Very resinous and piney so far, which doesn't really work for me, unfortunately.

[alizarin]

The day I found BPAL a tarot reading suggested I embrace my inner High Priestess. I tend to listen to my cards, so I went ahead and ordered the 10ml bottle.

 

In the bottle the smell is sweet cherry, almost a cherry cough syrup sort of smell.

 

On me, the cherry mellows into a dry sweetness with a clear sharp undertone, something crisp and vaguely metallic. It smells like cherries in a silver bowl sitting in the woods at night. It has an aura of innocence with something mysterious underneath it. It's hard to place, which I think is part of its charm. I quite like it.

[Shollin]

First sniff: The High Priestess has almond and mint, and there are other things here I can’t pin down. It’s a cool, shaded scent, and one I really like. (My bottle leaked a bit in transport and this is definitely the gorgeous cherry/mint scent I kept smelling while sorting out the package.)

 

Wearing: It’s very crisp on my skin, an effect I always like. I can’t tell whether the thing I thought was almond before is almond or cherry – my nose often confuses the two. It’s greener and darker on me, and has the chilly-but-welcoming aura of an old stone church. The mint is a greener mint than I’m used to – more like the leaf-scent of the mint in Envy than the peppermint-stick mint of Mad Hatter.

 

Sadly, on the way to work – less than an hour after application – it turned very weird on me, and not a good weird like Voodoo. It was like it had fermented. Pity, too, because the bottle is so ridiculously gorgeous I’m tempted to keep it just to look at. I might try it in my burner to see if it stays truer to the bottle-scent, which I really do adore.

[Tesseljoan]

In the bottle this smelled like almonds and a touch of freshness, perhaps green herbs or mint. The green herbs come out more when I'm wearing it. It's very gentle, but it stays forever.

[TygherRayn]

This was a very generous swap from Shollin, and I have to send big hugs to her for this, as it's one I'd been coveting for a while. And while it was nothing like I expected .. it remains something I will forever covet.

 

Tarot Meaning - High Priestess

 

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know in order to make a decision about a problem or a job, an investment, love, career, family, etc.

 

And, finally, there is, behind her throne, the curtain that leads to the deepest, most esoteric and secret knowledge; the pomegranates that decorate it remind us of Persephone, who was taken down into the land of the dead, ate its fruit, and became the only goddess allowed to travel to and from that strange land. Which indicates that when you get the High Priestess, you're going to be learning some very odd things. Very odd.

 

In the bottle: I smell cloves and maybe almond? Could be cherry, but I'm sticking with my gut and saying almond. It's reminiscent of March Hare in some ways, but there's something sharper about it.

 

Wet: I get a whole lot of minty-clove, and the almondy smell dies down. But it doesn't vanish completely .. it's there, in the background. This is definitely a powerful scent, very fitting of the Tarot is it meant to portray.

 

Wearing: I like this. It's minty and very green, and it seems to have good staying power. This is definitely a keeper. And I'm very glad I have a bottle of it now.

[Lady_Ell]

This is a metallic-cinnamon-peppery scent. It kind of reminds me of fresh galangal root as you smash it in a mortar and pestle for Thai food, with a hint of smashed mint leaves. It's really bright and astringent, in a similar way to The Star, but without the sugar-coconut essense. It reminds me a little bit of a light blue fluoride rinse we had to have every day in 2nd grade after lunch, but in a really pleasing way... which is interesting because I really hated that fluoride rinse. I don't see myself reaching for this every day, but it does make me feel centered and matter-of-fact and kind of like "whatever happens, I can deal with it."

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Cherries in the bottle but they are gone the second it touches my skin.

 

Second Impression: Cherries have morphed to almonds, which are gone in another second. A Vicks Vaporub-like scent remains.

 

Final Analysis: Vicks Vaporub and burning rubber. Not working with me at all.

[Dolly Dimple]

First sniff: oh my, this smells overwhelmingly of almond essence! I smell like marzipan!

 

Fifteen minutes later: the almond smell has gone, and a strong fruity smell has replaced it, reminiscent of blackcurrant Fruit Gums. I didn't think I liked very fruity scents, but this is just beautiful! It's noticeable, but it's not suffocating.

 

One hour later: alas, this one seems to have shot its load in the first hour - it's almost gone, and I can only detect it if I sniff the leather of my watch strap. A shame, as it was gorgeous while it lasted.

[glampyre]

High Priestess.

 

Clarity, Intuition, Peace.

 

Inititally very strongly pine, peppermint, cool-smelling spices.

 

After about two minutes, the High Priestess calms down into an amazingly clear scent. It's making me feel bright, alert, awake. My eyes are open wider, I'm sitting up straighter...I still smell the pine and mint, and they are joined by a nice deep white pepper. I think this scent really embodies the clear silvery blue color that Crowley associated with his version of the Priestess. I'm going to wear the BPAL High Priestess on the days that I specifically want to channel her energy.

 

 

edited b/c I can't type.

Edited September 16, 2004 by glampyre

[TheDarkMother]

This was a freebie in my last order. Its got the little black frillies on it and everything;)

 

In the Bottle: Light almond oil and peppermint. I wonder if all of the tarot oils have almond oil as thier base? I love the mint though, its light, not completely overpowering like most mint scents. This is very fresh and clears the sinuses, which was something that I needed at the moment.

 

On Me: As its wet, I'm really not certain if I like the base oils that the trot blends use but...WOAH....MINT! Mmm...Ok, I forgive them. Wow, this is chilly. Artic even. A total fresh, white blast of mint that makes me shiver. There is a hint of a floral in the background, but its so light when compared to the mint that it makes me think of a flower frozen in ice. Feminine and chilly, the ultimate cold shoulder. This is gorgeous! I am SO slathering this one.

[silverangel]

minty forest. where did my cherries from the bottle go?! I would have loved this with the cherries, but alas no, minty forest...i don't really like the pine/cedar/tree scents.

[Astarte]

The first note I get from the High Priestess is a cinnamon type of scent this is followed closely by a mint scent, then the pine can be felt and then it settles down to a minty green scent.

 

Smells like a more minty version of Frost Moon without the aquatic note.

[cuervosueno]

I'm working on this Tarot card...working through it I should say, so was delighted to get an imp in a swap.

In the bottle it is sharp, green, and herbal.

On me...whoa! Bitter almond! not the sweet almond of Queen of Sheba or Horn of Plenty, but sharp bitter almond. That top note faded quickly on me to a green, grassy herbal scent that quickly morphed into mint. Not sweet like spearment, and sharper than peppermint, so maybe those guessing pennyroyal are right. What lingers--so far--is that sharp herbal scent and mint.

It is very clarifying a scent, as the card suggests.

In one of my books on the Tarot, the card correspondences note that this card is asscoiated with almond which I can definately smell. Also camphor and aloes which could add the bitter note.

Seems quite apt for the card, though not at all what I expected.

 

edited to add that after awhile it is sharp green mint...not sweet, but mint with a touch of something else that is herbally and slightly bitter. Very nice! Very green and refreshing.

Edited March 2, 2005 by cuervosueno

[helarctos]

Maraschino cherries and creme de menthe liqueur, both in the bottle and on my skin.

[scourgeotheseas]

High Priestess

 

In the bottle: Cherry. It’s candy sweet with a hint of greenery.

 

On me: Cherry lollipops and bright red candy. It warms up soon, but the main note is still red candy and that whiff of green. Over time, the green notes come out and candy disappears.

 

Eventually: wow, this one changed completely. After a couple of hours, it was totally mint.

[brownbat]

I know this smell, but I can't place it. There may be some mint in there. Yup. The mint is quite a bit stronger now. The mint is now overpowering the first smell, so I can't tell what it was any longer. I think it might actually be penny royal. This is my favorite bpal mint scent so far. It's sweetening up quite a bit as it mellows. It's delicious!

Edited April 8, 2005 by brownbat

[Falathwen]

Strongly almond at first, this soon began to dry down and developed into a sweet, almost powdery spice scent. I was reminded of the cinnamon in Chimera which is almost like a cookie. There is something deeper, like clove, in the background. I noticed a slight cooling effect, though I could not pick out mint in the scent. This blend was great for a rather trying day. I felt very stable, calm, and feminine wearing it.

[Macha]

This was one of a number of imps that I bought (while they still could be bought) from the Lab in an effort to find a tarot fragrance I liked before committing the money to the cause, so to speak.

 

In the Vial: Eww...cherries. Oh yuck. Cherries and pine. Hmm...well I'm putting it on anyway, damnit.

 

Wet, on skin: Cherries and...hrm...mint. Hmm. That's...that's actually not so bad. You know, I think I could like this. The cherry is there, but it's not annoyingly cough syrup the way most cherry scents are to me. It's generally faded back to something fresh and sweet and is letting the mint take center stage.

 

Dry, on skin: Oh, this is a bright, peaceful, energizing fragrance. It's minty and green, with a hint of cherry that somehow completely works with this. (Words I would have sworn to you I would NEVER say.) This is just...wow. It has incredible throw and staying power (mint with staying power? HOW?), and is just the most bright, wide-awake, glowing fragrance. Today I was more alert, more happy, more...aware...than I've been in ages. The most horrendous stressful crap happened to me at work today. I turned up the radio, grinned, danced in my office, surprised the hell out of my boss with how well I coped with everything. Lose my temper? Oh, I don't think so!

 

Conclusion: I need a bottle of this in the worst way. I think this may have just replaced Ice Queen as my favorite bpal fragrance. It's just wonderfully peaceful and calming and full of serenity taken to the point of joy.

Edited April 20, 2005 by Macha

[leahcat]

From this, I get a sharp scent, of what I think is almond. There’s almost an acidic undertone to it.

 

This, like the other Tarot oils I’ve tested, is a very strong scent and one I’d knock myself out with if I even did a minor slathering job. A dab does quiet well and lasts for a few hours. A smear from the imp stick will last half the day.

 

I like the almond, but in the end I’ve other scents I like more, such as Bastet. There’s also something else in there I cannot quite ID and it’s not something my nose is 100% happy with. Ah well!

 

 

EDIT: that something else is likely a pine/mint. I haven't done well with BPAL's idea of mint, sadly

Edited May 6, 2005 by leahcat

[Witch's Dagger]

The High Priestess

 

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: Oh, this is lovely - almonds, I think, and spice, perhaps cardamom and anise?

 

On me: Yes, a heady, spicy, and buttery almond with a definite whiff of cardamom and/or anise. It seems like a combination of Hecate and Mystery, two of my favorites. It’s strangely not as blue as I was expecting it to smell, though I do think there might be some violet or jasmine in this.

 

In 20 minutes: There’s definitely something new here, I’m guessing lotus, something that sweetens the entire blend so that I’m getting a little black licorice. Still, it’s a warm and spicy anise rather than a cool and sweet one, and despite this sweetness, it never flows over into actual black licorice - there’s a hint, but it stays hidden. It is very much a mysterious scent - I sense old parchment with burned edges, black incense smoke rising over it. This is very appropriate for a dark priestess, cool, mysterious, hidden mysteries.

 

Overall:

I love this and will probably get a bottle at some point.

[shelldoo]

opening the bottle i am assaulted by almond.

 

wet immediately touching my sking the almond disappears it is replaced by a sharp, metalic biting smell, i can't place. there is definitely pine, and i am thinking it smells like halls mentholyptus or something, w/ a touch of herbs and pine. it isn't a bad smell, it just morphs so completely so fast.

 

it is gone very shortly thereafter, one of teh fastest faders i have ever tried.

[Chirp]

In the bottle: Mint... lots and lots of mint! However, this mint differs slightly from those minty BPAL scents I've come across in the past. Sweet and pale, this is more like an Andes mint candy then mint tea... in fact, I think that the minty note might actually be pennyroyal. I can also smell sweet almonds lurking in the background. The entire blend is tinged with an unidentifiable sharp/bitter note.

 

Wet: The almonds overwhelm the rest of the scent at this stage. I can smell the cherry-like tang that many people have mentioned (in fact, the almonds are so powerful at this point that I can taste the almond-cherry note in the back of my mouth), but this is definitely pure unadulterated almond. The mint has melded into the almond scent, giving the blend a bright, pure, cold (and some what chalky) quality. At this stage, The High Priestess reminds me of a pale, shining light burning through the darkness.

 

Dry: The almonds have died back some, allowing the cherry-tang to disappear and the mint to re-emerge on it's own. The almond note that remains is somewhat sweeter now as well, tempering the sharp tang that this scent once had. While the blend still retains a light, airy quality, it has lost some of its original brightness... instead settling for a gentle luminescence. I can smell the smooth scent of wood lying modestly beneath everything else, but I don't think it's pine. I'm also getting a hint of anise from this.

 

Overall a lovely scent... very cool and green, airy with just a touch of wood and anise for depth. This is one of the few BPAL scents I've come across that can so perfectly combine light and darkness, sweetness and bitterness.

Edited May 30, 2005 by Chirp