Death

[shriekingviolet]

Category: Tarot Oils

 

Site Description:

None as of yet.

 

Initial Impression:

Mysterious and indefinable. Is it earthy, is it smoky? Shadowy, yet raw in a way that's open and everpresent.

 

After Wearing It:

First on, the scent is very earthy. From what I can tell, it's a heavy mixture of dark musk, vetivert and earth. Over time it starts to lighten up, becoming less dark but still warthy. Smoother, but not at all sweet. So imagine my surprise when 5 hours later I sniff my wrist and smell traces of sweet flowers among soft, wispy musk and earth. I can't tell exactly exactly what I'm smelling but it's not sweet in a foody, vanilla kind of way, but like small sweet wildflowers you might find growing across a field somwhere. A bit powdery too. This is a very complex scent, morphable, totally capturing the meaning of the death card as a sign of transformation. It started out dark and oppressive, but came out with a sweet new beginning. Amazing.

 

Final Thoughts:.

I don't think this is something I'll wear as a personal fragrance, but it'd be a wonderful aide during reading & meditation sessions. It's definitely worth your time if you appreciate scents for more than their aesthetic qualities.

[oceandessa]

i completely agree with S.V on this scent. it is not one i would wear, EVER because i had a bad experience with the death card a few years ago. in fact, until this day i am not sure why i ordered it, but i did and it sat on my shelf untried for a really long time. the night i finally tried it, i was insmonic and contemplative. it felt right to try it. i applied some on my wrist: the scent went from a bitter loud note to a milder grassy note. then, about 3-4 hrs later......sweetness. on my it was a very floral sweetness. i think the success of this oil is not wearability but the fact that it captures the meaning of the death card so amazingly well.

 

edited to add: autumn24 has an amazing review of this scent in the bust archives. she describes it so much better than i do.

Edited March 16, 2004 by oceandessa

[cuervosueno]

First, a word about the Death trump in the Tarot as I interpret it:

Transformation, renewal, rebirth (though that rebirth may not necessarily be pleasant or easy, as Rachael Pollack notes in her Tarot books). destruction for rebirth. Letting go of personal will. Mary Greer notes that death is also a metaphor for orgasm....and she sees it as possibly representing something that takes your breath away. Death is a part of life, and we experience many mini-deaths and rebirths in our lifetime, so for me this is an important card of regeneration, and I welcome the card's power and energy in my life.

I bought this near the end of the year, knowing I wanted to wear it to help me transform my life in the New Year. I would have bought it even if smelled very odd, but to me....

well, death is divine!

Strong woodnotes! Sandalwood but a dark one. Cedar maybe too? It is the scent of wet wood, and that makes so much sense to me, because when I think of the card and death metaphorically I think of death and renewal in nature....and so I think of being in the woods. This absolutely captures that. And yes, there is something sweet in there too. I wondered about the possibility of frankincense, but it could also be a dark musk which turns sweet and powdery on me, and this does turn that way after a few hours. It has remarkable staying power. And there is something that changes, something sweet, just like the flowers being reborn from the death of a tree or something....though it never really turns floral on me.

I absolutely love this. I'm tempted just to wear it because I like it so much, but I do like to reserve the tarot oils for a specific purpose.....

it also reminds me of jupiter a bit...all that wood....also a favorite of mine...though jupiter is more pure wood and stronger....

[Gin]

Death

 

Death goes on with that pencil-shavingish cedar scent, but for some reason it doesn't bother me at all here, as it does in some other oils. The wood notes are dominant at first, but then the smokiness comes forward creating a fantastic blend. It reminds me of having fires on the beach--the sand, the smoke from the fire, the dried-up, sun-bleached driftwood. It's a contemplative scent. I like to use a bit before bed when I'm reflecting on my day.

[Penance]

Preconceived notions:

 

The Death card has always been my favorite Tarot card because of the meaning behind it, so for that reason alone I had to try this, but, reading the reviews, this sounds perfect for me and I'm very eager to try this.

 

First sniff:

 

To me, this smells like a cross between Capricorn and Brimstone. It's earthy but with an underlying grittiness and a slight hint of what smells like vetiver in the background. This is so perfect for me. I can't believe I waited this long to try it!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Death is a very close cousin of Capricorn's on me. Its earthy and wet smelling, like the forest floor after a thunderstorm. It's also got a hint of that decomposing leaves smell that I associate with vetiver. This scent definitely wouldn't be for everyone, but for me it's absolutely perfect.

 

Dry down:

 

As it dries, Death lightens up considerably. It's less oppressive smelling now somehow. If Death in its wet stage is like being buried under several feet of wet, loamy soil and decomposing leaves, Death in its dry stage is like standing next to that grave and smelling the soil and grass and sunshine. It's particularly appropriate for this scent as it seems almost a rebirth, going from the wet earthiness of the grave back to the world of the living above ground. Death is much less heavy and oppresive smelling once it dries, but each stage is absolutely gorgeous in its own way.

 

The bottom line:

 

It's like Death was created just for me. This is so perfect for me that it's not eve funny. I literally ordered a 10mL of this minutes after trying it in spite of my dire financial straits, I loved it so much. This is absolute, head-over-heels love for me.

 

ETA: I get different results every time I wear Death. Sometimes it's ashy and smoky and gritty and sometimes it's earthy and then changes to a clean grass and dirt kind of smell as it dries. I'm not entirely sure it's skin chemistry, although that would be the obvious answer to the question of why it does that...I prefer to think that it's just another sign of how it symbolizes change. Don't correct me. I like living in my BPAL fantasy world.

Edited May 3, 2005 by Penance

[scourgeotheseas]

Death

 

In the bottle: Sharp and spicy!

 

On me: This is bold, masculine, and dark. Yet playful. It smells of the Orient. I don’t usually like this family of scent, but this is artful. I feel this should be the description for the Devil, instead, because it entices you to sin.

[brownbat]

Very grounding. I'm smelling patchouli I think. It's like the duff in the forest but with something a little more bitter and unsettling thrown in. I think the bitterness may be myrrh. It's doing that somewhat medicinal thing that myrrh does on me. It got more bitter as it dried down.

[byrdie]

Note ~ My card for 2005.

 

Vial ~ Dark and smoky. Makes me think of charcoal or glowing barbeque embers.

 

Wet ~ Same reaction with more smoke to it.

 

Drying ~ Yeech. I'm not sure what I'm smelling, but I don't like it. I wouldn't be surprised if there were posies in this just based on the card art and the fact that it's an unfamiliar smell:

• Ring around the rosey
  A pocket full of poseys
  Ashes! Ashes!
  We all fall down!
   
  - a nursery rhyme about, I've been told, the Black Plague
  

Drydown ~ Oh, yes: this is definitely a smoke-ridden floral assult. *wheeze* It might contain a type of rose as well, but if so it's very light and only helping to support this alleged posey.

 

Dry ~ Yep, ashes. No doubt, the more pleasant scents from those times when combined with breathing through a handfull of flower/posey petals. The scents are blending together well, merging; but it's not a good experience for me. The Death card symbolizes change, so I guess that's part of the ash note.

 

Fade ~ It stayed at floral ashes for hours. I woke up the next morning to find a smooth, light, dusty floral on my wrist. I finally found a version of Tarot: Death I liked, but nearly 24 hours is a bit of a wait.

 

Final thoughts ~ Ack. Talk about a necessary evil. This will be a keeper through the end of the year, at least, just for the sake of ritual. However, I'm not going to be happy about it. Oh, ick. Maybe it'll smell better in an oil burner.

Edited January 11, 2006 by byrdie

[Lorencita]

Wow, I'm surprised I never reviewed this scent! This is one of my favorites, even though I'm usually into fruity/florals! I love the earthy quality to this, it's very grounding. I love everything about it. Not many people like it when I wear it, but I dont care! It makes me feel good! This is very hard to explain how it smells, the only note I think I smell that I can pinpoint, is patchouli. I could be sooo wrong though! All in all, this is something I wear when I want to feel comforted!

[sarada]

Sweet, scorched wood -- a log left on a fireplace, crumbling and blackened but wisps of smoke still escape when you stir the ashes. This is a very dry scent to me, delicious dark wood -- almost certainly some vetiver in there, as dark as Malediction but as woodily sweet as Capricorn. It's more like long lost Damnation actually, but a bit sootier and smokier and...sweeter.

 

I've been wanting to try this for a long time, and it's everything I had hoped for -- and very much like the aforementioned discontinued scents. But it definitely gives me the impression of something that was created for its properties, rather than specifically as a perfume. If the dark, brittle, crumbling wood represents that which is gone, then the lingering bouquet of slightly sweet smoke is the hope of change in the future -- the phoenix rising from the flames, if you like!

 

Definitely my favorite of the Tarot oils I've tried so far. I would like to keep their properties in mind as I wear them but I might just turn to it for its fragrance, more often than not!

[joseybird]

Got a sniffie of this from Penance--thank you!!

 

This is an incredible oil...along with Damnation it's the darkest scent I've ever smelled. But while Damnation was the darkest incence imaginable, Death is the darkest earth from the darkest part of the darkest forest. If there are leaves here, they're long decomposed, or dry and crackling, and the earth is full of unknown life or untold death. To smell this in the air is to touch the primordial darkness itself, and to wish to give yourself to it. It truly is Death as both Beginning and Ending, and I love it

[quimerula]

Patchouli, sandalwood and cedarwood. Woody and sexy, really nice.

Also a touch of vetiver that gives it a touch of dry leaves.

 

Dry it has a soft floral undertone which makes it comforting.

It's quite subtle on my skin, not what I expected from this oil, but still very pretty.

[ashtonrose]

It's not something that I can wear for sure. Too smokey. It unfortunately gave me a headache.

[Witch's Dagger]

Death

 

This was a gift from astrobabe! Thanks!

 

Preconceived notions: Must be good, Penance likes it!

 

In the vial: Yep, that smells fantastic. Incense, vetiver, some kind of pine. Lovely.

 

On me:

 

Wow. Just wow. This is powerful, beautiful, it is the scent of strong passions, insatiable need, and deepest darkness. It somehow captures that burnt wood smell after a fire has died out. Perfect for Death. I’m in awe and will likely need to get a bottle of this - it’s my favorite of all the Tarot oils I’ve tried (and the only one I haven’t at this point is the Chariot). There’s almost a nuttiness to it.

 

In 10 minutes:

Greyer, smokier, ghostlier. Sandalwood is coming to the forefront with its high spirituality and wafting smoke that seems of spirit. Behind it, the burnt wood, the sharp pang of the vetiver and perhaps cedar.

 

In 30 minutes:

Still about the same. The sandalwood, burnt wood, vetiver, and other scents I can’t identify make a very complex, intriguing, and intense scent, and one that clearly illustrates Death.

 

In 1 hour:

Still going strong, still quite beautiful.

 

Overall:

This is going on the short list of oils to get SOON!

[olympia301]

 

This is a grand perfume in the manner of Miss Balmain. Very heavy with a great throw and staying power, it starts off like everyone else says it does: smoky, vetiver, resinous and solemn. There is a very pretty component to it, the complete antithesis of The Devil (which is base and animal). I would put this in the category of a big resinous chypre.

 

I can certainly see why Death is very popular among those who like the earthy smells, but it's beautiful and has sweet saving notes mixed in as well. It's not a purely contemplative blend, and I would wear it to a serious occasion as well as think it a good ritual oil, too.

 

I imagine this was not an easy recipe to create, but the Lab has done a great job of it. I highly recommend this blend for its ability to conjure up the idea of Death, put you in the frame of mind to appreciate Death, but yet bring out the better ideas inherent in the concept.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): My impression of the Death card has always been upheaval, so I am sort of expecting something that signifies that... and what I get is a slightly sharp, new beginning kind of scent. No idea what it is, but I think of new beginnings when I sniff the imp.

 

Just On: It immediately changes to a scent of woods. I like it.

 

An hour or two later: Some really interesting morphing going on. It smells familiar in a new way, if that makes any sense.

 

Around 6 hours: Mmmm, this smells really nice. Is that patchouli? It's one that works on me YAY!

 

12 hours: Alll gone.

 

Overall: This is a nice scent overall, and one that I feel has connotations of the Death card.

 

After reading other reviews: I really didn't think it was nearly as dark as so many others did.

[nineveh]

This is predominantly vetiver. I recognize its fertilizer scent from other vetiver blends. My boyfriend and I think that it's a sharp, loamy scent. He says that it smells like someone spilled perfume in the dirt, because he can smell something else in the background. At first, it was too bitter, and it sweetened somewhat as it dried, but not enough for us. We agree that it lives up to its name, but we find it too soily for a perfume.

[tempete]

I can see why Penance and sarada love Death so much! It's extremely earthy with a strong overlying note that reminds me of decay and decomposition and makes me think of civet, although it would make more sense for it to be vetiver. An extremely fitting olfactory interpretation of death.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Holy vetiver, batman!

 

Wearing: This is just the strangest scent... this starts out very earthy and predominantly vetiver. As vetiver always wins any battle on my skin, I just assumed that was the end of it. Several hours laer, I sniffed my arm and - no vetiver! Just the slightly sweet herbs that seem to be in all of the tarot blends. This very dark scent ended up being almost sunny!

 

Final Impressions: A fascinating interpretation of the card - brilliant!

[QueenFae]

Oh this one is just not for me. It really does smell like death, though, so I guess it's successfully represented! I get a kind of rotting leaves stench, like the rotting piles that sit on the street waiting to be picked up in the fall. It's dark and serious, a little scary! my fiance, of course, loves it, so he can enjoy using up my decant.

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

Lovely earthy floral scent.

 

On

Wow I cannot get over how nice this is, I should not like this by all accounts.

I smell earth, patchouli, vetiver, and some beautiful note that I swear I've never smelled before. It's almost foody. But not. It's feminine, perfumey, sweet but not in a cloying way at all more sweet in an incensey way.

 

30 minutes

More of the cyphre scent is coming out now. Why do I like this?

It's damned addictive smelling.

 

Throw:

More than usual

 

Scent category:

spicy/earthy/incense/animalistic

 

Summary

So we've got earth, patchouli, vetiver, cyphre and then this scrummy beautiful feminine musky other note wafting on top. Nice throw.

 

Purchase again?

I think I might actually, not right away, too many other priority blends.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

3.5

[voodoobaby]

BPAL's Death, to me, smells like a much mustier and less sharp Brimstone. As it dries I get more of a woody, metallic smell, but it pretty much smells the same as it does wet. It's not horrible since it lacks that vapo rub smell that Brimstone had, but I don't think I would want to smell like this.

[Monster]

Death really made my nose scrunch up when I first smelled it. It's really sharp and bitter. I'm not even sure how to describe it.

It smells like an old mans cologne mixed with dirt and smoke.

I was afraid to put this on my skin, but I did anyway so I could give a complete review.

 

On my skin it's still very sharp and bitter to me. The "old man aftershave" smell is even more prominent now. I smell like I just hugged my grandfather.

 

I don't like this one at all

[grrrlennyl]

at first: dark and thick, with some soft flowers in the background.

on: very strong. vetiver?

10 minutes later: while heavy scents like this usually make me feel a bit suffocated, this isn't. it's strangely calming.

2 hours later: still heavy. this is definitely not something i would normally like, but i'm drawn to it. there's a bit of citrus peeking through now.

4.5 hours later: more mellow. nice.

overall: i don't know why i like this, but i do. it's my year card for 2006, so that's definitely a good thing.

[Caltha]

Death

Got this in a swap with paperdoll.

 

Death is a strong, dark, bitter, poisonous herbal/woody scent in the same vein as Hexennacht but not as unpleasant. Not very pleasant either so off to swaps!