Practical Occultism

[PurringPulsar]

Practical Occultism consists, first, of a perfect mastery of the individual’s own spirit. No advance whatever can be made in acquiring power over other spirits, such as controlling the lower or supplicating the higher, until the spirit within has acquired such perfect mastery of itself, that it can never be moved to anger or emotion—realizes no pleasure, cares for no pain; experiences no mortification at insult, loss, or disappointment—in a word, subdues every emotion that stirs common men’s minds.

 

To arrive at this state, severe and painful as well as long continued discipline is necessary. Having acquired this perfect equilibrium, the next step is power. The individual must be able to wake when he pleases and sleep when he pleases; go in spirit during bodily sleep where he will, and visit—as well as remember when awake—distant scenes.

 

He must be enabled by practice, to telegraph, mentally, with his fellow associates, and present himself, spiritually, in their midst.

 

He must, by practice, acquire psychological control over the minds of any persons—not his associates—beneath his own calibre of mind. He must be able to still a crying infant, subdue fierce animals or angry men, and by will, transfer his thought without speech or outward sign to any person of a mental calibre below himself; he must be enabled to summon to his presence elementary spirits, and if he desires to do so (knowing the penalties attached), to make them serve him in the special departments of Nature to which they belong.

 

He must, by virtue of complete subjugation of his earthly nature, be able to invoke Planetary and even Solar Spirits, and commune with them to a certain degree.

 

To attain these degrees of power the processes are so difficult that a thorough practical occultist can scarcely become one and yet continue his relations with his fellow-men.

 

He must continue, from the first to the last degree, a long series of exercises, each one of which must be perfected before another is undertaken.

 

A practical occultist may be of either sex, but must observe as the first law inviolable chastity—and that with a view of conserving all the virile powers of the organism. No aged person, especially one who has not lived the life of strict chastity, can acquire the full sum of the powers above named. It is better to commence practice in early youth, for after the meridian of life, when the processes of waste prevail over repair, few of the powers above described can be attained; the full sum never.

 

Strict abstinence from animal food and all stimulants is necessary. Frequent ablutions and long periods of silent contemplation are essential. Codes of exercises for the attainment of these powers can be prescribed, but few, if any, of the self-indulgent livers of modern times can perform their routine.

The arts necessary for study to the practical occultist are, in addition to those prescribed in speculative occultism, a knowledge of the qualities of drugs, vapors, minerals, electricity, perfumes, fumigations, and all kinds of anæsthetics.

 

And now, having given in brief as much as is consistent with my position—as the former associate of a secret society—I have simply to add, that, whilst there are, as in Masonry, certain preliminary degrees to pass through, there are numerous others to which a thoroughly well organized and faithful association might advance. In each degree there are some valuable elements of practical occultism demanded, whilst the teachings conveyed are essential preliminaries. In a word, speculative occultism must precede practical occultism; the former is love and wisdom, the latter, simply power.

 

A Victorian occultist’s incense, invoking the Four Archangels: precious wildcrafted Indian frankincense with myrrh, cassia, sandarac, palmarosa, white sage, red sandalwood, elemi, and drops of star anise bound with grains of kyphi.

 

In the bottle: kyphi! A fruity, wine-y kyphi scent with lots of cassia and a bit of anise.
On skin: glorious spicy kyphi. This smells less like Cairo’s lemongrassy-rosy take on kyphi, not as wine-y or ashen as Philosopher in Meditation, it’s more like the kyphi note from the Oak and Kyphi atmosphere spray, or the Chthonic Kyphi incense from TAL. It’s spicy, resinous and complex. Cinnamon/cassia is the most obvious note, but it’s also full of myrrh, frankincense, red wine and honeyed raisins, there’s also a hint of fuzzy sage to it as well. The anise isn’t there any more. I absolutely love the resinous spicy scent this has. It reminds me a bit of Haloa but without the foody notes. It also reminds me of Egg Moon’s cinnamon frankincense.
After a while: it doesn’t change too much but I think the honey and wine aspects of the kyphi become more obvious. The resins deepen further, the cassia becomes warmer. The myrrh is wonderful in here, it reminds me of the myrrh in Priala, especially with the cinnamon, but not as smoky. Something about it reminds me of a couple of last year’s phoenix scents.
Verdict: probably the best kyphi scent by BPAL so far. If you are a kyphi lover, you must get this. It’s brimming with spice and resin and honeyed wine, all in balance. Yule is a perfect time for this scent to be on sale, there’s something almost festive to it because of the combination of red wine and cinnamon, frankincense and myrrh, at times it reminds me of mulled wine in a church during a Christmas service, but it’s got that undertone of mystery and darkness hinting at more ancient, occult origins for this particular incense blend. The great thing is that it’s cinnamony but doesn’t burn my skin. I’m glad I took a chance on this as it’s perfect, I think it will age amazingly.
Is it a keeper? for sure. Maybe a backup?
If you like this, try: Egg Moon, Pliny’s Phoenix, Tacitus’s Phoenix, Priala the Human Phoenix, Oak Leaves and Kyphi atmosphere spray, Saturnian Phoenix, Philosopher in Meditation, Haloa, Cairo, Saint Foutin de Varailles, Valentine of Rome

[stellamaris]

Really really happy I got this one. It's quite dark and sophisticated, what it ultimately reminded me of was a grown up Scrappy Damsel.

Wet it starts off with a sharpish almost olive fruity scent, like red wine. It drys down to something very lush. I am a huge cinnamon fan, but the cassia in this is not like the sweeter cinnamon in Playful Wooden Mallets, it's more of a dry spicey cinnamon. It does as the previous reviewer said, have a "magical " oil feeling, in fact I feel like the middle phase smells almost like my money mojo bag when it is scented with Prosperity from TAL.

This oil has great staying power, and does go through really nice changes. I got a little nervous because it felt warm on some parts of my skin and I was afraid that like Chimera or Harlot I was going to be skin sensitive to it and not be able to wear it, but it never hit that ouch burning phase, it remained just warm, and I reapplied a few times in the same spots.

It does smell nice for right now, it's warm and spicy. This smells how potpourri would smell if Beth made it, really spicy and not vile.

[velvet]

This one surprised me.

I was expecting resiny, incensy dark notes. It ended up being, at least on me, a light mix of dry herbs and cassia. It is nice, but extremely unexpected. This is what I wanted chimera to smell like.

I'm not sure if I will keep the decant, but it is a very nice mix, especially if you are a fan of non foodie cinnamon.

[ReallyZeb]

I got the ouchy burny reaction, but before I had to wash it off it smelled lovely, a not too sweet spicy resin

[lady_pandora]

I first tried this on New Year's Eve, and liked it, though I knew I wasn't really "testing" it in any real way, since I was smelling it in a crowd of other people wearing their perfume, and in a house full of food smells, and while slightly sloshed. That time, it smelled like raisiny myrrh. The next time I tested it, it was kind of dry and dusty. The two results were so different that I figured I'd give it one more test.

 

So today, it started out with the raisiny myrrh scent. Frankincense joins the party a little later. The dry thing hangs around a little in the background; I can't identify it, but I've read that cassia can give that impression. There's also occasionally a whiff of an ashen burnt-herbs scent that I think may be the sage. Later in the day, one wrist is mostly frankincense and the other is raisiny myrrh with frankincense. It's a heavier kyphi than Cairo, and it's also different in that Cairo mostly unfolds for me in stages, with one note dominating and then another, while the notes in Practical Occultism hang together more.

 

As for skin reactions, I get none on my wrists, but it does make my neck red for a little while after it's first applied.

 

It's quite nice! Incense fans should try it. I haven't decided yet if I need a bottle; it'll probably depend on finances and how Lupers shake out. Midnight Mass is more evocative to me among my Yules--which is odd, as I'm not Catholic and never have been--but it's true, I get more of the "ancient sacred vibe" from it. But I do like Practical Occultism and will definitely hang on to the decant.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Sweet wine and wood, almost a little nutty.

 

Wet on skin: Swiped on right wrist so I can test another oil on the left. I'm still getting wine and nuts, mostly, with a hint of incense (I haven't learned to identify kyphi incense yet).

 

Dried down: The wine has faded, leaving the nuts and incense.

 

Throw: I'm getting little to no throw off of this. I have to sniff my wrist to smell anything.

 

Verdict: *** This is nice enough, but nothing I need more of.

[zankoku_zen]

Frankincense, kyphi, and cassia. Why cassia, how nice of you to bully just about every other single element in this blend. So yeah, tons of cassia - which smells both resinous and incensey at the same time. Cassia toggles between smelling like red wine and smelling like a raisin. I guess she's doing a 50s housewife impression between liqouring it up in the afternoon and baking cookies.

 

Cassia, resin, and incense.

[Haltija]

This is exceptionally beautiful. Frankincense with wine and a tiny bit of a effervescent smell coming through which is from the elemi. Sadly though I cannot wear it because the cassia in it immediately gives me a huge burning and ever so red spot wherever I place the oil. This has never happened with any sort of cassia/cinnamon blend and I am really bummed out about it.

 

I will send this off to a home where it can be lovingly worn.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: So many notes moving together in an odd mix.

 

Wet: There's a really odd note here, that is like resinous plastic. Not sure what that could be.

 

The dry-down: Luckily, that odd note has gone! I would say that it's now mostly a kyphi scent, with hints of the other notes appearing from time to time, again w/ those odd blends.

 

If the SNs ever return, a SN Kyphi could be a winner!

[BoneBone24]

Wet: It starts out dark and sweet. The sweetness is jammy and dry, coming from the kyphi no doubt. There’s a hint of an evergreen, which might be coming from the kyphi as well.

 

Drydown: The resins blossom, led by shadowy and enticing myrrh. Subtle spices are sprinkled about the edges of the incense clouds. There’s a touch of a deep, robust wood note, which at first I think is cedar and then realize must be the red sandalwood. Woodsy, spicy incense with just a bare hint of dried fruit.

 

Dry: The complexities of this blend are quite beautiful. It’s a woodsy incense blend, yes, but there’s so much more going on than that. There’s the delicate fuzziness of the sage, the smooth spiciness of the cassia, the pitch black darkness of the myrrh. Each element works with the next to create a gorgeously wearable woodsy-spicy-smoky-herbal-dark-jammy-magical-resinous blend.

 

 

8 out of 10 bones

[FragranceLush]

This was a real morpher! Started as straight up anise and cassia and honestly, I was surprised I didn't get pink marks from that strong cassia. The cassia calmed down a bit after the initial dry down to get a glimpse of the other notes, but I felt like I was walking around with a bowl of expensive potpourri, not wearing perfume. Later still the cassia came out full force again. This would be a great room scent, but just doesn't cut it for a body scent.

[milo]

I usually like incense blends, but this one is just not sitting right with me. At first, I'm getting the combination of sweet spices with the incense. Mostly the cassia. After a bit, the spices totally take over and it becomes more wearable. This is OK for me, but it is not an upgrade by any means, even to an imp. I agree that it would be a good room scent for the cooler months, but this one just didn't make the cut.

[agirlnamedfury]

Woody and slightly sweet -- but though I can barely smell the cassia (unfortunately!), it burned the inside of my elbow where I applied it within moments and I had to run and wash it off.

 

I'll have to try applying this again in a less sensitive area, as I did like the smell for the minute I had it on!

[tealeaves]

This one didn't turn out at all like I expected. Caveat: I don't know what most of the ingredients smell like on their own, except maybe frankincense and sandalwood, but the combination of strange scents was enticing enough for me to sign up for a decant. In the bottle it smells strongly of cinnamon. Wet on skin and during the drydown it just smells like Constant Comment tea (which I'm not a fan of) - cinnamon, orange zest and sweet, rich spices. I don't get any of the wine notes that the other reviewers are mentioning, except maybe the cardamom found in spiced wine. About an hour later, it mellows out to a soft, powdery spice scent, but it dissipates almost completely. It would be a good room scent in the colder months if you like the smell of spiced wine bubbling on the stove, but the scent on my skin is too sweet and cloying for me.

[tinyvulture]

My first impression is eating Fig Newtons sprinkled with cinnamon, while burning incense.

 

Purring Pulsar says honeyed raisins, I get where that comes from. To me it's figs. Sweet, buttery dried fruit.

 

The cinnamon really hits its stride after a couple minutes, and at this point I'm not getting any other notes, just so much cassia.

 

I don't know what kyphi smells like but I assume that's the incense note I'm getting.

 

I like it, but I prefer Chimera for a bold cinnamon scent.

[aquazoo]

Anise to start, anise with rum. There are other parts to this scent but the anise stands out.

Edited November 9, 2015 by aquazoo

[Little Bird]

So much cassia, which smells like an aggressive, woody cinnamon on my skin. I can smell hints of what I think is honey and dusty/powdery incense and sandalwood underneath the spice, but it's mostly spice... very warm, dry fragrance.

[galahad]

In the Bottle:

Wasn't what I was expecting. Smells like very strong (and slightly sour) black tea. Interesting.

On the Skin:

Surprisingly sweet on the skin this is absolutely gorgeous. I really get some heady kyphi which I am very happy about. Overall a sweet herbal and resinous incense.

On the Drydown:

This is all so well blended. I get occasional very slight whiffs of star anise which was the worrying note for me but it never becomes a problem. The overall scent is dark black tea, aromatic herbs and sweet incense. Stunning and multiple bottle worthy

[monocainsheresy]

2018 version

 

I avoid scents with more than half a dozen notes as a rule, but LORD am I happy I went for this. This smells exactly like my childhood church.

 

In the bottle and fresh on the skin, this smells like licorice + red wine from the combo of the star anise, palmarosa, the evergreen/citrus tones from the frankincense and elemi, and some elements of the kyphi. Red and fruity, but not un-incensy.

 

After about ten minutes the fruity phase calms down a little and the cassia, sandalwood, and dusty white sage leaves come forward with the warm, powdery incenses of the resins.

 

Very well-balanced and mystical; smells both antique and modern at the same time. The nostalgia of Sunday services and communion wine.

 

 

[quantquill]

Not sure what year this is, I bought it through the forum and it's had lots of time to rest. I hoped for the church incense monocainsheresy described. Unfortunately something in the mix veers toward sour on my skin.

 

On top, I get a sort of apple pie (you know the ones from McDonald's that come in the sleeves?), which gives so much nostalgia! Must be the cassia giving that hint of cinnamon spice? But what would give the apple? Ahhhh, the mysteries of scent. But then underlying, it's dusty wood (sandalwood?) and a screechy sourness. Possibly the "wine" note of the kyphi? I don't think I've tried it in anything before.

 

Usually frank and myrrh scents are yum-alicious on me and they drown out everything else. I'm glad I got to try this because it sounded like a delicious mix. I keep huffing my arms to see if it has changed. The apple has veered a bit toward cherry after 20 minutes, but I'm still getting that bit of unpleasantness underneath. Betrayed by skin chemistry. 

 

ETA: Well, hm. It's now been about 40 minutes and the unpleasantness is gone, leaving a rich, incensy McDonald's apple / cherry pie. Can I stand that initial unpleasantness to get to the wonderfulness? Maybe I'll try layering. 

 

ETA: Whelp, asked my partner to smell it and he leaned in, then jerked back. "Smells like a cheap candle. Perfumey. Like from a dollar store." Sigh. 

Edited May 12 by quantquill