Twilight Alchemy Lab is now live!
This morning, I was greeted by a cheerful topic notification that said a preview of the Twilight Alchemy Lab site had gone live. Twilight Alchemy Lab (TAL), is a sister-site to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL), and one that focuses on ritual oils.
Now, to be clear, the BPAL site does house a great many purpose-oriented blends. Ones that come to mind immediately are the Voodoo oils (based off of traditional recipes), Chakra blends, Sephiroth blends, Panacea Blends, Somnium blends, the Lunar oils, the Sabbat blends, Tarot oils, and planetary oils. The oils under 'Excolo,' inspired by Gods and Goddesses, may also fit under this header. Beth, the owner/creator of BPAL, has said that these oils can be used both in ritual or as perfumes. For instance, she crafts these scents with a purpose in mind, using correspondences. Her Persephone oil contains pomegranate-- accurate for that Goddess, and so on. You could use it in ritual to help tap into the energy of that Goddess, or you could simply enjoy the good-smelly aspect of the oil.
TAL, on the other hand, houses oils created specifically for a ritual/magical use. The components are often more potent than any of the purpose-oriented BPAL blends, and each oil is ritually consecrated. I have found each TAL blend that I've tried has done exactly what it purports to do. I get very inspired and awakened when I wear Nine Muses. I save Helping Hand for those days when I know I'll be an emotional mess by the end, and I am certain that it has helped hold me together when I would have ordinarily fallen apart. You get the picture. Some more of my thoughts on BPAL/TAL's purpose-oriented oils can be found here, as well as in BPAL.org's review section.
Previous to the TAL site launch, TAL oils have been pretty elusive. At one point, they were sold at Alternate Realities in Rhode Island, and Black Broom in Hollywood. Beth occasionally sent blends to her friends, moderators, or forumites in need, many of whom were generous enough to share their oils. Decant circles were organized so more people would get the chance to sample the oils. Still, curiosity and desire far outweighed the oils that were available to go around. From what I have heard, the full catalogue of TAL blends ranges between 700-900. This morning, 55 TAL blends went live on the site, with the purpose of a fuller catalogue in the Spring. Ones that caught my eye:
Anthelion:: Overcomes poverty, illness, and bad luck. Drives off despair and grief, and enables you to find hope and joy in life again. (I have heard really wonderful things about this one over on the forum, and this would be an oil that I would definitely spread around. I can think of more than one person in my immediate group that could use this to start finding their way back to themselves.)
Hymn to Pan:: Infuses you with wild bursts of creativity and artistic inspiration. Caveat: this blend possesses a hint of ‘Rock Star’ debauch. (I would think of this as a less proper version of Nine Muses.)
Charisma:: This is a powerful attraction and advancement blend. It aids in polishing and magnifying your best qualities, while downplaying your flaws. Increases charm and wit, and helps you shine in a crowd. Wear a drop on each chakra point.
Perpetuum Bonum:: Showers you with blessings of good fortune. Use to attract prosperity in all areas of your life.
Clarity:: Brings your mind into sharper focus, banishes distractions and silences restless thoughts.
From what I hear, everyone who is chronically ill should own White Light. I also had my eye on Glamour, Bastet's Laughter, Foundation of Fortune, and Temple: Dark Maiden.
Now, it should be noted that these oils are not Wiccan in nature. There are some jinxing, vengeance, and compelling oils as well-- some are so potent as to come with warnings. Much to my amusement, there's an oil called STFU, used to curb the sniping and bitchiness of others. Some of these blends are based on traditional recipes, others are completely original. I think that for now, I'm undecided on wether or not to forgo decant circles in favor of buying bottles. I don't exactly know how to explain it. While it would make no matter to me wether or not I got decants of the Temple Blends (and, in fact, I have a few on the way already), I want some of the other oils 'pure' from the lab, untainted by others' vibrations. I'm going to think on it awhile and most likely order two bottles to start at the end of the week. I can't wait to see some of the experimental reviews start to roll in.
Now, to be clear, the BPAL site does house a great many purpose-oriented blends. Ones that come to mind immediately are the Voodoo oils (based off of traditional recipes), Chakra blends, Sephiroth blends, Panacea Blends, Somnium blends, the Lunar oils, the Sabbat blends, Tarot oils, and planetary oils. The oils under 'Excolo,' inspired by Gods and Goddesses, may also fit under this header. Beth, the owner/creator of BPAL, has said that these oils can be used both in ritual or as perfumes. For instance, she crafts these scents with a purpose in mind, using correspondences. Her Persephone oil contains pomegranate-- accurate for that Goddess, and so on. You could use it in ritual to help tap into the energy of that Goddess, or you could simply enjoy the good-smelly aspect of the oil.
TAL, on the other hand, houses oils created specifically for a ritual/magical use. The components are often more potent than any of the purpose-oriented BPAL blends, and each oil is ritually consecrated. I have found each TAL blend that I've tried has done exactly what it purports to do. I get very inspired and awakened when I wear Nine Muses. I save Helping Hand for those days when I know I'll be an emotional mess by the end, and I am certain that it has helped hold me together when I would have ordinarily fallen apart. You get the picture. Some more of my thoughts on BPAL/TAL's purpose-oriented oils can be found here, as well as in BPAL.org's review section.
Previous to the TAL site launch, TAL oils have been pretty elusive. At one point, they were sold at Alternate Realities in Rhode Island, and Black Broom in Hollywood. Beth occasionally sent blends to her friends, moderators, or forumites in need, many of whom were generous enough to share their oils. Decant circles were organized so more people would get the chance to sample the oils. Still, curiosity and desire far outweighed the oils that were available to go around. From what I have heard, the full catalogue of TAL blends ranges between 700-900. This morning, 55 TAL blends went live on the site, with the purpose of a fuller catalogue in the Spring. Ones that caught my eye:
Anthelion:: Overcomes poverty, illness, and bad luck. Drives off despair and grief, and enables you to find hope and joy in life again. (I have heard really wonderful things about this one over on the forum, and this would be an oil that I would definitely spread around. I can think of more than one person in my immediate group that could use this to start finding their way back to themselves.)
Hymn to Pan:: Infuses you with wild bursts of creativity and artistic inspiration. Caveat: this blend possesses a hint of ‘Rock Star’ debauch. (I would think of this as a less proper version of Nine Muses.)
Charisma:: This is a powerful attraction and advancement blend. It aids in polishing and magnifying your best qualities, while downplaying your flaws. Increases charm and wit, and helps you shine in a crowd. Wear a drop on each chakra point.
Perpetuum Bonum:: Showers you with blessings of good fortune. Use to attract prosperity in all areas of your life.
Clarity:: Brings your mind into sharper focus, banishes distractions and silences restless thoughts.
From what I hear, everyone who is chronically ill should own White Light. I also had my eye on Glamour, Bastet's Laughter, Foundation of Fortune, and Temple: Dark Maiden.
Now, it should be noted that these oils are not Wiccan in nature. There are some jinxing, vengeance, and compelling oils as well-- some are so potent as to come with warnings. Much to my amusement, there's an oil called STFU, used to curb the sniping and bitchiness of others. Some of these blends are based on traditional recipes, others are completely original. I think that for now, I'm undecided on wether or not to forgo decant circles in favor of buying bottles. I don't exactly know how to explain it. While it would make no matter to me wether or not I got decants of the Temple Blends (and, in fact, I have a few on the way already), I want some of the other oils 'pure' from the lab, untainted by others' vibrations. I'm going to think on it awhile and most likely order two bottles to start at the end of the week. I can't wait to see some of the experimental reviews start to roll in.