Ajna

[alicia_stardust]

AJNA: THE THIRD EYE

The Meeting of Shiva and Shakti

The Two-Petaled Lotus: perception and command.

The mind's eye, intuition, truth found in dreams, imagination, vision, and light.

 

In the bottle: Herbs and anise.

 

Just applied: There's definitely anise/licorice in this. It's not sharp and overpowering like one would expect, though. Instead it's very soft and deep, and it's even a bit sweet. I like it, and I'm surprised by that. There's a quality to this that's very air-like and breezy, and it complements the anise really, really well.

 

After 30 minutes: The anise scent seems to spread out a bit, and soften, and it gets a little bit sweeter. You know what? I know there are other notes in this, but I can't really pinpoint more than herbals, florals, and this is definitely a deep indigo "colored" scent. When I first smelled the anise I was sad. But now I'm very pleased with it and it's probably in the top 3 if I were to rank each Chakra oil by how well I liked it.

 

Rating: For chakra work I rate this 5 out of 5, for scent alone I rate this 4 out of 5.

[Lycanthrope]

Sharp, minty, bright. On my skin, I get a powerful streak of balsam fir or some other very gummy pine, followed by peppermint and an herbal anise/clove hit. There’s this aroma of dandelion milk, to me at least, ya know, that wet, leafy green of a freshly torn leaf. Over time, this goes more medicinal on me and heads towards licorice and black gumdrops. Or that aroma of a peony bud that hasn’t quite opened yet, but you can smell the promise of its dewy freshness. Wow. Also, my bottle came like uber-Chumley sealed tight! Heh heh. I hope it isn’t evaporating on its own or prone to it!

[Little Bird]

When I first put Ajna on and the smell hit me, I recoiled in horror. It is rather astringent and has that cool eucalyptus-menthol bite to it. I also might smell some anise here. It was awful and medicinal. Then, after a few minutes, this started to get more pleasant as the menthol smell faded away. I think that I can smell powdery sandalwood in the drydown, and still that hint of anise. Something about Ajna is very airy and relaxing. Smell-wise, Ajna is one of my favorites, after Manipura and Sahasrara... personally, it was the one that I felt a real connection with.

[aidenraine]

If my third eye is ever stuffed up, this'll work like a charm!

I am immediately hit with the sharp smell of eucalyptus. It reminds me a bit of when I'm sick and soak in tubs of aromatatic salts.

 

There's something herby under here, very medicinal. I get the smell of green Nyquil too. It's a stimulating blend, but one whose smell I don't find pleasant. I'm not sure how this would fare as a meditation blend, but it seems to make me sneeze so I am thinking .. not so good.

 

The more this sits on my skin the more it smells like erasers and cleaning product.

I do get an appealing sort of fennel aroma from it too (reminds me a bit of India Bouquet).

Hmmm to be honest, I like to meditate with spicy, musky scents and while I don't know what's in here or what benefits it may have for chakra opening, I don't think it works for me.

Edited March 28, 2006 by aidenraine

[mandragora]

In the imp, I smell sharp eucalyptus. On my skin, it turned to an off-putting mentholated flu medicine smell. The medicine smell dissipates as it dries and leaves an anise-smelling and airy herbal relaxing scent.

[korshka]

The most overwhelming scent to Ajna is licorice, licorice, and more licorice. I sniff it and immediately I think of black jelly beans *shudders*.

 

There is also a less prominent scent of eucalyptus/menthol/minty "open your senses up" to it, but I'm afraid I can't get past the licorice - even after dry down. As much as I wish it was - this one just isn't for me.

Edited April 6, 2006 by korshka

[PurringPulsar]

Ajna: the Third Eye

 

In the imp: mint! In fact, this smells like Moroccan mint tea that has gone cold, with a hint of anise and eucalyptus. Very refreshing.

Wet on skin: still mint tea. This smells so much like mint tea (not just peppermint candy or gum) it's uncanny. It even cools the skin!

Dry on skin: mint with eucalyptus, and maybe a dash of anise. It's a little bit more medicinal now, not as mint tea like as before…but underneath the slightly medicinal, cool, fresh scent of menthol and eucalyptus, I'm getting a dry spice scent…almost like curry powder, I'm thinking it's either turmeric or saffron. Maybe with ginger as well, or pepper. I've noticed that all the Chakra scents have a background of Indian spice. And as I sniff, I get the smell of those little sugared aniseeds they serve at Indian restaurants. A scent both fresh and cool, but with dry spicy warmth. It's a scent that clears the mind, that's for sure…and still feels very cold on my wrist. I will be using this a lot come summer.

After a while: as the mint fades, the scent gets warmer, the spices are more apparent. The dominant note is now aniseed on a background of spices, either turmeric or saffron, maybe both, and possibly some coriander and cumin as well. It reminds me of being in a spice market, where you have huge piles of yellow, red and orange coloured powders in huge mounds around you and the scent of spice fills the air. I'm reminded of being in Tunisia and Morocco, in spice markets like that. Only, with this scent, it smells like I'm chewing aniseeds whilst I browse the piles of sunset-coloured powders, wondering which ones to buy. But there's still a coolness there, possibly eucalyptus, which adds a refreshing breeze to this otherwise heated scent.

Over time, the scent becomes more and more like anise/aniseed, with hints of faint savoury spice.

The final scent I get after a few hours is of a something herbal which I recognise, but I cannot name…I have smelt it before but I don't know what it is! Maybe sandalwood? It is kind of incense like and very exotic...

Verdict: this is such a unique and fascinating scent! It smells of cool, fresh mint and eucalyptus, with a twist of aniseed (less like liquorice, and more like the sweets you get at Indian restaurants) and the dusty warmth of savoury spices. There are parts of this scent that remind me of holidays in Morocco and Tunisia, those are the stages when I smell spice markets and mint tea on my wrist. At first the scent is very cooling-even cooling the skin, but it warms up and the spices and aniseed come forth even more over time. I think the spicy mix consists of turmeric, saffron, coriander, cumin, maybe some ginger or pepper…it's a blend of Indian spice like in the other Chakra scents. This isn't a scent I'd wear as perfume, but it's so unique and it seems like one of those blends that will really work-it wakes you up, clears the mind and cools the skin (it will be perfect for summer!). I can't wait to try this on my third eye and see what happens.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

It's after yoga and I feel relaxed enough to try this now; I just wasn't meditative going in to class tonight for some reason. Ajna is indeed "airy" and light on me--a clear soft eucalyptus, which I didn't think was possible. There is a pale herbal quality here; mint mixed with something else (could be anise, but it's not distinct on me), for an overall pale-green feel. Ajna is not an obtrusive oil; it floats calmly and coolly around me. Very different energy from Sahasrara.

[Leda]

Ajna begins very camphor/menthol-y, literally clearing my head. There is a note of licorice, but the colors I envision are deep gray and black, with a purpley tone. As the menthol dissipates, maybe 5 minutes after application, the anise scent becomes quite smooth. Appearing beside it is awhat reminds me of plopping a piece of frankincense resin onto one of those sparkly little round coals; watching it bubble and melt; and the thick smoke that emerges. However, its not really smoky or resiny.

 

The scent is quite weightless and grounded at the same time, I can almost envision it in two perfect layers. Perfect in my mind for any intuitive/meditative work. It stays right on the skin, almost no throw, so this is quite personal and definately suited for ritual work/tarot reading/meditation for me.

 

The anise to this blend is what the purpley sheen is on a black feather--a beautiful compliment to something deep and dark and mysterious. Love it!!!

 

ETA: Waaay after drydown, I'm left with some kind of dried herb note. I can't place it, but it reminds me of the dried sage and sweetgrass smudge sticks.

Edited April 29, 2006 by Leda

[edenssixthday]

Chakra - Ajna: The Third Eye - Holy euco-anise-lyptus-mint!!! Wow, when I first apply this, I'm smacked in the face by an incredibly stringent and medicinal scent, and wonder if I may have accidentally applied Campho-phenique to my skin. Then, almost instantly, the bright, crisp scent of anise/licorice blends with the eucalyptus/camphor/mint scent, making it even brighter, stronger, and more overwhelming. Just the tiniest bit of this on my arm, and the entire room I was in swirled with the overwhelming aroma of medicine. I can see how this one could work for some sort of ritual/practice work, but not for perfume, that's for certain. I had to wash it off so I wasn't completely overwhelming to myself and to others around me.

[tidesong]

In the Bottle: This kind of smells like toothpaste. Minty, with a touch of anise. I hate anise.

 

On Application: Anise. And plastic. And a little pepper. After a few minjtes, the plastic smell fades, thank goodness. It's a sweet anise, made spicy by pepper.

 

On Drydown: Licorice, licorice, licorice. I dislike black licorice a lot, and therefore I really dislike the scent of this oil.

 

Comments: I'm surprised at the deepness of this scent for one of the higher chakras. I expected something much more light, perhaps a bit minty. It might be useful for ritual, but I wouldn't use it for any other reason.

 

Verdict: Keep, but only for ritual use.

[LiberAmoris]

Ajna does smell like black licorice, like licorice and mint! And there's an undercurrent which reminds me of those old-fashioned horehound candy drops. It's very focusing and does draw the mind inward. It's also very strong, as even the tiniest dab on my skin gave me a ton of throw!

[filigree_shadow]

I have no idea how to use the chakra oils, so I'm just commenting on the scents.

 

In the imp, Ajna smells chemical. Kind of like that cleaning solution that you use to clean off whiteboards.

 

On, it smells kind of like menthol, anise, and coffee. It's the kind of scent that will clear your sinuses and open up your eyes. It's very strong, but it doesn't seem to last very long on me.

[Diana]

Wet: medicinal; eucalyptus plus something else herbal

 

Dry: The "something else" smells a lot like anise or licorice. Very yummy smelling.

[supremegoddessofall]

Anise. Ick. Maybe some florals and other foodies behind it, but pretty much this is pure lotus.

[Em-]

This is a rich herbal blend - mostly anise and possibly eucalyptus to my nose - I see I'm not alone.

 

Being a fan of anise, this is not a problem for me. This is a strong blend, with lots of throw, that definitely can clear the senses.

[hkhm]

imp: anise and some sort of woodsy scent.

 

wet: anise and cedar with just a bit of sandalwood. there are other notes here but i can't quite pick them out.

 

dry: the anise is the most dominant scent in the end, there are other notes but they're too faint for me to name.

[Czarina]

In the imp this has a horrid medicinal smell. When first applied, it's a rush of eucalyptus/menthol--cooling on the skin, but still nasty (I applied with great caution in the third eye area).

 

Drying down, it has an anise smell but nothing I would ever use as perfume. We'll see if assists me in matters of the intellect.

[prunesnprisms]

For me also this was anise and mint. Not specifically eucalyptus, but minty and cool to the skin. I continued to get whiffs from it for about an hour, though the cool sensations only lasted a few minutes. Felt more in tune with my thoughts during yoga class tonight. I think I'll continue using this.

[zankoku_zen]

On wet, this has the hard slap of mint (perhaps peppermint), and dries almost entirely to anise. It's slightly herbal, slightly sweet, and reminds me to the old horehound candies actually, in that it has almost a root beer vibe to it.... except loads of anise in it.

[Monster]

I'm so happy to finally have a bit of this to test!

 

Medicinal anise with herbs and cooling sweet mint...or eucalyptus. I can't SMELL mint or eucalyptus in this, it's just leaving a cooling/chilly feeling on my hand. I really love the way this smells but probably wouldn't wear it as perfume. I haven't tried this during meditation, I'll see how it works tonight

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Strong and sharp. Heavy on the incense, pleasantly herbal, with a faint touch of chalk. The incense is familiar, but I’m not placing it. The scent has a lot of depth, and a hint of sweetness. It has a thread of anise running through it. Wet: The sharpness resolves into some sort of evergreen needles. The incense mellows out and does lovely things with the anise. I’m guessing that floral is lotus, but I’m not great with florals. This is completely different on the skin than in the bottle, gentle, yet strong, sweet, yet a touch sharp. Lovely. Dry: Now it’s all dried flowers popourri, though a particularly nice blend of flowers and herbs. I wish I could place that incense, but it all blends well. It is sweeter and more floral than I generally like, but it works with my skin way better than I had any right to expect.