Praesidium
$45.00
A talismanic perfume created for Sphere + Sundry’s Deneb Algedi II election by thee Elizabeth Barrial of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (and Twilight Alchemy Lab!) —
If you have built castles in the air, your work needs not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
– Henry David Thoreau, ‘Walden’
It is almost impossible to have peace of mind without a strong foundation and a sense of safety, and the past few years have shaken many of us to the core. This oil was crafted to assist in finding equilibrium and strength in all aspects of your life. Praesidium is an oil of grounding, helping you construct a stable groundwork upon which you can build your dreams.
Jasmine absolute and petals (Jasminum grandiflorum), sweet marjoram essential oil (Origanum majorana), Spanish marjoram essential oil and herb from the TAL garden (Thymus mastichina), myrrh essential oil and tears (Commiphora myrrha), rose absolute and petals from the TAL garden (Rosa damascena), pink lotus absolute (Nelumbo nucifera), poplar bud absolute (Populus nigra), lavender essential oil and buds from the TAL garden (Lavandula angustifolia), wild-harvested pine needles (Pinus sylvestris), hyssop herb and oil (Hyssopus officinalis), fir balsam essential oil (Abies balsamea), borage leaf (Borago officinalis), motherwort herb (Leonurus cardiac), comfrey leaf and root (Symphytum officinale), frankincense essential oil and tears (Boswellia sacra), passionflower herb (Passiflora incarnate), hops flowers and essential oil (Humulus lupulus), sumac berries (Rhus coriaria), and blue chalcedony.
Available in BPAL’s iconic 5 ml apothecary bottle for $45
In stock
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Info
| Weight | 1 oz |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 1 × 1 × 1 in |
| Fixed Star | |
| Planetary Body | |
| Influence | Benefic, Neutral |
| Vegan | Yes — contains NO animal ingredients |
| Creation Date | Waxing Gibbous Moon conj. Deneb Algedi + Jupiter on the MC, September 17th, 2021. Chart in image gallery. |
| Size | 2.5 oz, 4 oz |
Testimonials(10)
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Available, Sold Out, Asclepius IThis loose incense is comprised of cypress and incense cedar, both harvested on the Summer Solstice and prayed over in the words of Thessalos, given to him in dream by Asclepius (as detailed in the series description). These were combined with wildcrafted white sage, sourced from a Native American owned local business, rose of jericho, frankincense resin, and 24k gold leaf, before invoking the Divine Physician’s blessing as the fixed star Ras Alhague began rising.
This incense is an exquisite smudging mix for the clearing of space and body — in general, after traumatic events, or before ritual. It can also be used to bathe objects you wish to cleanse and restore, such as crystals or ritual implements prior to consecration.
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Water of Asclepius I
Available, Waters, Sprays + Hydrosols, Sold Out, Asclepius IAs further detailed in the series description, cypress, sage, and incense cedar were blessed using the words of Thessalos, given to him in dream by Asclepius, and harvested on the Summer Solstice in the hour of Jupiter. These, along with rose of jericho, were combined in a copper still and immersed in water freshly collected from the headwaters of the Sacramento River in Mt. Shasta. A hydrosol was produced, which was later combined with essential oils of frankincense and rosemary, carnelian, and grain alcohol during the Ras Alhague election, where the water was dedicated to Asclepius and received his blessing.
One of the beautiful qualities of this formulation is that upon vigorous shaking, it turns white — a color associated with healing and purity in many magical traditions.
Sphere + Sundry is pleased with all of the offerings we produce, but the Water of Asclepius in particular is truly something special. For a thorough application, shake well and use as a body and aura spray, making sure to focus around the head, but also applying directly to the chest, palms, and feet.
You will feel instant clarity and refreshment, and it will continue helping clear your field, heart, and mind over the next many hours. Apply before bed to invite healing sleep and potential dream visitations from gods and spirits. Spray in spaces in need of healing, purification, and renewal, especially that carry a negative charge or presence you wish to dispel. Produces emotional, mental, and physical clarity that deepens with continued use. As a regular practice, consider full body applications after showering.
A new edition of the Asclepius series was released on March 21st. Remaining offerings from Asclepius I are available at a discount while supplies last.
Available in a half ounce spray for $26 $19 or a two ounce spray for $52 $39.
Praesidium smells like floral rebar to me, particularly when diluted into a spray. It’s flower heavy with a resinous, metallic tang. It’s not soft, it’s structured and upright but still gentle and affirming, as I find all DAII offerings to be. I like it for ambient use when I want clear space to get stuff done or think something through.
An elegant, serene, woodsy scent that evokes the feeling of being in a temple. Inviting of deep contemplation and a sense of settling down to earth. Very lovely, supportive, and reassuring in a muted way.
Such a beautiful perfume oil! The most noticeable scent to me is the jasmine. I can be a bit sensitive to myrrh notes in some perfume blends, but this one doesn’t bother me, which is wonderful. I’ve used this as part of my DA offerings, and the sweet scent of the jasmine permeates the area around the altar for hours. It’s calming, in a surprisingly gentle way- as well as being very grounding in the way that DA so often is. Very happy that I took a chance and purchased this one!
This smells so lovely, very jasmine rich with a strong backbone. I find this to be pleasantly grounding, a nice day to day fragrance.
What a blessing this oil has been to me. I feel like it highlighted some ways that I was not living from a grounded place, whether it be in my career or romantic life. I have learned a lot over the past few months of application, and I feel myself becoming more steady and serious in the areas in which I need to. Thank you!
This BPAL is very grounding and motivating for me. It’s part no nonsense, part get the important stuff done and imbibes a sense of structure and foundation to tasks. For anyone who needs perspective, the ability to thwart procrastination or a sense of direction I highly recommend!
This is such a lovely scent. Strongly floral, I get jasmine from it the most. Not overwhelming though, I really enjoy it. It has this sort of classic allure and it feels very tranquil and soothing to me.
I put this in our diffuser and keep it running in our living room. It pulls me towards a sense of uprightness in the home: getting the good stuff done, less procrastinating, less drama. More pragmatic, no frills, when compared to other S&S materia but super helpful!
Praesidium to me smells absolutely floral (no herbs/pine), and the experience was akin to finding a fully made flower crown on the ground and putting it on your head. It felt easy and natural. (Again, more analogous to Empress experiences than the OG DA). Can say from a scent perspective, the jasmine/honeysuckle notes in Praesidium is very much making me think Venusian influence, but that might be my natal Venus in Capricorn being happy about the flower crown.
On the 2nd opportunity I wore Praesidium layered on with other DA2 materia, I was told that it was more like akin to ivy on a building. It’s there, anchored. Not really calling attention to itself, and felt natural.
BPAL magic at its best…some of Elizabeth’s fragrances take me on trips down memory lane for healing and regathering past selves. This one started off at Juniper Breeze/Cucumber Melon, Bath and Body Works circa 1990s? last night, upon drifting off to sleep, I moved further back in time to the scent of Lancome and Coppertone sunscreen mixed together, basking and baking all summer long at the town pool on thin cotton terry towels as a kid. I haven’t felt that sense of being in my body with such ease in a long time, that was a good reminder. I wonder where it will take me next? This oil has not been the easiest to work with personally, but anointing it forehead, nape of neck, solar plexus, sacrum, achilles heel has been the journey we are on, forging that core stability anew.