Serena delved into her goddess deck of cards, searching for guidance and inspiration for her new perfume-
And up came Green Tara.
So it was, and so it is.
Tara is known to many as a Buddhist savior-goddess who is beloved especially in Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia.
In Tibet, she is the reigning deity; her name there is Sgrol-ma, meaning “she who saves”; Tara is Sanskrit for “star” and “she who ferries”.
It is said that Tara’s love for all living creatures is greater than a mother’s love for her children; as Green Tara, she represents the night to White Tara’s day.
She sits upon her half-open lotus, embodying virtuous, enlightened creative activity and fierce compassion, while offering swift protection to those who entreat her.
We could intuit that green is one of Neptune’s favorite colors–
And Neptune favors perfumers–
Ipso facto- why wouldn’t Green Tara be a natural fit?
Those who are familiar with Serena Ava Franco’s body of work know that gloriously resinous, woody bases are one of her strengths.
These bases have already come into their own in her beautiful Madame X, Royal Parvati, Moksha, Shisha, No. 23, Palisander, Chaos, Tao, Café Noir, Kretek, Johri, and Sacred
[a limited edition all natural oil perfume which enhances meditation and devotional practice].
Green Tara is another jewel in the woody crown, divinely soothing.
Like the lotus, it is both earthy and ethereal, reminding us that we may arise from the muck, but we aspire heavenward.
It bridges the dualities of sacred / profane with sublime balsamic elegance.
Serena lists the notes as follows:
Sacred sandalwood, oud, vetiver, patchouli, deep amber, labdanum, benzoin Siam, Moroccan rose, rose musk, Spanish lavender, frankincense, lemongrass, Italian lemon, bergamot, geranium, and Chinese peppercorn.
Rose and geranium lend such roundness to the mystical, deep base; lemongrass melds with bergamot and lemon to provide a light seen though the glass, darkly.
Lavender’s green floral herbaceous note loves vetiver’s grassy warm/cool duality;
A fulsome amber welcomes tears of benzoin…
These notes provide a wonderful foil for intensely medicinal components, while peppercorn and frankincense provide piquancy.
All this exquisite balance aside:
My loving and long-perfume-suffering spouse dutifully sniffed my hand [at my request], while I was engrossed in Green Tara.
“OOOOH! THAT is really good “quoth he, admiringly 😉
His heartfelt appreciation brought home my basic assertion that good jus is just that.
When Luca Turin smelled one of Serena’s scents, he was bewitched; so was Monsieur Malle.
That a local girl hailing from East Boston created them, is utterly delightful-
It breaks every snob taboo in the book…
Which is just the way I like it.
Photo Credits:
Green Tara – picasaweb.google.com
Green Tara painting- mygoddess-self.blogspot.com
A Short Practice of Green Tara -exoticindiaart.com
Neptune statue- experience-ancient-greece.com
Madame X image- ava-luxe.com
Central Green Tara- mesosyn.com
Through a glass,darkly – talkwiththepreacher.wordpress.com
Exquisite balance- centertao.org
Recent Serena – courtesy of Facebook and Serena
–Ida Meister, Senior Editor