Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab: Ex Cathedra

CBLDF Offers Strangers in Paradise Omnibus Lettered Edition

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:52:32 GMT

Abstract Studio & Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Team Up to Support CBLDF!

http://www.cbldf.org/pr/archives/000401.shtml

Abstract Studio and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab have teamed up to create a strictly limited, lettered edition of the Strangers in Paradise Omnibus, a set that promises to be the rarest of all SiP collectibles, all to benefit the CBLDF! This item is available now, concurrent with an eBay auction to own letter A of Z with one of a kind Black Phoenix collectibles!

Limited to 26 copies, the SiP Omnibus Lettered Edition includes: One set of the strictly limited three-volume hardcover SiP Omnibus edition, an original drawing by Terry Moore, and a bottle of "Parker Lily," a fragrance based on Terry Moore's beloved epic created by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, and strictly limited to 26 bottles. All sets can be available for pick up at Comic-Con in San Diego, or will be mailed in the first week of August. Choose the option you prefer when you add this item to your cart.

If that weren't enough, right now the Fund is offering the rarest SiP item of all on eBay -- Letter A of this limited edition set, plus a bottle each of the two prototypes of Parker Lily! These prototype fragrances are the same ones sent to Terry Moore for approval and are a one of a kind offering! Bidding on this CBLDF exclusive is now open.

First published in 1993, Strangers in Paradise was created by Terry Moore. This long-running, mostly self-published series attracted graphic novel fans from all walks of life. Winner of multiple awards, including the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series, the series concluded in 2007. The adventures of Francine, Katchoo, and their friends and enemies are continually popular, always in print, and have been translated into thirteen languages worldwide.

"We couldn't be happier about supporting the CBLDF with this once in a lifetime offering," SiP creator Terry Moore says. "We're also honored to work with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, who did an astonishing job capturing the spirit of SiP in the Parker Lily Fragrance. As a long-time supporter of the Fund and their ongoing fight for the comics community's First Amendment rights, I'm thrilled to lend a hand!

Berry Moon is live at BPAL & BPTP!

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:29:01 GMT

Berry Moon is live at BPAL and BPTP!

BERRY MOON
In August, the large masses of berries, which, when in flower, had attracted many wild bees, gradually assumed their bright velvety crimson hue, and by their weight again bent down and broke their tender limbs.

-- Henry David Thoreau

A golden summer musk with warm fig, orange blossom honey, sweet blueberries, and bright velvety crimson raspberries.

Both the tee and the perfume will be live at their respective sites until July 9, 2009.

Also new to the LE's this month…

STINKY
A cure for sweaty bits and sticky wilting. Stinky is a summer refresher 'foom for people that don't dig run-of-the-mill "clean" scents: newly-washed skin with a dusting of rice milk, white honey, and baby powder.

Ars Amatoria has two new perfumes…

APEROTOS EROS
Strong as death, and cruel as the grave,
Clothed with cloud and tempest's blackening breath,
Known of death's dread self, whom none outbrave,
Strong as death,

Love, brow-bound with anguish for a wreath,
Fierce with pain, a tyrant-hearted slave,
Burns above a world that groans beneath.

Hath not pity power on thee to save,
Love? hath power no pity? Nought he saith,
Answering: blind he walks as wind or wave,
Strong as death.

Unloving love: benzoin, Indian musk, massoia bark, myrrh, ambrette seed, galbanum, bergamot, and fir.

WHOSO LIST TO HUNT
Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind!
But as for me, alas, I may no more;
The vain travail hath wearied me so sore,
I am of them that furthest come behind.
Yet may I by no means my wearied mind
Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore
Fainting I follow; I leave off therefore,
Since in a net I seek to hold the wind.
Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt,
As well as I, may spend his time in vain.
And graven with diamonds in letters plain,
There is written her fair neck round about,
"Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am,
And wild for to hold, though I seem tame."

Sensual brown musk, rich amber, English rose, oak bark, and moss.

And a whole lot is going on at the Mad Tea Party…

ALICE'S EVIDENCE
There was a general clapping of hands at this: it was the first really clever thing the King had said that day.

'That proves his guilt,' said the Queen.

'It proves nothing of the sort!' said Alice. 'Why, you don't even know what they're about!'

'Read them,' said the King.

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. 'Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?' he asked.

'Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'

These were the verses the White Rabbit read:-

They told me you had been to her,
And mentioned me to him:
She gave me a good character,
But said I could not swim.

He sent them word I had not gone
(We know it to be true):
If she should push the matter on,
What would become of you?

I gave her one, they gave him two,
You gave us three or more;
They all returned from him to you,
Though they were mine before.

If I or she should chance to be
Involved in this affair,
He trusts to you to set them free,
Exactly as we were.

My notion was that you had been
(Before she had this fit)
An obstacle that came between
Him, and ourselves, and it,

Don't let him know she liked them best,
For this must ever be
A secret, kept from all the rest,
Between yourself and me.

'That's the most important piece of evidence we've heard yet,' said the King, rubbing his hands; 'so now let the jury-'

'If any one of them can explain it,' said Alice, (she had grown so large in the last few minutes that she wasn't a bit afraid of interrupting him,) 'I'll give him sixpence. I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it.'

The jury all wrote down on their slates, 'She doesn't believe there's an atom of meaning in it,' but none of them attempted to explain the paper.

'If there's no meaning in it,' said the King, 'that saves a world of trouble, you know, as we needn't try to find any…'

Containing nary a neutron of meaning: rum-quince-cassis with prune and a bit of black ginger.

ALL IN THE GOLDEN AFTERNOON
All in the golden afternoon
Full leisurely we glide;
For both our oars, with little skill,
By little hands are plied
While little hands make vain pretence
Our wanderings to guide

Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour
Beneath such dreamy weather,
To beg a tale of breath too weak
To stir the tiniest feather!
Yet what can one poor voice avail
Against three tongues together?

Imperious Prima flashes forth
Her edict to 'begin it'-
In gentler tone Secunda hopes
'There will be nonsense in it!' -
While Tertia interrupts the tale
Not more than once a minute.

Anon, to sudden silence won,
In fancy they pursue
The dream-child moving through a land
Of wonders wild and new,
In friendly chat with bird or beast -
And half believe it true.

And ever, as the story drained
The wells of fancy dry,
And faintly strove that weary one
To put the subject by,
'The rest next time -It is next time!'
The happy voices cry.

Thus grew the tale of Wonderland
Thus slowly, one by one,
Its quaint events were hammered out -
and now the tale is done,
And home we steer, a merry crew,
Beneath the setting sun.

Alice! a childish story take,
And with a gentle hand
Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined
In Memory's mystic band,
Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers
Plucked in far-off land

A bizarre blend of pineapple, tangerine, tobacco, apricot, and seltzer coated with hazy amber and heady sun-baked flowers.

TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE BAT
Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!
Up above the world you fly,
Like a teatray in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!

A sparkly, batty little scent: green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax.

Two new subsections have been added to MTP -

++ THE GARDEN OF LIVE FLOWERS
This time she came upon a large flower-bed, with a border of daisies, and a willow-tree growing in the middle.

IMPERIOUS TIGER-LILY
`O Tiger-lily,' said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, `I wish you could talk!'

`We can talk,' said the Tiger-lily: `when there's anybody worth talking to."

Alice was so astonished that she could not speak for a minute: it quite seemed to take her breath away. At length, as the Tiger-lily only went on waving about, she spoke again, in a timid voice -- almost in a whisper. `And can all the flowers talk?'

`As well as you can,' said the Tiger-lily. `And a great deal louder.'

(Tiger-lily, ginger root, neroli, purple fruits, and frankincense.)

SNOOTY ROSE
`It isn't manners for us to begin, you know,' said the Rose, `and I really was wondering when you'd speak! Said I to myself, "Her face has got some sense in it, thought it's not a clever one!"
Still, you're the right colour, and that goes a long way.'

`I don't care about the colour,' the Tiger-lily remarked. `If only her petals curled up a little more, she'd be all right.'

(Red rose, oud, plum, bergamot, and red sandalwood.)

Alice didn't like being criticised, so she began asking questions. `Aren't you sometimes frightened at being planted out here, with nobody to take care of you?'

`There's the tree in the middle,' said the Rose: `what else is it good for?'

`But what could it do, if any danger came?' Alice asked.

HIGH-STRUNG DAISIES
`It says "Bough-wough!" cried a Daisy: `that's why its branches are called boughs!'

`Didn't you know that?' cried another Daisy, and here they all began shouting together, till the air seemed quite full of little shrill voices. `Silence, every one of you!' cried the Tiger-lily, waving itself passionately from side to side, and trembling with excitement. `They know I can't get at them!' it panted, bending its quivering head towards Alice, `or they wouldn't dare to do it!'

`Never mind!' Alice said in a soothing tone, and stooping down to the daisies, who were just beginning again, she whispered, `If you don't hold your tongues, I'll pick you!'

There was silence in a moment, and several of the pink daisies turned white.

`That's right!' said the Tiger-lily. `The daisies are worst of all. When one speaks, they all begin together, and it's enough to make one wither to hear the way they go on!'

(Daisy, pink carnation, pink pepper, and sugar.)

`How is it you can all talk so nicely?' Alice said, hoping to get it into a better temper by a compliment. `I've been in many gardens before, but none of the flowers could talk.'

`Put your hand down, and feel the ground,' said the Tiger-lily. `Then you'll know why.
Alice did so. `It's very hard,' she said, `but I don't see what that has to do with it.'

`In most gardens,' the Tiger-lily said, `they make the beds too soft -- so that the flowers are always asleep.'

This sounded a very good reason, and Alice was quite pleased to know it. `I never thought of that before!' she said.

`It's my opinion that you never think at all,' the Rose said in a rather severe tone.

BRUSQUE VIOLET
`I never saw anybody that looked stupider,' a Violet said, so suddenly, that Alice quite jumped; for it hadn't spoken before.

`Hold your tongue!' cried the Tiger-lily. `As if you ever saw anybody! You keep your head under the leaves, and snore away there, till you know no more what's going on in the world, that if you were a bud!'

(Violet petal, violet leaf, osmanthus, orris, mint, and opoponax.)

`Are there any more people in the garden besides me?' Alice said, not choosing to notice the Rose's last remark.

`There's one other flower in the garden that can move about like you,' said the Rose. `I wonder how you do it -- ' (`You're always wondering,' said the Tiger-lily), `but she's more bushy than you are.'

`Is she like me?' Alice asked eagerly, for the thought crossed her mind, `There's another little girl in the garden, somewhere!'

`Well, she has the same awkward shape as you,' the Rose said, `but she's redder -- and her petals are shorter, I think.'

`Her petals are done up close, almost like a dahlia,' the Tiger-lily interrupted: `not tumbled about anyhow, like yours.'

`But that's not your fault,' the Rose added kindly: `you're beginning to fade, you know -- and then one can't help one's petals getting a little untidy.'

And…

++MORAL HYMNODY AND NONSENSE
Lewis Carroll used the Looking Glasses and Rabbit Holes of his fantasy world to mock many contemporary conventions and demonstrate, through nonsense, the strangeness of the human condition. The madness of Wonderland illustrated the absurdities he perceived in the strict, orderly world he lived in.

In the first perfumes of this subseries, our scents parallel the poetic parodies: Lewis Carroll versus Isaac Watts.

HOW DOTH THE LITTLE CROCODILE
How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in
With gently smiling jaws!

Chocolate peppermint, mint-soaked vanilla, pistachio, oakmoss, and green cedar.

Mocks…

AGAINST IDLENESS AND MISCHIEF
How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower!

How skilfully she builds her cell!
How neat she spreads the wax!
And labours hard to store it well
With the sweet food she makes.

In works of labour or of skill,
I would be busy too;
For Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do.

In books, or work, or healthful play,
Let my first years be passed,
That I may give for every day
Some good account at last.

Pollen-dusted honey, diligent tonka, steadfast chamomile, and goodly hyssop.

And…

'TIS THE VOICE OF THE LOBSTER
'Tis the voice of the Lobster: I heard him declare
'You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.'
As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.
When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark,
And will talk in contemptuous tones of the shark;
But, when the tide rises and sharks are around,
His voice has a timid and tremulous sound.

I passed by his garden and marked, with one eye,
How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie:
The Panther took pie-crust, and gravy, and meat,
While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,
And concluded the banquet by-

A woody, musky-weird base glooping over with blackberry preserves, a twist of mandarin, strawberry juice, pulverized watermelon, and a handful of smushed gardenia petals.

Thumbs its nose at…

THE SLUGGARD
'Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain,
"You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again."
As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed,
Turns his sides and his shoulders and his heavy head.

"A little more sleep, and a little more slumber;"
Thus he wastes half his days, and his hours without number,
And when he gets up, he sits folding his hands,
Or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands.

I pass'd by his garden, and saw the wild brier,
The thorn and the thistle grow broader and higher;
The clothes that hang on him are turning to rags;
And his money still wastes till he starves or he begs.

I made him a visit, still hoping to find
That he took better care for improving his mind:
He told me his dreams, talked of eating and drinking;
But scarce reads his Bible, and never loves thinking.

Said I then to my heart, "Here's a lesson for me,"
This man's but a picture of what I might be:
But thanks to my friends for their care in my breeding,
Who taught me betimes to love working and reading.

Pious frankincense, angelic gardenia, unsoiled pear, and staunch ho wood conflict with prickly, overgrown thistle, idle labdanum, and lethargic lavender.

Tiger Lily (Mad Tea Party) is also being discontinued due to the pressure of the current economic stress on our associates. Sincerest apologies for the suddenness of all these discontinuation! - we had no notice at all of two of the primary components of TL going dry, and just received the email with the bad news this morning. All current orders will be filled, and it will be coming down with the Lunacy on July 9th. Imperious Tiger Lily was intended to be a complimentary scent - the Tiger Lily in her element, ordering the other garden inhabitants about and berating Alice - she was meant to be the queen of the Garden of Live Flowers subsection, so to speak. Looks like her inception was fortunate, as her original incarnation has to come down.

Or it was a jinx. o.O

I wish there was more we could do to stem the hemorrhage.

Component issues have been plaguing BPTP, causing bottlenecks with the Warrior Queens. We're doing everything in our power to get all the WQ's out as quickly as possible. Thank you so much for your patience!

But enough of the gloomy gussitude…

We have so many amazing, exciting projects coming up this season. The next set of DD Summer Blockbuster scents will be featured at our upcoming trunk show at Dark Delicacies, and a limited run of the first scents in our California series (these are exclusive to C15) will be available at Convergence 15. We're still busting our asses to get the next act of CD out as quickly as possible - finalizing some additional artwork now, cleaning up the copy, and securing final sources for the components. Some really fucking great stuff will be debuting at Comic Con on behalf of the CBLDF (details forthcoming!), and we are working with a few brilliant illustrators, authors, musicians, and comic gods on scents that will be debuting late this summer. A new duets series is due at BPTP, and new baths, soaps, and atmospheric schpritzers are coming soon.

Smoky Moon Brick and Mortar Lunacy, July 12th, 4 to 8pm in GA

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:17:56 GMT

GA Will Call will be at Whole Foods Market, aka Harry's Farmer's Market, in Roswell, GA.

Whole Foods Market is located at 1180 Upper Hembree Road, Roswell, GA, 30076. They will be holding Will Call on Sunday, July 12th from 4 to 8pm, inside Salud (which is inside the store.) They will have all of the current LE's available, along with their extensive selection of GC scents and all of the Retail-only Salon series as well.

Whole Foods accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express and cash. They will not be able to accept any preorders.

Convergence 15, More Cobwebs & Smoky Moon Brick and Mortar Lunacy

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:47:41 GMT

Please join us on Friday, July 17th , from 7 to 9pm, at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA for "Clearing out the Cobwebs, Part 3."

Our offices are still being overtaken by oil, so we are bottling up some of our old favorites, and some unreleased prototypes and bringing them to Dark Delicacies. Quantities are very limited. We will be releasing a list of available scents along with prices before the event. We will not be bringing any of our other product with us to this event. Cash or credit only, please.

Dark Delicacies will also be debuting part two of our summer blockbuster series, created exclusively for Dark Delicacies.

Dark Delicacies is a fantastic family-owned bookstore that specializes in the horror genre. They have an enormous selection of books, comics, DVDs, original art, toys, and spooky housewares. Chisel away at your summer shopping list while supporting small businesses! =)

Dark Delicacies
4213 W. Burbank
Burbank, CA 91505 U.S.A.

Tues.-Fri. 10am-7pm Sat.-Sun. 11am-6pm Closed Mondays

1-888-DARKDEL
1-818-556-6660

www.darkdel.com

***

Black Phoenix will also be vending at Convergence 15 to be held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA on July 18th and 19th. The vending hours will be from 10 am to 6pm each day. No laminate is required to visit the vending room.
www.convergence15.com

We will have all of our general catalog, as well as many LE's, and a large selection of BPTP products, and will be accepting cash and credit.

After vending closes on Saturday, come hang out with the lab in a relaxed environment! We will be posting details of our C15 Meet n Sniff shortly.

***

In North Hollywood, we will be open for the Smoky Moon Lunacy Event on Tuesday, July 7th from 7 to 10pm.

>

The address is:

12120 Sherman Way
North Hollywood, CA 91605

It may be a little hard to find. We are in the industrial complex, right behind Game Dude. The nearest cross street is Laurel Canyon Blvd.

We will accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express and cash. Preorders can still be made with Paypal.

Please do not bring any cameras. No photography of any kind will be allowed during this Will Call. Thanks for your cooperation.

***

GA Will Call time and date will be announced soon

***

The blends that will be available for purchase at both Will Calls include those that went live on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website up to and including the Smoky Moon update. This includes the Nile series and the Summer Garden miniseries. Forum only scents will not be available at Will Call. No imps will be available for purchase at the GA location. Once again, thanks for understanding.

If you would like to place an order for pick-up at the North Hollywood Will Call, please do the following:

Email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com with your order before 1pm on Monday, July 6th. Payment may be remitted by PayPal ahead of time to willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, or you can pay at pick up with cash or credit card. Please do not email orders for the GA location to this address! When making your payment, please omit shipping charges. You may purchase any current catalogue oils, as long as we have them in stock. Due to the sheer volume, currently pending orders can not be combined with Will Call orders. Thanks for your understanding.

We will no longer be able to accommodate third party orders. If you are placing an order, you must attend Will Call and pick up your order in person.

We will do our best to accommodate all orders of 5mls and imps, but sales will be based on availability. Imp Packs will be available at the North Hollywood location, but it’s best to pre-order, so we can make sure we have enough stock, or be able to tell you beforehand if we’re out of stock. You get the gist.

Items from Black Phoenix Trading Post will be available at both locations, subject to stock on hand.

Twilight Alchemy Lab oils will also be available, only at the North Hollywood location. For Will Call, Twilight Alchemy Lab orders can be combined with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders.

***

If you have any questions about any of these events, please email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com.

Discontinued Scents

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:06:34 GMT

Due to another set of suppliers going down, we're forced to discontinue the following scents:

Erich Zahn
Eris
Severin
Succubus
Tannin'iver
Madrid
Marianne
Masabakes

They'll be live until Wednesday, July 1st, so we can move remaining stock. If you place an order for one of these scents and we cannot fill it, you will be notified and refunded.

Thanks so much for understanding. =(

BPTP Computer Crash

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:06:13 GMT

Just letting everyone here know that Ted's computer died. He has printed out all orders except for the past 48 hours. Orders will still be shpped but he has no access to any emails sent to him right now.

If you have a Black Phoenix Trading Post emergency you can PM Ted on the bpal.org forum or email answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com and we will try and sort it out for you.

He should be able to resume normal operations in a few days.

None of this effects Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders in any way.

Smoky Moon is live at BPAL & BPTP!

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:14:56 GMT

Smoky Moon is live at BPAL and BPTP!

SMOKY MOON 2009: TRISTESSES DE LA LUNE
The Smoke-Veiled Moon of July brought a poem of Baudelaire’s to my mind:

Ce soir, la lune rêve avec plus de paresse;
Ainsi qu'une beauté, sur de nombreux coussins,
Qui d'une main distraite et légère caresse
Avant de s'endormir le contour de ses seins,

Sur le dos satiné des molles avalanches,
Mourante, elle se livre aux longues pâmoisons,
Et promène ses yeux sur les visions blanches
Qui montent dans l'azur comme des floraisons.

Quand parfois sur ce globe, en sa langueur oisive,
Elle laisse filer une larme furtive,
Un poète pieux, ennemi du sommeil,

Dans le creux de sa main prend cette larme pâle,
Aux reflets irisés comme un fragment d'opale,
Et la met dans son coeur loin des yeux du soleil.

- - -

Tonight the moon dreams with more indolence,
Like a lovely woman on a bed of cushions
Who fondles with a light and listless hand
The contour of her breasts before falling asleep;

On the satiny back of the billowing clouds,
Languishing, she lets herself fall into long swoons
And casts her eyes over the white phantoms
That rise in the azure like blossoming flowers.

When, in her lazy listlessness,
She sometimes sheds a furtive tear upon this globe,
A pious poet, enemy of sleep,

In the hollow of his hand catches this pale tear,
With the iridescent reflections of opal,
And hides it in his heart afar from the sun's eyes.

(English translation by William Aggeler, 1954)

Soft sandalwood, nicotiana, and velvety orris drifting over lustrous pale musks, stephanotis, elemi, and cyclamen.

The tee --

Artwork for this lunacy is the Woman in the Moon by Aubrey Beardsley.

The scent and the tee will be live until 10 June 2009.

This summer, we are celebrating the Aztec Feast For the Greatly Revered Ones!

THE FEAST FOR THE GREATLY REVERED ONES
Huey Tecuilhuitl, the Great Festival of Lords, occurs on the 8th month of the 260-day Mexica sacred calendar of Tonalpualli. This festival honors Chicomecoatl, also known as Xilonen, the Goddess of Nourishment and Plenty, Seven Snakes. She represents the female aspect of corn, and she is the counterpart of Centeotl, -- the female sheath to his phallic cob.

The celebration of the Feast assured the return of the rains and a good corn harvest.

Cacao mixed with ground maize, agave wine, and octli, mixed with herbs and spices native to central Mexico.

A tee celebrating the Feast For the Greatly Revered Ones is also live!

The scent and the tee will be live until 8 August 2009.

Also new to the LEs…

LABORES SOLIS
Nothing there is beyond hope,
nothing that can be sworn impossible,
nothing wonderful, since Zeus,
father of the Olympians,
made night from mid-day,
hiding the light of the shining Sun,
and sore fear came upon men.

On July 22, we will be experiencing a total solar eclipse. This is the Labores Solis: the sun’s rays expressed through frankincense, amber, heliotrope, saffron, and chamomile, crossed with Luna’s Artemisias, manifesting in darkness.

NONAE CAPROTINA
The Nones of the Wild Fig, held on the 7th of July and celebrated only by women, is a festival of fertility honoring Juno Caprotina. Both goats and figs are sacred to Juno in this aspect, goats being notoriously randy, and figs being prolifically seedy. The milky sap of the fig tree also links to the concept of fertility, and to Juno as Mother Goddess.

The scent is of goat’s milk, ripe fig, and a hint of sweet myrrh.

Please note: no goats were milked in the process of creating this scent. It is an accord, and this scent is vegan.

Nonae Caprotina and Labores Solis will be live until 8 August 2009.

We are also pleased to announce the first scents in our Nile series…

++ ITERU
SEASON OF THE INUNDATION
Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests thyself over this land, and comes to give life to Egypt!

Come and prosper!
Come and prosper!
O Nile, come and prosper!
O you who make men to live through his flocks and his flocks through his orchards!
Come and prosper, come,
O Nile, come and prosper!

Akhet: the advent of the rising of the Nile floods -- the heart of the fertility and prosperity of Egypt. As Sirius climbs the horizon, Hapi begins to collect the tears of Isis, causing the waters of the Nile to rise. As the flood ebbed, the waters left a rich, black silt that was integral to the fecundity of the land.

Sweet, black silt mingled with holy myrrh, melilot, hyssop, spikenard, balsam, cedar, and a hint of melting snow from the Abyssinian hills.

THE FESTIVAL OF ANUKET
Anuket is the Embracer, a Goddess of Passion and of the waters of the Nile that caress the land and bring forth fruitfulness. She is the Nourisher of the Fields, the Giver of Life, and She Who Shoots Forth. A goddess of the hunt, archers, movement, and speed, she has the head of a gazelle, and sometimes wears a headdress of ostrich feathers. She is a protector of children at birth, and nursed many of the great pharaohs of Egypt.

Shimmering offerings of gold scattered through life-giving, fertile waters.

We will be following the pathways of the Nile this year, through the Season of the Emergence and the Season of the Harvest. Season of the Inundation and the festival of Anuket will be live until 8 August 2009.

And lastly, our Summer Garden Miniseries!

++ SUMMER GARDEN MINISERIES
LAWN GNOME
Benevolent groundskeepers, these carefree plaster and stone companions lighten the hearts of passers by.

Red currant, molasses, vanilla cream, moss, and patchouli.

PLASTIC PINK FLAMINGO
Vigilant day-glo guardians of lawn and patio, stalwart protectors of the home.

Pink sugar-crusted marshmallow, dandelion, and sap.

SPINNING MULTICOLORED METALLIC PINWHEEL
Polycarbonate and metallic film monuments to domestic whimsy, whirling merrily in the summer breeze.

Raspberry, lime, blueberry, tangerine, lemon, juniper, and white grape.

We live near a cemetery, and on one of the streets that butts up against the graveyard -- the homes share a wall with the cemetery -- there is an abundance of… stuff… on many, many people’s lawns. Gnome motropolises, massive flocks of flamingos, elaborate witch ball dotted trees, plastic butterflies and dragonflies, plump pastel cherubs, and whipping, brightly colored flags. Its amazing. Its not just one house… it’s at least a quarter of the homes over the span of about a mile and a half. I can’t help but think something interesting is permeating these homes because of their proximity to this particular City of the Silent. Driving down that street all the time was part of the inspiration for the Summer Garden series!

And truth be told… this series was also inspired, in part, by the many hours I spend staring at my own yard from my home office’s window! I have a demented fondness for gnomes, flamingos (with seasonal outfits), pinwheels, tin birds, stone toads, clay mushrooms, and spinning plastic sunflowers. Garden kitsch: I friggin’ love it all.

And that’s it for now! We’re currently working on getting Act VI of the Carnaval ready to go (wewt!) as well as new additions to the GC (at long last!). Please stay tuned.

Strawberry Moon Brick and Mortar Lunacy

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:20:47 GMT

June 7th in CA ; June 8th in GA.

In North Hollywood, we will be open for the Strawberry Moon Lunacy Event on Sunday, June 7th, from 4 to 8pm.

The address is:

12120 Sherman Way
North Hollywood, CA 91605

It may be a little hard to find. We are in the industrial complex, right behind Game Dude. The nearest cross street is Laurel Canyon Blvd.

We will accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express and cash. Preorders can still be made with Paypal.

Please do not bring any cameras. No photography of any kind will be allowed during this Will Call. Thanks for your cooperation.

***

GA Will Call will be at Whole Foods Market, aka Harry’s Farmer’s Market, in Roswell, GA.

Whole Foods Market is located at 1180 Upper Hembree Road, Roswell, GA, 30076.

They will be holding Will Call on Monday, June 8th from 4 to 8pm, inside Salud (which is inside the store.)

They will have all of the current LE’s available, along with their extensive selection of GC scents and all of the Retail-only Salon series as well.

Whole Foods accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express and cash. They will not be able to accept any preorders.

***

The blends that will be available for purchase at both Will Calls include those that went live on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website up to and including the Strwaberry Moon update. This includes the Velvet Paintings. Forum only scents will not be available at Will Call. No imps will be available for purchase at the GA location. Once again, thanks for understanding.

If you would like to place an order for pick-up at the North Hollywood Will Call, please do the following:

Email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com with your order before 1pm on Friday, June 5th. Payment may be remitted by PayPal ahead of time to willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, or you can pay at pick up with cash or credit card. Please do not email orders for the GA location to this address! When making your payment, please omit shipping charges. You may purchase any current catalogue oils, as long as we have them in stock. Due to the sheer volume, currently pending orders can not be combined with Will Call orders. Thanks for your understanding.

We will no longer be able to accommodate third party orders. If you are placing an order, you must attend Will Call and pick up your order in person.

We will do our best to accommodate all orders of 5mls and imps, but sales will be based on availability. Imp Packs will be available at the North Hollywood location, but it’s best to pre-order, so we can make sure we have enough stock, or be able to tell you beforehand if we’re out of stock. You get the gist.

Items from Black Phoenix Trading Post will be available at both locations, subject to stock on hand.

Twilight Alchemy Lab oils will also be available, only at the North Hollywood location. For Will Call, Twilight Alchemy Lab orders can be combined with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders.

***

If you have any questions, please email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com

Come see BPAL's own Bill and Will on the road in June

Wed, 27 May 2009 22:07:35 GMT

LIGHTNIN' WOODCOCK to Launch "HARD TIMES IN '09" US Tour

Lightnin' Woodcock will be on tour from May 28 to June 29.

Following the success of two west coast efforts in 2008, including dates supporting Bad Religion and the Bronx, Lightnin' Woodcock will be touring across America in June. "There is no better time than right now to perform dirty, hard rockin' blues across dive bars in the US," muses Woodcock. Lightnin' Woodcock was the guitarist and duet-singer for fellow L.A. band Miss Derringer until his departure in late 2008; he now fronts his own dynamic power trio. For streaming audio, please see www.myspace.com/lightninwoodcock.

Lightnin' Woodcock will be performing at:

May 28 The Blooze Bar in Phoenix, AZ
May 30 Atomic Cantina in Albuquerque, NM
May 31 Hot Rods & Wheels in El Paso, TX
June 1 The Deadhorse in San Angelo, TX
June 3 Dixie's in San Antonio, TX
June 5 Headhunters in Austin, TX
June 6 Outlaw Drinkers Club in Beaumont, TX
June 7 Artmosphere in Lafayette, LA
June 13 Third Street Dive in Lexington, KY
June 15 Blue Rock Tavern in Cincinnati, OH
June 16 Bernie's Distillery in Columbus, OH
June 18 Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ
June 23 Deluxe in St. Louis, MO
More dates TBA.

Cleaning Out the Cobwebs II: Stock Update

Sat, 23 May 2009 01:15:01 GMT

The BPTP Stock List for Cobwebs II --

++ Bath Oils
Four Seasons: L’Autunno Bath Oil
Four Seasons: L’Estate Bath Oil
Four Seasons: L’Inverno Bath Oil
Four Seasons: La Primavera Bath Oil

++ Perfume Oils
Bah
Gluhwein
Holly berry & Mistletow
Humbug
L’Autunno
L’Estate
L’Inverno
La Primavera
Snowblind (II)
Uncertain Horror

++ Room Sprays
Asylum Room Spray Prototype
Basil Hallward’s Studio Room Spray Prototype
Boot Hill Room Spray Prototype
Four Seasons: L’Autunno Room Spray
Four Seasons: L’Estate Room Spray
Four Seasons: L’Inverno Room Spray
Four Seasons: La Primavera Room Spray
Parlor House Room Spray Prototype
Rappaccini’s Greenhouse Room Spray Prototype
Villa Diodati Room Spray Prototype
Yule Inq Bah Humbug Room Spray
Yule Inq Past Room Spray
Yule Inq Present Room Spray
Yule Inq Yet to Come Room Spray

Trading Post will also be selling the first of their scent boxes. The boxes are handmade, and were constructed with sustainable mango wood. Each box has been stained and silkscreened, and have purple velveteen-lined tops. The interiors were découpaged and lacquered by Shannon Webber.

Each box is unique.

The silkscreening on the lids is golden, and comes in two designs: the triple dagger logo, and the Black Phoenix Ouija Board (doodled by Jennifer Williamson).

There are two sizes of box:

Large
W 12.5”
L 10”
H 3.25”

Small
W 10”
L 6.5”
H 3.25”

The large boxes are $50, and the small boxes are $35.

Trading Post room sprays and bath oils are $25 each, and Trading Post oils are $20 each.

The following oils will also be on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab smell wagon at this event --

++ Vintage:
Dragon Moon '06
Hunter Moon '07
Lick It '07
Lucy Westerna '06
Luperci '07
Nuclear Winter '05
Pluto '06

++ Prototype:
Antimony v9
Aqua Vitae v2
Arsenic v2
Cesky Krumlov v1
Copper v1
Eve v2
Eve v5
Kinnabari v4
Phosporous v5
Putrefication v3
Putrefication v5
Tetramorph v5

Dark Delicacies opens at 10am, and we will begin giving out random numbers at 11am. This gives everyone the opportunity to fondle books, poke at toys, sniff testers, and chat -- or leave and get a doughnut, whichever. We will open sales just after 12pm. For BPAL oils, there is a limit of 3 per scent per person until 4.30pm, at which point the limit will be lifted.

Clearing Out the Cobwebs II

Wed, 20 May 2009 21:26:10 GMT

Clearing Out the Cobwebs II

As y’all know, we are still up to our snouts in bottles of ancient LEs and prototypes. The following scents will be available at the May trunk show, hosted by Sue & Del @ Dark Delicacies:

++ Vintage:
Abhisarika ‘07
All Souls ‘06
Angeronalia ‘07
Bakeneko ‘07
Bonfire Night ‘07
Brides of Dracula ‘06
Budding Moon ‘06
Creepy ‘06
Dolce Stil Nuova ‘07
Fruit of Paradise ‘07
Jolasveinar ‘07
La Befana ‘07
Libra ‘07
Mistletoe ‘07
Pumpkin 2 ‘07
Proshitapathika ‘07
Rose Moon ‘07
Samhain ‘07
Snowflakes ‘07
Swan Maiden ‘07
Tamamo No Mae ‘07
Vasakasajja ‘07
Wolf Moon ‘07

++ Prototypes:
Aphrodite v7
Astraphobia v1
Aswang v1
Capela dos Ossos v5
Construct v3
Hearth v2
Hermes Trimegistus v2
I Fell in Love with a Floating Brian v1
Lamia v3
Maiden v2
Miskatonic University v3
Pediophobia v1
Set v3
Spawn of the She Devil v2
Taphophobia v1
That! The Thing from Over There v1
Viola v3
CD023
P08
P013
P4W14
PEX0
PEX32
PGAI17
PPG28
PPV111
PW7
PX4
PX72
PX79

Please note: this list is subject to change. Very, very subject to change. Scents may be added as time permits.

If we can swing it, Trading Post will be bringing room spray and bath oil protos. List forthcoming.

Each bottle of BPAL oil is $20. No preorders will be accepted for the perfumes and room sprays at the Cobwebs event. Bottles will be sold on a first-come basis, and there is a limit of three bottles per person until 30 minutes before the end of the event, at which point, the limit is lifted.

Please note: the Vintage scents will be sportin’ a new label that was created for this event. You will not be getting the original label used for this scent.

Where and when is this happening?

Dark Delicacies
4213 W. Burbank
Burbank, CA 91505 U.S.A.

Saturday, May 23rd
12pm - 5pm

1-888-DARKDEL
1-818-556-6660

darkdel *at* darkdel *.* com

Sun, 17 May 2009 07:16:45 GMT

The first set of Summer Blockbuster scents are live on the Dark Delicacies site!

B-HORROR
“B-Movie” initially referred to the second half of a double feature, usually a film that was lower in budget than the feature film, and weakly publicized. The expression has morphed over the years to encompass movies whose runtimes were under 70 minutes, low-budget films in general, an inartistic, cheaply produced genre movies, or high-budget exploitation style films.

Examples: I Drink Your Blood, Horror of Party Beach, Attack of the Crab Monsters, It Conquered the World

This scent is a celebration of B-grade sci fi and horror from the 50s, 60s, and 70s: a glowing glob of radioactive waste mixed with a mishmash of ingredients from assorted recipes for fake blood -- chocolate syrup, corn syrup, grenadine, and peanut butter.

CREATURE FEATURE
The struggle of man against metaphor: these movies symbolize man’s conflict with the destruction he wreaks on the environment. The antagonists in Creature Features are usually victims of radiation, pollution, or experiments gone awry – monsters created by the folly of men.

Examples: Creature From the Black Lagoon, Godzilla, King Kong, Mothra, Gorgo, Destroy All Monsters, Them!

Giant Monster Musk!

GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST HORROR
Highly stylized, stark, and filled with vivid, dark symbolism, these films employed bizarre, striking geometry and mise en scène to convey mood and tell their tale.

Examples: Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, M, Der Golem, Schatten - Eine nächtliche Halluzination

Casket dust, black musk and khus, musty velvet, black pine needle, patchouli, myrrh, and black pepper.

GIALLO
The term Giallo, meaning yellow, was initally coined in reference to the yellow backgrounds used on the covers of Il Giallo Mondadori pulp crime and mystery novels that influenced Italian thriller filmmaking. The film genre that emerged began as translations of these pulps, and transformed with time into a melding of traditional murder mystery storylines with guignol’esque horror, combined with stylized, tense erotica that was liberally flavored with operatic melodrama. The storylines often touched on psychological terror, feelings of isolation and alienation, and claustrophobic paranoia.

Examples: Blood and Black Lace, Twitch of the Death Nerve, The House With Laughing Windows, Tenebrae

Profoundly passionate and singularly sinister: opoponax, black plum, night-blooming jasmine, benzoin, red musk, violet leaf, orange blossom, mimosa, mandarin, smoky vanilla, tobacco, patchouli, and black amber.

J-HORROR
Ghosts, rancorous spirits, and shapeshifters abound! Japanese horror films are tense, elliptical, psychologically chilling experiences, most often inspired by Japanese folklore and Kaidan, or supernatural tales, and are woven tightly with themes of retribution and vengeance.

Examples: Ringu, Jigoku, Ugetsu, The Ghost Story of Yotsuya

This scent is spectral, draped in funeral white, and surges with otherworldly, malevolent rage: stargazer lily, white sandalwood, chrysanthemum, and shincha, with white mint, eucalyptus, licorice bark, and blood orange.

SPLATTER COMEDY
Campy, over-the-top gore, full of gleeful self-mockery.

Examples: the Evil Dead series, Return of the Living Dead, Toxic Avenger

A bit of blood and chainsaw grease underneath a banana cream pie.

They will also be available for sniffing and purchasing at the May Trunk Show / Clearing Out the Cobwebs II:

May 23rd at Dark Delicacies, noon to 5pm

Dark Delicacies
4213 W. Burbank
Burbank, CA 91505 U.S.A.

1-888-DARKDEL
1-818-556-6660

www.darkdel.com

Label artwork by the amazing Julie Dillon!

Ebay Schmeebay!

Wed, 13 May 2009 20:49:18 GMT

Clickery-doo.

Strawberry Moon is live at BPAL & BPTP!

Fri, 08 May 2009 18:30:20 GMT

Oh, man. I’m so tired, all I can really do is grunt. Teething: Fun for the Whole Family.

Without further grunting, we present…

STRAWBERRY MOON 2009
Strawberries that in gardens grow
Are plump and juicy fine,
But sweeter far as wise men know
Spring from the woodland vine.

No need for bowl or silver spoon,
Sugar or spice or cream,
Has the wild berry plucked in June
Beside the trickling stream.

One such to melt at the tongue's root,
Confounding taste with scent,
Beats a full peck of garden fruit:
Which points my argument.

May sudden justice overtake
And snap the froward pen,
That old and palsied poets shake
Against the minds of men.

Blasphemers trusting to hold caught
In far-flung webs of ink,
The utmost ends of human thought
Till nothing's left to think.

But may the gift of heavenly peace
And glory for all time
Keep the boy Tom who tending geese
First made the nursery rhyme.

Wild strawberries, strawberry flower, vanilla-infused sugar, early summer grasses, and milky dandelion sap.

And a handful of seasonal pleasures --

JUNE GLOOM
It’s May in Los Angeles, and we’re baking slowly as the weather hits the low 100’s…

Here at the Lab, we are praying for a little June Gloom.

Bright summer flowers, fresh herbs, and a bit of citrus rind dampened by the scent of morning mist and rain.

LITHA 2009
Midsummer, Ukon Juhla, Alban Heruin, the Light of the Shore. This is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, marking the sun's highest path across the sky. The Sun God and the Lord of the Forest are at the apex of their strength, and the Holy Day itself is a celebration of light's triumph over darkness. The world around us is teeming with light and life, and on this day fertility rituals for both the land and its people are observed. Golden honey and moss, with honeysuckle, chamomile, parsley, white gardenia, frankincense, carnation, vervain, gum arabic, yarrow, and liquid copal.

ST JOHN’S EVE
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
-- Matthew 11:11

The birth of John the Baptist coincides with the Summer Solstice, and in keeping with the eternal rhythm of the universe, John understood that as the sun’s strength begins to wane after the Summer Solstice, so did he move aside after preparing the way for the Winter King, Christ.

Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

He must increase, but I decrease.
-- John 3:28-30

St. John’s holy day is full of holy significance that is so primal and archetypal that it transcends any one faith. It is a merging of the rituals of Midsummer with symbols of Biblical faith. On this eve, prayers to God for bountiful harvests and fertility are said over St. John’s blessed bonfires, a leap over the sacred flames brings good fortune in new undertakings and unions, and the waters of rivers and lakes bring renewed strength, vitality, and spiritual cleansing.

A summer bonfire, with frankincense and myrrh, bay rum, and white rose.

The Post is presenting its Lunacy tee in two colors this month… pink and white!

And the Post is also offering a lovely, empowering summer Inquest…

++ WARRIOR QUEENS INQUEST
I am the queen of war. I am the queen of the thunderbolt. I stir up the sea and calm it. I am the rays of the Sun.

We live in a challenging time. Conflict, uncertainty, tension… All of us sometimes feel that adversity threatens to overwhelm us, and that we are facing -- both on a personal and worldwide scale -- insurmountable difficulty. To help combat this, we present the Warrior Queens series -- a very different sort of Goblin Inquest. This is an Inquest of Self-Empowerment. Both men and women can find strength within the tales of these Warrior Queens, and may see that through these archetypes, they enable themselves to draw upon a deeper well of internal fortitude.

It's at times like this that we need to look within ourselves and celebrate our triumphs, remember our victories, and use these memories, and the stories of those who came before us, to find courage amidst chaos and hardship.

We invite you to share tales of your personal victories with us as you tell us which Warrior you identify with most, and why.

A little about our Heroines…

BOADICEA
Rebel Queen of the Iceni, she led an uprising of the tribes against the Roman Empire. After Claudius’ conquest of the area, the Iceni voluntarily allied themselves to Rome, though Rome was not a gentle parent state. The Romans conquered much of Brittania, desecrated the sacred groves at Mona, and slaughtered the druids. When Boadicea’s husband, Prasutagus, died, his will was ignored and his massive financial debt to Rome was called in forcefully. Iceni was annexed as though it was a conquered territory, property and estates were seized, both tribal nobility and the common folk were enslaved. When Boadicea objected to the treatment of her lands and her people, she was flogged, and her children were grievously injured.

Boadicea took her vengeance.

Under the leadership of Boadicea, the Iceni and Trinovantes united with their neighbors and the surviving druids of Mona to instigate a rebellion. They cut a swath of furious destruction. Her warriors slaughtered Legionary forces, and destroyed Camulodunum, Londinium, and Verulamium -- so scorching the earth beneath Londinium that the scar is still visible beneath modern London.

HER PERFUME
Amber, fig, vanilla flower, oak, patchouli, vetiver, dragon’s blood resin, leather, and neroli.

HER BATH
Fig, neroli, amber, vanilla, patchouli, pine needle, and vetiver.

HUA MULAN
Click, click, for ever click, click;
Mulan sits at the door and weaves.
Listen, and you will not hear the shuttle’s sound,
But only a girl’s sobs and sighs.
‘Oh, tell me, lady, are you thinking of your love,
Oh, tell me, lady, are you longing for your dear?’
‘Oh no, oh no, I am not longing for my dear.
But last night I read the battle-roll;
The Khan has ordered a great levy of men.
The battle-roll was written in twelve books,
And in each book stood my father’s name.
My father’s sons are not grown men,
And of all of my brothers, none is older than me.
Oh let me to the market to buy saddle and horse,
And ride with the soldiers to take my father’s place.’
In the eastern market she’s bought a gallant hors.
In the western market she’s bought saddle and cloth.
In the southern market she’s bought snaffle and reins.
In the northern market she’s bought a tall whip.
In the morning she stole from her father’s and mother’s house.
At night she was camping by the Yellow River’s side.
She could not hear her father and mother calling to her by name,
But only the voice of the Yellow River as its waters swirled through the night.
At dawn they left the River and went on their way;
At dusk they came to the Black Water’s side.
She could not hear her father and mother calling to her by her name,
She could only hear the muffled voices of foreign horsemen riding on the hills of Yen.
A thousand leagues she tramped on the errands of war.

Frontiers and hills she crossed like a bird in flight.
Through the northern air echoed the watchman’s tap;
The wintry light gleamed on coats of mail.
The captain had fought a hundred fights, and died;
The warriors in ten years had won their rest.
The went home, they saw the Emperor’s face;
The Son of Heaven was seated in the Hall of Light.
The deeds of the brave were recorded in twelve books;
In prizes he gave a hundred thousand cash.
Thus spoke the Khan and asked her what she would take.
‘Oh, Mulan asks not to be made
A counsellor at the Khan’s court;
I only beg for a camel that can march
A thousand leagues a day,
To take me back to my home.’

When her father and mother heard that she had come,
They went out to the wall and led her back to the house.
When her little sister heard that she had come,
She went to the door and rouged herself afresh.
When her little brother heard that his sister had come,
He sharpened his knife and darted like a flash
Towards the pigs and sheep.
She opened the gate that leads to the eastern tower,
She sat on her bed that stood in the western tower.
She cast aside her heavy soldier’s cloak,
And wore again her old-time dress.
She stood at the window and bound her cloudy hair;
She went to the mirror and fastened her yellow combs.
She left the house and met her messmates in the road;
Her messmates were startled out of their wits.
The had marched with her for twelve years of war
And never know that Mulan was girl.
For the male hare sits with its legs tucked in,
And the female hare is known for her bleary eye;
But set them both scampering side by side,
And who so wise could tell you ‘This is he’?

HER PERFUME
Pink musk, white ginger, tea leaf, night blooming jasmine, bergamot, and leather.

HER BATH
White ginger, tea leaf, night blooming jasmine, neroli, rose, and lotus root.

JINGU
Known as Pimoko, the sun-daughter, Jingu was an Empress of Japan who served as regent and de facto ruler between the time of the death of her husband and the ascension of her son, Emperor Ojin. Sure that knowledge of her husband’s death would bring discord to her realm, she managed to keep his passing a secret, and successfully put down numerous insurrections in his name. Although she was pregnant with the future emperor of Japan, she donned armor and rode into battle, leading the conquest of Silla.

HER PERFUME
Sakura, white orchid, mandarin, bamboo, red sandalwood, plum blossom, and lilac.

HER BATH
Sakura, plum wine, and rice flower.

SEMIRAMIS
A legendary Assyrian queen, often identified with Sammu-Ramat, the wife of Shamshi-Adad V, she was believed to be the daughter of the goddess Atargatis. Her youth was filled with mythic adventure, and her otherworldly beauty and voluptuous sexuality ensured her two advantageous marriages. When she took the reins of power of Empress of Assyria, she expanded her kingdom by conquering much of Mesopotamia and Asia. She beautified and revitalized Babylon, and implemented improvements in Nineveh that helped to moderate the flow of the Tigris. She was renowned for her military and political prowess, as well as her ferocious and merciless sexual appetite.

HER PERFUME
Red musk, pomegranate, orange blossom, and melon.

HER BATH
Red musk, pomegranate, red cherry, myrrh, and blood orange.

TOMOE GOZEN
A "warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot." Tomoe Gozen was a fierce, noble, and courageous samurai, first captain, as well as a renowned beauty. She was an excellent swordswoman, famed for her riding ability and her skill at archery. She fought for Minamoto no Yoshinaka at Battle of Awazu, and her forces were defeated. Legend says she was seen holding the severed head of one of her foes on the battlefield, and vanished, never to be seen again.

HER PERFUME
Red currant, golden amber, blackberry, honey, and pink pepper.

HER BATH
Red currant and honey.

YSABEL
Isabella I, Queen of Castile and León, was a proponent of education, establishing lasting institutions of higher learning, a patron of scholars and artists, and an enthusiastic sponsor of exploratory expeditions, including Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the New World. She possessed a great military mind, and was integral in the retaking of Grenada, thus sealing the Reconquista. With her husband, Ferdinand, she ruled with equal authority and power, unifying Spain and laying the foundations of the Spanish Empire.

HER PERFUME
Red carnation, red roses, Spanish cedar, velvet musk, pomegranate, clove, and incense.

HER BATH
Frankincense, benzoin, carnation, and balsam of Peru.

ZENOBIA
Zenobia was Queen of the Palmyrene Empire. She assumed leadership of her nomadic tribe after her father’s death, eventually marrying King Septimius Odaenathus. Zenobia seemed a contradiction: chaste, dark-eyed, and lovely, but able to drink, fight, and make war like a man. She fought, on horseback, alongside her husband in many battles, and ruled the Empire with a fair and just hand after her husband’s passing. To her people, she was the Lady of Victory, conquering several Roman provinces, including Egypt, and expelling the prefect, Tenagino Probus, who was beheaded after he led an attempt to seize back control of the territory for Rome. Her conquests enabled her to control many vital trade routes, further earning her the ire of the Romans. Unfortunately, she eventually overextended her reach. She was betrayed, and then captured by Emperor Aurelian, displayed in chains in a triumphal procession through Rome, her Empire dissolved. Rather than capitulate to misfortune, she made a new life for herself, and became a Roman matron, philosopher, and socialite.

HER PERFUME
Orris, clove, costus storax, patchouli, hyssop, frankincense, balsam, and saffron.

HER BATH
Orris, amber, balsam, calamus, and frankincense.

Each set comes with a 5ml bottle of the Queen’s perfume, a 4oz bottle of the Queen’s bath oil, and a squirt of Templum Victoriae Atmospheric Spray: frankincense, olive leaf, champaca, beeswax, amber, and bay myrtle.

If you choose not to enter a plea and have opted to forego the quiz, you can leave the selection up to us, or you can specify your choice of Queen in the comments field.

Each of the Warrior Queens are only sold as a set, the packs cannot be split up, and the products in this LE cannot be sold on their own. You may place an order for multiple sets, or place multiple orders; in either case, each will be considered separately in the course of the Inquest process. If you are placing an order for more than one set, you may submit multiple tales, applicable to each order. Please indicate which statement or quiz result pertains to which order.

You have until May 31, 2009 to participate, at which point the Inquest will end. Please note: Inquests will not begin to ship until May 22, 2009.

And with that, I’m going to crawl into bed. Good night, all!

Clearing out the Cobwebs 2, May 23rd at Dark Delicacies

Tue, 05 May 2009 23:59:58 GMT

Please join us on Saturday, May 23rd, from 12 to 5 pm, at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA for "Clearing out the Cobwebs, Part 2."

Our offices are still being overtaken by oil, so we are bottling up some of our old favorites, and some unreleased prototypes and bringing them to Dark Delicacies. Some of the scents that were at the last Dark Delicacies trunk show will make a reappearance, and there will be some new surprises as well. Quantities on each are very limited. We will be releasing a list of available scents along with prices before the event. We will not be bringing any of our other product with us to this event

Dark Delicacies will also be debuting part one of our summer blockbuster series, created exclusively for Dark Delicacies.

There will be a third Clearing Out the Cobwebs event at Dark Delicacies in July. Stay tuned for further details.

Dark Delicacies is a fantastic family-owned bookstore that specializes in the horror genre. They have an enormous selection of books, comics, DVDs, original art, toys, and spooky housewares. Chisel away at your summer shopping list while supporting small businesses! =)

Dark Delicacies
4213 W. Burbank
Burbank, CA 91505 U.S.A.

Tues.-Fri. 10am-7pm Sat.-Sun. 11am-6pm Closed Mondays

1-888-DARKDEL
1-818-556-6660

www.darkdel.com

Planting Moon Brick and Mortar Lunacy - May 9th in CA ; May 10th in GA

Mon, 04 May 2009 23:29:15 GMT

In North Hollywood, we will be open for the Plating Moon Lunacy Event on Saturday, May 9th, from 4 to 8pm.

The theme for this month is ... the Maypole!

The address is:

12120 Sherman Way
North Hollywood, CA 91605

It may be a little hard to find. We are in the industrial complex, right behind Game Dude. The nearest cross street is Laurel Canyon Blvd.

We will accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express and cash. Preorders can still be made with Paypal.

Please do not bring any cameras. No photography of any kind will be allowed during this Will Call. Thanks for your cooperation.

***

GA Will Call will be at Whole Foods Market, aka Harry’s Farmer’s Market, in Roswell, GA.

Whole Foods Market is located at 1180 Upper Hembree Road, Roswell, GA, 30076.

They will be holding Will Call on Sunday, May 10th from 4 to 8pm, inside Salud (which is inside the store.)

They will have all of the current LE’s available, along with their extensive selection of GC scents and all of the Retail-only Salon series as well.

Whole Foods accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express and cash. They will not be able to accept any preorders.

***

The blends that will be available for purchase at both Will Calls include those that went live on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website up to and including the Planting Moon update. This includes Chaos Theory V and the Velvet Paintings. Forum only scents will not be available at Will Call. No imps will be available for purchase at the GA location. Once again, thanks for understanding.

If you would like to place an order for pick-up at the North Hollywood Will Call, please do the following:

Email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com with your order before 1pm on Friday, May 8th. Payment may be remitted by PayPal ahead of time to willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, or you can pay at pick up with cash or credit card. Please do not email orders for the GA location to this address! When making your payment, please omit shipping charges. You may purchase any current catalogue oils, as long as we have them in stock. Due to the sheer volume, currently pending orders can not be combined with Will Call orders. Thanks for your understanding.

We will no longer be able to accommodate third party orders. If you are placing an order, you must attend Will Call and pick up your order in person.

We will do our best to accommodate all orders of 5mls and imps, but sales will be based on availability. Imp Packs will be available at the North Hollywood location, but it’s best to pre-order, so we can make sure we have enough stock, or be able to tell you beforehand if we’re out of stock. You get the gist.

Items from Black Phoenix Trading Post will be available at both locations, subject to stock on hand.

Twilight Alchemy Lab oils will also be available, only at the North Hollywood location. For Will Call, Twilight Alchemy Lab orders can be combined with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders.

***

Unfortunately, East Coast Will Call has been suspended until further notice,

***

If you have any questions, please email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com .

Bats Day 2009

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:54:21 GMT

BPAL is sponsoring and will be vending at Bats Day this Saturday. The Bats Day Black Market will take place on May 2nd from noon to 10 pm.

The Bats Day™ Black Market: A vendors event where you can find something extra spooky thing for that spooky thing in your life. Over 50 venders will help you find what you are looking for, from clothing, music, artwork, books, collectable's, toys, to other original items.

Black Market will take place in the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel, 900 South Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92802. Note that this is a different hotel then last year. Admission to the Black Market is free!
http://www.batsday.net/

We will be bringing down all of our general catalog blends, as well as the Velvet's and Planting Moon.

There will be five scents exclusive to Bats Day, representing the Wufu: the Five Bats of Happiness.

BAT OF HEALTH
Goats rue, fig, wild geranium, juniper, sassafras, juniper berry, and mandrake.

BAT OF WEALTH
Heliotrope, pomegranate, blackberry, bergamot, and patchouli.

BAT OF VIRTUE
Huckleberry, frankincense, rose, strawberry, violet, and star anise.

BAT OF LONGEVITY
French lavender, white sage, cypress, verbena, white peach, life everlasting, tansy, and black amber.

BAT OF GOOD DEATH
Frankincense, myrrh, orris root, coconut, benzoic, chamomile, cedar, and hyssop.

The Five Bats of Happiness will be $20 each

Black Phoenix Trading Post will also be there, with a selection of their products. Goblin Squirts of Revenge and Great Dismal Swamp will be available for purchase, and there will be prototypes of the upcoming Warrior Queens bath series.

If you have any questions about BPAL at Bats Day, please email answers @ blackphoenixalchemylab.com

We will be accepting cash and credit card for all purchases. Due to venue restrictions, we will not be able to accept Paypal for payment.

BPAL will be vending at Bats Day and Convergence 15

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:56:46 GMT

Once again, BPAL is sponsoring and will be vending at Bats Day. The Bats Day Black Market will take place on May 2nd from noon to 10 pm.

The Bats Day™ Black Market: A vendors event where you can find something extra spooky thing for that spooky thing in your life. Over 50 venders will help you find what you are looking for, from clothing, music, artwork, books, collectable's, toys, to other original items.

Black Market will take place in the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel, 900 South Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92802. Note that this is a different hotel then last year. Admission to the Black Market is free!
http://www.batsday.net/

***

Black Phoenix will also be vending at Convergence 15 to be held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA on July 18th and 19th.
http://convergence15.com/

***

Both events will feature BPAL exclusive blends. More information will follow.

Planting Moon is live at BPAL & BPTP!

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:27:31 GMT

Planting Moon is live at BPAL and BPTP!

PLANTING MOON
As is the garden such is the gardener,
A man’s nature runs either to herbs or to weeds. –Francis Bacon

This Full Moon marks a time for new growth, both within nature and within our spirits. It is a time of fertility and fruitfulness, for sowing seeds to ensure blessings and bounty later in the year.

The scent of Planting Moon is that of summer squashes, pole beans, tomato leaves, upturned earth, and sun-warmed herbs.

Stunning artwork provided by our beloved Jennifer Williamson.

The scent (at BPAL) and the tee (at BPTP) will be live until April 11, 2009.

The Velvet Painting Exhibit will be departing the Salon on June 1, 2009, and Le Mat will also vanish from Black Phoenix Trading Post that day.

Flower Moon Brick and Mortar Lunacy, April 9th in CA and PA; April 10th in GA

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:35:42 GMT

In North Hollywood, we will be open for the Flower Moon Lunacy Event on Thursday, April 9th, from 7 to 10pm.

The theme for this month is ...April Fool!

The address is:

12120 Sherman Way
North Hollywood, CA 91605

It may be a little hard to find. We are in the industrial complex, right behind Game Dude. The nearest cross street is Laurel Canyon Blvd.

We will accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express and cash. Preorders can still be made with Paypal.

Please do not bring any cameras. No photography of any kind will be allowed during this Will Call. Thanks for your cooperation.

***

This month there is a new location for East Coast Will Call.

Shell will be hosting East Coast Will Call at:

Route 934
Annville, PA 17003

There's a big parking lot, no on street parking. Look for the Powderhouse sign and balloons.

They will be holding Will Call on Thursday, April 9th, from 6 to 10pm.

They will have a full line of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab products available, and accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Cash, or Paypal.

***

And, last but certainly not least, there will once again be GA Will Call at Whole Foods Market, aka Harry’s Farmer’s Market, in Roswell, GA.

Whole Foods Market is located at 1180 Upper Hembree Road, Roswell, GA, 30076.

They will be holding Will Call on Friday, April 10th from 4 to 8pm, inside Salud (which is inside the store.)

They will have all of the current LE’s available, along with their extensive selection of GC scents and all of the Retail-only Salon series as well.

Whole Foods accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express and cash. They will not be able to accept any preorders.

***

The blends that will be available for purchase at all three Will Calls include those that went live on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website up to and including the Flower Moon update. This includes The Bards of Ireland, The Ides of March, Chaos Theory V and the Garden additions.. Forum only scents will not be available at Will Call. No imps will be available for purchase at the PA or GA location. Once again, thanks for understanding.

If you would like to place an order for pick-up at the North Hollywood Will Call, please do the following:

Email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com with your order before 1pm on Wednesday, April 8th. Payment may be remitted by PayPal ahead of time to willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, or you can pay at pick up with cash or credit card. Please do not email orders for the PA or GA locations to this address! When making your payment, please omit shipping charges. You may purchase any current catalogue oils, as long as we have them in stock. Due to the sheer volume, currently pending orders can not be combined with Will Call orders. Thanks for your understanding.

We will no longer be able to accommodate third party orders. If you are placing an order, you must attend Will Call and pick up your order in person.

We will do our best to accommodate all orders of 5mls and imps, but sales will be based on availability. Imp Packs will be available at the North Hollywood location, but it’s best to pre-order, so we can make sure we have enough stock, or be able to tell you beforehand if we’re out of stock. You get the gist.

Items from Black Phoenix Trading Post will be available at all locations, subject to stock on hand.

Twilight Alchemy Lab oils will also be available, only at the North Hollywood location. For Will Call, Twilight Alchemy Lab orders can be combined with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders.

If you have any questions, please email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com .

Thanks everyone for your continued support.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:15:16 GMT

This 13 was created by the notorious Brian Constantine!

(Apologies for the delay in 13 going up! 13 kill'ded the internetz!)

Flower Moon is blooming at BPAL & BPTP!

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:03:45 GMT

Flower Moon is live at BPAL and BPTP!

FLOWER MOON
April, too, marks the apex of the year's fertility, expresses the reawakening of the sexuality of the Earth and her inhabitants, and May's full moon celebrates both the fecundity of the creatures and flora of this world and the vibrancy, rejuvenation and life-affirming energy of Spring. Flower Moon embodies the unrestrained bliss, energy and color of the season: a bouquet of vivid, sexy blooms, coated in thick, golden honey... wisteria, swamp jasmine, honeysuckle, daffodil, rhododendron, phlox, and a mix of California wildflowers.

Trading Post presents a lovely, petal-dappled phoenix tee by Jennifer Williamson! --

Lemony yellow and white shimmer inks on black tee!

And in the spirit of springtime flora, there are some new additions to the Garden at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab!

THE APPLE OF SODOM
…their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. The tree’s bark is grey and cork-like, and the fruit, when ripe, is bright yellow, comely and sweet-scented.

After their success in tempting Adam and Eve to the knowledge of sin, Satan and his cronies celebrated by partaking of the Apple:

There stood
A Grove hard by, sprung up with this thir change,
His will who reigns above, to aggravate
Thir penance, laden with Fruit like that
Which grew in Paradise, the bait of Eve
Us'd by the Tempter: on that prospect strange
Thir earnest eyes they fix'd, imagining
For one forbidden Tree a multitude
Now ris'n, to work them furder woe or shame;
Yet parcht with scalding thurst and hunger fierce,
Though to delude them sent, could not abstain,
But on they rould in heaps, and up the Trees
Climbing, sat thicker then the snakie locks
That curld Megæra: greedily they pluck'd
The Frutage fair to sight, like that which grew
Neer that bituminous Lake where Sodom flam'd;
This more delusive, not the touch, but taste
Deceav'd; they fondly thinking to allay
Thir appetite with gust, instead of Fruit
Chewd bitter Ashes, which th' offended taste
With spattering noise rejected: oft they assayd,
Hunger and thirst constraining, drugd as oft,
With hatefullest disrelish writh'd thir jaws
With soot and cinders fill'd; so oft they fell
Into the same illusion, not as Man
Whom they triumph'd once lapst. Thus were they plagu'd
And worn with Famin, long and ceasless hiss,
Till thir lost shape, permitted, they resum'd,
Yearly enjoynd, some say, to undergo
This annual humbling certain number'd days,
To dash thir pride, and joy for Man seduc't.

Native to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, this fruit turns to ashes when plucked as a sign of God’s displeasure.

BOHUN UPAS
The Tree of Poisons. Every aspect of this tree is toxic, from the narcotic, lethal fumes that it emits, to its oozing, poisonous sap.

A deceptively tranquil scent: heady fruits, dry bark, and deep green leaves, enveloped by a dark and sinister murk.

THE LOTUS TREE
Thence the winds bore me, blowing fierce and fell,
Across the fish-abounding ocean swell
A nine-days’ space: and on the tenth we reached
The land where the Lotus-eaters dwell,

Who fed on flowery food: there landed we
And drew us water, and by the sea
By the swift ships taking our midday meal
We drank and ate bread in sufficiency.

Then of my crew I sent to bring me word,
Exploring inland, what they saw or heard
Of dwellers on the acres, choosing out
Twain, and as a herald with them for the third.

And straightway going forth, anigh they drew
The Lotus-eaters; who against our crew
Devised not hurt, but gave them of the fruit
To taste upon the lotus-trees that grew.

But whoso of them once began to eat
The lotus-fruit, that is as honey sweet,
Had no will longer in him to return
Or bring back tidings, but desired to fleet

His days among the lotus-eating men,
Eating the lotus, nor return again.
Howbeit I drove them weeping to the ships,
And to the ships’ hold haled and bound them then

Under the benches: but I bade anon
My fellows to the swift ships get them gone
In haste, that none might of the lotus-fruit
Eat, and forget the way he went upon.

Honey-sweet and soporific.

THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL
After these things, surveying the entrances of the north, above the mountains, I perceived seven mountains replete with pure nard, odoriferous trees, cinnamon and papyrus.

From there I passed on above the summits of those mountains to some distance eastwards, and went over the Erythraean sea. And when I was advanced far beyond it, I passed along above the angel Zateel, and arrived at the garden of righteousness.

In this garden I beheld, among other trees, some which were numerous and large, and which flourished there.

Their fragrance was agreeable and powerful, and their appearance both varied and elegant. The tree of knowledge also was there, of which if any one eats, he becomes endowed with great wisdom.

It was like a species of the tamarind tree, bearing fruit which

resembled grapes extremely fine; and its fragrance extended to a considerable distance.

I exclaimed, How beautiful is this tree, and how delightful is its appearance!

Then holy Raphael, an angel who was with me, answered and said, This is the tree of knowledge, of which your ancient father and your aged mother ate, who were before you; and who, obtaining knowledge, their eyes being opened, and knowing themselves to be naked, were expelled from the garden.

Whiffs of cinnamon bark, almond, and spikenard surround a perfect fruit, whose scent is akin to a tamarind, with the grace of a fine grape, as warm and rich as a fresh fig, glistening red like pomegranate seeds, and as crisp as an apple.

YA-TE-VO
Travelers have told us of a plant, which they assert grows in Central Africa and also in South America, that is not contented with myriad of larger insects which it catches and consumes, but its voracity extends to making even humans its prey. This marvelous vegetable Minotaur is represented as having a short, thick trunk, from the top of which radiate giant spines, narrow and flexible but of extraordinary tenaciousness, the edges of which are armed with barbs, or dagger-like teeth. Instead of growing upright, or at an inclined angle from the trunk, these spines lay their outer ends upon the ground, and so gracefully are they distributed that the trunk resembles an easy couch with green drapery around it. The unfortunate traveler, ignorant of the monstrous creation which lies in his way, and curious to examine the strange plant, or to rest himself upon its inviting stalk approaches without a suspicion of his certain doom. The moment his feet are set within the circle of the horrid spines, they rise up, like gigantic serpents, and entwine themselves about him until he is drawn upon the stump, when they speedily drive their daggers into his body and thus complete the massacre. The body is crushed until every drop of blood is squeezed out of it and becomes absorbed by the gore-loving plant, when the dry carcass is thrown out and the horrid trap set again.

Barbed, sanguinary greenery, fleshy and sharp.

THE ZIEBA TREE
A massive tree that held, in its lowest boughs, a nest of bare-breasted men and women. The souls sprawled within the Zieba Tree’s branches were trapped in reverie, lost for all eternity in their fantasies.

A dreamlike, listless scent, misty and hazed, with wisps of white sandalwood, eddying musks the colors of eventide, shimmering pale resins, davana, lemon blossom, orange blossom, and white peach.

The world is in the midst of massive upheaval, and to help keep the uncertainty, fear, and fretting at bay, we present a new type of Chaos Theory that melds the comfort and harmony of the familiar with a injection of jolly tumult...

CHAOS THEORY V: RECURSIVE SELF-SIMILARITY
You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star. - Friedrich Nietzsche

A new take on Chaos!

For this series, we decided to try a different type of chaotic experimentation. Each CT:5 scent has a base of one of the following scents, in wildly varying proportions:

Dorian
O
Penitence
Snake Oil

From these bases comes a new series of flowing, fragrant fractals that emanate from these four roots. Random combinations of oils have been added to every individual bottle, resulting in a truly unique blend that retains some of the tone, essence, and soul of the original.

This is an exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct.

Most common allergens have been omitted from the experiment. No pennyroyal, no nuts, no cinnamon, no cassia. Regardless, if you have any sensitivities, please do not participate in Chaos Theory. The contents of the oils are not recorded [that's the whole point!] and we will not be able to answer questions about specific bottles of CT:5 or guarantee that an allergen is not present in your order.

By purchasing CT:5, you agree to absolve Black Phoenix of any responsibility related to an allergic reaction to one of the oils in this series.

Please make a responsible choice, and use caution and discretion when ordering. This is intended to be a fun, exciting project. Please bear in mind that all Black Phoenix oils are made in an environment that contains nuts, both literally and figuratively.

The Chaos blends were created by m‘self, Doc Constantine, and Mister Teddy from Black Phoenix Trading Post, so you get an extra dollop of chaos! We hope that you enjoy these scents as much as we enjoyed creating them!

CHAOS THEORY V: RECURSIVE SELF-SIMILARITY V1
The Dorian Series

CHAOS THEORY V: RECURSIVE SELF-SIMILARITY V2
The O Series

CHAOS THEORY V: RECURSIVE SELF-SIMILARITY V3
The Penitence Series

CHAOS THEORY V: RECURSIVE SELF-SIMILARITY V4
The Snake Oil Series

A portion of all the proceeds from CT:5 will go to United Way.

Flower Moon will be live until March 13th, and CT:5 will be live until April 15th!

Until next time, ladies and gents!

Shiny things!

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:48:37 GMT

What have we here?

New jewelry?!

The hell you say!

Black Phoenix Trading Post is OVERJOYED to present the first in a series of lockets and pendants inspired by the short stories of Neil Gaiman! This is a charitable, not-for-profit venture: proceeds from every single piece go to Match It For Pratchett, which is raising money to match Terry Pratchett’s $1,000,000.00 donation to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust.

Thank you so much, Neil, for giving us so many years of joy, wonder, and inspiration, and for the pleasure of working with you on this project!

Heartfelt thanks to Alicia Dabney and Julie Dillon for providing the artwork for the lockets and pendant!

Also new to the Post -- the Brimstone and Triple Dagger pendants!

Suds, smells, shirts, and more will be coming this spring!

Windy Moon Brick and Mortar Lunacy

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:53:03 GMT

In North Hollywood, we will be open for the Windy Moon Lunacy Event on Wednesday, March 11th, from 7 to 10pm.

The theme for this month is ...The Ides of March. Yep, it's time to wear your bedsheets out in public again.

The address is:

12120 Sherman Way
North Hollywood, CA 91605

It may be a little hard to find. We are in the industrial complex, right behind Game Dude. The nearest cross street is Laurel Canyon Blvd.

We will accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express and cash. Preorders can still be made with Paypal.

Please do not bring any cameras. No photography of any kind will be allowed during this Will Call. Thanks for your cooperation.

***

And once again, the fabulous Shelldoo will be hosting an east coast Will Call at Nail Polish, Etc. in Palmyra, PA.

Nail Polish Etc is located at 132 E Main St., Palmyra, PA 17078.

They will be holding Will Call on Wednesday, March 11th, from 6 to 10pm.

They will have a full line of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab products available, and accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Cash, or Paypal.

***

And, last but certainly not least, there will once again be GA Will Call at Whole Foods Market, aka Harry’s Farmer’s Market, in Roswell, GA.

Whole Foods Market is located at 1180 Upper Hembree Road, Roswell, GA, 30076.

They will be holding Will Call on Sunday March 15th, from 4 to 8pm, inside Salud (which is inside the store.)

They will have all of the current LE’s available, along with their extensive selection of GC scents and all of the Retail-only Salon series as well.

Whole Foods accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express and cash. They will not be able to accept any preorders.

Since Feb 18 (and through March 31st), Whole Foods is collecting donations for our Whole Planet Foundation. WPF is a company driven program that gives microloans to people/families in developing countries with the goal of lifting them out of poverty, encouraging entrepreneurial spirit and creating community prosperity. The program is pretty amazing; it really does change lives. Here is a link:

http://www.wholeplanetfoundation.org/

Georgia Will Callers who make a minimum $5 donation to Whole Planet Foundation during Georgia Will Call will receive an imp of Horn of Amalthea (while supplies last).

***

The blends that will be available for purchase at all three Will Calls include those that went live on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website up to and including the Windy Moon update. This includes Box of Chocolates, Miller Vs California, Ode to Aphrodite and Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements II. Forum only scents will not be available at Will Call. No imps will be available for purchase at the Palmyra, PA or Roswell, GA location. Once again, thanks for understanding.

If you would like to place an order for pick-up at the North Hollywood Will Call, please do the following:

Email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com with your order before 1pm on Tuesday, March 10th. Payment may be remitted by PayPal ahead of time to willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, or you can pay at pick up with cash or credit card. Please do not email orders for the PA or GA locations to this address! When making your payment, please omit shipping charges. You may purchase any current catalogue oils, as long as we have them in stock. Due to the sheer volume, currently pending orders can not be combined with Will Call orders. Thanks for your understanding.

We will no longer be able to accommodate third party orders. If you are placing an order, you must attend Will Call and pick up your order in person.

We will do our best to accommodate all orders of 5mls and imps, but sales will be based on availability. Imp Packs will be available at the North Hollywood location, but it’s best to pre-order, so we can make sure we have enough stock, or be able to tell you beforehand if we’re out of stock. You get the gist.

Items from Black Phoenix Trading Post will be available at all locations, subject to stock on hand.

Twilight Alchemy Lab oils will also be available, only at the North Hollywood location. For Will Call, Twilight Alchemy Lab orders can be combined with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab orders.

If you have any questions, please email us at willcall@blackphoenixalchemylab.com .

Thanks everyone for your continued support.

Ides and Ireland!

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:32:01 GMT

Beware the Ides of March! --

THE IDES OF MARCH 2009
The Ides marked an auspicious time in the Roman calendar. Depending on the month in question, the Ides fell on the thirteenth or fifteenth, and usually marked the Full Moon. As we all know, it was not an auspicious day for Julius Caesar, nor was it fortuitous for H.P. Lovecraft, who also met his maker on this infamous day. Tu quoque, Brute, fili mi! A mixture of Italian greenery, gleaming metal, and classical Roman cologne: rosemary, bergamot, lemon rind and vervain with costus, balsam, benzoin, gray amber, dittany, white narcissus and iris.

Irish bards were members of a hereditary caste of learned poets. They were officials of the courts of their chieftains and kings, and served as historians, storytellers, and satirists. They were immersed in the rich history of their clan and country, and learned the intricacies of their craft from birth. Their words held so much power that it was believed that a glam dicing, or satirical incantation, spoken by a bard held the magic of a curse.

This series is celebration of great Irish poets and storytellers. Through these poems, we touch the glory, beauty, and grief that permeates the soul of Ireland.

++ BARDS OF IRELAND
THE DESERTED VILLAGE
OLIVER GOLDSMITH
… Good heaven! What sorrows gloomed that parting day,
That called them from their native walks away;
When the poor exiles, every pleasure past,
Hung round their bowers and fondly looked their last,
And took a long farewell, and wished in vain
For seats like these beyond the western main;
And shuddering still to face the distant deep,
Returned and wept, and still returned to weep.
The good old sire the first prepared to go
To new-found worlds, and wept for others' woe;
But for himself, in conscious virtue brave,
He only wished for worlds beyond the grave.
His lovely daughter, lovelier in her years,
Silent went next, neglectful of her charms,
And left a lover's for a father's arms.
With louder plaints the mother spoke her woes,
And blessed the cot where every pleasure rose;
And kissed her thoughtless babes with many a tear,
And clasped them close, in sorrow doubly dear;
Whilst her fond husband strove to lend relief
In all the silent manliness of grief.

O luxury! thou cursed by heaven's decree,
How ill exchanged are things like these for thee!
How do thy potions with insidious joy
Diffuse their pleasures only to destroy!
Kingdoms, by thee to sickly greatness grown
Boast of a florid vigour not their own.
At every draught more large and large they grow,
A bloated mass of rank unwieldy woe;
Till sapped their strength and every part unsound,
Down, down they sink and spread a ruin round.

Even now the devastation has begun,
And half the business of destruction done;
Even now, methinks, as pondering here I stand,
I see the rural virtues leave the land.
Down where yon anchoring vessel spreads the sail,
That idly waiting flaps with every gale,
Downward they move, a melancholy band,
Pass from the shore and darken all the strand.
Contented toil and hospitable care,
And kind connubial tenderness are there;
And piety, with wishes placed above,
And steady loyalty and faithful love.
And thou, sweet Poetry, thou loveliest maid
Still first to fly where sensual joys invade;
Unfit, in these degenerate times of shame,
To catch the heart or strike for honest fame;
Dear charming nymph, neglected and decried,
My shame in crowds, my solitary pride;
Thou source of all my bliss and all my woe,
That found'st me poor at first and keep'st me so;
Thou guide by which the nobler arts excel,
Thou nurse of every virtue, fare thee well!
Farewell, and oh, where'er thy voice be tried,
On Torno's cliffs or Pambamarca's side,
Whether where equinoctial fervours glow,
Or winter wraps the polar world in snow,
Still let thy voice, prevailing over time,
Redress the rigours of the inclement clime;
Aid slighted truth; with thy persuasive strain
Teach erring man to spurn the rage of gain;
Teach him that states of native strength possessed,
Though very poor, may still be very blest;
That trade's proud empire hastes to swift decay,
As ocean sweeps the laboured mole away;
While self-dependent power can time defy,
As rocks resist the billows and the sky.

Where wealth accumulates and men decay. A scent of opulence, luxury, depredation, and dissolusion: velvety orris root and glittering bergamot, ambergris, red currant, honey, and neroli, with red oakmoss, patchouli, labdanum, and black musk.

THE DOLE OF THE KING’S DAUGHTER
OSCAR WILDE
Even stars in the still water,
And seven in the sky;
Seven sins on the King's daughter,
Deep in her soul to lie.

Red roses at her feet,
(Roses are red in her red-gold hair)
And O where her bosom and girdle meet
Red roses are hidden there.

Fair is the knight who lieth slain
Amid the rush and reed,
See the lean fishes that are fain
Upon dead men to feed.

Sweet is the page that lieth there,
(Cloth of gold is goodly prey,)
See the black ravens in the air,
Black, O black as the night are they.

What do they there so stark and dead?
(There is blood upon her hand)
Why are the lilies flecked with red?
(There is blood on the river sand.)

There are two that ride from the south to the east,
And two from the north and west,
For the black raven a goodly feast,
For the King's daughter to rest.

There is one man who loves her true,
(Red, O red, is the stain of gore!)
He hath duggen a grave by the darksome yew,
(One grave will do for four.)

No moon in the still heaven,
In the black water none,
The sins on her soul are seven,
The sin upon his is one.

Red roses, blood-flecked lilies, upturned earth, yew branches, and blood mingled with river sand.

EANACH DHÚIN
ANTOINE Ó RAIFTEIRI
If my health is spared I'll be long relating
Of that boat that sailed out of Anach Cuain.
And the keening after of mother and father
And child by the harbour, the mournful croon!
King of Graces, who died to save us,
T'were a small affair but for one or two,
But a boat-load bravely in calm day sailing
Without storm or rain to be swept to doom.

What wild despair was on all the faces
To see them there in the light of day,
In every place there was lamentation,
And tearing of hair as the wreck was shared.
And boys there lying when crops were ripening,
From the strength of life they were borne to clay
In their wedding clothes for their wake they robed them
O King of Glory, man's hope is in vain.

Unutterable grief expressed through the scent of balsam, frankincense, blackberry leaf, oud, white rose, driftwood, zdravetz, and bitter clove, beneath the cold waters of the River Corrib.

THE HOST OF THE AIR
WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
O'Driscoll drove with a song
The wild duck and the drake
From the tall and the tufted reeds
Of the drear Hart Lake.

And he saw how the reeds grew dark
At the coming of night-tide,
And dreamed of the long dim hair
Of Bridget his bride.

He heard while he sang and dreamed
A piper piping away,
And never was piping so sad,
And never was piping so gay.

And he saw young men and young girls
Who danced on a level place,
And Bridget his bride among them,
With a sad and a gay face.

The dancers crowded about him
And many a sweet thing said,
And a young man brought him red wine
And a young girl white bread.

But Bridget drew him by the sleeve
Away from the merry bands,
To old men playing at cards
With a twinkling of ancient hands.

The bread and the wine had a doom,
For these were the host of the air;
He sat and played in a dream
Of her long dim hair.

He played with the merry old men
And thought not of evil chance,
Until one bore Bridget his bride
Away from the merry dance.

He bore her away in his arms,
The handsomest young man there,
And his neck and his breast and his arms
Were drowned in her long dim hair.

O'Driscoll scattered the cards
And out of his dream awoke:
Old men and young men and young girls
Were gone like a drifting smoke;

But he heard high up in the air
A piper piping away,
And never was piping so sad,
And never was piping so gay.

Peat and rolling grass-covered hills, with wine-dappled heather, white clover, cloudberry, juniper berry, bluebell, dandelion, and cross-leaved heath.

The Ides of March and the Bards of Ireland will be with us until 15 April 2009!