Month: April 2020

Dining & Drink, Lifestyle

Creepy Concoctions From the Beetle House Cookbook

by Jennifer Vasquez18 Comments on Creepy Concoctions From the Beetle House Cookbook

Zach Neil's The Nightmare Before Dinner Beetle House Cookbook

I’ll be the first to admit that cooking is not my forte and I don’t do it often, but while brainstorming blog post ideas, I remembered I have a copy of The Nightmare Before Dinner: Recipes to Die For. It’s the official cookbook of Zach Neil’s Tim Burton and Halloween-inspired Beetle House! The book features dishes and cocktails straight from the restaurant’s menu so that anyone can introduce a bit of spooky spirit into their kitchen. I figured if I’m going to whip up something, it might as well be food that feeds my dark soul. It was also a great way for me to recreate the macabre atmosphere at home since the establishment is closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. For the main entree, I tried my hand at the Alice in Wonderland themed Cheshire Mac and Cheese. And, because there’s nothing like a good apéritif to accompany a meal, I crafted The Beetle’s Juice cocktail.

Now, I must mention that since I’m not a food blogger, this post isn’t presented in the traditional format of a culinary blog post. I am going to include some details of the process, but this is more of a casual retelling of my macabre cooking experience. Enjoy! Continue reading “Creepy Concoctions From the Beetle House Cookbook” →

Lifestyle

How Quarantine Is Affecting This Introverted Goth Blogger

by Jennifer Vasquez6 Comments on How Quarantine Is Affecting This Introverted Goth Blogger

Solitude

Those of you who read my post for World Introvert Day know that I’m as introverted as they come. Given the current lockdown situation many of us are experiencing due to COVID-19, I thought I’d take a moment to share some thoughts with you all about how I’m handling it as an introvert. You’ve probably seen funny memes proclaiming how it’s our time to shine now that social distancing and staying home are the new norm.

Yes, I’ll admit it’s nice having a legitimate excuse to not see people, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t miss some social interaction or visiting favorite spots. Much of my blog content centers around events and places, so when the mandate came for businesses to go dark and for folks to keep indoors, my calendar was wiped clean and future blog post ideas went out the door. What’s a goth introvert blogger to do? Continue reading “How Quarantine Is Affecting This Introverted Goth Blogger” →

Lifestyle, occult, spirituality

History’s Most Formidable Occult Figures

by Jennifer Vasquez19 Comments on History’s Most Formidable Occult Figures

Candle

“To know, to dare, to will, to keep silence—such are the four words of the magus…”

–The Doctrine and the Ritual of Magic, Eliphas Levi

The earliest use of the term “occult” emerged in the 16th century when studies such as astrology and natural magic were catalogued under the occult sciences. Fast forward to the 19th century and the word picked up momentum with the French associating it with esoteric groups. It’s believed that the phrase “occult” finally made its debut in the English language circa 1875 when esoterist Helena Blavatsky (more on her later) began using it in her works. Although the mention of the occult seems quite recent, traces of it might have existed for much longer, into the far reaches of centuries past.

The dark arts, black magic, Satanism, witchcraft, paganism, mysticism—these are just a few of the practices commonly connected to occultism. All the greater are the number of individuals throughout the ages to have been linked to the practice of it. In his book The Black Arts, Richard Cavendish says, “The magician sets out to conquer the universe. To succeed he must make himself master of everything in it—evil as well as good, cruelty as well as mercy, pain as well as pleasure.” Perhaps this is the mission to unite the souls I’m about to mention here; a common purpose propelling them throughout their lifetimes. Presented in chronological order, let’s have a look at some of history’s most formidable occult figures. Continue reading “History’s Most Formidable Occult Figures” →