Misathropology / History
{Review Circa IV/X\XXXI A.S.}
Upon the late afternoon, the day was pleasantly overcast, so we decided to take an amble down to "Hellhouse of Hollywood", where I met Zeena Schreck for the second time, where My companions & I took "The Walk of Flame", a 'tour' of the back room which contained mannequins resembling various nefarious figures such as Richard Ramirez, Charles Manson, Steve Reeves {in Superman regalia}, Aleister Crowley {in robes with a heptagram about the neck}, Bugsy Seagal, & the Zodiac Killer. The tour included a lovely gothgirl guide {probably the one Schreck propositioned}, & the recorded voice of Christopher Lee surrounding the black-painted room, describing the morbid exploits of the characters. The entrance was painted with the faces of those residing within, surrounded with flames.
I met with Ms. Schrek in October of XXXI Anno Satanas at Hellhouse of Hollywood. I found her to be polite & articulate {at least she was to Me}, not to mention being quite a looker - she was dressed as the very incarnation of the Satanic Witch, as one would expect as a daughter of Anton Szandor LaVey {like it or not, she will be forever influenced by her father}. On the day of our meeting, she wore an Ouroberous pendant encircling a Pentagram which dangled, of course, just above the milk-white flesh of her bosom. She possesses the unmistakable demonic eyes of a LaVey, along with bright red inviting lips, & the most charming, adorable laugh, like an evil baby-doll incarnate ? truly a Galatea {also her middle name}.
We spoke of The Doctor?s interview in Rolling Stone, where more information on the separation may be divulged, & her interest in including an entry on the Hollywood Parade, to represent the Dark Side.
"The Church of Scientology down the street can have their float ? I think so should we." I agreed whole-heartedly. It is about time we were represented, & recognized as the formidable presence we are, as is evidenced by the very existence of a Hellhouse-type of establishment in this town.
As a Satanist, one feels right at home, surrounded in the many manifestations of the Darkside available to enhance one?s knowledge, & decorate your lair & ritual chamber. There are rare & out-of-print books, devoid of the xian hysterics. There?s an autographed copy of The Satanic Bible available, & hardbound edition of The Necronomicon, underground tomes of all sorts, relative to the Occult, for your personal practice & study.
A virtually exhumed treasury of videos of horror, erotica, & documentation.y Hellhouse carries "Satanis", the video-documentary containing Satanic Mass footage from the genesis days & nights of The Church of Satan. To My surprise, however, Speak of The Devil is not yet upon their shelves which is a must to see, the documentary of Anton LaVey. There is some musick available, consisting of The Satanic Mass, & Radio Werewolf {Schrek?s band}.
Some ritual items are available, including a beautiful chalice & mug, both bearing the sigil of Baphomet. Some nice figure-candles are sold, & Baphomet sigils to adorn the Altar with.
Hellhouse has come into possession of some wonderful medallions, including a huge Baphomet, & The Horned God, whose horns transcend the circle most magnificently {you may have seen Vincent Crowley wearing it}. There are now Satanic Pentagram patents to rest the Chalice of Ecstasy upon, amongst other woks of art, like rings, gargoyles, ashtrays, & candle-holders, shirts, & posters.
As one peruses the dark dimensions therein, one notices a rear door, whose frame is bedecked with fiery figures of Charles Manson & Richard Ramirez. What mysteries lay in wait behind that black door? Just when you have explored one mystery, you are presented with another.
For a small fee, your guide will lead you deep into the void of shadows therein, to tread the dread Walk of Flame, where the nightmarish world of Hellyweird truly embodies its name!
The absence of Dr. LaVey?s works may be explained by Zeena's differences with him. For besides Speak of The Devil being unavailable here, so was The Devil?s Notebook, HP Blanche Barton?s "The Church of Satan", & "The Secret Life of a Satanist", as well as the musickal releases of "Strange Music" & "Satan Takes A Holiday" ? The Black Pope?s Musickal projects; as was The Black Flame, which is the International Forum of The Church of Satan.
In case the reader is unaware, Ms. Schrek formally separated herself from CoS in XXVIII Anno Satanas, & has stated that she wishes to have nothing to do with The Doctor, or CoS at this time. Which may also explain the absence of His image & profile in The Walk of Flame.
Overall, Hellhouse is the Satanist's shopping center, if there ever was one besides the preferred mode of mail-order. The employees were attentive, & aesthetically-attractive in the death-shade. You can pretty much get all you need for education, ornamentation, or otherwise for entertainment.
* {Update Note: This was essentially a 'garage sale' of personal items. It went defunct when they ran out of items, & in an unprofessional manner, the employees were not paid, & one was even propositioned by Schreck for sex, who refused & quit. Because she was not afforded an automatic priestess-role, Zeena renounced her CoS affiliation & her father, has compiled mean-spirited, fictional, & deceptive essays, but parasitically came out of the woodwork when her "un-father", Anton LaVey's Will was brought up. At one time, she sided with The Temple of Set, probably as an attempt to gain a title, but also renounced that organization when she did not get what she wanted. Hellhouse is now located H E R E.} That night, we walked a couple of blocks to a pleasant little bar where we spent a couple of hours, down a side street which is in itself a trip back in time. The place is kept by an amiable black gentleman who makes everyone feel at ease as we partook in our beverages, with the strains of noir tunes echoing through the air. Interestingly enough, as we walked back to the hotel, we witnessed Hollywood Vice at work, who were frisking a couple of dregs who assumed the position.
The rest of the night was spent in delighful revery.
I spent the last couple of visitations at relatives' homes, & I felt like a veritable Grinch the whole way through, but I did receive a couple more gifts on that xmas morn - which I do not personally celebrate. Still, I receive them as I please. However, all of their generosities are never wasted on Me. Being that I attended these festivities, I felt I should dispense some presents Myself, as a veritable "Satan Claus". I Am considered rather "odd" {as is par the course} by relatives & friends' relatives, & Am affectionately referred to as "The Undertaker" by My companion's Grandfather. I dispensed with Halloween goodies, including a coloring book, a Count stuffed toy, as well as some interesting cards & candy I found abouts.
This time 'round, I received a pack of "Magic Cherry Herbal Cigarettes", which is an interesting mixture of "marshmallow, Yorba Santa, Damiana, Passion Flower, Jasmine, & Ginseng" - even upon th cigarettes themselves is printed the word "Magic"; which reminds Me of "Death Cigarettes" {which I used to buy at a local liquor store, but now as I understand it, they have been spotted at Hot Topic, a trendy Goth store}. In the same bag as these interesting cigarettes, I received a very noiresque lighter - darker & lighter silver portions forming a classic design. A nice addition to what is becoming a steadily growing collection of lighters. Thirdly, I received a couple of nice new black shirts, one of which I Am presently wearing.
Fifth, from My young cousin, a wind-up spider that ducks in & out from behind a rock - it was "cute".
Other presents received throughout the night by others - a Marilyn Manson T-Shirt, The new "Holy Wood" CD {will be reviewed for Malefik Musick}, & the quote "Unauthorized MM CD", which I have listened to, & it is a really great series of interviews & perspective on The Reverend {also to be reviewed for Malefik Musick}.
The Ken & Barbie Morticia & Gomez Addams Family dolls, which I had coveted as soon as I heard they were in existence - I Am not one for barbie dolls & whatnot, unless they are life-sized actual girls that is, but I made an exception for this edition, just for the sheer beauty of it - I had previously only viewed them online before, but here, they are posed in front of the mansion on a moonlit night - it was just beautiful to ponder. Read package description Here.
I was quite delighted to find out that I had received a couple of gifts. The most remarkable of them was a pocket-watch, a-la Gomez Addams, which shall now join My menagerie of dragon cigarette case, & Baphomet lighter.
Then I received quite another addition to Lucifer's Library, Satan's Scroll, as it were - "Stephen King on Writing: A Memoir of The Craft", which I have already delved into a bit, only because I hold great respect for the man - he is an inspiration, & provides fuel for My aspirations.
To a more humorous extent, I then opened a package containing two boxes of "Devil Squares" ~ really delicious pastries. A perfect follow-up to the night's meal.
And another quite remarkable gift was a Dracula notebook. Black & grainy, with the word "Dracula" emblazoned in deep dark red. The pages are of parchment quality, treated in some sort of fashion which makes them appear arcane & "blood-stained". All they need is a little burning on the sides, & it will be perfect! I Am presently listening to the Dracula soundtrack, all of which is creating quite an ambiance...
While I'm not particularly a fan of so-called "alternative" rock, & indeed, I see a need for an alternative to the "alternative", being that there's a glaring lack of quality in music these days, I decided to accompany My companion, being that she is quite a fan of theirs, & two associates to this event --- a curious night out, if you will. I was fortunate to arrive just after "A Perfect Circle" had played, which was a good thing, considering that they give off the impression of being rather xoidian, not to mention the music is of the current common variety. I wasn't about to waste My time on that. Then, the lights dimmed, the roar of the crowd grew, the putrid scent of cannabis filled the air, & on came a barrage of lights {programmed with a midi sequencer which times the effects according to the sounds produced}. NIN's Trent Reznor {who at the time of this writing is now in good terms with Rev. Manson, after a few years of animosity & contention} could very well be called the "founding father of Industrial music", a computerized amalgam of Metal & Goth. NIN focused primarily on their latest album "The Fragile", which comes off as sounding like a self-help & traumatized-laden opus, with sections that could very well be played on 'The Wave' {a newage/feel-good radio station}, & others which are to NIN's more classic heavy pieces. At times during the performance, there were stretches of time which consisted of keyboard orchestrations designed of evoke pathos, amidst an awashment of somber lighting, & multi-colored liquid images projected on three rectangular screens. A suggestion: add live transperencies of the band blended in with the amorphous images. The stage itself was entirely black, & the surrounding setup was cubical, which gave the impression of a futuristic monitor with holographic images. The show lasted for about an hour, with an encore consisting of two songs. Reznor was quite appreciative of his fan base, giving thanks for the support & attendance, which denotes a good showman quality. Overall, My only critiques are again, that the music could have been a bit louder, & live video could have been projected on those screens. Besides this, the performance was pleasing to the eye, & that's not mentioning the cute little gothgirls roaming about...
After traveling forth through an expanse of desolate land more reminiscent of Oklahoma in some spots, & Texas in others, rather than California, one reaches Devore --- the "boonies", as it were --- site of the Ozfest concerts {Playing that night at The Blockbuster Pavilion, incidentally, was Reo Speedwagon & Styx --- two one-hit wonders who attracted the late 70's/early 80's jocks who used to practice the 'slap & tickle' to the tunes in the back of their parents' Dodge, now owning their own Dodges, thus causing a cattle-clot on the highway on the way out}, just one plot of land removed to the side, passing "Eat At Joe's Diner" {sic} --- a bit of nostalgic Americana, resembling a "Flo's" Diner, where the waitresses dress in pink & white, & when annoyed, would utter phrases such as "Kiss my Grits!" As one travels down the winding road in sight of The San Gabriel Mountains, I observed a wench urging motorists to enter her side of the fairegrounds. This is what I came for --- The Rennaissance Faire.
Upon entrance, one immediately receives the sight of Magistrates setting up some peasants for a hanging. As one moves on, there are numerous booths set up all around the place, selling goodes such as swords, armor, jewelry, chalices, stained glass pentagrams, dragon mirrors, spices, incense, walking staves, candle-holders, as well as attractions like archery, dagger throwing, axe-toss, "The Complete Fool" {jester accessories}, 'Ye Olde Sinking Poole" {which is basically dunking the idiot by throwing balls at a target}, & 'Slay The Giant,' which is the old slamming the mallet on a platform, causing a weight to ascend a scale, hitting a bell at the top {aka, 'the strength tester'}.
Of particular note, I found the 'Fellowship Foundry' booth to be the most splendid, & highly recommended. The pewtersmiths are superb. There are wizards, dragons, dragon chalices, daggers, figurines, pendants of all sorts --- the best booth in the whole place. Actually, I have been aware of them for some time now, as I picked up one of their catalogues at a local arcana store called 'The House of Cutlery', sometime in Year XXVIII A.S., purchasing a couple of pewter figurines to compliment My Lair, & add to My collection of demons, dragons, & warlocks.
Above the booth structure were a couple of drunken actors in costume, urging passers-by to purchase items. That's something I noticed here at this faire: Most of the vendors & wayfarers were intoxicated, carrying their elixers in fanciful mugs & steins.
This, inevitably, brought out the core personalities within them. At times, I observed an almost bullying attitude to draw potential patrons into attractions {perhaps they fancy themselves carnies}; if they were ignored, or even politely turned down, some of them {probably the more enebriated} utter veritable insults after them under their breaths. This, I thought, could take away from the experience.
The Rennaissance Faire attempts to portray a Total Environment, which it almost manages to do. By & large, however, I found the vendors to be polite & attentive, ending almost every sentence with the phrase, "M'Lord." Most of the wenches' attire consisted of bodices which presented their nubile breasts most appealingly --- they were quite accomadating.
A scene from Camelot came to mind, when the Queen asked her King, "What do the simple folk do?"; To which the King replied in song, speaking of stuporstitions & balefires. Now the stuporstitions come from some of the booths selling "wiccagrams", its vendors looking visibly disturbed by My Baphomet medallion. Which is understandable, considering Our symbol hails from the Aristocracy, Assassin societies, & the Yezidis of the Middle-East, & evolved through time, stretching forth to Europe {particularly to France & England with the Knights Templar & The Hellfire Club}, vs. the petty chicken-gizzard spells of the peasantry, where this 'wicca' came from {although the name didn't appear until early this century, plagearized by Gerald Gardner from a joking comment}.
At the beginning of the perusals, some xoid woman came up to Me, breath stinking of cheap wine, & asked Me, "is that devilish?" referring to a superb dragon sculpture I was surveying, to which I replied, "Certainly appears that way. All the best stuff is devilish, you know." With alook of surprise, she then asked Me, "are you devilish?" To which I responded, "I have been complimented with that phrase before, yes." She gasped in horror, turning to her friend saying, "...he says it's a compliment!" Her friend then told her, "Come on, let's get outta' here." Good riddance, I thought. Out of all the xoid types there, in their varying degrees of whitelight - newager forms, the cross-huggers have no place. Not a Satanic Pentagram in sight {not counting the metalhead in the White Zombie shirt, which displays a huge red Pentagram on the back}, or any inverted crosses. It seems to have been the politically-correct version of the faire this time around.
Then there was the Jousting contest --- which, besides Fellowship Foundry, was the greatest attraction there. Another thing I noticed: no representations of The Darkside. No Dark Warlocks or Witches, no monsters or demons --- just plentiful portrayals of what I call "the day people", or "day legends". That is, happy sunshiny - floppy-headed characters --- elves {one who was carrying a 12-pack of beer}, faeries, white knight types, white magic wizards, & the common day folk. No Kings or Queens, either {of course not! They must be up in the castle! --- although there may have been some closet queens in tights roaming around}. Considering the name of the event, very few costumes replicated the Renaissance era. There was much more of a Medieval aesthetic, & the 'Witchtryals' were obviously from the Puritanical period. At times, I couldn't help but ponder a scene from Omen 4, where Delia, Damien's sinister sister, went to a newage {rhymes with sewage} faire, & ended up causing the whole place to erupt in flames..... My advice to Satanists considering attending this event is: Send away for these products, to avoid the herd, or shop online, unless you're actually employed there. The event is held from 10am - 6pm on Saturdays & Sundays, 8 weekends from May 6th to June 25th at the Glen Helen Regional Park. So if you want to go anyway, conjure an overcast day as I did, for a more pleasant experience.
Circa XXV Anno Satanas
It was an early autumn afternoon as I made My way to a local campus to see a performance by Jonathan Frid, star of the late 60's, early 70's Gothic series "Dark Shadows," who played Barnabas Collins, the noble, yet tormented vampire. I had become acquainted with the program through re-runs on a local channel, that actually played the whole series, from beginning to end, which was deeply appreciated, considering I wasn't yet incarnate during the original airing. Since then, this series has become a favourite of mine, & I routinely pick up any paraphernelia I can find. My greatest acquisition from this series was the entire collection of Dark Shadows novels, which I found in a used book store, where I frequently haunt the shelves of cobwebbed & musty books long forgotten {the only thing better than the smell of a new book, is that of an olde book}. They continued where the series left off --- I read about one a week, by candlelight deep into the night.
So, the anticipation grew with every step I took to the auditorium.
Upon the stage was a stool & a podium. The lights dimmed, a hush fell over the audience as an elongated shadow stretched across the stage, backed by red, green, & amber lighting. He appeared, a stoic gentleman dressed elegantly, stood before the podium, & opened a book, & began to read from Ambrose Bierce, Poe {'The Raven' & 'The Tell-Tale Heart'}, Stephen King {'Here There Be Tigers'}, Lovecraft, Clive Barker, & others --- short stories brought to life by Frid's somberly magnetic personality. Betweem stories, I examined the program to see what was next. He brought the characters to life with a captivating fluorish.
The show lasted for about 1 1/2 hours. Afterwards, in true showman fashion, he personally, yet briefly greeted his fans. I managed to get the program autographed.
Outside, there were members of the Dark Shadows Fan Club, standing & milling about, & some representatives behind tables with paraphernalia & resource information.
The experience was rather like stepping back in time, entering the olde world, with elegance, class, dignity, & civility. Not a single slob in the theatre.
Another foray into the mortal world has yielded yet another section of Black Earth which does indeed prove to be quite a worthwhile excursion --- an "extension of My Lair", as it were.
This ascencion brought Me to Ipso Facto, a smallish store hidden betweem the fetters of normalcy. Anything & everything you could wish for seems to be available here. The most impressive section of the store was the jewelry case. Many different pentagram pendants & rings to choose from, including Levi's Sabbatic Goat, also goat skulls with Satanic Pentagrams engraved thereon, pewter Baphomets, varying inverted crosses & crucifixes, as well as the unusual assortment of eyeballs, spiders, bats, skulls, coffins, etc.
Quite a nice collection of clothing too. All sorts of fetish wear, including a black vinyl skirt with a red inverted cross upon it {hotcha-cha!}, bondage gear {gauntlets, neckstraps, slave accouterments, bracelets, belts}, & many, many band shirts. There's even a special section for prints consisting solely of "Satan, Vampires"! A few Coop pieces, & even a Dore'. My acquaintance notified Me that there are shirts sold here which have long since been unavailable through many current establishments & companies. Want a piercing? There are all kinds to choose from. Posters, stickers {including a Baphomet}, rare & imported CD's, tapes, & videos. Incense, statuettes, spell candles. The little lady who serviced Me was polite, attentive, & effervescent, offering I sample the merchandise before purchasing. I can absolutely say, that the products sold here are reliable & pleasing. What really caught My eye, however, was the entire LaVey collection --- all five of the Doctor's works, plus HP Barton's "Secret Life of A Satanist." As I type this, I wear the shirt I bought there that day. EHC's "Kiss The Goat."
On this, yet another pale white day, I arose to travel to Hot Topic, to examine what all the furor is about, & how it would benefit Me & Mine. Well, the first impression I received was that of yet another total {Gothic} environment. Here, there is seemingly everything the erstwhile 'Goth' would ever want. Supplies are a-plenty. Everything from clothing {including capes, jackets, & leather goods}, & accessories, jewelry, goblets, music, stickers, the ubiquitous fangs, patches, posters, make-up, hair-dye, nail polish, athames, toys, etc.
Playing on the overhead speakers that day, was The Reverend Horton Heat --- a barrage of Halloween soundscapes permutated in the incensed air.
This store is certainly the place to shop for all those little personal & home decorations that may aid in forming your own lair. Plus, they have a really attractive website.
6666 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA, 90028 / 1{213}465-0550 / Open 7 days a week.
Click on images for larger view
Behold, the trapezoid blazing on through the day & the night in the center of Hollyweird, confounding & compelling all into the black, yawning door of the Hellhouse, like a black hole, absorbing unwitting souls into its darkened fetters.
Click on images for larger view
Fourth, a coin-collecting board, which shall gradually grow as I find more of those "special edition" state quarters - two of which I already had - South Carolina & Connecticut.
Return to Blackthorne Manor
First off, the arena's steps are quite steep. One receives the impression of scaling the steps at the pyramids at Chitzen Itza.
Devore, California
Other remarkable products sold were real black horns tied with a leather chord, which may be useful for a ritual cowl. There were gauntlets adorned with black metal talons, & leather breastplates emblazoned with a serpentine dragon.
Haunts.....
On this overcast day, the first place I entered was "Shrine", located at 7574 Melrose Avenue. Straight off the 'bat', there was a somber atmosphere, & an environment regaled with objects d'art, jewelry, & in the back, many articles of wonderful clothing for ritual use, & haunting the night in general. The employees are polite, attentive, & aesthetically resinent to the genre. {...Morticia, you know who you are!} The scent of incense permeates the air, & music quietly floats about the shoppe, making this quite an enjoyable perusal.
From there, only about a block away, is 'Redemption'. Nocturnus the Gargoyle glares out at the populace amidst a Gothic cavalcade of drapes, candles, & sconces. Here too, there are many seductive & vampiric clothes, & a host of eye-pleasing jewelry. The employees therein are quite pleasing to the eye as well, I will add.
Down a few more doors is 'Retail Slut'. It's Coop-mania in there! She-Devils on stickers & shirts, oh My! Besides this, there are many nice flasks, & a cigarette case shaped like a coffin! Also notable, a lovely black cane crowned with a pewter skull.
Still a few more steps down the fairway, is Necromance. There is certainly something vastly different about this place! It's real. No pretentiousness. The trendiness element slightly besetting some of the other Goth Stores is completely absent here. The resonant feeling is like entering a morgue. Bones, skulls, Medieval weaponry, & preserved & taxidermied animal specimens decorate the walls. In cases, I noticed they carry Baphomets by Nightshade. There are supplies here that would be quite a welcomed addition to One's Grotto, &/or Lair. Even the shirts here are much different from all the other offerings elsewhere.
Just about everything in this store promotes thought & contemplation {as in "Death is the Great Abstinence --- Life, the Great Indulgence!"}. The memento moris here are truly such. The young lady working there was polite & efficient, & covered in the death-shade.
On the side, there were yellowed books with that distinctively musty & pleasant scent that betokens arcane knowledge. For serious "Goths" only.
