For the last six years, we have greeted the beginning of Fall with the Sisterhood of the Moon Halloween box, but this year, I decided to switch it up a little. I am a huge fan of gothic horror. Every year as the cool weather descends, I get the urge to curl up under the blankets with a hot cup of tea and watch The Others, or maybe revisit any of Mike Flanagan's horror offerings like The Haunting of Bly Manor (he's adapted Christopher Pike's The Midnight Club for this year, and I can't wait!). This year, I've been reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic and I think I'm going to re-read some Shirley Jackson classics next. Point is: I love a good haunted house on a windswept, desolate moor.
So this year, I'd like to introduce you to BLEAKTHORN HALL. The ancient wrought iron gates are wound with sharp thorns. The bare branches of trees rise through the mist, jabbing towards the house in the distance. Lights flicker dimly within, and you recall the stories. The ghostly footfalls, the woman on the stairs, the howling across the moors at midnight. Surely, they're just tales, told to frighten children at night. Right?
I'm thrilled with the lineup for this box, which contains a mix of raved-about indie darlings and returning favorites. There is a perfume from Death & Floral, a salt bar to keep the ghosts away from Athame + Alchemy, and a sugar scrub by Paintbox Soapworks. You can make your spiced elderberry Dryad Tea with skull-shaped sugar cubes from Dem Bones. Adorn yourself with a seasonal pin by The Pickety Witch, and decorate your grimoire with stickers by White Stag. And of course there is a glittery candle-- my take on the tale of the Woman In Black.
As for the candle collection, there are a few surprises this year. First of all, Black Flame Candle had to be reformulated due to two critical component discontinuations. Considering the imminent release of Hocus Pocus 2 (which I WILL be celebrating with a party!), I took the opportunity to reimagine the scent while still keeping the creepy cottage vibe. It now features ripe blackberry, spiced pear, bay leaf, and a cauldron of smoking resins.
Fan faves Hocus Pocus, Hallowe'en Tradition, Sisterhood of the Moon, and Sleepy Hollow are all back. Black Roses and Sacred Autumn are back in extremely limited quantities-- when they're gone, they're gone!
New to the lineup is Midnight Mass. It evokes the skeletal ruins of an ancient chapel, where the prayers of the nightly office still ring out at midnight, and the scent of ghostly incense still lingers in the air. The notes are frankincense, myrrh, smoked oud, cedar, olibanum, and clove leaf. If you were a fan of last year's limited, Castle Ghost, you won't want to miss this one!
As for our triple layer candles, there are three this year. Blood of the Dragon will transport you to Bran Castle and the stories of an ancient, blood-sucking evil that resides there. Trick or Treat '22 is for those of you with an insatiable sweet tooth, with three layers of delicious Halloween confections. And Cozy Autumn is perfect for September crafternoons with your favorite ghost story and a steaming hot pumpkin latte.
Pictures coming soon! My camera has been out of commission for the last few weeks but I will have updated pictures ready sometime next week.
That's all the news that's fit to print. I just closed the books on the Dark Academia Autumn box, and my collaborators are all busy whipping up those items so that they can be shipped out in two weeks.
Stay spooky!
Warmly,
Chris