In September I’ll be heading out to Las Vegas for the Killercon horror convention at the Palace Station hotel. This will be my first trip to Vegas, believe it or not, so, despite how wretchedly broke I am right now, I have decided to get the good old cc out again and book seats to a few shows. First purchase was a front row seat at the Criss Angel/Cirque du Soleil production Believe. Now, while I definitely feel like Angel has become a bit plasticized after years living in Las Vegas, I have been a fan of Criss Angel since the early 90’s and no one can really argue that his illusions are still pretty bad ass. And after seeing the still images from this production it looks absolutely amazing. I’m definitely looking forward to it! And, yes, you will be reading a lengthy review here on the Eternal Vigilance website that week so keep any eye out! Read the rest of this entry »

L.P. Van Ness has written an interesting essay on his blog regarding what he has termed the “Faustian Mythos” and ETERNAL VIGILANCE. Please take a moment to check it out! Click here to read the full blog post!


PRETERNATURALISM is the philosophical terminology that Tynan Llywelyn utilizes to justify his existence as a vampire at the beginning of the Eternal Vigilance series. Gabrielle Faust’s vampiric hero is in good intellectual company. In a letter written on 31 October 1843 to Ralph Waldo Emerson, the philosopher Thomas Carlyle confesses, “Sure enough I have a fatal talent of converting all Nature into Preternaturalism for myself: a truly horrible Phantasm-Reality it is to me; what of heavenly radiances it has, blended in close neighbourhood, in intimate union, with the hideousness of Death and Chaos;—a very ghastly business indeed!” Preternaturalism recognizes the existence of forces or influences which differ from what are ordinarily attributed to the everyday world and emanate from a higher supernatural power. Modern parapsychology attempts to deal scientifically with the paranormal occurrences of haunted houses, poltergeists, mental telepathy, and clairvoyance, thereby equating the preternatural with the paranormal. The Eternal Vigilance series is a blend of both horror and science. In modern times, the popularity of a show such as “Ghost Hunters” proves that the preternatural is becoming more scientifically prurient with each and every passing day… Click here to read the full blog post!

Check out this essay analysis of the Faustian Mythos behind the Eternal Vigilance series written by L.P. Van Ness!


IMAGERY is power. Ezra Pound expressed it best when he proclaimed that “The image is more than an idea. It is a vortex or cluster of fused ideas and is endowed with energy.” Initial critiques of Eternal Vigilance Book 1: From Deep Within the Earth correctly convey the observation that Gabrielle Faust’s writing style is poetry in the guise of prose. An artist must pay the utmost attention to detail in order to project what they see on to their medium. Faust applies her exacting artistic skill to her writing; her clear and concise mastery of words paints a vivid picture in the mind of the imaginative reader. She is a Seer in the sense of prophesy as well. Book One introduces the reader to the Faustian Mythos which is an amalgamation of the author’s vast knowledge of comparative religion and mythology. It is not unusual for a writer to feel the flow of automatic writing when they are zoned-in to their creative process. On reading Eternal Vigilance, one gets the impression that Faust has gathered her information from first hand accounts through a process of preternatural interviews. Whatever the case, Faust’s arcane sources of temporal-distant-history have the imprint of an otherworldly inspiration that defies the expertise of this antiquarian’s humble attempts of explication… Click here to read the rest of this essay.

A new essay by L.P. Van Ness…


VINTAGE VIGILANCE NO. 2: JOSEPH SHERIDAN LE FANU’S “CARMILLA”
By L. P. Van Ness


VAMPIRIC LOVE is neither moderate nor inopportune; it is a “lust for blood” and nothing more. If the Thirst is great, there is no time to discriminate . However, the drain can be prolonged over a period of time depending on the extent to which a vampire is lacking animation when it chooses its prey. My analysis is supported by no less an authority than that of the illustrious Baron Vordenburg of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Carmilla.” Having read thousands of accounts and treatises, such as the “Magia Posthuma,” “Phlegon de Mirabilibus,” “Augustinus de cura pro Mortuis,” and “Philosophicae et Christianae Cogitationes de Vampiris,” he recorded that a vampire “in ordinary [instances] goes direct to its object, overpowers with violence, and strangles and exhausts often at a single feast.” He also noted that, in rare instances, “the vampire is prone to be fascinated with an engrossing vehemence, resembling the passion of love, by particular persons. In pursuit of these it will exercise inexhaustible patience and stratagem, for access to a particular object may be obstructed in a hundred ways. It will never desist until it has satiated its passion, and drained the very life of its coveted victim.” The mortal prey or reader may be aroused by the encounter, but the object of the vampire’s gratification is not personalized. Read the rest of this entry »

Today marks the Feast of the Bride or Imbolc (or Oimelc), one of the four principal festivals of the Wheel of the Year, celebrated among Neopagans, Wiccans, and other similar cultures either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on February 2, since this is the cross-quarter day on the solar calendar, halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere. Originally dedicated to the Celtic goddess Brigid (Brighid, Brigit, Bride). Later, the Catholic Church replaced this festival with Candlemas Day on February 2, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and features candlelight processions. The powerful figure of Brigid the Light-Bringer lights both pagan and Christian celebrations. In Scotland the festival is also known as Là Fhèill Brìghde, in Ireland as Lá Fhéile Bríde, and in Wales as Gŵyl Fair. This festival marks the coming return of Spring. Read more about Imbolc on Chalice Center: http://www.chalicecentre.net/imbolc.htm. Here are a few traditional ways to celebrate Imbolc (**Rev. John “Fox” Adelmann, Archdruid Emeritus of ADF and former Senior Druid of Shining Lakes Grove)…


• Spring Cleaning — This is the time to give your home a good thorough cleaning in preparation for a visit from Brigit. If you happen to have a fireplace, it especially should be cleaned very well. As a part of the magical purification of the house a birch branch should be used to symbolically sweep the floors. Birch has strong associations with Brigit, and has long been used for rites of purification and new beginnings. All of this work should be completed prior to the eve of Imbolc, when a small dish of butter should be placed on a windowsill and a fresh fire kindled in the hearth or a candle lit in honor of Brigit.


• Making the Brideog — If possible (and applicable) this work should be done by the man of the household or a group of men in your grove. Long pieces of straw or rushes should be gathered and fashioned into the shape of a doll. The image should be dressed in white doll clothing or merely wrapped in a white cloth in the manner of a dress. Her image should be decorated with bits of greenery, early flowers, shells and pretty stones. An especially pretty shell should be placed over her heart. For the greatest magical effect, the doll can be built around the handle of an old butter chum dasher. When finished, she should be consecrated with a few sprinkles of sacred water while invocations to Brigit are spoken. The resulting effigy is called a Brideog (BREE-JOG), or “little Brid” and is an important component of the traditional Imbolc celebration.


• Brigit’s Crosses — This is the most widely practiced custom associated with Imbolc. Following the making of the Brideog, the extra straw should be gathered up and saved, for use at the family or grove feast on the eve of Imbolc. For the best results, the straw should be soaked in water for a couple of days prior to the feast. Pan of that evening should be devoted to making Brigit’s Crosses. These are weavings of straw that can be as simple as a few strands or amazingly elaborate. Most folks are familiar with the three or four-armed variety but there is a great number of different regional patterns including what most people in America know as a “God’s Eye” pattern woven around two sticks. At the end of the evening each person should take their cross home, sprinkle it with a bit of sacred water and speak a request of Brigit for blessing and protection of the home and family members. Old crosses from previous years should be moved to the rafters or attic of your home, and the new crosses hung in their place near the entryways to the dwelling. Crosses that were woven by the children should be hung on the wall over their beds, and if you happen to have a barn or out-building you should hang one there as well. They are especially effective in protecting the household and its inhabitants from fire and lightening.


• Divination — The eve of Imbolc is the best time of the year to perform divinations specifically pertaining to the future welfare and prosperity of your family.


• Imbolc Feast — On the eve of Imbolc, a family or community feast should be held. When all is prepared, and the table is set, the persons who were involved in the making of the Brideog should go outside and retrieve her. The doll should be placed on the outside of the building next to the open door. The men should get on their knees before the doll (the traditional gesture of respect for the Brideog) and shout into the house, “Go on your knees, open your eyes, and admit Brigit!” The celebrants inside should answer, “Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to the holy woman!” The Brideog should then be carried into the house and leaned against a leg of the feasting table. Begin the feast with a prayer of thanks.


For more Imbolc traditions please visit A Druid Fellowship. Happy Imbolc my fellow pagan brothers & sisters! Spring is almost here!

A new podcast interview (slash discussion) with Raven Digitalis, conducted by wiccan priestess T. Thorn Coyle, is now online! The interview is primarily concerning the element of Water, and its metaphysical and occult symbolism. However, Coyle and Digitalis also discuss magic and life in general.


http://www.thorncoyle.com/podcasts.html


Raven’s new book Shadow Magic Compendium was recently released (click here to order on Amazon). This gorgeous volume explores the darker side of magic…


Embracing the darkness is part of divine balance.


Everyone has a shadow, a dark side. Exploring the shadow self is not only safe, it’s necessary for balance and healing. The author of Goth Craft invites you down a unique magical path for navigating inner and outer darkness and harnessing the shadow for spiritual growth.


Shadow Magick Compendium sheds a positive light on this misunderstood and rarely discussed side of magical practice. There are ritual meditations for exploring past experiences, dispelling harmful behavior patterns, and healing a fractured soul. Learn how to safely fast and perform other methods of self-sacrifice, invoke a deity into yourself (godform assumption), get in touch with your Spirit Animal, take advantage of the Dark Moon and eclipses, and perform a unique ritual with your television for a new perspective on society. From astral journeys to sigils to dark herbs, you’ll find an array of magical techniques to navigate the shadows and mysteries of yourself and the world at large.


For more information about Raven Digitalis and his work visit www.ravendigitalis.com.

Bierce and Lovecraft: Time Portals
Occasioned by Storms
By LP Van Ness


Two excellent examples of time altering portals can be seen in Lovecraft’s classic, “The Picture in the House” and the not so well known tale, “The Spook House,” by Ambrose Bierce. As the protagonist in Lovecraft‘s story observes, “Honest, wholesome structures do not stare at travelers so slyly and hauntingly.” In the world of horror literature, the everyday action of leaving, entering, or even simply occupying a room isn’t as clear cut as one might think; it’s just one more mundane thing with hidden dangers to watch out for on one’s daily excursions. There are warning signs, however, that one can attend to in order to avoid the unfortunate experiences associated with unexpectedly crossing over these hidden Thresholds of Time.


The ancestral inhabitants of Lovecraft’s house of horror, through “isolation, morbid self-repression, and struggle for life with relentless Nature,” had developed “dark furtive traits from the prehistoric depths of their cold Northern heritage.” The fruition of their damaged psychic energies was a two hundred year old New England hovel over which “vines [had] crawled and the trees [had] swelled and spread;” leaving it “almost hidden now in lawless luxuriance’s of green and guardian shrouds of shadow.” The contemporary of Bierce’s haunt was a Southern plantation owner. He and his family had “disappeared one night and no trace of them had ever been found.” On approaching their abandoned farmhouse, Colonel McArdle observed that “the fields about it were overgrown with brambles, the fences gone . . . and out-houses generally, fallen partly into ruin by neglect and pillage.” The present time refuges who approached the houses of both tales were familiar with the past transgressions of the former inhabitants. While the history of such places might or might not have been known by the any other unfortunate visitor, the suspicions of any sojourner should have been heightened by the visual testimony of the motley monstrosities that survived as their tenant’s lone legacies.


In the case of both tales, the victims are driven to seek shelter in these derelict structures by a sudden thunderstorm. This has become a definite cliché in modern writing, yet it is hard to argue that the “incessant” lightning of Bierce’s tale or “rain of chilling copiousness,” as in in case of Lovecraft’s traveler, who was riding a bicycle to boot, would not instinctively force anyone to seek refuge just about anywhere. It is hard though not to snicker at the device, and I believe that Lovecraft was at least giving it a wink. From a metaphysical viewpoint, however, the electrical atmosphere of each tale is essential to the existence of time portals, and that is where the reader readily and subconsciously suspends their disbelief.


Once snuggled inside, be wary of what I will call the “weird-glow.” In its earliest American reference, Hawthorn called it a “gule.“ While the storm still raged outside, it had been strangely silenced inside the mysterious abode. This leads Bierce’s Colonel McArdle to open the front door on not an egress but a mysterious room which was “suffused with a faint greenish light, the source of which [he] could not determine, making everything distinctly visible, though nothing was sharply defined.” The protagonist in Lovecraft’s tale is ensconced in the “cataract” of a room “dimly lighted by its two dusty windows.” Such a weird-glow does, indeed, deceive the eyes and disorient the mind of its intended victims.


The portal in Bierce’s tale served mainly as a trap, for the door had three large spring bolts and no handle on the inside. In Lovecraft’s story, someone entered in on him through the doorway’s portal, a denizen of Colonial America who had knowledge of a “schoolmaster in ‘eighty-four, but he quit suddent an’ no one never heerd on ‘im sence.” I surmise that this is yet another sly nod by Lovecraft, for one’s mind readily associates this runaway personage with Washington Irving’s superstitious schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane.


You will have to discover for yourself how these 19th and 20th Century characters dealt with their dilemmas. The purpose of this essay is merely to elucidate the motif of housebound time portals in horror literature. Rational men and women of this 21st Century both know that there are no such things as doorways that usher one into or bring things forth from alternate dimensions. The realities of our everyday world are horrors enough, aren‘t they? With the Specter of anemic markets, never ending regional wars, and impending depression era unemployment, we have enough to worry about than simply entering or exiting a room. Although it might be noted that the date and time of writer Ambrose Bierce’s own demise is to this day unknown. Ironically, or perhaps through some precognition, he himself simply disappeared.


Thank you to LP Van Ness for submitting this article for the Eternal Vigilance website! If you are interested in submitting original fiction or blog posts about anything horror, writing, or science fiction related, please drop me a line!

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I came across this movie a few years ago in Blockbuster. It was buried on a bottom shelf and covered in dust, but something told me to rent it and I’m happy I did! It is really quite good and a very interesting portrayal of Vlad the Impaler and the myths that surrounded him that generated the lore of Dracula. After I returned the movie, I went back several months later to rent it again and it was gone, not just from the store but from their database altogether! I was crushed! Then, today, I found that someone has uploaded the entire movie on YouTube! Yeay YouTube! Here is Part One of the film. There are, I believe, eight total videos available for the entire film, all of which I will be posting here over the course of the next few days! Enjoy! (PS/ and the guy who plays Vlad…HOT! …)





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