Category Archives: Writing

Happy New Year!

Posted by R. Minerva on

2013

I hope you stayed up late, said your good-byes and welcomed 2013 with open arms.

In the spirit of newness, I am embracing a new online home. The launch date of the new blog is officially Saturday January 26th, 2013, the first full moon of 2013 and an auspicious date for Pisceans like me. So, when you look up at the full moon that night, with your drunk/sleepy eyes, know that both our lives are moving forward in directions only the stars could fathom.

If you find yourself in need of direction, tarot is always illuminating, like the stars themselves.

XOXO,

R.Minerva

 

Happy Birthday, Emily

Posted by R. Minerva on

Emily-Dickinson-Portrait

Yesterday, December 10th, was Emily Dickinson’s 182nd birthday.

Of all the women who have existed on this planet, she is one of my favorites.

Emily-inspired Reading

This article is superb

I wrote this post awhile back.

The Dickinson Museum site

Emily’s personal letters

Happy Birthday, Miss Dickinson!

XO,

R.Minerva

 

31 Days of Halloween – Day 18: Spooky L.A.

Posted by R. Minerva on

Los Angeles is a city comprised of mansions, Rodeo Drive and the tears of failed actresses, or so people think. I’ve always been fascinated with L.A. because of its dark side. It’s a city with hundreds of ghost stories and urban legends. Full of creepy history, L.A. is Mecca for weirdos, lunatics and lost souls. The city seems to be built for ghostly happenings. The Santa Anas winds sweep through every fall, raising crime rates and the canyons are known for their ability to distort sound. It is said that you can hear a door slamming from ten miles away but you can’t hear the screams of your neighbor being murdered next door. How’s that for creepy?

The spookiest of Los Angeles, according to me:

The L.A. Coroner’s Office has a gift shop.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the resting place of Rudolph Valentino and hosts Dia de los Muertos celebrations and movie nights, where the film is projected on a cemetery wall.

The legend of Peg Entwistle, who jumped off the Hollywood at age 24. Peg was depressed due to her failed acting career,so she climbed up to the Hollywood sign in her Sunday best and jumped to her death. The next morning, a letter from a famous director arrived in the mail, offering her an important role in his movie. She is said to be the Lady in White who haunts the trails leading up to the sign.

Sharon Tate’s murder is beyond horrifying.

The many ghost and ghouls of Griffith Park.

And this quote by writer Raymond Chandler:

There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks. Anything can happen.

XOXO

31 Days of Halloween – Day 16: Dorian Gray

Posted by R. Minerva on

Today is Oscar Wilde’s birthday. His wit and style are the stuff of legend. He also wrote one hell of a scary novel called The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The story begins with an artist painting the portrait of a beautiful young man named Dorian Gray. He gives Dorian the finished portrait and the young man hangs it in his home.

Soon after, Dorian’s innocence and good nature begin to be corrupted. He becomes increasingly cruel and thoughtless and breaks the heart of a woman he loves, for no apparent reason.

When he arrives home from the confrontation with his ex-lover, he sees that the portrait has changed. There is now a sneer on the face and an evil look in the eyes of Portrait Dorian.

He hides the painting in the attic and goes on with his degenerate life.

Dorian becomes more soulless with each passing year. He is selfish, vain and violent, yet he remains young and beautiful. His deviant lifestyle has done nothing to tarnish his beauty and youth.

While people marvel at Dorian’s ageless face, the hidden painting becomes more and more hideous. Dorian’s character flaws, bad behavior and advanced years are present in his portrait.

The painting shows Dorian Gray for what he is – a monster.

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It’s a creepy book with a great ending that I won’t ruin here, in case you want to read it.

XOXO

31 Days of Halloween – Day 14: Spooky Poetry Part 2

Posted by R. Minerva on

More spooky, fun Halloween poetry. You can view Part 1 here.

Upon Each Samhain by David O. Norris

I miss you most upon each Samhain
When the boundary turns to sheer
I wait until the veil is parted
At the ending of the year.
Sweet spirit, as you walk among us
At the tolling of this eve
I see your face beyond the sunset
And hear your voice upon the breeze.
In the glowing of the candle
From the shadow on the wall
I watch for you in every movement
And hear your footsteps in the hall.
Can you sit and spend the evening
As the portal opens wide?
Ancestral dead, I bid you welcome.
Most recent dead, I pray, abide.

When you come I sense your presence
I put my hand out in the air
A moment, then, we stand united
Palm to palm while waiting there.
I miss you most upon each Samhain
When the boundary turns to sheer
We share these hours until the dawning
Then bid farewell until next year.

Untitled by David O. Norris

Druids would not know this night
Witches would in wonder gaze
To see the festive costumed souls
Who dance about the night in play
Where ancient magic ruled the land
Children’s laughter fills the soul
Yet in this way the night is honored
Much like the ancients long ago.

 

The Witches’ Song by Elizabeth Coatsworth

Early, early, comes the dark,
something moves along the ditches.
Was that singing? Hark, oh hark
to the chanting of the witches!

Come, sisters, come,
let us screech at the windows,
let us blow out the candles
and breathe on their hair,

we’ve shadowed the moon
and called up the night-wind,
the owl and the cat and the broom
will be there.

Let us turn their blood chill
with the sight of our faces,
let us touch them with fingers
both crooked and cold,

and then shrilly laughing
we’ll be off to the hill tops
to frisk and to frolic
as always of old.

Did you hear them? Were they saying
scary things to shake the knees?
Or was that but breezes playing
in the dry and brittle trees?

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

It’s big, it’s broad…
It’s broad, it’s bright…
It fills the sky of All Hallows’ Night…
The strangest sight you’ve ever seen.
The Monster Tree on Halloween.

The leaves have burned to gold and red
the grass is brown, the old year dead,
But hang the harvest high, Oh see!
The candle constellations on the Halloween Tree!

The stars they turn, the candles burn
And the mouse-leaves scurry on the cold wind borne,
And a mob of smiles shine down on thee
From the gourds hung high on the Halloween Tree.

The smile of the Witch, and the smile of the Cat,
The smile of the Beast, the smile of the Bat,
The smile of the Reaper taking his fee
All cut and glimmer on the Halloween Tree…

hist whist by e e cummings (with his spacing and punctuation)

hist     whist
little ghostthings
tip-toe
twinkle-toe

little twitchy
witches and tingling
goblins
hob-a-nob      hob-a-nob

little hoppy happy
toad in tweeds
tweeds
little itchy mousies

with scuttling
eyes      rustle and run      and
hidehidehide
whisk

whisk      look out for the old woman
with the wart on her nose
what she’ll do to yer
nobody knows

for she knows the devil      ooch
the devil       ouch
the devil
ach        the great

green
dancing
devil
devil

devil
devil

wheeEEE

 

31 Days of Halloween – Day 9: Victorian Cards

Posted by R. Minerva on

People like to think Victorian ladies were all about modesty and abstinence. I disagree. They knew how to work a corset. Bustles? Those are obviously a cheap trick to make people stare at their asses. Don’t even get me started on the scandalous ankle flashes…

Victorian women also sent beautiful, witchy Halloween cards to each other. These cards often featured short verses that described all manner of bewitchments, many relating to love divination:

When Black cats prowl,
and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Hallowe’en.
 
May the spell of the Hallowe’en Witches
Bring you Good Luck, And Also Riches
 
If in the mirror your lover is seen
You’ll surely be happy on Hallowe’en
 
It’s best beware,
of the witching hour,
In which the witches show their power.
 
Light all the Pumpkins and let their weird gleam
Call Witches and Goblins to keep Hallowe’en.

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.

 

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Sexy, oui?