kebechet

We're still ironing out some problems, and a whole sub-category is AWOL. Please be patient; we'll try to have it all sorted later tonight. Thank you so much!!

I kinda like this kid! - - - ++ LILITH 2018 Lilith, I have always loved you. I loved you before I knew you, I loved you before I saw you, I loved you before time began. I have loved you in every lifetime, and I will love you beyond the end of time. You are the spark in my soul that gives my life radiance; you are the warmth of the sun and the mysteries of the moon within my heart. ABSURD ORIGIN STORY I can’t say X-23 and I can’t say snickt and I can’t say Wolverine, so my ability to tell stupid jokes here is limited. Let’s say this is L-10’s origin story wherein she is accidentally plopped into a barrel of room temperature French fries, and emerges with superhuman mutations that grant her immortality, regeneration, and lethal deep-fried potato claws. When I told Lilith I was going to make her a French fries scent, she yelled EWWWWWWWW, so here’s a perfume that smells like a carbonated caramel-flavored soda (that shall remain nameless) with a hint of marshmallow. BLUE BLANKIE Lilith has several blankies that mean the world to her, and this is one of them. She’s had it since she was a baby, and she still sleeps with it every night. This blankie has been all over the US, has been to innumerable conventions, and has visited Paris, London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Salzburg, and Berlin. This blankie has been a comfort in sorrow and a companion in joy. It has been clutched in laughter and has been succor in illness. This blanket has seen thousands upon thousands of dreams. May it always keep you warm, safe, and happy, Lilith. French lavender, skin musk, and a drop of rose water. BUBBLES AND UNICORNS My baby, please never stop singing whatever goddamn song you want to sing, and never stop singing it at the top of your lungs. Never stop doing silly dances, never stop making jokes. Never stop talking about unicorns, never stop howling like a werewolf, never stop making wishes on dandelions. Never stop playing, never stop laughing. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re too old to be joyful, or that the things you love are foolish or childish. Lilith, never stop blowing bubbles. Dandelion sap and blackcurrant bud with opalescent, shimmering white musk. THE CREATION OF LILITH I took this photo of Lilith a few days ago. I told her that it looks like her and Pickle are reenacting Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, and I show her a pic. She asks what’s going on in it, so I explain the image, and she says... “Well, that’s friggin sexist. It’s stupid to say that boys were created first and to make a whole painting about it. Plus there’s no girls in the photo, and not everyone has boy or girl parts. It’s sexist, and I hate it.” That was a much, much stronger reaction than I expected, but good on you, kid. Burn the patriarchy down. And Elohim created Adam in His Image, in the Image of God He created him; male and female He created them. The first woman, created with Adam, in all her darkness and all her light: sweet black pomegranate, French lavender, oakmoss, ti leaf, bakhoor oudh incense, and black fig. DIGNIFIED. ELEGANT. SOPHISTICATED. We were made for each other. Snake Oil and bubblegum. DON’T TELL ME HEAVEN IS UNDER THE EARTH Listening to music, blowing bubbles. A handful of honey sticks, yesterday’s patchouli, and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. THE DREAM IS BIG ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE We believe that the American dream is big enough for everyone, for people of all races and religions, for men and women, for immigrants, for LGBT people and for people with disabilities. For everyone. Lilith at the Women’s March DTLA, 2018. Nasty Woman? Nah, Nasty Tween: honeyed fig and sugar-dusted patchouli, sweet amber oud, a drop of red currant, and vanilla cream. EUTERPE’S UKULELE Lilith has always loved music – especially singing – but this year, she started to get serious about it. This photo was taken this past April, while she rehearsed her slow, haunting cover of Riptide. A scent that smells to me the way Lilith’s voice sounds when she sings that song in her deep, thoughtful, sweet voice: wild plum, shadow oudh, osmanthus, and patchouli. HOOLIGAN WITCHES Lilith and Mo casting spells together last winter! They solemnly swear that they’re up to no good: pumpkin cream soda, fried ice cream, and popcorn. IMPROV ZOMBIE SCENE Every New Year’s Eve for the past several years, Lilith and her soul sister Novi have rung out the old year at a kids’ dance party. This year, they spent a little time doing Zombie Improv before the party started. Pink grapefruit brains, honeyed cerebral fluid, and a splash of sparkling apple cider. LET YOUR INDULGENCE SET ME FREE There are several scents this year that are inspired by Lilith’s performance in the Tempest, and this one was born from the triumphant smile on her face as she held the flowers her family brought for her. A cluster of peonies, carnations, roses, lilies and sweet pea cascading over a bright vanilla smile. LILITH NIGHTINGALE Whenever I’m sick, tired, or just run down, Lilith always tries to help out. She’s always helpful, but when someone is feeling poorly, she’s an absolute angel. This year, now that she’s a little bit older, she’s taken to cooking a bit here and there. Here, she’s stealing my Evil Dead shirt and making kitchari for me. I was feeling under the weather, and she wanted to take care of me. Oh my GOD, I love this kid. (She’s taken to wearing protective goggles that Brian gave her every time she cooks.) A bundle of Ayurvedic spices warmed in cream, with a little bit of dried fig and sweet dates. MEDITATION BUDDY Ever since Lilith was five or so, she and I have meditated together. We do Headspace, we do breathing exercises, we just sit and share space together in silence. Sometimes we do it in the morning to start our day, sometimes we meditate at night to unwind. Our meditation space smells like vanilla-laced frankincense, Florida Water, sandalwood incense, salt crystals, candle wax, and white rose petals. THE MISTY MARSHMALLOW SUGARBUNNIES OF NIFLHEL Of the runes of the gods and the giants' race The truth indeed can I tell, (For to every world have I won;) To nine worlds came I, to Niflhel beneath, The home where pink bunny Peeps dwell. THE QUEEN OF HEL “I am Hel,” she said simply. “The dead come to me, and they do not return to the lands above. Why should I let Balder go?” - Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman Lilith loves cosplaying, and while she has done many characters, none has suited her quite as well as Hela has. She debuted this look at C2E2 this year, complete with tiny plush Fenris. Tiny mistress of the underworld: gleaming black leather, luminescent green amber, and gargantuan hellhound musk. ROOF GOBLINS This cabin has roof goblins, and they’re going to steal your apples and milk. Honeycrisp apples and sugared milk. SCORCHED MARSHMALLOWS Lilith loves to camp, but she’s not a huge fan of roughing it. This year, we opted for some cabin glamping with some of Lilith’s best friends. This is the scent of Kyle and Lilith deliberately setting marshmallows on fire, with chocolate and graham crackers as an afterthought. SENATOR BARRIAL Senator Barrial in debate class, advocating for the mandatory conversion to electric cars by 2040. When she’s Senator, she’ll make sure everyone has red velvet sprinkle cupcakes with extra buttercream frosting. THE SHE-GOAT Wild juniper, dry grasses, California sagebrush, Monterey cypress, and California lilacs. SPONTANEOUS ARGUMENTATION This past February, Lilith competed in her first debate tournament. She was asked to come in “business casual”, and this is the best we could do. A scent for child orators: pleather and chalk dust with a handful of chewy fruit candies. (We can’t say “Skittles”, even though that’s all she ate throughout the entire tournament! Don’t sue us, Skittles! Lilith just loves Skittles!) THE STORM On a ship at sea: a tempestuous noise. An electric blackberry violet tossed with seaspray. SUFFRAGIUM When Lilith was three months old, she came with me to the voting booth for the first time. She wore a Little Democrat onesie and a Babies For Obama button, and it was one of the most emotional nights of my life. I know I’ve told this story before, but as the election results rolled in, I wept with relief because Lilith was going to grow up safe. Decency won the day, and my heart was alight with the belief that we were on an upwards trajectory as a nation, and that compassion and hope were leading us to a renewal. November 8, 2016 was another emotional night for very, very different reasons. Since that day, the world has gotten darker, but the darkness creates strength and fosters empathy. Lilith is now learning what social justice truly means. She has participated in protests, demonstrations, volunteer campaigns, and walk-outs. She has made protest signs with her own two hands, and has marched against the cruelty, oppression, and tyranny of this current administration. She’s beginning to grasp both civic responsibility and civil disobedience, and she’s learning how much power her voice really has. This is a scent of renewing hope, determination, fortitude, and compassion: palo santo, white sandalwood, sweet labdanum, and cedar. THEÁOMAI I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being. - Oscar Wilde Lilith has loved the theater since we first took her to see Matilda when she was five. She loves musicals, she loves plays, she loves Shakespeare and Sondheim. She loves huge productions and local improv, she loves Hamlet and drag revues. She loves the pageantry and the intimacy, and loves performing in shows and attending shows equally. This is the scent of the pile of junk food that accompanies us to almost every performance: chocolate chip cookies, pretzels, caramel corn, and a little slurp of soda. TRUE LOVE Lilith’s lavender smushed with Pickle’s coconut cream. WHOLE UNTO HERSELF Life imposes so many restrictions on us as we climb through the years: responsibilities, challenges, hardship. Lilith, my baby, may you soar through it with exuberance and grace. Never lose your joy and your sense of self, the triumph of daily pleasures, and the freedom of your soul. May the sorrows of the world never calcify around you; may the sorrows of the world never dim your light or silence your song. A prayer for my daughter: frankincense, rose, and white lilies.

A reminder! Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Lunacy event is cancelled today because of shitty hell weather. The AC is still dead in the front room, and between the Dog Days o'Summer and the ash that's raining down from all the fires, it seemed best to go dark today. [The Vermont and Dirty South Lunacy events are still on!] I hope everyone has an amazing, ash-and-flame-free weekend! See you next month!

https://blackphoenixtradingpost.com/shop/clockwork-locket/

Some stuff just went live! FUCK THIS HEAT ... because it's really fucking hot in LA right now. MOONS OF SATURN: MIMAS ... who probably needs a hug. Plus, the Emperor is in town and butterflies have fluttered into BPAL and BPTP!

Happy Friday the 13th!

Thanks to the generosity, compassion, and kindness of our customers, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has been able to donate $5000 to RAICES so far! If you'd like to purchase one of our Biblical fundraiser scents for RAICES, please visit: https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-category/activism/deliver-them-from-the-hands-of-the-wicked/ Or you can donate directly at: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/leafund I am deeply, deeply grateful to everyone who purchased oils, everyone who shared and boosted the link to our fundraiser, and to everyone that purchased oils or donated to RAICES independently. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

In an effort to justify the cruel, heartless separation of migrant children from their families, Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that it is “very biblical to enforce the law”, and Attorney General Sessions invoked Romans 13 – the same Bible passage so often utilized in the past to justify slavery: “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes.” Boy howdy, you monstrous, merciless ghouls, does Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab have a Bible lesson for you. I have assembled a collection of simple, elegant scents, all of which have been inspired by timely, instructive passages in the Bible. Proceeds from the sales of these scents will benefit RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services), a 501©(3) nonprofit that provides free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families and refugees in Central and South Texas. If you choose not to purchase any scents, please consider donating directly to RAICES if you have the means, or consider supporting one of these organizations: The Texas Civil Rights Project The Florence Project in Arizona Kids in Need of Defense The Young Center The American Civil Liberties Union Call your representatives now and tell them that you demand that the Trump Administration immediately cease this inhumane, horrific system of separating migrant children from their families. Ask your representatives to support the following pieces of legislation: S. 3036 – Keep Families Together Act R. 2572 – Protect Family Values at the Border Act R. 5950/S. 2937 – the HELP Separated Children Act R. 2043 AND S. 2468 – Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2018 Both the ACLU and 5Calls provide scripts that will help if you don’t want to call unprepared. Protest, call, Resistbot, fax, and show up at your representatives’ offices. Make your voice heard, take a stand against this cold-blooded and brutal policy, and VOTE. Vote these heartless monsters out on their asses. - - - https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-category/activism/deliver-them-from-the-hands-of-the-wicked/ - - - EZEKIEL 16:49 Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. Blood musk and ashes. MATTHEW 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. White sandalwood, honey, and champaca. PSALM 82:2-4 How long will you vindicate evil and accept the face of the wicked? Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Crystalline musk, red benzoin, and vanilla husk. MATTHEW 18:10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. Wool-warm red sandalwood, coconut, strawberry, and blackcurrant. EXODUS 22:21 Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Myrrh, red currant, opoponax, and blackberry. DEUTERONOMY 10:18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. Hay absolute, patchouli, agarwood, and vetiver. ROMANS 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Almond, wild fig, red rose petals, cardamom, and oudh. PROVERBS 24:11-12 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? Blackened oudh, leather, labdanum, and oakmoss. JOB 31:32 The stranger did not lodge in the street; but I opened my doors to the traveler. Rahat lokum, bitter almond, wild fig, and roasted hazelnuts. MATTHEW 25:34-36 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Olibanum, labdanum, spikenard, cade, cardamom pod, and olive blossom. LUKE 10:25-37 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Go and do likewise: golden amber and saffron, white sandalwood, and clove.

Lilith's Boutique will be open for business at Dark Delicacies this Friday for Magnolia Park’s Night Out, 5-9pm! 3512 W Magnolia Blvd Burbank, CA 91505 She will be selling a selection of grandma-and-Lilith curated goods as well as some of Lilith's original scents, including Rainbow Swirl Kwamie Cotton, Lolidragon, and three new scents that she created: Chocolate + Pickles, the Witch’s Tea Party, and Slime Queen! Slime Queen is a cotton candy Dorian variant, Chocolate + Pickles is a combination of three chocolates (for Zoe, Lilith’s chocolate lab) and vanilla buttercream (for Lilith’s fluffy white retriever, Pickle), and the Witch’s Tea Party is a lilac-dappled earthy green tea. Lilith has chosen to donation a portion of her sales to the Ocean Conservancy! Help save the narwhals! There will be a bevy of food trucks all along the street! Dark Delicacies also has a selection of scents that we have created exclusively for them in stock, including Midian Unmade, Emerald Lace, Solstice Lace, Lavender Lace & Champagne Lace! Support a budding little entrepreneur, the first and best horror bookstore in the country, and all the awesome small businesses in Magnolia Park!

Eve (With Sage Fuck Up) is live on Etsy! We've also put our Drag Con 2018 overstock up for sale so we can bolster our donation to the LA LGBT Center! https://www.etsy.com/shop/alchemylab

Please forgive me for the time it took to publish this. I wanted to make sure we had all the facts before I posted, and I needed to ensure that I used the correct format for the notice as required by law. NOTICE OF DATA BREACH I have lousy news to share: some time between May 1st and May 16th, the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab site was hacked. [This does not apply to Trading Post or TAL; it was only BPAL’s main site that was affected.] There is no way for our dev team to be absolutely certain when the attack initially happened, so this is the best educated guess based on the information we have. This is the first time that our data has been breached in the sixteen years that we’ve been in business. We take our customers’ privacy, confidentiality, and security extremely seriously, and we are devastated that this incident occurred. Yesterday, we learned from our devs that all passwords on the site needed to be changed. At the time, we didn’t have further details but took immediate steps to learn what was going on, and the moment that the malicious code was discovered, our devs neutralized it. I didn’t want to post more until we understood exactly what happened. Although we cannot be sure that any of your information was accessed or misappropriated, we want to make you aware of the situation and provide you with information on what to do from here. So, here’s what we know as of today - WHAT HAPPENED Malicious code was injected into the portion of the checkout page where credit card info bound for AuthorizeNet is gathered. If you made a purchase using the AuthorizeNet gateway during this period, your credit card data may have been compromised. We do not store any credit card info ourselves on the site – none whatsoever - so there was no credit card data to harvest from before this time period. Any purchases made through the PayPal gateway were not affected. Any sales made in-person at a convention were not affected, nor were any purchases made through BPTP, TAL, our Amazon store, or our etsy shop. On May 16th, our developer found this malicious code, but didn’t immediately know what it was about. We immediately initiated the sitewide password reset to be safe while the developer tried to suss out what was going on. Most of the day was spent analyzing the code, and based on the information we now have, our developer determined that the malicious code was inserted for the purposes of harvesting credit card numbers. Once that was established, I started drafting this announcement while Black Phoenix and our developers continued to research the situation. It looks like less than 150 credit card transactions were at risk, and we will do everything in our power to directly contact anyone that might have been compromised. WHAT INFORMATION WAS INVOLVED The credit card numbers of under 150 customers who made purchases on the site using the AuthorizeNet gateway have possibly been compromised. We do not know if any other data was accessed, as a bogus admin account was created by the person(s) who created the breach. Information that could have been accessed without authorization could have included your name, credit card billing address, telephone number, email address, and credit card number data, the name on card, expiration date, and security code. WHAT WE ARE DOING We take our obligation to safeguard your information very, very seriously, and we did all that was within our power to act as quickly as possible. A bulk password reset was initiated as soon as malicious activity was suspected. As soon as the malicious code was found, our developers neutralized it. A full security audit was performed. We moved the entirety of the site to a new server with a managed infrastructure for added security. When the fake admin account was found, it was removed. Our developer is in the process of further hardening our security to ensure that breaches do not occur in the future and initiating a more robust intrusion detection system, and we are in the process of directly contacting the 150ish people whose credit card numbers may have been compromised. We are also notifying AuthorizeNet, the FBI, and local law enforcement in Los Angeles, CA. WHAT YOU CAN DO We don’t know if the hacker successfully retrieved any data, but we strenuously recommend that if you used AuthorizeNet as your payment gateway on our site between May 1st and May 16th, you keep a close eye on your credit card transactions and report to your issuing bank that your card may have been compromised. Equifax also provides Identity Theft Prevention Tips, which provides additional steps that you can take, including instructions for obtaining a free copy of your credit report and how to place a fraud alert and/or credit freeze on your report. We recommend that you remain vigilant for incidents of fraud and identity theft by reviewing account statements and monitoring your credit reports. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each company listed below once every 12 months by requesting your report online at www.annualcreditreport.com, calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, or mailing an Annual Credit Report Request Form (available at www.annualcreditreport.com) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281. You may also purchase a copy of your credit report by contacting any of the credit reporting agencies below: Equifax PO Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374 www.equifax.com 888-766-0008 Experian PO Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 www.experian.com 888-397-3742 TransUnion PO Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 www.transunion.com 800-680-7289 If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, you should contact the proper law enforcement authorities, including local law enforcement, and you should consider contacting your state attorney general and/or the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). You may also contact the FTC to obtain additional information about avoiding identity theft. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) www.ftc.gov/idtheft State Attorneys General: Information on how to contact your state attorney general may be found at www.naag.org/naag/attorneys-general/whos-my-ag.php. You may obtain information from the FTC and the credit reporting agencies listed above about placing a fraud alert and/or credit freeze on your credit report. The State of California has a web site with further information to help consumers when their data has been breached: https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/other-privacy/breach-help-tips-for-consumers FOR MORE INFORMATION We are deeply committed to our customers, and I am profoundly upset that this breach occurred. We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that this does not happen again in the future, and I hope that you can accept my heartfelt apology. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com. With all my heart, I am so, so sorry. Elizabeth Barrial President Black Phoenix, Inc.

Our C2E2 scents this year are a tribute to Chicago’s history of vice, featuring the Everleigh sisters and their glamorous, notorious Levee brothel, and the response of the evangelists and social reformers who attempted to purge the town of its “exciting conditions”. ADA Turkish rose, gilded amber, apricot, and dark honey musk. MINNA We never robbed widows and we made no false representations. White patchouli, sage, and benzoin gleaming with tea leaf, green tobacco, cognac, polished rosewood, and bourbon vanilla. CALUMET 412 The Everleigh’s phone number, available 24/7 to clients and sympathetic reporters. For a good time, call. Softly-glowing gaslamps cast sinuous shadows over plush leather and brocade sofas, flicking its light between oaken shelves laden with books. A whiff of aftershave and the memory of perfume. THE GOLD ROOM The Everleigh Club was located in a sumptuous 50-room mansion in Chicago’s Red Light District. Every inch of this palace of sin was lavishly decorated, and none more than the Gold Room, which featured golden furnishings, golden draperies, gold spittoons, gold-gilded fish bowls, and a gold-leaf piano. Gleaming, glittering gold: amber and honeyed champagne, ginger root, yellow tobacco flower, and golden apple peel. THE OCTOPUS ON THE LAKE The grasping tentacles of vice: black musk, tobacco absolute, opium poppy accord, smoked khus, and oily black opoponax. THE LEVEE The most disreputable district in early 20th-century Chicago. Blackened patchouli, smoke, and sorrow painted by sweet sugar and thick honey. ++ BPTP: HAIR GLOSS DENS OF SIN Bourbon-soaked tobacco and oak paneling. THE SILVER PARLOR A flute of topaz-gold wine, a pop of champagne, a waterfall of slouching wisteria, and a cluster of pale white lilies. Perfume: $26 Hair Gloss: $30

While creating a 4lb mother bottle of Snake Oil, I had a brain fart and accidentally dropped honey accord, extra patchouli, and dragon’s blood into it. While it is another Horrible Error, I figured that it might be a Horrible Error that some people might enjoy. The mother bottle housed about 350 bottles of my mistake, and they’re up on etsy if anyone is interested. If not, I’ll keep it for personal use! - Your Scatterbrained Narrator

Friends and neighbors! Our site is currently experiencing technical difficulties, and we're laboring to get it up and running again as swiftly as possible. We will extend the down date for the anniversaries and the moons by two days. If you have any issues or questions about any order that was placed today (5 March 2018), please shoot us an email at answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com. Thank you for your patience!

Achtung! Due to unforeseen circumstances (HAL? Skynet? Maeve?) the BPAL web server will be down for the next several hours. It’s possible that we will be down overnight, but we are working our asses off to try to get back online. Thank you very much for your patience and understanding! Here’s hoping that our robot overlords are merciful!

Hey kids! Your friends at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab are running another tampon drive this coming Saturday from 4-7. Bring in $20 worth of tampons, maxi pads, or other feminine hygiene products, and you will receive your choice of last year’s Tampon Drive scent, Sanguinem Menstruum, or this year’s concoction, Vexed and Aggrieved, while supplies last. Bring yer tampons to us at 12120 Sherman Way North Hollywood, CA 91605 on Saturday, February 17th from 4-7 You’ll be helping women experiencing homelessness, and your BPAL fam is deeply grateful for your kindness and generosity. We will update with event exclusive stock availability for Vermont and Georgia will calls as soon as we can. - - - SANGUINEM MENSTRUUM It would indeed be a difficult matter to find anything which is productive of more marvellous effects than the menstrual discharge. On the approach of a woman in this state, must will become sour, seeds which are touched by her become sterile, grafts wither away, garden plants are parched up, and the fruit will fall from the tree beneath which she sits. Her very look, even, will dim the brightness of mirrors, blunt the edge of steel, and take away the polish from ivory. A swarm of bees, if looked upon by her, will die immediately; brass and iron will instantly become rusty, and emit an offensive odour; while dogs which may have tasted of the matter so discharged are seized with madness, and their bite is venomous and incurable. -Pliny the Elder The copper tang of blood musk, swept by a cloud of dying bees and red poppies of madness. - - - VEXED AND AGGRIEVED The Kahun papyrus, authored in ancient Egypt, described a “fallen womb”; essentially, it was believed that a woman’s uterus – due to the frustrations of abstinence or chastity - could dislocate itself and travel throughout the body, causing distress, mental illness, disease, and infirmity: "When her womb moves towards her liver, she suddenly loses her voice and her teeth chatter and her colouring turns dark. This condition can occur suddenly, while she is in good health. The problem particularly affects old maids and widows-young women who have been widowed after having had children." The solution? "You should fumigate her under her nose, burning some wool and adding to the fire some asphalt, castoreum, sulfur and pitch. Rub her groin and the interior of her thighs with a very sweet-smelling unguent." Of course, the condition was sometimes far more dire, and required more strenuous measures: "If her womb moves towards her hips, her periods stop coming, and pain develops in her lower stomach and abdomen. If you touch her with your finger, you will see the mouth of the womb turned towards her hip. "When this condition occurs, wash the woman with warm water, make her eat as much garlic as she can, and have her drink undiluted sheep's milk after her meals. Then fumigate her and give her a laxative. After the laxative has taken effect, fumigate the womb once again, using a preparation of fennel and wormwood mixed together. Right after the fumigation, pull the mouth of the womb with your finger. Then insert a pessary made with squills; leave it in for a while, and then insert a pessary made with opium poppies. If you think the condition has been corrected, insert a pessary of bitter almond oil, and on the next day, a pessary of rose perfume. She should stop inserting pessaries on the first day of her period, and start again the day after it stops. The blood during the period provides a normal interruption. If there is no flow, she should drink four cantharid beetle with their legs, wings and heads removed, four dark peony seeds, cuttlefish eggs, and a little parsley seed in wine. If she has a pain and irregular flow, she should sit in warm water, and drink honey mixed with water. If she is not cured by the first procedure, she should drink it again, until her period comes. When it comes, she should abstain from food and have intercourse with her husband. During her period she should eat mercury plant, and boiled squid, and keep to soft foods. If she becomes pregnant she will be cured of this disease..." Plato chimes in: "Hence it is that in men the privy member is disobedient and self-willed, like a creature that will not listen to reason, and because of frenzied appetite [is] bent upon carrying all before it. In women again, for the same reason, what is called the mat or womb, a living creature within them with a desire for child-bearing, if it be left lo unfruitful beyond the due season, is vexed and aggrieved, and wandering through the body and blocking the channels of the breath, by forbidding respiration brings sufferer to extreme distress and causes all manner of disorders; until at last the Eros of the one and the Desire of the other bring the pair together, pluck as it we the fruit from the tree and sow the ploughland of the womb with living creatures still unformed and too small to be seen…" Now, we make no claims that this perfume has any medical or recuperative powers whatsoever, but if you’d like to experience the scents of a bit of Egyptian medicine, we’ve got the cure for what ails you: an incense of cassia and myrrh with opium tar accord, peony seed, honey water, a pinch of pitch, the smoke of burning wool, a handful of dried squill petals, castoreum accord, and pessaries of rose perfume and bitter almond oil.

Hello, all! The Blue Moon is upon is, and Luna Azul and Blue Moon have returned for their second run this month. Accompanying them, we have two other dinner guests: MOONS OF SATURN: FORNJOT How should the wind be periphrased? Thus: call it son of Fornjót, Brother of the Sea and of Fire, Scathe or Ruin or Hound or Wolf of the Wood or of the Sail or of the Rigging. A burst of wind and flame hurling over the space-dark sea: opoponax and black oudh alight with red amber, dragon’s blood resin, and neroli. BLUE, BLOODY SUPERMOON: LUNAR ECLIPSE This month, an extraordinarily rare Blue Supermoon will rise and pass through the Earth’s shadow. During the full lunar eclipse, Luna will take on a blood red veil. This is the first time in 150 years that this triumvirate of Lunar phenomena will be visible in the Americas, and those in North America’s northern West Coast will have the best seats in the house for this show. Crystalline blue musk, juniper berry, white tea leaf, and mugwort veiled by wild plum, shadow-dark vegetal musk, black sage, tobacco absolute, and a shroud of blood musk. This February is devoid of any full moon at all, poor thing, so we’ve made a scent for her: WANDER DARKLING IN THE ETERNAL SPACE This February, darkness will reign as we experience a month without a full moon: the velvet darkness of sweet myrrh and vetiver-laced patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, smoked ambrette seed, and blackened rose petals. Your Lunar buddies will be live until Groundhog Day, and Wander Darkling will be live all throughout February. Two new scents have manifested in our Activism line, under the subcategory Hymn to the Erinyes. Proceeds from the sale of every single bottle of A Savage Veil, Severe and Strong and Snaky-Hair’d Moirai Many-Formed benefit RAINN. You can purchase the scents directly, or you can click here to read a short essay on my own experiences with assault. For the latter, please note that there is a content warning for sexual assault and violence. ++ HYMN TO THE ERINYES Vociferous Bacchanalian Furies, hear! Ye, I invoke, dread pow'rs, whom all revere; Nightly, profound, in secret who retire, Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megara dire: Deep in a cavern merg'd, involv'd in night, near where Styx flows impervious to the sight; Ever attendant on mysterious rites, furious and fierce, whom Fate's dread law delights; Revenge and sorrows dire to you belong, hid in a savage veil, severe and strong, Terrific virgins, who forever dwell endu'd with various forms, in deepest hell; Aerial, and unseen by human kind, and swiftly coursing, rapid as the mind. In vain the Sun with wing'd refulgence bright, in vain the Moon, far darting milder light, Wisdom and Virtue may attempt in vain; and pleasing, Art, our transport to obtain Unless with these you readily conspire, and far avert your all-destructive ire. The boundless tribes of mortals you descry, and justly rule with Dike's impartial eye. Come, snaky-hair'd, Moirai many-form'd, divine, suppress your rage, and to our rites incline. This is the end of silence, the end of shame, and the end of bearing the burden of other people’s crimes. I see you, I hear you, and I believe you. You are not alone. Proceeds from the sale of both of the Hymn to the Erinyes scents benefit RAINN, the United States’ largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, and provides programs to help survivors, prevent sexual violence, and ensure that offenders are brought to justice. A SAVAGE VEIL, SEVERE AND STRONG Black plum, 7-year aged patchouli, nutmeg, and tobacco leaf. SNAKY-HAIR’D MOIRAI MANY-FORM’D Tobacco-threaded incense smoke, labdanum, red benzoin, and blackened vanilla. Thank you, as always, for your support, your kindness, your compassion, and your generosity. Your love and your aid enables us to support vital organizations like RAINN.

I'm never too sick to sing the praises of our like, really smart commander-in-chief, a very stable genius,

It’s been nearly seven years since our prices have changed, though the costs of doing business have never ceased to go up. Know that it breaks our hearts to make the following announcement: Effective January 15, 2018 prices at BPAL and BPTP will be raised to the amounts listed below. BPAL provides health benefits, PTO, a living wage, and other workplace benefits for a local, full-time staff. Remaining true to our core ethics requires us to keep up with the costs of this labor, as well as other expenses, such as our manufacturing costs, rent, mandatory workplace insurance, and the purchasing of product components, all of which are constantly on the rise. In 2017, we finally sailed past the point where not even booming sales or tightening our belts could not make up for these additional costs. In order for us to survive in the current economic climate, our prices have to go up across the board at both BPAL and BPTP. Working on our 15th Anniversary collection was a tremendous opportunity to look back and take inventory of everything our long-term investment in BPAL -- as well as yours -- has yielded. Here are some of the standards we've managed to meet, against all odds: History. We maintain an extensive scent archive reaching back over a decade. While this stock may fluctuate, many of you continue to enjoy access to the BPAL you first fell in love with. Continuity. Instead of being capsized by unforeseen setbacks or sudden expenses, as is the fate of so many small businesses, we have been able to operate at a loss for short periods when necessary. Philanthropy. Every year, a portion of our crowded production schedule is dedicated to products that will raise funds for charity. Community. We sponsor and promote artists, podcasters, drag queens, independent retailers, and various artisans across the country. Mobility. Each year, we absorb the tremendous expense of traveling to as many conventions as possible, so we can meet our customers in person. Generosity. We provide a wealth of free samples to our customers, as well as convention attendees who might otherwise not be able to afford a full bottle to take home (not to mention stickers, pins, and other fun swag). We want everyone to feel welcome at our table. Quality. In a time when adulteration is increasingly the norm, we are resolute in our commitment to using only the purest and most ethically sourced ingredients available. While some of these aims may seem more expendable than others, our ultimate goal is to preserve a certain tradition and standard for quality which our clients -- our family -- have come to expect, and which we intend to honor for as long as possible. Though we know money’s just as tight for everyone else as it is for us, we hope you will understand the difficulty of our position, and continue to invest in our people, our products, and our future together. NEW PRICES FOR 2018: BLACK PHOENIX ALCHEMY LAB General Catalog and Limited Edition Updates (Future LE blends will continue to vary by series. Price based on components and cost to manufacture.) General Catalogue 5ml: $19.50 Single Imp's Ear: $4.50 6 pack of Imp's Ears: $25.00 BPAL Anniversary ‘17: $23.00 Hymn to Fortuna: $26.00 Halloween ‘17: $23.00 Carnaval Diabolique: $26.00 TKO: $30.00 Moons of Saturn ‘18: $25.00 Lunacy Moons: $26.00 7 Word Stories: $26.00 Conjunction of Mars: $26.00 In Time of Plague: $26.00 BPAL Licensed Scents (Future co-branded blends will continue to vary by series. Price based on components and cost to manufacture.) VILF: $22.00 Gris Grimly: $23.00 The Last Unicorn: $26.00 Nobodies Watching Wrestling: $27.00 American Gods: $28.00 Lemon-Scented: $28.00 Anansi Boys: $28.00 Coraline: $28.00 Good Omens: $28.00 Graveyard Book: $28.00 Neverwhere: $28.00 Stardust: $28.00 Lady Death: $28.00 Grendel: $28.00 Dawn: $28.00 Witchblade: $28.00 Hero Initiative: $28.00 Hellboy: $28.00 The District: $28.00 Irredeemable: $28.00 Pandora: $28.00 Fraggle Rock: $28.00 Labyrinth: $28.00 The Dark Crystal: $28.00 Paranorman: $28.00 Pretty Deadly: $28.00 Kabuki: $28.00 Clive Barker: $28.00 Vampire Tarot: $32.00 Crimson Peak: $32.00 Only Lovers Left Alive: 32.00 Activism Scents Alternative Facts: $26.00 COVFEFE: $26.00 Fake News: $26.00 LORDY: $26.00 Nasty Woman : $26.00 Nevertheless: $26.00 Theoi Nomioi: $26.00 Irish Coffee Buttercream: $28.00 Spiced Rum Buttercream: $28.00 Scalia: $28.00 SN: Bluebonnet: $28.00 SN: Douglas Iris: $28.00 SN: Flor de Maga: $28.00 Take a Knee: $28.00 NEW PRICES FOR 2018: BLACK PHOENIX TRADING POST (Co-branded and LE products will continue vary by series. Price based on components and cost to manufacture.) General Catalog Hair Gloss: $29.50 General Catalog Atmo: $26.00 General Catalog Massage Oil: $18.00 General Catalog Bath Oil: $32.00 General Catalog Nail Polish: $10.50 Carnaval Diabolique Hair Gloss: $30.00

Happy fifteenth anniversary, BPAL! YER ALMOST OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE. Before anything else, I’d like to thank our customers. You are more than clients; you are our friends, our extended family. Thank you for being with us through so much – through bright days and darkness, through sorrow and joy. Thank you for the gift of your friendship, thank you for standing with us through difficult times, thank you for sharing our laughter and the burdens of our grief. The community that has grown around BPAL these past fifteen years is like nothing else in this world, online or off. True, everlasting friendships – the love of family – is evident everywhere I look. Whenever I go onto the forum, I bear witness to incredible acts of love and kindness. We support one another selflessly in times of need, and I hold each and every one of you as models of emotional generosity and true friendship. It is an honor for me to be a part of your lives, and my gratitude is beyond words. Thank you for everything that you have brought to my life, thank you for everything. I know I’ve said it many, many times: the single most important gift that Black Phoenix has given me throughout this decade is the phenomenal, world-encompassing family that I now have because of all of you. You can’t imagine how much you mean to me. Thank you. With all my love and gratitude… Thank you, Brian, for being the dearest and truest of friends. You are the spine of this company, its rock-solid foundation. Without you, this company would be a series of abstract ideas without form. You help me manifest my strange daydreams, you always make me laugh, and you never, ever let me down. Thank you for putting up with my shit, I love you, big brother. Thank you, Ted, for being my heart’s joy, my true love, my soulmate, my muse, and my strength. You are as vital to me as breath and light, and as much a part of me as the blood that flows through my veins. Thank you for being my Prince Charming, thank you for always being there for me, thank you for your patience, your sober counsel, your laughter, your filthy mind, your sense of humor. Thank you for being you, thank you for being mine. Lilith, you are my muse and my angel, my little werewolf, my baby bat. You are the light in my heart, you are my joy, and every single day I love you more and more. Thank you, Jacquelynn, for all of your dedication to the Lab, for your hard work, your dedication, your creativity, your intelligence and wit, and your huge, huge heart. You are such an important, vital part of BPAL, and I love you. Thank you, Piolet, for your hard work and your strength of character. Thank you for your wisdom and your humor, your optimism, your patience, your commitment, and your friendship. I love you! Tom, thank you for all that you do. Thank you for all of your help promoting BPAL, thank you for being my Other Voice, thank you for always being there for me, for being a true friend, for listening to my incessant kvetching, and for your huge heart and vast, boundless creativity. Thank you for lending us your talent, thank you for being my friend. I love you. Thank you, Chrissy, for your passion and drive, your creativity and enthusiasm. I am grateful for you and for all you do, and I love you! Thank you, Stephanie, for your incredible work ethic, your drive and your patience, and the kindness with which you treat everyone around you. You are a treasure, and I love you! Cerina and Sabina, thank you for all of the hard work you put into helping us get through both calm work weeks and batshit crazy seasons. We couldn’t do this without you. I love you guys! Thank you, Claire, for being Ted’s right hand woman! You are amazing. I admire your wit, compassion, and talent, and I am deeply grateful for all you do. I love you! Thank you, Galen, for the incredible videos that you have been crafting for BPAL. You are exceptionally talented, incredibly sweet, and I love you! Anne, thank you so much for all you do to help promote BPAL and help us at events! You are a powerhouse, and I am deeply grateful. Lance and Alejandro! Welcome to the tribe! Thank you both so much for all you do. We are so happy to have you with us! Thank you, Sara and Viv, for all the love and enthusiasm you put into every Lunacy. Without you, our events would be pale shadows. I love you both very, very much. Kaitlin, you cannot imagine how grateful I am for your help and for your friendship. Thank you for putting up with our madness, our ridiculous requests, our last-minute panics. Thank you for the gift of your incredible heart, your beautiful Libra charms, and your deep compassion. I love you. Thank you to Tom, Lisa, Maggie, Ali, Eva, Chris, Eric, Jason, Jared, Galen, Anne, and Sonya for making this year’s #carnylife possible. You were all amazing, and we are deeply grateful for your help. Thank you so much for being there for us, and for giving so much of yourselves to the events! Thank you, Donna and Jeff, for being our bottle babysitters! You are lifesavers, and we love you so, so much! Thank you, Em for your wise counsel, for always having my back, for always being there for me, and for always listening. I would be lost without your advice and your friendship. I love you! Ali, you are and always will be my living Manual of Style! Thank you for unbabbling my babble, re-sensing my nonsense, and letting me bounce ideas off of you incessantly. You are an inspiration always, and I love you. Thank you, Andra, you are a true friend, a truly amazing human being, and I love you so much! Thank you to Sue and Del at Dark Delicacies for being such true and wonderful friends, and thank you for being the greatest grandparents a little demoness could ask for! We love you! Thank you, Courtney and Lisa, for being our extended Lunacy family! Thank you for all the energy and love you put into every event! We are all truly grateful! Thank you, Sean, for helping us navigate our hiccups with bpal.org. Without your efforts, the forum would have died a horrible, much-lamented death. You have no idea how grateful I am. Thank you, Cat, for being such an amazing friend. Thank you for being my co-conspirator and confidante, thank you for your kindness. I love you! Huge amounts of love and huge amounts of gratitude to Laura Hall and all the wonderful people at Laika studios. Your generosity and kindness is beyond measure. Thank you to Thomas, Chandra, Melissa, Kat, and Tommy at Century Guild. I love you guys! Thank you, Audra, for giving BPAL a home at Loved to Death! It is a delight working with you, and I am overjoyed by our partnership! Thank you! Jess, thank you for everything! Your creativity, integrity, and compassion is a ceaseless source of inspiration. I love you! Samantha, you are a wonderful human being, a fountain of inspiration, and I love you! Thank you to Neil Gaiman, Guillermo Del Toro, Legendary Pictures, Jim Jarmusch, Peter Beagle, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios, Terry Pratchett, Terry Moore, Mike and Christine Mignola, George Perez, Peter David, Molly Crabapple, Mark Waid, Thomas Negovan, Matt Wagner, Laika Studios, Jim Henson Productions, Brian Pulido, Joseph Michael Linsner, Gris Grimly, George RR Martin, Clive Barker, Mark Miller, David Mack, Gail Potocki, and Erin Morgenstern for giving Black Phoenix the opportunity to interpret your work. Thank you to the noble souls at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. You are an inspiration. Thank you, Charles, for being an inspiration, a true friend, and a partner in occasional French Quarter debauchery! Thank you, CP, for being an incredible friend. Your kind soul and radiant spirit illuminates everything and everyone you touch. Love and thanks to the artists that have lent us their talent: Julie Dillon, Drew Rausch, Aristotle Pramagioulis, Alicia Dabney, Emma Rios, Madame Talbot, Quique Alcatena, Jennifer Rodgers, Manda Lander, Emily Wernet, Eric Thurnbeck, Lily Gabrielle Hoyda, Galen Adair, Keri Newton, Robert Kraiza, Tanya Bjork, Andrew Fogel, Brian Kessinger, Abigail Larson, Aidan Casserly, and Sarah Coleman! Love and thanks to Blood Milk, Gothic Renaissance, Ritualcravt, Think Geek, Century Guild, Loved to Death, the Mütter Museum, Haute Macabre, Heretic Salon, Whole Foods, Pretty Indulgent, and Dark Delicacies for giving BPAL a space in your homes. Love and thanks to the bloggers, journalists, magazines, and other media outlets that taken the time to write about Black Phoenix. Honestly, I cannot thank you enough. Without you, I’d just be screaming into the void. Heartfelt gratitude to all of the organizations we sponsor. You are a light in the darkness, and it is our honor to support you in your work. NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) National Center for Transgender Equality American Civil Liberties Union The National Park Foundation The National Parks Conservation Association The Trevor Project EMILY’s List Southern Poverty Law Center Habitat for Humanity, New Orleans CBLDF Orangutan Foundation Planned Parenthood UNHCR And last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank my ancestors, the genius loci of Los Angeles, all friendly spirits that help me out here and there, all the gods (both celestial and infernal), our house ghost, the Lab poltergeist, and anyone else that might be looking out for me. This is what I wrote last year, and it holds even truer now: “This is a hard anniversary update to write. Every anniversary, I sum up the year and try to give thanks to everyone who enriches our lives. The latter is easy – my life is filled with the kindest, wisest, most compassionate people – but the former is stunningly difficult. 2016 has been cruel. 2016 has seen so much grief and loss, and the year has presented to us a series of breathtakingly devastating events, leaving so many in a mire of fear, uncertainty, and sorrow. Since 2002, the community that has grown from Black Phoenix has become my family. Our beloved coworkers, our clients, the small companies that we work with, our forum moderators, the wonderful artists, writers, and creators that we are privileged to create for, our media outlets, our retailers, our extended Lunacy event family, our traveling medicine show convention family, the bloggers and journalists who think of us, and the wonderful, generous, kind people at the charitable organizations that we work with. This is our family. You – if you are reading this – are part of our family, and I am grateful for you. I know that it is cold comfort, but I want to tell you that we stand with you and you are not alone. We stand with the LGBTQ community, we stand with the disabled community, we stand with our brothers and sisters in every single minority religious, racial, and ethnic group. We stand with the trans community, we stand with immigrants and refugees, we stand with those who would protect our water and our land. We stand with you against hate. We stand with you against intolerance. We stand with you, and we will do everything within our power to fight with you and for you in this dark, uncertain time. In gratitude and with love…” Thank you. Thank you so much, everyone, for being with us for the past fifteen years. I truly hope we’ve been able to bring you as much joy as you have brought to us. Here’s to the next fifteen years. - - - Our interpretation of the Twelve Days of Christmas is also live at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and Black Phoenix Trading Post, with illustrations by Drew Rausch!

Pursue the Snow Queen, summon the spirits of the dead, indulge in a brisk snow bath, crown yourself in Yule radiance, and suffuse your home with the scents of winter. Happy holidays from Black Phoenix Trading Post!

Check out the proof of concept video... you might recognize a certain little monster! Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab contributed bottles of Full Moon Flakes, a toasted oat and chocolate marshmallow cereal scent, to several reward tiers! Please support these amazingly talented, sweet, and funny people!

Psst! And! Also! Oh, and one more thing! A proper announcement will come out tomorrow, but I wanted to let you guys know first! BPTP will be shoveling snow by the end of the week, too. (Probably.) (Barring incident.)

SINGLE NOTE: DOUGLAS IRIS Proceeds from the sale of this California wildflower single note will benefit those affected by the Tubbs Fire through this GoFundMe. Funds gathered by this GoFundMe will be distributed to the Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority, Napa County Fire Department, Lake County Fire and Rescue, Santa Rosa Fire Department, and the Redwood Credit Union North Bay Fire Recovery Fund. https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/activism/single-note-douglas-iris/

Psst!