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Neil Gaiman is a wonderful man, and Stardust is a wonderful movie. The script is both beautiful and clever, the acting is extraordinary, and it is a visually stunning film. The whole experience is a pleasure. The truth is, Stardust is the best damned movie that I have seen in YEARS, and you will be doing yourself a horrible disservice if you don't see it in the theatre.

As you guys may know, many of the Labbies make an annual pilgrimage to the San Diego Comic Con. This one happens to overlap with a full moon, so Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and Black Phoenix Trading Post are putting up their Lunacy offerings a little early. The scents and shirt will be live on their respective sites from 7/24 til 7/31. The tee: The scents: SINGING MOON Green, in the wizard arms Of the foam-bearded Atlantic, An isle of old enchantment, A melancholy isle, Enchanted and dreaming lies; And there, by Shannon's flowing, In the moonlight, spectre-thin, The spectre Erin sits. An aged desolation, She sits by old Shannon's flowing, A mother of many children, Of children exiled and dead, In her home, with bent head, homeless, Clasping her knees she sits, Keening, keening! And at her keen the fairy-grass Trembles on dun and barrow; Around the foot of her ancient crosses The grave-grass shakes and the nettle swings; In haunted glens the meadow-sweet Flings to the night wind Her mystic mournful perfume; The sad spearmint by holy wells Breathes melancholy balm. Sometimes she lifts her head, With blue eyes tearless, And gazes athwart the reek of night Upon things long past, Upon things to come. And sometimes, when the moon Brings tempest upon the deep, The roused Atlantic thunders from his caverns in the west, The wolfhound at her feet Springs up with a mighty bay, And chords of mystery sound from the wild harp at her side, Strung from the hearts of poets; And she flies on the wings of tempest With grey hair streaming: A meteor of evil omen, The spectre of hope forlorn, Keening, keening! She keens, and the strings of her wild harp shiver On the gusts of night: O'er the four waters she keens—over Moyle she keens, O'er the Sea of Milith, and the Strait of Strongbow, And the Ocean of Columbus. And the Fianna hear, and the ghosts of her cloudy hovering heroes; And the swan, Fianoula, wails o'er the waters of Inisfail, Chanting her song of destiny, The rune of weaving Fates. And the nations hear in the void and quaking time of night, Sad unto dawning, dirges, Solemn dirges, And snatches of bardic song; Their souls quake in the void and quaking time of night, And they dream of the weird of kings, And tyrannies moulting, sick, In the dreadful wind of change. Wail no more, lonely one, mother of exiles, wail no more, Banshee of the world—no more! The sorrows are the world's, though art no more alone; Thy wrongs, the world's. Moonlight over grave grass, meadowsweet, marsh hellebore, rock sea-lavender, Irish Lady's-tresses, melancholy thistle, and wood bitter-vetch, with the scent of autumn fires in the distance, sprayed by wind howling over the Atlantic. THE EMATHIDES The chosen Muse here ends her sacred lays; The nymphs unanimous decree the bays, And give the Heliconian Goddesses the praise. Then, far from vain that we shou'd thus prevail, But much provok'd to hear the vanquish'd rail, Calliope resumes: Too long we've born Your daring taunts, and your affronting scorn; Your challenge justly merited a curse, And this unmanner'd railing makes it worse. Since you refuse us calmly to enjoy Our patience, next our passions we'll employ; The dictates of a mind enrag'd pursue, And, what our just resentment bids us, do. The railers laugh, our threats and wrath despise, And clap their hands, and make a scolding noise: But in the fact they're seiz'd; beneath their nails Feathers they feel, and on their faces scales; Their horny beaks at once each other scare, Their arms are plum'd, and on their backs they bear Py'd wings, and flutter in the fleeting air. Chatt'ring, the scandal of the woods they fly, And there continue still their clam'rous cry: The same their eloquence, as maids, or birds, Now only noise, and nothing then but words. Gleaming eyes, screeching voices, glistening wings: black amber, black orchid, black currant, olive blossom, wood violet, lavender, blue musk, rose attar, and cedar. VIRGO 2007 Mutable earth: the essence of analysis. Fennel, valerian, maidenhair fern, carrot seed, honeysuckle, and myrtle. Tonight, some of our 4oz memorabilia bottles will be going up on eBay. If you’re going to the Con, please stop by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund charity auction or come by their booth (1831). Your shopping thirst will be slaked, and the money will go to a very, very worthy cause! Fret not: while some of us are at Comic Con, it will still be business as usual at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Emails will be answered, orders will be packed and shipped.

Sarah Coleman did the artwork for Stardust, and Julie Dillon did the artwork for Good Omens. =)

13, the Gibbous Moon, and the Sportive Sun will be live until July 15, 2007. =)

BLACK PHOENIX TRADING POST Black Phoenix Trading Post has a hell of an update this month! First off, here be Red Moon – August’s Lunacy tee: We have one small addition to the permanent catalogue. It is the third in our LE Commemorative set, and this one is dedicated to the entire A Little Lunacy series: Six new soaps have been added to the suds line, courtesy of the fine folks at Silk Road Trading Company: AL AZIF BORDELLO CHESHIRE CAT MOXIE PERVERSION TKO Due to the cost of the components of the soaps, Moxie and TKO are $10.50 each. All other soaps are $8.50US. Within the next few weeks, several garments are being added, as well as an expansion to our bath and body line and some interesting bits of tchotch! - - - BLACK PHOENIX ALCHEMY LAB This month’s Lunacies: RED MOON August is a month of reflection. It is the month of rest before the harvest, and it holds for us a time between toils, a brief period of relaxation before we take up the burden of our work again. It is the Time of the Phoenix, a season of celebrating health, vitality, warmth and joy, but it is also the time at which the Corn God dies for the sake of the land, his blood soaking the earth to ensure a bountiful harvest in the fall. The Full Red Moon of August was named thus by some Native American tribes because as the moon rises, it dons a reddish veil, visible through the hot, sweltering summer evening haze. Our blend for this Moon mixes traditional lunar oils with the warmth of amber, red musk, and heliotrope, the russet haze of dragon's blood resin, sunflower, and crushed orange peel, with a dusting of summertime herbs: chamomile, rue, elder flower and marigold. ALLISON GROSS O ALLISON GROSS, that lives in yon towr, The ugliest witch i' the north country, Has trysted me ae day up till her bowr, An monny fair speech she made to me. She stroaked my head, an she kembed my hair, An she set me down saftly on her knee; Says, Gin ye will be my lemman so true, Sae monny braw things as I woud you gi. She showd me a mantle o red scarlet, Wi gouden flowrs an fringes fine; Says, Gin ye will be my lemman so true, This goodly gift it sal be thine. ‘Awa, awa, ye ugly witch, Haud far awa, an lat me be; I never will be your lemman sae true, An I wish I were out o your company.’ She neist brought a sark o the saftest silk, Well wrought wi pearles about the ban; Says, Gin you will be my ain true love, This goodly gift you sal comman. She showd me a cup of the good red gold, Well set wi jewls sae fair to see; Says, Gin you will be my lemman sae true, This goodly gift I will you gi. ‘Awa, awa, ye ugly witch, Had far awa, and lat me be; For I woudna ance kiss your ugly mouth For a’ the gifts that ye coud gi.’ She’s turnd her right and roun about, An thrice she blaw on a grass-green horn, An she sware by the meen and the stars abeen, That she’d gar me rue the day I was born. Then out has she taen a silver wand, An she’s turnd her three times roun an roun; She’s mutterd sich words till my strength it faild, An I fell down senceless upon the groun. She’s turnd me into an ugly worm, And gard me toddle about the tree; An ay, on ilka Saturdays night, My sister Maisry came to me, Wi silver bason an silver kemb, To kemb my heady upon her knee; But or I had kissd her ugly mouth, I’d rather a toddled about the tree. But as it fell out on last Hallow-even, When the Seely court was ridin by, The queen lighted down on a gowany bank, Nae far frae the tree where I wont to lye. She took me up in her milk-white han, An she’s stroakd me three times oer her knee; She chang’d me again to my ain proper shape, An I nae mair maun toddle about the tree. Witch-herbs, crushed golden flowers, and a man-made-dragon’s surly musk lightened by the scent of the blossoms and unearthly incense that clings to the Faerie Queen’s hair. Dragon’s blood musk, ambergris, sunflower, chrysanthemum, muguet, and rue, with gingered lily, moonflower, bluebell, peony, nightwort, and white rose. And this month’s astrological blend: LEO Fixed Fire: the essence of pride. Egyptian amber, walnut bark, chamomile, frankincense, and saffron. Red Moon 2007, Allison Gross, and Leo will be live until July 2, 2007. Two other Limited Edition scents are live: Mine are the night and morning, The pits of air, the gulf of space, The sportive sun, the gibbous moon, The innumerable days. I hid in the solar glory, I am dumb in the pealing song, I rest on the pitch of the torrent, In slumber I am strong. THE SPORTIVE SUN Heliotrope, amber, almond flower, frangipani, cedar, and calamus. THE GIBBOUS MOON Moonflower, Madonna lily, orris, white ginger, cucumber, hyacinth, and Irish moss. The Sun and Moon will be live until July 15, 2007. - - - Aaaaaaaaaaaand… two new sections have been added to the site: GOOD OMENS AND STARDUST! ++ GOOD OMENS AGNES NUTTER The mind of Agnes Nutter was so far adrift in Time that she was considered pretty mad even by the standards of seventeenth-century Lancashire, where mad prophetesses were a growth industry. Gunpowder, charred wood, smoke, and rusty nails. AZIRAPHALE Many people, meeting Aziraphale for the first time, formed three impressions: that he was English, that he was intelligent, and that he was gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide. Two of these were wrong; Heaven is not England, whatever certain poets may have thought, and angels are sexless unless they really want to make an effort. Ethereal musk, blonde woods, and dusty Bible accord. CROWLEY Nothing about him looked particularly demonic, at least by classical standards. No horns, no wings. Admittedly he was listening to a Best of Queen tape, but no conclusions should be drawn from this because all tapes left in a car for more than a fortnights metamorphose into Best of Queen albums. No particularly demonic thoughts were going through his head. In fact, he was wondering vaguely who Moey and Chandon were. Crowley had dark hair, and good cheekbones, and he was wearing snakeskin shoes, or at least presumably he was wearing shoes, and he could do really weird things with his tongue. And, whenever he forgot himself, he had a tendency to hiss. Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk. SHADWELL Shadwell had turned out to be about five feet high and wore clothes which, no matter what they actually were, always turned up in your short-term memory as an old mackintosh. The old man may have all his own teeth, but only because no-one else could possibly have wanted them; just one of them, placed under the pillow, would have made the Tooth Fairy hand in its wand. He appeared to live entirely on sweet tea, condensed milk, hand-rolled cigarettes, and a sort of sullen internal energy. Shadwell had a Cause, while he followed with the full resources of his soul and his Pensioner's Concessionary Travel Pass. He believed in it. It powered him like a turbine. Roll-ups, mildewed raincoat, sweet tea, and condensed milk. WAR She finished the drink, hefted the sword over one shoulder, and looked around at the puzzled factions, who now encircled her completely. 'Sorry to run out on you, chaps,' she said. 'Would love to stay and get to know you better.' The men in the room suddenly realized they didn't want to know her better. She was beautiful, but she was beautiful in the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, but not up close. And she held her sword, and she smiled like a knife. Red ginger, black spices, patchouli, honeysuckle, and three blood-soaked red musks. ++ STARDUST FAIRY MARKET "Eyes, eyes! New eyes for old!" shouted a tiny woman in front of a table covered with bottles and jars filled with eyes of every kind and color. "Instruments of music from a hundred lands!" "Penny whistles! Tuppenny hums! Threepenny choral anthems!" "Try your luck! Step right up! Answer a simple riddle and win a wind-flower!" "Everlasting lavender! Bluebell cloth!" "Bottled dreams, a shilling a bottle!" "Coats of night! Coats of twilight! Coats of dusk!" "Swords of fortune! Wands of power! Rings of eternity! Cards of grace! Roll-up, roll-up, step this way!" "Salves and ointments, philtres and nostrums!" Otherworldy golden incense, blooming wind-flowers, everlasting lavender, bluebell, a faint whiff of exotic sugared candies, and fae mist upon wet green grass. TRISTRAN Tristran put down his wooden cup of tea, and stood up, offended. "What," he asked, in what he was certain were lofty and scornful tones, "would possibly make you imagine that my lady-love would have sent me on some foolish errand?" The little man stared up at him with eyes like beads of jet. "Because that's the only reason a lad like you would be stupid enough to cross the border into Faerie. The only ones who ever come here from your lands are the minstrels, and the lovers, and the mad. And you don't look like much of a minstrel, and you're - pardon me saying so, lad, but it's true - ordinary as cheese-crumbs. So it's love, if you ask me." "Because," announces Tristran, "every lover is in his heart a madman, and in his head a minstrel." Dust on your trousers, mud on your boots, and stars in your eyes: redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint. VICTORIA Every boy in the village was in love with Victoria Forester. And many a sedate gentleman, quietly married with grey in his beard, would stare at her as she walked down the street, becoming, for a few moments, a boy once more, in the spring of his years with a spring in his step. Graceful vanilla musk, tea rose, and stargazer lily. THE WITCH QUEEN On a rocky mountain pass, on the southernmost slopes of Mount Belly, the witch-queen reined in her goat-drawn chariot and stopped and sniffed the chilly air. The myriad stars hung cold in the sky above her. Her red, red lips curved up into a smile of such beauty, such brilliance, such pure and perfect happiness that it would have frozen your blood in your veins to have seen it. "There," she said. "She is coming to me." And the wind of the mountain pass howled about her triumphantly, as if in answer. Wild plum, red musk, tuberose, calla lily, heliotrope, pimento, ylang ylang and beeswax beneath a dark haze of sinister purple-hued incense smoke. YVAINE She was sprawled, awkwardly, beneath the hazel tree, and she gazed up at Tristran with a scowl of complete unfriendliness. She hefted another clod of mud at him, menacingly, but did not throw it. Her eyes were red and raw. Her hair was so fair it was almost white, her dress was of blue silk which shimmered in the candlelight. She glittered as she sat there. The high, crystalline scent of a star-filled night with blue lavender and lush magnolia. I cannot thank Mr. Gaiman, Mr. Pratchett, or the guys at Paramount enough for the trust they have shown us, and a million, trillion thanks to Messrs Gaiman and Pratchett for the opportunity to translate their stories within our medium! Both the Good Omens and Stardust series are charitable, not-for-profit ventures. Proceeds from every single bottle from the Stardust series go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and proceeds from every single bottle from the Good Omens series are split between the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Orangutan Foundation UK. Stardust, the film, will be premiering in the US on August 10, 2007! Artwork on the Good Omens page is by the lovely Julie Dillon, and the artwork on the Stardust page is by our snugglewumpus, Jennifer Williamson. - - - As you have probably noticed, there have been a few changes to the Black Phoenix web site. We’re working on a bit of summertime cleaning – polishing up the old, dolling up the new – so, over the next few updates, some of the oft-neglected areas of the site are going to (finally!) be updated, too. - - - And, as always, there will be more of this, that, and the other (at Alchemy Lab and Trading Post) in the upcoming months!

We’re going to be running a clothing donation drive at both the East Coast and West Coast will calls, benefiting local women’s shelters. If you bring a clean, usable piece of clothing to will call, we will add it to our donation. In return for your generosity, you will receive a small thank you present (in concert with the last update’s theme) from the Lab. The first 25 people that bring a clothing donation will receive an extra-speshul themed package. One gift per customer, regardless of how much you donate. We want to make sure we have enough for everyone!

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING RESCALE As you know, on May 14, 2007, the USPS shot their international Priority shipping through the roof. At that time, we had to make adjustments to our shipping grid to reflect the spike in shipping cost. After a huge amount of experimentation, pestering postal workers, and talking to USPS reps, we have found a solution for small to medium orders. The rescaled shipping is thus: One 5ml = 1 item Twelve imps = 1 item If you purchase 12 items or less (in any combination of imps and 5mls), these are the shipping rates: $11 to Canada $13 to Western Europe & Australasia If you live outside these areas, or are placing an order larger than 12 items, please email us for rates. We wish we would have been able to implement this sooner, but we couldn’t jump the gun on it. We wanted to test these procedures, as they are not posted on the USPS site – basically, we had to make sure everyone’s orders wouldn’t be shipped back to us. Now that we know it’ll work, and its on the up and up, we can move forward with the adjusted rates.

We will be sponsoring (and vending at) Bat’s Day this year, and will be helpin’ out at Pyrate Con. http://www.batsday.net/ http://www.myspace.com/pyratecon If you can make it, please come hang out. =)

Since the Lunacy (Thunder Moon) went up so early this month, we have a little surprise in store, in lieu of the traditional Loon scents, for the next full moon update. Unfortunately, we have some bad news. In order to keep things manageable at Black Phoenix, and to make room for two new sub-series, we’re going to have to kill off the Tarot and Sephiroth oils. To put it bluntly, those two series simply don’t sell, and we don’t want to keep unloved oils on the shelf. They will be coming down when the next Lunacy update goes live. Thank you for understanding! (To clarify: when the next Lunacy goes live, the Tarots and Sephiroth will no longer be available.)

We’re going to call this the Bastille Update (thank you, Jeff!). For a limited time, the following scent will be available on our Limited Edition page: PRIVILEGE Polished party-girl sleaze. This is a shameless scent, devoid of caution, regret, or introspection. This perfume reeks of tabloid glamour, and has no substance whatsoever. Armoise, tuberose, white citrus, rose absolute, oakmoss, tiare, vanilla, linden, and lemon tree blossom. Although this scent originated with fine plants and the pure essences, the final result is a grotesque, eerily empty caricature of a debauched, narcissistic would-be debutante. PRUNO Jailhouse hooch. Distilled in toilets, this vintage is comprised of chow line droppings, including oranges, apples, ketchup, and sugar. - - - Is it cruel to commemorate someone’s jail sentence with a festive set of fragrances? Maybe. But it is far fouler to drive drunk, endanger the lives of others, and expect to get away with it because your family has cash. It is our opinion that everyone should be held accountable for their actions. Period. These scents will be live for as long as Paris Hilton stays in jail. Money shouldn’t exempt you from basic human decency, and it certainly shouldn’t shelter you from justice. We’re not fooled by your brand new Bible, your pottery, or your practiced penitent pout, Miss Paris. Besides, you’re a resourceful girl. Or, at least, you have a resourceful PR rep. We’re sure you’ll find a way to turn this to your advantage. Memoirs from the Big House, perhaps? (By the way… Candy Spelling, we love you!) In addition to being a celebration of one irresponsible, horrid person’s comeuppance, these scents do go to a good cause… albeit, in BPAL’s crass, snotty fashion. A portion of each sale of Privilege and Pruno will be donated to Southern California women’s shelters. In the interests of privacy and at least a sliver of good taste, the specific shelters are staying under a veil of anonymity. We hope you understand.

It’s the Blue Moon, boys and girls! BLUE MOON The spirit of the full moon is capricious, intense and passionate, yet still distant, aloof and cold. Luna herself governs glamours, bewitchments and dream-work, innocent wonder, transient pleasure and delight, the Moment, impulse, mystery and veils. The Blue Moon is one of her rarest manifestations, and this scent is formulated to encapsulate her most complex and profound nature: Mugwort and bay, for psychic sensitivity… Juniper, for divination through dreams… Orchid and galbanum, for complexity, wisdom and noscere… … with a potent lunar-charged blend of exquisite Asian woods, moonflower, Madagascan ylang ylang, Florentine iris, Greek cypress, davana, green tea absolute, palmarosa, cucumber, Clary sage, melilot trefoils, wood aloes, and pale creeping buttercup. July’s thunderstorms are the harbinger of this month’s Lunacy scent: Thunder Moon. THUNDER MOON This is the scent of a summer storm: thick black clouds pass over this full moon, the Goddess roars, and Her Beloved hurls his forked bolts of lightning in the distant sky. Ozone deepened by liquid amber, and a spray of hot nighttime rain mingled with the scent of lightning-struck wood, water-soaked summer blooms, and sun-scorched grass. And this month’s shapeshifter comes to us from Scotland, by way of Norway: SELKIE In Norway land there lived a maid, 'Hush bee loo lillie' this maid began; 'I know not where my baby's father is, Whether by land or sea he does travel in.' It happened on a certain day When this fair lady fell fast asleep, That in cam' a good greay selchie And set him down at her bed feet, Sayin' 'Awak, awak, my pretty maid, For oh, how sound as thou dost sleep! An' I'll tell thee where thy baby's father is- He's sittin' close at thy bed feet!' 'I pray, come tell to me thy name, Oh, tell me where does thy dwelling be?' 'My name it is good Hein Mailer An' I earn my livin' oot o' the sea. I am a man upo' the land, I am a selchie in the sea, And when I'm far frae every strand My dwellin' is in Sule Skerrie.' 'Alas, alas, this woeful fate!- This weary fate that's been laid for me, That a man should come from the Wast o' Hoy To the Norway lands to have a bairn wi' me!' 'My dear, I'll wed thee with a ring, With a ring, my dear, I'll wed with thee.' 'Thoo may go wed thee weddens wi' whom thoo wilt, For I'm sure thoo'll never wed none wi' me!' 'Thoo wilt nurse my little wee son For seven long years upo' thy knee, An' at the end o' seven long years I'll come back and pay the norish fee.' Now he had ta'en a purse of guld And he has put it upon her knee, Saying 'Gi'e to me my little young son, And take thee up thy nourrice fee.' She says 'My dear, I'll wed thee wi' a ring, Wi' a ring, my dear, I'll wed wi' thee!' Thoo may go wed these [thee's] weddens wi' whom thoo wilt, For I'm sure thoo'll never wed none wi' me! But I'll put a gold chain around his neck An' a gey good gold chain it'll be, That if ever he comes to the Norway lands Thoo may have a gey good guess on he, An' thoo will get a gunner good, An' a gey good gunner it will be, An' he'll gae oot on a May mornin' An' shoot the son an' the grey selchie.' Oh, she has got a gunner good, An' a gey good gunner it was he, An' he went out on a May mornin' An' he shot the son and the grey selchie. Alas, alas this woeful fate This weary fate that's been laid for me.' And once or twice she sobbed and sighed, An' her tender heart did brak' in three. The chill waters of the Orkney coast, tea-leaved willow, honey-touched Grass-of-Parnassus, sea aster, and Scottish Primrose. -- A traditional Scottish ballad. This is a variant of the one collected by Francis James Child. Happy birthday, Moonchildren! CANCER Cardinal Water: the essence of feeling. Wild lettuce, wild pear, chamomile, germanica orris, sweet pea, and mallow. Midsummer is approaching, and with it comes a small Midsummer Night’s Dream-themed update! ++ ILLYRIA HELENA I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, To die upon the hand I love so well. Rose amber, calla lily, night-blooming jasmine, water lily, and white rose. HERMIA How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak; How low am I? I am not yet so low But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes. Pink pepper, golden amber, honeysuckle, and passion flower. LYSANDER The course of true love never did run smooth. Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, with a Venus-kissed tangle of myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin. ROBIN GOODFELLOW Now the hungry lion roars, And the wolf behowls the moon; Whilst the heavy ploughman snores, All with weary task fordone. Now the wasted brands do glow, Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud, Puts the wretch that lies in woe In remembrance of a shroud. Now it is the time of night That the graves all gaping wide, Every one lets forth his sprite, In the church-way paths to glide: And we fairies, that do run By the triple Hecate's team, From the presence of the sun, Following darkness like a dream, Now are frolic: not a mouse Shall disturb this hallow'd house: I am sent with broom before, To sweep the dust behind the door. Dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage. And a few new Shakesperean plants have bloomed in the Garden: ++ RAPPACCINI’S GARDEN DIAN’S BUD Be as thou wast wont to be; See as thou wast wont to see: Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower Hath such force and blessed power. LOVE-IN-IDLENESS Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower, Before, milk-white, now purple with love's wound, And maidens call it love-in-idleness. The Thunder Moon update will be live at Black Phoenix Trading Post tomorrow night. This update, unfortunately, also marks the passing of the following scents: ARACHNE DUBLIN EMPYREAL MIST MANTIS NEO-TOKYO We absolutely hate doing so with zero notice, but we have no choice. Due to a grave emergency, one of our single note artists has closed their doors, and we are unable to procure some of the components that go into these blends elsewhere. All pending orders placed prior to this update will be filled, but we will no longer be manufacturing these scents. Thank you all so much for understanding. We wish them all the best during this trying time. We are currently working on the next Carousel and Carnaval updates, and new soaps, unguents, and tchotchkies will be available at BPTP soon!

We're in communication now. =)

I've seen that, and at this time, we have still received nothing. Not on my email, not on our customer service email, nowhere. We aren't experiencing any server issues at this time, so I honestly don't think there's any lost communication. We found, after some sleuthing, an email at which to contact her. We wouldn't know about this issue at all if I hadn't been pm'd by other (uninvolved) members on the board about this. At the end of the day, I'm sure everyone will hold hands and sing Kumbaya. We always work our hardest to solve problems to everyone's satisfaction when they arise. I'm not going to be back from vending until late tonight, so hopefully the excitement stays to a minimum until I at least get back to my room and get my shoes off.

In something of a rush, as I need to get downstairs to vending. Sorry if this is a little hurried. When Macha made the labels, the information she gleaned about the image used was that it was a public domain photo. We are now finding out that the information she was given about the photo that was used could have been erroneous, and we are working to rectify the situation. As most of you know, we are extremely diligent about all copyright and trademark issues, but it looks like we, and our art department, were snookered by false information. =/ The owner of Sunkist, who we believe may be the actual snake in the photo, has not contacted anyone at the Lab at all, and we are having some trouble at the moment making contact with this person, as the bulk of us are in Portland, and we have a limited opportunity to chase someone down that is presenting this issue through public posts scattered to the four winds, instead of emailing us. Or at least sending one of us a PM. Since this problem came to light, Macha is redoing all the labels for the series. If we were presented with false information with regards to one snake, there is a chance that there are more that may be compromised. Check out my run-on sentences! Gotta go. I'm really, really late.

The Phoenix Parade Portland: Friday, May 25th 4pm The Phoenix Parade Friday, May 25th - 4 PM - FREE The Someday Lounge 125 NW 5th Ave, Portland NO COVER Doors open at 3:30pm A phenomenal fashion event including the following artists: KAMBRIEL http://www.kambriel.com/ ARSENIC FASHIONS http://www.arsenicfashions.com/ TO DIE FOR DESIGNS http://www.todiefordesigns.com/ ORIGINAL SIN http://www.originalsindesign.com/ THREE CROWS TEXTILES http://www.myspace.com/threecrowstextiles MANGE LA MODE http://www.mangelamode.com/ ART OF ADORNMENT http://www.artofadornment.ca/ DARK INDUSTRY http://www.darkindustryclothing.com/ Photography by Mbarrick, Icarusfell and Circle 23 There are going to be multiple DJ's (TBA) who will be spinning 80's ghoulie tunes, and a classical vocal performance! http://anneaphasia.bottle-imp.com/ We’ll be popping in and out during the event. =) If you can, please come by and support these amazing designers! For more information: http://community.livejournal.com/phoenix_parade/ http://www.somedaylounge.com/

As of May 14, 2007, the USPS has skyrocketed their international shipping prices through the damned roof. Accordingly, we have had to make adjustments to our international shipping grid. This is the new scale, using the examples from our FAQ page. The rescaled shipping for international orders is thus: One 5ml = 1 item Twelve imps = 1 item If you purchase 12 items or less (in any combination of imps and 5mls), these are the shipping rates: $11 to Canada $13 to Western Europe & Australasia If you live outside these areas, or are placing an order larger than 12 items, please email us for rates. DOMESTIC Orders totaling up to $150.00: $6.50 …up to $300.00: $11.00 …up to $500.00: $13.00 Shipping costs will be waived for all orders over $500.00. If you live outside of Canada, Western Europe, or Australasia or if you need a shipping quote above and beyond what's listed here, please email customer service with your order [so that we can approximate the weight and figure out specific shipping costs] and she will get back to you as quickly as possible. All prices are in US dollars, and thus: all payments must be made using US dollars. I know this fucking sucks, and over the next few weeks, we're going to try our hardest to find a solution, but in the meantime, we've got to rescale. =/ Edited: Halloween Update 2007

BPAL Spring Cleaning spills out all over eBay! http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZblackphoe...chemylabQQhtZ-1 The warehouse is in dire need of a spring cleaning, so, over the next few months, we’re going to be auctioning like crazy. We’re starting with our old decanting bottles: - - - BLACK PHOENIX MEMENTO 4OZ PERFUME BOTTLE ONE-OF-A-KIND Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Memento Decanting Bottle Not at all New, Very Used, and Straight from the Lab Truly OOAK! This type of bottle was used to store larger amounts of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab oils within our warehouse from 2001-2005. We hand-blended the oil into the 4oz bottles, then decanted from them into the imps, 5ml, and 10ml bottles that we sold to the public. They mean a lot to us, as they are memorabilia from the initial growing years, and all the growing pains, joys, and excitement that we went through during that time. We’d rather that these bottles went into loving hands, instead of just sitting in a dark box in the back of our warehouse. PLEASE NOTE: These bottles DO NOT contain 4oz of perfume oil. They each contain somewhere between four and five ml of perfume oil. These are 4oz bottles, most with handwritten labels. Some have been mod-podged on, some haven’t. Some have silly doodles and deliberate misspellings – goofy work-related jokes. Some have ridiculous colored stars on them; we used those as specific coding notes sometimes, and sometimes we just like putting stars on things. Some are blue, some are amber. They're smeared, smudged, oil-stained, and generally goobery. The bottles will come to you with a black screw-top phenolic cap, and approximately 5ml’s of fresh perfume oil. The cap is new. We used glass pipettes with the bottles while they were in the Lab. In the interest of ensuring safe travel for these puppies, the pipettes have been discarded. We’re keeping the ones with the strongest sentimental value, and some are hanging out in BPAL's front room, but in order to pay for the research and development of new scents, we’re auctioning off the rest of these bottles. - - - We’ll be auctioning them off little by little, along with gobs of oils on dutch auctions and the like. We have an enormous amount of perfume, limited editions and discontinued scents, that have been sitting in the warehouse, unloved, gathering dust. While we usually put most of our single-shot auction proceeds towards charities, the 4oz bottle and LE/discont dutch auctions will be going back into the Lab. Running a business ain’t cheap, and, truth be told, it is a kamikaze venture in the state of California. These particular auctions will be going back into R&D and daily operations so that we may continue to provide you with new pleasures.

Another mini-update on the update! The correct LE page with Gemini tanked. Fixing it now. =)

Thank you for your patience. =D

Due to unforeseen demand, we are backordered on Tokyo Stomp until Monday. Thank you for your patience!

CcNow doesn't seem to like some of our skus. =P As soon as we can, we're going to try and fix all the errant ones.

Happy Friday the 13th, ladies and gents! We have a small update tonight, and, for the first time, we’re extending the “live” time for 13. It will be up on the site until midnight on the dreaded 15th of April in a small gesture intended to cheer some people up at tax time! Milk Moon, Minotaur, and Taurus are also getting a slightly extended stay, and will be live until 13 comes down. And now, on with the show: 13 13 is significant, whether you consider it lucky, unlucky or just plain odd. Many believe it to be unfortunate… … because there were 13 present at the Last Supper. … Loki crashed a party of 12 at Valhalla, which ended in Baldur’s death. … Oinomaos killed 13 of Hippodamia’s suitors before Pelops finally, in his own shady way, defeated the jealous king. … In ancient Rome, Hecate’s witches gathered in groups of 12, the Goddess herself being the 13th in the coven. Concern over the number thirteen echoes back beyond the Christian era. Line 13 was omitted form the Code of Hammurabi. The shivers over Friday the 13th also have some interesting origins: … Christ was allegedly crucified on Friday the 13th. … On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and sixty of his senior knights. … In British custom, hangings were held on Fridays, and there were 13 steps on the gallows leading to the noose. To combat the superstition, Robert Ingersoll and the Thirteen Club held thirteen-men dinners during the 19th Century. Successful? Hardly. The number still invokes trepidation to this day. A recent whimsical little serial killer study showed that the following murderers all have names that total thirteen letters: Theodore Bundy Jeffrey Dahmer Albert De Salvo John Wayne Gacy And, with a little stretch of the imagination, you can also fit ‘Jack the Ripper’ and ‘Charles Manson’ into that equation. More current-era paranoia: modern schoolchildren stop their memorization of the multiplication tables at 12. There were 13 Plutonium slugs in the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Apollo 13 wasn’t exactly the most successful space mission. All of these are things that modern triskaidekaphobes point to when justifying their fears. For some, 13 is an extremely fortuitous and auspicious number… … In Jewish tradition, God has 13 Attributes of Mercy. Also, there were 13 tribes of Israel, 13 principles of Jewish faith, and 13 is considered the age of maturity. … The ancient Egyptians believed that there were 12 stages of spiritual achievement in this lifetime, and a 13th beyond death. … The word for thirteen, in Chinese, sounds much like the word which means “must be alive”. Thirteen, whether you love it or loathe it, is a pretty cool number all around. … In some theories of relativity, there are 13 dimensions. … It is a prime number, lucky number, star number, Wilson Prime, and Fibonacci number. … There are 13 Archimedean solids. AND… … There were 13 original colonies when the United States were founded. Says a lot about the US, doesn’t it? A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits: cardamom, fig meat, grains of paradise, rice flower, chamomile, sandalwood, catnip, clove, and a bundle of five blessed blossoms and herbs. BAD LUCK WOMAN BLUES Did you ever have a bad luck woman on your trail? Did you ever have a bad luck woman on your trail? Always keeps you broke, always keeps you in jail. I used to be happy, (as good Lord), all the time, I used to be happy, (as good Lord), all the time, but soon as I got this woman, (lost) all I can call mine. My bad luck woman is a jinx and a worry too, My bad luck woman is a jinx and a worry too, I can't get rid of her no matter what I do. I tried to make her quit me by callin' another woman's name, I tried to make her quit me by callin' another woman's name, She said, That is all right, he loves me just the same. She keeps a ra't's foot in her hand at night when she goes to sleep, She keeps a ra't's foot in her hand at night when she goes to sleep, to keep (me with) her, so I won't make no midnight creep. My bad luck woman keeps me feelin' blues, My bad luck woman keeps me feelin' blues, I can't get rid of her, she sticks to me like glue. Keep that bad luck woman away with a blend of Spanish moss, black pepper, mullein, sweet sage, vandal root, cypress, cigar tobacco, and a puff of goofer dust cloaked by a swarthy cologne of vetiver, lime, dark musk, caramel accord, and lilac. LADY LUCK BLUES Bad luck has come to stay Trouble never end My man has gone away With a girl I thought was my friend I'm worried down with care Lordy, can't you hear my prayer Lady Luck, Lady Luck Won't you please smile down on me There's the time, friend of mine I need your sympathy I've got a horseshoe on my door I've knocked on wood till my hands are sore Since my man's done turned me loose I've got those Lady Luck blues, I mean I've got those Lady Luck blues Lady Luck, Lady Luck Won't you please smile down on me There's the time, friend of mine I need your sympathy I've got his picture turned upside down I've sprinkled goofer dust all around Since my man is gone I'm all confused I've got those Lady Luck blues Find my good man I've got those Lady Luck blues Lady Luck, please smile down on me. A melancholy scent, aching with longing, created to appease Fickle Fortune. Honeyed Bulgarian rose, vanilla flower, benzoin, tonka, black plum, peony, and iris. Lady Luck Blues, © 1923 William Weber & Clarence Williams. Recorded by Sidney Bechet, Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith, and the Clarence Williams Orchestra. Bad Luck Woman Blues, © 1926 Aletha Dickerson. Recorded by Papa Charlie Jackson. This weekend will see a Black Phoenix Trading Post update. Please keep your eyes peeled! May crickets chirp in your homes, may four-leafed clovers fill your gardens, and may every chimney sweep that you pass blow you a hundred kisses.

They're holding a contest, and BPAL is the prize. =) http://www.shojobeat.com/reliccontest/ http://www.shojobeat.com/style/22/010.php

April is looming, and that means its time to hunt the gowk at BPAL, so to speak. Happy April Fool’s Day, friends and neighbors! To commemorate, we have a slew of springtime sillyscents in addition to this month’s Lunacies. ++ LIMITED EDITION: LUNACY MILK MOON 2007 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. A fertile scent, generous, life-affirming, and swelling with a sense of triumph, warmth, and abundance: sweet milk, golden honey, fig fruit, pomegranate, dates, and white grape. MINOTAUR The Bull of Minos, guardian of the Labyrinth in Knossos. A deep, swarthy black musk dusted by a dark, resinous blend of sacred bisabol myrrh, atramentous benzoin, tsori, balsam, and galbanum. ++ LIMITED EDITION: SUSPICIENDO DESPICIO TAURUS 2007 Fixed Earth: the essence of possession. Rose, daisy, apple blossom, violet, poppy, columbine, thyme, and mint. ++ LIMITED EDITION: APRIL FOOLS POISSON D'AVRIL Not at all fishy; rather, quite Springy! Innocence spiked with a little bit of foolishness: Lenten rose, crested iris, Virginia bluebell, primrose, moss phlox, blue crocus, daffodil, and dewy tulip with a touch of sugar blossom and honey. And while we're on the topic of April Foolishness... the Monster Baits are back! In 2006, Black Phoenix presented the public with the opportunity to reconnect our clients with their childhood friends… A flashback: Did your bedroom monsters vacate the premises once you hit puberty? Do you miss their creepy scrabblings, chittering whispers and their bits that went bump in the night? DO YOU WANT YOUR MONSTERS TO COME BACK? LOOK NO FURTHER! The sympathetic alchemists at Black Phoenix have devised a sure-fire way to tempt those prodigal bogies back into your boudoir. A few drops of BPAL’s patented Monster Bait on your person, in an oil burner, or on a small sachet or swatch of cloth will lure them back in no time. Now, in 2007, we are overjoyed to present you with another series of Monster Baits! Thanks to the miracles of modern technology, our ability to attract monsters is no longer limited to the confines of your shadowy bedroom. Advances in science have enabled us to expand our oils’ ability to coax even more beasties, both great and small! MONSTER BAIT: TOKYO STOMP Beckons all giant creatures from gargantuan reptiles and humongous moths! These babies are sure to crush everything from dollhouses to shopping malls! Can even be used to summon colossal robots in a pinch! A sweet and crisp vanilla mint! MONSTER BAIT: VENTRILOQUIST DUMMY Menacing, maniacal, and slick with the one-liners … this guy does it all with a wink and a smile! Savage apricot, depraved dry woods, and psychopathic patchouli covered by a disarmingly sweet mishmosh of caramel, brown sugar, hazelnut, and butterscotch. Be warned: this oil will instigate possession in most puppets, including some marionettes and the occasional finger puppet. And last, but not least… a ghoulish lure that is Perfect for your next gathering! MONSTER BAIT: BLOODY MARY Why waste time chanting her name in the mirror 13 times? Bedevil your next slumber party the easy way! Chunky, glistening red fruits with sweet cream accord, black clotted cherry, and powdered sugar! Nighttime heebies can be yours again! Milk Moon, Minotaur, and Taurus will be live until April 5, 2007. The Monster Baits and Poisson D'Avril will be live until April 30, 2007. Spring is springing, and it sure as hell is a stimulus for creativity and bustling work in every facet of the Black Phoenix family. Upcoming in the next few months: We visit Lower Tadfield. We read you a few bedtime stories and moral parables. Another wing opens in the Salon. Offerings will be made at Excolo’s shrines. And we continue our trip through Carnaval Diabolique twisted, spectral midway. Our sister shop, Black Phoenix Trading Post, is incredibly proud to present a stunning interpretation of Milk Moon by our beloved Jennifer Williamson. This beautiful tee will be live until April 3, 2007. A wee bit more Trading Post news: FizzyBOOMs have been discontinued until further notice. As much as we love them, the little buggers are just smooshing too often in transit. They will be down for a bit while we work out the shipping kinks. Thank you for your patience and understanding! We'll keep you posted on the boom status! Do not despair, however, as new soaps, new shiny things, and new incarnations of bathtime joy are all in the works, in addition to solid perfume, ambience blends, and new garment designs.

We topped one million unique hits today.