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Just a public service announcement: All Carnaval artwork... labels, postcards, and the poster and tee that will be available on the Black Phoenix Trading Post site on the 21st... was done by our own Macha. =) Much love to Macha!

Buck Moon is live, along with Carnivale Revisited and Love in the Asylum.

Since I have been receiving numerous questions regarding this… No, ApCat has NEVER diluted any of our products. I thought that I had made it clear, particularly when I said, “I don’t like the idea of people who are not authorized resellers taking it upon themselves to sell our items in a retail environment.” ApCat was clearly an authorized reseller for a very long time. But to reiterate, this is an issue that has come up with people that have purchased our products from the site, in a retail capacity, with the sole intent of reselling, and a particular customer that has done so AND diluted. It has nothing to do with anyone that has ever been one of our wholesale customers, nor does it have anything to do with those who make bulk group purchases through individuals or through a service like the Imp House. Don’t know how else I can explain this.

In response to the few questions we have received about our relations with the Apothecary’s Cat… simply put, we are freezing our wholesale business for the time being. The Imp House, Black Broom and Alternate Realities will continue to host our oils. We wish ApCat all the luck that they deserve in future endeavors. Now for the nasty stuff… I have not had an opportunity to post much lately, and it grieves me a little that the first post I am able to make in ages has to have such a grim tone to it. It is against our policy to condone the purchase of our oils to those that have the express intent of diluting them and reselling them as an original BPAL product. In addition, it is EXTREMELY uncool to purchase our oils if your only intent is reselling them. We are very particular about who we choose to do business with in a reseller’s capacity, and while I am perfectly happy with most everyone’s LJ, forum and eBay sales, as well as trades, I don’t like the idea of people who are not authorized resellers taking it upon themselves to sell our items in a retail environment. It goes without saying that it is doubly upsetting when the oils are diluted or otherwise altered. I’ve asked for this practice to cease as nicely as I can, and now I have to resort to demanding it.

::|:|| CARNAVAL NOIR ||:|:: ... and now I'm going to sleep!

Oops. I posted this in the wrong announcements section. I'd blame the Nyquil, but I haven't taken any yet tonight! - - - Happy Friday the 13th, all! May black cats avoid you, and your salt shakers remain upright. The Limited Edition blend, 13, will be available until just after midnight on Saturday the Fourteenth. For reasons I’m too exhausted to get into, Chaos Theory II will also be available until that time. 13 will reappear every Friday the 13th, which brings it back to town in January of 2006. On June 1st, Springtime In Arkham will pass into the ether, and will be replaced by Carnavale Noir, a 13-deep LE miniseries. And... well you guys know the rest. I *just* posted the preview a few days ago, so I won't bore you

Popping in before the Nyquil takes effect... Here's a small preview of the scents coming out on Friday the 13th: :: BEWITCHING BREWS Grand Guignol In 1897, a new form of entertainment was presented to the people of Montmartre, Paris: the Théâtre du Grand Guignol. During the course of an evening at the theatre, one would watch several small plays, ranging from crime dramas to sexual farces, a violent, throat-ripping, eye-gouging, acid-tossing good time, which always included shock topics such as infanticide, necrophilia, insanity, murder, paranoia, vengeance and death by common household object. Our Grand Guignol perfume is a shot of sweet apricot brandy; just enough to settle your nerves after a ghoulish, gory brush with the macabre. Penny Dreadful Also called Gallows Literature. A dime novel rife with melodrama, horror, madness and cruelty; a ten cent analogy of vice and virtue in conflict. Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam. :: EXCOLO Himerus The God of Sexual Desire, Longing and Yearning; an attendant of Eros and Aphrodite. A passion-rousing blend of juniper, sandalwood, rosewood, red musk, orchid, bergamot and lilac. Pannychis An attendant of the Goddess Venus. She presides over nocturnal pleasure, nighttime festivities, and all the joy and delight that can be found in the darkness. In later ages, it became the name of the all-night festival that closed the Eleusinian Mysteries. Night-blooming jasmine, moonflower, cardamom, sandalwood, black currant, ylang ylang, frankincense and lily. Peitho The Goddess of Persuasion, Seduction and Sexual Wiles. A member of Aphrodite’s retinue, she is also Aphrodite’s daughter and sister to Tyche and Eunomia. Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla. :: EXCOLO: THE ZORYA THE ZORYA Also called the Auroras. The Slavic Triple Goddesses of the Dawn, Sky and Light, who govern the paths of the day. The guard the constellation Ursa Minor from the chained Hound of Doomsday; should they ever fail in their duty, and the chain breaks, the universe will end. Utrennyaya The Morning Star Osmanthus, Damascus rose, violet, delphinium, white mint, palmarosa and white sandalwood. Vechernyaya The Evening Star Three white musks with poppy and patchouli. Zorya The Midnight Star Spices of the Orient mingle with crystalline musk, midnight flowers and cereus, jasmine, primrose and vesper iris. :: WANDERLUST Baghdad Amber, saffron and bergamot with mandarin, nutmeg, Bulgar rose, musk and sandalwood. Eden At the center of the Garden of Eden stands the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Though modern interpretations of the Bible claim that it was an apple that the Serpent of the Tree offered to Eve, it is widely believed that the true Fruit of True Knowledge was, in fact, a fig. This oil contains the innocence of the Garden, coupled with the Truth and Erudition found in the fruit of the Tree of Evil: fig leaf, fig fruit, honeyed almond milk, toasted coconut and sandalwood. Santa Eulària des Riu Piquant citrus tempered by jasmine, soft Mediterranean herbs, lavender and orange blossom. Sri Lanka Indian sandalwood and cedar, and the dry incense smoke of olibanum, gum mastic, patchouli and myrrh. :: PANACEA Detox Purge, purify, cleanse. :: VOODOO BLENDS French Love A warm, soft, sexual blend. Sweet and alluring. Used to entice new lovers and add an aura of temptation and carnal sin to your environment. In addition, there will be a new LE. - - - Some other stuff... The first 100 orders of oils from the Panaceas were upgraded to 10ml's. =) Just... cuz. Going back to bed now.

Your faithful Lab Rat is sick as hell, so the intro to the mini-update will be brief and to the point. Chaos Theory II: the Butterfly Effect is live. Information can be found on the Limited Edition page, and it will run from today until Friday the 13th. Elegba, the Divine Messenger, has joined Excolo, and we welcome Him with open arms. Two updates are slated for the near future: one on Friday the 13th, the other when Springtime In Arkham passes. The Forum-Only scents are also live. For more information, and to order, please hit up http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/forumscents.html.

Due to unforeseen repercussions of the Florida hurricanes, the following oils will be discontinued until further notice: Baobhan Sith Cheshire Cat Lex Talionis Shattered Megaera is being slightly reformulated. Apologies for any inconvenience, and thank you for understanding; this came upon us quite suddenly.

::|:| clickie |:|::

::|:| clickie |:|:: Current auctions: French Lavender 5ml Queen of Spades 5ml Hunter Moon 5ml Allegory 5ml ... and two imp packs.

... will be live on Sunday, 5/1. Apologies for the small delay; small computer explody problem.

The logo contest is going up this weekend, period. I've given ample time for the last two entries to come in, and if they're not here by Friday, I'm going to go ahead with it anyway. This has been too long a process, and I have to cut it off. On a softer, happier note: the King & Queen of Clubs will be available [to forum members only] in the next update, along with a third surprise oil, along the same theme.

The Lunacy update will be going live between 1am and 3am [Mountain Time] on Sunday.

Just a small reminder that we'll be vending at this year's Convergence, April 22-24, at the Shelter Pointe Hotel in San Diego, CA. We're working on a tentative stock list, which will include some LE backstock, a few single notes, the notorious Triple Dagger tee [courtesy of Black Phoenix Trading Post, and a selection of demonic statues [designed by Thomas, of Panoptikom, Screaming Kings and Amy Brown Signature Series fame in addition to a few Twilight Alchemy Lab oils and oils from our general catalogue. Another reminder: my Aphrodesiac Workshop is scheduled for April 29, 8-10pm, and will be hosted by the fine people at Black Broom [5050 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601]. Getting Dirty With Aphrodisiacs 101 This is not a love spell course; just primal, bestial lust. We will address the basic components of a passion blend, discuss methods by which they can be implemented practically, cover edible aphrodisiacs briefly, and at the end of the class you have the option of participating in a little hands-on workshop. Cost for class and materials will be $25. You will leave this class with some goodies and just in time for the weekend! There is no need to pre-register for the class, but I would like to get a general head count so I know what materials I need to provide. At this time, we are awaiting the delivery of a few pieces of logo artwork that seem to have vanished in transit. As soon as they are in our hands, the contest will commence.

We had a few tarot imps left over, so for a limited time [while we've still got 'em!] all BPTP t-shirt orders will come with a couple of tarot impies. =) A little gift from Teddy!

BPAL LOGO CONTEST This is the first presentation of the entries for the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab logo contest. Voting will commence within the next few days. I wanted everyone to have some time to look at the artwork, and, given the computer-related problems we've run into since Mercury went askew, I also wanted some leeway space, just in case someone's entry got sucked into a communication vortex. If you have submitted a logo and it is not listed here, please let Kennedy know as soon as possible: answers [at] blackphoenixalchemylab [dot] com. The entries will remain anonymous until the votes have been cast.

I am such an enormous kook tonight: I posted this in the TOTALLY WRONG PLACE the first time around. Mercury, please cut it out. I posted almost the exact same stuff on the Lab’s new announcement LJ Community, bpal_excathedra… sorry if you end up reading all this twice. 8) As some of you know, some bozo has been monkeying around with our blackphoenixalchemylab eBay account. While we get that straightened out, I’m posting a couple of auctions on my personal eBay in an effort to pad the donations I’m sending out to the charities listed in the Oblations. I’ll be honest, guys… that whole thing didn’t go over the way I’d hoped. We didn’t generate much on those oils, so that’s why I’m pulling them, and from now on I’m going to use eBay auctions and a pad on the occasional LE in order to slake my need to help people, critters and causes. Anyway, I don’t want to write wee checks to these guys, so I’m trying to drum up some love before I send them off later this month. The entirety of the moola from the Prototype Auctions will be divided amongst the Oblation charities, sans any eBay or PayPal fees. The Prototype Auctions: Caligostro Jinx Naked Singularity Vampyre And on a slightly different topic, Chaos Theory II: The Butterfly Effect will be crashing out of the Lab this Spring. Details forthcoming. Some other dates worth mentioning… The Lab will be at Convergence 11. Visit, or suffer my wrath! Ok, maybe not wrath. But it’ll be nice to meet some of you guys! On April 29th, I will be hosting a little class at the Black Broom in North Hollywood, CA: - - - Getting Dirty With Aphrodisiacs 101 A two-hour course in blending oils, powders and incense for passion, dressing candles and assembling mojo hands for lust and attraction. This is not a love spell course; just primal, bestial lust. We will address the basic components of a passion blend, discus methods by which they can be implemented practically, cover edible aphrodisiacs briefly, and at the end of the class you have the option of participating in a little hands-on workshop. - - - More details about C11 stock and the class will be posted asap. Now for the irksome news: there’s a slight delay on the upload of the logo contest page. I keep dropping connection and the upload is locking up on me. I will get this working as quickly as I possibly can.

Upcoming Moons 2005 May: Flower Moon / Available April 24 June: Strawberry Moon / Available May 23 July: Buck Moon / Available June 22 August: Fruit Moon / Available July 21 September: Harvest Moon / Available August 19 October: Blood Moon / Available September 18 November: Beaver Moon / Available October 17 December: Snow Moon / Available November 16 2006 January: Holiday Moon / Available December 15 February: Budding Moon / Available January 14 March: Sleepy Moon / Available February 13 April: Peony Moon / Available March 14 May: Dragon Moon / Available April 13 June: Lotus Moon / Available May 13 July: Hungry Ghost Moon / Available June 11

Good evening, all! I'm SO happy that the forums are back up and running... I can't tell you how much I missed you guys! =) A gurzillion thanks to Ms. Shriekingviolet and the crew here for all the hard work and love that they put into the forum, and for the grueling hours they put into resurrecting it! Thank you, also, to Sarah for the gorgeous new skin! A quick head’s up about two things, and then I have to get back to work. First, some shitwit tried to hack into our fledgling eBay account, so it was taken down temporarily while eBay sorted out the dilemma. It should be back up within the next 24 hours; sincere apologies to everyone who was in mid-bid. We didn’t have any control over this. Due to a small internal problem, the voting page for the BPAL logo won’t be up until tomorrow night… I’m guessing around midnight, barring incident. I’ve opted to keep the submissions anonymous until after the contest is over for the sake of fairness. More will be posted as I get closer to getting this finished! Missed you, love you, and all that good stuff. =D ETA: We're brainless!

When Pink Moon rears its blushing noggin on 3/25, the Panaceas will make their debut. It is a small line of aromatherapy blends, the first of which are: Elixir I: Seduction Elixir II: Succor Elixir III: Lustration Elixir IV: Quietude Elixir V: Moxie On April 1st, a three-month long visit from the Great Old Ones commences: the Springtime in Arkham collection. More news as it becomes available.

BPAL is now available at the following shops: The Enchanted Castle 8660 N. Main Street Helen, GA 30545 The Dreaming Goddess 9 Collegeview Ave Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Surprise! We've got a small update in addition to tonight's Black Phoenix Trading Post update: the Limited Edition scent, the Ides of March is live, and Graveyard Dirt is making a guest appearance! - - - New at the Black Phoenix Trading Post: the BPAL Touché Tee! The Triple Dagger tee, a wicked Baphomet statue based on Eliphas Levi's illustration and three Goetic cuties will be live and snarling at the Trading Post this April. - - - New stuff @ the Lab... :: LIMITED EDITION THE IDES OF MARCH -- The Ides marked an auspicious time in the Roman calendar. Depending on the month in question, the Ides fell on the thirteenth or fifteenth, and usually marked the Full Moon. As we all know, it was not an auspicious day for Julius Caesar, nor was it fortuitous for H.P. Lovecraft, who also met his maker on this infamous day. Tu quoque, Brute, fili mi! A mixture of springtime greenery and classical Roman cologne: rosemary, bergamot, lemon rind and vervain with costus, benzoin, gray amber, cardamom, white narcissus and iris. GRAVEYARD DIRT -- A tribute to a somehat nefarious and truly notorious ingredient in New Orleans spellcrafting. It is employed in hoodoo rootwork for various reasons, primarily in spells of protection, “tricking” your enemies, binding, and even love magick. The graves are chosen based on the type of working, and are determined by the type of spirit that lies there and the manner of their demise. Payment is always required in the form of offerings to the deceased. This is the scent of pure graveyard dust, spattered with grave loam and dusted lightly with tombstone moss. Please note: Graveyard Dirt was placed in Funereal Oils and not Voodoo, as this version of Graveyard Dirt does not possess the esoteric qualities of the Twilight Alchemy Lab oil of the same name, though the scent is damn near identical. - - - Also in this update: :: BEWITCHING BREWS NUIT -- She is the Goddess of the Sky, one of the Ennead, daughter of the air [shu] and water [Tefnut], lover of Geb and Hadit, the Eternal Mother, and the Receiver, Reviver and Protector of the Dead, whose loving, divine embrace shields our souls from annihilation. She is love, rapture, splendor, continuous and eternal birth and rebirth, infinite space, and the “the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night”. Nuit is Earth’s guardian, and shields her lover and her mortal children from the primeval chaos that threatens Existence. Her perfume is starry and crystalline, a jewel-clad and glittering paean to night: dazzling white musks, white rose and night-blooming jasmine with the soft moss of moonlit meadows, a waft of Egyptian incense, and a gentle breath of moonflower. :: FUNEREAL OILS HADES -- The gloomy Hades enriches himself with our sighs and our tears. The Unseen. Eldest brother of Zeus, Husband of Persephone, Lord of the Underworld and Commander of the Demons of the Underworld, God of Wealth, whose epithets are Clymenus [Notorious], Eubuleus [Wise in Counsel], and Polydegmon [He who receives many / The Hospitable]. Though he is a dark, morbid and morose deity, fierce and relentless, and is stern, pitiless, and sometimes cruel, he is by no means an evil God. His justice is true, even-handed and absolute, and he is possessed of unbreakable loyalty, single-minded devotion to duty, and immense courage. A dark, palpably sacred chthonic blend: black narcissus and cypress, stephanotis, opoponax, labdanum, onycha and ambergris. :: SIN & SALVATION GOMORRAH -- One of the Biblical Cities on the Plain, destroyed by God with fire and brimstone because of its people’s pride, prosperous ease, deceit, hedonism and indolence, and their callous, uncharitable hearts. A gritty, sordid and languid scent: ripe fig, date and currant with black herbs. :: WANDERLUST THE HANGING GARDENS -- The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Great Wonders of the World, were believed to be created by Nebuchadnezzar, possibly to honor the Assyrian princess Semiramis, or, more likely, to cheer up Nebuchadnezzar’s unhappy, homesick wife, Amyitis. If the latter is to be believed, it is speculated that Amyitis found the dry, arid landscape of Mesopotamia, in contrast to the lush greenery of her homeland, to be staggeringly depressing and bleak. To bolster her spirits, the king recreated a fascimile of her mountanous, green home with this fantastic terraced wonder filled with sparkling waterfalls, strange beasts, and exotic fruits, trees and flowers. This perfume is an interpretation of the Hanging Gardens by night, based on further accounts of its fruit and flora: date palm, ebony, fir, pomegranate, plum, two pears, quince, fig, and grapevine with plumeria, three gardenias and dry rose.

Antique Lace and Three Witches have been discontinued as of 3pm PST 3/14/2005.

Black Phoenix is now being carried at Alternate Realities, Lincoln Mall, RI. Alternate Realities Lincoln Mall 622 George Washington Highway Lincoln, Rhode Island