In companion to the essay on tropes over-used, here are some suggestions for tropes we rarely see. Any of these might be great, or at least have the potential to shake things up a bit. Or maybe a lot. Beautiful Monster. Vampires are nearly always seen as either gloriously beautiful or satanically evil. But only…
Tag: magic
The Deadly and Romantic Superstitions of Halloween
Halloween is a day shrouded in darkness and mystery, it’s a day that represents death, when the spirits of the dead walk upon the earth. We already discussed the eerie history of Halloween, but today we’ll explore the many superstitions – good and bad – surrounding this holiday. From encounters with the Grim Reaper to…
More on Vervain
Some of you may remember the vervain post I did last year after seeing it in The Vampire Diaries, well, it turns out that there is much more to this herb than I thought. Yes, it has ties to vampire in folklore, but that’s not all. Check out all of the other superstitions surrounding vervain.…
Vampire Tarot
Tarot cards have been a part of the occult almost since they were created. Originally, the Tarot were playing cards used for games in France and Italy, but even playing cards have been used for divinatory purposes almost since their creation. As the centuries have passed, and anything to do with magic and divination was…
Pretty Dead
Pretty Dead is a young adult fiction novel written by Francesca Lia Block. Block writes in a style that she has termed “pop magic realism.” Generally her books appeal to adolescent girls, but the stories always contain magic and supernatural elements. She has written about mermaids, changelings, witches, genies, and many other magical beings. In…