1: one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; especially: a woman practicing usually black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar : sorceress — compare warlock
The word witch derives from the Old English nouns wicca Old English pronunciation: [ˈwɪttʃɑ] (‘sorcerer, male witch’) and wicce Old English pronunciation: [ˈwɪttʃe] (‘sorceress, female witch’). Thanks Wikipedia!
The origins, really, are much more complicated and mysterious, of course. For many centuries this term was used a blanket term for outsiders in society; people who didn’t fit the mould of the status-quo. Outrageously, these free spirits were often burned at the stake!
HOW RUDE?!!!
Lord knows if these were different times, we’d be right on that stake with the best of them!
Eartha Kitt does a fabulous job of playing with the stereotype and society’s perceived notions in this song, and especially give it up to bosslady1971 for a wicked compilation of witches in popular culture to go along with what is sure to be one of the highlights of your playlist!
Do Enjoy!
I’d rather be burned as a Witch than never be burned at all!!!
We are getting psyched up here, and in true E.O.F. tradition we wanted to spoil our readers with a weird and wonderful stash of creepy vintage halloween photos we have collected from scouring the depths of the interwebs…
It seems, sometimes the sheer simplicity of some of these costumes make for the creepiest outcome…although, a murderous clown will always give you the creeps especially standing behind an innocent baby bystander.
Perhaps, you will even get a little inspiration for your own costume from these crazy odd balls…
Hope you enjoy! Want to share your creepy costume with us? Email us at the.eye.of.faith@gmail.com // we would love to hear from you!
Until next time,
{theEye}
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Don’t forget…. XIXIXI gets you 25% in the {SHOP} !
We love hosting every second and fourth Tuesday, but couldn’t resist the chance to do it up on All Hallow’s Eve! Hopefully you and your friends can’t resist either!
1. One that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma: How he got in is a mystery.
2. One whose identity is unknown and who arouses curiosity: The woman in the photograph is a mystery.
3. A mysterious character or quality: a landscape with mystery and charm.
4. A work of fiction, a drama, or a film dealing with a puzzling crime.
5. The skills, lore, or practices that are peculiar to a particular activity or group and are regarded as the special province of initiates. Often used in the plural: the mysteries of Freemasonry; the mysteries of cooking game.
6. A religious truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only through divine revelation.
7. a. A religious cult practicing secret rites to which only initiates are admitted.
b. A secret rite of such a cult.
+ E.O.F. MYSTERY SCHOOL +
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What are the secrets locked deep in history that are haunting us each and everyday? Who are the makers of today, and who shall we become tomorrow?
The aspirations that seem to be engrained into our soul are to finally climb out of the epic pits of insanity that we collectively call humanity. Nothing ever seems to make sense. In fact, it is impossible not to feel in RAGE!!!
We’ve always been left simply searching…
Perhaps you search the aisles of the school library for some sign of truth, or perhaps you are wise enough to search the labyrinth of light in the sky for a pattern or sign to guide your every wake. The riddle of the sphinx, has it ever been solved? Or is it simply that it’s question has never even been asked . . . ?
What is it about the night? What do we achieve when we dream? This is a journey by man, a mystery that never ceases to delight. Deep in our dreams, we have found our very own {MASTER MASON} waiting patiently for our arrival. Waiting for us to say we’ll stay.
But that would be like laying awake in the shadows you can actually see at night. We can go about our day to day and never once seek the layers beneath the fragile surface of time and our past . . .
In fact, it continues to live on and on forever, like something eternally true.
Go about your day to day. Seek the seekers in the shadows.
Lets find the {MASTER MASON} that’s within us all…
+Cum Lupis Ulula +
“Howl with the Wolves…“
The wind really picked up today, and the sky was just full of grey.
There is much planned. Our invocations are only just beginning! We will be conjuring many {traditions} from the past, and hope to inspire the {ritual} of dress.
So definitely be sure to check up with the {SHOP} for wicked deals and for all of our new arrivals!
And use secret code XIXIXI for 25 % OFF!
The past is living. It reverberates with every single day.
If you’ve been following us for a while now, you probably know that we host a Karaoke night every other Tuesday at The Baltimore House here in Hamilton, Ontario. In fact, we’re crawling up on two years which is INSANE!!! We have our friends and followers to thank for that, and for every week helping us amp up the madness.
Tonight we are hosting our annual {HALLOWEEN EDITION} of Karaoke, and we know that once you have that giant book of songs in front of you, a choice can be quite intimidating. You think you know what you wanted to sing, but once faced with the endless pages of options, you start to second guess yourself a bit.
That’s why we decided to create a list of our Top 25 Halloween karaoke jams for you to muse over, and hopefully inspire! We’re posting the actual artists’ videos so you can practice alongside the original track.
25. HIGHWAY TO HELL – AC/DC
The track title says it all! When we think of Halloween, we think of a ride to Hell and back saying /singing ‘Hello’ to the fiery red man himself. This one is perfect if you’re into more of a rock n roll jam. We are sensing a crowd pleasing vibe also, if that’s important to you. Frankly, we don’t give a shit about your reasoning; if you choose this jam, you are truly on fire!
24. THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA – THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND
OK, we’re already showing a bit of a pattern here, but let’s face it – there are plenty of songs about the Devil, however, they aren’t so many that really capture that old down home kind of feeling the way The Charlie Daniels Band does with their seminal classic “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. We’re also a sucker for this jam thanks to the 1999 film “SUPERSTAR”. If you’ve seen it, you know what we’re talking about . . .
23. DISTURBIA – RIHANNA
Now, here’s one for you Top 40 bitches out there. Pure pop to the max. Before Ri Ri was packing for Fenty X Puma and freaking everyone out screaming “BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY”, there was a more reserved Ri (which compared to most people, is still really out there). Halloween is all about turning reality on its head…and this song truly honours those vibes.
22. SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME – ROCKWELL
If there’s one thing that scare us not just on Halloween, but any day of the week, is the idea of someone creepily creeping and stalking you in the night….walking down the street, in your house, at the coffee shop getting a latte, in an alley; Rockwell, knows…and this is a bona fide classic! Bring those 80s vibes our way!!!
21. EVIL WOMAN – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
OK, Don’t get mad! We’re not saying all women are evil…..its just the name of a song! Trying to get some of those smooth groove 1970s vibes into the list, and we love the soothing cool of Electric Light Orchestra’s classic “Evil Woman”. Songs like these really work out for karaoke, because, well . . . they KICK ASS! Trust.
20. ZOMBIE – THE CRANBERRIES
What is Halloween without some zombies??? I ask you this! NOTHING. We all know. So, how could we have a Top 25 Halloween Karaoke jams without this 90s classic?! We couldn’t. So, lets get ‘er done kids. Someone put on that whispy airy Irish voice and protest it all. Halloween or not – this is always a killer jam!
19. DEAD MAN’S PARTY – OINGO BOINGO
We love us some Oingo Boingo, and Danny Elfman just plain never disappoints so count on this Tim Burton alumni to bring the world one of the premium Halloween jams. Now we just need someone brave enough to Karaoke it! Maybe you?
18. DELILAH – TOM JONES
You gotta love it when someone amps up the jams with a little Tom Jones in the house. This one you might not have thought of initially as a typical Halloween classic, however, I’m pretty sure by the end he’s talking about MURDER. If that is not invoking the Halloween spirit, I don’t know what is!
17. WUTHERING HEIGHTS- KATE BUSH
You may not have realized, that this classic 80s song by British chanteuse Kate Bush is actually sung through the perspective of a ghost! SCHPOOOOOKY……making this a certified Halloween jam perfect for the Karaoke stage! And, Heathcliffe ….let the god damn ghost in through the window; she’s cold!
16. THE MONSTER- EMINEM FT. RIHANNA
Sometimes its fun to sing with your friends…sometimes. Here’s a duet if you’re feeling nasty. Do I need to explain the allusion to Halloween? Are you friends with a monster under your bed? I didn’t think so. Either way, this is a kick ass karaoke jam for the ages!
15. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL- THE ROLLING STONES
There are many words for the Devil. Beelzebub. Lucifer. Belial. Satan. The Rolling Stones kept it simple in this rock n roll jam, and feel sympathy for our forlorn angel of the bottomless pit. The song appeared in the 1994 vampire flick “Interview with the Vampire”, and is definitely a crowd pleaser, but a little practice is recommended before going all out so check out the video above and let those notes soar.
14. CRY LITTLE SISTER – GERRARD MCMANN
You might not recognize this one, but its the title track for the 80s teen vampire film “The Lost Boys” which features a young bleached blonde Kiefer Sutherland as a bad boy rebel vampire. This song is atmospheric, dark, and moody, and just had to make our list.
13. GHOST – ELLA HENDERSON
You might think it takes more than having a word like GHOST in your title, to make the cut on this list. If you thought that, you’re wrong. Great song though. Definitely kill-a-ble, which we promise is a good thing.
12. MONSTER – NICKI MINAJ’S VERSE
This song is strong, but in particular we want to hear someone rap the shit out of Nicki Minaj’s verse. There’s an istrumental track on Youtube with lyrics, so it can be done. Again, the same rules apply here as the previous song. Sometimes life is that simple.
11. SEVEN WONDERS – FLEETWOOD MAC
Forever iconic thanks to “American Horror Story: Coven”. Remember when Stevie Nicks was actually on the show as a witch? That was the shit. A gorgeous song, and a beautiful homage to those bad ladies in black.
10. GHOSTBUSTER – RAY PARKER JR.
Why the fuck has no one done this song yet?! What is wrong with us?!! There is a call out to the universe for someone to grant our {HALLOWEEN EDITION} the honour of someone gracing the stage to sing this timeless party jam. Who you gonna call?
9. TIME WARP – ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Listen closely; not for very much longer … We gotta admit, whether its Halloween or not, Rocky Horror Picture Show is always a hit with the crowd! We chose this jam, because its definitely a classic, and just not quite done enough on our stage! Has anyone watched the FOX version? Let us know what you thought it the comments below!
8. WEREWOLVES OF LONDON – WARREN ZEVON
We’ve covered the devil, witches, possession, ghosts, zombies, and everything in between, except for WEREWOLVES!!! That’s why this Warren Zevon cult classic had to make it onto this list, and hopefully onto our stage! WAAAAA-OOOOOOO!!!!
7. JACK’S LAMENT – THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
We featured Danny Elfman earlier on the list with his 80s band Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party”, but this one is especially special, because not only is “The Nightmare Before Christmas” one of the most beloved and iconic Halloween flicks, but Danny Elfman himself did the voice for Jack skeleton! If you love singing a dramatic power ballad, and need the Halloween flare, this is the one for you!
6. SCARY MONSTERS AND SUPER CREEPS – DAVID BOWIE
No best list of any kind would be complete without a little Bowie, and our list would not be complete without this spooky jam! Fun for all!
5. I PUT A SPELL ON YOU – JOE CROCKER
We picked the Joe Crocker version because its one our favourites, but there are many versions of this song out there, so whichever suits your fancy, we’re down. This song always gives us vivid visions of Bette Midler rocking it out in “Hocus Pocus”, so definitely a bona fide {Halloween Edition} Karaoke classic.
4. JUMP IN THE LINE – HARRY BELAFONTE
This one’s funny, because its not necessarily spooky in anyway, however, we can’t help but homage one of our favourite Halloween haunts “Beetlejuice”!!! Remember the end? With the dancing? And the floating? And all the fun? SHE GOT ADOPTED BY GHOST, PEOPLE! GHOSTS!!!
3. MONSTER MASH – BOBBY “BORIS” PICKETT & THE CRYPT-KICKERS
Always a crowd pleaser, even if its not Halloween! This could be a great group number, just sayin’ . . .
2. THIS IS HALLOWEEN- THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Yes, we have two songs from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on the list, but this one is just too apropos to ignore!! In fact, it made it to our Top 2!!! So that’s saying something…a bit of a tongue twister, but ultimately fun! Just remember to have fun….then you can never fuck up.
1. THRILLER – MICHAEL JACKSON
You may have seen this one coming, but we had to give the number 1 spot to no other song but Michael Jackson’s glorious ultimate Halloween jam “THRILLER”, and believe it or not we’ve never had the pleasure of hosting anyone who put this one in to sing!!! What’s going on here? Hopefully tonight, things could change!
We’ve had a lot of fun creating this list, and hope it helps whatever Halloween Karaoke dilemmas you might be facing!
We start the festivities at 9pm at The Baltimore House, so if you’re in the area and looking for something to do swing on by.
Poor little hysterical witch! In the middle ages you were in conflict with the church. Now it is with the law.
Title Card: “Häxan (1922)”
We really ought to be saving this one for our own private inspiration board, but a higher wisdom has urged us to share. We swear!
This sinisterly beautiful Style {WISE} is from the archives of cinema history. Back to the days of the silent film, where the power of imagery ruled supreme.
The film is the 1922 Pseudo Documentary Art-House Horror Silent Classic, Häxan (pronounced “hek-sen”). Imaginations soared through creative interpretations of alleged real-life events right up through to the early twentieth century. The Swedish Film was directed, written, and starring Benjamin Christensen as the Devil himself.
Ultimately comparing the hysteria of contemporary (1921) women with the behaviour of the witches in the Middle Ages; the film concludes that they are very similar. Hey, we never said a peep! {click here for more}
Title Card: Centuries have passed and the Almighty of medieval times no longer sits in his tenth sphere.
Title Card: We no longer sit in church staring terrified at the frescoes of the devils.
Title Card: The witch no longer flies away on her broom over the rooftops.
Title Card: But isn’t superstition still rampant among us?
Title Card: Is there an obvious difference between the sorceress and her customer then and now?
Title Card: We no longer burn our old and poor. But do they not often suffer bitterly?
Title Card: And the little woman, whom we call hysterical, alone and unhappy, isn’t she still a riddle for us?
Title Card: Nowadays we detain the unhappy in a mental institution or – if she is wealthy – in a modern clinic.
Title Card: And then we will console ourselves with the notion that the mildly temperate shower of the clinic has replaced the barbaric methods of medieval times.
What’s most fascinating is the way they amp up the already iconic images we have in our mind when we turn our thoughts to the idea of witchcraft, the frenzy of the medieval times, and the rugged decay of the Medieval Times. All these elements are intensified and, almost glamourized, for the silver screen in a way only the 1920s could make happen.
Wouldn’t it be great to see more powerful imagery like this come to the forefront today, while still staying beautiful ? Perhaps some of you beauties will find some inspiration to take with you after your visit here with The Eye of Faith.
Häxan: Witchcraft through the ages, is a true experience for the eyes and ears, with music beautifully composed by Emil Reesen.
Seemingly a silent horror sensation, but truly a documentation of modern man.
So much faith is thrown into the blind eyes of God, as fellow man takes judgement and punishment upon himself.
Just a little something-something to get those juices flowing!
You can see sometimes in the eyes of this strange boy; a burning fire that piercing your soul. Even past the screen, beneath the surface of every photograph of him, there is a brilliant mystery still waiting to be discovered and the very depth of the man named River Phoenix.
He was the most beautiful child you’ve ever seen, like a little Elvis.
-Iris Burton, River’s manager
It’s more the history of these awards that is so special to me . . .
His acting was top notch, and before the age of …. he found himself nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor with dozens of offers at his feet thereafter.
Fame was of little consequence to him, though, and instead he sought a life of refuge from the hustle and bustle of the business. The industry was not the priority, and from his very core, River was an undeniable artist who not only excelled in the art of acting, but was also an accomplished musician, humanitarian, environmentalist and animal rights activist.
You’ll never find him fur or leather as he was the original vegan style star- before it was in vogue or a trend. He had a soft and sensitive heart for world issues, the future of our planet, and most especially the well-being of animals.
While we think of the 80s for all its excesses, River appears the total antithesis to this vision of America. Even with his popularity and success, River defied typical Hollywood standards through what he wore; appearing at major red carpet events sometimes in only a graphic T-shirt, or a cool graphic sweater.
Plaid shirts, graphic sweaters, denim jackets, patterned shirts, and over-sized blazers were a staple for the young star, whose quirky style seems right in tuned with the vibe of the street today. And yet we probably never even realized that River Phoenix made his mark over twenty years ago in the same garbs we rock today.
Perhaps this was indicative of his adventurous heart, the way he dressed. A co-star in probably his most accomplished and enigmatic acting effort, My Own Private Idaho, Jimmy Reardon described a moment the two shared together shortly after filming the 90s art-house flick about a narcoleptic male hustler decked out in pure grunge glory:
One time we were up in the mountains, and the clouds came right up to the top of the mountain. River grabbed (my) arm and said, “We’re going to run and jump into these clouds and our whole past lives will dissolve, and everything will be new from then on. Hold on.” And we did that…it was incredible, and we landed on this soft iceberg kind of ground covering. But we jumped through clouds, literally.
It’s hard to imagine a star today who could even imagine being as fearless, but that’s just how River really was. Fearless.
Born River Jude Bottom, River grew up in a religious cult in South America known as the Children of God. He was named River after the river of life in Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, and Jude from the Beatle’s song. When their parents found that they were being embezzled by the cult and its leaders, they uprooted their children and moved to California where River was soon getting noticed for his movie star good looks, even as a boy.
He quickly began to take interest in acting and modelling, and it wasn’t long before his career took off. No one could deny the boy. He had a special edge that he never let go of until the very end.
Edward Lachman, superior director of photography for ‘Dogfight’ said:
When I first met River, he had very long hair and he struck me- as he came out of an elevator-as an angel, some kind of supernatural being. An angel could be Gabriel, but an angel could be Lucifer too. He could as readily delve in to the deep dark recesses as he would fly up to the lofty, illuminated (places).
There is no doubting his talents, but there’s also no doubting the foolishness of getting involved with people who do not have your best intentions in mind. River was the unfortunate victim to a brainless party mentality that is ever prevalent in our society. Was it really worth it in the end?
I don’t want to die in a car accident. When I die it’ll be a glorious day. It’ll probably be a waterfall.
-River Phoenix
This year the world was shocked by the death of another young star who kicked the bucket at the expense of his family, friends, fame, and fortune – Cory Monteith, who died of an overdose much the same way River did. Heroine and alcohol. The same toxic cocktail that took the life of many more before them including Amy Winehouse, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin.
It’s sad, so very sad, because these stars possessed such a zest for life and original spirit that didn’t need to compensate with heavy drugs and alcohol to make life interesting. They could have been resigned to just be themselves, and love every second of that.
This is why our advice at The Eye of Faith has always and will forever be to be yourself. Your truest self, beyond the effects of drugs and alcohol, you can have the most exciting and amazing life. You try to tread the line between reality and dream, and you can do this easily with the power of style and conjuring your idols to give you an extra boost away from the common day to day.
“You would have thought we was ninety and had died in his sleep. The people who were saying this felt tremendous guilt that they had contributed to his death.
He’s already being made into a martyr. He’s become a metaphor for a fallen angel, a Messiah. But he wasn’t. He was just a boy, a very good hearted boy who was very $%##$% up and had no idea how to implement his good intentions. I don’t want to be comforted by his death. I think it’s right that I’m angry about it, angry at the people who helped him stay sick, and angry at River.”
-Martha Plimpton on River’s death.
We recommend this state of mind for all days and occasions, to keep you safe and elevated beyond the strife of the street.
Most people don’t know, but River was also a talented musician in a band called “Aleka’s Attic”. Here’s one of his songs to send you off with. Hope I gave us all something to think about, and some wicked new vintage inspiration for the road!
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