From the Hollow

Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities—a collection of gothic history, strange traditions, haunted places, forgotten folklore, dark symbolism, and the stories hidden behind art and books.

Here you’ll find ancient festivals, eerie legends, Victorian oddities, supernatural inspiration, book reviews, collector features, and the beautifully strange details that shape my worlds. From haunted Pittsburgh to poisonous gardens, from ravens and roses to old rituals and whispered ghost stories, this is where mystery, history, and art meet.

If you love gothic atmosphere, dark fiction, and the allure of the unusual, you’re in the right place.

Mirrors as Portals: Folklore, Horror, and the Symbolism of Reflections

Few objects have earned as much suspicion throughout history as the ordinary mirror. Every home has one. We use them without thinking, trusting that the reflection staring back belongs to us. Yet for thousands of years, cultures around the world have treated mirrors with caution. They have been covered after deaths, avoided during certain rituals, blamed for trapping spirits, and imagined as doorways between worlds. Perhaps that is because mirrors challenge something fundamen

2 days ago6 min read

Black Dog Folklore: Death Omen, Guardian, or Trickster?

There are few creatures in folklore that can silence a room quite like the black dog. Unlike werewolves, vampires, or witches, the black dog doesn't always arrive with violence. Sometimes it simply appears at the edge of a lonely road, standing motionless beneath the moonlight. Sometimes it's seen sitting quietly in an abandoned churchyard. Other times it's heard before it's ever seen—a heavy padding of paws behind a traveler who turns around to find...nothing. Is it coming t

Jun 294 min read

Modern Witchcraft vs Historical Fear: From Persecution to Personal Practice

Witchcraft has never been a single, fixed idea. Across history it has shifted dramatically—from a term used to justify fear, punishment, and social control, to a modern spiritual and cultural identity that many people now openly claim. The distance between those two versions of “witchcraft” is not just historical. It reflects a deeper change in how humans explain the unknown, assign blame, and define personal belief. Historical Fear: Witchcraft as a Crime Against Order In med

Jun 224 min read

The Symbolism of Ravens in Art and Literature

Few creatures have captured the imagination of humanity quite like the raven. Intelligent, mysterious, and often associated with the supernatural, ravens have appeared throughout mythology, folklore, literature, and visual art for centuries. Their glossy black feathers and haunting calls have inspired fascination and fear in equal measure, making them one of the most symbolically rich animals in creative expression. Across cultures and artistic movements, the raven has repres

May 224 min read

Sementivae (Paganalia): Honoring the Seeds Beneath the Winter Soil

In the heart of winter, when the land appears dormant and the year feels newly uncertain, the ancient Romans turned their attention not to harvest but to hope. Sementivae, also known as Paganalia, was a rural festival dedicated to the sowing of seeds and the unseen work happening beneath the frozen ground. It was a celebration of beginnings that could not yet be seen. Sementivae was an ancient Roman agricultural festival observed in late January, though the exact date varied

Jan 242 min read

Twelfth Night: When the Season Ends and the Old Magic Is Put Away

Twelfth Night, observed on January 5th, marks the final evening of the Christmas season. It is the threshold between celebration and return, between revelry and routine; a night traditionally filled with misrule, ritual, and the quiet understanding that the old magic must be put to rest. If Christmas is about light returning, Twelfth Night is about closure. Twelfth Night falls twelve days after Christmas Day and historically signified the official end of Christmastide. In man

Jan 53 min read

Hag’s Day: Honoring the Crone, the Threshold, and the Power of Transformation

January 1st is often framed as a clean slate—a bright beginning washed of the past. But older, deeper traditions tell a different story. Hag’s Day is not about erasing what came before. It is about honoring the Crone—the wise, feral, transformative feminine energy that carries endings into renewal. Hag’s Day does not belong to a single goddess. Rather it belongs to many. The Crone: More Than an Ending In many pagan and folkloric traditions, the Crone is the final aspect of th

Jan 12 min read

Kalends of January: Ancient New Year Magic, Omens, and the Power of Beginnings

Long before January became a month of gym memberships, planners, and impossible resolutions, it belonged to Janus—the Roman god of doorways, thresholds, and time itself.The Kalends of January, celebrated on the first day of the month, marked more than the turning of a calendar. It was a ritual pause between what had been and what might be . To the Romans, beginnings were dangerous things. They required care, symbolism, and a bit of magic. The word Kalends (or Kalendae ) refe