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.

Fordicidia: The Ancient Roman Festival of Fertility, Sacrifice, and the Earth Goddess Tellus

Among the many agricultural and religious observances that structured the calendar of ancient Rome, few are as striking, or as unsettling to modern sensibilities, as the festival of Fordicidia. Celebrated annually on April 15, this ancient rite was dedicated to ensuring the fertility of the earth and the continued productivity of Rome’s fields. Like many Roman festivals rooted in agricultural cycles, Fordicidia reveals a civilization deeply aware of its dependence on the land

4 days ago3 min read

Anthesteria: Athens’ Three Days of Wine and the Dead

If winter in Athens felt long and heavy, the arrival of Anthesteria must have felt like a door flung open. Celebrated in the month of Anthesterion (roughly February–March), Anthesteria was a three-day Athenian festival dedicated to Dionysus, marking the opening of the new wine and, more eerily, the temporary return of the dead. It was joyful, chaotic, sacred, and unsettling all at once. Where Theogamia affirmed cosmic order and lawful union, Anthesteria loosened the knots. It

Mar 13 min read

Theogamia: The Sacred Marriage of Hera and Zeus

Each winter, as the ancient Greek month of Gamelion unfolded, the divine household turned its attention to a marriage that shaped both heaven and earth. This was Theogamia—the sacred wedding of Hera and Zeus, queen and king of the Olympian gods. To modern ears, the idea of gods “celebrating their anniversary” might sound quaint or even ironic, given Zeus’s reputation. But Theogamia was no romantic fairytale. It was a ritual affirmation of cosmic order, social stability, and t

Feb 153 min read

The Libation of Aphrodite: Love, Desire, and Sacred Offering

On the modern Gregorian calendar, February 14 is loudly associated with roses, chocolates, and commercialized romance. But long before Valentine cards existed, this date aligned—by coincidence of calendar drift—with Gamelion 26, a day connected in parts of the ancient Greek world with Aphrodite, goddess of love, desire, beauty, and generative power. Rather than grand temple festivals, this observance centered on something quieter and more intimate: libation—the ritual pouring

Feb 143 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

The Old New Year: A Second Threshold in the Depth of Winter

While much of the world moves on from New Year’s celebrations by mid-January, some traditions pause once more. The Old New Year, observed on January 14, marks the New Year according to the Julian calendar, which is still used by several Eastern Orthodox churches and communities. Unlike the January 1 st tradition, it is a quieter celebration with less spectacle and more reflection. Why There Is an “Old” New Year Quite simply, the Old New Year exists because of a calendar shif

Jan 142 min read

Carmentalia: Honoring the Goddess of Prophecy, Birth, and Thresholds

Observed on January 11th and January 15th, Carmentalia was an ancient Roman festival dedicated to Carmenta, a goddess of prophecy, childbirth, transformation, and fate. Unlike many Roman holidays centered on public spectacle, Carmentalia focused on women, voices, and futures not yet written. It was a festival concerned not with what has happened—but with what may . Who Is Carmenta? Nicostrata-Carmenta inventing the Latin alphabet (Antoine Dufour, 1504) Carmenta (also known

Jan 112 min read

Agonalia: Rome’s Ritual of Sacred Uncertainty

Unlike grand Roman festivals filled with feasting and public spectacle, Agonalia was a quieter, more enigmatic observance. Celebrated multiple times throughout the year, including January 9 th , Agonalia honored moments of transition, divine favor, and the uncertainty that accompanied new beginnings. It was a festival not of answers, but of asking. Agonalia was observed on several dates in the Roman calendar—traditionally January 9, March 17, May 21, and December 11—though it

Jan 93 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

Jan 12 min read

Mari Lwyd: The Festive Welsh Horse That Haunts Christmas

December is a month full of lights, feasts, and folklore — but few traditions are as delightfully unusual as Mari Lwyd , the Grey Mare of South Wales. Equal parts pageant, ritual, and seasonal mischief, this centuries-old custom blends music, masked processions, and symbolic negotiation — all performed right around Christmas. While Mari Lwyd is its own unique tradition, it shares themes with other ancient winter rituals , like Saturnalia ’s revelry and Yule ’s evergreen c

Dec 25, 20253 min read

Winter Solstice, Yule & Hekate’s Deipnon: A Night of Darkness, Light & Threshold Magic

On the longest night of the year, the world pauses. The sun stands still. And across cultures and centuries, people gather to honor a moment that feels older than memory: the Winter Solstice. December 21st is a cosmic hinge — a night where ancient festivals overlap, mythologies speak to one another, and the boundary between old year and new year thins. From Yule’s sacred fires to the stillness of the Solstice to the shadowed reverence of Hekate’s Deipnon , this date has al

Dec 21, 20253 min read

Saturnalia: The Ancient Roman Festival

Every December, when the nights stretch long and the world leans into the glow of candles, feasts, and celebration, I love looking back at the winter traditions that came long before us. One of the most vibrant — and honestly, the most chaotic in the best possible way — is Saturnalia, Ancient Rome’s week-long festival for Saturn, the god of agriculture, liberation, and golden-age abundance. If you’ve ever wondered why winter is so full of feasting, gift-giving, and joyful re

Dec 17, 20253 min read

Halcyon Days: A Journey into Calm, Peace, and Serenity

Halcyon Days is a phrase used to describe periods of calm, happiness, and peacefulness. Often associated with nostalgia or a golden time in life, the term evokes a sense of tranquility and stress-free living. Whether in literature, history, or everyday conversation, Halcyon Days represent moments when everything feels balanced and serene. Origins of Halcyon Days The term “Halcyon Days” comes from ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, Alcyone, a devoted wife, was trans

Dec 14, 20252 min read

Bona Dea: The Enigmatic Goddess of Rome’s Secret Women’s Cult

Mystery. Silence. Sacred rites hidden behind closed doors. Few deities in ancient Rome embodied secrecy and feminine power quite like Bona Dea, the “Good Goddess” whose worship was so exclusive, even her own name was considered too sacred to speak aloud. For centuries, Roman women sought her blessings for fertility, healing, protection, and purity, gathering in ritual spaces men were forbidden to enter. Though her temples once bustled with activity, much of her story has been

Dec 3, 20253 min read