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    News from our Strange World…


    2008 - 12.04

    It’s an odd word out there. We’re in the middle of some scary times… and I’m not even talking about the economy! If those dire tales of woe from your local broadcasters are turning you numb, here are just a few of the more amusing news stories you missed.

    Needling those Politicians…

    Sorry, President Sarkozy. A French court has decided against banning voodoo dolls made in his image. The novelty toys may have won, but they didn’t walk away unscathed. K&B was ordered to pay one Euro in damages plus court costs and now needs to attach a disclaimer to the doll stating that the President of France disapproves. I’m sure Sarkozy is feeling a but more blue than his fabric likeness.

    Girl Power(s)…

    Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has decided to ’spice up her life’. The actress and singer recently discovered her own psychic abilities! As proof of her supernatural skills, she accurately predicted that one of her PAs would give birth to a girl. Good going, Ginger. It’s the little victories that matter most, right?

    ¡Salsa Dios Mío!

    The Virgin Mary decided to get a little favor when she miraculouly appeared in salsa splatter on a wall in Bakersfield. While mincing the Spanish treat in a blender, the California woman noticed the pattern on her kitchen cabinet after some dip splashed out of its container. The anonymous homeowner says there is also the scent of roses in her flowerless home. She told local media sources that she beieves it to be a sign that “people need to start treating each other better”. She could start by passing the nachos…

    Drive-In Ghost Tours…

    Don’t believe what you hear; ghost hunting can be deadly! Participants in a Charleston ghost tour discovered this for themselves Tuesday night when an out-of-control Mazda RX7 crashed through the crowd at Meeting and Broad streets, known as the Four Corners of Law. The driver accidentally stepped on the gas instead of the clutch, injuring two tourists. Tour owner John LaVerne refunded everyone, though most continued the tour. Talk about your die-hard ghost hunters!

    I Fell into a Burning Ring of Fire…

    What do you do when your apartment is infiltrated by evil? Well, a woman in Marietta, Georgia thought she chose the best solution: burn it down. Claiming that items inside her dwelling were possessed by voodoo curses, Felicia Johnson stacked the belongings in two piles and lit them ablaze to “cleanse the apartment of the spirits”. Marietta Fire Department quickly conquered the flames and avoided serious damage to the complex. She was charged with first degree arson and taken to a hospital to undergo mental evaluation.

    We’ll Leave the Light On for You…


    2008 - 10.16

    Fire swept through a shop in San Diego’s Center City last weekend. One business was completely destroyed and a nearby taco shop was damaged. Centro Botanico La Santisima on Imperial Avenue was gutted in the blaze. The cause of the blaze has been inked to lit candles inside the store.

    Who would leave candles burning in a closed shop? Well, it might sound a bit less shocking when you learn that this was no ordinary business. It was an occult shop, catering to practitioners of Santería and other African diasporic religions.

    Or Hoodoo, if you wish to overly simplify matters.

    Approximately $250,000 in damage was caused to the structure and an additional $90,000 worth of products, such as herbs and amulets, burned up in the flames. Local practitioners have been devastated at the loss of the only shop of its kind in the neighborhood.

    Candles don’t come with that “don’t leave candles burning unattended” warning without reason, people. I know it looks pretty to have the soft glow setting the mood in a metaphysical shop, but at 4:00 in the morning, no one is there to see it!

    Unfortunately, all those amulets and protective concoctions didn’t do a lick of good. Perhaps it would be wise for other shop owners to take down that bunch of mandrake root and put up a smoke detector instead.