It’s a AAA Halloween “Dark Shadows” double-header! We’ve already looked at the astrology of everybody’s favorite ‘60s gothic soap; how about the men who played the lead role of Barnabas Collins, in that series and subsequent productions? From character originator Jonathan Frid to TV remake star Ben Cross and widescreen heartthrob Johnny Depp, the men who have assailed the role of the tragic vampire with a conscience all seem marked for the part from birth.
[In this first of two articles on the classic gothic soap opera, AAA focuses on the show itself; Part Two will examine the actors who have played the role of vampire Barnabas Collins.]
On the set of “Dark Shadows”, the popular ‘60s gothic soap opera, it was always Halloween! DS portrayed the story of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, plagued by a series of supernatural disturbances and disasters. During its five-year run, DS reanimated a creepy cast of witches, ghosts, werewolves and of course, its lead character, vampire Barnabas Collins. The series was immensely popular in its day (its cancellation evoked one of the earliest fan protest movements), hell-spawning a pair of theatrical releases with its original cast in the 1970s, a flashy primetime remake in the ‘90s, and a Tim Burton blockbuster cinematic treatment in 2012, starring Johnny Depp.
[Here is my annual Halloween-themed short story, to kick off the season. Enjoy!]
Maeve vigorously brushed the besom side to side, its hawthorn twigs making scratching sounds against the hearthstone, causing the old grey cat to flash its yellow slit-eyes in her direction; sensing no threat, it quickly resumed its vigil by the mousehole. Satisfied the last of the ashes were gone, Maeve bowed her head and murmured, “So goes the old year.”
[Cover photo: the garden gate decked out in autumn splendor]
Mabon is the pagan term for the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of Fall. Also known as “the Witches’ Thanksgiving”, Mabon coincides with the peak of the harvest season. Libra’s Full Moon is termed “the harvest moon”, so-named because before the advent of electricity farmers would work late into the evening, lighted by its yellow-white luminescence, to gather their crops as quickly as possible, before the weather turned sour or they spoiled.
On Saturday, 26 September 2020, Donald J. Trump announced his third pick for the US Supreme Court, to replace recently deceased Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Judge Amy Coney Barrett. I have been expecting this pick for years, after researching possible candidates at the last vacancy; her astrological bona fides for the job are unquestioned, though her judicial philosophy leaves much to be desired, from a progressive standpoint. A vocal opponent of reproductive rights, who has more than once opined that Roe v Wade was wrongly decided and should be overturned, Barrett’s appointment and likely confirmation cements a conservative 6-3 bloc on the High Court that could conceivably roll back freedoms on a wide variety of issues.
[Cover photo: A late summer bouquet of zinnia, Maximillian sunflower, marigold, Shasta daisy and sedum brightens the dining table, already set for fall]
It’s been a long, hot summer, but at last the autumn breezes have arrived! Prime time to look back and review the progress the garden has shown this first season on the property.
Over all, I’m very pleased with how things have gone. I actually lost only a single perennial, one of those new ill-fated heliopsis cultivars in orange; everything else either thrived, or held its own. And considering all the plants I plunked into this bit of soil, that’s pretty amazing. Now, the big question is – what liked it enough to return next year? But that’s an answer for next spring – for now, let’s just take an amble down memory lane, horticulture style.
