De profundis clamo ad te domine

The veil is getting thin dear ones, only 10 days until Halloween! Are you ready!? I thought I'd post something for the spirits of lost souls and hungry ghosts, be they living or dead. SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS expresses the profound suffering of the Anima Sola through dark visual narratives and haunted ballads. The music playfully fuses elements of classical, baroque, medieval, and even electronic music, the essence of SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS always remains entirely »GOTHIC«.



Officially founded in 1989, the Germany based SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS is one of the last of the very few dark groups/projects in Europe (in fact, on this planet), who have based the sacred trinity of their music, poetry and visual appearance on the explicit emphasis of the highly individual expression of pain, isolation, depression, token suicides and the desperate search for the »sacred reunion«; all conceived and acted out by SOPOR's sole protagonist … the transgendered and utterly beautiful Goddess (and likewise tragically Butoh-esque creature) ANNA-VARNEY CANTODEA. Despite the fact that to this very day ANNA-VARNEY still refuses to perform her magic(k)al work live in front of a human audience, SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS have long gathered cult status in underground circles worldwide.

ANNA- VARNEY's ritualistic/Jungian art is not necessarily rooted in the grounds of a commonly accepted sense of aesthetics … which is one of the many aspects that gives his/her work its serious and most unique character. Strongly recommended to be approached only with an open heart and mind, the profound darkness (and occasionally subversive humour) of ANNA-VARNEY's multi-layered (yet fragile) art is mainly intended as a spiritual healing-process for the wounded soul.

Bijoux Extraordinaires

To die for...the white gold and platinum skull with diamonds on the right is priced at approx. $15,000! These pieces are reminiscent of the Memento Mori jewelry of the Victorian era. The earliest examples of Memento Mori dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries, Europe. French jewelry designer, Lydia Courteille creates the most amazing jewelry I have ever seen in my life! These rings hardly do her collection justice, but I had a hard time finding images. These of course are circulating the web because of the skull trend we've been seeing in the fashion industry. The good thing is, more has been available to those of us with darker sensibilities...the bad thing, everyone and their granny is rockin' skulls now! You have to take a moment to check out her website....it's breath taking. Click on each category, then use the arrows to browse each collection.






Artwork for Lydia Courteille by Natalie Shau

See also: Fashionable Mourning Jewelry, Clothing, & Customs

Disce Mori

Mourning jewelry mirrored the lives and times of the people who wore it. It was a souvenir to remember a loved one, a reminder to the living of the inevitability of death, and a status symbol, especially during the Victorian era. Mourning jewelry reached its height of popularity in England after the death of Prince Albert in December 1861. Queen Victoria went into deep mourning, which was imitated by her subjects when faced with their own bereavements.

In the United States the use of mourning jewelry increased with the outbreak of the Civil War. This coincided with the black jewelry used in England in sympathy with Queen Victoria's widowhood. For the first year, a woman who was in mourning was not allowed to exit her home with out full black attire and a weeping veil. Her activities were initially restricted to church services. But mourning attire was the perfect way to show the wealth and respectability of a woman.




The earliest examples of mourning jewelry were found in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. Black and white enameled heads or skulls were often set into rings and brooches. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was a status symbol to present mourning jewelry to friends and families of the bereaved.

I am particularly in love with hair brooches...beautiful jewelry in which one would keep a lock of hair belonging to the deceased.




I am smitten by modern interpretations of Victorian jewelry. One of my favorite designers is Julia deVille of Disce Mori. If you love the Steampunk aesthetic, you will love her web design! Her work is not limited to jewelry, she also offer elegant leather gloves, spats, and taxidermy art objects!