pale garden
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| The first posting in this series was “City of Marble and Beryl“, from the 7th of April in 2010. | 1 | The second posting in this series was “effulgent valleys“, from the 7th of May in 2010. | 1 | The third posting in this series was “Strange Prayers “, from the 7th of June in 2010. | |
June 27, 2010
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There are more shots in the following series up at my flickr page, if you care to view a few more of them. On the 27th of June, the day after a full moon, I found a white candle in front of the seeming altar. A few other incidentals were scattered about.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Two cigars were in place, both had been lit at some point, but not smoked.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was a curious residue in the grass, which looked to me like candle wax or some other sort of resinous substance.
July 26, 2010
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The 26th of July was a full moon, and I showed up the day of… just to see if any preparatory elements had appeared for the night’s ceremony. There were charred bits of grain and burned bone in the spot where the candle wax or resin was last month.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The white candle was smashed, probably by groundskeepers during routine mowing. I actually ran into a groundskeeper on this trip, an amiable but suspicious man who volunteered “I see all kinds shit up around here, bottles- knives- whatnot” when I queried him about the spot.
August 26, 2010
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The full moon was on the 24th in August, and obligation kept me from St. Michael’s until the 26th. Luckily, whoever is working this ritual site is fastidious, whereas the groundskeeping crew were concentrating on other more… modern… sections of the cemetery.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This time around, there was a pan of what looked like peanuts (a kind of nuts at least), beans, and some sort of grain floating about in a frothy bath of water. There was intense rain just the day before, and the water very well might have been a natural accumulation.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This time around, the candle was green, and nestled close to the altar.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Melted white wax was also apparent.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Additionally, there was a broken egg in the grass.
September 23, 2010
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Almost disappointed that “my man” didn’t show up on the moon of September 23rd, a humble narrator instead decided to think about the history of the place and the set of assumptions I’ve been operating under in recording this macabre series of scenes.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
First, the things I know for certain. The frequency of events at this location have been dropping off, after a flurry of activity at the start of the holy year at Easter. The site is set up along the meridian points of a compass, and it seems to have been following a lunar calendar since the early summer.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Meridian points.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
South
– photo by Mitch Waxman
East
– photo by Mitch Waxman
West
– photo by Mitch Waxman
North and approximately 100-150 yards away.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
North and approximately 175 yards away. Bingo.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Clockwork.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A plate of great price, north of the new site.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
An odd necklace just south.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Can this be a medicine bag?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just East was this torn apart bird. My first instinct was that this was a kill by one of the many felines which patrol the cemetery,
– photo by Mitch Waxman
But this isn’t how cats kill, and the bird’s sundered remains were all present and the tell tale signs of carnivorous consumption were absent.
The Newtown Pentacle 
[…] of these ritual sites and objects which may be found around the City of New York. Remember the weirding works at St. Michael’s Cemetery, the Grand Lodge of the Freemasons in Manhattan, or the witch knots at […]
little memories « The Newtown Pentacle
March 27, 2011 at 12:16 am
[…] though, your Newtown Pentacle will continue fomenting dissent, looking under rocks, and making wild accusations that a witch cult is at large and operating in western Queens. I am literally dying though, to resume my lonely […]
the frail door « The Newtown Pentacle
May 17, 2011 at 3:01 pm
[…] Pale Garden gathered together a series of postings on the weird activity at St. Michael’s Cemetery. […]
ecstasy and horror « The Newtown Pentacle
October 31, 2011 at 11:10 am
[…] to other instances of peasant magick at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Astoria which have been detailed in prior Newtown Pentacle postings should be remarked […]
traitorous somnolence « The Newtown Pentacle
February 13, 2012 at 12:16 am
[…] For several years, your humble narrator has been documenting an odd usage of St. Michael’s Cemetery here in Astoria. An adherent to a presumptively afro-cuban syncretic faith has been performing rituals in Section 10 since at least 2010. The phenomena is discussed at great length in the November 2010 post “pale garden.“ […]
jutting promontory | The Newtown Pentacle
August 29, 2014 at 11:00 am
[…] blog, Newtown Pentacle, a series of bizarre finds have been discussed — whether it be my long observance of ceremonial activity at St. Michael’s Cemetery, or the occasional sidewalk encounters one […]
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Brownstoner Queens
October 2, 2014 at 11:02 am