The Gilded Witch

“The first commercial film exhibitions were held in 1895: the Lambda Company debuted their “Eidoloscope” in New York that spring, and Auguste and Louis Lumière debuted the “Cinematograph” the following winter. Two years later, Bram Stoker published his epistolary novel Dracula, a Gothic horror take on the vampire myth. “Count Dracula” and cinema came into this world at the same time, but until Francis Ford Coppola set out to adapt Stoker’s novel, no one thought to make the connection.” Continue reading => Link in bio or on our website blog. Adore movies and Madeline's writing? Follow her on Substack and her socials:

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Bless the space where two worlds meet.

October 1st invites us to honor the liminal spaces: the doorways, windows, twilight hours, and moments where one world seems to meet another.

You can practice the October Threshold each day by:

Standing barefoot on the earth
Lighting a candle at your doorway or altar
Mist your home with a ritual spray
Opening a window and welcoming the night air
Spending a few quiet moments between sunset and sleep
Work with herbs, salts, or the glow of a night-blooming flower beneath the moon

Repeat “I stand between our worlds. I am rooted in both.”

Each day brings us closer to Samhain—and closer to the mysteries found in the spaces between. 🌙

Indulge in the luxurious Dracula Perfumes. Are you a Passionate Flame or a Subtle Romantic?

Letters from Mina is a rich, complex fragrance tinged with sweetness and longing.

Scent Notes:
Top Notes: Soft Citrus + Bergamot + Honey
Heart Notes: Wild Rose + Violet + Black Tea
Base Notes: Amber + Cedar

The alluring spice of bergamont and honey introduce the scent with a hint of citurs. Its softness comes from wild rose and violet while deepened by black tea. Finished off with classic notes of amber and cedar for a passionate scent.

Lucy of the Night is a darkly romantic floral fragrance—soft, haunting, and beautifully dangerous.

Scent Notes:
Top Notes: Night Blooming Jasmine + Violet
Heart Notes: Lily of the Valley + Garden Rose + Orchid
Base Notes: Bright Musk + Ozone

Night-blooming jasmine and moonlit violet open the scent, unfolding into delicate lily of the valley, garden rose, and orchid petals. Bright musk and airy ozone create a cool, mysterious finish that feels like moonlight on midnight air.

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/lucy-of-the-night-dracula-perfume?

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/letters-from-mina-dracula-perfume?

Escape into the ghost realm with this fragrance created in collaboration with fantasy author Sara A. Noë.

Ghost Realm soy wax candle by Old Soul Artisan.

Scent: Cedar + Apple + Chrysanthemum

Ingredients: natural soy wax, cotton wick, premium fragrances, magic.

Size: 12oz

Burn Time: ~50 hours

100% vegan and contains no dyes, parabens, or phthalates. Hand-blended with care in small batches.

Available at The Gilded Witch:
https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/ghost-realm-candle?

Darkness & Delight 🍂

The Fall Equinox invites us

to pause,

honor what we’ve nurtured,

gather the harvest of our efforts,

and release what no longer serves us.

Take a slow walk, notice autumn’s beauty, and begin a simple ritual for the darker months ahead—light a candle, spritz your space, or take three deep breaths.

And remember… Halloween is just around the corner! 🎃

A touch of darkness, delicately gilded. 🖤

The Nocturnal Necklace: 14kt gold-filled chain with a gold-plated black cross pendant, crafted from shimmering black CZ crystals.

Reminiscent of the dark, gothic styles found in Queen of the Damned and Blade, this necklace strikes the perfect balance between dramatic and minimal.

Pair it with the matching Nocturnal Cross Earrings for a quietly gothic look.

Shop the collection at The Gilded Witch.

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/nocturnal-cross-necklace?
https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/nocturnal-cross-earrings?

A deliciously thick knit, fit for the darkest days of fall and winter. 🖤

With a stretchy, comfortable fit that embraces every head, this one-size-fits-all snug hat is the perfect finishing touch to your Victorian gothic wardrobe.

Stay warm. Stay mysterious. Stay delightfully macabre. 🕯️

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/feral-beanie?

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/rainbow-bats-beanie?

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/the-horrors-persist-beanie?

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/vampire-teeth-beanie?

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/halloween-ghost-beanie?

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/coffee-covens-and-coffins-beanie?

“My blood, your blood, our blood.”

We’ve all witched for it, and the spell is cast!

Practical Magic 2 arrives tomorrow, nearly 28 years after the original—and we couldn’t be more excited to return to the Owens sisters’ world of magic, love, and sisterhood. 🕯️💜

"No magic is stronger than sisterhood—cast by fate, tested by time, and never broken. And love is the trickiest spell of all." ✨

We’re seeing it this weekend—and we hope you are too! Who’s joining us for a little practical magic? 🔮🍿

Girls Will Be Girls 🕯️🌙

Gather your coven and welcome cozy fall energy into your space with the Witch Circle Candle from Lunastry, and a matching matchbox set, available at Gilded Witch.

Scented in Luna Bella, this enchanting candle features a coven of witches encircling the vessel—ready to amplify the intentions you set forth. Light it, set your intention, and let the magic begin.

Shop now at
https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/girls-will-be-girls-witch-circle-candle?

https://www.gildedwitch.com/products/girls-will-be-girls-matchbox?

Do you have any favorite Halloween movies? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Vampire Cinema Series #1: Vampyr (1932)

Written by Madeline Ostdick

Part 1/3 of our Halloween 2026 Cinema Series

"The best early vampire movie has no “vampire” in it at all, at least not as we understand them: no fangs, no cape, no magical transformation into a wire-operated bat. Vampyr (1932), an iconic German horror film with a tremendous influence on international arthouse horror, does have a vampire in it, but viewers expecting a monstrous being permanently pitched forward in pursuit of an unsuspecting target will be left disappointed: it’s just some old woman!"

Continue reading: https://www.gildedwitch.com/blogs/cinema-series-1/vampire-cinema-series-1-vampyr-1932

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