Alissa Hall profile picture

Alissa Hall

Thoughts are things, and words have wings.

About Me


Founder of Raven's Perch Press and a writer for POSH magazine, Alissa's works explore many themes, from theater and dance, to Tarot and Tantra, eating disorder recovery, and storytelling (both adult and young adult fiction). Her illustrated henna books have inspired others' artistic paths, while her words have touched the hearts of many.
FEATURED FICTION RELEASE... Slave of God: a devadasi's tale. Over a millennium ago, a princess of India named Lakshimi Cholan abandoned her royal status to become a temple slave, a devadasi. Under the tutelage of her Master Mananda, she is introduced to the mysteries of Tantra-the ancient art of sacred sexuality. When the scheming Swami Bhagwan forces Mananda's decision to leave the temple, Lakshimi must decide if her obedience to God, or her love for her Master will rule the decisions of her heart. Adult historical fiction.
FEATURED NON-FICTION RELEASE... Exposing the Demon: the true nature of an eating disorder and what you can do to defeat it. After 13 years of anorexia and bulimia, I healed myself through meditation and prayer, and tried to forget my disorder. But when others asked for my help so they too could recover, my compassion and sympathy overruled that decision. Exposing the Demon uncovers the internal source of an eating disorder by examining it in a metaphysical light, and instructs the reader to use her emotions, imagination and spirit to regain her health... not for a while, but for good.
Aeclectic Tarot Spreads: written by members of the Aeclectic Tarot Forum, compiled and edited by Alissa Hall. The ultimate Tarot spreads ebook, with spreads for questions on Love and Relationships, Career and Money, Family and Pets, Self Awareness, Spiritual Path, Creativity, General Outlook, Spreads for Tarot Readers and much more! Features over 40 spreads to add to your Tarot library.
The Thinnest Girl Alive: diary of a young dancerA young ballet dancer finds her life sliding down a dangerous slope of eating disorders, amphetamine abuse, self-hatred and denial, until hospitalization becomes necessary in order for her to survive. Young adult fiction, ages 13 and up.

Indian Designs for the Aspiring Henna ArtistThe second of my Aspiring Artists series, with over 80 henna designs of various difficulty levels to assist the developing artist to master a basic design element, and work that design into more detailed and advanced illustrations. True artistic growth occurs when we feel comfortable with both the design, and with the medium we are working in… henna.
Henna patterns for the aspiring artist: revised editionThis stylish collection of over 45 henna (or mehndi) designs, complete with photos of many examples, is meant to assist beginning henna artists in building their artistic skills. Design stysles range from contemporary, flowery, abstract, Moroccan and Indian lace.

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

My Interests



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Writing, divination, Tarot, palmistry, henna, theater, dance, music, knitting, crocheting, spinning (that's yarn making, not exercising!), NeverWinter Nights

Read my free articles and short stories...

"Parlour Tricks," November 2006. Step briefly into a mysterious scene played out in the lives of two strangers in this short-short fiction piece.

"The Mysterous Marie Laveau," June 2006. The facts and fantastic tales of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.

"The Catacombs of Paris," December 2005. Venture beneath Paris' streets to discover the macabre history behind one of the City of Light's most uniquely gruesome tourist attractions.

"The History of London's Highgate Cemetery," September 2005. Learn the history behind London's famous Highgate Cemetery, as well as the infamous legend of the Highgate Vampire.

"The Five Elemental Hand Shapes," Timeless Spirit Magazine; March 2005. An article on the basics of reading hand shapes as an introduction to palmistry.

"Haunted New Mexico: Ghosts of the Southwest," December 2004 Tour a few of New Mexico's most haunted locations and discover the chilling tales behind their paranormal events.

I'd like to meet:

Suzanne Farrell - and I already did.

Of those who've passed... Sandro Botticelli, George Balanchine, Pamela Colman Smith, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Sir Thomas Malory, Marilyn Monroe, Dante Gabriel Rossetti... many more really.

And on Myspace? Intellectuals who can hold a decent conversation. Lovers of Tarot and the occult. Book lovers, young and old. "Mud slingers" (henna artists), tantrikas, and "bun heads" (ballet dancers). The apsaras of this realm.

Good People with Good Hearts....

Who I Don't Want to Meet:
People collectors, especially men who are "girl collectors"; bands who add me without having a damn thing in common with me and are only looking to up their Friends list count. I WILL DENY YOUR REQUEST SO DON'T BOTHER!

Which Balanchine Dancer are You?
You are Suzanne Farrell. Balanchine's greatest muse, Farrell's dancing was famous for its abandonment and lyricism. Like Farrell, you are introverted, maybe even aloof, but dedicated, complex, and sensitive.
Take this quiz !

Music:

Classical music; Tchaikovsky's "Symphonie Pathetique," anything by Debussy. Rock; classic (Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkel) and alternative (Rob Zombie). Musicals; "Rocky Horror...," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Rent," "Les Miserables," "Chicago."

Movies:

Dracula (several versions); Princess Bride; L.A. Story; It's a Wonderful Life; House of 1000 Corpses... eclectic selection and tastes, from horror to romance. But No Chick Flicks... EVER!

Television:

Classic Trek, Next Generation Trek, MythBusters, Simpsons, Futurama, Dark Shadows, Ghost Hunters, Dancing with the Stars. Everything on the History channel (except WWII documentaries).

Hell's Kitchen, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (BBC and FOX), The F Word; Gordon Ramsay is the only man on the planet who paints with profanity.

Don't Forget the Lyrics (actually I want to be on that show... really badly. Really really badly).

Books:

Too-too many... a few all-time faves: Be Here Now; Holding On to the Air; Mists of Avalon; Brothers Karamazov; Crime and Punishment; Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Hobbit; The Shining; Brave New World; Handmaiden's Tale... and all the books I've written myself.

I refuse to read or support Chick Lit. It should be banned for inspiring insipidness in my gender.

Heroes:

Every person out there whose daily efforts of compassion are overlooked by the world at large....

My Blog

Mid-life disco roller queen

  Spring. Hagalaz at last. The glacier on my back porch has now shrunk from 4 feet high to a measly 2 inches. Every morning, I wait with my son for the bus and the air is wet and cool, the de...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 07:22:00 PST

Healthy recipes for dieting smart

Wtih all the advocacy I do against eating disorders, I want to use this thread to promote healthy ways of losing weight. So, at my dear friend Liz's request, I begin this thread with my Banana Oatmeal...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Wed, 14 May 2008 06:12:00 PST

One glance will tell you if you are left brained, or right brained? This is fascinating!

I happened upon this on my friend Leisa Refalo's blog, and thought it was neat! If you see her moving counter clockwise, it indicates you are a left brained dominant person. If you see her ...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:59:00 PST

Would you pay for that? - an ode to Gordon Ramsay

He'll dress before the camera in chef whites And paints in eloquent profanity, Preparing each and every perfect bite He strips chefs' egos and their sanity. His temperamental mood is quite choler...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:42:00 PST

The Great Lemonade Tragedy and Spreading the Tarot Love

It's all about letting go, isn't it? That Zen philosophy at work... learning to let go, even of the things we love the most.My story begins this summer. It's mid-July, and I'm in Gallup NM on a writin...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:50:00 PST

Exposing the Demon, Chapter One - the true nature of an eating disorder and what you can do...

[The following is an excerpt from my book Exposing the Demon: the true nature of an eating disorder and what you can do to defeat it and is copyright to Alissa Hall, 2007.]   Welcome to Hell...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Sun, 02 Sep 2007 08:14:00 PST

Anorexia and bulimia - the faces of the Demon

Today I started trying to find profiles of individuals who are also part of my battle, those who also are fighting anorexia. I hit the tip of the Myspace iceberg. I knew we were all out there, a siste...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Tue, 05 Dec 2006 08:43:00 PST

You are NOT in control of your life, and that's a good thing

So much of Zen philosophy is built around the idea of "non-attachment." And yet, we are such an "attached" society, egotistically so. We control our food intake to influence our weight and thereb...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:16:00 PST

Blood curdling screams

Have you ever found yourself letting loose a true scream of genuine fright? It's cathartic, isn't it? And, Alissa's dark imagination was ruminating on the human need to scream. For those moments when ...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Wed, 23 May 2007 01:21:00 PST

Quiz fun, good for wasting incredible amounts of time pretending you're learning about yourself

You are Wonder Woman ..> ..> ..> ..> ..> ..> Wonder Woman 87% Superman 80% Spider-Man 75% Green Lantern 70% Supergirl 67% Robin 57% The Flash 55% Iron Man 55% Cat...
Posted by Alissa Hall on Mon, 29 Jan 2007 03:20:00 PST