Not many parties boast a wizard, much less one who goes by the name Merlin, but this isn’t just any party: celebrants throw an item of bad juju into a burning barrel to promote a fresh start. Merlin informs us it’s not just any night, either; besides being a new moon on an autumnal equinox, which is rare, there was also an annular eclipse of the sun at 4:40 this morning, which is, as Merlin puts it, “totally fucking rare—in astrological terms, today is huge.”
What better day to purge your sins and annoyances by incinerating them in a fire of bad juju? I covered this party last year, and threw a cigarette into the fire. Not long afterward, I successfully quit smoking. I may not be superstitious, but I’m agnostic enough to come and show some fearful pagan gratitude. “You’re the second success story I’ve heard about last year,” Merlin laughs. “There was a lady who burned three pictures of ex-boyfriends and then turned around and bumped into a guy and they’ve been happily dating ever since.”
So what’s burning this year? “Lots of fabrics,” says Merlin, “One guy took off his T-shirt from RealAudio and tore it to shreds before tossing it in.” A woman casts in photos of her ex-husband: “Burn, motherfucker, burn!” A drunk man reaches into the conflagration and retrieves a photo that was strangely unburned: “Oh, my God, it’s (dead Crocodile Hunter) Steve Irwin!” He pats down his perm-smelling arms, looks at the red-hot barrel, and reflects: “That burns like the fires of hell.” 
Want The Stranger to hear how “I quit doing coke and moved to Camano Island, so my juju is under control, thanks.” at your house party? E-mail the date, place, time, and party details to partycrasher@thestranger.com.