A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

  • Symphonic Metal Be Like: My Thoughts on the New Blackbriar Album

    Now Playing: Bluebeard’s Chamber by Blackbriar Okay, so Blackbriar is alternative metal, but they have symphonic elements. They still count as symphonic metal. (I know Metal Archives calls them pop in their rules, but that’s bullshit as far as I’m concerned.) For those who aren’t familiar, Blackbriar is a symphonic alt/gothic metal band from the…

  • Deities and their Genders: Hard Mythic Truth, or Something More?

    Now Playing: The Ghosting by Elvenking So as a baseline, most pagans will generally agree that gender is weird. I mean, just look at the average pagan gathering, each one I’ve ever seen has been two berries short of a fruit basket. But what does that actually mean in terms of our experiences and UPGs…

  • Am I Truly Pagan Enough? Imposter Syndrome in Pagan Practice

    Now Playing: Heavy is the Crown of Bone by Crypt Sermon So recently, a friend of mine made a comment that I found interesting and, for better or worse, kind of relatable. The sentiment was that they don’t feel “pagan enough,” and that got me thinking: what does it really mean to be “pagan enough?”…

  • Another New Album: Moonlight Haze Album “Beyond”

    Now Playing: Beyond by Moonlight Haze So it’s no secret that I enjoy symphonic power metal. I am the kind of person who will happily commit to the bit, and that is the essence of this particular subgenre of metal, a fact which warms my soul. Now, Moonlight Haze in particular is a band I…