A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

Musings of a Queer Pagan

  • Superiority in Metal: Recognition, Avoidance, and Overcoming

    Now Playing: Chronicle of a Frozen Era by Elvenking So something that comes up sometimes in metal spaces, especially online, is gatekeeping and a certain air of superiority about the kinds of metal one listens to. I’m not immune to this, I’ve been that uptight bitch about the metal I listen to, though I try…

  • Powerfolk and Other Melody Centric Metal and their Classical (ish) Influences

    Now Playing: Neverending Nights by Elvenking “But wait, there’s melody centric metal? That’s a thing? I thought metal was all just really angry screaming and growling and walls of noise!” I hear you cry. And yes, a lot of metal is just screaming and growling and walls of noise. But there’s a lot more to…

  • Language in Paganism: The Necessity of Learning the Language of an Ancient Religion

    Now Playing: Heathen Divine by Elvenking Words are funny markings (or collections of funny sounds, depending on what part of language you’re looking at) that we’ve collectively decided to mean specific things, and now I have to learn how to speak two separate times to actually have more of a chance of getting a job…

  • Earth Day: Giving Back to Mother Earth in a Digital Society

    Now Playing: White Willow by Elvenking Before it comes up, yes, I’m aware of the irony of a folk metal fan being a pagan and wanting to preserve nature and all that. I know I’m a bit of a walking stereotype, and I’m okay with that. Anyway, given that Earth is basically the only place…

  • Metal (Culture) Is Many Things: A Poem

    Metal (Culture) is Many Things It is the breaths between words. It is a sculpture that each person adds to as they encounter it. It is an incomplete song that grows with each new part. It is a tapestry weaved by the weary hands of many generations. It is a large mosaic of individual lives,…

  • Home Worship in Non Ideal Circumstances: Temporary Altars and Disturbing Permanent Altars

    Now Playing: Not My Final Song by Elvenking Many pagans will have some form of home altar, and that can be anything from a small area on their desk where they keep ritual equipment to a full dedicated table, or even an entire dedicated room, if you’re feeling ambitious. The specifics on size, location, and…

  • Distance from the Gods: Detachment in Paganism

    Now Playing: King of the Elves by Elvenking Each person who turns to paganism has their own reasons for doing so, but most often because they felt some sort of calling to this path. But what happens when that calling goes away? Losing that sense of calling to the path can cause some to feel…

  • Pagan Metal: My Deep Love of Elvenking

    Now Playing: Pagan Purity by Elvenking I’m not sure how obvious it is, but I am, in fact, a massive Elvenking fan. Maybe it’s the violin, maybe it’s the fact that they’re pretty Italian elf boys, maybe it’s the folk metal start leading into powerfolk in more recent albums, who knows. Maybe it’s the fact…

  • Spirit or Something Else: What Are the Gods?

    Now Playing: Draugen’s Maelstrom by Elvenking The title may seem like a stupid question, but I promise it makes sense. When having specific experiences within Heathenry (and paganism in general), it can be hard to distinguish if an experience is from a god or a local nature spirit or house spirit or even the spirit…

  • Music and Religion: Performance of Christian Music as a Pagan

    Now Playing: Midnight Madonna by Powerwolf Currently, I sing in a community choir. As with most community choirs, this choir rehearses and performs in a church as a way to reduce expenses, since rehearsal spaces can get quite expensive, especially for larger groups. Many of the pieces we perform are also based around Christian themes…