A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

  • How I Make Album Reviews

    Now Playing: Tower Of The Queen by Falconer So I’ve done a few album reviews now. But what is my process for them, you may ask? It’s actually pretty simple. First, as a general rule, I don’t assign any numbers to it. That’s a big thing about my album reviews. I don’t like giving numerical…

  • The Grand Inferno: My Thoughts on the New Tungsten Album

    Now Playing: Anger by Tungsten So, the much awaited fourth studio album from Swedish power metal band Tungsten is here. (I know, it was released on the 8th, but I’ve been busy with other posts that had to go out sooner.) Now, this album is interesting, with almost half of it being released as singles…

  • Fimbulvinter: My Thoughts on the New Brothers of Metal Album

    Now Playing: Sowilo by Brothers of Metal This is an album that has been a long time in the making. From the first single released summer of 2022 in The Other Son of Odin, this album is finally available to the public after two years of teasing. It once again features vocalist Ylva Eriksson as…

  • Remembrance Day: A Pagan Perspective

    Now Playing: From Blood to Stone by Elvenking Now listen. I get it. “Another post about remembering the fallen and all that sappy shit.” Yes. That’s essentially what this is. But with a twist. Remembering fallen soldiers will mean different things to different people in different ways, depending on their position either in the military…

  • Samhain: The Cross Quarter and the Root of Halloween

    Now Playing: Seasonspeech by Elvenking Samhain is a particular favourite cross quarter for me. I tend to really enjoy autumn, the changing leaves and cooler temperatures a welcome change from the heat of summer. This particular cross quarter was always just Halloween for me until I came to the pagan path, having been raised Christian…

  • Afterlives and Undeath: Rituals and Offerings in History

    Now Playing: Grandier’s Funeral Pyre by Elvenking Throughout history, burial rituals have existed in basically every culture ever. What these rituals look like will change depending on which region or time period one looks at, but they’ll be there. But what does this mean with paganism? Many pagan practices from before Christianity had their own…

  • ADHD and Practice: Neurodivergence in Paganism

    Now Playing: Stand In Veneration by Falconer Being neurodivergent can be really weird, especially with paganism. Many pagans are neurodivergent in some capacity, and it can be very comforting to have people who understand that experience. However, being neurodivergent can still make any sort of regularity with practice very complicated. Undiagnosed burnout is real, and…

  • Anger in Paganism: Frustration with a Dominant Culture

    Now Playing: Dominhate by Elvenking Anger within a pagan context specifically can be weird. So rarely is my rage directed at any one person, but at the system that caused them to say and do the things they do. It is the unfortunate reality that we live in a society that was built on Christianity…

  • Trollslayer: My Opinions on the New Wind Rose Album

    Now Playing: Of Ice and Blood by Wind Rose My immediate thoughts are as follows: this album is fantastic and I love it and it can do no wrong. It is 42 minutes of straight bangers. It takes the epic Wind Rose sound we’ve come to expect over the last two albums and brings back…

  • Pagan Melancholy

    Now Playing: Rejoice the Adorned by Falconer While loneliness is a more commonly expressed sentiment within paganism, the melancholy that can be experienced is also important to consider. Though there is overlap, they are not the same. Hear me out. So when considering pagan loneliness, it is to consider the isolation that comes with the…