A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

  • Pagan Metal: Music Getting Unexpectedly Spiritual

    Now Playing: Moonchariot by Elvenking Spirituality is nothing new in the realm of music, not by a long shot. (See the Church controlling the composing and production of music for centuries across history for examples of this.) Where it becomes interesting is within the realm of modern pagan music and especially within the realm of…

  • Arts and Paganism: How to Connect with the Divine through Creation

    Now Playing: The Wolves Will Be Howling Your Name by Elvenking So I’m a Germanic polytheist and, in more recent times, a Lokean. This means that I follow a (loosely) reconstructed version of the religion from northern Europe, and that I specifically work with the deity Loki. On the surface, this has little to do…

  • Yule: The Winter Solstice

    Now Playing: The One We Shall Follow by Elvenking The winter solstice: that time of year when everything is snowy and bitterly cold and generally just kinda cosy. (I am aware that it is summer for the Southern hemisphere, but I’m writing from a Canadian perspective, so work with me here lol.) A lot of…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • September High Day: The Autumn Equinox

    Now Playing: Dear Fellow Traveller by Sea Wolf The autumn equinox is an interesting time. While it is also the balance of night and day that marks the beginning of autumn and the lead up to winter, it is also a midpoint of harvest season, especially for more northern countries where the onset of cold…

  • Alienation in Paganism: How Group Pressure can Affect the Individual

    Now Playing: The One We Shall Follow by Elvenking Before y’all get on my ass about this, yes, I know I’ve written about loneliness and alienation in paganism before, but bear with me. The throes of melancholy and pagan solitude have been gripping my soul and I want to talk about it. So overall, there…