A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

  • Pagan vs Witch: The Intersection of Aesthetics and Faith

    Now Playing: 3 Ways to Magick by Elvenking Before anyone says anything, no, paganism and witchcraft aren’t the same thing, though there is a lot of overlap between the two, with many pagans practicing witchcraft and many witches also identifying as pagans to some degree, especially where Wicca is concerned. But they are not the…

  • Runic Tattoos and the Potential Pitfalls therein

    Now Playing: The Horned Ghost and the Sorcerer by Elvenking I recently got a tattoo, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. I got it done at a friend’s studio in my home city, and it’s a bindrune that means a lot to me. Now, getting this done brought a thought to my…

  • Lughnasadh: The Pagan Summer Cross Quarter

    Now Playing: Summon the Dawn Light by Elvenking So this is one of the quieter cross pagan holidays for me. It’s right when a lot of people are out of town, it isn’t a major seasonal change, and in general, there isn’t a lot happening. So instead, what is it? According to Wikipedia (I know,…

  • Damna: A Passion that Cannot be Ignored

    Now Playing: Twilight of Magic by Elvenking Damnagoras (aka Davide Moras) has been the singer for Elvenking since their conception, with a brief time away from the band for the recording and release of Wyrd in 2003-2004. (During this time, he was replaced by Kleid, who, while not the perfect fit for a band such…

  • Litha: A Day of Sun and Summer

    Now Playing: The Moon and Magic by Elvenking The seasonal patterns of the year are always interesting, but the solstices are perhaps the most interesting part of the year for me. The settlements in the far north and far south see drastic changes in the hours of daylight they get and will see the midnight…

  • Recycling Lyrics and Doing It Well in Metal

    Now Playing: A Cloak of Dusk by Elvenking When writing music, lyrics can get a little tricky. Between balancing the story, the rhythmic quality of the words, and how the words sound together overall, it’s not a task that comes easily to everyone. But there is a trick that some people use to make it…

  • Solitary Practice: Dealing with Loneliness as a Pagan

    Now Playing: The Solitaire by Elvenking Dealing with loneliness as a pagan can get really weird. While one can experience this for other reasons, the loneliness that can come directly from being a pagan is another beast entirely. Now, I’m an introvert, so I enjoy spending time by myself doing my own thing and not…

  • The Inherently Political Nature of Art

    Now Playing: Elvenlegions by Elvenking Throughout history, we can see discussions of political themes within art, ranging from a comedic look at history to playing with gender roles to open criticism of current political leaders to a critical look at social issues affecting the modern human being. Now, whether or not some people want to…

  • Tarot and Rune Readings: Using Common Sense for Divinations and Signs

    Now Playing: Reader of the Runes – Book I by Elvenking So something I (thankfully) don’t see too often is people taking divination tools as super literal tools of what exactly will happen in the future. This can get really messy when questions can refer to specific situations with answers that are very vague or…

  • 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…