Pagan Music Project: Risky Material From the Forbidden Library

Learn how Classical Music harbors subliminal and not-so subliminal Pagan messages.

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Amarfa

Amarfa

Amarfa has been studying the occult, wicca, and paganism for 17 years and counting.  She has been a musician since age 5, studying first guitar, then accordion for 10 years, placing 2nd in her division in the 1995 ATARI/ATAM New England Regional Competition,  and has been studying voice for 9. She has directed small early music ensembles, performed publicly, and starred in local theatre works, particularly the World Premiere of Nightsong, a musical theatre piece with direction and book by Jon Brennan and music by Kari Tieger and Kevin Campbell, as well as composing a musical of her own and writing music in her spare time.

Posted by on in Studies Blogs

The final frontier! 

Ok i won't say the whole thing, but you know what I mean!  It's been half a year since I posted, and let me tell you, my life has been good!  I got a beautiful new job that I love with all my heart, and I just wrapped up a weekend of paying singing gigs that was exhausting but magical, for all that I had to sit through one of the most ridiculous sermons i can remember.  

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Posted by on in Studies Blogs

My jaw DROPPED when I saw the words to "Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda."  In no uncertain terms, these songs directly invoke Hindu deities from a Hindu scripture and implore them for help.

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Posted by on in Studies Blogs

Four years ago, when I first started my Pagan Music Project, I got asked "What's the difference between Witchcraft and Paganism?"  That was difficult for me to answer. I struggled with it for a while, and then forgot about it.  Now, I think I've got it.

Witchcraft is about energies and powers that be.  Witchcraft spells and Witch magick are about working with the energetic machine that the world and universe are part of.  It's almost more of a job than it is a religion. Witches around the world are people that "do." Whether good or bad, Witches "do" things.

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Recent Comments - Show all comments
  • Amarfa
    Amarfa says #
    @lizann: Even though I myself find it hard to believe in Christian religion and tradition, I am so glad you've found a balance.
  • Amarfa
    Amarfa says #
    Thank you. It was a random 3am type of writing. Sometimes, those are the best!
  • Lizann Bassham
    Lizann Bassham says #
    Lovely and nuanced wisdom, thank you for sparking my continued processing of those concepts as a witch whose deities tend to be in
  • Terence P Ward
    Terence P Ward says #
    I very much appreciate how you've presented this viewpoint as your own insight, rather than as an established fact. That makes it
  • Ted Czukor
    Ted Czukor says #
    Nice insight, Candi. I like how you've teased out the differences between the two.

Posted by on in Studies Blogs

What would happen if all the BNP's (big name pagans) got together and did magic?  Would they agree on method, goal, and execution, or would they fight to the death?

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  • Amarfa
    Amarfa says #
    That's a good idea! To take turns. In my question, I was envisioning the traditional "circle" format, where, of course, there a
  • Ted Czukor
    Ted Czukor says #
    I realized that you had postulated an "irresistible force meeting an immovable object" scenario, which would be almost guaranteed
  • Ted Czukor
    Ted Czukor says #
    Good question. I think if they were big ENOUGH, each would let the others do their individual presentations before the crowd, and
Gender Role Switching in Opera-A Source List

Peter Ringo asked if I would write an article on Gender Roles in Opera.  I can't.  There are already so many good ones out there and I'd just be stealing their work.  I would much rather create a list of good articles so we can get a good discussion going about how these things came about and continue today, and see what may possibly apply to modern day GLBTQ-types of Pagans and our music at large.

So, here are some articles and my own little paraphrases of what they are about:

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Posted by on in Studies Blogs

So, a friend let me borrow a book to review.  It’s called ‘Rhythmajick’ and on the front it says: Practical Uses of Number, Rhythm, and Sound.  by Z’EV.  I sat down with my drum one day and opened the book, looking for inspiration.

If I had a picture of myself scratching my head, I’d attach it to this post.  You see, I’m a musician and I know how to read music.  I’m also an educator and I know how to teach music.  A lot of people learn music by rote instead of reading it, so it can be hard to write about music if you don’t have the notation. 

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Recent Comments - Show all comments
  • Travis
    Travis says #
    Hahaha Yes Yes YES to all of this. Im actually working with a musician to produce some sound scapes for meditation on the Tarot.
  • Amarfa
    Amarfa says #
    Something I do recommend is a book by Joscelyn Godwin, titled "Music, Mysticism and Magic." It's a series of excerpts from early

Posted by on in Studies Blogs

This isn't my usual post about music, but music kind of drew me in a weird direction, because I joined a band with people in it I didn't know, and then this happened.

Sometimes, it doesn't work. The relationship.  Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to respect someone, and no matter how hard they try to respect you, your respective respect for each other just...isn't. Here's a story.

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Recent Comments - Show all comments
  • Amarfa
    Amarfa says #
    You're welcome! It comes from hard experience. As Pagans, we're focused on getting along, and world peace, and sometimes it benef
  • Deborah Blake
    Deborah Blake says #
    This is fabulous. Thanks for sharing.

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