Magical Music ~ The Pagan Scene

Hello Folks! Welcome to the music page… where I will do my best to share with you some snippets on the Pagan music scene, who’s out there and what’s happening. Please bear with me while I familiarise myself with the blog and how to work it… I’m sure it’ll work out as I go along!

Morrigans Path

First up, I’d like to introduce my own band to you ...
We’re a five-piece band of musicians from deepest, darkest Essex and we’ve been together for three years. Our music is probably best defined as contemporary folk if you want to be formal or groovy folk if you don’t. Either way, it’s earthy and melodic, with fluctuating rhythms and soulful lyrics.
I write the songs mainly and play percussion and whistle, accompanied by my husband Ian on acoustic guitar, Jim on the bass, Mark on the djembe and mandolin and Lyz with drums/ percussion/guitar and backing vocals.

We launched our first album, Call to Avalon, in 2014 at Glastonbury and have continued to play at various music festivals and Pagan events since. All the while we’ve continued to write new material, record it and are having great fun with a bit of filming too. Our drummer Mark, as well as engineering and recording the sound for the Morrigans is a keen photogragher and has produced some great videos recently…of which, fingers crossed I will include in this post!

The Crossing of Paths

We’ve put on a couple of our own gigs too which have been great fun to do… One was a book launch party last December at the Blue Boar in Maldon and the most recent – a fundraising gig for a 7th century Celtic Chapel in Bradwell where Ian and I live.
It was a completely magical evening (a couple of weeks ago) where a few months beforehand we’d filmed a video for a new song – Not a Dream. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DgGXLh7lG0
The chapel, built on the remains of an old Roman fort, sits just behind the beach, surrounded by land, sea and sky. I visit it most days with my dog Lola and it’s a great source of inspiration for my songs as well as food for the soul on every level. It’s my spiritual home, so you can imagine how excited I was to be playing in there with the band.

When I first approached the chaplain of the Chapel last year about the gig, she was very receptive to the idea. We were raising money for the roof remember… But we chatted over a cuppa and she said how she wanted to ‘see where our paths crossed’ as she was ‘sure they did’. Although I’ve experienced my fair share of negative attitude towards my craft and spiritual beliefs throughout my life, I said that if only we could focus on similarities instead of differences on a subject so many find insanely precious – then things would change. Yes, she said, they would…
So we found some common ground. I was not the wicked witch and she was not the bible basher – variations on the theme probably lay somewhere in between but it didn’t matter. Connection is key to good communication don’t you think?
Relationships depend on it.

So anyway, the chaplain went away on holiday (for months) and I was handed over to the church warden to liase with about the event which, to my delight, had been agreed. He was a lovely chap and enjoyed telling me about the history of the place, refering to it as a Saxon Chapel, pre-Celtic you know. Well, I didn’t know but I do now, thanks to him. You never stop learning!
David offered to print tickets, posters and flyers and arrange ‘refreshments at half time’ with a local lady from the next village… I was most impressed and greatly relieved as promoting any event is hard enough but when you are performing too – is a lot of work. Having someone to help me out with those things really made a difference, especially on the night.

I was nervous. We were playing in a stone building where the acoustics were amazing and it would have been idyllic to play completely acoustically but Jim was bringing his amp – as the bass needs to be heard – and if we didn’t sort out some extra sound I was going to drown under the instruments! I needn’t have worried as between them the guys worked it out. With no electrics, we relied on a battery operated mixer and candles for lighting. Perfect.

The evening was a success.
We sold all the tickets, raised £820 for the roof and got to play to all our friends in a sacred place, full of history and magic. For me, it was extra special as it’s the birthplace for a lot of my lyrics and I couldn’t imagine getting through it at first, without turning into a puddle. But I did and thoroughly enjoyed it.We played two sets, one of the first album and one of the very nearly finished second. Some of the newer songs we’d never gigged before…and one of those , Mark managed to capture on film.
Draw Her Down is a song I felt inspired to write from a Healing ceremony I did last year on the beach outside Bradwell’s nuclear power station. It was under a full moon with the battle queens and every guardian you could think of in attendance…On a night that meant so much, to birth that song was an amazing result. Hopefully it will work its magic every time its played. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rij4gUlLd8M

This weekend, we are playing at the Faerie Festival in Sussex (Sun 22nd) and I’m excited about that, singing with the band is a great way to get out more! There’s lots of other music on so I will be on the look out for who I can nab for an interview and a few pics…and hopefully I’ll have something interesting to report back to you shortly.

Until then, take it easy folks and if you are partial to some magical music…have a listen to Morrigans Path and enjoy!

Magical Musical Blessings,

                                             Sheena )O(

For more info about what else I do: http:// www.sheenacundy.com
http://www.witch-lit.blogspot.com
…and the band: https://www.facebook.com/morriganspath/

 

 

 

Jacqui Lovesey – Artist and Illustrator

Our featured artist this month is Jacqui Lovesey, whose work features witches (of all sizes), magical hares and an enchanting, animistic sort of reality

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I have been working as a self-employed artist for the last thirty years in many different media.  I am not ‘formally’ trained, but have drawn and painted for as far back as I can remember, starting as a child, keenly sketching birds, animals, flowers and insects… My father was passionate on nature and instilled in me that same  lifelong love of the natural world from an early age.  However, having been brought up on a 1970s estate, I also longed to grow up, leave home and find somewhere in the contemplative quiet of the countryside in which to live and work.

And so my travels began…leading quite a gypsy life, moving many times but always finding each place had something new and inspiring to offer, an excitement I was keen to pass down to the younger members of the family.

But that’s not to say that it’s all been idyllic! Working as an artist has its ups and downs, mostly the making-ends-meet part, the main, familiar problem for most self-employed creative folk!  However, for me, the ‘ups’ easily outweigh the ‘downs’. Most importantly, you’re more or less continual master of your own destiny – who knows what amazing project or idea is just around the corner?

Then there’s the ‘motivation’ question I’m often asked – where do I get if from? I always reply bills are a pretty-good motivator – and that there are never enough hours in the day!

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At present I am illustrating the Matlock the Hare trilogy of books with my husband Phil, a writer.  It’s been a four-year project of blind faith and dedication, only made possible with the support and loyalty of our many ‘Saztaculous Matlock folk’ who keep us going by buying the artwork, supporting our kickstarter projects and providing endless valuable enthusiasm and encouragement.  The books feature a green-robed majickal-hare who lives high in the Derbyshire Peaks, and have been a joy to illustrate, as I can create the images totally from my imagination – always fun!  Phil and I work well together, neither of us getting in the way of the other, as we have own roles within it. Besides, I’m dyslexic, and he can barely hold a paintbrush without breaking it, so it’s probably better we stick to our own skills!

With two feature-length novels in the trilogy already published, and the third and final instalment due out in October this year, it will soon will be time to put down the brush and go out blinking into the light with our  ‘baby’  and say to the world, “Hey! Look what we’ve done. Now you can all share this too!”  As an artist this is always the hardest part, as we’re almost always happiest creating, not promoting, and this awkward transitional time leaves you wanting to pid-pad in the other direction entirely. However, it’s  a vitally important part of the process and putting on a coat of creative armour to face any critics and naysayers is a given. However, at the end of the even’up you can always go to bed knowing that, if nothing else, your brush and pen are already waiting for you to take them up again all too soon!

Who knows what’s next? That’s always the most exciting part!

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You can see more of Jacqui’s work and discover more about the ‘saztaculous’ world of Matlock the Hare at www.matlockthehare.com

Or, please follow her Instagram account for latest progress on her current artworks, exhibitions and forthcoming publication days at

https://www.instagram.com/jacquilovesey/

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UNDER CONSTRUCTION

We are waking The Pagan & the Pen up. New ideas and exciting things are on the horizon. Until then, though, please ignore the mess. We will be taking some time to do some much needed Spring Cleaning and Changes.

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Kick off date is June 1, 2016. Don’t miss out on what’s coming.

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New Twitter !!!!! Part of the old account? No worries! Just pop on over to the new. Link is listed in the tabs above!

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New Facebook Page! Check the tab above for link!

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Cosmic Dancer reviews the Druids

A Legacy of Druids, by Ellen Evert Hopman

A fascinating book that will lead to discussions, a lot of the posts by Druids I don’t agree with (as a Druid myself), but is that not the point of this type of book? To read it and then discuss the points with other readers? I did struggle with the American contributors as I struggled getting to grips with making it more of an organised religion with people being ordained and such but that’s my opinion. I think this is a book that if discussed at local moots would lead to a good night of debate and conversation. A book well worth a read even if it’s just to see if what the contributors were hoping for years ago has come to pass(and some have).All in all I enjoyed it and whether I agree with the pieces or not I respect all those that contributed to it. I do recommend it.

 

Spirituality without Structure, By Nimue Brown

Even though it is only a small book, it contains such a wealth of information and insight that it makes you question yourself, which as a Druid is always a good thing. When you question your belief you stop taking it for granted. I also found myself agreeing with a lot of the content and finding that my belief is not a million miles away from hers.
If you are thinking of leaving the mainstream religions or have left and are in a bit of a panic then this book is for you (it also mentions cake).

 

 

Let’s Talk About Elements and the Pagan Wheel, by Siusaidh Ceanadach

It is mainly aimed at children , but I do feel that adults will enjoy it just as much. Each section has some questions and challenges set for children. A must read for all children, who wish to learn more, I’m sure they will come back to it time and time again.

 

 

 

The Handbook of Urban Druidry, by Brendan Howlin

As an Urban Druid myself I can agree with most of the things that he says in this book. For some Druids the thought of doing “Druidry” in an urban environment can be a bit hard to get their head round, as most are more used to a forest or woodland setting, but this book helps you come to terms and find a way to be a Druid no matter where you are. Lessons and observations are laid out very well and it is not a complicated book that you could get lost in. I did find it useful and it was good to know that another feels the same way about the cityscapes as I do. All in all a good read for those just starting on this path or maybe just want to look at their town and live in the same environment as the author.