Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

[BluePrimula]

I have always had a deep emotional and spiritual connection to music. It's one of the only things that gives me chills, and it feels like it taps into my psyche and emotions like nothing else can. I enjoy listening to it and I'm a singer, I also dabble in piano. I'm wondering if there are any ways to incorporate music into my pagan/witch practices. In regard to witchcraft, rituals, basic things like meditation, deities, or belief systems. I'm very new to both paganism and witchcraft, so my practices and beliefs are very much a work in progress. As a result I'm very eclectic and flexible at the moment, and I'm willing to try out or research any pointers you might have

[Corvus]

Totally. Music is a big part to basically every major religion, so we can totally do it too. There's plenty of pagan themed music and chants, especially for wiccan flavored stuff, though some is fairly generic. The line between lyrics and incantations is blurred at best, so why not make your spells songs? Many ancient cultures set their hymns to music, notably we have several surviving Greek hymns that were originally accompanied by lyre or kithara. Searching around will let you find sheet music pretty easy. Making music can be considered an act of worship, especially when that music is dedicated to the divine. For a long time I would just load up some music I thought was appropriate and let it play by my altar as an offering. For more casual use, many people like to play chants or music during meditation. Just look for something with a repetitive hard beat and little variance. I like to listen to devotionals when I take a bath since this is a very calming and spiritual experience for me. Lindie Lila is an artist who has some songs I like for that, check out her "return of the goddess" album.

[BluePrimula]

Thank you so much, that's very helpful!! The suggestions sound great, I'd definitely like to make my spells into songs and listen to music while meditating. I've looked into pagan music a tiny bit, I'll look into it more though because I'm sure there's a *lot* more out there. I'll look up Lindie Lila and that album especially. I never knew there were surviving Greek hymns, that's awesome from a historical perspective as well. Your idea of playing music by the altar is interesting! It makes me wonder whether me singing something could serve a similar offering purpose (or would it be arrogant for me to assume my voice is adequate?)

[Shahaku]

Ok, I'm going to give you a list of pagan artists.

Damh the Bard

SJ Tucker

Kellianna

Lisa Thiel

Spiral Rhythm

Spiral Dance

Omnia

Lila

Blackmores Night (I think that's right).

These can all be found on Amazon Music. I have unlimited and have over 700 hours of pagan music. I'm still working my way through it all.

[volcaniclastic]

Totally. Music is a big part to basically every major religion, so we can totally do it too. There's plenty of pagan themed music and chants, especially for wiccan flavored stuff, though some is fairly generic. The line between lyrics and incantations is blurred at best, so why not make your spells songs? Many ancient cultures set their hymns to music, notably we have several surviving Greek hymns that were originally accompanied by lyre or kithara. Searching around will let you find sheet music pretty easy. Making music can be considered an act of worship, especially when that music is dedicated to the divine. For a long time I would just load up some music I thought was appropriate and let it play by my altar as an offering. For more casual use, many people like to play chants or music during meditation. Just look for something with a repetitive hard beat and little variance. I like to listen to devotionals when I take a bath since this is a very calming and spiritual experience for me. Lindie Lila is an artist who has some songs I like for that, check out her "return of the goddess" album.

Great suggestion, Corvus - I love that album.

I'm about to spam you with bands to check out. Some of them are metal, though - fair warning.

Medieval Baebes

OMNIA

Sirena

Erutan

Threefold

Gaia Consort (a personal favourite)

Faun

Trobar de Morte

Jenna Greene

Enya

Terri Liles Mason

Hagalaz' Runedance

Lila

Amon Amarth

Eluveitie

Nightwish (don't know if they are strictly pagan, but their tunes suit the mood)

Celtic Woman

Chalice and Blade

...that oughta get you started. Do you use spotify? Because there's DOZENS of playlists out there.

[Corvus]

It makes me wonder whether me singing something could serve a similar offering purpose (or would it be arrogant for me to assume my voice is adequate?)

You are a divine spark inhabiting flesh and music is an act of divine creation. It doesn't matter how you sound, as long as you feel joy in it and give it freely. People pray and say hymns to gods, music would be no different. Obviously try your best, but any deity inclined toward a musical offering will almost certainly be pleased by the attempt. They've heard worse, but offering is principally about the act of giving, not what is given.

Healthy fear of hubris is good, but doing your best and recognizing you're not the new Orpheus is adequate. You will do great.

[Sean R. R.]

Omnia is great. Saw them live at Castlefest in 2015.

I regularly practice music as a form of worship. It doesn't need to be perfect, it needs to come from the heart. Also, the only way to get better at playing music/singing IS to play music and sing! Give it a few attempts and see how you feel.

[Rhythm]

-an excerpt from Raglan Road

I gave her gifts of the mind, I gave her the secret signs
That's known to the artists who have know the true gods of sound and stone
And word and tint without stint for I gave her poems to say
With her own name there
And her own dark hair
Like clouds over fields of May

Luke Kelly sings a great version of it, guy sang great versions of everything. It's taken from a poem called Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away. Music is amazing. Especially playing it. Turns out the neural architecture has a bandwidth limit, and music commonly exceeds it. In order to perform we start to shut off other areas of active attention. We experience this as zoning out, and sometimes a complete blackout. Remembering the moment right before we began and coming back to after it's over. Hoping that we did well, judging by applause or facial expressions.

Dissolution of self. Yet another example of worshiping at the altar of nature by so many other names. Music can be a pagan practice all on it's own. Altered states are a deeply valued, but there's little in this world that's more pagan than taking simple joy in life.

Personally, I go full on bluegrass when I wanna find my zen.....but we all have playlists for other* things as well. It runs deep, lol.

[Rae'ya]

I have always had a deep emotional and spiritual connection to music. It's one of the only things that gives me chills, and it feels like it taps into my psyche and emotions like nothing else can. I enjoy listening to it and I'm a singer, I also dabble in piano. I'm wondering if there are any ways to incorporate music into my pagan/witch practices. In regard to witchcraft, rituals, basic things like meditation, deities, or belief systems. I'm very new to both paganism and witchcraft, so my practices and beliefs are very much a work in progress. As a result I'm very eclectic and flexible at the moment, and I'm willing to try out or research any pointers you might have

Full disclosure here... I have not one musical bone in my body and never did mesh with music beyond the 'that's nice' level. BUT... music has a rich and varied history in paganism and traditional faiths! There is a huge library of pagan-friendly music nowdays (most of which are listed above) but pretty much any music that evokes a certain mood or energy within you can be listened to and utilised with intent.

Besides that, music (particularly percussion instruments) has been used as a tool to alter our state of consciousness pretty much since we learned to bash two sticks together. Even I, who has no affinity for music, use a drum to help put me into a trance state for spiritual purposes. Drumming, rattling and rhythmic percussion (with or without 'dance') is a tried and true method of reaching deep meditative or trance states that can very effectively set you on a path to the Innerworlds or external journeying to the Otherworlds.

Voice is also a very powerful magickal medium. There are entire methodologies devoted to the use of the voice in spirituality, healing and magick. And it doesn't have to be a classically trained singing voice. There is power in the voice that is spoken with intent, particularly if there is some rhythm, chant or incantation behind it. In the tradition that I follow, there is an entire branch of magickal practice called 'galdr', which is essentially the use of the voice as a medium for spoken/chanted spells and healing practices.

So yes, music and voice are very, very powerful tools for the modern pagan! They are some of the oldest and most primal magickal tools that we have... so explore those connections and never, ever feel that your voice or musical offerings aren't adequate. Even as a non-musical person I know that music comes from the deepest parts of the soul, and that is an incredible tool to harness for spirituality! You can't really get this 'wrong', so go for it!

[Juniper]

[...]
Medieval Baebes
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You are the only person in my entire online life, outside of my family, that has ever brought up this group. I LOVE THESE GIRLS! Any time I think of them, I immediately start hearing Salva Nos play in my brain noggin.

Also, Faun is amazeballs.