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  • Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

    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

  • #2
    Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

    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.
    “They moaned and squealed, and pressed their snouts to the earth. We are sorry, we are sorry.
    Sorry you were caught, I said. Sorry that you thought I was weak, but you were wrong.”
    -Madeline Miller, Circe

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    • #3
      Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

      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?)

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      • #4
        Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

        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.
        We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. There is good and evil among every kind of people. It's the evil among us who rule now. -Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood

        I wondered if he could ever understand that it was a blessing, not a sin, to be graced with more than one love.
        It could be complicated; of course it could be complicated. And it opened one up to the possibility of more pain and loss.
        Still, it was a blessing I would never relinquish. Love, genuine love, was always a cause for joy.
        -Jacqueline Carey, Naamah's Curse

        Service to your fellows is the root of peace.

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        • #5
          Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

          Originally posted by Corvus View Post
          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.
          “The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” – John Muir

          Mostly art.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

            Originally posted by BluePrimula View Post
            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.
            Last edited by Corvus; 10 Jun 2020, 22:26.
            “They moaned and squealed, and pressed their snouts to the earth. We are sorry, we are sorry.
            Sorry you were caught, I said. Sorry that you thought I was weak, but you were wrong.”
            -Madeline Miller, Circe

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

              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.

              Check out my blog! The Daily Satanist

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              • #8
                Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

                -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.
                Last edited by Rhythm; 11 Jun 2020, 11:09.

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                • #9
                  Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

                  Originally posted by BluePrimula View Post
                  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!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

                    Originally posted by volcaniclastic View Post
                    [...]
                    Medieval Baebes
                    [...]
                    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.
                    “Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.”
                    ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
                    Sneak Attack
                    Avatar picture by the wonderful and talented TJSGrimm.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

                      Originally posted by Juniper View Post
                      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.
                      It's been a while since I listened to them, but they are GREAT.

                      Edit: I go through musical genre phases. Currently in a punk/pagan metal/local northern indigenous artist phase lol. I mostly can't listen to my music out loud at work.
                      Last edited by volcaniclastic; 18 Jun 2020, 17:58.
                      “The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” – John Muir

                      Mostly art.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

                        Wow!! I did NOT expect this thread to get so much positive and helpful feedback! Thank you so much for all of the band/artists recommendations, information about the connections between music and paganism (historical and current) and various musical practices, explanations of the meaning behind music offerings plus response to my idea of singing as an offering! I think the info will be very helpful for me in starting my pagan journey; also, I'll be sure to check out all those artists! I'm very sorry I haven't kept up and responded in real time - I've had little to no access to my computer and limited free time recently due to life circumstances.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

                          Originally posted by BluePrimula View Post
                          Wow!! I did NOT expect this thread to get so much positive and helpful feedback! Thank you so much for all of the band/artists recommendations, information about the connections between music and paganism (historical and current) and various musical practices, explanations of the meaning behind music offerings plus response to my idea of singing as an offering! I think the info will be very helpful for me in starting my pagan journey; also, I'll be sure to check out all those artists! I'm very sorry I haven't kept up and responded in real time - I've had little to no access to my computer and limited free time recently due to life circumstances.
                          Don't worry about it - some of us that have been here a decade plus disappear for months at a time, sometime. We all get busy!
                          “The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” – John Muir

                          Mostly art.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

                            Originally posted by volcaniclastic View Post
                            Don't worry about it - some of us that have been here a decade plus disappear for months at a time, sometime. We all get busy!
                            Ooh that reminds me Im getting close to my first decade. The beauty of forums is they don't need to be real time interactions. Posts persist and can be addressed at one's leisure.
                            “They moaned and squealed, and pressed their snouts to the earth. We are sorry, we are sorry.
                            Sorry you were caught, I said. Sorry that you thought I was weak, but you were wrong.”
                            -Madeline Miller, Circe

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Incorporating Music in Paganism/Witchcraft?

                              I do a "shitty day at work" singing in the shower self-cleansing to the tune of "I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair" from South Pacific, so...yeah...you can use music however you want.

                              My favorite 3 Pagan(ish) songs (in no particular order):








                              Also, there's an entire youtube channel called keep music pagan that has a mix of stuff
                              Last edited by thalassa; 26 Jun 2020, 11:40.
                              “You have never answered but you did not need to. If I stand at the ocean I can hear you with your thousand voices. Sometimes you shout, hilarious laughter that taunts all questions. Other nights you are silent as death, a mirror in which the stars show themselves. Then I think you want to tell me something, but you never do. Of course I know I have written letters to no-one. But what if I find a trident tomorrow?" ~~Letters to Poseidon, Cees Nooteboom

                              “We still carry this primal relationship to the Earth within our consciousness, even if we have long forgotten it. It is a primal recognition of the wonder, beauty, and divine nature of the Earth. It is a felt reverence for all that exists. Once we bring this foundational quality into our consciousness, we will be able to respond to our present man-made crisis from a place of balance, in which our actions will be grounded in an attitude of respect for all of life. This is the nature of real sustainability.”
                              ~~Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

                              "We are the offspring of history, and must establish our own paths in this most diverse and interesting of conceivable universes--one indifferent to our suffering, and therefore offering us maximal freedom to thrive, or to fail, in our own chosen way."
                              ~~Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History

                              "Humans are not rational creatures. Now, logic and rationality are very helpful tools, but there’s also a place for embracing our subjectivity and thinking symbolically. Sometimes what our so-called higher thinking can’t or won’t see, our older, more primitive intuition will." John Beckett

                              Pagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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