Music of the Horned One...

Cernunnos by Jane Starr Weils

...or, how can I introduce three of my favourite pagan music artists? :D By sharing a few of my favourite songs, which incidentally are all about the Horned God! As a priestess to the Horned God, I love songs that tell of his worship. Cernunnos, Pan, Herne, the Horned One, the Hunter. It doesn't matter what name you use, he is the God of the hunt, of passionfilled nights and mischief. The God of the Forest and the Wild, who runs with the wolf and the stag.

My favourite part about the three following songs is that they all have an easy and catchy chorus which could easily be used as a chant. So get up out of your chair and dance to the rhythms of the Horned One!

Hymn to Herne by S.J. Tucker. What I love about this one is the sensual beat and the low and sultry voice. Can't you just imagine dancing 'round the Beltaine fire with this song? It's also a bit cheeky and a lot fun, like the rest of Tucker's music.

Chorus:
He will call you out
Make you sweat
Give you a blessing
That you'll never forget

So revel in the chase
And let your heartbeat run
Blessed are the children
Of the Horned One

 

Noon of the Solstice by Damh the Bard. It's pronounced 'Dave' not 'Damn', although I must admit, we do call him 'Damn the Bard' in our house, just because it sounds funnier :). What I love about Noon of the Solstice is that it tells a story. Throughout the song Damh takes us on a journey through the year of the wheel and the tale of the Oak- and Holly King. Which is an important tale in the coming Summer Solstice! His music is simple and upbeat and he has a wonderful storytelling voice.

Chorus:
I'm the Horned God
I'm the face in the trees

I'm the breath of the wind
That rustles the leaves

I'm the Green Man
In the wildwood I roam

Cernunnos,
I'm Pan and I'm Herne

Hymn to Pan by Faun. It is rare for this German band to make songs in English, but Hymn to Pan is one of the few English songs they have in their reportoire. I first heard this song on Castlefest last year and it immediately became our 'theme song' for the rest of the festival. What I love about Hymn to Pan is the slow beat that draws you in. They tell the story of Pan and the Faun in hushed voices that makes you lean in to hear the rest of the tale. The music is beautiful and a bit less 'simple' than the other songs, who use only two or three instruments. This song can really put you into a trance, like I experienced on Castlefest. Suddenly I was standing in a green wooded glen with Pan walking towards me. Fond memories and one of the reasons I never grow tired of this beautiful Hymn.

Chorus:
Listen now and I shall follow
Listen now and I may follow

Listen now and I may follow


So there you have it, a few of my favourite pagan artists with a few of my favourite songs! May the Horned One inspire and bless you all!

Love and Leaves,
Marjolijn Ashara

The Art of: Mickie Mueller

Time for another Art feature! One of my favourite artists, Mickie Mueller. I am in love with the feel of her paintings and of the amount of love and thought she puts into every piece. If I had the money, pagan paintings of her would cover every inch of my house ;) They show the way I feel about nature, paganism and witchcraft. Mickie's artwork inspires me to search, to look beyond what we see every day. Everytime I hit a rut in my craft, Mickie's inspirational art urges me to move forward. Please enjoy a few of my favourite pieces my Mickie Mueller!

Lady of the Forest

Celtic Heather

Wisdom in the Woods

Heal the Earth

Voice of the Trees Oracle - Back design

So far Mickie Mueller has done the art for three Oracle decks. The Well Worn Path and the Hidden Path, both in collaboration with Raven Grimassi. Her last Oracle deck is the Voice of the Trees oracle. This is her first solo project and boy, did she go all out. The deck is an Ogham deck and in the accompanied book she writes how she took a little piece of each tree and blended that into her paints as she painted each card. So even though you're holding paper, you're still holding a tiny piece of the tree in your hands.

For more on Mickie Mueller, check out her website, or better yet, her blog for all updates! She also has an etsy shop!

Love and Leaves,
Marjolijn Ashara

Faerie Fashion Feature - Horned and Antlered

Pixie Horns - Bloomy
by Witchling-Ashara

Some of us like to show our wilder side when we let out our inner faerie. The side that resides in deep forests and dances in faerie rings with the faun and the satyrs. For these faeries I made this faerie feature. I know I feel better with that little finishing touch on my costume; horns! Of course there are many different shapes and sizes, so let's look at some awesome horns.

Faerie horns.
Cute, in bright colours, glitters. Nothing is too much for a faerie! Even spotted like a mushroom, aren't they cute?

Toadstool Faerie Horns by naomimonsta

Sugar Plum Fairy Horns by Violentbelle on Etsy

Glittergloom Faerie Horns by naomimonsta

Wild Horns.
Antlers and horns that link us back to nature, to the deep forest. Any satyr would be jealous of these pretty horns!

Pixie Horns - Swirly by Witchling-Ashara

Antler Barrettes by Missmonster

Antique Bronze Goin Stag Horns by Che4u

Unicorn Horns.
There is nothing more magical than the unicorn horn. In numerous tales and stories this has been the most coveted, most mystical object in all the lands. So why not flaunt it?

Unicorn Horn - White Glitter by Keska

Cotton Candy Unicorn Horn by Che4u

Black and Purple Unicorn Horn by AmericanLink

DIY Horns.
If you are a bit handy with clay, faerie horns aren't that difficult to make. You just need a little love, a lot of patience (to get the two symmetrical) and lots and lost of glitter! Holly from Hollyrocks blog posted an easy to follow tutorial last year. Click on the picture to take you there!

Rae, also known as Delicious Filth on Deviantart took it step further. She puts her faerie horns on (coloured) wire and adds beads to them! Now wearing them is even more fun, like you're wearing a crown!

The Horns of a Fantastical Creature by Delicious Filth

So whether you buy them, or make them, horns will make every costume just a little bit more special...

'Till next time!