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New-Age Music with a Pagan Theme

By Priestess Jean

The music scene has certainly changed dramatically over the last few decades. Movement towards a more sophisticated and intellectual sound, combined with advances in technology, have given us some truly wonderful material that seems to free our minds and take on some incredible journeys.

Each one of the artists I'm about to mention is very well-known to me, and a frequent part of my daily listening experience. I'm sure some of the names are already familiar to you, but hopefully you'll find some new ones here as well. One thing I can promise you is that if you decide to try any of these artists for the first time, you won't be disappointed.

Kate Price is an American singer and hammer dulcimer player who began recording in 1984. I would describe her style as a fusion of modern Celtic with Middle Eastern and Indian sounds. My personal favorite is her year 2000 release "The Isle of Dreaming" which features her beautiful alto vocals and expert dulcimer work set to a background of many diverse global instruments. The songs are generally folkish and lively, but several have a slower and much more ethereal quality that I particularly enjoy.

Loreena McKennitt is a well-known Canadian singer and composer, whose career began in 1985. Her music is strongly rooted in her Celtic heritage, and often based on classical elements. My choice for her best work is the 1992 album "The Visit" which features several songs adapted from the English Middle Ages. The album has a very romantic, somber and nostalgic quality. The instrumental playing is superb, and of course Loreena's vocals are excellent.

Aine Minogue (pronounced Ahn-ya) is an Irish singer and harpist, residing in New England. Her music draws heavily upon Celtic tradition and mystical Pagan themes. In the 2008 album "Celtic Pilgrimage" Aine is frequently backed up by violin and flute, and occasionally by piano and drums as well. Her voice is without a doubt the most pure, clear and compelling of any Celtic female vocalist I'm aware of... and she sings several of the songs in Gaelic. The tunes are split between a soft, slow and ethereal style, and more lively ones that you can almost dance to.

Stellamara is a group from the Balkans that began recording in 1994. Their style derives from medieval Near Eastern sources. The lead female vocalist is outstanding, and sings in Persian, Turkish, Greek and Arabic. Accompanied by a host of expert musicians using traditional acoustic instruments, the sound is wonderfully ancient yet quite contemporary at the same time. Their 2004 album "The Seven Valleys" presents a wealth of sophisticated techniques that take you on a journey from Ephesus to Babylon.

Ani Williams is a singer and harpist from Sedona, Arizona who has produced over two dozen albums since 1981. Her work is inspired by various ancient cultures, and is generally Goddess-themed. My personal favorite is her 1999 album "Shemah - The Calling" which beautifully conveys the atmosphere and flavor of ancient Egypt. Most of the tunes are soft, slow, mysterious, and marvelously captivating.

Paul Avgerinos is a highly regarded classical musician, who has worked from his home in Connecticut since 1984. Using primarily keyboards, processed cello and guitar, his avant-guard sound has been described as ambient or space music, which hardly does it justice. His 2001 album "Words Touch" is a true masterpiece. Floating blissfully, at times soaring to high altitude, this work is magnificently ethereal from start to finish... just what you'de expect to hear playing if you visited Mount Olympus.

Jeff Greinke originally began composing in 1982, and currently lives in Tucson, Arizona. By processing and layering various keyboard instruments, he creates music of incredible depth and complexity. In my opinion, his 2002 album "Wide View" is his best work to date. Often dark, foreboding, and ominous, it lightens up occasionally... which only serves to add more emphasis to the overall dramatic and haunting effect of the disk. This is powerfully emotional music, well-suited to somber and serious moods.

James Gray produces his music entirely with keyboard instruments. His 2004 album "Ancient Journey" focuses on the Aegean Sea area of the ancient world. Gray completely captures the mystery and wonder of that classic era of heros and gods, with music that is smooth, flowing, majestic, and eminently Greek in style. You can feel the deck roll beneath your feet as you sail to the island of Rhodes, or the wind in your hair as you stand on the slopes of Mount Parnassus at the temple of Delphi... it's that good.

R. Carlos Nakai is a master of the Native American cedar flute, from Tucson, Arizona. Following a classical music education, he began producing albums in 1983. His work is inspired by his Navajo/Ute heritage, and the stark beauty of the northern Arizona canyon country. I highly recommend his 1988 album "Carry the Gift" in which he teams with guitarist William Eaton. Skillfully layered and textured, incredibly peaceful and primordial, his music transports us to a timeless and beautiful ancient world.

I hope this article will help you find some new music that you'll enjoy... and if you have any problems locating these disks, you might give CD Baby a try. They carry most of them.

Bright Blessings,

Priestess Jean

Have you ever....

By Priestess Emily

You ask me, "Why are you a Pagan? What do you mean, you worship nature?"

Have you ever...
     climbed a mountain ?

Stood at the precipitous edge and gazed out at the valley far below;
Watched an eagle or a hawk, fly and navigate the winds
as he swooped and dived in an aerial dance of pure living;
Saw the incredible beauty of the world laid beneath your feet;
Or marvelled at the artwork in a rocky formation of enormous proportions?

Have you ever...
     swam in the ocean?

Let the currents of waves generated hundreds of miles away carry you;
Tried to follow a school of fish, or a single crab,
as they scattered about looking for food amongst their own private underwater garden;
Gazed in awe at the wondrous colors in a totally alien world within our own;
Or sat on a beach and gazed at the sunset over the water, feeling totally at peace?

Have you ever...
     walked in a forest?

Wondered at the tallness of the trees, considering their age, numbers and variety;
Watched the multitude of life-forms, from a nest of baby birds to a colony of ants
working diligently to maintain their own little world;
Felt joy at seeing the new spring leaves, or melancholy at them falling in autumn;
Or enjoyed the feeling of solitude, yet sometimes wondering if you are being watched?

Have you ever...
     looked at the stars ?

Sought to find the pictures of ancient constellations in the different patterns;
Tried in vain to count them, and feeling small, yet somehow kind of special
in the overall scheme of things, having been born at all ?
Experienced the excitement of spotting a shooting star, or the northern lights;
Or wondered, with all those stars, and all those worlds, if we are alone or not?

You ask me, "Why are you a Pagan? What do you mean, you worship nature?"

If you have done any of these things and can still ask, you'd never understand the answer.

In fact...

I'm not sure I even understand the question