~ THE TURNING OF THE WHEEL ~
Ostara 2011
~ HEX ISSUE 8 IS HERE! ~
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24 Mar 2011
~ THE TURNING OF THE WHEEL ~ ~ HEX ISSUE 8 IS HERE! ~
Support Hex! We are community-supported not-for-profit publication. You can 21 Mar 2011
Dreams, visions, and portents have been guiding us through untold millennia. The nature and source of these forms of communication is enigmatic – indeed, it allows our conscious linear thoughts to tap into the vast mysteries of our world. Whether you feel that dreams or visions come from other-worldly or divine origins, or merely our own stew of unconscious thoughts, it is undeniable that many of our greatest achievements as well as small personal breakthroughs have been sparked by these strange … 21 Mar 2011
More than any others in my piece these lines unify and express the theme of genius loci – spirit of place – and they do so, significantly, both in terms of the central Victorian landscape and my Northern European spiritual heritage. For if Germanic Heathenism, the religion of the god Woden, originated in one land, Northern Europe, then naturally it will be a religion replete with Northern European associations. Indeed, natural and desirable spiritual evolution notwithstanding, the entire form and content of the religion are ideally derived from this source. How far can we, or should we, nativise our religion in Australia? There is something complex, problematic, and interesting when North meets South. What happens when opposites meet? When fire and ice clash and intermingle is there creation or destruction, or both? Is there a possibility of a marriage … 21 Mar 2011
The sauna was not only central to rites of passage, it was itself a passageway. Many Finns were (and still are) born in sauna and brought there to die. As a temple it was a place to worship and honor the dead. We see in Kalevala how Marjatta, who is with child, cast out by her father, must find a sauna in which to give birth. She finds one on a clearing with a stable in the pinewood. In this primitive sauna she gives birth to the new king of Finland, helped by horses that create the steam by breathing vapor on the hot … 21 Mar 2011
We grow an organic vegetable garden which means that we rely heavily on companion planting. Companion planting brings balance to the garden, as plants help each other to repel bugs, encourage high yields, and attract garden allies. Edible flowers are indispensable companion plants. They serve their ecological purpose, while at the same time, they are beautiful to gaze upon and good to … 21 Mar 2011
We are 100% addicted to kefir in this household. If we miss drinking it for some reason, the whole rest of the day feels “off.” Dairy or milk kefir is a delicious probiotic, a cultured milk drink that has over 2,000 years of history. The story of Kefir takes us back to the Caucasus Mountains, located between Europe and Asia. Shepherds there noticed that milk carried for long periods of time in leather pouches or animal hides would sometimes ferment to create an effervescent … 20 Feb 2011
Whether delving into psych-folk head-trips, wild western digressions, or good old foot-stomping punk anthems, Cult of Youth are always in total control – and yet always feel on the very brim of total chaos. These guys are an unstoppable … 18 Feb 2011
Presented as a limited edition vinyl release, Possessed by the Forest Queen is a splendorous invocation of the divinity of nature. With it US outfit Lasher Keen have well and truly proved themselves a dark and rising star in the world of folk … 18 Feb 2011
The Seven Deadly Sins: Luxuria is a digital-only free double album compilation of post-industrial music. Organised by Schattenspiel, the release is part two of a series of compilations exploring – and indeed celebrating! – each of the seven deadly sins from Christian mythology; Luxuria is otherwise known as lust. Being a free release, you really cannot go wrong, so if anything in my review piques your interest then do not hesitate to check it … 2 Feb 2011
~ THE TURNING OF THE WHEEL ~ Imbolc/Charming of the Plow 2011 Once again we’re putting out the call for submissions: due date for the Autumn 2011 issue is Spring Equinox (late March). We want to hear from you. Share your … 22 Jan 2011
Anitya is the final instalment of The Joy of Nature’s three part alchemical trilogy, The Empty Circle. I will state immediately that it represents a more than fitting crown to the series. Its eerie fusion of folk, ambient, and world music influences creates endless dream states and liminal visions, subtle and absorbing allusions to the lapis, the elusive goal of the alchemical … 21 Jan 2011
Sig:Ar:Tyr’s combination of metal, folk, and ambient influences gives it an appeal that draws in the listener regardless of their usual music genre preferences: Godsaga is a solid continuation of a legacy of music which really transcended conventional genre boundaries…highly recommended for anyone who likes inspiring, mythic, and stirring Heathen … 4 Jan 2011
As the movie started, I felt a sense of relief to be watching an animated film that isn’t CGI. Don’t get me wrong, Pixar films are gorgeous. But sometimes the perfect textures and flawless three-dimensional perspective gets almost a little inhuman. The two-dimensional, stylized animation of The Secret of Kells feels refreshingly warm, clearly influenced by the marginalia of the illuminated texts that form the central motif of the … 25 Dec 2010
The concept of Manifest Destiny is – as the name and artwork suggests – to give a host of American underground/post-industrial acts the opportunity for exposure to the world. Spanning neofolk, martial pop, industrial, psychedelic, and dark ambient influences, The CD includes both some well known names and some more obscure artists as well. Unfortunately as is often the case with compilation CDs it is a bit of a mixed … 21 Dec 2010
The magic for me lay in the descriptions of Asgard. Every time I read a chapter devoted to the characters there I had to lie down and take a nap and dream. I found the book to be a terrible inconvenience at work where I am allowed to read but sleeping is seriously frowned upon! The dreams were amazing and while I read the book I felt as though I were living in two worlds. My life in Asgard was as real as my life … 20 Dec 2010
~ THE TURNING OF THE WHEEL ~ Yule/Winter Solstice 2010 Support Hex! We are community-supported not-for-profit publication. You can support us by heading to http://hexmagazine.com/subscribe/ and ordering magazines, CDs, and prints, and by spreading the word to all … 7 Dec 2010
The Bells Before Dawn is a voyage into neofolk marked by minimalist arrangements, deep male vocals, and a passion for history and … 19 Nov 2010
Voluspaa was born in Norway in the mid 1990’s black metal scene, but despite having been around for a while, Asa is their debut full length release. The wait was worth it: Voluspaa mastermind Freddy Skogstad has done a brilliant job orchestrating these epic, atmospheric, and evocative songs into a beautiful collection of folk-infused black metal (and at times…the … 17 Nov 2010
Runa means mystery, and to me the word mystery conjures a dark, cloud-stained horizon, a pregnant foreboding, a sense of awe in the face of the wilds of nature. This album is an exploration of the spirit of the runes (eight of them to be exact), and insofar as it evokes exactly these same images…I have to pronounce it a brilliant … 10 Nov 2010
I guess the old Nietzschean Gay Science comes to mind in listening to this recording – because although it lightly dances across one’s ears, it certainly is not frivolous or light-weight. There’s a seeming effortlessness to the creative spark of this music, which celebrates darkness and light; intimacy and … |
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