On Monday’s on Twitter a lot of people participate in what is known as “Music Monday”.  I haven’t done this in ages, but I have taken to posting a Pagan themed song or two on Facebook on Monday’s since I really enjoy being able to share some of the Pagan music that I have discovered over the years with others that might not know about it or know where to find it.  I admit that it can be hard to discover Pagan themed music but it certainly is out there if you know where to look.  Podcasts like A Darker Shade of Pagan can help as well as other shows that talk about Pagan music from time to time.  Back in the late 90s/early 2000s I was a very, very avid listener of Full Circle Radio, one of best and most inspiring online Pagan radio shows I’ve ever listened to (next to Deo’s Shadow, which, like WPBN, is no longer “on the air”).  Full Circle Radio had it’s last episode in Februay 2007 and it was a sad day for sure.  During the time of listening to that show I discovered amazing Pagan musicians, heard interviews with some of the most wonderful minds in the modern Pagan, was always educated and entertained by the segments with Lon Milo Duquette, and found that no matter where you go you’ll find someone in the Pagan community that isn’t afraid to voice their opinion, even if it’s the less popular one.  I often credit  Winderhawk and Greyhart for showing me that not everyone has to like and agree with the “Wiccan/Pagan consensus” and that’s it’s OK to loudly and proudly voice your opinion to the contrary.  The other thing I credit then for is introducing me to some really great Pagan music.

It has also just occurred to me how interesting it is that they popped into my head today since the show first begin on Mabon 1997.

It was through Full Circle Radio that I first heard Gypsy.  I don’t remember the song, though I would wager a guess that it was “Bring Back the Light”, the song I posted on Facebook on Monday.  I didn’t know much about Gypsy at the time but once I saw the image of her from the cover of her album “Enchantress” I realized that this was the woman who owned the show Nu Aeon in Salem, MA, one of my favorite stops when I am in town.  As soon as I was in town next I stopped by the shop and picked up a cassette of the album.  That tape remained firmly in my car stereo for months and I played it for just about anyone that got in my car hoping others would be as entranced by her voice as I was.

Amy “Gypsy” Ravish and her husband Richard Ravish own Nu Aeon in Salem and are also the the High Priest Magister and High Priestess WQ of the Coven of Akhelarre of Salem and are initiates of a traditional Alexandrian Witchcraft tradition.  Together they are also the Ministers of The Temple of Nine Wells, ATC in Salem which serves as the only public Wiccan congregation in Salem which has been in operation for close to 20 years.   Richard also runs the Temple of the Strength Hadit which combines Thelemic and Wiccan practices.  Richard claims lineage from Aleister Crowley and has been practicing and study Thelema and the work of Aleister Crowley for over 40 years.  Both Gypsy and Richard reach out to seekers and teach priavetly to the serious studetns of the vairous paths they are involved in and continue to work to give back to the community in Salem by hosting public events and rituals through the Temple of Nine Wells.  You can find out more about the Temple’s events and work, such as the annual procession through Salem on Samhain, by visiting their Facebook page.  And if you are in town be sure to stop by their shop because they do offer some of the most wonderful incense and ritual candles through their White Light Pentacles/Sacred Spirit Products line of tools.

Gypsy’s first album, “Enchantress” came out in 1990.  Many, many years later it was reproduced and reissued as a CD and has since found it’s way into the hands and hearts of a whole new generation of much younger Pagans who are discovering her music through places like Last.FM and YouTube channels like KeepMusicPagan.  Her music is evocative and brings out a great deal of energy and emotion combining traditional changes, like in the song “Bring Back the Light”, along with more modern musical styles.  Below is the clip “Bring Back The Light” which I posted on Facebook and a video someone made on YouTube using her song “Come With Me”, also off of “Enchantress”.

Last year, on October 11, 2009, Karagan Griffith, also a Salem based Witch who hosts his own Pagan talk show on BlogTalkRadio called Witchtalk, had Gypsy on for a wonderful interview where she talked about her experiences as a Witch, her music, and the album that she would be releasing at Samhain. Last year on Samhain, almost 20 years since the release of her “Enchantress”, her only album to date, Gypsy released a much anticipated second album titled “Spirit Nation“.

I also want to throw in a little bit of an aside here.  Karagan also has his own album out called “Chants of the Old”.  It’s his first album and contains all chat and breath work dedicated to the Old Religion and Ways of the Witch.  The amazing thing about this album when you listen to it is that only instrument used to many all the music is the human voice.  Here is a clip of the song “At The Beginning” from Karagan’s latest album “Hymnos”, an album with a bit of a different feel as it has both electronic elements and the voice instrument aspect.

Gypsy and Karagan both provide some of the amazing Pagan music that has ever come out of Salem, MA and you can easily pick them up online through Amazon.com.  The following links will bring you to both albums by Gypsy as well as both albums by Karagan in CD and MP3 format (where available).  You can visit these links and also hear samples of the music.  Purchase some amazing Pagan music today and use it to add a little magick to each and every day while supporting wonderful, Pagan artists!

Enchantress by Gypsy (MP3 album download)
Enchantress by Gypsy (CD)

Spirit Nation by Gypsy (MP3 album download)
Spirit Nation by Gypsy (CD)

Chants of Old by Karagan (MP3 album download)
Chants of Old by Karagan (CD)

Hymnos by Karagan (MP3 album download)
Hymnos by Karagan (CD)