Mat McNerney of Hexvessel says: “Another solar year begins. Death and rebirth, both physical and metaphorical. As we celebrate Winter Solstice, we offer this symbolic sacrifice for you to partake. Two songs which carry great weight and meaning for us. The first of which is the closing ritual from our new album All Tree, called Closing Circles. The sun’s course reaches it’s lowest noon altitude and we mark the end and the beginning of another year of light. Closing Circles bids fare well to those we have lost. Light illuminates the darkness and we are purged and renewed once more, to shine onwards.
Fire Of The Mind is one of the most beautiful songs I know. Fire destroys, but also gives and supports life, sparks and inspires it. As Dostoyevsky wrote that “fire is in the minds of men” and transforms the substance of our universe. Ordinary transformed into the extraordinary. It is what separates us from the rest of the animals, but as we use it we are also doomed to play with it. It is in effect magic and the pursuit of magic. When we see fire, we are reminded of the magic inherent in the universe and within ourselves, of the “fire of the mind”.
One such band who knew about music as a magical art form was Coil. …New video Son of the Sky is a collection of family home movies that we made when we were celebrating Winter Solstice at Avebury, offering a sacrifice at an ancient pine tree called Timin Mänty here in Finland and when visiting various pagan sites in England and Germany. As with Hexvessel’s music, it is a story of our personal spiritual journey. Son of the Sky is a song about a traditional Finnish Karhunpeijaiset ritual celebration where the spirit of the bear was venerated after a hunt. It’s a song about tradition, community and family.
Rituals are enactments of mythology, and stories that have been passed down from our ancestors. When we become part of this great tradition, we become aware of our origins and the meaning of life. Family, culture and kin are so important. It’s our community that connects us to the earth, that gives us a sense of purpose, understanding and place in the world. It is through that wisdom of mythology that we will become better able to survive and prosper.” |
