Raven Times II, an editorial
Welcome to yet another edition of the Raven Times! I’m happy to report that a lot of you really like the last one and the number of readers is on the increase, so thankfully the whole editorial team is not having sleepless nights for nothing. You see, it’s rather a lot of work to make one of these editions (not in the least because it all has to be translated into 4 different languages by Squinty, Bienchen, Mich and Lies), so we’re all very glad you appreciate their hard creative (voluntary) work. Last episode initiated quite a lot of questions from Pagan Clan members, some of which will be answered in the articles within this edition. But first, some more incomprehensible philosophy! (Steve lights up spliff, inhales deeply, stares off into space for a moment and starts writing…) We live in flux, everything is subject to change because not only is change inevitable it’s also necessary. We are as leaves on the wind, subject to the whims of butterflies. No matter how hard we try to retain a sense of order we must be subservient to change, sometimes gradual, sometimes near instantaneous. This is as it should be, it’s called Chaos…and it’s where creation starts. There are no rules…unless somebody makes them up. It’s become clear to me that as a society we seem to follow “rules” of money and commerce (ie: the Law) preferring this over a system of adaptable guide lines built on logic co-existence and practicality. Because of this “We” (this race of semi-intelligent space monkeys) are playing with the fuse of a seriously unstoppable climatic timebomb which will effectively wipe us as a species (along with several million others) off this planet. Don’t be too shocked but lately I have come to consider this a good thing, because:
A: it’s looking pretty inevitable so I might as well get used to it and accept that change will come, so I’ll be more relaxed about it and better mentally prepared to adapt. B: I couldn’t imagine this happening to a more deserving bunch of self-centered idiots as my fellow humans. C: I have no fear for the future because TODAY is all that matters (because it’s real) and not TOMORROW (which is fiction) You see, although it’s true that our world will one day cease to be, it’s also true that to the greater universe all this is of little consequence. It’s all atoms spinning together in a dance of energy and particles, forever flowing, forever adapting. Life will go on somehow, just not ours. More importantly, it hasn’t happened yet , we’re still here (otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this to you now). So all is not lost as long as we can live a good life today. Once you simply try to enjoy each moment you are alive, without causing harm to others, you are respecting and honouring the gift you have been given because you see, this is as good as it gets. Today….right Here…right Now…Every moment of everyday you could ask yourself: “Is this really what I want to be doing, right now?” If the answer is “YES!”, then I can only tell you , that you are already experiencing one of life’s greatest secrets, carry on! If the answer is “NO!”, then I can only ask you “Why?”…..think about it. Oh yeah, and you’d better be bloody sure that you really want to read this RAVEN TIMES, because it is using up Your life in doing so! ;-) Greenthingz! Steve Sic The Raven Times 02 - April 2008 - 1
DRUMS IN THE DEEP…
© Marcel Bakker
Recently while we were making our way through the mines of Moria on a very important quest for some ring , we happened upon a burial chamber of a famous dwarven king. Inside we found ,to our amazement, a lot of dead dwarves and (even more astounding) some sort of old Well. Luka (being an inquisitive hobbit) obviously couldn’t contain his curiosity and just had to look down it …. And he accidentally knocked a massive chain ,precariously balanced on the edge of the well (as they do), into the shadowy depths below, dragging a huge and heavy awkward metal bucket into the echoing darkness of the ominous hole…most certainly awakening various flavours of unspeakable cyclopean horror Lurking in the gloom below us… “Fool of a didge player!” I hissed at the embarrassed looking Luka “Why not throw yourself in next time!” Joe the elven ranger, was actually contemplating just that, when we were silenced by a deep and forbidding boom, like the slamming of the iron doors of Hades… An unnerving though entrancing drumbeat began reverberating through the ancient dry stone walls of the corpse littered Crypt, we looked at each other in fear and bewilderment while out of this grim un-mortared ghastly round and ominous well of Moria there rose a creature perched on a small throne seated before an array of night-black drums hammering away at the tortured skins as if infernally possessed, this quite possibly depraved and goblinoïd rhythmical fiend lifted his bedraggled features and stared at us with eyes glowing like gimlets… Joe whipped out his trusty ancestral longbow…preparing to let fly with his unfailing deadly precision. Jenny roared obscenities and curses as she drew her huge two handed Battleaxe, her heavily braided beard bristling from beneath her horned helmet and battle armour as she spun the gigantic Dwarven blade through the air producing a menacing humming sound. Pieter the cave troll-roadie (they have a cave troll?) narrowed his eyes and immediately started calculating the weight and size of each drum , The Hobbit ,of course, fainted…. I myself was preparing to make haste in another direction (having already used-up all my spell powers while trying to open some bloody concealed magic door) when I suddenly got a clear look at the hideous drumming creature’s face……”?”,he looked somewhat ….familiar……that looks like…..“Mich?!” Well, anyway, to make a long story short, We have been joined by a percussionist!...he’s a really cool Serbokroatian/Ukranian guy, he’s a hardcore pagan like us and his name is Mich! As a member of the PaganClan and reader of the Raven Times you should know him already! We’re proud to have him on stage with us! So check-out our groovy new live-sound because: Now Omnia has Drums in the deep! ;-)
Omnia Instruments for sale
I’m selling my old heavily “pagan-pimped” bouzouki (my first…used on “Omnia-3”, “Crone of War” and “Live religion” as well as 100’s of live gigs) and the original OMNIA-drum rack and all our old drums .They are wellbehaved experienced instruments ,they really need a good home and they need to be played, so we’re only asking what we paid for them…want to adopt a veteran Omnia relic? For details ask Ans (my mother in law) her Harpshop website: www.dreamharps.nl 2 - The Raven Times 02 - April 2008
“Please open up that case sir”
Omnia will go to America this year, which is good news for a lot of people over there, only now I can just hear some of the more cynical ones among you thinking : “Hey, didn’t Steve say that Omnia would not travel to the US until democracy was restored there?...I mean, isn’t this like a sell out of your principles for big bucks and suchlike? Well, yes it is and no it isn’t. It’s true I don’t feel very comfortable with the way that country is being run by some pretty unfriendly ,fundamentalist megalomaniacs. BUT there are a lot of really cool gnarly dudes and dudettes living there as well. I think it’s wrong to discriminate against the children for the sins of their (mostly) grandfathers. If I would take into account the “sins” of all the grandfathers in all the countries we play , then I would have to scrap every country in Europe (including Holland) off our play list. We take our politics seriously but only in service of the trees, the plants and the other animals who need to live together on this earth. We’re going to play in Philadelphia this year and thereby lend much needed European psychological aid to the oppressed nature-lovers and treehuggers of the divided states of America in these hard and trying times. They need our support in their on-going struggle against their own government… who are we to deny that? The only thing that worries me is thinking about Luka trying to get through the American customs check X-ray with his long black metal tubes in black cases…. (switch to deep-south accent) “Could you step aside please sir?…….,please keep your hands where we can see them sir....now would you like to come with us please sir?” Argh! the horror!...I’m soooo not going to open my mouth there! ps: Due to the high travel expenses we will not actually earn a single dollar for this mini tour, we do this out of love for our fellow naked monkeys and fairy lovers…. NOT for profit! Ok?
Line up castlefest is complete…
The line-up for Castlefest 2008 in Lisse (NL) is finally complete! It was a lot of work for us and you can check it out on the Castlefest site (www.castlefest.nl.) It’s gonna be great! Castlefest is first and foremost a lifestylefestival, so we feel that the visitors deserve a certain “depth” in the music program they are getting. This year we’ve compiled a non stop music program that easily outstrips many international “music” festivals. We have invited some of the finest Pagan, Medieval and traditional artists from all over Europe to perform their masterful skills for you. We have thought long and hard about who to book to make a really “green” Castlefest atmosphere. And we have specifically chosen bands and entertainers who each have an explicit ,original style and who really contribute something new to the world around us (just like Castlefest). All of them wondrous people who make up part of our large and varied circle of friends ,nature lovers and world-changers! Steve Sic en Jenny (Omnia) Band-programming Castlefest Mark, Natasha, Rob en Nienke (van der Stelt)head organizers Castlefest Ps: we are planning to release our newest publication: “the OMNIA- DVD” on Castlefest!
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JENNY AND SIC STABBED!?
Jenny and Steve Sic have been stabbed approximately 3.000.000 times for about 15 hours by a rather nice Greek woman named Sophia. While this painful torture was going on a large amount of black ink seems to have been left behind in the resulting wounds creating a rather fetching pattern of swirlies and leaves on the left arm and shoulder of both victims , who are reported to be very satisfied with this turn of events. Earlier today Sic was quoted to say to our on-the-spot reporter :” “look , they’re bloody tattoos ok?, yes ,it’s very symbolic, no, I won’t tell you why…. will you now please bugger off and stop hounding me with all these fecking annoying questions!?...(sic) Well, we (the staff at the Raven Times news desk) would like to wish the happy pagan couple all the best with their new body adornments and we’d like to reassure our inquisitive readers that we’ll be checking up on the status of their tattoos daily!
Another little Pagan !
We would all like to congratulate our dear friends Mark and Natasha (the King and Queen of Castlefest) with the birth of their little pagan-prince! His name is Riven and he was born on the 14th of march 2008....Welcome to the gang Riven!
OMNIA DVD is going well!
We are still working hard on the new OMNIA-DVD, the preparations for the special “Fairy-Ball” DVDconcert are going well, and we are searching and selecting all sorts of old Omnia and pre-Omnia footage to put on the “extra’s” (we’ve found and are restoring a very interesting punk film fragment from the eighties involving some really different looking Omnia members!)
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How to kill the time when you’re not on stage?
In this edition, we’ll give some tips to young bands in order to help them to avoid being bored while waiting to get on stage. It can sometimes be very long between your arrival on place to make the soundcheck and the concert itself. Here are our little tips to kill the time on an omniesque way.
Tip 1: Just be creative Inspiration is everywhere. Or how a typical German pillow decoration can become a new merch item very « prêt à porter ». By the way, don’t you see any similitude between Luka’s creation and the new Omnia shirts logo? That’s weird!
Tip 2: Strike a pause There is always a fan with a camera in the suburbs who will be very happy to take an exclusive picture of you. Luka as sexy flamenco dancer? Go for it! The large amount of characters you can play will please a lot of fans, and you can spend the whole day doing photo shoots.
Tip 3: Chill out There’s nothing better than lying on the ground feeling the grass growing under your back, enjoying the effect of your last joint, listening to the birds singing (birds? I thought these where bagpipes).
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Tip 4: Organise a jam session Paper made didgeridoos, clapping doors, plastic spoons, everything is good to make some decibels and be sure the people working at the stand next to yours get pissed off. This activity is better for indoor concerts, if you don’t want the gods to take a revenge on your noises with some weather surprises.
Tip 5: The make-up party Aaah, the pleasure of the ritual face paintings! More than just a time killing activity, it will bring you in the good mental condition for the stage act. If you’re not playing in a pagan band like us, there are other possibilities to use make-up. Form a Black Metal band with corpse paint, join a Kiss cover band, and if you don’t like the makeup but still want to get a « strong » image, just reform the Village People, but be aware of the consequences. Tip 6: The fairground attraction Sometimes, it’s possible to get some big thrills for free. No need to fill the pockets of the Disney empire or to pay too much for a ticket which will only allow you to stay in the queue for hours just for 5 minutes of rollercoaster pleasure. Just find a Luxemburger with good jaws who will lift you with his teeth, and you’ll get more sensations than any Euro Disney visitor. And even if Luka’s expression is not joyful, he certainly enjoyed it.
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Tip 7: Be useful There is always someone you can help. Avoiding a stand to be lifted up by the wind, show the way to a fan who lost his friends... « You want a signature?... Oh, yes, the toilets... Second door on the left. »
Tip 8: Play the tourist There is always a nice castle you can visit, an historical market you can walk around or a priest you can freak out by entering his church. The simple pleasures of the average pagan tourist on a cultural trip, we can say.
Tip 9: Prepare the merch Making the special offer packaging, dressing up the stand, check out the prices list and the cashbox,... and make sure the tent is waterproof. Enough work to keep you busy until show time.
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Tip 10: The cigarette break Just take a cigarette or roll one, and smoke while listening to some encyclopedic explanations of our roadie and personal dictionary Pieter about quantum physics, the reproduction of the shrimps in the North Sea during the Renaissance or the way of making a nuclear central out of a lawnmower combined to bicycle and a mixing desk. It might be useful, you never know.
Tip 11: Have a drink Ask for a ginger tea, take a good Belgian trappist beer, drink a good fresh juice in the sunshine, but not too soon before the gig. There’s nothing more embarrassing than stopping the concert for a toilet break.
Tip 12: Enjoy the sunshine Nothing better than a sunny backstage to get the good vibes for the gig. And you can at the same time take care of your body with a good yoghurt like Eddy, be sure you’ll stay awake with a cup of coffee like Pieter, or just wonder what the fuck you’re doing here like Joe. Mich 8 - The Raven Times 02 - April 2008
“Was there Life before OMNIA?” Steve Sic’s “life while he was growing up” expressed in pictures, accompanied by his music tastes and explanatory texts. Steve aged 5 (at primary school) Music discovered: Deep Purple, Ray Stevens and Johnny Cash. What a sweet happy little face eh? (I was actually already drawing mostly monsters, dragons and skulls at this time, proving the presence of a sick mind behind that innocent expression).
Steve aged 14/15 (in a hippie squat in Holland) Music discovered: Bauhaus, Dancing Did, Talking Heads, Leonard Cohen, Bowie, Grieg. Just left “home” in England, arrived in Holland and let loose after being held captive in a totally stupid British school system of uniforms and corporal punishment all through my early puberty...This is me discovering weed and l.s.d for the first time at my Dutch Aunt’s place (a “hippie colony” in an old mansion house in the woods in Holland)...This discovery opened my mind to the rest of the universe and it hasn’t closed since...
Steve aged 16 (British passport photo) Music discovered: 999, Subhumans, the Damned, the GunClub, Dead Kennedys. Here I’m still officially an “illegal alien” (waiting to get a Dutch passport). Living on my own in a squat, well into punk and alternative culture in the 80’s, sucking up Dole and demonstrating and kicking against the world because I’m basically pissed off at being 16 but still looking like I’m 12...
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Steve aged 18 (in another squat in Holland...mine) Music discovered: Cramps, Meteors, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Foetus, Vinnie Reilly, Vivaldi. Here’s me drawing because that’s what I did best... around this time I decided to be an “artist” for the rest of my life, adopting my motto: “Create or Die!”. In this pic I’m officially Dutch! And I didn’t have to go into their stupid army either because they thought I was crazy (duh!...). In this period my friends gave me the nickname “Sick man” because of the disturbing horror stuff I used to paint. This slowly developed into “Sick” which became “Sic”... Steve aged 19 (in yes... yet another squat; this one’s in England) Music discovered: the Pogues, 60’s garage, Dead can dance, Battlefield Band. Here’s me being cool as usual…I always wore sunglasses, which was kinda weird, because I hardly ever saw the sun as I lived mostly at night; there was no 24 hour culture back then, the night was still beautiful, dark, mysterious and reserved for the night prowling city-rats like me...sigh...(I usually slept about 16 hours a day then, hehehe!)
Steve aged 22 (lightweight tent in the Jura, French lower Alps) Music discovered: Robyn Hitchcock, Soft Boys, Tall dwarves, Billy Idol, Paganini. This is me communing with nature…A good friend introduced me to long distance mountain-hiking, I loved it and once a year I would leave the big stinky cities I was living in, pack a big rucksack with survival stuff and set off for the hills, forests and mountains, getting up early with the birds and generally having the Tolkienesque “there and back again” experience...
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Steve aged:23 (working!? at my desk in a hot sticky Satricum in Italy) Music discovered: Jonathan Richmond and the modern lovers, Carl Orff. My first ever official Job! Nobody was buying my disturbing paintings, but the museum of Leiden (RMO) was willing to pay me handsomely to draw dug-up Etruscan Temple garbage. This I did freelance for a few years (Archeological draftsman) and it awakened my interest in early European History. For instance, I discovered that my own abstract drawings were actually the same as original “La téne” Iron-age Celtic art! “The inner Celt awakens…”
Steve aged 24 (balcony of my grotty apartment, check out the grass behind me) Music discovered: Clannad, They might be Giants, Loreena McKennit, Pixies. My son Damien-Raven is born and that little guy changed my life. Up until then I was still a strictly “no future!”, “who cares?”-kind of person, I sincerely believed I would be dead before I reached the age of 28 and I didn’t give a toss.. But now I was suddenly responsible for somebody and knew I shouldn’t die too soon, plus I started to care more about the world, for him...Also he started me singing more (at least 3 lullabies every night before he, and later his little sister, went to sleep...).
Steve aged 24 (train station photo booth) Music discovered: world music like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Fatalah etc. Still looking like a dimwitted teenager, but slowly getting warped by chaos and Parenthood into a more and more fundamentally rooted Pagan, covering my clothes and living space in runic glyphs and power symbols such as bones, hair, weird artefacts etc...losing touch with man-made “reality” :-) There’s no going back once the beard is in place! This is one of the last pictures I have of me without my classic (sic) Satyr’s goatee beard. The Raven Times 02 - April 2008 - 11
Steve aged 25 (koninginnemarkt, Utrecht, on the chaos bakfiets) Music discovered: Ministry, Nine Inch Nails. Here’s me trying to earn a few guilders with selling Art in the street in chaos-robe, with my equally naive friends of the “Chaos in Motion” art/occult foundation. The idiot on the right with the mask and the crummy brown (rented!?) monk’s habit is my long time “brother in Art” Miez! (oh how low we did sink in those days!, eh Miez?)
Steve aged 26 (doing a prehistoric ritual in themepark “Archeon” (NL) ) Music discovered: Pygmy-music, North-American native music, Indian, Tibetan and Mongolian music.....a whole world full of very rare “ethnic music” actually. Ooh! This is me having my first (and only) fixed contract-job (2 x 8 whole months!) as an actor/musician and stuntman in this huge Dutch historic re-enactment Park. After about two years I was fired for being too historically correct, ie: They thought I was a complete barbarian, rebelling against authority, incapable of obeying orders, doing as I pleased, while enjoying myself and generally showing the visitors of Archeon the reality, rather than the puritan-fiction of European History...he he he!
Steve aged 28 (a campfire singsong with Damien somewhere in the Belgian Ardennes) Music discovered: Sergio Mendes, Prodigy, Fat boy Slim, Qntal, Estampie and Enigma. Here’s me just after the founding of “OMNIA” a weird historical theatre group specializing in European Iron-age theatre, sword fighting, religious ceremonies and music reconstructions. I still thought music was something I enjoyed “just for fun”, playing mostly country and folk funnies for my kids, while abusing guitars and drums etc., not realizing that one day “serving the Muse” would be my living as well as my life...Over the next 12 years Omnia would slowly warp into the PaganFolk band you know today, but that is a different story... Steve Sic 12 - The Raven Times 02 - April 2008
If you were... by Jenny If you were a reincarnation I would be a small really smart fluffy dog... If you were a feeling : I would be a sense of wonder and amazement.. If you were a question : it would be: why?, why?,WHY?? If you were a prophecy : It would be „scratching will make it worse, you know! „ If you were a sound or a music : I would be the morning concerto of a whole nature reserve-forest full of birds , including blackbirds, robins and nightingales....;-) If you were a sacred place : I would be Tara Hill (but without that awful motorway they want to run right through it!!) If you were a goddess or a god : I would be Bridhgit If you were a word : I would be „But“ If you were a pain : I would be a nagging chronic pain that won’t leave you alone... If you were an animal : I would be a cute fluffy Squirrel (but rather like a small really smart fluffy dog...) If you were a vegetable : I would be a fresh organic cherry tomato grown (in season) in Spain. If you were a quest : it would be a quest for self-development and awareness rather than some specific material goal. If you were a truth : it would be the ultimate one, 42! If you were a lie : It would be „humans are the pinnacle of creation“
If you were a dream : it would make you wake up all sweaty If you were an object : I would be some weird ethnic art object bought as a „conversation piece“. If you were a faith : I would be an adaptable one not relying on dogma and blind worshippers. If you were a colour : It’d be Blood red If you were a country : It would be Tir nan Og If you were yourself; Why are you asking this? Of course I’m myself...
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The Spiritual « Green Team »
After the first Raven Times, I received many reactions from PaganClan members about the things they want to know about the band members. There was luckily (nearly) no one with (too) tasteless requests (except a few weirdo’s with a serious hormonal or oedipal problem which needs a good analysis). But one interesting thing is that many of you wanted to open the door of the bands’ spiritual life. Your religious curiosity will be fed today, as we check Omnia’s spiritual pagan philosophy with questions for omnia’s « green team » Stenny. Be ready for some theological chaos... RT : First of all, as we all know it’s necessary nowadays to be put in a category to be recognized (sorry for this sarcastic start), how would you define yourself on the spiritual level: pagan, pantheist, polytheist,..? Stenny : I suppose that would be pantheistic tree hugging pagans. As we believe in the existence of all the Gods and Goddesses, not only those of the „natural“ world, but also those of the realms of the fae, those stern classics from all the ancient pantheons as well as those misguided arabic “solo”-desert ones… RT : Which were the ways leading you to this nature worshipping faith? Stenny : Well Steve Sic grew up in the country side of some very special and different places around the world like Cornwall, saturated with nature worship and ancient standing stones and New Hampshire on the Canadian border with its very impressive seasonal changes, Jenny was raised in the countryside of Holland (when it was still cleaner and greener ) and she’s travelled a fair way through the prettier parts of the USA and Ireland so that was a good start to worship the natural world I suppose.. And of course both our mothers taught us to respect nature and care for the plants and animals, everyday of our early youth... At an early age I (Steve Sic) came into contact with all sorts of strange phenomena of an occult nature which I could not explain with the rational mind tools I had received at school. I realized there was more to life than I had been told, and in the essence it boils down to… ”we can actually communicate with the living planet/universe to effect change and the planet/universe can communicate with ,and change us”, I started researching the occult in a pretty heavy way and at a certain point I had seen and heard about a fair amount of miracles of different religions and schools of magic, all claiming to be the ONLY way... but, they all seemed to work given the right time, place and more importantly BELIEF. Ergo: “Belief is the Key” if you believe in something , IT believes in you. Together we become more real... , So I simply took the things that seemed to make sense to me from nature, other (especially antique and iron age) religions and various schools of thought, from there I started intuitively inventing my own “Do it yourself” religion based on the creative power of chaos and the fact that our planet is a living entity in which we are but a small part. When I met Jenny we carried on fusing our beliefs together into something that makes sense for the both of us. The rest of the story is just pointless detail which would turn into DOGMA if I would write it all down here. RT : What are the basic principals of your belief? Stenny : We (homo-sapiens) are all story-believing monkeys, stories (beliefs) are wired into our very being, we need to believe in stuff to function, and gods/goddesses are our tools. They are our means of communicating with the essence of the universe (ie: everything outside our head) All Gods/Goddesses together are archetypes of basic human emotions and clichés as well as forces of nature, given an anthropomorphic representation (by us) to make them more approachable and easier to understand. Gods are tools to make our life easier (and we are tools for the gods/fairies etc) 14 - The Raven Times 02 - April 2008
Most of these gods started out small (back in the long ago days, when there were still only a few naked monkeys around and the world was still a very big and mysterious place) as simple “mother” and “father” figures who could help to ease the fear of those first naked monkeys about the wild forest ,the animals and the confusing weather stuff like thunder and such. As the monkeys grew up and prospered these Gods became more and more defined, some gods specializing in very different areas of nakedmonkey life until the world filled up with belief, the monkeys believed with all their might and the Gods were created.(this process is still carrying on today with new deities joining the massed ranks of goddesses and gods like: the all powerful Gods ”Euro” and Dollar as well as “Bureaucratia” the goddess of unnecessary paperwork). (check out Terry Pratchett‘s book « small Gods » for a brilliant description on how Gods and people work) RT : On your everyday life, how are you experiencing your belief, and do you have specific rituals? Stenny : Our everyday life as hardcore pagans is quite simple, our belief saturates everything Jenny and I do. For instance it defines what we eat , (we will not eat industrial bio slaves or other such monstrous perversions of animal and plant life invented by the other monkeys), Our sensitive artists’ minds cannot cope with all the lies, the hype of fear and disaster-love and the need to constantly advertise something which infests monkey life (so we don’t have television, news papers or radio in our little stenny house). We talk to loads of animals (as well as other monkeys of course) , insects and plants we meet on our way, we try to be friendly, we don’t destroy nature, we try to spread happy thoughts around, we pick up monkey-trash when we see it lying around in a park or something, we walk or cycle everywhere (I have a big 50 year old transport bike for the heavy shopping and such) so we only use our trusty OMNIA-van to travel for our performances and we don’t like cars and motorways. We have a little altar (quite like a roman Lararium or an Indian home-altar) where we offer a little of our best food and drink as well as burn incense and candles each day. We offer this while we meditate on the Gods and the fairies, we ask advice of the spirits through our rune-stones and the Octavoth Cards (sortilege systems invented by Steve). We think of them , they think of us….and when we are on tour Jenny and I always take a “portable altar” with us to put in our hotel room so our spirits can come along too. We also adapt the pace and rhythm of our life to the seasons of the year. So in the summer we are more physically active than in the winter (when we seem to sleep much more). And most importantly we try to enjoy life as much as possible (without trying to harm others) each and everyday, because that is truly the best way to honour the Gods and the spirit of life, whatever story you believe in. RT ;Are you a member of an organized pagan structure, like a coven, or any other group of this kind? Stenny : Definitely not! Argh!! and Yuk! and more words of such a nature!! we don’t like dogma, we don’t like silly rules and we don’t like rituals where someone needs a piece of paper in their hand to tell them what to say next… If you cannot hold your beliefs in your own heart, then they are not the right beliefs for you... We are our own religion, we do our own thing… The Raven Times 02 - April 2008 - 15
RT ; As we all know, monotheism has nearly a monopoly of the religious aspects of our world. What’s your feeling about those big organized religions, especially Christianity and it’s influence in our society? Stenny: The God or Gods you believe in define how you live your life. In this world there are a zillion “beliefs” ,But the ranking favourites for blind mass worship are currently a couple of the basic “beard in the sky” stern-father gods („Jehovah“, „God the father of Jesus“ and „Allah“.) And we can see/feel the effects around us every day as the planet suffers. These “ONE”-gods were created by a hard and harsh desert people ,who felt they were very special and much more real than the rest of the planet around them. Their natural year has practically no seasons and above shines an allpowerful Sun which is more a killer than an actual source of life (like it is for us)....Their (one and only) god lives somewhere “out there” (though no-one can actually point out which planet or starcluster they mean). This planet ,our home is just a toy, a „gift“ from God the father to man-kind (well only his “children” the true believers of course) to do with whatever they please, as long as they honour „dad“ while their doing it. this „one-GOD“ (all three of them not counting all the extra versions created by schisms in the Jewish, Islamic and Christian churches) doesn’t mind planetary destruction, because He doesn’t live here anyway… (he’s actually quite into floods, earthquakes, plagues, locust swarms and other forms of unnatural disruptions of the eco-system to prove little points to some individuals) So.. according to these philosophies it’s just us here and the devil below…because These beliefs are very definite about there being “good guys”, so this implies that there are “bad guys” who must then be searched out and destroyed. They love LAWS and THE WRITTEN WORD, because their system/God is static, and cannot abide change or uncertainty. There is RIGHT and there is WRONG... nothing else. And any philosophy only has meaning if it has been written down (preferably long ago) These religions tend to make countries that are governed by a stern “fatherly” government (read: police-state) who rule by the grace of God and are very proficient in telling people what they are NOT allowed to do. any individual is property of the state and any crime against an individual is judged and punished as a crime against the government leaving no choice or compensation for the actual victim or victims involved. To these religions the earth is only important as a „possession“ or if it has PR value and not because it is actually the source of all life as we know it…I believe these three “one-gods” are real but obviously not the only ones out there and definitely NOT fit to run a planet by themselves. RT ; As a pagan, what are you expecting after your last breath? Stenny : When we die, our bits will disperse and become part of all the rest, maybe a portion of us may be reborn but as what, where and even when is not known in a universe of random creative chaoscomplexity. We only know that part of Jenny and Steve Sic will meet each other again and again for ever more... RT ; And my last question: which would be the three words you’d choose to describe your faith? Stenny: Down... to... earth... ;-)
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Joe: My life outside Omnia “Write about your hobbies Joe”, they said. “Ha ha ha!”, I replied, and, when I stopped laughing, I said: “What hobbies?! I don’t have time for feckin’ hobbies!” THE END But seriously folks… No, I don’t have time for hobbies but I do something else outside Omnia that no other band member does and which is enormously time-consuming: I work in an office! SHOCK! HORROR! And not just any old office either… I work in the Headquarters building of the European Commission in Brussels! MORE SHOCK! FURTHER HORROR! And I don’t just do any old job either, I’m the Spokesperson for theVice-President of the Commission! Yes folks, the sad truth is that Omnia’s guitar player is…. A Eurocrat! So, what do I do in the land of the blue flag, yellow stars and the Ode to Joy? Well, my boss is Margot Wallström, the Swedish Commissioner, who is responsible for Communication among other things. I have to say she is a pleasure to work with – a smart, friendly open and honest politician (and what’s more, she’s an Omnia fan!) She has been in politics since she was 24 and has been a Minister in Sweden 3 times (and she’s still one of most popular women in Sweden). She was also the European Commissioner for Environment for 5 years and was largely responsible for the Kyoto Protocol seeing the light of day – she kept pushing it even when people were telling her to give up because the Americans, Russians and Chinese would never sign it. Yes, but what do I actually DO? Ah yes. Well, my main job is to deal with the media for Margot. I have to plan her activities throughout the year, answer questions from journalists, arrange interviews, place articles in the press, deal with radio, TV etc. and generally get as much media coverage as possible for her activities. I travel with her from time to time (we were in Ireland and Wales recently, for example) and I also have a voice and an opinion on many things. I’m expected to come up with creative ideas for what she, and the EU generally, should be doing to communicate better with ‘the people’ (that’s you!). So what does my day look like when I’m not hanging out with my Pagan Pals? It starts around 8h30 with a search through the press – we are given clippings from all 27 countries in the EU. I also look on the internet to see if there’s anything I need to react to. At 9h00 I have a meeting with Margot and the people in her Cabinet. These are the people who do the political work. Among many other things, they follow what’s on the agenda for the weekly meeting of the Commission and suggest what Margot should say about it. For example if there is a proposal to reduce CO2 emissions from cars, or to relax the ban on GMOs, or to tax Chinese imports, or whatever, then someone in the Cabinet has to read all the piles of papers, go to all the meetings and report back to Margot and tell her what they think her position should be. Of course, Margot is the boss so it’s what she thinks in the end that counts. At 10h00 I have a meeting of all the Commission Spokespeople. There are 27 of us, one for each Commissioner. This meeting is to prepare another meeting with the press at noon (yes, my life is full of meetings!). We discuss what’s in the news, what we want to announce that day and what questions we might get in the press room. At noon we face up to about 400 journalists and answer any questions they might have. (You can actually follow this live on the internet): http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule. cfm
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After a (usually very short) lunch, I try to catch up on the 150 or so emails I get every day. These can be anything from questions, news updates, requests from journalists for interviews, invitations for Margot (or even me) to appear at events, long documents that need to be read and on which I’m expected to have a point of view, or general exchanges with people in the Cabinet and other parts of the Commission about all kinds of things. I also frequently give talks to groups of journalists, students and other visitors. (It’s amusing to see their reaction when they expect to meet someone in a suit and instead I turn up dressed in black, wearing Pagan jewellery and generally looking like, well, like a member of Omnia!) Do I like working for the Commission? Actually yes. In an ideal world I would be a full-time Pagan guitar player, but it’s not an ideal world and I need the money that the Commission pays me. I can honestly say that it’s great to work with people from all over Europe who are, for the most part, bright, friendly, open and hardworking. It annoys me when I see bullshit in the press every now and then about lazy, interfering, bureaucrats in Brussels, because my direct experience of working here is very different. It’s stimulating and interesting to meet people from all over the continent and find that we all have so much in common. It’s been particularly interesting to see all the Eastern Europeans arriving. Frankly, I never thought it would happen during my lifetime. Do people object to me playing with Omnia? Far from it actually. I’ve never had a problem either with the fact that I’m a professional musician or a Pagan or with the way I dress. In fact, people seem to appreciate that I bring a different point of view and a different experience of the world. (And maybe they’re secretly jealous that I get to make CDs, play concerts and paint my face ;-) ). Margot has been known to call me her ‘reality check’ because I don’t look at things the way a ‘normal’ Eurocrat would. Playing with Omnia keeps me in touch with the real world and real people (that’s you!). I also like to think that I can have just a little bit of influence on the policy making side of the European Union and make sure that the alternative voice is heard. Some things for you to check out if you’re interested: Margot’s blog: http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/wallstrom/ Our channel on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/eutube Our Debate Europe discussion forum: http://europa.eu/debateeurope/ The Commission Home Page: http://ec.europa.eu/ Greenz... Joe
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Luka’s recipe Cheesy crisps anyone? I pondered for a long while what to write down for the culinary section of this second instalment of the Raven Times. Then I noticed a desperate cry from the editor (I seem to keep bumping into this guy lately, last week he was even sitting behind me on stage..). He mentioned something about ‘deadlines’ and ‘upcoming PaganClan newsletter’, so I thought it might be prudent for me to get activated, lest you, dear reader, might miss an easy, quick and tasty dish for about 4 people (also depending on appetite and stomach size) So, how about something with nacho cheese tortilla crisps! Yum! OK, hold it right there. Put down the crisps and step away from the bowl, sir. The crisps are an ingredient of something that is going to resemble a Mexican style lasagna. So control yourself and don’t eat all the crisps. Yet. For this you’ll need; Ingredients; -165 grams of nacho cheese flavoured tortilla crisps (and no, you can’t have any beforehand) -2 cloves of garlic -2 spoons of olive oil -2 red onions -6 tomatoes -1 red paprika (bell pepper) -1 spoon of red balsamic vinegar -1 teaspoon of sugar (preferably from sugar cane) - chilli powder (depending on spiciness, add to flavour) -300 grams of maïs (corn) -150 grams of ground cheese -2,5 dl cream cheese -400 grams of kidney beans
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Utensils; A large pan (a wok is good) An oven dish Sharp knife and cutting plank A cheese grinder (if you want to grind your own cheese)
It’s best to do all the washing, cutting and peeling of the ingredients beforehand, so you can move on with the cooking quickly. Believe me, once you know how this tastes, you’ll never want to wait long for this food any more, and you’ll minimize the risk of endangering the nacho cheese crisps. If you still have to study / hang out at the pub / go to the movies with a date / finish writing an article for the Raven Times you might want to shift into a higher gear. Note that if you take dried kidney beans, remember you need to soak them overnight in water to use them. Since this kind of nullifies the ‘quick’ part, I always use canned beans. First, cut the garlic, onions and paprika. The garlic and onions taste better if you cut them into pieces as small ass you can manage (careful, blood is not an ingredient in this dish). Peel and dice the tomatoes. Also, grind 150 grams of cheese if you don’t have any ready-ground cheese. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 160 °C (325 F for non-metric system weirdo’s) Time to make the vegetable sauce. Get a pan (a wok is perfect) and heat up the olive oil. Once it’s getting hot, start stir-frying the garlic and onions. Now turn down the heat and chuck in the tomatoes, paprika, vinegar, sugar, chilli powder, maïs and kidney beans. With the chilli powder, you should take care to add to acceptable spiciness, especially for kids; this dish is supposed to taste good, not turn your throat into a flame thrower. Stir the whole lot and turn up the heat again. Once the sauce starts bubbling leave it steaming for about 7 minutes without a lid to lose some moisture. Every now and then stir it a bit, to prevent your pan from becoming a dishwasher’s nightmare. Once this is finished, turn off the heat. Next, get out the oven dish. Make layers, starting with crisps. Try get the flattest crisps for this first layer, placing them close together. Now, add a layer of sauce, using about half the amount of what you’ve prepared. Disperse evenly and carefully over the crisps. Cover this with a layer of ground cheese, also about half the amount you have. Logically, you should be able make two layers of each with the right thickness with this amount of ingredients. Finish with a layer of cheese. On top of all this comes a layer of cream cheese. Don’t worry if the last layer of ground cheese mixes somewhat with the cream. Now put it in the oven for 15 minutes. Now ring the bell for dinner time! Greenz, Luka
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The Morrigan by Omnia Who or what is The Morrigan? Is she a Goddess, is she a person, is she a bird or is she a battle song? Well...actually...she’s all of these. What’s the connection with Omnia and why is this song shocking (to ignorant people anyway) and has such an impact when played live? Well...let me try to explain a bit more about the mystery surrounding her. She might scare the hell out of you, or it just might comfort you when discovering she’s closer than you ever imagined. The Morrigan in bird’s-eye view... “Over hills and over meadows See the crow fly, feel her shadow Over woods and over mountains Searching for a war “ Just a few lines of Omnia’s song, but they immediately give you a somewhat eerie feeling. What is there to tell, without going in too much detail? Well...let’s see... Morrigan: Goddess of Battle, Strife and Fertility. The name originates from the Gaelic Mór Rígan which translates to Great Queen or Phantom Queen. A Triple Goddess and the Crone aspect of the Great Goddess. The other aspects being Macha, the Fertile Woman and Anu, the Young Maiden. How did people see her in the old days, and how do we see or feel her in modern times? Let’s focus on the battle-part, to keep it close to the song. Morrigan is described in many ways, amongst them the redheaded bloodthirsty war goddess roaming the battlefields in a chariot, wearing a big dark red cloak, armed with a spear, a crow on her shoulder. A stunning and freighting sight that must have been for those she visited. Another description is the one telling about ravens or crows flying across the battlefield looking for something bloody and tasty to feed on. They might as well be her, because she could take a variety of forms. I can almost hear them screeching to each other: “Bloody hell, it’s a war zone down there and didn’t we predict that? Well, they’ll never learn, so once again it’s time for us to feast!” Imagination growing wild when trying to picture it all in your head, we will all see The Morrigan differently. Fact is that she’s real for a lot of people, in spirit anyway. “Kill for Morrigan Maim for Morrigan Fight for Morrigan And you will Slay for Morrigan Die for Morrigan Morrigan crone of war” Hearing this part of the song live divides the audience. A (bigger) part will join in the musical fight and scream their lungs out for several reasons. For example: Bottled up frustration, anger, erupting in a nonlethal yet very strong way. Or you just like to scream along. The other (smaller) part of the audience will be stunned and will either walk away, or freeze on the spot with their mouths wide open, thinking: “What the feck is that!”
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As far as I’m concerned the song stands for many different battles. Steve Sic and Luka were actual fully trained sword-wielding Celtic warriors at the time that Sic wrote it , so it partly expresses the bloodred Battle-rage one feels when involved in “real” combat, but more specifically it symbolizes the Battle Omnia is fighting (every day) to be themselves, no matter how hard it sometimes might seem in this messed up world. Sharing their music and beliefs. Reaching out, finding themselves in the middle of an ever growing family which is worth fighting for and with. Together we are our own Morrigan and we get more powerful every time we hear and sing her battle cry... What about the battles we are fighting ourselves? Did your blood ever reach the boiling point with anger or frustration? Did you ever feel you needed support in whatever physical or mental way? Did she ever answer your call? She’s still out there in these modern times and if you look deep enough inside yourself you might discover she has been with you all along. Close your eyes, listen carefully and be aware... “Morrigan ancient crone of war Come set my spirit free...” Squinty
Roadie Pieter 1. Can you first of all introduce yourself in a few words to the PaganClan members ? Without becoming too philosophical I will keep it short and start at the beginning. Born in Haren (Groningen), at the end of 1974. At that time I already had a brother and later two sisters followed. When I was almost two years old I moved to Friesland and I lived there right until my final exams at the Gymnasium. After that I returned to the “most beautiful” city in The Netherlands, namely Groningen, where I still live now. I went there to study and that’s what I did. First Pharmacy. When I quitted that study after about a year I decided to go sailing for a year, because you have to do something. After that I went back to studying again. But, no matter how much fun Biology was, after about a year I didn’t have the time anymore, because in the meantime I had become a roadie for a band. That’s how I got to know Omnia. 2. How did you get involved in the Omnia Crew ? I already mentioned that I got to know Omnia years ago at festivals. Jenny just joined the band and Joe wasn’t in the picture yet. I already had a busy job as a roadie, so to the joke by Omnia if I wanted to come to work for them, because they could really use someone like me, I had to reply at that time that of course it wasn’t possible. Besides, Steve thought it also would be better that I could continue studying instead of working for a band. But, when about one and a half year later I had some more free time, and was busy to start up a small business in websites, Omnia knocked on my door. They needed help with their website, if I had the time to do that... One thing led to another, so... 3. You’re busy with many things inside the crew. Can you sum it up for us ? At festivals I’m normally running around the stage and arranging things, if I’m not already busy emptying a van or shoving it all in again. In theatres you might have seen me sitting alongside the soundman at service (Chris or Ed). For the first time that day I can sit still for a while. I’m controlling the lights at that time. And these are just the things at and around concerts. Next to that I’m trying to make sure the website and webshop is running smoothly and arranging some more stuff here and there. But enough about this. I know it’s not complete, but it seems to me that it’s becoming a far too long enumeration. 22 - The Raven Times 02 - April 2008
4. What do you consider the best and the worst part of that job ? The best and the nicest part about the job? I really haven’t got the faintest idea. Of course concerts are fun when all goes well and the band could play well, but whether that’s the nicest, I don’t know. What always gives me a great kick is when something threatens to go wrong, right before a concert, which you prevent or solve by some improvisation, quick thinking and acting. But, whether that’s more fun than when you prepare it all well and run it smoothly, I don’t know. I really don’t know either what the least fun part of the job is. Maybe it’s driving home alone at three thirty in the morning, after a long weekend, but actually I don’t care about that too much. Maybe it’s missing out on family matters quite often because everybody thinks it’s normal to work weekdays and having free time in the weekends, but actually I don’t think it’s disastrous. It could be the waiting at conventions and festivals where I have little to do, but that’s not that boring, because we are on the road with a fun group of people. I think I just have a fun and varied job where everybody may be jealous of. 5. If you had to work with some other bands, which ones would you choose, and why ? I wouldn’t choose. Until now I’ve always done what crossed my path. The great advantage with this way is that there will never be things on your path which you don’t like to do. I think it’s great that I can work with and for Omnia now, mainly because I really like the group of people I work with. But if I had to choose which band I would be willing to work for otherwise? No idea. I would just keep on building internetpages (that’s also something I do with and for nice people), and if there were to be a nice band crossing my path I would say yes. I hope it never comes to that, because that would mean that Omnia and I will not be working together anymore.... 6. Maybe a word about your fellow band and crew members ? Should I spread gossip now? Let’s not do that. I already find it hard enough to say something about myself. I don’t know what I can tell about the others, that’s something they should do themselves. I already said that for me Omnia and the crew is a fun team to be on the road with, they also have the tendency to gather fun people around them. 7. You were already part of many pagan adventures with Omnia. Can you maybe share some anecdotes with our members ? Another difficult question. At this moment all kinds of images of fun things are running through my mind, but what would be a fine story to tell. It’s always surprising wherever we go and wherever we end up. I remember from last year that we would drive back to our boarding-house at night, after the concert. The night before a car drove ahead of us through the beautiful remote landscape, somewhere in (I believe) the east of Germany. It was only a twenty minute drive, but we already decided that we shouldn’t be able to find it on our own the next morning, so we arranged that we would be picked up in the morning to find our way back to the festival. This is what happened... Steve had gotten into the car of the man of the festival to draw a small map how we could get back at night. The man knew the area well and took off so fast that I had trouble keeping up with him with the packed van. In the meantime Steve had some difficulties too, because it turned out that the man knew everything about every tree in the area and had to share it with Steve. But, Steve had drawn the map including notes etc. In other words, we, on our way at night with the map, nothing could go wrong. Unfortunately it turned out to be difficult to follow a map and description where to go in reverse order in the pitch-dark. Everyone was convinced that we should be going left here and right there, but after a 90 minute drive (it was only 20 minutes) we knew one thing for sure. This way we wouldn’t get back. Fortunately we saved the phonenumber of someone of the organisation. So I tried to call her at 3 o’clock. After a while someone answered the phone. Where were we was the question. That we knew (they do have streetsigns in Germany also), but too bad she didn’t know where that was and above all she had so much to drink that she wasn’t allowed to drive anymore. She was going to find someone else. Fifteen minutes later we received a call, they’d found somebody. It hadn’t been easy, because the list of demands was long. The person was required to: have a drivers license, be sober, be able to find us, know the area and of course know the boarding-house too. He arrived ten minutes later, we were standing around the corner of the boarding-house. The following week Omnia had a Tom-Tom.....
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The Pagan « Coming Out »
After years of a lukewarm spiritual life, following your beloved parents to the church dragging your feet while still recovering of the trauma caused by your last catechism brainwashing, you discover one day that the only thing you believe in are all the things which were alive before Christianity came burning the old traditions and convert the people to the « only truth ». Another world opens its doors to you. A world where your divinity can be a busty naked woman, where the word « God » can be written with an « s » at the end, where the nature is your temple and the trees your congregation, where the only sermon is the wind whispering at your ears, a world where you’re not doomed for having an erection. But being conscient of your pagan tendencies and wanting to share them with your family can be difficult, especially if your parents are some radical monotheists considering pagans as some devil worshippers deserving to be « questioned » by some frustrated monk of the « Holy Inquisition ». Don’t worry, Pagan! With a few communication strategies, we’ll help you to make your coming out without being banned from home. The « spin doctor » strategy As you probably know, a « spin doctor » is a propaganda specialist (they’ll probably call it « communication manager », but anyway), used by governments to make their illegal deeds more acceptable for their citizens. For example, when our soldiers are bombing a country and kill innocent civilians in an school or a hospital instead of a « military target », it’s not a war crime, no, it’s a « collateral damage ». Which is of course less alarming when you’re watching the news during the dinner. Like the spin doctors, you can use this strategy with your parents and use their ignorance against them. Adapt your terminology a bit. A sentence like « Dad, I’m not going to the church anymore, I’m a pantheist » would probably be less shocking to him than the term « Pagan ». And as he probably doesn’t understand it (and of course would never admit it), you’ll certainly hear him scream « Darling! Our daughter has a pantheist! Bring her an aspirin and call the doctor! » The « insinuation » strategy The subtlety of insinuations you can use can be very effective to make your parents aware you’re a pagan without the shock of an abrupt coming out. Slowly, they’ll accept your difference, even if it will probably remain a bit weird to them. The first time they’ll hear you say during the Christmas Eve : « By the way, you know it’s also Mithra’s birthday today? Strange coincidence, isn’t it? » or « Nice Yule tree! », they’ll probably be a bit circumspect, but after some years of Ostara eggs, Beltane barbecues and Halloween New Year’s wishes, they’ll probably get used to it. The « theological confrontation » strategy To use this strategy, you need a serious cultural background. The goal here is not to make your parents directly accept your spiritual choice, but to let them see the contradictory and false aspects of their own religion. Point out the large amount of aberrations of the dogma’s they follow, the hijacking of preChristian beliefs by the church just to spread out, the connections of their spiritual leaders with many dictators and fascist regimes in the history, and then, they’ll may become open-minded enough to accept your difference. Be careful: use only elements which can be historically proved. Screaming around that Jesus is a plutonian transvestite dropped on earth by a UFO by mistake and that he’s still alive and working for the FBI, after centuries of obscure activities as communist dictator, music-hall star or manager of the Sex Pistols would only bring you in a psychiatric hospital.
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The « diversion » strategy First step: freak your parents out. Tell them you’re a devoted Satanist and gonna quit them to settle down in Scandinavia, where you’ll get married in the laveyian rites to the leader of the most freaky Norwegian satanic Black Metal band, and you’re going on tour with them, being used as a living naked altar during the show (which is of course a black mass), drinking the blood of sacrificed animals (as your stock of pure innocent virgins is exhausted) and use invocations to the demons just before burning some churches. Let your parents stew in their own juice for a moment (adapt the timing to their sensitivity), and just before the breaking point, tell them the truth. Hearing you’re just « a simple Pagan » hugging trees, speaking to birds and honouring the fertility of the earth will certainly be the source of a true relief, and you’ll even may be authorized to make your own altar in your room, as long as you promise you won’t sacrifice any chicken to draw inverted pentagrams on the floor. Simple and efficient. And if you haven’t found the right strategy after all these useful tips, there’s still the « Fuck Off » strategy for hopeless causes, extremist and integrist families. But I don’t think I have to give you the details about it. Good luck, Mich
Bienchen in Wonderland Into the wild
Imbolc passed. We celebrated the awakening of mother earth and in relation to our own body, mind and soul sowed the seeds of what we liked to sprout round Beltane, be in full blow in summer and harvested round Lughnasad. Beltane is approaching. Most people in Germany know “Beltane” by the name of “Walpugisnacht”, which is, because the 1. of May in Christian Times was dedicated to Walpurga. Before Christianization this night was celebrated to honour life and fertility. In former (sometimes matriarchal societies this was the night for women to chose a man or renew already existing bonds). The birch stands for fertility and renewal and so birch branches were given to the chosen one (who in those times was not necessarily called Harry Potter). People danced around trees and lit huge fires. To jump through the fire or take the path in between two fires was meant to rid you of diseases and evil spirits. In the holy groves more in the north hagazussa danced into the spiritual world and predicted the future. Later these wise women were called “Hexen” (witches) and tortured and burnt by extremely pacifistic inquisitors. Christianity turned the Beltane night into a night where witches are to be scared off. And what’s “Walpurgisnacht” (Walpurgisnight) today? And now it’s time for Bienchen to start wondering again. I find everything from esoteric New Age voodoo, to all sorts of gatherings, giving people an excuse for excessive alcohol and drug consumption. And Lots of people indulge in one of the most favoured sports of modern times: combat-barbecueing. My fantasy didn’t go far enough to imagine all the industries, you could invent just round the burning of dead flesh in fire. But years and years of stunned, mostly involuntary observation made me an expert. The Raven Times 02 - April 2008 - 25
If you own a house and a garden, you should obey the following rules to stand a chance in combat: 1. Mind your timing Keep yourself informed of the state-of-the-art technology concerning grills and equipment But don’t be hasty, take your time. Wait till your neighbour can’t stand the anticipation any more and buys. Have a close look at their new acquired possessions (it’s best to take a day off, wait until they left their house and then you’ll have plenty of time for close inspections). 2. Raise the standard Be sure to buy and install or build a grill (as well as the fitting equipment, of course) which makes your neighbour’s grill look like relicts of long forgotten scrap yards. 3. Mind the details Buy the most fashionable dishes, plates, cutlery, glasses, anti-mosquito-torches, napkins and deco you can find. 4. Be sure to stun them with “your” cooking skills Hire an incognito –party-service to deliver the most fashionable and up to date dips, salads, marinated meet and artfully arranged animal corpses in bowels as well as raw dead fish. 5. Buy all sorts of fashion beer (liquorices taste might be this years fast seller) and soft drinks of all colours. 6. Rehearse the arrangements (unnoticed by your foes of course) with fakes until you found the ideal solutions. 7. Invite your neighbours to just a short dated, so to say spontaneous 1. May-barbecue. They’ll almost choke with envy. If you’re more the “tough-outdoor-into-the-wild-type”, it’s a lot easier. Just pack a few essential things like camping chairs, camping table, sun umbrella, battery driven radiant heater (you never know…), grill, charcoal, all sorts of fire starters, cooling bags full of meet and sausages (the more the better –go for quantity rather than quality), just a few twenty or so) Tupperware-bowls with salads and dips, beer crates, plastic bags full of bread, glasses filled with salt and pepper and about forty different spices (real pros bring spice-carousels), ghettoblaster, battery driven fan to keep the fire going, anti-mosquitotorches, napkins, paper-plates, plastic knives and forks, grilling forks, fire extinguisher, first aid box and burn ointment and off you go. Drive your cars to a nice wild place (where you’re allowed to park the cars-you’ll need at least two for the stuff and the family) and you’re about to experience a really exciting day in wilderness. So far for modern Walpurgis. I decided to spend Beltane in a rather traditional and uncompetitional way, without any of the things mentioned above. As a starter I’ll tune myself in to Pagan wildness by enjoying an OMNIA performance with all senses (for further details check the agenda). Could there be a better way? Nooooo After the show I’ll spend the rest of the night at a wonderful place, where a great Beltane fire is going to burn and people will dance around it and I will worship mother nature and earth and dance along with the music of the wind and the drums, enjoy life with all senses and with every whirl and jump I’ll honour and remember wholeheartedly and lovingly all the women, children and men who were killed by so called Christians for doing just the same I’m doing now. We survived and by practising eco-anarchy we’ll not only seed dandelion, borage and chickweed in your well kept but somehow dead looking towns and gardens, but freedom, independence and courage in more and more people’s mind. Let’s keep on dancing. Bienchen
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Omnia Fan Art Lets start with some talented fans who kindly sent their pieces of art inspired by Omnia. First of all, Cecilia from the Netherlands, who’s an active member of our forum and is very often amazing us with her drawings. She felt inspired by Wytches Brew this time, with this spinning cursing band. We love it: Marlisa from Nieuw-Vennep (the Netherlands) sent us a great portrait of Steve:
It seems Sic is quite inspiring the fans. Rosanna (from... the Netherlands, what a surprise!) gave him a very natural background:
Thanks for sharing, girls!
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The Omnia Shirt World Tour
As we are not able to travel and play everywhere in the world, we are just finding some consolation with our fans who are kind enough to wear our shirts in front of the most famous world monument. Sandra (from... you know, the land where they speak dutch) sent us a picture of the magnificent Gizeh pyramids with a little Omnia touch: It would be a great place for an Omnia concert, don’t you think?
We still need you!
We still need your contributions for our « Behind the Fans » part. So don’t hesitate to share your art, pictures, stories by sending them to mich@omnianeocelt.com
The Raven Times - PaganClan Team Michel “Mich” Rozek: coordinator, editor, french translation (mich@omnia-neocelt.com) Liesbet “Lies” Mignolet: coordinator, lay-out (mich@omnia-neocelt.com) Christa “Squinty” Kloosterman: editor, dutch translation (squinty@omnia-neocelt.nl) Sabine Barbara “Bienchen” Schrader: editor, german translation (bienchen@omnia-neocelt.de) With the priceless collaboration, help and support of Jenny, Steve, Luka, Joe, Miez, Marcel Bakker and Pieter.
© OMNIA - PaganClan www.omnia-neocelt.com
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