CLAN DOLMEN CHRONICLES: SPRING ISSUE 2021 by Clan Dolmen

Wrap Up & Move On Moving Through Aries in 2021

BILL DUVENDACK

OCCULT NOVELIST

ANNA McKERROW in conversation with LOU HOTCHKISS-KNIVES

Spring Balance SCOTT IRVINE

INFERNALLY YOURS

THE SENSATIONAL INFERNALS & THE INFERNAL THEATRE

The SHOCK of the NEW

COVER

TALOCH JAMESON & JOSH ELLIOTT SPEAK CANDIDLY ABOUT SURVIVING 2020 & BEYOND AS PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS.

Embodying the Goddess of Creation EVA-ŽIVA BLAŽKOVÁ

TALOCH’S KITCHEN WONDERS

TALOCH’S TWIST ON CLASSIC RECIPES

The Art of Cronas A GALLERY OF WORK BY DUNCAN KNIFTON

JASMINE KING

BEAUTIFUL INK WORK INSPIRED BY ANCIENT MYTHOLOGY, DESIGN & NATURE.

Wandmaking

with BRYANT PINNIX

SPRING 2021

A SOLITARY SPIRIT OF REBIRTH

SPRING BALANCE

A Poem by Defoe Smith SCOTT IRVINE

The SHOCK of the NEW

WANDMAKING

OCCULT NOVELIST

TALOCH JAMESON & JOSH ELLIOTT SPEAK ABOUT THE STRUGGLES FACED BY MUSICIANS SURVIVING 2020 & BEYOND.

WITH BRYANT PINNIX

ANNA McKERROW in conversation with LOU HOTCHKISS-KNIVES

Wrap Up & Move On

INFERNALLY YOURS

POSTBOX

TALOCH’S KITCHEN WONDERS

Embodying the Goddess of Creation

The Art of Cronas

JASMINE KING

AFTERWORD, INFO & CONTACTS

Moving Through Aries in 2021 BILL DUVENDACK

THE PHENOMENA THAT ARE SENSATIONAL INFERNALS & THE INFERNAL THEATRE

CLASSIC DISHES WITH A TALOCH TWIST

EVA-ŽIVA BLAŽKOVÁ

WORK BY DUNCAN KNIFTON AN ARTIST INSPIRED BY ANCIENT MYTHOLOGY, DESIGN & NATURE.

SPRING 2021 Emerging into the season of light, the signs of renewal and rebirth are all around us, rising from the darkness of the earth, the bones of each tree and the movement of the wild. Everywhere there is the scent of sunlight warming the world. With its rays are the cries of migratory birds greeting the blossoming land in which we live. Understanding that our being is intrinsically connected to these magickal changes, that every cell within us responds to them, heightens a sense of rejuvenation, a harmonisation with the greening of life. All at the Clan Dolmen Chronicles wish our fantastic readership the seasonal joys of love and light.

Sem Vine : Editor

Please note that, in accord with the Clan Dolmen ethos of open-mindedness and as a community which extends its hand to all paths in the name of peace and friendship, all articles published in Clan Dolmen Chronicles are presented in that spirit of openness and non-judgmentalism. Clan Dolmen Chronicles, as an alternative to more dogmatic spiritual platforms, offers a space for those who wish to offer their personal research, ideas and findings, and to give a voice to those who may not find one elsewhere.

CLAN DOLMEN is a pagan organisation

of mixed spiritual paths established in the early 90s by Taloch Jameson, which over the years, has grown from one small circle in Weymouth Dorset, to several clans not only across the UK but worldwide. The Spiritual ethos of Clan Dolmen has remained the same throughout and is based purely upon the Freedom of the Individual. It is the collective belief that in an age where technology can often dwarf our humanity, it is important that we take control as individuals and embrace our own spirituality in order to maintain the equilibrium within an ever-changing world. Although the Clan is not a political organisation, preferring instead to focus upon the spiritual, this does not prevent either individual members or the Clan as a collective from playing an active part in humanitarian and environmental issues. There are no hierarchies or titles within Clan Dolmen, as it is our aim to encourage each man and woman to discover their own unique and authentic journey so that their spiritual connection is founded upon that which works for them as an individual rather than a spiritual rule book set for the masses.

CLAN DOLMEN Clan Dolmen is unique community. If you are new to its concept, here is an introduction to what it is all about, its history and its purpose as a principally pagan oriented collective of individuals devoted to spiritual freedom and equality. There are regular gatherings, wheel of the year celebrations and ceremonies, as well as localised meetings, or moots. There are also a popular annual events list of camps, festivals, gatherings and other events to enjoy across the year, which are held both here in the UK and overseas. The Clan Dolmen Chronicles itself is a further platform which offers space to those who wish to share their personal research, experience, ideas and findings, as well as their craft, art, and expertise.

THE ROUND TABLE

The key to our success is the Round Table, which is made up of around twenty people from a variety of spiritual paths who uphold the spiritual ethos of the Clan. They not only organise their respective moots but also the festivals and events hosted by Clan Dolmen.

CLAN DOLMEN MOOTS

Our Moots are regular meeting places which are held once a month in several areas. Although these are organised by and largely attended by Clan members, non4

members are always welcome to find out more about the Clan and enjoy the company of other free-thinking people, as well as the activities organised by the Moot. There is a membership in place that enables those who wish to be part of this ever-growing Clan to enjoy reduced ticket prices for the many Clan Dolmen organised events and gatherings, festivals and (where stated ‘member only’) Ceremonies and Courses, which are not only held in UK, but also overseas. Although we host many Ceremonies which are open to the general public, to avoid crowding and to allow our members to celebrate free from pressure, we also hold a number of ‘members only’ ceremonies throughout the year.

CONTACTS:

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

CLAN DOLMEN CLAN DOLMEN INTERNATIONAL CLAN DOLMEN CHRONICLES Also on Facebook

NATIONAL MOOTS Clan Dolmen Weymouth Clan Dolmen Portland Clan Dolmen Hampshire Clan Dolmen Isle of Wight Clan Dolmen Cornwall

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION EMAIL:

DIANE NARRAWAY

ARLAHES OF CLAN DOLMEN

clandolmen@gmail.com OR

SEM VINE

EDITOR CLAN DOLMEN CHRONICLES

clandolmen@gmail.com 5

A Solitary Spirit of Rebirth Laced with life, the deep cold breaks Burnt toffee and brif bread cakes That’s the warmth the season brings Long before the young ones spread their wings And I just can’t wait to feel the sun on my head Marvelling upon what was once dead And I just can’t wait to feel the sun. A gathering of like minded lovelies that make up the clan It’s been a long time since circles held hands But our energy binds us, try not to forget So beat your drums, sound your horns Relish one and all in what is still yours With the sun, comes warmth and life With warmth and life comes friendship. Defoe Smith Poet and Pirate Member of The Boarding Crew

The Boarding Crew facebook.com/TheBoardingCrew

With the arrival of spring comes warmer

thing to another by the minute. The spring equinox is a special and magical moment in time when the sun and the earth are in balance and nature is preparing to explode with new life. It is the midpoint between the summer and winter extremes. I am working with the opposing forces of Venus at the moment; Ishtar the goddess of love and light, and her dark sister Ereshkigal, the goddess of death and destruction. The daughters of the Moon God, Sin, are the original fertility goddesses born from the Sumerian/ Babylonian Anunnaki pantheon of deities the Greeks saw as the Titans. Their dance of creation, destruction and rebirth reflect the teachings of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu; only older. It is the dance of life. See Ishtar as the Celtic goddess Briget, the mother of life, and Ereshkigal as the crone Cailleach, the transformer of death into rebirth over the winter months. Imagine you are sat in nature somewhere and the sun is shining; the sun being the younger brother of Ishtar and Ereshkigal and the husband/son of Briget. You can feel his warmth on your skin and it makes you feel happy and in connection with the world, (well, most of us anyway). See the light as Ishtar who makes everything visible and the shadows as Ereshkigal; both separate entities but born from the same source. Be aware of their changing condition, especially when a cloud bought

weather, the leafing of trees, the greening of nature and long motorbike rides. At the spring equinox, towards the end of March, night and day are in perfect balance, with twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness. From now on the light and warmth from the sun is in the ascendancy over the dark and cold, until six months later when the two opposing forces are equal again at the autumn equinox. It is my favourite time of the year, knowing the harshness of winter is behind us and summer is just around the corner. For the druid, it means the arrival of the ‘Devine Child’, Maponos from the Otherworld of spirit. The ‘Flower Maiden’, Briget, who had arrived here six weeks earlier at Imbolc to instigate spring, fell in love with the handsome youth as soon as she set eyes on the young god. The sight of him quickens her heartbeat that pervades her love throughout all of the land. This love is felt by Mother Nature, causing her to bloom, bringing colour and sweet aromas into gardens, parks and the untamed countryside. The influence of the universe is constantly changing, that is why change occurs in our everyday lives. Moods, feelings and thoughts come and go; situations fluctuate between good and bad, sometimes in an instant without any effort from you, and the mind shifts from one

in by the weather gods Nergal and Ninurta covers the radiance of the sun; the light dims and the shadow disappears. Ishtar and Ereshkigal are still present, only now they have been transformed into one another as diffused light. Separated, Ishtar and Ereshkigal are light and dark, hot and cold, life and death. By working in unison they are shade, warmth and rebirth. Together they are balance and harmony. Light needs the darkness to shine and dark needs light to have form. Balance is the key to life. Balance means moderation; moderation in what you eat and drink, speak and think, and in work and rest. Eat too much and you get fat and unhealthy, too little and you get skinny and weak. Drink too much and you get bloated and drunk; too little and you become dehydrated and lightheaded. Speak too much and you become insufferable and obnoxious, and too little, you get boring and ignored. Think too much and you get anxious, and too little, you become compulsive. Work too much and you become stressed, too little and you get weak. Rest too much you get lazy and too little you become tired. After the equinox, Briget and Maponos continue to spread their love for each other across the land. Daffodils bloom and green shoots of new life begin to rise out of the soil. Trees begin to bud in anticipation of warmer times ahead. Plans made during the cold of winter and put in place at Imbolc should be well on the way to fruition by now. If not, look to see why not; go over the plans again and alter if necessary. Readjust and push forward to make it happen. It can only come from you! Your god/goddess can only do so much from the world of spirit; however, the determination has to come from you to make your dreams come true in the material realm. You are the magic that transforms spirit into the physical world.

Scott Irvine was born and bred on the craggy island of Portland, where he still lives. He is a druid in a witch’s hat, with the heart and mind of a Viking on mead and a pirate in search of adventure. He is an author and poet, a philosopher, photographer, a gardener and nature lover. His passion is motorbikes, camping and exploring the ancient sites of Celtic hillforts and Neolithic stone circles. Scott’s book ‘Ishtar and Ereshkigal: The Daughters of Sin’ was published in 2020 and he has contributed to several anthologies and essays, including ‘Seven Ages of the Goddess’, ‘Naming the Goddess’ and the soon to be published ‘Naming the God’ for Moon Books (JHPublishing), available from Amazon. ‘Ereshkigal : The Dark Side of Venus’ was subsequently published in 2021. Scott has also contributed to the popular anthology, ‘Voices from the Ashes: Resurrecting the Wytch’, which is available from Veneficia Publications and Amazon. Photo: Mistr Vávra

THE

SHOCK OF THE NEW There’s no doubt that the advent of

Covid 19, the Great Plague of 2020, has broken hearts, minds and pockets, and the wash from its wake threatens to rock us for generations to come. The national approach has been to represent the pandemic as a global war against an undead and unseeable enemy, one that insidiously seeks out the most vulnerable among us. Now that the recent and most promising weapon is being distributed into the very tissue of their bodies, we are just beginning to raise our eyes above the parapet in anticipation of a time when a population no longer has to worry if a simple hug is safe. Industry has suffered, and few more so than that of music. Of all the performing arts, it is music that is at the centre of so many core life events, of community togetherness, of pleasure, of memory, of marriage and of death. Indeed, for millennia, musicians have given us the soundtrack to our lives.

A Musician’s Perspective on the Hit of 2020’s International Double Whammy The Chronicles spoke to songwriter/ musicians Josh Elliott and Taloch Jameson of the Clan’s figurehead band, The Dolmen. Both discovered their remarkable talent when they were very young and subsequently devoted their lives to music. We asked them, not only about how the year that rocked the world has affected them as professionals, but also about the effects that Brexit has had on them as members of an international band, which, coupled with the pandemic, has ultimately inflicted on them a double whammy.

MUSIC : Clan Dolmen Chronicles

Photo : Marielle Groot Obbink

Looking back to a year ago, as news began to filter to the UK about a new and deadly virus that was rapidly spreading into the Western world, can you recall your first thoughts about it?

JOSH: ‘It was quite a shock for sure. Everything seemed to be working against us. In so many ways, that uncertainty we had then is still with us now. We still don’t know what the future holds for us, especially for touring abroad. With a young family, two young boys, I worry for them. How’s it going to affect them?’

TALOCH: ‘Well, Brexit had already shattered a lot of the plans we’d made for 2020, so news of the virus coming in when it did was really like being stabbed in the stomach and in the back at the same time. I’d never been this close to understanding the old adage that there’s no such thing as an honest politician. In a court of law if a person was discovered to be lying they would be charged with perjury but a politician gets to be in power, even gets to be prime minister. We already knew we were going to suffer regarding changes to insurances and having to get visas to work abroad just for starters, so really, in so many ways Brexit was the foremost problem we had to deal with at the time.’

When rumours of a full lockdown became real you were faced with an avalanche of cancelled bookings, not only overseas but here in the UK. You must’ve experienced an even bigger fear for your livelihoods. TALOCH: With the cancellation of all our UK fests and with us having to even cancel the events that we had control of ourselves, suddenly we had no work, next to no income at all, as nearly all of our merchandise sales happen at gigs, festivals 11

and concerts.

Did you perceive any chinks of light in the gloom?

“ . . suddenly we had no work, no income at all . . ”

JOSH: Initially no, I didn’t And almost a year on, for me, it’s still a struggle, it’s mostly still a no. However, I’ve been so thankful for this time with the boys. Carwyn has coped so well and I think he’s discovered so much about himself in this time. Oakley has just grown, as they do! Watching him learn and develop has been incredible. To think if there had been no coronavirus, I’d have been away every weekend from April through September, maybe only having two or three days at home a week. I’d have missed it all. I’ve been grateful to have been here night and day, put him to bed and wake to him shouting at me every morning! (laughs)

JOSH: Definitely. In one hit, every source of income was pulled out like a rug out from under us. Aside from the band, I also teach guitar at local schools as well as privately. All the clients I had booked into the recording studio wouldn’t be able to come and work. The last session I had there, we had just started The Crabchurch Conspiracy Audio Book. Not only all this, but I was also working in care homes, performing for people living with dementia when I could. Everything closed in an instant.

TALOCH: As a band who have been through many difficult times together – gigging and touring is a tough way of life – while we were devastated, we tried to keep hold of the sense of humour that has always seen us through. We soon realised that the only hope we had of being able to maintain the band and survive this was to set up The Dolmen on Patreon. It was the only chance we had to keep any form of communication with our audience, particularly and most importantly, on as close to a live level as possible. At first, we really struggled, mainly because our internet speed was so poor. Having no internet threatened to annihilate our only plans for survival. JOSH: Yes, Patreon has been fantastic, a real light in the tunnel. It’s something we just wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for this, and it’s been so much fun and a real lifeline when our income had been hit so hard. I will forever be thankful to all those who have signed up and donated on the live

Photo : Nadia Bell

just didn’t have. We were still recovering from Christmas, Carwyn’s birthday had just been and the car MOT and tax. We just couldn’t have afforded it. Thankfully, all those who had prepaid carried on and finished their course, but then, suddenly, I lost over 50% of my students. I was still a bit sceptical as to if online tutoring was really going to work for those who stayed with me, but I’ve seen real progress in all of my students that stuck at it. I’m really quite taken aback by the potential of teaching guitar online. TALOCH: I found it incredibly hard. We were very awkward in the beginning. We didn’t have a screen in front of us so we couldn’t read the live chat, which was the only means of having any kind of

“ . . we tried to keep hold of the sense of humour that has always seen us through . . ”

Photo : Marrielle Groot Obbink

streams at this crazy time. For anyone who’s been a bit confused by what Patreon is - as we’ve had a few people a bit puzzled by it – imagine, basically, a Dolmen Netflix. We do live streams every week, patrons get a first look at new music, and are even sent music that would never be released on any other platform, plus there’s a lot of other video content. It really is a great way of keeping in touch, with a whole load of special treats for people signing up.

interaction with people watching during the show. For a band who thrives on live performance, the silence was really hard. The other thing we had to deal with was, through the different stages of lockdown throughout 2020, and up to now, was being separated as a band. We miss each other greatly. We’d spent twelve years working closely together, touring, gigging every month, recording – that is how we live. Not being around each other physically, and having to communicate only by phone or video chat, was another issue to come to terms with. When at last we were able to set up the studio so that we could view the feed ourselves and were able to read people’s

So working on Patreon, how did you find the transition from principally working live to working online? JOSH: Pretty hard! It’s not only Patreon that I now have to do online. The first thing I had to do was move my guitar lessons online. A lot of them were prepaid for a half term too. I was pretty frightened that some wouldn’t want to do lessons online and ask for their money back, which I 13

Pendolino, of the INFERNAL THEATRE, relaxes at home in the Castle of Concepts

responses, all the hearts and the thumbs up and great comments, all the banter between the people themselves, that made a big difference. We had something that helped us maintain our passion to perform for them, we then knew people were really out there listening to us. We’ve been overwhelmed by the encouragement and support we received. In these times, it’s as close as we can get to the real thing. JOSH: Patreon has been quite an education to be honest. The first thing was trying to produce at quality and, as Taloch says, we just didn’t have the gear to do it properly, and our internet was terrible! So both Taloch and myself have upgraded our internet since Lockdown One! For me it’s audio that’s my thing. Video is almost a whole different kettle of fish. Thankfully, we’ve been able to improve everything, so we’re now in a position to make fantastic quality videos and stream high quality audio. This is a workflow that we plan to keep going even when we’re in a world that finally has Covid under control, as we still don’t know what the future really holds for us, plus it’s been great fun for us as well for our patrons, and a great outlet to be creative in a different way! Photo : Marrielle Groot Obbink

Your studio space has changed a lot since the early Patreon days! Tell us about how that happened.

travelled, not only through Europe, but through time and space with our music, and our audience had come with us through those magickal realms. But all these worlds had come from a place, from the creative bond we have between us, and so the Castle of Concepts was not born, as it had existed all along, but realised. Once we had overcome all the technical issues of performing online, then the Castle could be constructed in a physical form, with Lena Paak of ‘Connach’ using her building skills and artist Sem Vine painting the walls, creating the illusion of

TALOCH: Not long before the whole pandemic thing happened, because we’d been trying to come to terms with the huge changes that Brexit threatened us with, we’d been looking back at all the things we’d done and achieved over the past years. I think we even surprised ourselves at the huge catalogue of work we’d made. There were pirates, medieval times, 1920s, civil war, horror, the theatre, science—we’d 15

The Castle of Concepts: A room with an alternative view.

old stonework and features. It’s become the Dolmen drinking house, ‘Ye Olde Wytch and the Strangled Cock’, it’s the medieval banqueting hall for the lord who calls for his sword, it’s the home of Victor Vassago and all the trapped souls of the Infernal Theatre, it’s even the Trash Fash mansion. So many magickal things live in its countless rooms and vast grounds, some even we haven’t met yet!

And the youtube channel? TALOCH: Yes, that’s something else we’ve been really busy building on over the past months. The live shows allow us to meet new people, who get an introduction into what we’re about, where they can learn more about us, and interact with us, people who we would love to come and see us play in the future. The Dolmen

“ . . So many magickal things live in its countless rooms and vast grounds, some even we haven’t met yet! ”

JOSH: It’s pretty mad! Anyone who has been to Taloch’s house I don’t think would expect much else! There’s always been antiques and trinkets around from all over the world and it’s always been an inspiring place. When he sent me over a picture once it had all been painted it looked just great! I’m really looking forward to next month when he changes it all again for a 60s month! (joke!!) 16

YouTube channel offers films, music videos, recorded film and past stage performances, and all our live feeds are advertised ahead of the shows from our official pages on facebook and instagram. YouTube has always been important to us as a platform to share what we do, but in these times, since our work has become almost entirely internet based, this, and especially Patreon, is the key to our survival in however the world will be after the pandemic is over. JOSH: YouTube has been great. Again, it was something we’ve been aware of, and as Taloch says, we’d uploaded a lot of material there in the past, but we’d never really made as much use of as we could have. We’ve always dedicated time to recording albums and organising events, but over the last year, where we haven’t been able to do either really, YouTube has been a fantastic creative outlet. It’s been a real learning experience getting to grips with something none of us have much experience in. The public live streams have been great fun. As well as the specials on Patreon, there’s been a couple a month on YouTube so far this year. The whole band can’t wait till we can get together and play in the same room on the stream. We did explore avenues to be able to play online in real time with each other, but the lag is just too great, even using companies that boast near perfect and a minimal latency, so being able even just to stream from the same studio will be a huge step into feeling like things are becoming normal again. Hopefully, that moment isn’t too far away.

of hard times, the financial repercussions for the arts, particularly for bands like The Dolmen, who’s income relied heavily on touring mainland Europe, will continue for some time, most likely for years to come. Signing up to The Dolmen on Patreon can cost as little as just over £1 per week, where you’ll enjoy exclusive performances, interviews and sneaky behind the scenes previews of work in progress in the studio. If you have a business, signing up as a Patron means that the band will give you air time

If you love music, it’s so clear that at this

time, like no other, it needs your support. Though it may seem we are on our way out 17

and promote what you do during their shows. Even just subscribing to The Dolmen’s YouTube Channel will help the band stay afloat. There you can enjoy new videos, all ready set up playlists, and great memories of past concerts, and also weekly interactive live streams, during which you can get involved in in-the-moment live chat with the band, catch up with people you may not have seen for a year and meet new people too. There are even step-by-step recipes that you can try for yourself! The return for all of us on each of these small acts of support is to ensure that

the music will play on, that the band can continue working to give us the music we so enjoy, and, in not so very long, we’ll be partying to it together again.

Sem Vine

THE DOLMEN ON PATREON: patreon.com/thedolmen THE DOLMEN YOUTUBE CHANNEL: youtube.com/thedolmen To purchase albums and merchandise: thedolmen.com Also join The Dolmen on facebook and instagram

Above: The Castle of Concepts Studio: Lights. Camera. Action! Left inset: Taloch performing for a live-stream Right: The ever vigilant Pendolino contemplates the Ouija Board 18

BraveGreen WoRLD An interview with novelist Anna McKerrow

by Lou Hotchkiss-Knives

“Magick is incredibly empowering. We have that direct relationship with deities that doesn’t need a middle man ...”

When it comes to pagan fiction, Anna McKerrow is a literary rockstar. After her critically acclaimed dystopian trilogy, CROW MOON, RED WITCH and WILD FIRE, she released two sexy, oniric Faery romances and has published countless poetry books. I met Anna whilst she was researching material for her 2019 novel THE BOOK OF BABALON, a compelling tale of punk rock, thelemic magick and feminism. I immediately liked Anna. Her glossy black hair and glowing confidence reminded me of Kathleen Hanna, the lead singer of Bikini Kill. From her childhood in the West Country, Anna had inherited a taste for cream teas, a deep reverence for Nature and a fascination with the magic and folklore of Britain. I found out we shared the same enthusiasm for ecology, witchcraft, rock music, fine edition books and the place of women in modern occultism. She currently resides in London, where, in between publications, she works as a tarot reader and reiki practitioner.

Could you introduce yourself and your work for our readers?

My name is Anna McKerrow and I am an author. As well as pagan novels, I also write women’s fiction under another name, Kennedy Kerr. I started off as a poet (I still am), and published my first book in 2008. I have released five poetry books since, two of which are quite experimental (I did a Masters in experimental poetry). Novel wise, I am the author of the Green World Trilogy, a series of books aimed at teens/ young adults. They tell of a dystopian world where Devon and Cornwall are called the green world and are separated from the rest of Britain. The green world is a pagan utopia where everyone lives in Harmony with nature and worships pagan gods. The rest of Britain, by contrast, is known as the Red World, a polluted and depressing place run by a corrupt government. I also wrote a series of fairy romances, Daughter of Lights and Shadows and Priestess of the Sea and Stars. They tell the story of woman who lives in Scotland in the present day and runs a witchy shop, and ends up being sucked in the world of faeries. I wanted to give the novels a fairly realistic fairy perspective, with a fair bit of sex (laughs) I also wrote the Book of Babalon, which is the story of three women who become involved in a revolutionary feminist organisation inspired by the Goddess Babalon.

of Witchcraft. Before that.... well, there was the influence of my mum, who, although not a witch, was a very spiritual woman who believed in reincarnation, spirit guides, and otherworldly experiences. She was very mystical. She had had poltergeist experiences, went astral, had visionary dreams... She even recalled times when the clouds had parted above her to reveal visions of the future. She shared her experiences me and I grew up with all that. And then, in the 90s I found witchcraft and decided to be a witch! What did your mum say? Oh, she was fine with that... she was a weirdly liberal woman in many ways. So I bought books, taught myself tarot, then moved to London in my early 20s and there, for a while, I didn’t do anything magical. I just went to the pub, my life was super conventional. Then in my mid 20s I had that feeling of “you need to come back to that part of yourself ”. I was learning Reiki and worked with a reiki group. It was at that time I started writing, actually. And it all took off from there. I’m quite eclectic. I’ve been involved in Shamanism with the Sacred Trust, which I really liked. I worked with different goddesses at different times...

When did you first start on your magical path? Like many of the witches of our generation, I started as a teen in the 1990s. The scene was starting to take off then, and there were many books on the market. One of my first buys was this blue book by Raymond Buckland, the Complete Book 27

I worked magick with groups, but never was in an actual coven.

work at the supermarket and everything else... People who aren’t supernatural beings, just real people who happen to live magical lives. There is this idea in Fantasy novels that you need supernatural powers to do magick, that you need to be born into it, and your dad has to be an elf.... (laughs), you know what I mean. And that is incredibly disempowering. I write stories about ordinary people, who, overtime, build their magickal abilities and are empowering themselves. Magick is incredibly empowering. We have that direct relationship with deities that doesn’t need a middle man, and I believe this is where the strength of our path lies. All you need is imagination and a reasonably functioning body, and from that you can truly transform your life.

“ ... in my mid 20s I had that feeling of “you need to come back to that part of yourself ”... Does the act of writing have an impact on your magical path, or is it your path that influences your writing? The magick and the act of writing have always worked hand in hand for me. Partly because I like to write about magick, but partly because of the process as well. I do a lot of... I don’t want to call it automatic writing... but sometimes, when you re writing ... it just... comes through. When did you start writing and what made you decide to write pagan novels? My first novel was Crow Moon. I started writing it because I was working at this children’s books charity and I was seeing all these witchy-type teenage books coming in, like Twilight... And I just thought, “wouldn’t it be cool if I could write something about the witchcraft that I know, which is quite different from all that”, so I started writing something a lot more naturebased than these novels, something very pagan. I wanted to connect witchcraft fiction with ecological issues, something I wasn’t seeing being done. I want to write about the magick I have experienced, how it feels, how it looks, how it smells. I want to write of the real people that I’ve met, the school teachers, those who

You are right. In popular fiction or cinema, the representions of magick has little to do with reality. I think the only 28

realistic film about occultism I have ever watched was “A Dark Song”. Why do you think magick gets so misrepresented ? In my experience, most big publishers are not interested in realistic depictions of magick. When it comes to occult-themed novels, your target audience is “yummy mummies” and young adults, and because the pagan readership is such a niche audience, there is a lot of commercial pressure to publish material that will meet the needs of the widest possible audience. Besides, these days, books are somewhat expected to be “moral”, to be a medium that improves the world. Films, on the other hand, do not have that moral imperative. Books are selected for big publishing on the basis of their ability to reach a wide audience, not necessarily because they are good. For a ground-breaking book to come out, these days, it generally has to be endorsed by a small publisher first, then get awards and recognition, before being bought out by a big publisher and promoted to a wider audience. Where do you get your inspiration from? My beliefs, and the importance of emotional expression and healing. I really want to help women understand that their emotions, positive and negative, are ok. Some people go through dire experiences in life and still manage to pull through. For others, simply getting up in the morning is a small victory. It’s all about resilience. We met when you had started researching your novel The Book of Babalon, the story of a modern feminist occult group led by the enigmatic Scarlet Woman. What was it like, writing a book inspired by Babalon?

write. It took about three to four years. Normally, I can write a book in three months... it was so hard to get that one right. I felt a huge pressure to do right by it. It’s a book that’s full of trauma, and I wanted to make it, from a feminist perspective, as inclusive as possible. Consider a group that’s born from second wave 70s feminism. How does it work with today’s social issues? Besides, when a powerful group of people with a spirit emphasis becomes this really big thing, then what? It is not immune to corruption or imperfection. In the book, the character of Scarlet Woman is possessed by the goddess Babalon. Is being possessed by a spiritual being necessary a good thing ? Look at people like Osho, in real life. He started with very positive, some would say utopian ideas, and he is living testimony that power corrupts. What are your favourite occult novels? My all time’s favourite is Dion’s Fortune’s

It’s the hardest book I’ve ever had to 29

The Sea Priestess. I have this rare edition I found in a charity shop as a teenager. At the time, I knew there was a lot about it that I didn’t understand, but I was absorbing it like a sponge. Her novels are a fantastic source of magical knowledge.

life. The research team, puzzled by the fact the nearby Maiden Tor shows blank on the radar, investigates the site, which is topped by a Neolithic stone circle. There, the team finds evidence of black magick rites, and decides to recruit local witches to fight the Black Circle on their own ground. Recently, I have also really enjoyed Neil Gaiman’s novels American Gods and Anansi Boys.

It’s funny, I’ve never managed to finish that one, I find her style of writing very old -fashioned.

“ ...I really like how occultism has become more inclusive these days.” ...

That’s true, but I don’t mind it. For those of your readers who are unfamiliar with it, the basic premises of the book are this... A witch character initiates a man into her practice. In this book, the woman is the initiatrice, and that was truly novel at the time. It happens that the male character has asthma, and he is ill for long periods of time, but through the priestess’s teachings, he realises that it is during those periods when he’s bed ridden that his psychic abilities are at their peak. It is a novel about a man experiencing the power of receptivity, a quality generally attributed to the female, and that’s one of the reasons why I find it so compelling. I am also a fan of Stewart Farrar, who wrote novels under the pen-name of Margot Villiers. My favourite of his is The Serpent of Lilith. It tells the tale of a bunch of white magicians infiltrating a group of black magicians who conduct rituals in a big mansion. In this book, Farrar’s vision of Lilith is very different from the way we view her today. He sees her primarily as a dark goddess energy which should be avoided. Things have changed a lot since then! Farrar also wrote the Twelve Maidens, which is his debut fiction. It takes place on the moors in Devon. (The place is probably inspired by the nine maiden stone circle outside Belstone). A group of scientist works on a project called the Biodar, a radar system that only picks animal and human

What do you like most about the occult scene at the moment? I really like how occultism has become more inclusive these days. Back in Dion Fortune’s day, polarity between male and female was all important, and she unequivocally condemned homosexuality in magical practices. We have moved a long way since then, and even though there is still much to be done, it is quite cheering. Being a bookish person, I love how these super specialist presses like Scarlet Imprint and Fulgur make those really beautiful magical books, and how popular they are. There is so much exciting new material coming out all the time. For instance, there are people like yourself and Manon Hendeborg-White who write from a feminist occult perspective. Thank you. Talking of deep changes taking place on the scene, occultist and musician Marco Visconti recently published a much-discussed post-thelemic manifesto, asserting that Thelema needs 30

to move beyond the cult of personality of Aleister Crowley. He argues that whilst his contribution to occultism cannot be minimised, some of his views are really sexist and racist by today’s standards and should be examined much more critically. He got a lot of stick for it from conservative Thelemites. What he did was brave, and that’s fair. Crowley’s contribution is never irrelevant.... but times have moved on. You could argue that, in a way, Crowley foresaw a lot of what is happening in the world at the moment. I wonder what he would think of modern women. Would he think we’re all Scarlet Women now? In the light of some of his writings, he would probably think we’ve become a bit too gobby and independent to his taste! His giant ego probably wouldn’t be able to take it. As a writer who is also a feminist, how do you feel about the state of the 21st century magickal community? Like I said, I love the move towards inclusivity. The Pagan Federation in particular is great when it comes to that. A lot of young people are vocal about it in the community, too. Now is probably the best time to be a woman, or trans or non binary, in the occult community. But I don’t think it is without its problems, either. The old-boys club is still there, with old fashioned ideas...

And the study of paganism is now being taken seriously at academic levels, not just by Ronald Hutton but with whole university departments dedicated to Western Esoteric studies. No longer are we eccentrics in robes, our practices are now deemed worthy of academic study. Indeed. One of my friends is finishing a three-year degree of study on Pamela Colman-Smith and is now working towards a PhD dedicated to the study of her work. I was thrilled. Coleman-Smith deserves a lot more attention in my eyes. What advice would you give to an aspiring young writer of pagan-inspired fiction? Do it! Just write it! But don’t forget that it’s important to hone your skills. I took creative writing classes for adults for seven years. You can incorporate your own invocations and prayers on your novels as well. Write every day, a little bit at a time, don’t pressurise yourself. Do it in little chunks. It doesn’t have to be the next big thing. It has to come from your heart. To find out more about Anna McKerrow visit: annamckerrow.com Also, find her on Amazon, Instagram and Facebook

We just have to wait for time to do its work... We live in great times. We have an incredible access to information and an unprecedented degree of connection with each other. The magical conversation has widened to include more social issues. 31

WRAP UP MOVE ON and

by author and esoteric astrologer

Bill Duvendack

With the exception of a few fast-moving

planets in Gemini, most of the zodiac activity is found in the late signs, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Uranus in Taurus is another exception, too, but it will be there for a while. As we move through the sign of Aries, some of Pisces’ placements will progress, too. This happens every year by-and-large, but this year is a little more activity in these signs than average. All told, there are six chart points in signs before the first sign of Aries and six chart points in signs from Aries forward. This means that until the Sun moves into Taurus, energetically speaking, we will have one foot in the past and one in the present. This is very liberating in that it permits us to readdress some things we might not have finished with yet, and come back to our present and future projects on our own timetable.

“ . . . energetically speaking, we will have one foot in the past and one in the present. . .”

In a lot of ways, this is a microcosmic look at a macrocosmic subject. Because of recent events such as the epidemic and significant political occurrences in various 32

countries, we can see that the macro to this situation is that most of the world is in some sort of transitional period, between the old and the new. Those of you who read the last issue’s article know that a lot of this ties into the Great Conjunction that will influence things over the next year. This point is worth knowing because it gives us context. The problem presented here is that to transcend, one must take risks and leaps of faith into the unknown, which the species has always struggled with. We can justify stepping back and looking where we have come

from late Capricorn (Pluto) to the middle of Gemini (The Moon). When you do the math, this puts the midpoint right around early Aries (At eleven degrees Aries, to be precise). There is a planet located near there, Chiron, the planet of the wound and the healer. In Aries, Chiron tells us that there is a wounded sense of being or sense of self that may be prevalent right now. If you have that placement in your natal chart, the house position tells you what that sense of being has to do with, but if you don’t, you can still learn about this by looking at the world around you.

“ . . . the environment is ripe for the visionary and progressive. . .”

There is a lot happening right now that has to do with people reclaiming their power, or people who never had their power are now finding their voice. This is the clearest example of Chiron in Aries that we from and what is left to be done because of can see because it is happening outside of what is happening astrologically. Two years ourselves, making it easier to see. There is from now will be when we can move fully another part of this, though, which is that forward. Until then, various parts of the past right now, there are a lot of wounded people will be there to be addressed. This year these out there that think they are reclaiming their subjects have to do with the mental plane power, but really, they are blinded by their and the element of air. Next year the theme privilege. While that could be an essay in will be on the emotional leftovers. The Aries ingress of 2023 will be all about new beginnings and pioneering into unknown territories. Yes, of course, we can do that before then, but it is then that the stars support us more fully. In a broad sense, this year’s theme is that of evaluating and changing social interactions and redefining one’s place within the greater planetary context and scheme of things. There is a technique in astrology called midpoints. This can be very useful for deciding how to respond to what is going on astrologically and how to develop self-empowerment. <Astrology tekkie talk here> If you look at the range of planets as of the March equinox, the range

“ . . . There is a lot happening right now that has to do with people reclaiming their power, or people who never had their power are now finding their voice . . .”

and of itself, I will not go in-depth on it here. I’m pretty sure you know what I reference. See the common theme? Wounds are coming to the surface and being exposed. 33

Some of these are new, while others are being seen for the first time.

are your plans for the year? Any of them you begin now will have the extra energy of the zodiacal year behind them, fueling You can see how this helps us at this time. your progress. What is still undone that Before we can individually and collectively needs to be taken care of before you can move on, it would be wise to do internal move forward? The Mercury retrogrades healing. The best way to perform the initial this year will happen in air signs, meaning assessment is through self-reflection, using whatever needs to be done will be brought society’s greater whole as your context. to the surface, so don’t worry if you miss Once this assessment has been done, you something now. It will be brought up to you can formulate a plan, and given what we later, whether you want it to or not. discussed before, you can see that this plan Patience is critical here, as is discipline. is partial cleanup, partial preparation, and Remember that the seeds you sow here partial implementation. Three points of a will blossom later this year, and depending trident, if you will. Because of all of this, you on how big your plans are, they may take can see how I really can’t say much more even longer to manifest, but with diligence, on this subject at this time because what I they will manifest. With the primary focus reference is highly subjective and personal. right now on Aquarius and Pisces, the environment is ripe for the visionary and Recalling the Great Conjunction, we progressive. To paraphrase Albert Einstein, can see that there is good news that goes we will not solve our problems with the along with this. This conjunction usually same thinking that was present when they smiles favorably on the people of the were created. I wonder, will we collectively time in some way or another. This doesn’t step up and actualize this? If so, it will either mean everything comes up roses, but happen this year or years from now; we will rather this underscores the power of this look back and see how critical the year 2021 time. In the tarot, the astrological sign of was. So, knowing this, where do you stand? Aquarius corresponds to Major Arcana What is your agenda? How will you use card seventeen, The Star. This card usually your healing to create positive and lasting corresponds to the stars lining up, blessings growth? And most importantly, when that is coming forth, and all things beneficial. done, how will you help others? Whenever you get frustrated, depressed, or in some other way thrown out of sorts this year, reflect on The Star. Perhaps what you are going through is a backhanded Copyright 2021 compliment. Or, what you are dealing with is what is necessary to prepare you for what Bill Duvendack 418 Ascendant LLC All Rights Reserved is to come. Regardless of how you interpret it, I am sure you see my point. Website : 418ascendent.com Even though a lot of this has to do with the Great Conjunction, there is a lot that also has to do with, well, you! Have you stopped and reassessed where you are vs. where you were a few years ago? What

Email : bill@418ascendant.com Also find Bill Duvendack on facebook and on instagram Illustration: Aries and Musca Borealis from Urania’s Mirror, or View of the Heavens, 1824, engraved by Sidney Hall

Professional Drone Footage and Videos deltoidmedia@gmail.com

Scene from the THE INFERNAL THEATRE One of the fiendishly good pre-pandemic phenomenons that can’t wait to get back on stage and entertain you. Main Picture: Kayleigh Marchant of The Dolmen performs The Old Yew Tree under the watchful eye of Victor Vassago. Right: The Sensational Infernals play Glastonbury.

INFERNALLY YOURS . . . Two new and exciting happenings that emerged from the enigmatic Castle of Concepts just before these recent crazy times began, were THE SENSATIONAL INFERNALS and THE INFERNAL THEATRE. Both are inextricably linked, not only by their dark origins, but by their devilishly sinister vitality. As the world re-opens, they have lost none of their creativity and

hunger to perform for their audiences once more. THE SENSATIONAL INFERNALS, band members, Steve Cove on double bass, Connach Jameson on lead guitar and Papa Legba on drums, are led by the raucously energetic frontman Lou Cipher (Ren Lawson) and are powered by an energy plucked somewhere out of a time when music was wild and raw, when cool dudes and sultry dames stepped lightly on the dance floor and prohibition fuelled

a gangland economy. The Sensational Infernals bring Film Noir into the 21st Century, and no damn pandemic can stop them. Like them on facebook to be first to find out their latest news and the release of their forthcoming debut album. THE INFERNAL THEATRE similarly exudes a powerful magick; deeply psychical and subversive. The Theatre is led by the minacious impresario Victor Vassago, who has spent lifetimes walking through time and space. Imprisoned on earth and numbed by the horrors of eternal existence, he is demonically compelled to hunt for lost souls that he then binds to him to perform on his stage, not only for a horrified yet fascinated audience, but for his own savage delight. This growing array of tragic creatures under his spell played live to packed Clan Dolmen audiences throughout the summer of 2019 and the season culminated in two full public stage

performances, showing to a full house at The Royal Manor Theatre, Portland, a building which itself is possessed of an ominous and haunting presence. Pivotal to each of the cameo performances that form the show, are the extraordinary pieces of music, which were deliberately constructed to conjure spirits

and open channels within the listener to receive them, and there are many testimonies as to their success in facilitating contact with entities of other realms. The music is both written and composed by Taloch Jameson of The Dolmen, Vassago’s alter ego, and who coincidentally—or not— was born in a storm in a house just opposite the Royal Manor Theatre building. As for Victor Vassago, over the months since we last saw him, considering he is immortal as well as highly immoral, it is extremely unlikely that he has ceased in his quest to gather mortals for his collection. Quite the contrary, we have all been very conveniently confined, and Victor, just as he promised in his final words on the closing night of that last performance, has been busy attending your dreams, for he has far from finished his work. Sem Vine

Above : Pia Sofie Bartmann performing ‘Suddenly’ on The Royal Manor Theatre stage Top Left : Theatre Impresario Victor Vassago. Below Left : Victor and his Twins of Fate, played by Louise and Marjolein Schouten

The Infernal Theatre full sound track is available on CD Baby and from thedolmen.com

YOUNG READERS

POSTBOX This page is an invitation from The Chronicles to our readers to join in and send us short ‘letters’ (up to 250 words) that we can publish in our issues. These ‘letters’ may be hopes, charms, wishes, recipies, gardening tips, blessings, seasonal or otherwise, things that have moved you, have made you happy, things that have amazed you and things that have brightened your day. Maybe you’re good at cartoons and want to share them for a smile. Maybe you’ve been handfasted or just had a new baby born to the family , or something really great has happened and you would like to share the news. All ideas are welcome!

Send in pictures, as long as they are yours and understand that by sending them to us, you’re happy for us to include them. (Letters may be subject to editing)

Email to Sem Vine, Editor, at clandolmen@gmail.com

Would you like to write longer articles?

If you would like to write and contribute articles to Clan Dolmen Chronicles, for more information on how to submit. please contact us on the above email address Please participate in accordance with the Clan Dolmen ethos of mutual respect for one another’s path and individuality. Please note, if we have a lot of submissions, we may not have space for your contribution, but it can be saved for the following issue. We walk in peace. 43

TALOCH’S KITCHEN WONDERS

CLASSIC CUISINE WITH A TALOCH TWIST

TALOCH’S RECIPE FOR

Pâtes avec Boeuf Haché avec des Tomates et les Champignons au Beurre . . . (not spag bol . . ) INGREDIENTS: Carton of Passata Tin of Tomatoes 2 Beef Stock Cubes I Vegetable stock cube

Butter Olive Oil Salt and Pepper Turmeric Cumin Chilli Powder A Handful of Sugar

Medium Onion, finely chopped Four Medium Carrots, also finely chopped 1 Large Garlic Bulb 1lb Lean Minced Beef

Pack of Spaghetti Water 44

Empty the passata and tinned tomatoes into a large saucepan Turn on the heat. TOP TALOCH TIP: Crumble in all of the stock cubes, add two finely chopped cloves of garlic and add the chopped carrots. Stir frequently.

Meanwhile, the saucepan of water should now be boiling, and ready for the spaghetti. TOP TALOCH TIP: I like to snap my spaghetti in half before putting in the water.

When the mince is good and brown and Heat a large frying pan. cooked, stir in to the tomato mix, and let When it’s hot, add a large chunk of butter, it continue to simmer, stir occasionally so two crushed cloves of garlic and the that nothing gets burned to the bottom of chopped onion. the pan, keeping an eye on the spaghetti and mushrooms. Add generous amounts of cumin, chilli TOP TALOCH TIP: At this point, add a powder, turmeric and some salt into both handfull of sugar to the mince and stir in the frying pan and the tomato mix in the well. saucepan. When the spaghetti is soft – but not too When both pans start to bubble, turn the soft – drain away the water thoroughly heat down and let simmer. through a colander. TOP TALOCH TIP: While the spaghetti Fill another large saucepan and fill with is draining in the colander, melt a chunk water. Bring to the boil ready for your of butter in the pan it was cooked in. spaghetti. Add salt, a crushed clove of Then add the spaghetti back into the pan garlic. and gently stir so that all the spaghetti is TOP TALOCH TIP: Add olive oil to the covered in the melted butter. water. It stops the spaghetti being sticky. By now the mushrooms should be Add olive oil to your frying pan. When cooked, the mince nicely done and your your onions are soft and cooked through, meal is ready to dish up! pick out the garlic cloves and add in your mince. Stir in well to blend in the flavours. Stir often so that everything A step-by-step video guide to this cooks evenly. recipe, which includes a Taloch TOP TALOCH TIP: Mushrooms . . . Not everyone likes mushrooms, so I cook them separately. Place a generous chunk of butter and some crushed garlic in a frying pan. When the pan is hot, add the mushrooms. Stir this often too.

Special Side Dish not mentioned here, is available on THE DOLMEN CHANNEL on YouTube. To catch up with more of Taloch’s Twists on classic dishes, all presented by the man himself, tune into THE DOLMEN CHANNEL on YouTube.

Lockdown or no lockdown, it makes little difference to UK Goth band, Connach. They’ve been far too busy in the studio rehearsing for their live stream performances to notice. The duo, led by singer/ songwriter and lead guitarist, Connach Jameson, with Lena M Paak on bass and vocals, are quickly filling their maturely constructed coffers with a sophisticated catalogue of songs. While these songs are delightfully as well as hauntingly infused with musical energies that existed long before their time, Connach clearly have a unique and distinct identity that is very much their own, right here at the birth the 21st Century. Of course, with such a verve to produce and perform music, the pair have not only been playing live to attentive and intrigued audiences, but they have also been busy recording tracks for their debut album, due out soon. The track ‘Prophecy’ is already available on Amazon Music and Spotify. So, after some substantial beginnings deep in Pandemia, when the world opens up again, Connach will be there, centre stage, poised to entertain, charm and astound you.

Sem Vine

Connach Merch andise connach.com

Connach’s Single ‘Prophecy’ Amazon Music & Spotify connach.com connachofficial@gmail.com 07899 812919 connachofficial@gmail.com

YOUNG WRITERS

Živa

Embodying the Goddess of Creation Eva-Živa Blažková

create share nourish

“Art is Medicine for our souls. Art is human communication with the Divine.”

Embodying the Goddesss of Creation

‘I was born premature, 28 weeks into

my mother’s pregnancy. At the time, the doctors weren’t sure if they would manage to keep me alive, therefore my mother decided to give me name Eva, which means alive in Hebrew. Later, I found out that the old Slavic form of Eva was Živa. The Czech word, živá, also means alive. Živa was greatly worshipped by the old Slavic people as the Goddess of Fertility and Crops, but Christianity took over, cursing Eva/Eve/ Živa for the ‘first sin’, a damnation to be inherited by all women. What a different story of womanhood! Growing up, I could feel the guilt baggage of my name. The true power within it stayed hidden for a long time. As a highly sensitive child, for as long as I remember, I was already struggling with a guilt of being different. I had an enormous fear of talking to people and socialising in general. The safest place was my inner world. Luckily I

Eva-Živa Blažková

Czech born artist Eva-Živa Blažková describes the childhood journey that led her from ‘Eva’s Guilt’ to the creative fertility of Živa, how realising that the Christian weight attached to her name could be reversed, allowing her to embody the ancient Slavic Goddess of Creation, and to let the authentic feminine aspects of her being flow into the imagery she creates.

Sexual Power of Woman . Eva-Živa Blažková 54

Cured Female Bloodline . Eva-Živa Blažková

had two very strong allies - my creativity and my connection to nature.

importance for me. Different branches on my favourite trees I called like parts of the house - there was a livingroom on my tree, balcony, kitchen and bedroom. Climbing trees (and later mountains) was one of my biggest joys. Sitting up high in their branches gave me a safe distance from the world that I loved observing, but struggled to be part of, and in terms that were known to me at that time.

“. . . Luckily I had two very strong allies - my creativity and my connection to nature. . .” Nature was the safest place to be, where I felt free to be myself. In fact, I felt truly powerful there, unlike in the reality of my town. I remember knowing everything was alive in nature. It was like a giant being made from thousands of parts that were sort of individual beings, but at the same time part of the Great One. Each stream, rock or tree had its own way of communication with me, which felt more comfortable than speaking to people. I gave ‘my places’ nature names, especially trees that had a great

My first poems were about nature, celebrating its magic and beauty. Written words gave me the possibility to reflect on my way of experiencing the world and share it. They also gave me a valuable identity in the outer world, as I was soon recognised as a child and student who was talented in writing and painting. However, I didn’t quite know how to turn it into a proper profession. Could I make my living from poetry? Probably not. I thought about 55

Connectedness Eva-Živa Blažková

screenwriting, but later, when studying humanities, I seriously considered becoming a socio-cultural anthropologist and went quite far along that journey. I loved that field, but felt very ‘stuck’ in my brain and the whole rational world. I knew there is so much more mystery in the world that is not accessible that way.

life through my artwork and my living. I am translating these messages into my paintings and poems. The Feminine Way of Creation: the ways in which Živa manifests in the world.

Creativity that comes from embodying Živa is very different from what I call It took leaving my home country, the ‘western high art’. It is an essence of Czechia, and starting a new life on a every woman, but it could be expressed in different continent – Australia - to very different ways: creating a child, clay incorporate the vital parts of my child self in sculpture, nurturing a garden or cooking my adult self. I had to leave many aspects of a meal. It is completely free from any rules Eva behind and slowly replace her with Živa, except following one’s intuition. It is focused who is archetypally ‘Earthwoman’, Mother on the process rather than result and the and Creatrix for me. Through getting to process itself could bring healing, or at least know her, I uncovered my authentic life deeper awareness of self. mission: create, share, nourish. “The creatrix (..) is a dedicated shaper of consciousness and energy, a culture weaver, a dreamer and midwife of new worlds. She is an asker of uncomfortable questions and liver of taboos in a world that expects conformity. She is aswerable to her own intuition and sense of autheticity, and the Work itself. She follows the call of her soul above the demands of the world. She knows herself more deeply and sees herself more clearly through the work.” Lucy H. Pearce, Creatrix: She Who Makes, p55 Coming back to the Earth and creating a deep bond with it was the crucial step for me. I have realised that my need for spirituality has to come from the Earth and my body rather than trying to separate from it. The needs, desires or even weaknesses of our bodies are precious portals to the soul. Hearing and healing what needs to be healed, not suppressing it. I believe that the human body is sacred. It Sadly, history - ‘his-story’ - is crowded is our very own temple. And so is the Earth with male-artists. Can we really believe that itself! Pagans and tribal cultures across the women didn’t have anything to offer on the globe were aware of it. Sadly, this wisdom altar of creativity? I don’t. In my opinion, has been brutally suppressed. I feel like my it is quite likely the opposite! Women are life mission is to bring this wisdom back to

“ . . . I had to leave many aspects of Eva behind and slowly replace her with Živa, who is archetypally ‘Earthwoman’, Mother and Creatrix for me. . .”

“. . . It is completely free from any rules except following one’s intuition. .”

“. . . The most authentic creation comes from the body, and through it we can channel the divine energy. . .”

much closer to creativity thanks to the nature of their very bodies, bodies that are made to create. But history gave them little space or respect for their ways of creating as they didn’t (and often couldn’t!) follow the rules of the presiding world of the male masters of arts. It wasn’t until the last century that the possibility for an academic career opened up for them. But even with that option now more open, I still wonder: is it that we still need to prove our qualities through going the same pathways first? Do we really need to learn how to create? And do we need to do this by following what essentially remains a male structured society? Surely, the ‘man way’ could be represented by woman too, and on the other hand, the feminine way of creation could be performed by a man. In my mind are the two principle types of art distinguished by Nietzsche: Apollo’s art (rational) and Dionysus’s art (ecstatic, coming from body)*. These forms wrestle within us, male or female; the heart and the mind. The most authentic creation comes from the body, and through it we can channel the divine energy. The divine is inseparable from ‘the dirty’. Our brains are far too limited to capture what lies beyond - be it subconsciousness or the higher self. Art as Medicine

galleries? I think the main purpose of art is healing. The creatrix/creator is healed while creating, the audience is healed with its authentic story, the planet is healed with its energy. To heal, artwork has to be accessible and understandable for more than a narrow circle of people educated in ‘high art’. High art has its space, but it does not offer the full picture of what art is! Shamans knew better its value than curators or owners of auction halls. Art is Medicine for our souls. Art is human communication with the Divine. “The picture is a spontaneus emergence from another realm, which carries messages for people operating in the sphere of human reason and psychological system.”

Shaun McNiff , Art As Medicine, p.76

There are many connections between socalled feminine spirituality and feminine ways of creation (please know I don’t refer here to the gender but rather to the particular ways of experience that are found by both sexes). It comes through the body rather than mind. The highest aim is not to master something (like technique) or build a status (artist/master/genius) but to experience of creation/spirituality itself. That leaves the ego aside and helps to truly inhabit the present moment.

Creating is not only about creating art. It is about the possibilities of presenting it and using it too. Just think of who has actually enough money to buy the so-called masters. Consider which kind of paintings make their way to the established galleries. What a niche that world is! How exclusive! Yes it still has a power to reflect the life experience of its creator and reflect society in many cases. But isn’t there something else more important? How could art serve the world better than being admired and analysed in

Eva-Živa Blažková 58

Živa is a mother and self-taught artist with a base in socio-cultural anthropology. She combines her poetic writing with fine art and often adds to it movement. She also models for nature photographers, such as Mistr Vávra (see cover and illustrating Scott Irvine’s article ‘Spring Balance). Živa’s artwork heals, honours and celebrates womanhood. She is deeply interested in native cultures, mythologies and archetypes. Neverthless, most of her inspiration comes from deeply within. For Živa, to create is to reach above the boundaries of the rational mind and experience the higher self. The creative process also enables her to enter the realm of the subconscious, where she discovers old collective wounds as well as ancient wisdom. Through artistic expression, she is able to see it and work with it. Currently, Živa lives with her husband, son and two housemates in Bristol, UK. However her nature-loving soul pulls her out of the city back to the countryside of Czechia, where she is originally from. She is on the way to make her dream come true, to be living on the land of Moravian mountains in a place called Jeseníky.

If you would like to connect with Živa, Please visit zivazena.eu etsy: CreateShareNourish blog: blogen.zivazena.eu instagram: ziva.zena FB: Živa Žena

“The Twilight Of Creation” captures the spiritual journey from which the Crow Dancers resonate in this beautiful crazy upside down world. Music is food for the soul and enables emotions to flow freely whether it invokes tears or laughter some good will come of it. Tribal drums, chanting vocals and the spirits of the sacred return to the open armed and kindred souls. As you believe in Magick so Magick will believe in you. Make each day part of your sacred journey. Taloch

ART : Clan Dolmen Chronicles

A familiar face at so many Clan

Dolmen events over the years has been that of Duncan Knifton. His cheerful smile and quiet nature is always a warming and welcome presence, and, for those who know him, in more ways than one! For beneath that modest demeanour lies not only a man with the powers of an alchemist regarding certain extraordinary alcoholic inventions, but the heart of an artist. Generous to a fault, Duncan has, over the years and under the guise of Cronas, chronicled so many of the weird and wonderful events held by the Clan, and instilled us all with wonder through his portraiture, landscape and documentary photography. So professionally elusive is he in his work that often his subjects are completely unaware that he has

Clan Dolmen at Stonehenge

even been there until the results are revealed, free and available, a few days later. So it it seemed appropriate, particularly at this time when camps and festivals may still only be a distant dream, that some wonderful examples of Duncan’s work should be showcased here, to remind us of the great days that have been, and that more are yet to come. Believe me, it was not at all easy to select these images from the many there are to view. In each of them we share his pleasure, his wonder, his awe and, of course, his artist’s eye for things that may otherwise have passed us by. With all our hearts, thank you, Duncan, for being you. 63

Sem Vine

The CLAN DOLMEN DRUMMERS: Tribal Dreams Camp Ritual 2019 Lead by (left to right) Ben ‘Nato’ Kershaw, Chris Harris of The Dolmen, Rik Kiddle

So many familiar faces! Clan Dolmen Camp : Free Spirits 2019

Taloch Jameson: Frontman of The Dolmen

Young Connach Jameson: Tribal Dreams Camp 2019 (Connach now leads his own band ‘Connach’, as well as playing with ‘The Sensational Infernals’. Find both Connach and The Sensational Infernals on facebook and instagram)

Sunrise: Stonehenge

CLAN DOLMEN CAMP: The legendary Clan Dolmen camp fires burn into the small hours.

Defoe Smit: frontman of The Boarding Crew

Locdown Fever: humorous outlook on isolation times. We know it well!

Self-portrait : Duncan Knifton

TO ENJOY MORE SAMPLES OF DUNCAN’S PORTFOLIO, TO FIND OUT MORE AND/OR TO BOOK HIM FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY, VISIT dkphotography.org.uk Also find him on facebook at facebook.com/cronas

JASMINE

ART : Clan Dolmen Chronicles

KING

ARTIST

Jasmine King is a super talented artist who, along with her

lovely mum, Hazel, and younger sister, Heather is a regular camper, through fair weather and foul, at Clan camps. Her beautiful drawings, their breathtaking intricacy and confident design, have amazed us all for a long time. For this issue, we just had to find out more about her work, her influences and inspirations. She is a qualified animator, yet her enthusiasm for ancient cultures has spurred her into improving her illustration skills and bring old symbolism to modern mediums. Jasmine has told us that a majority of her inspiration comes from nature itself and historical resources. She actively looks beyond other artists’ interpretations of the Celtic peoples to find raw resources within Iron Age Europe. The main sources for her art came from Insular Celtic/Anglo-Saxon manuscripts and the carvings of Nordic Stave Churches and jewellery. It was the blending of dragons and plants that particularly caught her interest and she finds it helps her sit in the shoes of those who made them in the past. When relying purely in her imagination, she uses folklore and oral traditions to influence other pieces of art. Recently surviving Palaeolithic cultures has introduced more concepts to Jasmine leading her to gain a qualification in Natural History Illustration (University of Newcastle, Australia) and she has started exploring the blend of wildlife, ‘zentangle’ and practicing cultural appreciation. Her beautiful drawings certainly invoke a sense of wonder and pleasure, and also elicit a sense of timelessness, infused with the heady influences of ancient mythology, legend and design. Her love of nature, as well as of people, shines through them. We thought you’d all enjoy a collection of just a few of her stunning pieces. Enjoy! LEFT: Teague Fagan : Jasmine King 71

Voice of the Ancients : Jasmine King

Listening in the Darkness : Jasmine King

Sacred Stag: Jasmine King

Celtic Serpent : Jasmine King

JASMINE KING is an English-born heathen, resident in the Celtic nation of Wales, who since a young age, was heavily inspired by the sea and the ancient yew tree woodlands of Kingley Vale. She regularly studies the Neolithic and IndoEuropean cultures of Britain and Europe to better guide the symbolism and influence in her art.

ABOVE : Jasmine King BELOW: Some familiar faces! (from left: Heather, Jasmine and Hazel)

Traditional ink and pencil are Jasmine’s preferred choice of art form, seeing the free-hand method as a way of capturing the unique spirit of expression while allowing great detail to be explored without restraint. Favourite artists include Brian Froud and John Bauer, whose fantastical concepts of folk tales continue to widen Jasmine’s imagination to this day. While she studies magical elements to spirituality, she remains grounded in her deep love for the world around her in an animistic context; that we are all made of the same blood and bone as the Earth herself and thus must remain students to her lessons throughout our lives.

Contact: Email: jasminelking@outlook.com Website: jasmineking.wales 75

YOUNG WRITERS

A Good Read

CLAN

DOLMEN

CHRONICLES Spring Issue . May 2021

Through a troubled year, the international community that is Clan Dolmen has remained united as ever, thanks, not only to its vitality, but to its ability to adapt and to work with the means at hand. Individual paths may vary; practice may be solitary or within a circle. In honouring those differences the Clan continues to unite in peace. Once again the Clan Dolmen Chronicles team would like to thank our regular contributors, and welcome with open arms those who are new. Many thanks, too, to our regular readers as well as to those who are enjoying what it has to offer for the first time. Readers and writers are an indelible partnership. So, onwards into the season of light, rebirth and growth. We keep those camp fires burning!

Original Cover Photo : Mistr Vávra Model : Eva-Živa Blažková Clan Dolmen Chronicles Editor and Graphics Sem Vine

Sem Vine : Editor

Unless otherwise stated all other images are owned by the authors or from the public domain. 78

CLAN DOLMEN CONTACTS WEBSITES clandolmen.com dolmengrove.co.uk FIND US ON FACEBOOK CLAN DOLMEN CLAN DOLMEN INTERNATIONAL CLAN DOLMEN CHRONICLES Also on Facebook NATIONAL MOOTS Clan Dolmen Weymouth Clan Dolmen Portland Clan Dolmen Hampshire Clan Dolmen Isle of Wight Clan Dolmen Cornwall EMAIL: DIANE NARRAWAY ARLAHES OF CLAN DOLMEN clandolmen@gmail.com OR SEM VINE EDITOR CLAN DOLMEN CHRONICLES clandolmen@gmail.com

Above : Taloch’s Fivefold Ethos

CLAN DOLMEN is part of the Pagan and Heathen Symposium pagansymposium.org 79