The Winter Solstice is again upon we denizens of the Northern Hemisphere. Nature’s might is awesome, always to be respected, and as our days at last begin to lengthen, the gelid outdoors contrast with our cozy indoor spaces here at The Black House in the Haunted Hudson Valley.
In April of 1974, Isao Tomita released his album SNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING, which consisted of his arrangements of music by Claude Debussy for a Moog synthesizer and a Mellotron. Tomita’s sweeping, fanciful soundscapes captured a lush beauty that few expected could come from electronically generated sounds. The title work is a splendid means to aurally prepare for the upcoming Winter weather, and the still glories that can be wrought by Nature in her chill majesty. Follow this link to listen on YouTube.
If you have the time and inclination, here’s a link to the full album which I think is well worth the while of anyone who appreciates musical excellence.
From our Victorian lair, Peggy and I bid a “Superlative Solstice!” to Satanists, fellow secularists, and to all around the globe who revere our Earth, who embrace science and reason, and who celebrate the myriad joys that life can offer. In the immensity of the frigid universe, we are ephemeral beings. We choose to cherish what we are, what we think and feel, and what we accomplish, for these are sparks, briefly flaring, in an infinite, indifferent vastness.
May this be, for all of you, a time for deep awareness as well as celebration of the preciousness of life! May vitality be yours and, as you can, do make merry—con brio!
—Magus Peter H. Gilmore