#lunar black metal

[monumental-darkness]

[strixessabre]

My sale continues on. I have a rare chance to get embroidery as well! Go treat yourself to all the neat things this little owl shop offers!

Use the code GREENKNIGHT at checkout

( Strixes' Sabre )

[blutmond-archives]

Lunar Aurora

[portrait-of-the-jaded-dawn]

Alright, I finally got around to making my top 100 releases of 2023 list. Top 5 or so is definitive. The order gets more and more loose as the list goes on (if you swap placement 90 with 86, it ain't changing much for me). Mostly death and black metal, but a few non-metal releases trickled in here.

[theartofmetal]

245. Demise of Heaven - Lunar Spells (Black Metal, 2022)

Art by Antonis Vailas / Mars Triumph

[identifyingmetalbandsinposts]

Logo of the Day

Lunar Spells

Raw Black Metal

[albumarchives]

Lunar Spells | Medieval Shadows from an Ancient Netherworld (2020)

[drondskaath]

Valdrin | Throne of the Lunar Soul | 24th November, 2023

American Melodic Black Metal

Artwork by Lucas Ruggieri

[gbhbl]

Album Review: Lunar Spells - Sacraments of Necromantical Empires (Northern Silence Productions)

An icy blast from the past, with the production to boot, Lunar Spells are the epitome of black metal as it once was, and continues to be, to some degree.

Formed in Athens in 2020, Lunar Spells delves deep into the essence of ‘old school’ Scandinavian black metal, both musically and lyrically, with themes revolving around darkness, depression, misanthropy, and hate. Their album ‘Sacraments of Necromantical Empires’ continues this tradition and will be released on March 1st, 2024, via Northern Silence Productions. An icy blast from the past, with…

[monumental-darkness]

[danzameccanica]

Quando nel 2004 uscì Elixir of Sorrow tutti rimanemmo estasiati pur non conoscendo i Lunar Aurora né capendo da quale intercapedine dell’underground potevano essere emersi. Intanto perché in quegli anni proporre questo tipo di black metal con le tastiere era quasi impossibile senza essere tacciato come venduto o poser. In quegli anni la scuola minimalista svedese stava andando per la maggiore assieme a tantissime band che replicavano la formula dei Darkthrone, esclusivamente senza synth. I dischi dei Lunar Aurora, soprattutto prima di Elixir of Sorrow hanno ovviamente una grandissima componente emperoriana; poi ce ne si può aggiungere un po’ dai Limbonic Art ma senza eccessive velocità marziali; qualcos’altro si può trovare negli Abigor e nei Summoning.

Ma la cosa che si percepisce benissimo è la classe: un’abilità compositiva davvero incredibile che fa scegliere ai chitarristi i riff giusti, le accelerazioni giuste e i synth giusti per descrivere un mondo notturno, non calato in qualche preciso contesto storico, che però è evocativo e a volte fa paura. Le melodie si sovrappongono in lunghe canzoni malinconiche, dove talvolta i synth tracciano linee nel cosmo e le urla sono sempre mefistofeliche e maligne. La produzione riesce sempre a rimanere un piede sopra lo scarno e l’essenziale: poco più sopra, il tanto che basta per far emergere i synth dalle cupe atmosfere che a volte enfatizzano i riff di chitarra, a volte sono un semplice collante fra gli strumenti, mentre a volte (e sottolineerei, nelle volte giuste) riescono a far impennare il brano. È impossibile dire come, quando e perché ma "Zorn Aus Äonen" ad esempio ha questi picchi di cupa meraviglia sul finale, dopo che gli strati sonori si sono impressi nella nostra mente. Con "Augenblick" non c’è nessun calo benché sia un brano in mid-tempo incalzante e "Kerkeseele" mostra ancora più spettralità grazie alle interruzioni di brano, alle parti sussurrate, all’andamento che il disco acquisisce nella sua teatralità, pur senza accenno di barocchismo.

Quando spunta il pianoforte possiamo anche riascoltare i bellissimi fasti del debutto dei Cradle of Filth. L’album tocca il suo picco più alto con "Hier und Jetzt", una lunga suite dove la stessa melodia si ripete in circolo ogni volta arricchita da qualche arpeggio. Atmosfera e malinconia delineano con questo brano il ritratto più convincente dei Lunar Aurora; nessuna frazione del brano è composta casualmente e tutte le parti trovano un accordo fra loro e all’interno del disco; il songwriting riesce a mandare in trance l’ascoltatore nonostante la batteria cerchi di distogliere qualsiasi riferimento ad ogni viaggio interiore. L’anno 2004 coincide con il loro punto più prolifico, dato che rilasceranno anche il successivo Zyklus e il pazzesco split coi cugini Paysage d’Hiver. Inoltre dal 2014 questo album è disponibile in versione rimasterizzata ed espansa, con un bonus CD che include tracce scartate sempre dalla qualità altissima. I Lunar Aurora sono riusciti a descrivere un paesaggio notturno della Mitteleuropa dove magia, folklore e superstizione si incontrano, lasciando ad altri colleghi il compito di ritrarre montagne innevate e boschi sperduti. Queste diverse correnti che appartengono allo stesso spazio e allo stesso luogo si sentono perfettamente in "A Haudiga Fluag", dove la produzione di Elixir of Sorrow scende più in basso rispetto a quella linea di essenzialità che avevamo detto sopra, per cedere il testimone del racconto ai Paysage d’Hiver. Ma questa è appunto un’altra storia.

[intoabsentia]

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"𝔜𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔡 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔟𝔲𝔯𝔫𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱

𝔒𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔢 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔱 𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱

𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔥𝔢𝔩𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔢𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔰, 𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔠𝔦𝔬𝔲𝔰 𝔣𝔞𝔱𝔢

𝔅𝔲𝔱 𝔫𝔬𝔴 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔶'𝔩𝔩 𝔡𝔯𝔬𝔴𝔫 𝔦𝔫 𝔰𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢"

-𝔗𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔢 𝔚𝔥𝔬 𝔏𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔱 𝔑𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱; 𝔪𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔩𝔶𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔰 𝔟𝔶 𝔐𝔦𝔡𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔒𝔡𝔶𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔶

----

*𝔓𝔢𝔯𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔞𝔩 𝔳𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔬 ℑ 𝔱𝔬𝔬𝔨 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔬𝔫 𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔞𝔟𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔚𝔞𝔰𝔞𝔱𝔠𝔥 𝔐𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔦𝔫𝔰 𝔦𝔫 𝔖𝔞𝔩𝔱 𝔏𝔞𝔨𝔢 ℭ𝔦𝔱𝔶, 𝔘𝔱𝔞𝔥*

[herballwitch]

Altars For The Greek Gods

Hello, My name is Alva Tauri! I am an herbalist, spirit worker, tarot and oracle reader, and lunar and herbal witch dedicated to closing the education gap when it comes to herbalism and witch practices!

Today, I wanted to talk about ways in which I connect with the Gods and deities I worship in my life via my altar, as well as some of those Greek gods that I do not have a direct connection with to help those who are just starting!

NOTE: I did already say this above but I am going to say it again, I only work with (as far as Greek gods go) Hades, Apollo, and Dionysus. However, I have been working with spirits, Gods, and deities for nine years now, so the information found in this post will be a compilation of everything I have learned in those nine years from my own experiences and the experiences of friends. If you have any information you feel should be added to this post please feel free to message me!

With that being said, let's get into altar work with Greek gods...

ARES

Ares is the God of war and the spirit of battle and was typically associated with:

ANIMALS: eagle owl, barn owl, poisonous snakes, boar, vulture

COLORS: red and purple

CRYSTALS: bloodstone, garnet, red jasper, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, hematite, metals, obsidian, carnelian

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): spicy things, chocolate, basil, cinnamon, weapons

ARTEMIS

Artemis was the goddess of chastity, hunting, and the moon. She is often associated with:

ANIMALS: deer, wolf, wild boar, hunting dogs

COLORS: white, blue, black, brown and green

CRYSTALS: morganite, moonstone, celestite, moss/tree agate, amethyst

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): anything moon shaped, frankincense, cypress, mugwort, amaranth

APHRODITE

Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty. She is typically associate with:

ANIMALS: swan, dove, sparrow

COLORS: red and pink for love/sexuality. white and blue, and gold.

CRYSTALS: rose quartz, pearl, opal, aquamarine, rhodonite, ocean jasper, moonstone

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): roses, chocolate, shells, myrrh, gold

APOLLO

Apollo is the God of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases and, mostly commonly known as, the God of the Sun. He is commonly associated with:

ANIMALS: deer, hawk, crow/raven, cicada, swan, bees, wolf, fox

COLORS: yellow, white, red, orange. purple and green for the Oracle.

CRYSTALS: sunstone, amber, calcite (specifically honey and yellow), citrine, sapphire

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): sun shaped anything, bay leaves, laurel, cypress, playing music (especially the lyre), poetry

ATHENA

Athena was the goddess of wisdom, war, and the crafts and is normally associated with:

ANIMALS: snakes and owls

COLORS: white, grey/silver, red

CRYSTALS: metals, celestite, fluorite, bloodstone, obsidian, iolite, azurite, and lapis lazuli

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): anything to do with olives, snake shed, cedar, cypress, cinnamon, weapons

DEMETER

Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, grains, and agriculture. She is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: serpent, farm animals (especially pig), lizards, turtle-dove, crane, owl

COLORS: green, brown, yellow, and black

CRYSTALS: jade, tree/moss agate, carnelian, amber, aventurine, rutilated quartz, pyrope, and almandine

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): oats and grain, anything baked, flowers, spices (like cinnamon or cloves, allspice is good too), leaves that have begun to change colors for fall, mint, poppy

DIONYSUS

Dionysus is the God of wine, pleasure, and festivity and he is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: panther/leopard, tiger, bull, serpent

COLORS: purple and green for association with grapes/wine, leopard/tiger print for his holy animals

CRYSTALS: amethyst is largely associated with Dionysus, as well as grape agate, garnet, and rose or rutilated quartz

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): grapes (or any derivative), alcohol, cinnamon, ivy, pinecones, playing music, partying, sex/masturbation

HADES

Hades is the God of the underworld. However, Hades also rules over wealth and finances. He is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: naturally, dogs are frequently associated with Hades, as well as owls, sheep, and cattle

COLORS: black, red, and white are typically used in association with death. purple and metallics are used in association with riches/wealth

CRYSTALS: hematite, onyx, black crystals (like obsidian), jet

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): narcissus, mint, asphodel, white poplar, pomegranate, coffee, cinnamon, elm, money, chocolate, keys, shells

HEPHAESTUS

Hephaestus is the Greek god of fire, volcanoes, blacksmithing, and metalworking. He is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: donkey, dog, crane

COLORS: red, orange, and yellow, metallics.

CRYSTALS: metals, fire opal, honey calcite, smoky quartz, black quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, chloritized quartz, and rutilated quartz

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): spicy things, hot beverages, anything handmade (especially if made by you), dragon's blood incense, seashells, anything on fire

HERA

Hera is the goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth and is frequently associated with:

ANIMALS: peacock, cuckoo, cow

COLORS: red, pink and white for association with love and marriage. gold because she's the Queen of the Gods.

CRYSTALS: pearls, diamonds, topaz, opal, moonstone, malachite, tourmalinated quartz

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS: iris, rose, patchouli, coconut, cypress, maple, peacock feathers, pomegranate

HERMES

Hermes is the messenger of the gods and the mediator between the realm of the dead and the kingdom of the living. He is commonly associated with:

ANIMALS: tortoise, ram, goat, hawk, pig

COLORS: green, red, gold, white and brown

CRYSTALS: theres actually not a lot of evidance that crystals and stones were used in the past for altar work for Hermes. however citrine, alexandrite, and tigers eye are used frequently today

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): money, crocus/saffron, strawberries

HESTIA

Hestia is the goddess of the hearth, home, and hospitality. She is normally associated with:

ANIMALS: donkey, pig, crane, cow

COLORS: red, orange, and yellow, brown or white

CRYSTALS: amber, jade, red garnet, ruby, sunstone, amethyst, honey calcite

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): tea/coffee (drink with her), pine, bread, cider, apples, anything on fire, cinnamon, anything that feels like home to you

PERSEPHONE

Persephone is the goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld in ancient Greek religion and myth and is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: deer and ram

COLORS: purple, pink, yellow, green - any spring colors. (Hades colors can be used as well)

CRYSTALS: the garnet is the most commonly associated with Persephone, but amethyst, moss/tree agate, milk quartz, and jade can also be used

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): pomegranate, flowers, grains, lavender, rosemary, Spring

POSEIDEN

Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes, horses, and water. He is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: horse, bull, dolphin, hippocampus

COLORS: blue and white, gray, brown and green

CRYSTALS: coral, opal (especially water opal), blue calcite, aquamarine

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): coffee, mint, ocean water, salt, seashells

ZEUS

Zeus is the god of the sky and is considered the ruler, protector, and father of all gods and humans. He is typically associated with:

ANIMALS: eagle, bull

COLORS: white, blue, gold, grey, yellow and black

CRYSTALS: opals are said to have come from Zeus' tears of joy after defeating the Titans, so they are heavily linked to Zeus. diamonds, gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli, celestite, iron/steel, any quartz

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS (good for offerings): rain water, oak, olives/olive branches/olive leaves, vervain. images of himself or anything with lightning bolts or shaped like a lighting bolt

That's all for altar connections with Greek Gods! I hope that you found this helpful in your spiritual journey and I hope that you are able to apply this information to your practice.

if you have any questions regarding anything discussed here or anything you feel that I have missed, please send an ask to my ask box! I appreciate all comments and questions!

For more information on my practice, witchcraft, herbalism, spirit work, and divination please check out the guide on my page (linked here)! Everything I have ever posted can be found there!

I wish you all a blessed day filled with peace, endless wealth, and eternal health! Until the next time we meet!