Something Gypsy this way comes…

It’s that time of year. For many, it’s a time to dress up in Ghoulish costumes, knock on doors for candy and generally have a good time trying to scare the living daylights out of each other. For others (probably just me?) it’s a time to hide.

I really dislike the modern version of Hallowe’en (yes, I put an apostrophe in, read on to find out why), and if I was to use this blog to describe how I feel about it in detail, you’d have more negative adjectives than you would know what to do with. I’m not going to rant. I’m going to do something far, far more insidious. I’m going to touch briefly on the background behind the < insert negative adjectives> modern celebration of 31st October and then I’m going to try to tempt you back to tradition with a true anecdote and a yummy recipe.

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The origins of Hallowe’en can be traced back to the Celtic Festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-en). The Pre-Christian Celtic year was determined by the growing seasons and so their celebrations were based around milestones connected to them. Samhain marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. The festival symbolised the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead – the Celts could see that the natural world appeared to almost “die” during Winter, and then be reborn in Spring, so it made sense that they would celebrate at this time. Samhain is still celebrated. By me as a Wiccan/Witch, amongst others – many Pagan faiths honour their dead and mark the changing seasons on 31st October. If you want to see a real witch on Hallowe’en, you’ll need to be away from the dressing up – they’re usually the ones in sweaters and jeans…

After the Romans invaded and conquered many of the Celtic lands, they seem to have assimilated some of their own faith into the Celtic traditions. Apple Bobbing might be their influence. When an apple is sliced in half, the seeds form a pentagram-like shape, and it is thought that the manifestation of such a symbol meant that the apple could be used to determine marriages during this time of year. Some say that it may relate to the goddess Pomona, protectress of apple trees – but the apple is sacred to Venus too, who is the goddess of love. Originally apple-bobbing was undertaken by young unmarried people who try to bite into an apple floating in water or hanging from a string; the first person to bite into the apple would be the next one to marry. Finding out the next to marry is a common tradition on Samhain – see below!

After the Romans, the new faith of Christianity spread, and with it came other traditions. Amongst these was “All Hallows’ Day”, also known as “All Saints Day”, a day to remember those who had died for their beliefs. This celebration was originally held on 13th May. However, Pope Gregory had the date of the All Hallows’ feast moved to 1st November sometime during the 8th century. It is thought that in doing so, he was attempting to replace or assimilate the Celtic Samhain festival of the dead with a related but church-approved celebration.

The night or evening of Samhain therefore became known as All-Hallows-Even, then Hallow Eve, still later Hallowe’en and then of course Halloween. I believe the apostrophe was dropped for two reasons. One of these being simple laziness and the second marketing – apostrophes really mess up your fonts when you’re trying to lay out a poster, don’t you know? I insist on keeping the apostrophe if I really must call 31st October Hallowe’en, and now you know why. If I have to make reference to a Christian tradition, I’m going to get it right, and I’m going to separate it from the modern commercial event. For a lot of faiths, though, the 31st October is a special time of the year when many believe that the spirit world can make contact with the physical world. Many also believe it’s when magick (not conjuror’s tricks) is at its most efficacious and there are numerous traditions that allege they can show you your future if you follow them on Hallowe’en, as I’ve touched on. Another one of these, is consuming Mash O’ Nine.

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Mash O’ Nine is a traditional British Samhain / Hallowe’en dish, although these days not many folks have heard of it. Like many Samhain traditions, this dish is served with a purpose … it’s another “who is the next to marry” ritual, and root vegetables are plentiful at this time of year, too. For the record, Mash O’ Nine is edible. It’s a comfort food, a great accompaniment to sausages; but you can eat it on its own, it is really that tasty. It has nine different ingredients in it – hence the name.

It’s usually eaten by the unmarried on 31st October. It is not only delicious, but it can also determine who will be next to marry … yes, it really can!

Tradition has it that each unmarried person at a Samhain gathering helps themselves to a portion of the Mash, which is served in a big bowl. Before anyone eats any, though, a ring is put into the mash by the person preparing it (or someone who’s already married). The guest that gets the ring in their portion is supposed to be the next one to marry.

One Samhain, fed up with the commercial version of it and wanting to right this wrong, I invited my boyfriend’s daughter to bring all her friends to our house and I’d show them what a real 31st October used to be like. I put on Apple Bobbing, made Treacle Toffee and Toffee Apples and told some ghost stories (I have more than probably anyone you’ll meet – and those are the ones that are personal – don’t get me started on traditional ones!) Then, for fun, I made Mash O’ Nine. There was a good crowd and they were all up for the mash, but very dubious about there being any truth in this tradition, as was I. However, we all tucked in. It was after a few spoonfuls that I noticed my boyfriend had the ring. He said he just knew he’d get it, and gave me a “you set me up!” look. Actually, I didn’t. I did the whole thing properly, and he got it fair and square. The scary bit about this is, despite the sizeable crowd who all got the chance to find the ring in their portion – my boyfriend was the next to marry. Almost six years later he’s still my husband…

Obviously, if you decide to try the mash, make sure you’re careful about the ring, it’s possible to choke on it and if I don’t give you a warning, some lawyer somewhere will want to sue me, I’m sure. Here’s the recipe, I’m afraid the measurements are old UK (I hate metric), but I’m sure you can convert because you’re not as lazy as I am.

Ingredients

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 small turnip, peeled and diced

1 large parsnip, peeled and diced

2 leeks, cleaned and chopped into thin slices, including some of the green tops

6 ounces mature farmhouse cheddar cheese, grated

salt

freshly grated black pepper

2 tablespoons single cream

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF/180ºC, Gas Mark 4.
2. Boil the potatoes, carrots, turnip and parsnip together until soft. Mash them thoroughly and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Poach the leeks in a little water for about 5 minutes, until they are slightly soft.
4. Add the poached leeks to the potato, carrot, turnip and parsnips, and mix in the cream.
5. Season well to taste, and then stir in the grated cheese, reserving some for the top. At this point you can insert the ring, as long as it is not plastic.
6. Scatter the reserved cheese on top and bake until golden-brown, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Whatever you do for 31st October, have fun. I’ll be hiding somewhere in New York city. Should be easy enough to go unnoticed on Hallowe’en there, right?

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And here are the tracks you heard tonight. The theme was “dark”.

Miki Parkinson – Dark Rain

Saul Stokes – Night Painting

Altus – Midnight

Psicodreamics – Song of the Living Night

Conni St. Pierre – Queen Of the Night Star

Labrathisattva – Soft Steps in Darkness

Darren Rogers – The Darkling Shadow

Softspace – Quiet Nights

Forrest Fang – Night Flow

Altocumulus – Night Fears

Janneh – Dark Matter

East Island – Passion in False Night

Palancar – Yuri’s Night Part 1

Tom Fahy – First Night

Syndromeda – Nightwalks

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And here’s my poem. After all that serious stuff, here’s something truly scary – that may make you smile, too.

“The Only Things Certain”

by Gypsy Witch (D Smethurst)

Look – it’s a witch!

This time of year the world turns cold,
And nights draw in and threaten snow,
We try so hard, but can’t avoid
Thinking of things that scare us so.

I’ve felt the presence of the Dead,
When climbing cold and draughty stair.
I’ve shivered and my blood’s run cold
As phantom fingers comb my hair.

I’ve sat around the fire at night
Told creepy stories, made it worse,
Recited myths by candlelight,
Spoke dread – immortalized in verse.

Vampires that sit in forest trees,
And through those trees, werewolves that run,
These tales abound, I wonder still,
If maybe there’s some truth in some.

A witch in Fancy Dress…

But of one beast, there is no doubt,
That he has substance, shape and form,
Worse still, he threatens everyone,
He owns them from the day they’re born.

You think he’s Death? Oh no, dear friends!
For Death can help us reach a goal.
Bring sleep when we are worn and tired,
And peace to body, mind and soul.

But in his soul, if soul at all
There is no warmth of human kind,
No heart abides within his breast,
He’s cruel, sadistic, heartless, blind.

Of all, it’s he that scares me most;
I know the rest may not be there.
Imaginings when overwrought?
Or maybe I’m easy to scare.

Look – it’s a witch!

But him? Oh, he does sure exist,
He’s heartless and there is no way,
A plea for mercy will be heard,
He’ll have his will, he’ll make you pay.

Van Helsing, he would scream and run!
No stake though heart or break of dawn,
Will slay this creature of the depths,
He rises still on each new morn.

Fear of the name, it has been said,
Makes what it names something to fear.
Although I know I can’t escape,
Defiantly, I’ll call him here.

Be brave! Hold fast! I call his name,
Add “Can’t catch me!” to my address,
Famous last words? They may well be…

…
… ‘Cos no-one* taunts the IRS.

” … But in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” Benjamin Franklin

*Seriously. You think I’d be calling up the IRS if I wasn’t British?

 

Light Up The Sky

This week, I’m delighted to introduce you to some tracks from Kuutana’s new album, Dreamscapes 2. Choosing tracks from the album to play for you meant I didn’t have to think of a theme, because there it was right there! I hope you’ve enjoyed all the sky-themed tracks tonight, and that they’ve fired your imagination, as they did mine. I mean, what can one write about the sky? I’m a Brit, but it wasn’t really weather than sprang to mind, but more horizons – and how gazing at the sky often brings back memories, evokes feelings or simply makes one feel a little wistful. I’ve included some images to show you what I mean, and cleverly (?) titled them to the Kuutana tracks I’ve played.

Warming Spirits

The sky in this image is almost on fire, the glow from the rising sun burning the clouds through the last of the night. The light itself seems to promise the opportunity of new things with the new day. My avatar thinks so, clearly, as her thoughts swirl like clouds around her. Yes, it would be nice to start a new day and believe one could fly – maybe not literally (although in Second Life, my avatar can fly), but at least in terms of lifestyle and personal development. Each new day should offer the opportunity of anything – but we often define it before we’ve even started it.

First Light

In this second image, also with a sunrise theme, you can see the thoughts evoked are very different. In this picture, the dawn heralds someone leaving – and my avatar’s wistful look says it all, although the text in the picture is a bit of a giveaway, too. Maybe it’s just me who’s a closet romantic, but I’ve looked at a sky before and watched a ‘plane go by, and wondered if someone I loved was on that particular one when it flew over. Even the colours of the sky show her emotions – she’s missing the dawn and the possibility of new things, because she’s too busy remembering the person who was there when the skies were darker – the night before.

New Horizons

The third picture is different again. This picture is sunset, and my avatar is looking away from the sky that we can see. She’s turning her back on the previous day, and getting ready for the new one. The messages in the sky give a pretty big clue about what she’s looking forward to, and her expression shows that she’s deep in thought, but other than that it’s pretty neutral. Worried about her big move, maybe? Or just planning for it?

Like many of the wonders of nature, the sky brings out emotions. I think that’s pretty evident when you consider that I had no problem at all doing a whole set with a sky theme, and could probably have done a couple more and not broken a sweat. Artists find the sky inspiring, and hopefully you’ll find the music inspiring too.

The thing is, even though I’m here with a leaden sky as usual and you may well be in the middle of a beautiful sunny day when you read this, we are still looking at the same thing. It’s unifying, even if what we see appears different. It’s a reminder that we’re all one planet and share the same sky.

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And here are the tracks you heard tonight, in the order you heard them:

Kuutana – Warming Spirits

Paul Vnuk Jr. – City Night Sky

Joe McMahon – The Empty Sky

Frore – Sky Glow

Motionfield – Northern Sky

Puffin On My Side – Sky Dreamer is Dying Out

Kuutana – First Light

Quosp – Sky

Paul Adams – The Far Sky

Arcticology – Something in the Sky

EugeneKha – Green Sky

Feldmaus – The Sky Turned

Asura – Interlude Sky

Celestial Aeon Project – Hymn of the Sky

Deuter – Deeper than the Sky

Kuutana – New Horizons

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And here’s my poem for this week. I hope you like it. In each sky are all the colours of a rainbow, and I’ve chosen this to frame my poem.

“Sunrise”

by Gypsy Witch (D Smethurst)

A sliver of red – the horizon’s on fire,
Orange fingers reach out, stretching higher and higher.
The yellow ball peeks and turns darkened land green,
And the sky becomes blue, now there’s colour between.
The last of the indigo night fades away,
As violets look on at the stunning new day.
Each sunrise is different, but the sky’s always blue,
Because I know I’m seeing the same sky as you.

The Collaborators

There are times where calling someone a collaborator is so much more than an insult. “Collaborator” has been a dirty word in many countries – when at war or simply when the fear of state secrets being pawned is high. However, “collaborator” doesn’t only mean someone who works with the enemy.

I’m sure most of us have heard the question in an interview “are you better working alone, or are you a team player?” In the past I always insisted I was a team player – and always ended up in a team where one member would bully me and the rest would look down on me. I rarely got a top job, and I was rarely happy. It has taken decades for me to be able to say, with confidence  “I work better alone.”

I don’t hate people… well, not all the time, anyway. I am simply a control freak. I get frustrated when people choose what I consider to be a long route to get something done, or cannot see the need to be timely, as I do. I hate relying on someone else to produce part of something that I need to complete my bit; because invariably they take too long, but I get the blame because I couldn’t start mine on time as I was waiting for them. I want to interfere, I want to tell them to do it “this way” – and I can’t because I don’t like confrontation and others seem to sprinkle it liberally in all their dealings and revel in making me feel uncomfortable, because I don’t. It’s rare for me to find someone I can successfully collaborate with, although there are a few people that can manage it – and for those I can work with, it’s a beautiful thing.

Despite my obvious failings, I recognise the beauty of a successful collaboration. Strawberries and cream, fish and chips, Sonny and Cher, Penn and Teller… the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and there’s no denying that collaborations can offer something truly magical. That is why tonight’s theme was “collaboration” and tonight’s set was composed entirely of collaborations. Even those of us that prefer to work alone or live alone will reach out to others somehow, and in the stretching out of that hand can be wrought something special. In a few weeks I fly out to New York to meet up with people I collaborate with – colleagues from Recording magazine. In that meeting is another collaboration, one you’ve been part of by listening to the show.

We love to tease each other and I will continue to argue that UK English is the only true English – but there is still something greater than the sum of the parts when a little bit of Old Blighty (Teresita, that comment was for you) and Uncle Sam come together. At least, that’s my belief. I’d ask you for yours, but I prefer to work things out on my own…

…

Snerk.

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And here are tonight’s tracks, in the order in which they were played.

Lucette Bourdin and Darrell Burgan – Meru

Numina and Caul – A Brief Reprive

Michael Sandler and Musir von Vidalia – Fantasia For Star Hopping

Sylvie Walder and Phillip Wilkerson – Frostbitten

Tony Gerber and John Rose – Time Totems

Cousin Silas and Jack Hertz – Entangled Realms

Phillip Wilkerson and Tange – Ege Denizi Part 1

Gypsy Witch and Spiral – Spiral Around the Campfire Theme

Team Metlay – Loremarie

Zenith and Mikrokristal – Phase 2. 470

Robert Rich and Steve Roach – Soma

Labrathisattva – A World Beneath the World

Dave Luxton and Aaron Gates – The Rise and Fall of Civilizations

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This week’s poem is short, but believe me, it took a lot longer to produce than some of my many versed efforts. It is a cento. For your enlightenment (or to jog your memory), a cento comes from the Latin word for “patchwork.” The cento (or collage poem) is a poetic form made up of lines from poems by other poets. Though poets often borrow lines from other writers and mix them in with their own, a true cento is composed entirely of lines from other sources. Early examples can be found in the work of Homer and Virgil.

With lines from Charles Wright, Marie Ponsot, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, and Samuel Beckett, the staff of the Academy of American Poets composed the following as an example:

“In the Kingdom of the Past, the Brown-Eyed Man is King
Brute. Spy. I trusted you. Now you reel & brawl.
After great pain, a formal feeling comes—
A vulturous boredom pinned me in this tree
Day after day, I become of less use to myself,
The hours after you are gone are so leaden.”

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5771

 

“Better With you”

A true Cento compiled by Gypsy Witch (D Smethurst). Lines from: “Daffodils” by William Wordsworth; “A Farewell to the World” by Ben Jonson; “An Epitaph” H Vaughan; “On Time” by John Milton; “On A Fly Drinking Out Of His Cup” by John Gay; “Old Age” by John Milton

My tender, first, and simple years,
In this age loose and all unlaced;
They stretch’d in never-ending line,
Fly envious Time, till thou run out thy race.

Life is short and wears away,
Both alike are mine and thine,
Stronger by weakness, wiser men become,
With Truth, and Peace and Love shall ever shine.

 

 

 

Lost In Translation

Nowadays, communication is as vital as ever, but much, much easier.

When I was a child, getting a telephone call was a big deal, it was exciting, it meant you could speak to someone else simply by picking up the receiver. Amazing! A world opened up to you, you were able to connect with those family members that didn’t live nearby. You could call them, argue as expected, and not need to travel for long distances to do so. Communicating with other countries was possible, of course, but not something done that often.

He Said

Today, I work from my home in Lancashire for a company in Colorado. I speak daily to my boss, who you will know better as Mr Spiral. I spend my leisure time connecting, and trading, with people from all over the globe in a virtual world and I DJ for you from my home PC – and you’re all over the world, too! The world is now, more than ever, a global village. This is all good, right?

Well, yes and no. I am delighted to be host to Around the Campfire and I love being involved with Recording, but there is often something missing in the way I have to communicate. From the title of this post you’d be forgiven for thinking that I’m going to talk about languages, but I’m not. We have so many ways we can at least get the essence of what someone is saying to us if they don’t speak the same language we do. What is missing, in so many cases, is the bits of communication our many devices cannot always offer. I’m talking about non-verbal communication  – I’m talking about being there, seeing them speak, seeing their body language and every other little sign given off when someone is trying to express something. Even the likes of FaceTime and Skype can’t offer all of this. You can see someone on video, but you’ll still not be able to get all of the nuances that a face-to-face communication will give you.

I feel this very acutely in my other job, which involves me helping people with their daily issues and is done entirely by telephone. I have had at least one case where I have said outright that I thought the person did a good job on something – and they complained I’d insulted them. It seems inconceivable that a flat-out compliment could be so badly misinterpreted, but I’m afraid it happens all the time. You have to be very clued in to triggers from the person you are speaking to, to really know what they mean. Even face-to-face contact doesn’t guarantee that you’ll understand the whole of what they mean. Nothing is infallible when it comes to one human being communicating with another.

So, am I advocating we all return to making a journey every time we want to say “Hi!” to our friends, and even then accepting that we may not get across how we feel? Not a bit of it. What I’m suggesting is that we try to listen more, feel more. A conversation has as much going on in the variations of tone and strength of delivery as it does in the words being said and there is something under every line of every sentence spoken. I’m suggesting you listen to the music of what someone is saying to you. Even if they are speaking another language, you can pick up some of what is being expressed if you do this. Of course, in my case, they have to get a word in edgeways first…

She Said

Not only is language music, but music is a language, too. What is fascinating is how people get different things from the same track, and have different reactions to it. No-one should be surprised that this is the case, tastes in music are as individual as the people listening to it. That’s what it all comes down to – our individuality. Communication is as much a minefield now as it ever was – we may be able to do it more easily, but we still don’t always get it right. Is there an answer? No, I don’t think so. There is, however, a suggestion, based on the old saying everyone has heard, that offers a lot of sense. “You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.”

I hope you enjoy the music tonight and it hits all the right notes with you. Do tell me – I may even figure out if you did!

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Here are the tracks you heard tonight, in order. They are all titles that are not in English, to link with the theme of communication. I’ve put links to translations or etymology where I can.

Parataxis – Logos

Agaetisly – A tire d’aile  (On The Wing)

Nightwind – Arcanum

mindSpiral – La Derniere Lemurien (The Last Lemur)

Syndromeda – La Tristesse (Sadness)

Kit Watkins – Le Petit Wave (The Small Wave)

Robert Rich – Nada (Nothing)

Phillippe Mangold – Singes et Gorilles (Monkeys and Gorillas)

Alpha Wave Movement – Terra Infinitus (Infinite Land/Earth)

Bosques de mi Mente – La linea del horizonte (The Horizon Line)

arbee | Specta Ciera – En Pleine Ascension (The Perfect Ascension)

Sonoprint – Epilogue

Team Metlay – Meta (Zap 26)

Stephen Briggs – Una Volta (Once)

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And here is my poem, which is pretty much tongue in cheek, especially as I’m not married to an American. I hope you enjoy it.

“An “English-Speaking” Wife”

by Gypsy Witch (D Smethurst)

I love the global melting pot,
Where we all get along,
Despite the fact that I am right,
And you are often wrong.

Language is my passion –
I want to learn them all,
But hubby is American…
And I’ve just hit a wall.

His “English” I simply don’t get,
It just confuses me.
Technically, it’s just like mine,
But different as can be.

I want to go out with my guy,
So I tell him “Dress *smart*!”
I foolishly believe that he,
Has this down to an art.

I even help him out and say:
“A “tuxedo” would be grand”.
I know that’s “dinner jacket”,
And he’s got a few to hand.

So imagine how confused I am,
When he’s downstairs in time,
But not “well dressed” as I had hoped…
He’s dressed up like Einstein.

Then when we go to dinner,
I ask for “chips” with steak.
I expect “fries”, but not a hope
There’s crisps upon my plate.

He says we’ll go back to our “crib”,
I think he’s lost the plot,
He means our pied à terre of course,
I think he means a “cot”.

But if I try to explain that,
He gets out a “camp bed”.
Instead of trying to explain,
I’ll draw pictures instead.

I need the universal speech,
That works in every land,
A kiss that says “I love you”…
The heart will always understand.