Black Stone Sanctuary
/blxstonesnctuary43
A goddess-centric polytheist monastery-bootstrapping project by Danica Swanson and Trish Deneen. We call it "contemplative animism with a goth nesting instinct."
Happy Winter Solstice however you celebrate. Many blessings of good health, abundance, and peace to you and yours.
Black Stone Sanctuary proudly presents a long-form interview with Ulf Söderberg, aka Sephiroth.
An early version was released in 2018 to Substack paid subscribers only. I'm over-the-moon excited to release the updated version publicly on @paragraph.
If you’re among those who’ve been banging on the quality-over-quantity, impact-over-engagement drum (keep it up), I invite you to give this a read.
The creative process for the interview spanned several years — a slowcore record for us both — and it’s 100% human-written and -edited.
Ulf is my all-time fav musician, full stop. Collaborating with him marks a high point for me as a music writer.
If you haven't heard of him despite his stature, it may be because his music isn't on Spotify, Apple, BC, etc. Copies of his OOP albums go for astounding prices on Discogs. His work can only be heard unofficially on YT.
Enjoy!
https://paragraph.xyz/@blackstonesanctuarypm.me/scandinavian-heritage-an-interview-with-ulf-soderberg?referrer=danicaswanson.eth
An early version was released in 2018 to Substack paid subscribers only. I'm over-the-moon excited to release the updated version publicly on @paragraph.
If you’re among those who’ve been banging on the quality-over-quantity, impact-over-engagement drum (keep it up), I invite you to give this a read.
The creative process for the interview spanned several years — a slowcore record for us both — and it’s 100% human-written and -edited.
Ulf is my all-time fav musician, full stop. Collaborating with him marks a high point for me as a music writer.
If you haven't heard of him despite his stature, it may be because his music isn't on Spotify, Apple, BC, etc. Copies of his OOP albums go for astounding prices on Discogs. His work can only be heard unofficially on YT.
Enjoy!
https://paragraph.xyz/@blackstonesanctuarypm.me/scandinavian-heritage-an-interview-with-ulf-soderberg?referrer=danicaswanson.eth
"Building truly attention-restorative places while living in a structurally extractive culture requires refusal. It calls for learning to say no to many things, including many we'd genuinely love to do — not out of self-punishment or masochism in the name of monastic discipline, but out of awareness that every yes we utter means a no to countless other things (implicitly or explicitly). [...] It calls for withdrawing our energy from all extractive forces that leave humans drained without adequate reciprocation."
https://paragraph.xyz/@blackstonesanctuary/darkness-incubation-and-attention-restoration
https://paragraph.xyz/@blackstonesanctuary/darkness-incubation-and-attention-restoration
“I'll always prefer things to be less technically perfect if I feel the magic is there in the end result. That goes for music, photographs, paintings, films, everything. There's so much material being produced today that is awesome technically, but the magic simply isn't there. No atmosphere. I don’t care much for pristine high-resolution stuff. Yeah, it’s ultra-sharp and detailed, but if it doesn't move me, so what?”
~ from "Scandinavian Heritage: An Interview with Ulf Söderberg" (to be released the week of the Winter Solstice, Dec. 15-21)
Music: Månfas 13, a very short track from the Nattljus album (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzqTqbCENos&list=PL8KG0vbPDKrOqVhTDNdAi7d3UDj51oOEJ&index=7
~ from "Scandinavian Heritage: An Interview with Ulf Söderberg" (to be released the week of the Winter Solstice, Dec. 15-21)
Music: Månfas 13, a very short track from the Nattljus album (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzqTqbCENos&list=PL8KG0vbPDKrOqVhTDNdAi7d3UDj51oOEJ&index=7
“…the multimedia production made for Västergötlands Museum on the Bronze Age ceremonial shields in 1994… was one of my very earliest 'big' productions, and it still runs today at the museum. Even though it's now nearly 30 years old, I still think the magic is there when you enter the room."
~ from "Scandinavian Heritage: An Interview with Ulf Söderberg" (to be released the week of the Winter Solstice, Dec. 15-21)
Video: 3 min. clip from the multimedia production (narrated in Swedish).
Music: "Våroffer" from the Nattljus album by Ulf Söderberg (1995).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGrRUnQWHzI
~ from "Scandinavian Heritage: An Interview with Ulf Söderberg" (to be released the week of the Winter Solstice, Dec. 15-21)
Video: 3 min. clip from the multimedia production (narrated in Swedish).
Music: "Våroffer" from the Nattljus album by Ulf Söderberg (1995).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGrRUnQWHzI
I'm excited to find out about the existence of "The Heathen Golden Dawn," by strologer/musician/gardener Isaac Hill. I've wanted such a book for decades. The Sanctuary doesn't follow a ceremonial magic track, but I thought this might be of interest here for two reasons.
First, the Holy Powers associated with the system in the book are from the pre-Christian, Northern European traditions that we honor here.
Secondly, the book has the blessing of author John Michael Greer who wrote the Celtic Golden Dawn and is also @danicaswanson's fellow essayist in "Polytheistic Monasticism: Voices from Pagan Cloisters." Greer served as the Archdruid in the AODA, Ancient Order of Druids in America. He was heavily influential in that organization's monastic order called the Gnostic Celtic Church Monastery.
While "The Heathen Golden Dawn" doesn't purport to be monastic, I believe the threads are there for people who might want to use it as a tool in their personal practice. /part 1/2
First, the Holy Powers associated with the system in the book are from the pre-Christian, Northern European traditions that we honor here.
Secondly, the book has the blessing of author John Michael Greer who wrote the Celtic Golden Dawn and is also @danicaswanson's fellow essayist in "Polytheistic Monasticism: Voices from Pagan Cloisters." Greer served as the Archdruid in the AODA, Ancient Order of Druids in America. He was heavily influential in that organization's monastic order called the Gnostic Celtic Church Monastery.
While "The Heathen Golden Dawn" doesn't purport to be monastic, I believe the threads are there for people who might want to use it as a tool in their personal practice. /part 1/2
Black Stone Sanctuary will be picking up the pace in our Scriptorium this month so we can make a dent in our publishing backlog. Just (re-)published on our blog:
"Why Do Polytheists and Animists Need Monasteries?"
Lots of ways to answer this question. We've covered six reasons in this piece.
https://paragraph.xyz/@blackstonesanctuary/why-do-polytheists-and-animists-need-monasteries
"Why Do Polytheists and Animists Need Monasteries?"
Lots of ways to answer this question. We've covered six reasons in this piece.
https://paragraph.xyz/@blackstonesanctuary/why-do-polytheists-and-animists-need-monasteries
“John Bauer was one of my really early influences as a child growing up in Sweden... I remember these very old books that my grandmother had on the bookshelves and in boxes up in the attic, including 'Bland Tomtar och Troll' (Among Gnomes and Trolls). I spent hours gazing at the artwork. He really captured the essence of Nordic nature and its mysteries and mythology in a way that was very accessible, even for a small child.”
~ from "Scandinavian Heritage: An Interview with Ulf Söderberg" (to be published the week of the Winter Solstice, Dec. 15-21)
Images (public domain):
1) "Freja" painting by John Bauer
2) "Jolantha" illustration by John Bauer, from "Bland Tomtar och Troll"
~ from "Scandinavian Heritage: An Interview with Ulf Söderberg" (to be published the week of the Winter Solstice, Dec. 15-21)
Images (public domain):
1) "Freja" painting by John Bauer
2) "Jolantha" illustration by John Bauer, from "Bland Tomtar och Troll"
And here's the still image, Nótt, Goddess of Night, to use as a meditative focus, if you like, during your dark moon observances. I added a touch more purple to this image than what's in the video because I just couldn't help myself. 🟣
I'm happy to release the Sanctuary's newest video offering of "Two Prayers to Nótt, Goddess of Night" inspired by the recent post by @danicaswanson, "Hail, The Unsorrowing: Welcoming Nótt." It's under five minutes and includes both a short hail and longer prayer to the goddess. We felt it would be a particularly fitting focus for this month's dark moon incubation retreat theme, which is "the night sky." It's free to view on /zora and also available for minting. I hope you enjoy. And feel free to share with those on your socials that you think would appreciate our content.
Black Stone Sanctuary observes each dark moon with an incubation retreat — a day of rest, contemplation, and quietude. We meditate with drone music and minimize screen time.
Today's theme for contemplation is “the night sky,” which calls forth a line from our nightly prayer to the Nordic goddess Nótt:
“To Our Lady of the boundless night sky, we surrender.”
We also have a special new release coming up today: a meditative spoken word video by @trishd, including a recitation of two prayers for Nótt from our recent blog post.
Look for the new video in our next cast!
** Note: Today (Nov. 30) is a “black moon” only in far western time zones — i.e., the second new moon in a calendar month. In other time zones, Dec. 30 will be the date for this black moon.
Today's theme for contemplation is “the night sky,” which calls forth a line from our nightly prayer to the Nordic goddess Nótt:
“To Our Lady of the boundless night sky, we surrender.”
We also have a special new release coming up today: a meditative spoken word video by @trishd, including a recitation of two prayers for Nótt from our recent blog post.
Look for the new video in our next cast!
** Note: Today (Nov. 30) is a “black moon” only in far western time zones — i.e., the second new moon in a calendar month. In other time zones, Dec. 30 will be the date for this black moon.
General Black Stone Sanctuary publishing queue update:
- The long-awaited Ulf Söderberg interview will (finally!) be published in December during the week of the Winter Solstice (Dec. 15-21). Teaser quotes coming very soon.
- The two guidebook releases (“How to Host Dark Moon Incubation Retreats” and “Darkness Incubation: Designing Slowcore Rooms”) have been postponed longer than we’d like, in part because literary culture in web3 spaces is still nascent. Publishing options for long-form works are not yet where we’d like them to be. But we’ll be making a firm decision on this in December.
- A few more updated blog posts will be published on @paragraph in December.
Note: we're a cozy-corner channel and monastery-bootstrapping project with very limited reach. If you have ideas for getting the word out about the Ulf interview during the release week, we'd love to hear them!
- The long-awaited Ulf Söderberg interview will (finally!) be published in December during the week of the Winter Solstice (Dec. 15-21). Teaser quotes coming very soon.
- The two guidebook releases (“How to Host Dark Moon Incubation Retreats” and “Darkness Incubation: Designing Slowcore Rooms”) have been postponed longer than we’d like, in part because literary culture in web3 spaces is still nascent. Publishing options for long-form works are not yet where we’d like them to be. But we’ll be making a firm decision on this in December.
- A few more updated blog posts will be published on @paragraph in December.
Note: we're a cozy-corner channel and monastery-bootstrapping project with very limited reach. If you have ideas for getting the word out about the Ulf interview during the release week, we'd love to hear them!
Our video with two prayers to the goddess Nott is nearly complete, and we're looking forward to releasing it at the dark moon for use in our (and your) dark moon incubation retreat.
"Bright-eyed Skahdi, daughter of the mountain-giant, child of the snow and ice, wood-roaming goddess, firm of footing, firm of purpose, firm of will. Hail Skadhi!" ~ a prayer by Hester Butler-Ehle from Hearth and Field: A Heathen Prayer Book
I've been quiet lately as I dealt with a death in the family, a funeral, and related duties for the past month.
Thanks to @trishd for "holding down the fort" for the BSS channel.
Now that I'm back to my daily routine, I'll be casting more in the channel and returning to our publishing queue.
A bit late, but Trish has inspired me to share an old photo of my own ancestor shrine from 2012.
I like the similarity of the skull candles in the lower left corners of our photos!
Thanks to @trishd for "holding down the fort" for the BSS channel.
Now that I'm back to my daily routine, I'll be casting more in the channel and returning to our publishing queue.
A bit late, but Trish has inspired me to share an old photo of my own ancestor shrine from 2012.
I like the similarity of the skull candles in the lower left corners of our photos!
This Advanced Inner Alchemy class from author Taylor Ellwood is out of my budget right now, but I'm sharing the link to the info because he discuses topics such endarkenment and "intentional wintering" that might be of interest to followers of Black Stone Sanctuary. I first came across his wintering practice in a lecture he gave at an online conference I volunteered at.
One key point from his write-up:
"We can choose to intentionally winter and in the process proactively avoid burnout, depression, anxiety and stress because we give ourselves the time and space to stop being so busy and allow our creative and spiritual genius to rest."
Whether you're interested in the class or not, this is a good read that might give you some inspiration on how you enter into this winter to rest and rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit.
https://www.magicalexperiments.com/advanced-inner-alchemy-of-wintering
One key point from his write-up:
"We can choose to intentionally winter and in the process proactively avoid burnout, depression, anxiety and stress because we give ourselves the time and space to stop being so busy and allow our creative and spiritual genius to rest."
Whether you're interested in the class or not, this is a good read that might give you some inspiration on how you enter into this winter to rest and rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit.
https://www.magicalexperiments.com/advanced-inner-alchemy-of-wintering
Happy Halloween and Samhain. Some Northern polytheists may celebrate Winter Nights but this varies by tradition. I light a candle and incense and say prayers to my ancestors of blood and spirit. However you celebrate whether secularly or religiously, enjoy your night and this entry into the coming winter season.
Below is a glimpse of a corner of my ancestor altar.
Below is a glimpse of a corner of my ancestor altar.
Remember, it's Halloween time. There are purple string lights for sale everywhere. They're not just for Halloween but can be used for your meditation space, hint, hint.🎃
A prayer for the upcoming dark moon:
Darkness is for silence.
This I know, Dark Moon.
Just a few words of rememberance then,
and I will keep the silence with you.
~Ceisiwr Serith, A Book of Pagan Prayer
Darkness is for silence.
This I know, Dark Moon.
Just a few words of rememberance then,
and I will keep the silence with you.
~Ceisiwr Serith, A Book of Pagan Prayer
I'm finally getting over this cold and my voice sounds back to normal. So my next project for the Sanctuary will be a short video with a reading of @danicaswanson's beautiful hail and prayer to the Goddess Nótt. The framework is done, but I have some tweaks I want to make and will let you all know when it's done. I hope you all have a good week.
"Each devotee’s path is different, and the vows they might take are going to vary." One topic that might bring up kind of a knee-jerk reaction with monastic polytheism is the idea of taking vows as they're associated with concepts like poverty and celibacy. In this excellent post, polytheistic monastic NíDara, who honors the goddess Brighid, explains their vows and the thought process behind them. https://oakenroots.substack.com/p/the-illuminating-spark-thoughts-on-62c
If you follow a polytheist monastic practice or adjacent one, do you have a midday prayer practice you'd like to share? I have a phone alarm set because I don't always remember to stop and take a few moments when I'm in the middle of work. It's proven helpful.
Hi, folks. I hope you like our new banner, a generative art work depicting a priestess praying at a goddess statue. This is part of our series of praying priestess pieces. I like to think of this scene as part of a daily or weekly pilgrimage to a shrine in the woods for contemplation before retiring to the Sanctuary for the evening.
We're quite happy with the recent changes to channels.
We're excited to continue developing Black Stone Sanctuary as a gathering space for contemplative animist monastics, goddess-worshippers, and supporters.
Co-mod @trishd, who created our new PFP, is working on a new banner for the channel; meanwhile, I'm preparing the Ulf Söderberg interview for release.
At some point we'll launch a Fan Token for this channel. We haven't decided when, but we'll give advance notice before the auction.
In the meantime, we'd like to get to know the channel's current followers.
We invite you to introduce (or re-introduce) yourself. A short basic intro is fine; mostly we just want to know you're a human.
If you want to write more, we welcome that too! We'd love to hear:
- How did you first hear about BSS?
- What interests you most about our work?
- How would you describe your religious/spiritual practices?
- Do you have any experience with monasticism (in any religion)?
- What questions do you have about BSS?
We're excited to continue developing Black Stone Sanctuary as a gathering space for contemplative animist monastics, goddess-worshippers, and supporters.
Co-mod @trishd, who created our new PFP, is working on a new banner for the channel; meanwhile, I'm preparing the Ulf Söderberg interview for release.
At some point we'll launch a Fan Token for this channel. We haven't decided when, but we'll give advance notice before the auction.
In the meantime, we'd like to get to know the channel's current followers.
We invite you to introduce (or re-introduce) yourself. A short basic intro is fine; mostly we just want to know you're a human.
If you want to write more, we welcome that too! We'd love to hear:
- How did you first hear about BSS?
- What interests you most about our work?
- How would you describe your religious/spiritual practices?
- Do you have any experience with monasticism (in any religion)?
- What questions do you have about BSS?
Every month at the dark moon, Black Stone Sanctuary hosts a day of rest, contemplation, and quietude, including meditation with drone music.
This month we're also using @trishd's excellent new spoken meditation for grounding, centering, and shielding. It's made for an interfaith audience.
This month's theme for contemplation: wholeness.
As in: "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
https://zora.co/collect/zora:0xcfa43a880fb6c783d2c2cef0cbc04e42ee10d334/12
This month we're also using @trishd's excellent new spoken meditation for grounding, centering, and shielding. It's made for an interfaith audience.
This month's theme for contemplation: wholeness.
As in: "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
https://zora.co/collect/zora:0xcfa43a880fb6c783d2c2cef0cbc04e42ee10d334/12