In recent years, witchcraft has gained popularity among curious individuals seeking spirituality and a deeper connection with nature. One particular trend that has emerged is the concept of the "Brown Girl Witchcraft Winery," which combines the traditions of witchcraft with the joy of wine tasting. This unique concept celebrates diversity and aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for people of color to explore their spirituality and enjoy the pleasures of wine. The term "Brown Girl Witchcraft" refers to the practice of witchcraft by women of color, who often feel marginalized in the predominantly white and Eurocentric pagan and witchcraft communities. By reclaiming their power and embracing their heritage, brown girls are embracing a form of witchcraft that incorporates elements of their cultural background. The concept of a winery, on the other hand, represents a place where people can gather to sample and appreciate different types of wine.

The Magic of Solstice Music

From the bright colours of the Autumnal Equinox to the tiny budding green of Imbolc, this is my favourite turning of Life’s Wheel.

It is the time when most of our spiritual celebrations are set into days that are filled with change and chaos by Nature.

The Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere marks the strongest event in the year for almost all religions world-wide. Folk around the world celebrate the unity of Humanity with the Divine in some form or other. To join ourselves with the Divine, we make extra efforts to keep compassion and kindness close at hand. We think of things to give to our family and friends that are needed to bring them happiness. We take time to act in ways that comfort those who are hurting. We share our resources, food and drink with those we care about.

Even though I am Pagan, I try to hold some of the spiritual ethics from my Episcopalian upbringing. Growing up, I loved the music of the season. There was a classic, antiquated sound that brought to mind my ancestry of England on my mother’s side. I would picture the snow, Victorian towns, beautiful clothing, with all the trappings of a Dickensian Christmas.

One of the songs I loved most haunted my subconscious musical mind. It had a melody of old, almost medieval, and most of the lyrics matched an ancient feeling of connectedness with the land and Nature. But many versions had different words and I felt something was missing or changed. Once I became Pagan and learned the imagery of the Lord and Lady, I realized what I was missing in this song. The Holly King was there, but the Ivy Queen was gone. I took the liberty of that time honoured tradition to change the lyrics to fit the need, and recorded a version that I felt much more equal and truer to my Pagan heart.

As Heather Alexander, I had the pleasure of working with author Irene Radford and her series entitled “Merlin’s Descendants”. Irene coined a phrase that stuck with me up through this day: “A spell is nothing but a prayer”. In her five-book series, she employed the interplay of Celtic Christianity and Paganism as they learned to co-exist, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes not.

I wrote a piece for the album that goes with her books that reflected the same idea. Latin Imagery and Magical Elements with different melodies combine into one melody that calls and answers itself. It makes comparisons of oneness and harmony. I later re-recorded it for my winter album, pulling out some of the tracking of Heather’s voice and replacing it with my new voice as Alexander James Adams.

It occurred to me during this that not only had I united Christianity and Paganism in strong harmony, but now I was doing the same with my old self and my new. Much to say, this song was the most emotionally challenging thing for me to do at that time. There was a shock of something I could not quite identify that hit me every time I spoke in unity with myself. It was like I was finally at “One-ment” with myself. It was a feeling that I had previously never dreamed possible.

That moment of Oneness is what I strive for now with everyone and everything I meet. In Perfect Truth, we are all one. We are all united as Creatures in this world. We are much better served comparing our sameness rather than flexing our differences. This season is about forgiveness which is not reserved for Christians alone. Yes, there have been horrid injustices done in the past, but we all need to stop rehashing the old deeds and act with new ones, recognizing that while that things were misappropriated to serve a different dogma, the fact is we now have similar ideals between us and that should bring us more peace than conflict.

In the Northern Hemisphere during December, we have great opportunity to co-exist as Pagans with our Christian friends. As they celebrate the birth of Christ, a babe that brings redemption to Mankind, we have the birth of the Sun, the Light that brings rebirth to the Land.

Using the feminine perspective that I was gifted at the time, I wanted to write a song that reflected both these concepts, allowing both of my friends, Christian or Pagan, to sing along with me, together. I wanted the classic sound of tall gothic churches and ancient, simple imagery. I wanted to give it a feeling of unity that inspired the concept to come together and honour an event that resets the world, giving us all the opportunity to do better than we had done before, inspired by a new Light to guide our choices.

The longing for that classic style of holiday carol never leaves me. As a singer/songwriter I miss the harmonies, chord progressions and melodic effects that church bells and choirs use to sing their praises to a Deity that I no longer excusively resound with. Now, when I wish to write music that honours my Pagan idolatry, I go back to the musical roots that lifted my heart and soul, and gave me a more hopeful perspective for the world around me. As I said, in Perfect Truth, we are not so different in what we all hold sacred. A Divine Light that guides, protects and inspires us to become as it is: warming, nurturing of comfort and safety, supporting in all the struggles that affect us and those we love.

It is my wish to leave our Pagan community a decent sized collection of music that lifts the heart, clears the head, and emboldens us all to rise above the chaos of destruction and inspire us to be the builders of a new community where all are free to be unique in their Divinity, and still united in respect and honour as one with all the Realm around us.

It remains my one wish that we, as Creatures of Humanity, will evolve beyond our fearful minds and empower our hearts instead. It is not our design to immediately run from that which is different. A strong mind will stop, watch, listen and learn more of what it is looking at before making a choice to fight, run or dare approach in curious resonance. If we do more of this, that curious resonance that we seek will be found and what was once an unlikely partnership can become a sound bond of trust and cooperation resulting in a strength of intent that overpowers any single design. When we are united, we are stronger than one.

At this time in the dark of winter, I wish you all the Brightest Light of Solstice. May you find harmony within yourselves and so with others so that together, we will never thirst and never hunger.

Blessed Solstice and Happy Holidays to All! Gods Bless Us, Everyone!

For many more posts about the Yule Sabbat and pagan music for the season, please check out our Winter Solstice page, where they are all gathered together, as well as our Spotify list of pagan music for Yule.

For more information about Alexander James Adams, including his collected articles here on Pagan Song, his bio, and links to Alec’s sites on the web, check out Alexander James Adams’ page on Pagan Song.

Please subscribe to the Pagan Song blog, to receive our blog post each week. Don’t miss any of the musical magic!

Visit our homepage to see the full list of the musicians who write for the Pagan Song blog.

Pagan Song has a fan club on Patreon. Join for as little as $3 a month for exclusive features! Click for info.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

THE TOWER OF SONG’S WINTER SOLSTICE

The Gypsy Scholar will be presenting his annual Winter Solstice Orphic Essay-with-Soundtrack. Tune in and find out that (1) Winter Solstice rituals date from the dawn of civilization to around 25,000 years in the human past, celebrating the “rebirth of the Sun;” that (2) the pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice is the origin of Christmas (welcomed with a joyous and unruly feast in Rome known as the Saturnalia); that (3) it is still the “rebirth of the Light” in many cultures or celebrated with a holiday near the Winter Solstice (e.g., Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Yalda, Kwanzaa; that (4) the Winter Solstice was celebrated as the gateway to the New Year. This presentation will be Monday at 12 am.

Update: This program has been uploaded to the Tower of Song website. This version is not the same that was originally broadcast (edited to remove the several minutes of dead air due to a CD player malfunction) and is an extended version that includes more musical essay than time allowed. Thus, it’s not the version that is on the KSQD “Two-Week Archive.” This edited, extended version can be listened to at revradiotowerofsong.com on the “Archived Musical Essays” webpage, with the corresponding playlist on the “Programs & Playlist” webpage. Please don’t forget to check out the special “Winter Solstice” webpage so you can literally “see what I mean”–an imagistic feast for the eyes (with supplemental information).

The Dark And Dreamy Winter Solstice Playlist

Wishing you all a merry & bright Winter Solstice. I’ve made another seasonally witchy mixtape for your midwinter celebrations. We honor the mid winter season that brings to mind the beauty of evergreen trees dusted with sparkling snow.

Did you know that we have a subgroup of the Punky Moms Family and Punky Moms UK Facebook group? Witchy Moms welcomes witches of all paths to share community with other practitioners in a judgement-free space.

Stream The Winter Solstice Playlist now for free on our Spotify Station or use the embedded player below to play it right here on the site! Have an idea for a Punky Moms mixtape? Get in touch and pitch us your idea. We publish new Spotify music playlists to stream for free every two weeks on our site. To see the complete list of our mixtapes, click here.

Track Listing For Winter Solstice Playlist

• Oh, My Stars – Nina Nastasia
• The Darkness Of Things – Tasseomancy
• I Am Cold – Shapes and Sizes
• First Light’s Freeze – Castanets
• Velvet Antlers – Death Vessel
• Bad Ritual – Timber Timbre
• Nocturnal – Orion Rigel Dommisse
• Forest – Autumn Shade
• Pentacles – Fern Knight
• White Winter Hymnal – Birdy
• Angel In The Snow – Elliott Smith
• Grow Grow Grow – PJ Harvey
• Building A Fire – James
• Glósóli – Sigur Rós
• Star Of Wonder – Tori Amos
• Sankta Lucia (Saint Lucia) – David Anstey
• A Winter Wassail – Faith, The Muse
• The Coventry Carol – The Irish Christmas & Celtic Christmas Nollag
• December – Braids
• Like the Wheel – The Tallest Man On Earth
• Oak And Ash – Thistletown
• Winter’s Carol – Tori Amos
• Solstice – Björk
• Auld Lang Syne – Vandaveer
• Here Comes the Sun Again – M. Ward

Like this:

Hannah is a body positive feminist & mama to two boys living in New Orleans with her sweetheart who she married in a cemetery. She spends her free time collecting music, gardening, practicing Magick, & making stuff & things.

Related Articles

This Coq Au Vin In The Slow Cooker Recipe Will Make You Feel Fancy!

I wanted to throw this Coq Au Vin slowcooker recipe up on the site as it’s such a yummy easy one to do. Ideally to be made for more cooler temperatures, you probably wouldn’t be […]

Like this:

20 Homemade Soup Recipes That Are So Good

We are in the dead of winter and sometimes all you can do (besides dreaming of warmer afternoons at the pool) is fake it till you make it. There is comfort in wrapping yourself up […]

Like this:

How To Punk Up Your Festive Season On The Cheap

Whether you celebrate Christmas or Yule, something else or nothing at all, the upcoming months are a good opportunity to spend time with your nearest and dearest and maybe introduce some new traditions to make […]

The concept of a winery, on the other hand, represents a place where people can gather to sample and appreciate different types of wine. Wine has a long history of being associated with celebrations and rituals, with many cultures incorporating it into religious ceremonies. By combining the traditions of witchcraft with the joy of wine tasting, the Brown Girl Witchcraft Winery offers a unique and empowering experience for its patrons.

This concept aims to create a safe and inclusive space for people of color to explore their spirituality and connect with like-minded individuals. It provides a platform for brown girls to celebrate their heritage and embrace their identities while also enjoying the pleasures of wine tasting. The winery can serve as a gathering place for workshops, classes, and discussions on various aspects of witchcraft, spirituality, and self-care. The Brown Girl Witchcraft Winery not only celebrates diversity within the witchcraft community but also aims to educate and raise awareness about the rich history and traditions of witchcraft practiced by people of color. It acknowledges the important role that spirituality, cultural heritage, and self-expression play in shaping individual identities, especially for those who have been historically marginalized. In conclusion, the concept of the Brown Girl Witchcraft Winery offers a unique and empowering experience for people of color to explore their spirituality and celebrate their heritage while enjoying the pleasures of wine tasting. It serves as a safe and inclusive space for brown girls to connect with like-minded individuals and engage in discussions and activities related to witchcraft, spirituality, and self-care. This concept celebrates diversity and seeks to educate and raise awareness about the rich history and traditions of witchcraft practiced by people of color..

Reviews for "Witchcraft and Winery: The Secret Ingredients for Brown Girl Success"

1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to visit Brown Girl Witchcraft Winery, but I was sorely disappointed. The atmosphere was not welcoming at all, and the staff seemed disinterested and unfriendly. The wine itself was mediocre, and I expected a lot more from a supposedly witch-themed winery. I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon.

2. Michael - 1/5 stars - My experience at Brown Girl Witchcraft Winery was absolutely terrible. The decor was tacky and over the top, and the whole theme felt gimmicky. The wine tasted cheap and poorly made, and I couldn't even finish my glass. The prices were also way too high for the low-quality product they were offering. I would not recommend this winery to anyone.

3. Jennifer - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for Brown Girl Witchcraft Winery, but unfortunately, it fell short. The main issue was the lack of variety in their wine selection. They only had a few options, and none of them really stood out. The ambiance was also lacking, as there was no real effort put into creating a mystical or witchy atmosphere. Overall, it was a disappointing experience and I don't think I'll be returning.

Challenging Expectations: Brown Girl Witchcraft in the Winery Revolution