It is said the ancient Celts believed the seasons of the year were divided in half between summer and winter. It is also said the Celts believed the seasons which we call spring and autumn are a transitional and liminal time, a time between time where this world and the otherworld are separated by the thinnest veil.
Spring Song and Autumn Music
This Celtic perspective of the wheel of the year is the basis for the Blackwillow Starling songs, Between Times Pt. 1 and its partner song, Between Times Pt. 2.
The former song is inspired by springtime, the festival of Beltane, the renewing energy and return of the light of the Sun. The latter, Between Times Pt. 2 refers to the autumn, the turning toward the dark time of year, and the Samhain Sabbat.
Both autumn and spring bring visible change in the landscape and a dramatic shift in temperatures. As a Pagan I’ve always felt deep reverence as nature reveals to us her timeless cycle as the wheel turns. The songs were conceived as twins. Connected and mirrored by each other, I began to think of the two songs as two halves of an hourglass, along with a means by which we flow from season to season.
Giving Voice to Autumn
The vocal melody was written knowing I wanted to use the same pattern for both songs but with different lyrics. Once I realized that, I dove into what each season evoked for me. What did it feel like? What did it look like? How could I summon the feeling of each season?
Between Times Pt. 2
So turns the wheel of the season,
Ever has been and will be.
Long shadows growing, north winds are blowing,
Frost silvers field and lea.The Earth breathes and rests for a moment
To revel in amber and gold.
With graceful leaves falling, liminal calling,
Harken to memories of old.Dark meets light while light meets dark,
Night consumes the dying light.Fruit on the vine weigh heavy,
Seeds slumber, sheltered within
Bonfire ignite, warming cold night
Thinning the veil of Samhain.By root, by fire, and candle,
The bones of the ancestors call.
The soot on the cauldron, the waning of our sun
Welcoming autumn and fall.Death meets life while life meets death,
Turn the wheel and hourglass.“Between Times Pt. 2” (c) 2024 Lyrics and music by Blackwillow Starling. You can listen here on bandcamp.
Creating Autumn Music Together
When approaching my partner Michael for the music, we discussed the idea of also keeping the music similar. We agreed that the energy of spring can be vibrant, clean and bright, and the energies of autumn are darker. Michael then took these ideas and translated them into the music for each song. Here is how he describes it:
We recorded Between Times Pt. 1 with a slim-bodied Martin acoustic guitar. Its spruce top and wound strings promote a bright sound that jumps off the instrument. For Between Times Pt. 2, I used a classical guitar with nylon strings that has a deeper body depth than the other instrument. That creates more resonance, though with a flatter string sound. Also, to mirror the calmness of the season, we recorded the music at a slower beats per minute to let the song breathe.
Between Times Pt. 1 has a moment of reverse reverb effect on Nora’s voice at the end chorus to inspire an otherworldly depth and feeling. It happens suddenly and is a light effect as the spring season. Overall, Between Times Pt 2 features more pause and intent. There is a low, dark tone that blankets the repeated lines at the end of the song to create a gravity and heaviness.
Celebrate Autumn With Music
Both Blackwillow Starling songs are a celebration of the “time between time” seasons and their Sabbats. One brighter and one darker. Contemplative and mythic in tone, you could use each of these songs for ritual, meditation, or incorporate them within a playlist honoring the Wheel of the Year.
Blessed be and autumnal blessings to you all!
With love,
~Blackwillow Starling!
Be sure to listen to the companion song inspired by Beltane – Between Times Pt 1.
For more music inspired by autumn, check out Ariana Lightningstorm’s September 21, 2023 post Autumn’s Twilight. Mabon has passed and Samhain approaches. It’s the perfect time for this great Samhain Sabbat playlist on Spotify. It includes Blackwillow Starling’s Between Times, Part 2, the featured song of this post.
For more information about Blackwillow Starling, including their collected articles here on Pagan Song, their bio, and links to their sites on the web, check out Blackwillow Starling’s author page here on Pagan Song.
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