The relationship between human beings and music is as old as when the first ape-like creature breathed into an old bone or hollow branch, and the vibrations created sound. Perhaps that 'being' then discovered that rhythmic sounds, too, could be produced by striking that bone or stick against something else.

This essay, then, is not intended to be an academic overview of any particular musical concept be they theoretical or historical. Rather, the following presentation is designed to offer those in the pagan/wiccan circles some facts and ideas about the use of music in our rituals and understanding some fundamental yet scientific precepts on how the music works in this medium.

"In the ancient and present day pagan world, music is just so much more than sounds and entertainment. Music is/was considered to be an active force in which the world was created."

This has been a continual mode of thought in all belief systems and cultures. For example: In the book of Genesis, it is written, "...and God said, let there be light, etc.," and thus, there was light. By the act of God 'speaking', the belief is that God's voice created 'all.' Voices are produced by vibrations, and music the child of vibrations.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the 'singing sun' created the world with a "cry of light". Another Egyptian source tells us that Thoth (among other things the god of word, scripture, dance and music,) created the world by repeating a "laughing word" seven times.

Most belief systems mention that all creation is from the start, a 'breath' creating vibration. Vibrations are aural energies in motion. Breath is one of the fundamental precepts of importance in many esoteric rituals, and is considered the source of life by many.

The subsequent development and use of instruments as well as the human voice in praise of the Creator and worship/invocation was a natural extension of growth and evolution of mankind's intellect, recognizing the sanctity and embellishment of ritual being enhanced by a vibratory tool.

ELEMENTAL APPLICATIONS

In the pagan belief system, words spoken and songs sung create powerful energies with which to enhance craftwork, but all practitioners need to recognize the importance of instrumental use for specific elemental function, as well: ����������������������������������������������������

Earth: Drums, membraneous

Air: Horns of any type, human voice

Fire: Strings of any type

Water: Non-membranous percussion (metal objects, logs, and the like)

Therefore the importance of music as a 'tool' becomes as essential as the ritual itself to summon spirits, praise the creator, call the goddess/gods and even influence the mundane activities of all life.

I once had a music professor tell me in no uncertain terms that music is basically simple in its use, being broken down into only two forms: 1.) Music to be listened to, or 2.) Music to dance to.

Quite naturally, I disagreed because the driving force which creates music as those accommodations goes way deeper than that, in this writers opinion.

"What about healing? What about sympathetic vibrations to create a more harmonious 'whole of being?' What about the interaction of sound, in the music medium of song and ritual for a better work? What about creating balance, above and below?" On I went.He just looked at me like I had two heads.

Music as a neccessary tool to enhance ritual in all belief systems became of paramount imoportance and is today. However, it is interesting to note that historically, controls were imposed upon the practice and theory of music by religions/belief systems other than pagan.

Whereas pagans enjoy all that music has to offer for all reasons, the staunch leaders of the christian church employed excessively strict standards (by today's view) of even what 'type' of instruments, or lack of, could be used, for example. Consider these quotes:

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: "Leave the pipe to the shepherd, the flute to the men who are in fear of gods and their idol worshipping...:

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS: "Our church does not use musical instruments...to praise God withal, that she may not seem to judaize." (Note: it is interesting to me that the author of this quote refers to the church in the feminine case, as if subliminally honoring the goddess!)

ERASMUS: "We have brought into our churches certain operatic and theatrical music; Such a confused, disorderly chattering of some words I hardly think was ever in any of the Grecian and Roman theatres."

The "Council of Trent" in the 14th and 15th Centuries took great care to recognize, codify, and mandate specific elements in all liturgical matters, especially music, that must be adhered to when "honoring the church." Composers and musicians who did not follow such strict canon were severely punished, imprisoned, and in some cases put to death for the non-adherence to rules, "for the glory and the power of the almighty holy roman catholic church."

The contrast of the differences of music utilization between pagans and christians is used here to illustrate the stark differences in the use of music in all 'ritual'. It can be found in many other cultyres and belief systems. But the thread of continuity is that the music is, in all cultures and beliefs, of prime importance.

Whatever the circumstance in any belief system, there can be no doubt that music had and still does contain some element of magickal power. But what 'music', and how it was produced as an element of magick or praise to glorify, or even to tell a story, became a thorn of discussion as to it's legitimacy as far back as the mathematical school of thought of the Pythagoreans, and perhaps before. In other words, some music was made by men for mankind, and other music brought to us by divine intervention.

THE PYTHAGOREAN DIVISION

1.)Music produced by instruments.

2.)Music made inside of the human body.

3.)Music made by the cosmos (Music of the Spheres)

The pythagoreans recognized the importance of ritual use, but at different levels of sound and vibration as pronounced by different sources for different reasons-earthly, or heavenly.The different music divisions mentioned above were found to be in accordance with hermetic precepts of balance in all the cosmos,therefore relating to one of the most important and discussed precepts of all, "as above, so below."

NUTS AND BOLTS

To understand the 'mechanism' of sound, which then is the raw material used to create music, one must look at the most smallest and macro level. Without getting mired in scientific theory and fact, a simple explanation is as follows:

Sound is created by vibration. All life vibrates. An atom, with its orbiting electron and neutron creates vibration at the smallest known level, and the universe creates its own unique vibrations. This is an infinite law of the universe. When vibrations occur, wavelenghths are produced, thus spawning frequencies and sound. Certain frequencies appeal to all living beings, and physically calm or exite the central nervous system in warm and cold blooded life. Even spritual, and non physical life.

Thus, we respond. If it is a 'good' vibration, we are 'feeling good.' We don't know why, we just do. Our health is restored. We are pleased and harmonious in life at the moment. Likewise, the opposite holds true when the vibrations are negative (bad.)

Therefore, for pagans it becomes imperative that when invoking spirits or divine influences in ritual, music must be handled expertly and carefully to produce the most desired and positive results.

But is the response to vibrations distinctly a human attribute? Dogs and other creatures have a range of frequencies unknown to man. They 'hear' things we do not. Frequencies have been known to shatter glass, yet no one hears them. Whales and dolphins communicate through sound and vibration at ranges which far exceed that of the human ear. All belief systems have a common notion that the sound which created the universe cannot be heard by mankind, entirely.

It was Ptolemy, and again the pythagorean school of thought through mathematics that proved that the frequencies to which we humans DO respond have a direct derivation from geometry and thus, divine mathematical archetypes. Then centuries later a scholar and scientist named Kepler discovered the same thing, which had been dismissed as "old thought" through those years.

"In the 15th and 16th centuries, musical theory was experiencing dramatic changes and controversy no less than astronomy. The question of which musical ratios/frequencies produced consonances ('good' sounds) or dissonances ('bad sounds') made the argument a mathematical one."

Kepler believed that the heavens incorporated the same created harmony that appealed to humans in "fine musical chords" and musical practice. He studied the path of orbits of all the then known planets around the sun. With each planet spinning its own revolutions, which become different through weight and mass, and in motion around the sun, (remember the electrons and neutrons???,) he surmised that they not only created vibrations which in turn created musical pitch at a frequency unheard by man, he also found that each planet produced vibrations at different pitch 'levels,' thus creating specific scales and chords unique to each planet.

This became known as "The music of the spheres". This is the music that divine archetypes, when summoned through ritual, begin to 'hear.' The universe then, is a very noisy place.

ANAHATA, AHATA

Consider two forms of sound creation according to Hindu beliefs.The ANAHATA is a vibration of ether that cannot be heard by men, but is the basis of manifestation of all existence by forming permament number patterns. Sort of a Hindu version of the music of the spheres. Any other normal sound is called the AHATA. Again of the parallel, "as above, so below."

PAGAN USE IN RITUAL

When using music to conjure or invoke spirits and to enhance the ritual for complete harmonic balance one must be aware of ALL sounds, ANAHATA, or AHATA.

It is recommended to concentrate on all ANAHATA and AHATA when performing sacred self induced health and breathing meditative exercises, or solitary and communal summoning ritual.

Choose music to play whichs suits your taste, and when you are performing deep breathing (as in the Golden Dawn recommended ritual, 'The Fourfold Breath,') listen, too, to all that is going on around you. You become part of the 'all.' Your heartbeat becomes the rhythm of life, and all sounds around you become the melody and harmony.

You become part of the incredible flow of energy which is aurally manifested in sound. Your vibration of life becomes harmonious with all the other vibrations in the great celestial chords of the universe. Anahata or Ahata, or a balance of both is an important function to include in any personal or group ritual for more precise and direct communion with the goddess, god or object of invocation, as well as becoming an ornamentive device.

In part two, we will discuss some of the basic pitches and other musical considerations when constructing music to infuse with ritual.

(End of part one)