Salting myself, coarse friction,
dissolving granules
of earth and sea.
My skin hums, exposed to sensation.
My heart burns.
My mind intent on simple ritual and result.
I hum a funeral song for the departed
and the blessing of what once was.
Category: Ritual
“I want you to take my rose and tear the petals into pieces over your bed,” Loki instructs.
The rose I had offered him is given back. I do as he says.
“Now sleep in it.”
A single cello carries what words cannot: desire, longing, depth, and light, a flame in the dark, an invocation of romance that endures beyond night.
-Rogue
- Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: I. Prélude by Johann Sebastian Bach, Yo-Yo Ma
- I. Prelude – Fantasia by Gaspar Cassadó, Santiago Cañón-Valencia
- Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8: I. Allegro maestoso ma appassionato by Zoltán Kodály, Massimiliano Martinelli
- III. Largo by Max Reger, Guido Schiefen
- I. Dialogo by György Ligeti, Miklós Perényi
- Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008: I. Prélude by Johann Sebastian Bach, Yo-Yo Ma
When the air turns electric and the veil thins, beauty takes on a darker feel. No screams, no chainsaws, just the thrill of imagination and the shiver of inspiration. -Rogue
- Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ton Koopman
- Danse macabre in G Minor, Op. 40 by Camille Saint-Saëns, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Keith Clark
- Elegia by New Order
- Like Herod by Mogwai
- Dark Fog by David Fesliyan
- Ravensbrook by Brandon Fiechter
- Signs in the Fields by Rafael Krux
- Whispers in the Dark by No Spirit
- Haunted House by Dark Lullaby Orchestra, Halloween Witches
- Transylvanian Lullaby by Erutan
- Salem’s Secret by Peter Gundry
- Grimstone Manor by Nox Arcana
- Shivers by Nox Arcana
- Ghost in the Mirror by Nox Arcana
- A Vampires Heart by Peter Gundry
Light a candle, press play, and let the room fold you into shadowed tenderness. -Rogue
- Bones by MS MR
- Black Out Days by Phantogram
- If I Had a Heart by Fever Ray
- Glory Box by Portishead
- Middle of the Night (Violin) by Joel Sunny and Dramatica
- What’s a Girl to Do? by Bat for Lashes
- Hurt by of Verona
- I’m on Fire by Shakey Graves
- Song to the Siren (Remastered) by This Mortal Coil
- Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
- Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby by Cigarettes After Sex
- Hearing Damage by Thom Yorke
- The Curse by Agnes Obel
I curated this playlist as a ritual journey. It begins in invocation, rises with desire, surrenders in union, and closes with gentle unwinding. May it guide you deeper into intimacy with both shadow and light. -Rogue
- Fuel to Fire by Agnes Obel
- Skin by Zola Jesus
- Two Weeks by FKA twigs
- Feral Love by Chelsea Wolfe
- Slow by Amanati and Roniit
- Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine
- Run Cried the Crawling by Agnes Obel
- Near Light by Ólafur Arnalds
I sit down to clean Loki’s boots.
Brushing earth bits from them.
Rubbing out the scuffs and polishing them to a shine again.
Their woodsy musk scent smells of him. I think about his feet slipping inside them, flexing his toes to feel their structure and remind them of his shape.
I set the brush back on the shelf and the leather oil and rag in their box and wait patiently for him, aglow with love.
Loki’s song choice: “Silence” by Delerium featuring Sarah McLachlan.
A slow descent toward the equinox, with eleven songs to worship to.
Happy Autumn!
-Rogue
Prefer YouTube? An Equinox Ritual Playlist lives there, too.
- Twice by Little Dragon
- Angels by The xx
- When I’m Small by Phantogram
- I Know Places by Lykke Li
- Strong by London Grammar
- fineshrine by Purity Ring
- Howling by RY X
- Looking Too Closely by Fink
- We Watch The Stars (Berlin Session) by Fink
- Hanging On by Active Child
- Perfect Darkness by Fink