The start of a new series of improvisations with guest artists for 2024. My first guest for the zodiac sign of Aries was Ailsa Mair. The audio video improvisation was created entirely live, combining a selection of Ailsa’s photos and video clips with astrological symbols, live cameras and sounds.
The session started with a bit of Ann Petrie on vinyl talking about the Aries nature, it combines with a loop of Holst’s Mars and Cor Meibion Aberystwyth before giving way to the cello and voice of Ailsa Mair.
We have been talking of making some work around the tarot and symbol of the fool in particular. Seems wholly appropriate to explore this in the time of Aries.
The fifth circle will be about creative expression for it’s own sake, a more outgoing display of creativity. What does that mean? Basically more visible output.
More livestreaming. More guests. More opportunities for play
The nature of the fifth circle is a reflection of the zodiac sign of Leo and the fifth house. I intend to embrace my Leo rising, to open, share and lead creative processes. Pluto and Neptune are conjunct in the fifth house of my birthchart.. so that’s nice!
The Pilgrim’s Process started in 2004 and maybe never really ended… (read more here). Primarily a visual project to accompany Vinyl Altar, a live turntable improvisation performance project exploring religious recordings on vinyl, it also includes a number of videos with fixed soundtracks. These 2 recent videos are made live with live modular synths and Resolume VJ software. The CD artwork for Vinyl Altar links through to mp3 downloads of the recordings from that disc, recorded in 2005. The film below that was an edit from a much longer work created in 2006 with a broken camera, my first post on the then new Youtube!
The final installment of improvisations for the 4 cardinal calendar points.
Produced live the stream includes the remnants of a fiery circle for Sagittarius for a while before we transition into the liminal space of the solstice, that point of transition leading into a new phase of the year. Another layer explores the emerging Cardinal earth element, filmed by Jay while moving through the landscape earlier on the day. Live cameras are processed through an analogue circuitbent video enhancer, and layer up with live tarot, synths, vinyl and bass guitar as well as readings of texts on themes of the solstice, earth and Capricorn. With 2 Capricorns in the room they got to select vinyl for the evening, subsequently looped and processed by Jay through a variety of pedals they merge with the Make Noise synth sounds shifting and evolving over time. Thanks to guests Rhowan, Erin & Manny as well as regular players Jay and Keryl for their thoughtful and playful contributions.
POOL is a beginning, the starting point for a stream.
Afon artists are invited to browse a database of vinyl records and select a track or album to create a sonic POOL from which samples will flow and LOOP to become a stream.
Forming in the fixed water sign of Scorpio, POOL suggests the start of a journey into hidden otherworlds. Moving into and immersion in the POOL takes us into the unknown, a place where real and unreal worlds interact, where both become fluid memory and noise is the only true reality..
The POOL starts to form with these selected records : Joni Mitchel – Clouds; Johnny Cash – Big River; Top of the Pops Artistes – Float on; Neil Diamond – Walk on Water; Johnny Cash & Marty Robbins – Cool Water
Traditional mix of vinyl loops from 3 copies of Holst’s Mars from The Planets, 2 by the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra and 1 by Tomita; A loop from Scorpio on Cannonball Adderley presents Soul Zodiac and a little bit of voice from Sydney Omarr’s Scorpio.
DansetteTempo, Ultra and Beogram 1000 record players with 3 Jazz records at 92 Lammas St. (2005)
sIMpleX (webcast 2008)
3 records on: Dansette – Hawaii Calls: Waikiki after Dark, Presented by Webley Edwards. Ultra – Dire Straits – Money for Nothing. BSR: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass – Going Places.
Circular ramblings..halfway through another circle.. What is a Circle in 12 parts? A series of improvisations exploring parallels between creative and ritual practice, the symbolic power of the circle, the zodiac, repetition and magic. An ongoing process of artistic exploration and interpretation of astrology and the zodiac.
Why? Astrological, mystical and religious symbols were ever present growing up. My mum was an astrologer and psychic for a good part of my childhood according to her marketing. I can remember her having a fortune telling tent at the outdoor market just outside New Quay for a few seasons, in my memory it was decorated with astrological and other mystical symbols. She would offer a range of fortune telling skills from astrological charts and predictions to tarot and palmistry, runes and crystal ball. Later on she worked as a reporter for the local paper, was town clerk in Ashburton Devon for a while and went on to write a number of books, probably becoming better known for that, though she did continue to read tarot and look at astrological transits for people now and then.
“I know that in the village they refer to me as the ‘fortune-teller’; in spite of the fact that I never use that term to describe myself. My father, who passed down the skills I use, always insisted that I should be referred to as a psychic practitioner – but if people get their fortune told they usually end up calling the person who did it a fortune-teller, so I live with it and with the abuse it brings.” from Diary of a Fortune-Teller.
My mother didn’t make spells or potions (though she was asked to on occasion) but she did have an extraordinary ability to intuitively understand people and to empathise with them. Astrology, tarot, palmistry or runes, she was able to read the symbols creatively, to intuitively relate them to reflect the questions of clients, to encourage a greater level of self awareness enabling them to answer the questions they were asking themselves. It seems to me interpreting the different divination methods is a creative act – taking a few keywords or principles represented by a set of cards or symbols on a circle and finding connections and creating meaning for an individual, effectively an exercise in creative thinking and writing. I found this cassette in a local charity shop back in 2014 roughly. My mum was doing these for about 10 years so there must be loads of them out there!
Symbols and circles Images have power, symbols meaning and influence, they affect us and the world around us. Astrological planetary symbols combine 3 basic elements, the cross, crescent and circle which recur in different configurations to form the glyphs for the different planets.
Probably the most well known and an interesting example of astrological symbolism permeating into our mainstream consciousness is the use of the Mars and Venus planetary symbols to denote male and female. In a patriarchal world ruled through division one can see how the meaning has developed, however reductive it might be. To simply describe Mars and Venus as male and female denies so much subtlety, are ideas of beauty and love only feminine in nature? Are aggression and ambition only ever male principles? of course not, and despite the fact that astrology is full of polarised principles it is also full of nuance in how they interact and the resulting modification of their expression.
The circle presents as a much more neutral symbol, though astrologically it is likely seen as a male principle within the chart (the sun), it has not permeated into our collective visual language in that way. It also is the container for the chart itself and in that sense, is in my mind, a symbol of wholeness of inclusion, unification and completeness.
Astrology embraces one fundamental urge and principle over all others and that is the interconnection of everything. While you might think it’s model of the universe is flawed, for anyone studying physics or religion, or for anyone who thinks even briefly about the nature of our place in the universe, this principle is there.
Astrology is about time and place. Meaning ascribed to moments in time and space. Through its lens a circle in 12 parts encourages us to observe and contemplate moments in time, to be here now, to be part of a creative act manifesting in that moment, to share and become part of the circle.
Over the last 3 years as the project has developed, certain elements have become more significant than others. One in particular is the ‘Nowness’ of it. I am trying to make work ‘live’ as much as possible, both in terms of the audio/visual performances themselves and the resources used within them. Visual material, textures and patterns referring to the zodiacal elements are gathered processed and used while we are in that sign e.g. footage of skies during Gemini are taken and used under the sign of Gemini.
As an ongoing process this is having an interesting effect on my life and practice as I find myself constantly looking for new material relating to each element as we move through the months and keeping an eye out for vinyl to connect with the themes and meanings of the planetary rulers and zodiac signs.
The found of music 