The Making Of Candle Gardeners

The Making of Candle Gardeners. Released 30th May 2018 http://hyperurl.co/ef3qxg

Welcome to this journey. Music to be mindful, meditate and chill out to. This was an adventure abundant year in the making. A musical travelogue. Time flows as we capture elements of our life, loves, experiences, states of being. Multi-Instrumentalist Claudine West (aka Earth Tree Healing) releases her 7th instrumental New Age recording via digital stores on 30th May 2018. The name Candle Gardeners came quite suddenly during a celebration of Samhain in 2017. A year in the making. The journey, inspirations and concept created on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, Malibu. CA. Wales and Glastonbury, England. This 12-track album explores ethereal places of musical ascension. Starting by the coast. ‘Overture of Oceans’ introduces the album. Explore sonic sunny rambles with ‘Glastonbury’ then wake with the mellow golden dawn of ‘Eos.’ Chill out to ‘Summerland.’ The upbeat ‘Green Man’ sparkles and indulges. ‘Namaste’ is an evolving improvisation with Sitar. The hypnotic refreshing heartbeat and simple piano of ‘Mercury In Retrograde’ gently prepares you for the meditative ‘Doom Mons’ and 25 minute track ‘Realms.’ We then embark on the final 3 introducing the waking rhythms of ‘Illumine’ and ‘Lithosphere.’ The finale wildfire is ‘Diablo Winds.’

The name Candle Gardeners came quite suddenly during a celebration of Samhain in 2017. I was in Wales with Family. We had prepared the table in the Blue Room for our feast of honouring our ancestors.  We lit candles for loved ones and were in and out of the room bringing food. I was tasked to guard the candles. It then happened upon us all the ‘garden’ them. Divination, laughter, affirmations and a noisy hamster wheel via Skype followed. Our circle..The Candle Gardeners. This had been the place where Ange and I had been Hand Fasted on April 1st 2011. The place of magic, where the Green Man and wood nymphs roam. Watching over with blessings. There is a strong possibility of the presence naughty faeries too. (The ones that nicked all of our tea spoons last year!) Thanks for giving me back my cowbell you pesky little ones. I need it for gigs! 

samhain blue room
The Blue Room Wales. Samhain

Earlier on October 15th 2017. I had stood upon the golden sands of Zuma Beach, Malibu. Watching the Pacific Ocean waves.

Track 1: Overture Of Oceans.  I have a true love for the sea, the healing, new beginnings. An indulgence of wonderful negative ions. That feeling good experience that revitalizes ones being. Freedom as the waves crescendo on the shore, a vast open expanse of well being. The danger in one moment, that might just swallow you into the deep blue. The recreation of that feeling musically begins this album. See more blogs of the trip to California. I could and would live here. https://wordpress.com/view/claudsville.wordpress.com

Track 2 (recorded 17.03.18 is simply the beautiful guitar and piano of ‘Candle Gardeners.’ It was the last track and 13th recorded. My album theme tune.

Full video playlist making of Candle Gardeners featuring more videos. 

Track 3: Glastonbury. Waking up to birdsong on sunny fresh morning gazing at the Glastonbury Tor.  I grabbed my phone and captured the summertime.  It’s a magical place. Somerset is a beautiful County. I love the vibes. It’s also a place where we could live. This is inspiring in itself. Creating this track, creating the balance of natures music, with variety and feel of the instruments. Acoustic guitars and flute compliment piano arpeggios. I used an accordion that I bought from a car boot sale in Colwick, Nottingham.

Track 4: Eos. The Greek Goddess of Dawn. To become witness to the absolute wonder and beauty of sunrises over and over is one of life’s many pleasures. When each day awakens.. new opportunities for a blissful existence arise. great for yoga and meditation practice. Chasing sunsets draws me into the woods and flourishing skyline adventures.

Track 5: Summerland. During my first past life regression, described in my Kindle book Claudsville Blogs and Bio of a Bog Woppit  I glimpsed a moment in time where I stood gazing upon corn fields. With an electric blue sky and a breeze shimmering. I felt content and accomplished. I felt peace. We arrive at the Summerland. We remember the Summerland. In the afterlife, rapture, blessed be. The music to travel to your places and explore the serenity. I recorded the video on a train travelling back from Wales January 2018.

Track 6: Green Man. It is thought his image was the medieval bridge between Paganism. and Christianity. Our foliage faced Pagan nature spirit. Symbolizing rebirth, spring. I see him as the ‘daddy of the woods.’ Growing up in Nottinghamshire with the Legend of Robin Hood and The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest. Wood nymphs run riot, beheaded vegetation deities, nature is a beautiful thing. What flowed when I composed this was a mandolin menstruation. A fast strum to the beat of a bodhran. I then planted different seeds to grow. The Green Man to me watches over. Lives in the wild abandon. Often glimpsed but ever present. I’d painted him a number of years ago on a box for the Daughter of friends.

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Green Man will have its full unveiling upon release. It’s one of my favourite tracks on the album.

Track 7: Namaste. Añjali Mudrā or Pranamasana. A venture into the sitar. I’ve got a beautiful old one from India with a history that dates back decades. How better to honour it with the welcome of Namaste. Starting off on Kalimba. I added an autoharp. This track was Improvised. The spark in sunshine. The limes in a tree. It’s quite a citrine blossom with differing shades of  wild orange. I’ve had dreams, meditations and vision during Reiki attunements of temples…floating.

Track 8: Mercury in Retrograde. Spells trouble, trauma for some of us. It certainly meant trying times for us in 2017. Once acknowledged though, one works through it and come out the other end wiser even if a little peeved. I’d been working on a piano riff. The original recording went a bit haywire in my studio. Nothing would sync to it for no apparent reason. I profess not to be a sound engineer. More of a multi-instrumentalist that puts a jigsaw of instruments together. The riff became quite fitting and a reflection of this time.

Now your journey moves into unadulterated relaxation. Lay back, meditate, practice mindfulness, yoga.. dream…

Track 9: Doom Mons. Titan. The largest moon of the planet Saturn. The largest mountain range. I recorded binaural beats and with a setting the turning to God frequency 432hz. This is consistent with the vibrations, patterns and mathematics of the universe. Ancient sites such as Stonehenge and the pyramids reflect the number 432 as the ratio to the sun, earth and moon. Article here There is a subtle difference for listener exploration into Zen compared to 440hz music. At this point on the album it is time to drift off into the cosmos.

Track 10: Realms.  25 minutes of frequency 432hz.  Imagine a breeze, imagine a moment. Imagine a horizon. And… relax, meditate, practice yoga, mindfulness, connection.

Track 11: Illumine Enlightenment. Awaken. Attain insight. Attain spiritual knowledge.

Track 12: Lithosphere The crust and upper mantle of the Earth. Armed with a flask of tea by the lake. We connect to the earth, the crust. Observing the wonder of the sky and the sunrise.

Track 13: Diablo Winds

I was in San Francisco, October 2017 during the wildfires, the fear, the tragedy, the smoky air, watching it live on the news. Unprecedented destruction. I wanted to capture quickening, the forces of nature…I’ll never forget the burning..thoughts, prayers and healing. Trees are born in fire…

Track 13 (recorded 17.03.18 is simply the beautiful guitar and piano of ‘Candle Gardeners’

Full video playlist making of Candle Gardeners featuring more videos. 

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Making Candle Gardeners. It was a more ‘go with the green, the flow and the rhythm indulgence. Sessions and my creative juices have been so productive during the winter darkness, Vitamin D supplements and Chai Tea. That I’m now halfway thought recording ‘Reiki’ which will be released on July 1st 2018.  The commitment to a track a weekend is a welcome release from a stressful and exhausting  6 months in the NUH day job. Summer is coming…..

Claudine West Music/ Earth Tree Healing links

Check out my other albums.. 8 Sabbats, Archangel Divination 2, The Journey, Archangel Divination, Citadel, Meditation Chronicles.

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8 Sabbats Album – Earth Tree Healing

Experience The Celebration, The Ritual, The Beauty.

8 Sabbats’ by Earth Tree Healing is the 6th release from Composer/Multi-Instrumentalist Claudine West. This New Age instrumental album celebrates The Wheel of the Year, salutes the Equinoxes, Solstices and Harvest Festivals. From relaxing meditation music to dancing around a Beltane fire. For fans of good vibrations. Claudine meditated and channelled energies to capture the essence of each Sabbat/track. Available from digital stores (iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Play etc) and on CD, October 31st 2017. 

‪Album 8 Sabbats

Music Links https://linktr.ee/earthtreehealing

‘Music is a portal. My inspiration for this album, being Pagan. Was to connect further musically with Gaia, our traditions, the history and practices. Honouring the Earth, Nature, Tradition and Spirit. Journey through this musical wheel, from a Pianissimo to its Crescendo, like nature. Feel it, breathe it, let the quiver and the cadence flow. It is the Earth, the Air, the Sky, the Water, the Fire, the Spirits, the Energies…I am grateful for what I have. With our cats often sitting in on recording sessions. As a musician at Claudsville Studios. I sit back, meditate upon the intention and let the vibrations take over. I’m the puppet of improvisation and flow. My guitars, mandolin, bass, sitar, auto harp…Adding piano and keyboards, sounds, frequencies. I am a conduit. Conscious thinking departs. During the composing and recording process, I channel the energies, the essence. I find this experience blissful. I ascend, I dance, I meditate, my fingers flow creating universal vibrations. Blessed be’

Journey through this musical wheel, from a Pianissimo to a Crescendo, like nature. Feel it, breathe it, let the quiver and the cadence flow.  It is the Earth, the Air, the Sky, the Water, the Fire, the Spirits, the Energies…

1. Samhain (31st October) As summer ends, we enter the dark half of the year. The vale is thin between our world and the other world. Also known as All Saints Day and Halloween. Samhain is a personal journey I undertake to Wales, with family.  Our descendants who reside in the Summerlands gather and dine. Rituals, Divination. Candles burn until they disappear. This is our time together. As the Wheel of the Year continues. We are thankful of the harvests this year. We carve pumpkins, make pumpkin fritters with brown sugar. With a leg of lamb with the roast. The head of the table is laid and dines with us. We place our candles there for our loved ones. This blue library room is where we congregate. Pudding is apples and plenty of brandy for pudding Samhain.

samhain blue room
The Blue Room Wales. Samhain.

In the years that have passed. I’ve cried, I’ve overcome. I miss them when they visit and offer support and advise… Good advice! We’ve all discussed what needed to be. From the books… we learned more through divination, than they told read cover to cover. With warmth into darkness. We walked through flames and overcame. We planned, rescued, supported. Where lectures helped awaken. Our hand fasting date on 1st April 2011 came from Samhain. Being part of this something has been welcomed and fabulous. I’m writing this, as am on the brink of my own evolution into bliss. Belief, small steps, giant bounds. The truth and a little help from my loved ones in spirit, got me here right now. Thank you. Oh and enjoy the music 🎶


2.  Yule (21st December) The Winter Solstice. The shortest day. It’s time for us to light the Yule log. Celebrate the rebirth of the sun. Watch the fire crackle, bring warmth and hot soup for the soul. Settle with the cats as the evenings get darker and magical. We prepare our intents for the coming year of new adventures. As a child the excitement of the winter snow has never left me. The white blanket that comforts. Present giving and seeing the surprise and gratitude is wonderful feeling. I’m hoping with a little help from the law of attraction, 2018 will bring a Hurdy – Gurdy 😉 (Luckily we just got given a free hot tub!) This time has also been spent with our circle in Wales. With this track I wanted to enhance that magical feeling. The peeping from under the covers. Rebirth in the Solstice sun.

hurdy

3. Imbolc (1st-2nd February) Following what feels like the damp, dark month of January, the land awakens with the beginning of spring.  Where udders lactate. Receive blessings from the Goddess Brigid. This is the time for creativity, inspiration, initiations and music making. (Claudine filmed the video of beautiful skies on a flight back to the UK from a trip to California and Nevada in October 2017)

4. Ostara (21st March) (Spring Equinox) From the North to the East to the South to the West. This is the Spring Equinox. The first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. If Imbolc was a breath on the wind …Ostara is the refresh. The jolt, the spark, the greenery. Life comes alive. The rebirth of nature. The fertile 5 elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit combine for growth.  The Cross, the Wheel of the Year. Night and day are almost equal. I love this time of year as it’s the big wake up. The flowers begin to bloom. Colour returns. This is a personal favourite on this album. This track has orchestral instrument arrangements such as French Horns and Clarinets. Whilst a big fan of using the Harp. I put in the pulse of rhythms for this true awakening and celebration.

5. Beltane (30th April-1st May) The festival of fire. This is the beginning of summer. Known as May Day. Bonfires are lit to honour the sun for future harvests. Originating from the Celtic God ‘Bel’ (The Bright One). The rhythm. With guitar, mandolin and drums. This track encapsulates the power and the passion. Dance round the maypole in the wild. Here is a clip of me recording a guitar part.

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6. Litha (Summer Solstice) (21st June) With the longest day and the shortest night. The sun is at its Zenith. The Fire Festival with The Sun God. Stonehenge gatherers celebrate midsummer with rituals. This was the first track I composed and recorded for 8 Sabbats. Happy times, sunshine and excitement.

7. Lammas Lughnasadh (1st August) The prelude, first harvest of the season. The festival of the cutting of the grain. From the Irish God ‘Lugh.’ This music for a medieval feast. Don’t forget to make Corn Dollies!

8. Mabon (21 September) (Autumn Equinox) Night and day are of equal length during this harvest festival. Reap what you sow. Be grateful for the blessings that you have. Process the past year, plan your future. As we head into Autumn. I like to get my blankets out, burn lots of candle and romance in the atmosphere. While the leaves will fall. The greens turn into beautiful oranges, red and yellows. The air freshens. A purity in the crisp mornings with the lowering sun. (Filmed 12.08.17 on Cromford Canal Matlock, England. Thank you http://www.cromfordcanal.info/ for the canal boat trip.)

Meditate, relax, dance, celebrate and love ~ Claudine