Mantis and Shadow - The Rites of Eleusis / CS

The Rites of Eleusis were a series of seven public invocations or rites written by British occultist Aleister Crowley, each centered on one of the seven classical planets of antiquity. They were dramatically performed by Aleister Crowley, Leila Waddell, and Victor Neuburg in October and November, 1910, at Caxton Hall, London.

This music is a personal response to the texts of these rituals.

On a more personal note; On the morning of the 6th of March, 2020, I awoke to find my wife, my partner of 26 years unbreathing and unresponsive. She was pronounced dead by a paramedic a short while later. My world was torn apart, turned inside out and upside down. Somewhere along the line, during the early days of my grief, I decided to write some music, which was going to be a challenge because I didn’t play an instrument and I had no understanding of how music was made. Over the next eighteen months (and continuing by the day), I threw myself into a whirlwind, a crash course in the practice and theory of music construction. This album is an expression of my love for my wife and the overwhelming grief I experience on a daily basis. This is for you Viveka.

This music is slow, quiet and an invitation to feel and reflect on what it means to be a living human being. I hope you find something in this music that speaks to you.

Special thanks to David Elstob, Gareth Elstob, Kathryn Jones, Netti Eustace Gray and Brent Gray.

“Every now and then an album comes along that blindsides you, leaving you emotionally reeling. The Rites of Eleusis is one of those albums. Written as a personal response to the texts of a series of seven public invocations by British occultist Aleister Crowley, this is a slow, somber and heartfelt album. The linear notes also explain that “… this album is an expression of my love for my wife (who died in 2020) and the overwhelming grief I experience on a daily basis. This is for you Viveka… ” and that really comes across in the music – this is haunting and melancholic neo-classical dark ambient, perfect for reflecting on your own life and the lives of family and friends. Beautiful.”

www.thisisdarkness.com/2021/11/30/frozen-in-time-this-is-darkness-playlist-november-2021/

Composed, produced and mastered by Shaun Elstob
Additional guitar on Saturn: David Elstob
Design & Layout: Orko Productions
Released September 15, 2022

***ALL PRICES ARE IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS***