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Isaque Solaris – Endless, The Angels Mix


"Dedicated to Dozite Mateus Nsifua (1985 – 2021), my great friend who will always be in everything I am and do."


Lighting one candle
With another candle –
Spring Evening
                 *** Yosa Buson (1716 - 1784) ***


Music by : 
https://soundcloud.com/isaque-solaris

Artwork by : 
https://soundcloud.com/brownsword

Mastered by : 
https://soundcloud.com/dare-2-b-different

Free gift to the universe – launched with love from planet Earth on the 11th of April 2021

Isaque Solaris - Endless, The Angels Mix

"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies"
- J.M. Barrie -

Isaque Solaris - Fairy Dust

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/isaque-solaris

Cover artwork : 
https://soundcloud.com/brownsword

Free gift to the universe. Launched with love from planet Earth on the 5th of December 2021

Isaque Solaris - Fairy Dust

After weeks of dark and gloomy days, Hekske (the little witch) was delighted to wake up under a glorious sunrise.  For the first time this winter, temperatures had dropped below zero and the whole forest was covered under a mesmerizing layer of ice crystals.  Falke (the 9 year old witch apprentice) had once again snuggled under the moss blanket of the witch to keep warm.  At that moment, the little witch realized it was the very day of the winter solstice, which is always a wonderful day filled with mystic rituals.  This year’s winter solstice was extra powerful as it coincided with a full moon.
After drinking a warm cup of herbal tea, the 2 barefoot witches (accompanied by their trusted friend Bob The Owl) went to the sacred place where the little oak tree was growing.  Although this tiny tree was only 3 feet high, it was destined to live for a thousand years and become the future mother tree of the forest.  The little oak was being guarded 24/7 by Lalita, a tree nymph from South-East Asia, who gave a warm welcome hug to Hekske and Falke.
Lalita took a beautiful crow’s plume and a flacon with magic ink, getting ready for a body painting session.  It was Falke’s very first time and she was of course very excited.  Hekske took the feather,  dipped it in the ink pot and drew a few flames on Falke’s feet and lower legs.  She had learned these flame symbols from the Eldnorns, fire witches from Iceland.  Within seconds, Falke experienced the power of the magic ink while her legs and feet became pleasantly warm and the symbols themselves emitted an intense orange glow.  After that, the magic feather decided to make a drawing on Falke’s back.  The little witch held the feather in her hand, but she didn’t control its movements.  At first it wasn’t clear what the pen was drawing, and only after a few minutes the women could see that the feather was drawing a mysterious portal, half rock and the other half an old thick oak tree.
At that moment, the earth started to tremble and the surrounding trees started to shake.  To their bewilderment, the 3 girls saw a huge rock emerging from under the ground with a loud rumble.  A few minutes later, the rock stopped moving and an eerie silence descended upon the forest.  Falke, Hekske and Lalita were speechless and petrified.  The rock was actually some kind of pillar and was standing upright, around 3 meter tall.  
After a few minutes, the forest animals emerged from their shelters and Pegasus, the old wise fox, observed the giant rock with great interest.  He concluded that this must have been the prehistoric menhir of which some age-old stories existed.  It appears to have been buried under the ground for centuries.  This discovery confirmed the old legends that this spot used to be a holy place in ancient times.  At that moment, Hekske looked at the drawing on Falke’s back, and she noticed that the standing rock had exactly the same shape as the menhir.  But that was still only one half of the gate, so where was the oak tree which formed the other half?  Then it dawned to the 3 women that the tiny oak tree was standing just 2 meters away from the menhir, and a branch seemed already to have grown a few centimeters into the direction of the giant stone.  A mystic gate in the becoming …

Connect with the witch : 
https://soundcloud.com/narfux

Photo credits : Faula @shutterstock

Witchtape #111 | Guest Witch : Narfux

© artwork by Jim aka Bock&Fuchs ➲ contact ✉info@bockundfuchs.com

Hekske (https://soundcloud.com/the-house-witchtapes) presents „I have a Mriya“ Afterhour Sounds Podcast Nr. 242

Unsere Nr. 242 kommt heute von einer besonderen belgischen Künstlerin und Kuratorin, die für ihren ausgesprochen, guten Musikgeschmack und der Liebe zum Detail bekannt ist.  
Die Rede ist von Hekske, welche der internationalen Downtempo und House Szene ein Begriff ist. Mit ihrer Reihe Hekske ❋ The Magic Witchtapes (https://soundcloud.com/hekske) erreichte sie in einem wahnsinng schnellen Tempo eine unglaublich treue Hörerschaft. Egal ob Künstler oder Tänzer. Jeder war sofort von dieser besonderen, nämlich storytellenden Reihe angetan. Die Texte sind exakt auf den Künstler und deren Musik abgestimmt, verknüpfen dabei immer wieder geschickt die Episoden miteinander. Man merkte von Anfang an, dass ihr an dem Podcastprojekt sehr viel liegt. Und dies bestätigt sie nun schon seit fast 5 Jahren mit anhaltend hoher Qualität. 

Nach drei Jahren des Kuratierens entschied sie sich dann selber hinter ihrem Projekt hervorzutreten, um ihre eigenen Geschichten musikalisch zu erzählen. So auch in unserer neusten Ausgabe…aber dazu später mehr. 

Ihr aufgenommenes Set wartet mit einer gewissen Melancholie und gehörigen Portion an Deepness auf. Nach ihrem gewohnt samtweichen Intro, macht sie recht schnell klar wohin die Reise geht. Nämlich auf den Dancefloor. Die Klänge sind drückend, hypnotisch und mit einer Menge an groovigem Bass angereichert, wie zum Beispiel der fabelhafte Track https://soundcloud.com/katahaifisch/premiere-atric-frida-darko-low-battery-temple-tears-remix. Hin und wieder blinzelt aber auch die Sonne in Form von organischen Elementen, wie Bongotrommeln, durch. Angereichert wird das Ganze fortan mit sphärischen Passagen, die nun auch zum Träumen und Verweilen in dem Gemütszustand vollkommener, innerer Ruhe einladen. Eine spannende Mischung. Diesem beschriebenen Stil bleibt sie fortan bis zum Ende treu und schafft mit ihren zwei letzten Tracks den berühmt, berüchtigten Bogen zu ihrem Intro Track zu schließen. Inklusive einer Live-Aufnahme vom letzten Flug der Mriya. 

Zurück bleibt ein kaum beschreibbares Gefühl von positiver Trauer. Positiv, weil sie mit ihrer Musikauswahl zugleich eine Aufbruchstimmung transportiert, das Schlimme vergessen machen zu wollen. Schließlich sollte jeder von uns eine Mriya im Herzen haben…
Die Zerstörung der letzten Mriya (An-225 Mriya) während des russischen Angriffskrieges vom 24.bis zum 25.02.2022 im Kampf um den Antonov Flughafen, steht so die Vermutung, symbolisch für die Tragödie des Krieges und dem Verlust, den so viele Menschen erlitten haben… Aber auch für den Glauben daran, das Positive und die Zuversicht nicht zu verlieren. Etwas was in der heutigen Zeit, mehr denn je von besonderer Wichtigkeit ist.

Wir danken dir vielmals Hekske für dieses besondere Set. Umwerfend, tiefenergreifend und erfrischend gut. Bitte bleibe deiner Linie treu. Chapeu.

✘ Hekske ( Hekske ❋ The Magic Witchtapes // Ninove // Belgium)
@https://soundcloud.com/hekske

Text: arkadiusz. [https://soundcloud.com/arkadiusz-dmytrow]

Download

Hekske presents „I have a Mriya“ Afterhour Sounds Podcast Nr. 242

After a rainy morning in late March, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the 10-year old witch apprentice) went for their daily inspection round of the damp witch’s forest. Along the way, they met with a group of squirrels, a group of starlings and a group of snails, after which they had a chat with Barney the barn owl. He remembered that centuries ago, there used to be special names for all specific groups of animals, but now all these names have been forgotten. Then Falke asked whether he was really sure that all these names had been lost for good. Barney gave it a deep thought, and then he said that ‘mayybee … maybe there is a chance that the owls of Snowdonia have preserved these ancient names’. And Barney proposed to fly to that place, which left the witches elated. Hekske uttered a size reduction spell and both (now pocket-sized) girls jumped on the back of Barney, who flew away in Western direction. After a long flight over the North Sea on the wings of the owl, a pod of porpoises showed them the way to the island of Albion. And on top of the white cliffs on the coast, the visitors were immediately spotted by a watch of nightingales, who showed them the way to Snowdonia. On the edge of the forest, a murmuration of starlings took over and guided their guests to the hollow willow tree. Barney, Hekske and Falke entered the tree through a small hole, but after entering they found themselves in the middle of a vast chamber which was full with owls. This was obviously the parliament of owls and its eldest member (a venerable eagle-owl) welcomed their visitors, and enquired what was the purpose of their quest. Hekske explained that they were seeking the names of all specific groups of animals. Upon hearing this request, the eyes of the eagle-owl lit up and he started to smile. He showed his visitors the way to a secret library, where they found a very old and dusty book. The eagle-owl explained that this was the original book of St-Albans, written in the 15th century and one of the oldest printed books of Albion (and the oldest English book written by a woman). Hekske and Falke cautiously opened the age-old book and browsed to the chapter about ‘The Companies of Beasties and Fowlies’. And there they found the list of all groups of animals … a gaggle of geese, a bike of bees, an unkindness of ravens, a murder of crows, a conspiracy of rooks, a skulk of foxes, a business of ferrets …
This book was a real treasure which left the witches breathless. The rest of the day, Hekske, Falke and Barney memorized over 100 different group names, after which they said goodbye to the parliament of owls and flew back to their home forest in Flanders. And after a long flight they got a warm welcome by a group of coots … and now they could reveal that they were actually a ‘covert’ of coots …


Connect with artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/eve1-lyn

Mastered by Isaque Solaris
https://soundcloud.com/isaque-solaris

Photo credits : Chase D’animulls

And if you want to find out more about the book of St-Albans :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5rcbUqiZKI&t=616s

Witchtape #145 | Guest Witch : Eve Lyn

Witchtape #156 | Guest Wizz : Adeil Airaki

Connect with the wizard : https://soundcloud.com/adeil_airaki

Tracklist : 

1_ Adeil Airaki - Dark Sun [UNRELEASED]
2_Gorje_Hewek,_Amonita,_Makebo_-_Never_Been_(Original_Mix)
3_Baget_-_Neyney_(Original_Mix)
4_Soble & Bijana Pais - Day Dreamer [Amselcom]
5_Trippin_Jaguar,_Raffaello_Visconti_-_Duat_(Original_Mix)
6_Dear_Humans_-_Harvest_Moon_(HAFT_Remix)
7_MI.LA_-_Sun_(Original_Mix)
8_Jai_Cuzco_-_Camino_(Original_Mix)
9_Laaar_-_No_Place_to_Hide_(Original_Mix)
10_Sahalé_-_Djiin_(Original_Mix)
11_Adeil Airaki - Broken [UNRELEASED]
12_Leveldva - Antaares - Ay Amor
13_Beyhude_-_Uroboros_(Original_Mix)
14_Adeil Airaki - Wait What? [UNRELEASED]
15_Booka_Shade_-_Love_Inc_(Original)
16_Mente_Organica_-_El_Invierno_(Original_Mix)
17_OneRec_-_Parallel_World_(Original_Mix)
18_Evren_Furtuna_-_All_Shades_of_Blue_(Original_Mix)
19_Eternal_Moment_-_Monada_(Original_Mix)
20_Skydrips,_Tiefe_Wasser_Berlin_-_Du_Bist_Hier_(Original_Mix)
21_Nas - Nobody

Photo credits : Ironika (Irina Alexandrovna)

Witchtape #156 | Guest Wizz : Adeil Airaki

It was mid-January in the witch’s forest, and after the floods came the sudden cold. It was freezing day and night, and the nymph’s pond was covered with ice. And after the first snowstorm since 3 years, the whole forest was covered with an immaculately white carpet of snow. Everything had gone silent.
But the next day, the sun was finally shining and despite the subzero temperatures, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the 10-year old witch apprentice) decided to take a dive in the nymph’s pond. While making as little noise as possible, they broke the ice and waded into the crystal clear water. Despite the cold, the water felt as pleasant and revitalizing as ever.
Meanwhile, Lalita (the Asian nymph) was already preparing a delicate massage oil in her little cauldron using spices from her home country of Sri Lanka.  She had prepared the oil according to an old ayurvedic recipe which had been passed on from nymph to nymph for over 2500 years.
By the time the massage oil was ready and had cooled down to the ideal temperature, the witches had finished their bath and Hekske lied down on her belly on a comfortable soft bed of moss, waiting for what was about to come.
Given the freezing temperatures, Lalita didn’t waste much time and poured the first few drops of the warm ayurvedic oil on the little witch’s legs, after which she gently rubbed the oil into her soft skin, while the sophisticated scent of cinnamon and cardamom spread through the forest.  The massage oil quickly warmed up her feet and legs, until her whole body was glowing while her mind slowly drifted away in a state of deep relaxation. 
Strangely, the air on her skin gradually changed from ice-cold to tropically hot. And the quiet winter forest was suddenly lush and green and bustling with life. The little witch listened to a spellbinding concert of unknown song birds, like the yigüirro and the quetzal. And in the distance she heard the calming sound of the Nauyaca Waterfall. This place felt like a true garden of Eden.
Meanwhile the massage was still going on, deeper and more soothing than ever. While still keeping her eyes closed, Hekske was trying to figure out who was massaging her now. She tuned in to the energy field of the man who was giving her the massage. Never before had she felt so many different layers of energy, each layer deeper and more sophisticated than the previous one. Finally she connected with the purest energy she had ever felt, while her whole body and soul drifted towards complete ecstasy. This massage touched her to the deepest part of her soul …

Connect with the artist :
https://soundcloud.com/josy5

Photo credits : Ondrej Prosicky

Witchtape #163 | Guest Wizz : Josy5

After staying for over a week in the ancestral village of Ishola (Hekske’s lover) on the misty slopes of the Ruwenzori Mountains, the witches kissed goodbye to their friendly hosts and continued their flight southwards, following their inner compass. Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the 10-year old witch apprentice) flew over a wide variety of breathtaking landscapes, like the Okavango delta and the thundering Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya). 
While following the Limpopo River, they saw a breathtaking sunset unfold in the west… it was high time to land and find a safe place to spend the night. The witches saw no humans which meant the place was safe. They landed at the foot of a majestic tree, but didn’t have much time to savor the glorious sunset, as a few hungry lions were stealthily approaching them, observing the witches in their long white dresses from close quarter, preparing for a decisive lethal strike. But while looking at the witches, a feeling of tenderness took hold of the lionesses. Instead of attacking, they walked slowly into the direction of the girls, who started to talk with a soft voice to the queens of the jungle. This drew the attention of even more lions and soon they were all lying at the feet of the witches, and Falke played and frolicked with a bunch of lion cubs - who especially loved to play with the girl’s long blond hair (the hair of a young witch is of an indescribable softness). The leader of the pride welcomed the young witches and ordered the other animals to prepare a soft bed of grass for the exhausted girls. And soon the Flemish witches drifted into a blissful sleep in the middle of a circle of lions, whom had never ever experienced a similarly peaceful presence in the plains. 
After a deep, blissful sleep, the witches woke up just before sunrise. Falke quickly realized that the little fluffy thing she was holding tenderly in her arms, was actually a lion cub and when looking around, she saw a lioness watching the two of them with endearment … clearly the cub’s mom. Slowly it dawned to the girl that she had been sleeping in the middle of a circle of lions … easily the best possible protection in the African plains. Despite being far away from her home forest in North-Western Europe, the little witches felt absolutely at ease. They looked around and saw all these wonderful animals roaming on the plains : zebras, antelopes, giraffes and even a herd of elephants in the distance.
A bateleur eagle had spotted the witches and touched down in front of their feet. The girls understood that the bird wanted to take them somewhere and they kissed goodbye to their friends of the lion pride. The eagle flew straight to a nearby forest, and touched down in a clearing where a group of women were waiting for them. These were local witches, but they looked very different from European witches. They were all wearing colorful long clothes. The witches themselves had all kinds of skin colors, ranging from black, brown to white. When Falke said something in Flemish to Hekske, the local witches smiled and started to talk to them in the local Afrikaans language. Hekske and Falke couldn’t believe their ears … this language sounded just like Flemish, but with a more expressive intonation and some funny expressions. They never expected that witches from this part of the world would speak the same language as them. After the welcome hug, the African witches gave an energetic welcome dance, which they would soon teach to their European guests. This place had such a beautiful energy …

https://soundcloud.com/leepdias

Photo credits : Theodore Mattas

Witchtape #167 | Guest Wizz : LEEP

For the fourth time in two years time, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the 10-year old witch apprentice) flew eastwards, all the way to the mighty Dnipro river. It was early April and the temperatures were very mild and pleasant. Then they saw their friend Mriya (Мрія) waving at them in the middle of a flowery meadow. Mriya was 14 years old now, and she had grown a lot since their last visit. To Hekske and Falke’s surprise, Mriya greeted them with 3 kisses on the cheek, and wished them a happy Easter. She proudly showed them her easter basket, which was made from willow branches and covered with a white towel, which was beautifully embroidered in yellow and blue patterns. Mriya explained that this towel was made by her great-grandmother over 100 years ago. She explained that she was expecting visitors from all over Ukraine. Soon afterwards, another witch arrived and they all welcomed her with 3 kisses on her cheek. Her name was Vesna and she came from the woods around Mount Hoverla in the west. She had brought some small bottles with colorful dyes : violet from the bark of an elderberry bush, yellow from the flowers of the woadwaxen, gold from onion skins, etc..
Soon afterwards, another witch arrived from the east. She had flown all the way from the scenic valley of the Oskil river.  A little later, another witch flew in from the north but after that it was a long wait for the witch of the South. Finally, a young witch flew by and gently landed on the fairy meadow. She had come all the way from the Valley of Ghosts. And she was not alone as she was accompanied by a sweet-looking animal. The witches were elated when they realized this was the raccoon which was stolen from this area some 1,5 years ago. The lively animal was very happy to be back home again, and soon the raccoon was frolicking with all the witches, and rolling over from joy.
Now that all witches had arrived, Mriya put some eggs on the table while Vesna opened the bottles with the colorful dyes. The local witches knew exactly what to do, applying hot wax on the eggs before scrathing and dying them in elaborate colorful patterns. Many of these patterns had been passed on from witch to witch for centuries. These decorated eggs were called ‘pysanky’.
Vidma, the witch from the northern plains had another method to decorate the eggs, which she did by coating eggs with bee wax and covering them with beads in vivid colorful patterns. This kind of easter eggs were called ‘biserky’.
Hekske and Falke truly enjoyed the typically Slavic cosy atmosphere of the Easter celebrations. And after nightfall, they lit a bonfire, sang spellbinding age-old witch’s songs and they performed folk dances around the fire until well past midnight. 
This was easily the cosiest Easter Hekske and Falke had ever experienced…

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/enmaniguada

Photo credits : Dobra Kobra

Witchtape #168 | Guest Witch : Enmaniguada

Witchtape #181 | Guest Witch : ᒍEᗰᔕKI.

On that cold and windy morning in early December, Hekske (the little witch) woke up when Falke (the 10 year old witch apprentice) snuggled once again under their moss blanket to keep warm and dry.  The weather was absolutely miserable with ice-cold melting snow lashing down mercilessly on the forest.
After getting up, the girls drank a warm mug of herbal tea and their mood brightened up considerably when they realized it was the full moon day, which meant they’ll participate in the monthly witch coven (which always takes place in a different location and in the ever-changing company of a third witch). A little later the girls took off from a clearing. They knew they would reach their destination just by following their deeper intuition. To their great surprise, they were flying very slowly in western direction. This meant that the coven would be really close by. 
They were heading straight to the ‘Bois de Leuze’ forest, which is only a few miles away. The witches were puzzled, because they had visited this forest before, and back then no witch was living in these woods.
The girls gently touched down in a clearing, surrounded by giant beech trees. The forest was really dark on that day, and full of mushrooms, which was very unusual in December. There were stunningly beautiful fungi from many different species, like fly amanitas and yellow stagshorns. Hekske and Falke had never seen so many mushrooms and admired this miracle of nature in awe.
But suddenly the silence was rudely interrupted by the crashing sound of a falling tree. They saw a giant beech tree tip over and fall down with such a force that the earth started to shake, followed by an eerie silence. This was all quite strange as there was no wind at all. 
The saddened witches went to have a look at the dying tree until Falke suddenly started to scream. It appeared that an unconscious witch was lying in the hole under the roots. Hekske rushed to the scene, and they both pulled the witch out of the hole and laid her on a soft bed of moss. Her body was pale and cold, but Hekske could feel a faint heartbeat. Both Hekske and Falke tried to warm the witch up with the power of their hands, and slowly a blush started to appear on her face. She was beautiful and young, with a very special pale skin color. A few minutes later she slowly opened here mesmerizing green eyes and started to look around. She looked very confused. While Hekske kept her company, Falke prepared a herbal tea. And after taking a few sips from this brew, the witch became very alert. The first question she asked was which year it was. Hekske replied that is was the year 2024. The witch looked really bewildered by this news, and she hesitantly explained that her name was Quintine, and that she had gone into hibernation in the year 1610, as she fled for the people of the nearby village of Ellezelles who wanted to burn her at a stake. 
Hekske and Falke hugged Quintine and reassured her that witches were no longer being persecuted in the year 2024, and that she was safe now. They helped Quintine back on her feet. Her body was at first very stiff after 414 years of hibernation, but slowly her nimbleness came back. She was overjoyed to see all these mushrooms, and she told Hekske and Falke that the she knew the recipes of some powerful magic potions using these rare fungi. The girls collected some firewood, lit up a bonfire with a floating spark and started to prepare their first magic potion of the day …

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/jemskiii

This set was created and played at the ‘Elemental Dreams’ event which was curated by : 
https://soundcloud.com/8doc_music
https://soundcloud.com/Lacunaberlin

Photo credits : Claudia Otto

Witchtape #181 | Guest Witch : Jemski.

It was the day of the winter solstice and the weather was as miserable as it had been all month long. This truly was the darkest day of the year, yet Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the 10 year old witch apprentice) were in a cheerful mood as they were collecting firewood for the traditional solstice bonfire. They were soon joined by Quintine, who had woken up from a 414 year hibernation during the last full moon (see Witchtape #181).
The firewood was all damp and wet, but with a lot of patience (and a magic spell or two) the witches got the bonfire going. It was Quintine who got the honor to light up the fire with a floating spark, which she hadn’t done since the year 1609.
And as if by magic, at that moment the clouds opened up for the first time since the last full moon and the witches got an awesome view of the sparkling stars, including the planet Venus which was exceptionally bright that night. And to make things complete, the sky was lit up by a mesmerizing aurora borealis, which is extremely rare in Flanders. The witches were looking in awe at this celestial spectacle, when the shimmering lights of the aurora borealis suddenly intensified, and a fantastical figure appeared in the sky – a huge flying whale named Sven. His scales shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow, and magical sparks flew from his mouth. Sven descended to the bonfire, and his mighty presence instilled a sense of reverence and joy in the witches. Falke had never seen flying whales before, and her eyes sparkled with admiration. "Hello, Sven," Hekske greeted, reaching out to stroke the giant scales of the whale.
"You are always on time." "Hello, Hekske, Falke and Quintine," Sven responded with a gentle yet powerful voice that echoed through the mountains. "I felt that today is a particularly important day. I am here to assist you with the solstice rituals and to show you something amazing. "Sven began to soar around the bonfire, performing a graceful dance in the air. The witches and forest spirits watched as his movements created magical patterns in the night sky. These patterns told stories of ancient natural forces, of winter and summer, of the balance between light and darkness. "Today we celebrate not only the shortest day but also new beginnings," Sven explained. "May this fire burn in your hearts and souls as brightly as it burns on this night."

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/ykkka

Picture : Hin Sam Wan (Three whales Rock) in Thailand (credits : kckate16)

Witchtape #182 | Guest Wizz : ykkka

That day, Hekske (the little witch) got a rude awakening well before dawn when a snow flake landed straight on her face, while the wind was howling through the dark forest.  Falke (the 10 year-old witch apprentice) had once again snuggled under the moss blanket of the witch to keep warm and dry.  The winter had been mild up to then, but on that day the harsh winter weather had finally arrived. The outdoors life of a witch is full of beautiful and rewarding moments, but on mornings like these, even the toughest witch can sometimes be yearning for a warmer and drier place.
A little later, both girls were sipping from a warm cup of herbal tea and their morning mood brightened up considerably when they realized it was the new moon day, which meant it was the day of their monthly trip outside the witch’s forest.  They waited for the rain and wind to abate a bit, after which they took off and headed towards the east.  They had no idea where they were going to and were just following their inner compass.  It was a pretty easy flight with the girls benefiting from the strong tail wind and one hour later they reached Limburg, the easternmost province of Flanders with its breathtaking landscapes of orchards and lush forests. Today the place was even more beautiful than ever with its cover of immaculately white snow. After a while, the witches saw a girl waving at them from a heath field below them. As the girl was wearing a long white dress and walking barefoot, she was obviously a witch. Hekske and Falke touched down gently, where they got a warm welcome by the girl and her guard wolf. The girl was very young, but her long red hair and mesmerizing green eyes showed that she already was a powerful witch. After a long and tearful welcome hug with the witch, Hekske and Falke cuddled and hugged the wolf. The warm and fluffy feeling of a wolf is one of the most wonderful feelings a witch can get. 
This was a very special day for the girl as it was the very first time that she met other witches. They decided to go for a walk in the snow-covered heath field, which was dotted by several small meres (shallow ponds). The wolf was in a frisky mood and was playing in the snow all the time. The young witch explained that the wolf had left his pack to take care of her when she was still a child. Wolves are known to be the most faithful and trustworthy companions for witches. The bond between the wolf and witch was obviously very deep and soul-touching. 
Normally witches do a lot of mystic ceremonies, but on that day they decided just to have some fun and walk around this spellbinding winterscape. And at the end of the day, they gave a last hug to each other (including a fluffy hug to the wolf) and promised to visit them again next spring, when the heath will be in full bloom …

Connect with the wizard & Murphy :
https://soundcloud.com/dj_andara

Photo credits : Ironika (Irina Alexandrovna)

Witchtape #183 | Guest Wizz : ∆ N D ∆ R ∆

It was a misty and cold day in mid-January, when the fairies suddenly heard the blue jays singing in the distance. They immediately knew what this meant, this was a clear sign that a new fairy was about to spawn.
The fairies flew to all corners of the frozen woods, but couldn’t find the place. It was only in the late afternoon that one of the girls yelled from excitement. She had found a beautiful yellow fairy which was in the process to spawn like a winter flower. Her friend arrived and shouted how stunning the pink color of the new fairy was.
The other fairies poured in, but they all seemed to see a different color : violet, aqua, fuchsia, orange, scarlet and indigo.
More fairies arrived and all of them saw one of these 8 colors. 
This was something which had never happened before.
And while the new fairy slowly unfolded like a delicate daffodil, the forest dwellers uttered a great number of ooooohs and aaaaaahs.
Finally, just after dawn, the new fairy had spawned. 
And it was a fairy like no one had ever seen …


Track produced by Isaque Solaris
https://soundcloud.com/isaque-solaris

Artwork by 
https://soundcloud.com/brownsword

Isaque Solaris - Reinvented

After yet another January storm, the wind finally abated just after sunset. The weather had been particularly miserable this winter, and now that the snow has melted, the whole enchanted forest had become soggy and swampy. After being clouded for over a week, the sky finally cleared up, just in time to see the near-full moon rise over the eastern horizon. 
Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the 10-year old witch apprentice) welcomed their friend Quintine, who had woken up from a 414 year hibernation a couple of months ago. The witches huddled together while watching the bright moon, which had a rare blue glow that night. 
After some time, Falke looked around and saw a faint light in the distance. Apparently there were more visitors on the way. Given the fact that none of the spotter owls had raised the alarm, the witches knew that they had nothing to fear from these visitors. The light came closer and closer, and after a while they could see that there were actually several lights. 
Finally they could see the contours of their visitor, a bearded man with a long cloak and a cone hat. This was obviously a wizard.
The man took of his hat and greeted the witches politely. He introduced himself as Eoin, the Irish wizard of light. And he was not alone. He was accompanied by 8 young wizard apprentices who were all carrying glowing crystals. The boys launched a myriad of floating lights in a circle around the clearing. And all mushrooms started to glow, each in a slightly different color. Eoin smiled and announced solemnly that this is the festival of lights, a ceremony which he is performing every year in January, to chase away the darkness of winter and make the forest ready for Spring.
The wizard gave 3 crystals to the witches, who held it in the palm of their hands. The crystal of Falke had a subtle yellow glow, while Hekske’s crystal had a mesmerizing pinkish glow. And Quintine’s crystal emitted a purple pulsing light. Intuitively, the 3 witches came together and brought their hands close together. And this had an amazing effect on the 3 crystals, which now really came alive. The witches just couldn’t believe their eyes …

Connect with the wizard :
https://soundcloud.com/aka_tony

Artwork by Aka-Tony & Dalle

Witchtape #184 | Guest Wizz : Aka-Tony

Just before sunset, the 3 witches (Hekske, Falke and Quintine) touched down on the gentle slopes of Gugu Peak, the enigmatic mountain in the Godeanu ridge which mysteriously disappears every now and then. A group of Carpathian witches welcomed them with warm hugs and delicious papanasi. The local witches couldn’t stop cuddling and kissing Falke (who is only 10 years old, which is unusually young for a witch apprentice). The witches in this part of the world are exceptionally warm and hospitable. They went to a crystal-clear mirror lake, where they lit up a bonfire. That was the start of a long night filled with mystic ceremonies and age-old Carpathian songs.
The next morning it was time to say goodbye. One of the witches invited their 3 Flemish guests to her place near the Black Sea. The girls lifted off and flew from the Carpathians to the plain of the mighty Danube river, which they followed downstream until they saw the Black Sea in the distance.
They touched down on the beach, where an old witch was waiting for them. She introduced herself as Ileana, and she gave a warm welcome hug to Hekske and sweet little Falke. But then she appeared a bit stunned when she was looking at Quintine, and enthusiastically asked whether she was the greatgranddaughter of Quintine from Ellezelles, a witch she had met over 400 years ago. 
Quintine’s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. Now she recognized Ileana, who had changed a lot in the course of 4 centuries. She explained that she was Quintine herself, and that she had just woken up from a 414 year hibernation to escape the persecutions of the 17th century (see Witchtape #181 for the whole story). As a result, she hadn’t aged a single day since the year 1610.
The witches spent a lovely lazy day at the beach until it started to get dark. Then they slipped out of their long white dresses and waded into the water. To their great surprise, the water was emitting a mesmerizing blueish glow which lit up with each wave. Ileana explained that this glow is being emitted by tiny organisms named Noctiluca scintillans, which most people call ‘sea sparkles’. And she smilingly added : ‘and some people call them witch’s veil’.
Soon they were swimming far away from the shore, surrounded by these mysterious lights, which seemed to pulsate with each wave. It felt as if they were flying through a universe filled with pulsing stars. And even more mystifying, the little lights seemed to react to the witch’s presence and flock around them. This mesmerizing spectacle soon made the witches lose their sense of space and time, and they kept on swimming in this magic world until deep in the night …

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/gabay

Photo credits : Monstar studio

Witchtape #187 | Guest Wizz : Gabai

After a long flight, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the 10 year old witch apprentice) gently touched down in the middle of the Serranía de la Macarena, an isolated mountain range in between the Llanos and the Amazon Forest. They received a warm welcome by Taina, a young Muisca witch which they had already met the year before. This place felt like a real garden of Eden, surrounded by lush green forests full of wild animals like jaguars or gray-legged tinamous, which are supercute ground-dwelling birds. The view on the nearby Andes mountains was absolutely breathtaking. This place felt like a true paradise.
And it even got better when Taina showed her guests the way to an idyllic waterfall. The witches didn’t hesitate one second. They slipped out of their immaculately white dresses and waded into the water, right next to the waterfall. There they noticed that the water was crystal clear. Taina explained that the name of this river is the Caño Cristales and that it has the clearest and purest water on earth. The water felt so pleasant on their skin and long hair, that the girls lazily swam around for over one hour. Then the girls spontaneously formed a circle and floated around with their legs intertwined, performing an improvised graceful water ballet. The witches became so deeply relaxed that they didn’t notice that they slowly drifted away with the current. The water gradually flowed faster and faster, and soon the witches were in the middle of a series of rapids. Witches are excellent swimmers who can stay under water for a long time, so the rapids were great fun for them. They yelled from excitement while sliding down waterfall after waterfall. After a while the river became really wild, and they had to hold their hands really tight in order to avoid getting separated. 
Strangely, Hekske started to see some unusual colors under water, ranging from green, blue, black, red to yellow. After sliding down yet another roaring waterfall, the girls swirled around in a natural pool where the water was a lot calmer. Taina explained that this place is called the giant’s kettle. And she added that this colorful river is also called the liquid rainbow. Hekske and Falke looked in awe at all these vivid colors. This river not only has the purest water on earth. It also has the most stunning colors.
This place truly felt like heaven on earth and the witches were in no hurry to get out of the crystal-clear water …

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/eckert-philipp

Photo credits : milkmanwest

Witchtape #190 | Guest Wizz : ECKRT

It has been 4 years already since the day that Lalita, the tree nymph, arrived in the witch’s forest to fulfill her lifelong duty, which is to protect the little oak tree in the middle of the woods. She had walked all the way from her home forest in South-East Asia and found her tree in a Flemish forest after an epic 3-year quest by following her inner compass. In the process she crossed countless majestic rivers, bone-dry deserts and snowy mountains.
Luckily, Lalita received a warm welcome by Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the witch apprentice) and she quickly felt at home in her new forest. Tree nymphs have a mission for life, and they always need to stay within 90 yards from the tree they are protecting.
Since the arrival of Lalita, the little oak tree has been thriving. It’s still only 3 feet tall, but its roots go dozens of feet deep in the ground. This is obviously no ordinary tree, as it is destined to live for over a thousand years and become the future mother tree of the forest ecosystem.
The little tree is surrounded by a badger’s sett, which consists of 11 concentric circles. Everywhere in the tunnel complex, roots of the oak tree can be found, which are easy to recognize as they have a soft pink color and pulsate with a slow but steady heartbeat.
The forest dwellers have done everything to make Lalita feel comfortable in her confined space around the oak tree. The ever-friendly badgers have even dug a pond for the nymph, so that she can take her daily bath, often accompanied by the two witches. The forest animals visit her regularly and listen to her age-old songs or to her ancient tales of the mountains above the Nam Song River. And sometimes they simply come to cuddle and frolic with the tree nymph. Lalita was almost always in a cheerful mood, smiling all the time.
But despite all the satisfaction of her important and successful mission, and all the love she receives from all the forest dwellers, there are times that Lalita feels a bit sad and homesick. That’s what happened the day before, after which Hekske and Falke decided to keep Lalita company during the night, under her cozy moss blanket. At first daylight in the morning, Bob The Owl hurried to the three girls. He had an important message to convey. At the edge of the forest, a strange parcel had been found. Hekske and Falke rushed to the place, where they found a big parcel wrapped in colorful silk. This looked distinctly Asian, so they decided to bring it to Lalita. The tree nymph was super excited when she saw the parcel. This clearly came from her home valley in South-East Asia. So that means that her friends and family hadn’t forgotten her!!  She unwrapped the parcel, and inside was a real treasure trove of goodies, including spices like cardamom and cinnamon. But most importantly, there were several pieces of cloth and many meters of yarn in all kinds of colors. Lalita immediately knew what to do with it. She started to stitch together the cloth, making a colorful skirt and jacket, and patiently embroidering sophisticated patterns. It took Lalita 3 days to complete her new set of clothes, as well as some ethnic ornaments and she just looked stunning wearing them. The witches and all forest animals came to see Lalita’s new colorful attire. And Lalita… she was shining like never before after receiving this surprise gift.

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/callistea

Story written by Hekske

Witchtape #191 | Guest Witch : Callistea

On a windy day in June, a lone wizard got lost in a big forest. He sensed immediately that this was not an ordinary forest. The most beautiful flowers were blooming everywhere and the birds were not shy at all. Some birds even landed on his hand when he stretched it out. This is not unusual for wizards as they have a strong bond with nature, but when he looked carefully at these two owls sitting on his hand, he realized they belong to an endangered species which were believed to have gone extinct in this part of Europe. Now the wizard was absolutely convinced that this must be one of these forests which was being protected by a witch. He had already heard stories from other wizards that witches were making a comeback in recent years, yet he had never seen one of these elusive creatures with his own eyes. And – looking at the pristine state of this forest – this must surely be a very powerful and experienced witch, and probably pretty old. The wizard didn’t have high hopes of spotting the witch, as they are known to have excellent hiding skills. So he simply savoured the sheer beauty of this garden of Eden…
As the wizard strolled through the pristine forest, he saw something unusual from the corner of his eye. When he realized what he was looking at, his heart skipped a beat. Standing in a small glade was a young woman with long brown hair and immaculately white clothes. She was so absorbed in her work - picking mushrooms with graceful moves - that she didn’t notice the wizard. Actually, witches can move around freely in their forests without being circumspect, as they can count on an extensive network of spotter owls to raise the alarm whenever a human enters the woods. In most cases, the intruder doesn’t get deeper than 300 feet into the forest before being intercepted and chased out. Yet on that day, not a single bird had raised the alarm. Even her faithful Belgian shepherd dog, although he had immediately spotted the wizard, decided wisely to stay calm and moved to the other side of the witch, distracting her a little bit. As the wizard slowly came closer, he heard the witch sing softly with a sweet voice. Yet he couldn’t see her face yet. But it was clear she was very young, maybe even still a teenager (although it’s being told that It’s impossible to estimate the age of a witch).
Then things happened in quick succession… a twig snapped under the wizard’s foot. The witch immediately looked up. It was a sight the wizard would never forget. For an instant they looked into each other’s eyes. The bright green eyes of the witch were even beyond mesmerizing. During a split second, the wizard got a glimpse of the universe behind these eyes. He was speechless after seeing all this beauty, while the witch was so stunned and overwhelmed by contrasting emotions that she couldn’t utter a single word. Then she glanced briefly at her dog with a really angry face (to which the animal immediately responded by lying low with flat ears while showing his most innocent face). And finally, she collected her thoughts and ran away. Within seconds, she had disappeared into the thickets with an astonishing nimbleness…

Connect with the artist :
https://soundcloud.com/johann_bello

Photo credits : Ironika (Irina Alexandrovna)

Story written by Hekske (rework of the tale of Witchtape #21 which was published on the 10th of May 2018)


Witchtape #192 | Guest Wizz : Johann Bello

That morning on the day of the summer solstice, the little witch woke up in a cool and damp forest. With her eyes still half-open from a good night’s sleep, her heart suddenly skipped a beat from excitement when she realized the next night there would be a full moon, which meant she’ll participate in the monthly witch coven (which always happens in a different location and in the ever-changing company of two other witches).
After finishing her daily inspection round of the muddy woods, the barefoot girl washed her feet in a little stream, said goodbye to the forest dwellers, and flew into the unknown. She knew she would – as always - reach her destination by simply following her inner compass.
This time she flew straight from Flanders to the South (even slightly to the South-West) and it was a really long flight. Never before had she ventured into this direction. After flying all day long over a variety of lush green landscapes, she saw a mountain range in the distance. She realized these must be the Pyrenees, which she knew from the stories of elder witches. Soon she was flying higher and higher through a valley which became narrower and narrower. Sunset time was nearing and the little witch realized she had to stop somewhere for the night. When reaching the highest ridge of these mountains, she spotted a couple of friendly griffon vultures. For a while she joined the two majestic birds who were soaring high above the mountain peaks. The little witch had never seen such elegant birds in flight. She also noticed the shape of the mountains was very different from the Alps (which she had seen a few times already). The peaks were not as high and had a much rounder shape than the sharp and angular mountain ridges of the Alps. The griffon vultures invited the girl to the spot where the whole group spends every night, which was a green and almost horizontal meadow just below a beautiful dome-shaped mountain top. It was a wonderful vantage point to observe the glorious sunset. When looking around, the witch spotted the impressive silhouette of an Ibex standing on the very top of the nearby mountain. Despite the distance of half a mile, the witch could clearly see his extremely long horns curving backwards, and she admired the proud and authoritarian posture of the animal. This was obviously an alpha male. The griffon vultures told the witch that these Iberian Ibexes had been introduced in the Pyrenees by humans a few years ago, as a replacement for the endemic Pyrenean Ibex which had gone extinct around the year 2000. And the species is now hesitantly starting to thrive again, with 3 young calves being born during the last couple of weeks.
A few minutes after spotting this impressive animal, the mountain range was covered in darkness, only lit by the rising full moon and millions of bright stars (easily the brightest starry sky the girl had ever seen), while the temperatures rapidly plunged below the freezing point and a thick fog engulfed the whole mountain and they were surrounded by complete silence … Mother Earth was holding her breath …

Connect with the wizard :

Story written by Hekske (originally published on the 16th of May 2021 for Witchtape #94)

Photo credits : Serhii Yurkiv


Witchtape #193 | Guest Wizz : Damjan Vojtovic

That sunny morning in July, Hekske (the little witch) woke up in her home forest, which was exceptionally lush and green after some good rains. Since one week, the rain had stopped and the forest was really sunny and pleasant. While she was still stretching her body before getting up, her friend Bob The Owl flew by in a hurry, warning her that there was an intruder in the forest. That was really strange, as humans are strictly barred from entering these woods by guard animals. The girl quickly slipped into her immaculately white dress and followed the owl. Within minutes, she saw the ‘intruder’. It appeared to be a little blond girl, around 9 years of age (which was by actually the witch’s own age when she arrived in the forest 10 years ago). Judging from her clothes, the girl was obviously human, yet she seemed to feel herself very much at ease in the woods, and she was playing and giggling with a family of squirrels.
The little witch approached the girl, who didn’t get scared when she saw her. For a few seconds they looked at each other and it struck the witch that this child had all the typical traits of a witch : sparkling eyes, a shiny soft skin and a character nose. Her pale blue eyes were beyond mesmerizing and seemed to be the gate to a vast inner universe. The little girl felt immediately comfortable with the witch and they engaged in a long tender hug. Despite the fact that they were unable to talk to each other, they immediately felt a strong bond between them … which strangely seemed to have started centuries ago. When walking through the forest, all animals got very curious and wanted to say hello to the new little blond girl. The witch requested the weaver birds to sew a tiny white dress for the girl. One hour later the dress was ready and the child was very eager to try it on. She looked incredibly cute in the immaculately white dress and all the forest animals uttered a collective ‘awwwwww’. She also had to shed her sneakers as witches always go barefoot. The first steps were a bit hesitant but once she felt the soft clover of the central meadow, the girl started to dance spontaneously, and she played with the butterflies. Soon the place was filled with laughter and giggles. The child had never been so happy in her whole life. Her human life had been a true ordeal with both her parents falling prey to drug abuse … and she was really determined to live a pure life far away from substances and all other vices of mankind, devoting her life to mother earth.
Next, the girl got introduced to the nymph (who is protecting the little oak tree which is destined to become the future mother tree of the forest) and they all took a dive in the nymph’s pond, where the little girl played with the dragonflies. For the rest, she simply enjoyed floating on the still water surface and looking at the little white clouds flying high in the blue sky. Despite being very playful, the girl also had the ability to be very peaceful and serene, just like a real witch.
The day quickly passed and soon nighttime fell. A family of dunnocks had made a soft bed of moss for the blond girl, but she preferred to snuggle with the little witch and got ready for her first night in the open air. The child was wondering why it was so dark, but she forgot about all that when she looked up in awe at the stars and the train of the milky way, which were clearly visible from the enchanted forest. And that’s how she slowly drifted away into a blissful sleep … her very first night in the open air … her very first night as a witch …

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/nikolas-gagarin

Story written by Hekske (originally published on the 13th of June 2021 for Witchtape #96)

Photo credits : Ironika (Irina Alexandrovna)

Witchtape #194 | Guest Wizz : Nikolas Gagarin

That cool morning in July, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the witch apprentice) woke up in their home forest in Flanders. As it was raining, they were not in a hurry to get up and lazily huddled together under their moss blanket until the sky cleared. After preparing some herbal tea, the girls suddenly got into a flying mood. This was quite strange, as witches normally only fly out on full moon days to participate in a witch coven. Anyway, Hekske and Falke decided to surrender to their deeper instincts and took off from a clearing in the forest. As always, the witches knew they would reach their destination by simply following their inner compass.
This time, they were heading eastwards and soon they were flying over the rolling hills of the Eifel mountains. Soon afterwards, the girls felt they had reached their destination and gently touched down near the edge of a forest, where they were welcomed by a skulk of red foxes. Hekske and Falke hugged and kissed all the playful foxes.
The vixens and their female cubs led the witches to a forested hill named ‘Kesselchen’ where they found an old cauldron. Sara, the eldest vixen, explained that this kettle had belonged to Antonia, a witch who had protected the foxes during the Middle Ages. This cauldron is being used once a year during the annual vixens ceremony, which was due today. The witches took the kettle with them, while the foxes showed them the way through the dark and misty forest. They stopped near a pond with a mirror-like quiet surface.  The vixens all jumped into the water without hesitation, while Hekske and Falke slipped out of their immaculately white dresses and waded into the cool water. Foxes rarely take a bath, but when they do, they show their most playful side. Sara explained that this is a holy pond in which the vixens take a bath only once a year, on this holy day.
After getting out of the water and patiently drying their fur until it was shiny and fluffy, Sara filled the cauldron with crystal-clear water from a nearby well (Brünnchen).
The vixens continued trotting to the venue of the ceremony. The route was like a pilgrimage and followed exactly the same path for centuries, passing many holy places, like a row of 8 tall oak trees named ‘Hocheichen’, and a hill named ‘Flugplatz’ where they were welcomed by a kettle of sparrow hawks. On each of these stages, more foxes joined the procession until the group had grown to over 100 vixens.
They went down to a valley where they reached their destination : a dark forest named ‘Fuchsröhre’ (fox hole). This is the holiest of holy places for the vixens. The forest is dominated by ‘Antoniabuche’, a giant 500 year-old beech tree. The foxes led Hekske and Falke to the tree, and when the girls touched its bark, they could feel the loving and caring energy of Antonia. And they also got visions of the recipe of a magic potion. Like in a trance, Falke told the vixens to find all ingredients, which included raspberries and black berries. The foxes found all berries, mushrooms and spices. The vixens looked in awe while the witches patiently prepared the magic potion. And after the brew had cooled down, all the female cubs were allowed to lap up a few drops while the elder witches sang some age-old songs. This was their coming-of-age ceremony and now the cubs duly belonged to the sisterhood of vixens. 
After this solemn ceremony, all foxes showed their most exuberant side and started to cheer and dance until late into the night. The witches felt the playful and ebullient energy of the vixens and joined the ecstatic dance. 
This truly was the most magical night of the year …

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/tobi-alain

Photo credits : grusgrus444

Story written by Hekske on the 27th of July 2025

Witchtape #195 | Guest Wizz : Down from another Town

It was the full moon day of August, and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. After some good rains during the last few weeks (ending a long dry spell), the forest was fresh and green once again, and summer flowers were blooming everywhere. There were even some penny buns popping up at the foot of some trees.
Normally, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the witch apprentice) always fly to a witch coven on all full moon days. But strangely, they didn’t feel any urge to fly on that sunny day. It was clearly a sign that mother earth wanted the witches to celebrate the full moon in their home forest. The girls decided to visit Lalita, the nymph who is protecting the little oak tree which is destined to become the future mother tree of the forest. 
The witches always love to listen to the stories of Lalita’s epic 3-year journey from the rainforest of the Malay peninsula all the way to this forest in Flanders. This time she told many stories about her long odyssey through the Arabian desert, wandering from oasis to oasis and especially savoring the stunning starry skies every night. 
The witches were so spellbound by Lalita’s stories, that they hadn’t noticed that the sun was already going down. It was high time for their evening bath in the nymph’s pond, which was dug by the clan of badgers who live in a circular sett underneath the future mother tree. As tree nymphs never go further than 300 steps away from the tree they are protecting, the forest animals have done their best to make Lalita’s life as comfortable as possible.
The girls slipped out of their immaculately white dresses and waded into the cool water. It is always a lovely sight to see Falke’s shiny blond hair, Hekske’s long brown hair and Lalita’s raven black hair just above the mirror-like water surface, before dipping under water.
When they resurfaced a few minutes later, Falke spotted the rising moon over the Southeastern horizon. The girls were instantly spellbound, as the silver white moon was brighter and clearer than ever. It made Lalita think back to the sultry starry nights in the middle of the Arabian deserts. 
The girls dipped under water again and lazily floated around, until they noticed that the moon was hovering above their heads. The soft light was reflecting in Falke’s blue, Hekske’s green and Lalita’s dark brown eyes. The moon descended even further, until she was hanging just one foot above the water surface, right in the middle of the 3 girls. They had never seen the moon from this close, and it felt as if they were floating in space, surrounded by the moon, the planets and the milky way. They lost all sense of space and time and just felt the strong and loving energy of the universe. The girls were so mesmerized that it was impossible to tell whether this precious moment lasted for minutes or hours.
After what seemed like an eternity, the girls slowly returned to their senses and felt the water touching their skin again. When they opened their eyes, they saw they were back in the nymph’s pond. And the moon? She was back in the sky again, shining brightly with a soft silver-white light and getting ready for a new cycle …

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/iris_anahata
Performed at the Musence Portal at the Hive Festival.

Photo credits : Ironika (Irina Alexandrovna)

Story written by Hekske on the 10th of August 2025


Witchtape #196 | Guest Witch : Iris Anahata

On the first day of September, Hekske (the little witch) woke up in a cool and damp forest. With her eyes still half-open from a good night’s sleep, her heart suddenly skipped a beat from excitement when she realized the next night there would be a full moon, which meant she’ll participate in the monthly witch coven. She woke up Falke (the witch apprentice) and after drinking their morning tea, they got into a flying mood and flew into the unknown. They knew they would – as always - reach their destination by simply following their inner compass.
This time they flew to the North-West and after a long flight over the North Sea, they finally saw a rugged coastline with white cliffs. And after flying for a few more hours over a variety of lush green landscapes, they finally sensed they had reached their destination at the edge of a huge forest, where an old witch was waiting for them. She introduced herself as Fiona, and after a warm welcome hug, the girls followed their guide deep into the woods until they reached a pond with a mirror-like surface. The witches slipped out of their immaculately white dresses and waded into the crystal-clear water. This place was incredibly still and quiet. The witches were just lazily floating on the surface, looking at all these shades of green around them and soaking up the serene energy.
The mood was so relaxed that the witches only got out of the water when the sun was going down. To their bewilderment they found out that their white dresses had been replaced by 3 green dresses. Intuitively, they knew which dresses belonged to each witch. Falke was immediately drawn to the short dress with the frisky spring colors, while Hekske fell instantly in love with the emerald green dress with the mysterious patterns, which was matching perfectly with her bright green eyes. The witches tried the dresses on and magically all were a perfect fit. 
Fiona (now wearing an elegant dark-green dress) led her guests to a nearby apple tree, which was bearing so many fruits that the branches were hanging down. The girls all picked a green apple, and ate it with great appetite. This was easily the best apple Hekske had ever tasted. And after eating the fruit, she felt even more connected than ever with the lush surroundings.
After this, the witches lied down on the soft moss at the foot of a giant oak tree, when they sensed an unusual presence. Falke opened her eyes and saw a green viper next to her. She knew she had nothing to fear from this snake and stretched out her hand. Soon the curious viper was slithering over her body before curling up on Falke’s belly and seemingly falling asleep. This meant that Falke was not only a dragon tamer but also a snake charmer. She spent the whole night with the beautiful snake on top of her, and the next morning she kissed goodbye to her new friend. Time had come to fly back to her home forest in Flanders and tell a lot of new stories to all the forest dwellers …

Connect to the artist :
https://soundcloud.com/poizonivy_music

Photo credits : Valentina Zavgorodniaia

Story written by Hekske on August 31st 2025

Witchtape #197 | Guest Witch : Poizon Ivy

Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the witch apprentice) gazed at the bright light of the near full supermoon and they were already feeling excited about their next witch coven. But this month, their bodies started to feel ticklish one day earlier than normal, so the witches decided to take off and fly in South-Eastern direction, following their inner compass. The girls flew much further than ever before, to a land which was much warmer than their home forest in Flanders. It was also drier, yet way more varied and diverse, a mosaic of Mediterranean shrublands interspersed with lush green valleys with olive and fig trees, which the girls had never seen with their own eyes before.
The girls flew straight towards a low mountain range, which was greener and cooler than the coastal areas. Then they saw a woman waving at them at the foot of an old tree. Hekske and Falke sensed that this woman was a witch and that they had reached their destination.
The witches gently touched down and got a warm welcome from the witch, who introduced herself as Suha. She pointed at the olive tree and told her guests that the tree had the same age as herself… a bit over 2000 years!!
Hekske and Falke looked in disbelief at each other and realized that the history of this part of the world goes much further back in time than in Western Europe. In fact, this area is the cradle of the sisterhood of witches! Suha explained that they were in the middle of the lush green Ajloun Mountains. For a long time, she was the only Palestinian witch left in the area, and she admitted that it was too much work to take care of all the trees. But now a new generation of witches is rising up. Suha pointed in the distance where 6 young witch apprentices were running towards them. The girls were full of energy and fire and gave a lot of hugs to their European guests. Soon these young witches would be ready to take care of the trees in all corners of the Levant, replacing non-native plants by native species, in order to restore the original ecosystem of this part of the world.
Then one of the girls pointed at the sky and they saw 3 witches flying towards them. These were all friends of Suha: Mona from Mount Druze, Hannah from Mount Carmel and Juliana from the Beqaa Valley. The people from this part of the world rarely get along these days, but inside the sisterhood of witches it’s all friendship, respect and love.
Suha led her guests to a nearby river, where they all slipped out of their white dresses and took a refreshing bath in the crystal-clear water, after which Suha gave new dresses to all her guests and to the 6 apprentices. These long dresses were all white with beautiful green, black and red patterns along the seams. Suha and the 6 girls had been working for 10 days to stitch these dresses together. They all tried their dresses on, and miraculously these were all a perfect fit. After this, Mona took her bag and pulled out another surprise: she had brought apricot paste from Syria (which is known to have the finest apricots in the world). The women immediately started preparing Qamar al-Din, a sweet traditional apricot juice. 
And Suha had also prepared ma’amoul, which are semolina cookies filled with figs, dates and pistachios from nearby groves. All the girls enjoyed these delicious cookies with Arabic coffee and a touch of cardamom. 
The women had such a great time that they hadn’t noticed the sun had already gone down. This would be the start of a long and unforgettable night, full of mystic ceremonies and ecstatic dances…

Connect with the artist :
https://soundcloud.com/samerodehh

Photo credits : Oxana Belorus

Story written by Hekske on the 12th of October 2025

Witchtape #198 | Guest Wizz : Samerodeɦ

After a long flight over the Malay Peninsula and the Gulf of Thailand, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the witch apprentice) finally saw their destination on the horizon: the splendid island of Ko Phangan, of which they had heard so many stories from Lalita (the nymph who is the protectress of the future mother tree of the witch’s forest). 
First the girls made a tour around the coastline under a sky-blue sky, looking in awe at the pristine sandy beaches and dense mangrove forests. After that, the witches flew inland as they sensed that their destination was somewhere in the lush green hills. The girls gently touched down near a rice paddy, on the edge of a dense forest. This island was every bit as beautiful as Lalita had described. As nobody was waiting for them, the witches decided to walk into the forest. They knew they would reach their destination by simply following their deeper instinct. The forest was absolutely amazing, with giant tamarind trees and lush elephant ear plants everywhere, while birds (like the myna, drongo and coucal) were singing enchanting songs from everywhere. After a while, the witches saw an old temple in the distance. When they were around 200 yards from their destination, a torrential downpour suddenly started seemingly out of nowhere. The warm rain drops were actually really pleasant, and Hekske and Falke kept on strolling in an unhurried fashion. A few minutes later they arrived at the temple, by which time they were already soaked to the bone. They received a warm welcome by Kanchana, a young witch who was waiting for them. Kanchana started to chuckle when she saw the dripping wet witches, and showed her guests the temple pond. As they were already wet anyway, the girls decided to slip out of their long white dresses and waded into the clear water. It was the first time they were taking a bath in the middle of a rain shower, and this was a surprisingly pleasant feeling. They even could see thousands of water drops jumping up a few centimeters whenever a raindrop hit the water surface. Apart from this visual spectacle, the sound of the rain was also incredibly soothing.
Kanchana told her guests that she had sensed the presence of a naga since that morning. She explained that nagas are holy snakes which control the water and are protectors of fertility and life. So she was not surprised that the rain had suddenly started just before Hekske and Falke arrived at the temple. Just at that moment, something strange happened. The rain stopped abruptly and at the same time all the birds stopped singing. There was suddenly complete silence, apart from a soft whispering sound of the wind. At that very moment, the 3 witches saw a snake lazily move towards the edge of the pond before effortlessly slithering over the water surface. It was clear that this was no ordinary snake. This was obviously a naga, who was probing the visitors of her realm. Obviously, the snake was in a relaxed mood and she even curled around Falke’s arm. It was already known that Falke was a natural dragon tamer, but apparently she’s also a natural snake charmer. She’s even able to speak sweet words to the curious snake, despite having never learned snake language. The naga stayed with Falke for over an hour, curling around her body all the time with cautious yet playful movements. 
It was only at dusk time that the snake had decided that it was time to go. Falke gave one last kiss on the nose of the naga, after which he slithered back into the lush green forest. 
Obviously, also for the witches it was time to get out of the water and get ready for an epic full moon night filled with mystic ceremonies and ecstatic dancing … 

Connect with the artist : 
Soundcloud.com/annapanilli

Story written by Hekske on the 2nd of November 2025

Witchtape #199 | Guest Witch : Anna Panilli

It was already mid-November and so far it had been an extremely mild autumn in the witch’s forest. But this morning it was frosty for the very first time, which meant that Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the witch apprentice) were lazily huddling together and searching for excuses to stay a bit longer under their cozy warm moss blanket. 
Just after sunrise, they heard a loud yell from above. It was Quintine, the witch from Ellezelles who was flying overhead and obviously already very much awake. Quintine is the witch who had gone into hibernation in the year 1610 to escape from being burnt at the stake and who had woken up last year after 414 year-long slumber!
She touched down and announced excitedly that it was Schwof Day that day. Hekske and Falke were absolutely clueless as they had never heard of that day. Then it dawned to Quintine that this age-old tradition had been lost and that 21st century witches had forgotten this important day. So she explained that Schwof Day happens every 5 years on the 5th day after the full moon of November.
The 3 witches didn’t waste any time and followed Quintine all the way to Ellezelles, where they landed in the middle of the majestic beech forest. The woods were still covered under a thick mist blanket, but slowly the sun started to pierce through the fog. And then it happened: the sunrays penetrated through the mist and created a stunning visual spectacle. It looked like a pyramid of sunlight. Quintine was absolutely delighted, and she declared this was even more powerful than the one of 1605!
Then she showed a small cauldron in which she had prepared a special witch’s brew according to an age-old recipe. Just at that moment a raven touched down on Quintine’s shoulder, and he gave her a feather before flying away again. This was the starting sign for the holy Schwof ceremony. Quintine solemnly shucked off her immaculately white dress, and Hekske & Falke did the same. The brew appeared to be a kind of invisible ink. Quintine dipped the tip of the feather in the ink. She scribbled some elaborate invisible symbols on Hekske’s body, before handing over the feather to Hekske. At first, she didn’t know what to do, but Quintine just told her to simply trust her deeper instinct. She dipped the feather in the ink and started scribbling on Falke’s arm. Although she couldn’t see what she was drawing, her hand grew more confident. The feather seemed to know exactly what and where to draw. Hekske drew more symbols on Falke’s forehead, chest, belly and feet. And finally, it was Falke’s turn to take the feather and draw invisible symbols all over Quintine’s body.
Meanwhile, the pyramid of light had become even brighter. The witches solemnly entered the pyramid, after which the magic began. The sunrays made the symbols light up. It turned out that all of them were triangles, accompanied by many different mystic signs. And even more amazing, despite using the same ink, they appeared in a different color on each of the girls. The triangles on Falke’s body had become bright yellow, while the symbols on Hekske’s skin had turned emerald green. And the ones on Quintine’s skin were in a mesmerizing shade of phlox purple. Meanwhile the sun became ever more powerful, and the symbols now really started to glow on their skin. The 3 witches felt a kind of energy they had never felt before, right there in the middle of this light pyramid which only becomes visible once every 5 years. Suddenly, Hekske felt an irresistible urge to dance. Quintine and Falke joined her ebullient moves, which became fiercer and more energetic as the sunlight became ever stronger. This was the start of an intense ecstatic dance session which would last the whole day and the whole night…

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/schwofdrossel

Story written by Hekske.
Picture taken by Hekske in Ellezelles (Belgium) on the 1st of October 2025

Witchtape #200 | Guest Wizz : Schwofdrossel

After a long flight in Northwestern direction, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the witch apprentice) were forced to land because of the thick fog. Luckily, they were in the middle of a forest which meant they were safe. The trees looked quite different from their home forest in Flanders, and from the moss and lichens on the branches they could see that this was a very rainy and wet place. The birch trees were simply stunning and the witches touched and caressed the white bark. Suddenly one of the trees came to life and morphed into a tall male fairy with long black hair. At first the girls got frightened but when they saw his friendly smile, it became clear that this was a friendly forest dweller. He introduced himself as Ghillie Dhu, the grand protector of the trees. He welcomed the girls to the land of Alba, the northernmost part of the island of Albion, after which he showed Hekske and Falke the way through Glen Affric, a long valley with gentle slopes around the river Affric. After a long walk through the Caledonian pinewoods, they arrived in a small clearing. Despite the fog, this was obviously a stunningly beautiful and peaceful place. The girls were looking around, soaking up their lush green surroundings when suddenly they noticed that the Ghillie Dhu had disappeared. At first the witches were puzzled, but then Falke noticed a lone birch tree which wasn’t there before. The witches smiled and gave a long hug to the tree, kissing the Ghillie Dhu goodbye and thanking him for showing them around. Then they sensed another presence. They saw the silhouette of a young woman in a long green dress slowly striding into their direction. There was no doubt she was a witch. She had long auburn hair and mesmerizing black eyes. She introduced herself as Catriona, the witch of Glen Affric. After the customary welcome hug, she took here guests to a power spot on the bank of the river Affric. It was a spiral which consisted of rounded cobbles, which looked very ancient. Catriona explained that witches have been gathering at this holy place since the era of the Celts.
The place didn’t look that special, but as soon as Hekske entered the spiral, she felt a strong energy field around her. And in a matter of seconds, the mist cleared and the sun started to shine (which hadn’t happened for weeks). Strangely, Catriona’s eyes had a completely different color in the sunlight, and were now a mesmerizing shade of bright green. 
Hekske, Falke and Catriona continued to walk slowly towards the center of the stone spiral. Despite being a small circle of only 30 yards across, the journey towards the center of the spiral took ages, and meanwhile the witches observed a glorious sunset and the rise of a clear full moon in the East. All these celestial events made the energy of this place even stronger, and when the bright moon was high in the sky, the 3 witches finally reached the center of the spiral. They looked at each other, and started a spontaneous dance, slowly turning around in circles. The witches’ dance gradually became faster and more energetic and at one point, Hekske felt a strong presence around them. It looked first like a donut-shaped pink-orange cloud turning around them. This encouraged the witches to swirl around faster and faster, with the luminescent cloud whirling around them, while its color got more intense. Then Hekske saw that this cloud was actually a flutter of sprites, little fairies flying around like dragonflies. This would be the start of an epic night, with hours of ecstatic dancing by the witches and the sprites, and it would only end the next morning, when the full moon finally set at the exact moment of the sunrise …

Connect with the artist :
https://soundcloud.com/yunus-studer

Photo credits : Ironika (Irina Alexandrovna)

Story written by Hekske on the 3rd of December 2025

Witchtape #201 | Guest Wizz : Badawan

Witchtape #202 | Guest Wizz : Mayura (Balkan Bhakti Collective)

After a long flight in Southeastern direction, Hekske (the little witch) and Falke (the witch apprentice) saw a mighty river in the distance. Hekske instinctively knew this must be the Danube River, of which she had seen several sections before, but never in this part of South-Eastern Europe. The witches decided to follow the flow of the river downstream. Strangely, instead of getting wider, the valley became narrower and narrower, until it was just a steep canyon of near-vertical rock faces. The Danube River (which is a very old river), has patiently carved its way through this mountain ridge for millions of years. Hekske realized that this must be the Iron Gate, which Lalita (the tree nymph) had passed during her epic journey from South-East Asia to Flanders many years ago.
On the other side of the Iron Gate, the valley gradually became wider again. Hekske & Falke continued to follow the river downstream. They had no clue what their destination was, but they knew they would reach it by simply following their inner compass. Then they saw a young witch waving at them from the bank of a tributary. Hekske & Falke didn’t hesitate and gently touched down next to the witch, who introduced herself as Milena. After a warm welcome hug, Milena explained that this river is the Osam which comes straight from the Balkan Mountains. She invited her guests to follow her while flying upstream through the stunningly beautiful valley of the Osam River. A little later, they joined a gathering of over 2 dozen witches deep in the woods. It appeared that this was the traditional new year celebration of the witches of the Balkans.
The witches of this area are exceptionally friendly and hospitable, and they offered delicious banitse (filled pastries) with ayran (a sour yogurt drink). Hekske and Falke savored the yogurt, which was easily the best they had ever tasted in their whole life. And the banitse tasted lovely too… until Hekske and Falke chewed on something hard at exactly the same moment. The Balkan witches started to chuckle when they saw the faces of their Flemish guests. Milena explained that for New Year they have the tradition to hide a lucky charm in each pastry. In this case it was a little piece of a dogwood branch with a bud, which symbolizes health & longevity. And given the fact that most witches live over 500 years, longevity really means a lot…
And after this delicious welcome meal, the witches headed towards the mysterious Devetàshka Cave complex (Деветашката пещера) which is the holy site where witches hold the traditional opening ritual for he new year, like their ancestors have been doing for thousands of years…

Connect with the Balkan Bhakti Collective
https://soundcloud.com/balkanbhakticollective

Picture : Devetàshka Cave (credits : Jasmine_K)


Witchtape #202 | Guest Wizz : Mayura (Balkan Bhakti Collective)

Hi,
The seed of this witchtape was planted a few months ago, when I wrote this little fairy tale on a cold winter evening.  After I completed writing it, I had the strong feeling that this story needed a soundtrack and that it should be made by a true witch – so I sent the fairy tale to Hilary and she was really enthusiastic about this whole concept.  And this witchtape is the result.  Actually my story was only the starting point as Hilary worked it out as a truly epic witchy fairy tale... an instant spellbinder.
Peace & Hugs
Hekske

(Story continued from Witchtape #14)
Deep in the forest, the witch felt powerless and heartbroken as she witnessed one of her beloved trees crashing down.  She looked in anger at the logger and his big brown dog.  She needed to stop him from doing more harm, but the question was how.  Witches follow a strict code of non-violence and – contrary to popular belief – they don’t know any dark spells.  Then she had an idea.  The human was obviously a hopeless case, but she felt his Belgian shepherd might have some common sense.  So she sent her friend the owl to talk to the dog.  The bird swiftly flew to the big canine creature and explained him that his owner really should stop destroying mother earth.  The dog became very upset and disappointed and started barking at his boss.  The man tried to control his long-time companion but the dog became more and more ferocious.  Meanwhile the witch – who was still very young and insecure – gathered all her courage and approached the man from behind, with her owl sitting on her shoulder.  The dog saw this happening and stopped barking.  So the man went back to business, or at least that’s what he thought.  When he turned around, he had the biggest shock of his life and his face turned pale.  Standing just two meters in front of him was this girl with bright green eyes, staring straight into his eyes with a stone-cold face, while an owl was sitting on her shoulder doing the same with his big eyes.  The young  witch (who had never done a thing like this before) became all of a sudden very confident as she felt that every living being in the forest was supporting her, and she felt how her eyes really started to glow with a power she never knew she possessed.  The dog started barking again and this time he really attacked the logger.  The man looked away from the witch and made a quick getaway, in such a state of panic that he left his chainsaw behind.
Meanwhile the witch started comforting the agonizing dying tree with a new faithful friend on her side :  a big brown dog…
(story continues in Witchtape #22)

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/3hilary-3
https://www.facebook.com/HilaryMertaughDJ/
https://www.instagram.com/hilarymertaugh/

Photo credits :  Tanja Brandt
Visit Tanja’s website www.ingoundelse.de if you want to find out more about the amazing friendship between the dog Ingo and the owl Poldi.

This podcast is the result of pure love of music and is for promotional use only.  No commercial intentions.

Witchtape #16 | Guest Witch : Hilary Mertaugh

Our next story is told by Hekske, who left the forest for the summer to refill her sun tank. In her backpack she had left some space for this special set. :)

Thank you very much @hekske !! <3 

"It was a beautiful summer day, the young couple enjoying their lazy trip along the coastline in their convertible. This was surely the most beautiful day of their vacation, as they rolled through the lush green landscape, savoring the scent of all these flowers. They stopped occasionally to enjoy each other’s company, sucking up the breathtaking landscapes or sipping from sizzling champagne, looking forward to yet another lazy day and sparkling night. They both had the feeling that this was for real, that they finally found their soul mate.
They drove into the hills, following a winding road over a mountain pass. The landscape was still beautiful on the other side of the mountains, but the greenery was gone and it was just a desert. As they drove through this desolate landscape, the mood changed. A sense of loneliness descended upon them. They started to doubt… what would happen if their car broke down? Would they be able to make it to the other side, where the mountains looked even more beautiful, but still so far away? Then a red warning light started to flash on the dashboard and all of a sudden the engine stalled. The car came tantalizingly slowly to a halt and the young couple looked anxiously at each other… Would this be the end? They had no idea what kind of test was waiting for them…"

Hekske ❋ The House Witchtapes

Tracklist

Echoes from Hekske - The other Side

(Story continued from Witchtape #33)
After slowly waking up from a blissful sleep (which seemed to have lasted an eternity), the little witch was led to a pond by the two elder witches.  The girl was really excited when she saw that peaceful body of water, which was something she didn’t have in her own forest (it only featured a muddy swamp and a little stream but not such a cool little lake).  The witches walked cautiously side by side into the clear water.  The young novice felt the water rising up her legs, while the witches waded further and further away from the shore, until the water was at waist-height.  The water was pretty chilly but definitely not unpleasant, yet the cold sent a few shivers through her body.  The 3 women waded deeper and deeper until only their heads were above the surface.  The little witch had never swum in her whole life, yet she wasn’t the least bit afraid.  The eldest witch smiled at the young novice and took a dive into the lake, followed by the other senior witch.  The little witch hesitated for one moment, then she took a deep breath and dived into the water too.  She had never swum before, but witches know how to swim by instinct.  She soon became enchanted by the sheer beauty of the underwater world and got totally immersed into this aquamarine universe, simply enjoying the soothing feeling of water flowing over her skin, while her long brown hair got gently swept around into all kinds of directions.  After a while, she realized that she didn’t feel the urge to breathe (witches are known to be capable to stay underwater for over half an hour).  Soon the girl got accompanied by a few little fishes and also some small freshwater crabs and enjoyed their company so much, that she lost sight of the other 2 witches.  She was all alone in the water now, yet she wasn’t worried at all, just enjoying this mesmerizing submerged world full of beautiful plants and little creatures.  The little witch even became so much at ease that she relaxed every muscle of her body and it felt as if she was weightless while her body was being tossed around in slow motion by the shifting currents.  She felt a deep connection with the lake and with all the living beings around her, and in such a state of relaxation that she hardly noticed that the currents slowly dragged her deeper and deeper into the blue water, while there was still no trace of her two sisters witch.  It slowly dawned to the girl that this lake was much bigger and deeper than it had seemed when she was still looking at it from the shore…
(To be continued in witchtape #34)

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/fruiterama

Part of the Seaside Trip crew :  
https://soundcloud.com/rolandsons-seasidetrip

Rockettothesky - Grizzly Man (Kalandra Cover) @kalandra
Rising Appalachia & Human Experience - Mississippi
Aluna - Ayahuanina (Tomanka Remix)
Kora & Adrien - Nuit d’Afrique vs Arutani - I Lost Myself in You ft. Ru
Of Norway - It’s You (Bernstein Remix)
Iorie - Fool
Valleys Echo - Partners in Crime
Arutani ft. Zazou - Daydreaming
Haunted Water - Human Being ft. Anna Lena (Matata Remix)
Kyrill & Redford - Mutterkorn (Ninze & Okaxy Remix)
Daniel Bortz - Misery (Nu and Pauli vs. Acid Remix)
Treibgut - Eigengrau (Iorie Recolour)
Zimmer – Lost Your Mind (Christian Löffler Remix)
Menke - Nattskärra (Christian Löffler Remix)
Kalandra - Virkelighetens Etterklang @kalandra

Photo credits : Willyam Bradberry

Witchtape #35 | Guest Wizz : Fruiterama

... a little girl (about 9 years old) walks alone into a beautiful forest full of flowers. So she continues walking deeper into the woods, which are getting darker and darker. Despite all this, some forest animals accompany the girl so that she feels safe in these dark woods. And finally the girl arrives in the middle of the forest, which is again bright and full of flowers and that's where she finds the beating heart of the forest :)
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tataaa: @hekske and her amazing Witchtapes

❋ Hekske ❋

chameleon #18 Hekske - To The Beating Heart Of The Forest

sound(ge)cloud 135 by Hekske (https://soundcloud.com/the-house-witchtapes)  – Baby Witch

Im vorletzten Podcast meiner Serie habe ich mal eine Künstlerin gewählt, die mal nicht hinter den DJ Pulten von Partys steht. Hekske hat eine unglaubliche Leidenschaft für den Downtempo entwickelt und nennt sich selbst die 'The Bibi Blocksberg of the Downtempo Scene'. Neben ihrer grandios kurierten Podcast-Serie „The House Witchtapes“ spielt sie seit 2017 regelmäßig für diverse Podcast-Serien Sets ein und macht dies mit unheimlicher Akribie und Hingabe. Und wie das mit den Hexen so ist … ein bisschen Magie ist irgendwie dabei auch immer im Spiel. Keiner ihrer Podcasts gleich dem anderen … immer wird für die Reihe eine ganz speziell passende Stimmung erzeugt und in einem wunderbaren Flow vermischt. Podcasting in Reinform.

Liebe Hekske tausend Dank das du als Hexe meinen letzten weiblichen Podcast einspielst. Mein Konzept mit 50/50 Podcast hat übrigens super funktioniert und ich kann allen Reihen empfehlen es evtl. auch umzusetzen … ist gar nicht so schwer … es gibt genug tolle Künstlerinnen da draus und es werden immer mehr … aber nur wenn man sie aktive supportet. 

So meine lieben Hörer … nun wünsch ich euch viel musikalische Freude mit Hekske und ein besonderes Schmakerl erwartet euch dann in zwei Wochen zum Finale von sound(ge)cloud.

Euer Elektro Uwe 

Hekske (The House Witchtapes / Belgium)
Soundcloud Hekske --- https://soundcloud.com/the-house-witchtapes
Facebook Nɨxe  --- https://www.facebook.com/jNIXE/

sound(ge)cloud Podcast

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sound(ge)cloud 135 by Hekske – Baby Witch

Witchtape #66 | Guest Wizz : Stelzenläufer

After a short but hectic flight, the little witch touched down in an unfamiliar forest.  A few minutes earlier, an owl – in a state of near-panic – flew to the witch’s forest and had begged her for help.  It turned out many animals of this nearby forest were very sick from a mystery illness and some animals had even died during the last few days.  To make things worse, every day this illness was infecting more and more animals at an increasing rate, making all forest dwellers desperate.  Luckily, an old owl knew there was a young witch in a nearby forest and that’s how she arrived here.  The girl immediately realized it was crucial to separate the healthy from the sick animals and isolate them in a remote corner of the woods.  And she understood this forest was located too close to the human world, which meant it was suffering from all kinds of pollution, including noise pollution, which caused stress to the animals and weakened their immune system.  So the little witch started to sing a sweet song, which cancelled out the noise pollution and brought all animals into a state of blissful hypnosis.  The soothing voice of the witch had an instant effect on the sick animals, and they all started to recover.  And the sweet presence of the girl also had a calming effect on the healthy animals and boosted their immune system, so that they didn’t fall ill.  The little witch also prepared a magic potion of spices and berries, and the vitamin-rich brew boosted their immune system even further.  And on top of that, she ordered all animals to get some sunlight every day and get enough sleep every night.  This made the animals quite a bit stronger.  Yet, this seemed to be a really vicious virus which meant complete rest was needed for full recovery.  The animals even had to continue resting for 5 days after the symptoms had gone, as this was a virus which took a long time to get completely out of their system.  During this time, the little witch continued singing with her sweet voice, accompanied by all the birds and eventually these sounds completely cancelled out all noise pollution and the whole forest seemed to calm down, finally – after over a century of turmoil - becoming once again an oasis of peace and quiet… And after all animals had been cured from the virus a few weeks later, they threw a big party which would last until well past midnight under a beautiful rising moon… 

Connect with the artist : 
https://soundcloud.com/stelzenlaeufermusic
https://soundcloud.com/faultierdisko

Photo credits : Ironika (Irina Alexandrovna)

Witchtape #66 | Guest Wizz : Stelzenläufer

"Die Wahrheit der heutigen Welt finden wir nicht im Aussen, sondern in unserem Innern."

'We do not find the truth of today's world outside, but deep inside'

Christina von Dreien

Original track by  https://soundcloud.com/stavroz
Edit by https://soundcloud.com/isaque-solaris
Artwork by https://soundcloud.com/brownsword

This edit is a free gift to the world.
You can find the original track (and buy link) here : https://soundcloud.com/stavroz/stavroz-kasambila-1

Stavroz - Kasambila (Isaque Solaris Edit)

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream


Λrilu - Wake Up

Track composed and produced by Arilu 
https://soundcloud.com/arilumusic


Mastered by Electronica Massiva


Free gift to the universe, launched from planet Earth on the 4th of October 2020.

Λrilu - Wake Up

Dear Friends! Octo Records as begun, and we could not be prouder than having our Beloved @Hekske with a totally unique and magic set of tracks, specially selected to create  an epic start for our label. Thank you dear Hekske, you have inspired us all the way. 

Connect with the Witches and Wizards @Hekske 

Original Artwork @brownsword

Octo Friends #1 - Hekske

‘Kawa-Kawa’
The last cry of the winter crow in the old year
Perched on the ice-covered buds of a birch twig

***

Free gift to the Universe, launched with love from planet Earth on the 13th of December 2020

Original track by Viqtourson
https://soundcloud.com/rolandsons-seasidetrip/viqtourson-last-breath

Edit by Vincent Gericke
https://soundcloud.com/vincentgericke

Mastered by Electronica Massiva
https://soundcloud.com/dare-2-b-different

***

Winter poem written by Hekske, loosely based on the ‘Kawa-Kawa’ haiku from Takahama Kyoshi (1874-1959)

かわかわと 
大きくゆるく 
寒鴉

Kawa kawa to
Ookiku yuruku
Samu-garasu

Vincent Gericke

Viqtourson - Last Breath (Vincent Gericke Edit)

That misty winter morning, the little witch woke up in a silent, frozen forest.  She really loves cold and quiet winter mornings like these.  With her eyes still half-open from a good night’s sleep, her heart suddenly skipped a beat from excitement when she realized the next night there would be a full moon, which meant she’ll participate in the monthly witch coven (which always happens in a different location and in the ever-changing company of two other witches).  
After finishing her daily inspection round of the ice-covered woods, the girl said goodbye to the forest dwellers, and flew into the unknown.  She knew she would – as always - reach her destination by simply following her inner compass.  
This time she was flying into South-Eastern direction for quite a long time, until she saw the Swiss Alps in the distance.  Last summer she already visited a pleasant meadow near a crystal-clear lake at the foot of these mountains, but this time her inner compass told her to keep on flying higher and higher.  The mountain peaks were hidden by thick clouds and she flew straight towards these.  She took a deep breath and dived into these thick clouds.  Flying conditions became very difficult as she had to navigate through a blizzard with zero visibility.  Her body became covered with snow while her hair had turned into an icy mess.  Flying was really unpleasant while she continued to climb higher and the temperatures dropped even further.  Luckily, after a while it stopped snowing and soon she rose above the clouds where the view was simply epic.  After her eyes got used to the blinding sunlight, she enjoyed a spellbinding view on the sun-lit mountain tops towering above the immaculately white clouds.  Suddenly she sensed she had reached her destination and gently touched down on a mountain pass, high above the tree line.  Her white dress was soaking wet, which was very uncomfortable, especially after it got stiff from the frost.  In the middle of these majestic mountains, she felt really tiny and reduced to her essence.  She started to shiver from the cold, feeling all alone and miles away from everywhere.  Like this, it wouldn’t take long before she would freeze to death, but the girl wasn’t worried.  She knew her inner compass always brings her to the right place at the right time.  The young witch looked in the distance and to her surprise she saw a big white bird in the distance flying straight towards her.  After a few seconds she realized this was clearly not a bird, although she couldn’t tell exactly what kind of creature it was.  In any case, it was  completely different from all the flying animals she had ever seen before.  Eventually it turned out to be a flying horse, carrying two witches.  Despite its huge size, the animal touched down gracefully and the two witches quicky ran towards their shivering visitor, asked if she was OK and quickly helped her out of her frozen dress.  The two witches had brought warm clothes and boots with them.  After an extended group hug and a cup of hot herbal tea, the little witch felt comfortably warm again.  The two Swiss witches invited their visitor to join them on a flight on the back of their flying horse.  Soon they were airborne and really enjoying the majestic landscape, while the nimble horse started to perform some aerial acrobatics.  The witches got so carried away that all three of them were soon cheering and yelling from joy, while the horse flew over the glaciers and mountain ridges with graceful wing movements… this vast snowscape disoriented the little witch to the extent she lost all sense of space and time, experience the past, present and future at the same moment… the start of a truly unforgettable witch coven high up in the Swiss Alps …

Connect with the witches : 
https://soundcloud.com/najesh_and_artisoko
https://soundcloud.com/najesh
https://soundcloud.com/artisoko

Photo Credits : Irina Alexandrovna (Ironika)

Witchtape #87 | Guest Witches : Najesh & Artišoko

Witches are the guardians of the forests.  We're not evil or dark, just a bit shy.  And even surprisingly sweet and kind... as long as you respect the forest.

Art project of Hekske ('Little Witch' in my native Flemish language).
Founded on the 22nd of January 2017

Avatar and wallpaper by Ironika (Irina Alexandrovna)

Hekske ❋ The Magic Witchtapes

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