Halo Manash signifies both the one and the many at the same time: the abstract and the concrete, the hidden and the revealed... the ever-flowing; evolution, expansion, the cyclic yet progressive continuity.
It is the aim of the personnel involved in Halo Manash to seek, explore, experience, study and decipher reflections of the ever-shifting shapes and spaces of different worlds. These findings are presented through elemental music and various visual elements. In Halo Manash, sound and movement come together as rhythmical language that facilitates communion with elemental beings. Our aim is to revitalise one of the oldest subconscious forms of communication, to open the gates with the aid of music and widen the horizon of perception concerning states of otherness lying in-between the cardinal directions. so,here is an in deep interview we have with HALO MANASH just one month ago....so,just feel the atavistic emantions of this spiritual dark force under the primal eerie atmospheres
Your most recent emanation is “Language of Red Goats”, right. So, which kind of oneiric visions and primal atavisms where explored for such development, knowing the ritualistic methods handled by you though each sonic mantras (your releases)?Halo Manash emanations and works are often rooted in primal experience and knowledge arising from such experience, and so it is also with Language of Red Goats. The album is the result of our working systematically in specific spheres of experience and spirit(s) for a year-long period, guided by dream herbs, oneiric visions and the light of lunar tides. The album is akin to a primitive field recording in the realm of oneirotropic exploration, and aims to be a cartography of cavernous elemental realms and regions, sources and springs that run deep and thick with the fluids of life, death and dream.
Language of Red Goats is a complete work in itself, but can also be viewed as the first facet of a tripartite series of works that are part of one holistic creation – three faces of the same being.
So, in connection with last question. Explain us about the “Nether-Nectar”, such oneiric elixirs ritually gathered and seeded around the autumn equinox? Could we say, “Nether-Nectar” is a kind of materialization in this causal plane of your hidden astral emanations explored through the use of certain sacred plants, gnosis, and fluids?
The Nether Nectar is a special, potent and very real plant-based oneiric elixir, ritually gathered, prepared and blessed by us, that was a central guide to us during the creation of the work. We were involved in a year-long systematic exploration of this plant and its associated realms, through which we slowly developed a relationship with it, and it has thusly grown to be a deep and powerful ally. To our knowledge, such extensive creative work involving this specific plant has not been done before. The luminous presence and being of the plant manifested itself to us several times, and guided the process into fruition. It still remains as an ever-present guide to us, even if now in more subtle ways.
Also, you mention that the work at “Language of Red Goats” is a kind of connection with lunar forces, magickally talking. So such, works also includes the energy through the sexual polarity, endocrine system and chakras?
Seen in the context of the forthcoming trilogy of works, Language of Red Goats could be seen as feminine or ”maternal” as relating to its polarity, whereas the newly-released Am Kha Astrie could be seen as masculine, and the forthcoming Polar Stones and Sky Awakenings could be seen as both - the consummation of masculine and feminine polarities.
The trilogy can be viewed as a treelogy – a tripartite work in the shape of a tree, with roots, trunk and branches. Language of Red Goats, the first part, is the celestial Lunar seed in the dark earthly womb that gives form to the roots, that spread themselves in the underworlds, in the nether realms, in cavernous depths populated by serpentine, slithering creatures. Am Kha Astrie, the second part, is the trunk, the pillar that breaks the surfaces and planes, crossing the thresholds, and emerges upward, rising into this world – it is horns spiraling skywards, antlers ascending into light. Polar Stones and Sky Awakenings is the branches of the tree, reaching toward Sol and Stars and beyond; it is the leaves and fruit of those branches and their skybound nectar; the cradle of winged, feathered creatures - it is the Crown at the peak, the Heavenly Fire.
The works are also tree-faced in many other aspects: in relation to the seasons, states of being, and various other correspondences. Language of Red Goats is winter and dream and awakening. Am Kha Astrie is spring and birth and coming-into-being. Polar Stones and Sky Awakenings is summer, life, death, re-birth, passing-into-new-being. Only three seasons because in more archaic times our ancestors only knew of the three mentioned seasons (winter, spring, summer), autumn being a later addition. The work as a whole represents an eternal spiral, a total transformative cycle of Life, Death and Re-birth.
And, of course these aspects and correspondences are not stale and solid, but rather fluxuating and approximate, and yet possibly the dominate characteristics of these various sides of the work, offered here to help the seeker navigate through the terrains, if he/she so chooses. These are also of course only the plainly and openly perceivable aspects of the work – other aspects are there for the seeker to discover for themselves, who is of course encouraged to come to his own conclusions, which might be equally valid. The pilgrimage that is undertaken with sincerity and pure intent will provide all the answers one needs.
Halo Manash prefers not to use or present things in the context of any pre-existing spiritual systems, maps, symbols or traditions. Although we of course are aware of many such diverse paths and approaches, and might even have had or have relations with such. Rather – Halo Manash is its own symbol(s), guide and being; rooted in the eternal, and simultaneously a novel and unique expression of what we see as a primal Ur-spirit(s).
“The Red Goats” are own emanations from your subconscious, which you develops to awaken and exalt consciousness when working magically at oneiric explorations?
We prefer not to extensively analyze and dissect our own work in public, as that tends to trivialize and limit its perception. When a work is completed, manifested and realized, it is offered to the external world, and we let go of it. Sometimes people put too much effort in trying to decipher what we personally intend with some aspect of the work, rather than experiencing and appreciating it on a personal level directly for themselves. Individuals are encouraged to approach it within their own context, and trust their own experiences and intuition. Also, emphasis and value should be put in the effort of seeking something in itself; to travel beyond ones own limits, to journey to the crossroads of other worlds, to intentionally make a sacred passage, internally and/or externally – that is pilgrimage.
Do you think when artificial ego limits dies, the objective universe is dissoluted, and from the light of such illumination or reality, gnosis is the only thing which reminds? And how important is gnosis for you according to your magickal paradigms, and how it affects the concrete evolution of HALO MANASH as a living entity?
Halo Manash is beyond magic(k)al paradigms. But to use your terminology and context, ”gnosis” is of course of central importance; the gnosis kardias, knowledge of the heart. Or one might use the Sanskrit word and Hindu concept of Darśana to describe somewhat similar experiences and understanding, glimpses of the divine. However, in the light and dawning of such experiences, revelations and insight, all such words, categories and ”isms” (even Gnosticism itself) must fall by the wayside and vanish.
In my opinion HALO MANASH is like a black hole, a way to connect yourself through the worlds of being, not being, solution and dissolution, death and rebirth…so, could we say HALO MANASH is all into one, and one into all at the same time?
All interpretations of Halo Manash are valid in as far as they serve the individuals making the interpretations. In the light of this, yours is a valid one. Indeed, Halo Manash can be approached using pre-existing paradigms in the context of some tradition or system, or without any knowledge or interest in such things, but ultimately it is all there for the seeker to discover, in their own way.
…and referring the last question.so, do you agree when saying HALO MANASH breaks the limits of time and space, and converges in a personal reality offered to others (listeners) to carve deep within subconscious to find their own HALO MANASH?
Maybe we could agree on this to a certain extent, if we understand this in the same way.
Halo Manash is a living, breathing, dreaming Being that transforms and evolves constantly and has a life-force, will and consciousness of its own. It lives inside and outside of us, but we do not claim to ”own” or ”posses” it, and by its nature it is expansive and ever-seeking. We are the Dream that it dreams, the shadow and illumination it casts, the masks that it wears, behind which lies the very face of Halo Manash itself. That face is a manifestation from and reflection of what we call the infinite, formless, and absolute. To gaze into the eye(s) of that face is to see beyond all dualities and divisions (e.g. self and other etc.), to stare into the highest peaks and deepest depths of what is, and beyond; that is, in essence, to experience Halo Manash.
One of the principal basis of your work at HALO MANASH is to experiment, explore, and connect with other levels of existence and to get in contact with some elemental entities for your own personal development?
That is partially one aspect of it, although ”personal development” is a relative and rather limited term and concept, and not necessarily always an aim for us, although it often can be a natural by-product of our experiences and journeys.
As we have stated elsewhere, Halo Manash is a pilgrimage to the borderlands of dreams, pure consciousness, and primal being – and possibly beyond.
Pilgrimage is undertaken internally and externally with clear focus, sincerity and intentional purity, often without heavy prior attachments to specific aims or results of such workings. Often these workings are undertaken with a sense of empathic ”merging” and ecstatic abandon with the presences, spirit(s) or elements in question, and not via a drawing of limits and arrogant ”commanding” of such for personal power and profit, which seems to unfortunately be a popular approach, at least in many Western traditions. The personae involved in Halo Manash are a canvas through and upon which these pilgrimages are imprinted and carved.
The ”results”, meaning the causal manifestations of pilgrimage, i.e. ”what we bring back”, can sometimes be very harrowing experiences, as ”personal development” of this kind (call it ”spiritual” for lack of a better word) can be very painful and terrifying. Yet it is carved deep in our nature to pursue this path, and to trust it will take us where we are destined.
It is often transformation, pure and simple – a snake shedding its skin, or a butterfly emerging from a caterpillar – it is natural and imperative on the same level for us. One, who is not actively engaged in a process of birth, is passively engaged in a process of death. It is accepting impermanence, disappearance and transformation. It is the confrontation with death and ultimately transcendence of some aspect of being. And yet it is the eternal spiral of creation-destruction and passing-into-new-being, with all the terror, ecstasy and divine awe that it implies that is at the root of all.
Symbolic sorcery, sigils are elements you use to exalt subconscious, so such visual elements are focused to bring HALO MANASH from audial to another reality, in this case a visual spectrum, containing the same essence of such elemental forces evoked in your rituals?
To use your terminology: if our releases are our mantras, then Halo Manash itself is the yantra, and all that it entails.
In other words, Halo Manash is a sacred vehicle and instrument in itself; how it manifests externally (or if it manifests externally at all, i.e. it remains an internal manifestation only) can vary greatly, although so far the manifestations or materializations have been mostly of an aural nature. But, to limit it to that one form would be an error. Halo Manash has manifested or materialized equally as film, photograph, drawing, ritual, journey, performance, sigil, talisman, cultural artifact etc., and can indeed take any shape, or remain formless. In Halo Manash there is no separation, no distinction – all is a part of the same whole.
We hesitate to start lecturing anyone on sigils, sorcery, magic(k) or similar areas, as most people these days are so knowledgeable on these matters already, and proper information is widely accessible to those who seek it. In fact, it seems sometimes that information and dialogue on and around these subjects has been so thoroughly and perhaps overly saturated, that those things in themselves have taken central place - theory over practice, abstraction over realization, outer appearance over inner essence. Magic(k) has become a subculture, a ”scene” and a hobby, with its own outer normative trappings and clichés, and much of it is performed for obviously dubious or juvenile purposes; and at the same time it is an evolutionary tool and creative catalyst for some. If magic(k) is to be of any lasting value, it should be integrated and harnessed into an organic and refining part of being, that is manifested in ”non-magical” ways also, rather than being an endless source of theoretical discussion and empty posturing. In the end, perhaps there should simply be less words, less talk.
Self made instruments, bells, metal bowls, gongs are used to increase the excitatory gnosis created by HALO MANASH. So, could you tell us about the process when creating a determinate concept release?
We communicate and deliver our aural invocations often not using words, but rather the primal Ur-language and cosmic vibrations of sound itself. In this process the instruments have central significance, as they are what via us manifests and produces the sounds. We use a variety of acoustic instruments that often fall into the category of traditional, archaic, ritual, or self-made (and more seldom but occasionally modern as well). We put emphasis on the organic and animate materials of the instruments that often has a definite aura of their own related to the material that holds their spirit.
Relating to the intentions and framework of the workings or sessions, the instruments of the proper material, quality, sound and spirit are chosen, acquired and/or constructed. This in itself is a part of the process of creation: the instruments and their materials have to correspond and resonate with the intentions properly – hence, this is rarely done at random. In the case of some instruments that have an exceptionally powerful presence and spirit, a life of their own, it is necessary to communicate with the instrument itself, and ”ask” if it should be used – they should be treated with proper respect.
To give an example of instruments we have used in the past, we can mention drums and trumpets made out of human and animal skulls and bones, percussive instruments made out of antlers and jawbones, wind instruments made out of horns and shells, other instruments out of wood, clay, stone, feathers and so forth. We also use a multitude of metal-percussions and drums, such as a wide array of gongs, cymbals, bells, rattles, and the like, as well as self-made and self-titled ”thunder-sheets” and ”solar discs”, and so forth. This process and relationship is also a continually evolving one, as we are constantly seeking and finding, as well as conceptualizing and creating new instruments: we find the approach, process and end result inspirin
g.Often, if not always, the specific surroundings, space and the elemental sounds themselves present at the location of the working during the sessions also become an essential source of sound. This may be utterly subtle in the actual recording, or very forthright and present, but still it is very much an integral part of the totality of sound. Sometimes sounds also emerge that have no definite identifiable source at all – whereupon we accept and welcome these sounds as presences when they come.
Our acoustic instruments that often are of a primal and archaic nature and materials, are usually harnessed via an electronic medium and modern technology. This represents a merging of the archaic and primal with the technological, wherein both of these ends of the spectrum (if they can be considered that) are amplified by each other, creating a complementary and timeless synthesis.
The aural manifestations of Halo Manash are language without words. Listen and learn.
“SYoMA” was built through the idea of transformation and auto cannibalism. So, from a point of view, could we say one of the main purposes of this album is to destroy patterns of your own personality through aural manifestations?
We have never felt it overly essential to explain, for fellow explorers, too much or too precisely about our own encounters, rather the opposite; we do not want excessively interfere or restrict the utilization of individuals own instincts.
The manifestations of the album can be considered as sort of guides, a kind of a direction sigils, or as a language of entities, which usher you towards the ultimate realization of the transpersonal entity, SYoMA. The destruction of the fixed patterns of personality simply allows one to overcome the limitations of for e.g. binding cultural factors and thus the fundamental aspects of SYoMA, or any other of our work, will be revealed to the perceiver in a form of pure atavistic knowledge.
The elemental impulse, which catalyzed the whole creative process of SYoMA, started to grow gradually during and after the completion of Par-Antra I: VIR album.. Initially, the prime mover revealed only glimpses of its external appearance and as time went by, it was through careful personal exploration that the all-encompassing communication reached the level of concrete actualization. However, one can never stress enough the obvious fact that the primeval force still continues to interact with a seeker whenever the particular current run strong.
To experience the true power of SYoMA, one will have to travel through many layers of hidden regions and inner states to find the pure source – and it is from this source where one will be able to find and also learn the true essence of what eventually got the name SYoMA. A comprehensive, long-lasting communication with the entities is the only way to reach the pure knowledge.
We sincerely believe that the fundamental aspects of our works can be achieved by everyone through a metaphysical pilgrimage. The album will surely reveal the passage for the humble explorer, which will lead one towards Sacral Meeting. There are many signs that direct you on your way and at last you will have to let Halo Manash be your vehicle; You have the all the needed tools, the rest is up to you.
Lastly as a small curiosity the name of the album, translates roughly to Devour Your Own Soma.
Could you tell us a deep more about r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA LP + DVD. And its magickal environmental phenomena and visions at specific locations? And do you think with this release HALO MANASH has taken just a part of the dynamism and magickal exploration you experienced? Or is there still so much to work in future as well?
r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA was birthed during Summer of 2005, in two distinct and intense sessions resulting in the two-fold nature of the work, lasting for 4 days and nights (In 4 Elements – DVD film) and 2 days and nights (In PolarDual – LP album) consecutively. The location and elemental landscape was a central presence and aspect of the work, and it is a lakeside and wilderness in northern Finland. The work was thereafter refined, shaped, reflected upon and realized after a Halo Manash pilgrimage to India and Nepal, in the shades, snow and silence of Winter 2006.
r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA, beyond even its creative manifestation, is first and foremost a very real and primal experience, a ritual shedding of surfaces and an elemental merging and revelation, a rite-of-passage that left deep chasms and signs on our skin and spirit, ever-present although subtle.
The film In 4 Elements forms the first part of r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA, the other being the album In PolarDual. The parts or works, creations/destructions, are interrelated and intertwined, two sides of the same whole, the same cycle. Both are the result of very intense work and experience, where the personae of Halo Manash itself became the canvas of birth and death. The work can be viewed as a template for transformative, transcendent experience.
The film In 4 Elements is the first released foray of Halo Manash into cinematic realms. It is very real in the sense of that nothing in the film is acted or performed according to specific plans, all actions, movements, and sounds recorded and captured during the sacred moments arising of themselves. What one can experience in the film is a condensation of an immense energy and intense experience, meant and constructed very deliberately and carefully to be as an invocation in itself, where everything is meant to convey or symbolize something, including the shifting colours and other aspects of cinematic language and expression.
The same applies to the album-part of r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA, In PolarDual, that can be viewed as the dark twin of In 4 Elements. Created in the growing shadows of ending summer, and contrasting strongly to the somewhat serene ambience of In 4 Elements, it is a tearing down, a dive into the depths, where the sessions themselves took on a fierce and frenzied, somewhat possessed character
.The days of the sessions were spent preparing, building and setting up for the nights, when the ritual sessions themselves took place. But, in the end, those days and nights in themselves were part of the ritual as a whole, as we constantly experienced and sensed a presence(s), and were guided by signs, and blessed by auspicious weather, without which the work could not have been realized.
Well, almost everything about HALO MANASH was revealed here. So, keep on floating through primal atavisms and a pleasure to share this interesting conversation with you. Your last words are more than appreciated here.
Let us just say that we scratched the surface here; the most obvious output of the group, meaning the lingual, musical and visual dimensions should not be considered greater than just mere vapour arising from the seething cauldron holding the very Elixir of the Being itself. In closing, thank you for the interview.
Halo Manash concerts in Europe and Russia are being planned and organized at present time. In addition to concerts, there are also plans for more multi-dimensional and multi-medial Halo Manash events, such as exhibitions of photographs and screenings of films. Besides regular concerts, Halo Manash also has an interest to engage in smaller acoustic performances at various sacred sites, ancient or modern, or special locations of different kinds. All interested organizers, clubs, galleries and individuals are urged to contact us.
Label: http://www.auralhypnox.com
