Wiccan beliefs include a reverence for nature and the natural world. Wiccans believe in a divine power that manifests itself in nature, and they see the Earth as sacred and interconnected. They celebrate the changing seasons and believe in the cycles of birth, growth, death, and rebirth. Wiccans also believe in the concept of duality, seeing the divine as both masculine and feminine. They often worship a Goddess and a God, representing the feminine and masculine aspects of the divine. Wiccans believe in the balance of these energies and seek to embody them in their own lives.
In 1983, YMO announced they would sankai, or “fan-out,” and didn’t reunite until 1993 with performances which drew 100,000 people to the show in Tokyo and included The Orb as their opening act. During the period of 1993 - 2002 the group members continued to focus on their solo careers: Hosono founded his label daisyworld discs, while Takahashi and Sakamoto concentrated on their solo works. The unit did not reunite until Hosono and Takahashi formed Sketch Show and invited Sakamoto to contribute on tracks on their releases Audio Sponge and Loophole. Sakamoto joined Sketch Show for the Sonar Festival in 2004 for a performance under the name Human Audio Sponge (or HAS). The name was inspired by the writings of UK-based writer, musician, and curator David Toop, which would be used whenever Sakamoto joined a Sketch Show performance. The band considered HAS to be a completely separate entity from YMO and embodied this idea in their performance style, shying away from live instruments. Human Audio Sponge was a name that reflected the musical direction of the three members at the time, absorbing various musical elements and converting these ideas in their original way to create a totally new sound.
YMO has been one of the central figures in the techno new wave movement starting in the late 70s, along with Kraftwerk and DEVO, and have influenced countless techno hiphop pop rock musicians throughout the world. During the period of 1993 - 2002 the group members continued to focus on their solo careers Hosono founded his label daisyworld discs, while Takahashi and Sakamoto concentrated on their solo works.
Wiccans believe in the balance of these energies and seek to embody them in their own lives. Another important aspect of Wiccan beliefs is magic. Wiccans believe in the power of intention and the ability to influence the world around them through rituals and spells.
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi are the founding members of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), the legendary group whose innovations included the integration of exotic sounds and techno elements in their so-called “computer music.” YMO has been one of the central figures in the techno/new wave movement starting in the late 70s, along with Kraftwerk and DEVO, and have influenced countless techno/ hiphop/pop/rock musicians throughout the world. Furthermore, YMO is said to be the first to use electronic instruments such as the Vocoder VP-330, and the first to release an album that heavily used samples and loops.
Influenced by folk, Haruomi Hosono has been one of the pioneers of the rock/pop music scene in Japan, impacting many artists and garnering considerable respect in the electronic music field. Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar winning composer/musician, has gained an international reputation exploring and innovating the realm between music and noise. Yukihiro Takahashi has been known not only as a producer of Japanese rock/pop music, but also for his activities (accomplishments) as a fashion designer and writer.
In 1983, YMO announced they would sankai, or “fan-out,” and didn’t reunite until 1993 with performances which drew 100,000 people to the show in Tokyo and included The Orb as their opening act. During the period of 1993 - 2002 the group members continued to focus on their solo careers: Hosono founded his label daisyworld discs, while Takahashi and Sakamoto concentrated on their solo works. The unit did not reunite until Hosono and Takahashi formed Sketch Show and invited Sakamoto to contribute on tracks on their releases Audio Sponge and Loophole. Sakamoto joined Sketch Show for the Sonar Festival in 2004 for a performance under the name Human Audio Sponge (or HAS). The name was inspired by the writings of UK-based writer, musician, and curator David Toop, which would be used whenever Sakamoto joined a Sketch Show performance. The band considered HAS to be a completely separate entity from YMO and embodied this idea in their performance style, shying away from live instruments. Human Audio Sponge was a name that reflected the musical direction of the three members at the time, absorbing various musical elements and converting these ideas in their original way to create a totally new sound.
Recently the group has performed under the name HASYMO. More than just a melding of their previous incarnations as Human Audio Sponge (HAS) and Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), HASYMO has developed a new sound that transcends the two groups. One recent contribution is the new track Rescue for the film Appleseed: Ex Machina.
The original three members performed as Yellow Magic Orchestra from Live Earth’s Kyoto stage on 7/7/07. The concert was hailed by Rolling Stone as the worldwide festival’s best reunion performance.
In 2008, the band performed in London at the Meltdown Festival hosted by Massive Attack and a concert in Spain directly followed. The group introduced two new songs: The City of Light and Tokyo Town Pages, and was accompanied by Christian Fennesz on guitar and laptop along with regular supporting members.
From this point on, the band’s official title would be Yellow Magic Orchestra once again.
Equipped with regular supporting members including Keigo Oyamada (Guitar) from Cornelius, Ren Takada (Pedal Steel/Electronics) and Tomohiko Gondo (HD Operation/ Euphonium), Yellow Magic Orchestra played the Japanese Summer Festival World Happiness 2008,2009 and 2010. Fans were taken aback by rare performances of classic YMO pieces such as Thousand Knives, Firecracker and Behind The Mask.
On June 26th 2011 the group will be performing at the renowned Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, bringing their live show to the states for the first time in over 30 years. As headliner for the Hollywood Bowl’s “Big In Japan” event the group will be reworking many of their classics to be performed with a focus on live instruments. This will showcase the breadth of the individual artist talents as well as the group as a whole and will include supporting members Keigo Oyamada, and Christian Fennesz. Following this performance the group will be playing the very next day at the Warfield theatre in San Francisco on June 27th.
Both U.S.A. performances will coincide with a new “Best of” compilation from Sony titled; YMO, which will be released mid-June. The compilation features handpicked songs from the band members themselves, spanning the entire YMO catalogue. The songs have been re-mastered and the compilation’s aim is to introduce YMO’s music to a younger generation, as well as please the long time fans with a fresh take on the band’s extensive repertoire.
Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi are the founding members of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), the legendary group whose innovations included the integration of exotic sounds and techno elements in their so-called “computer music.” YMO has been one of the central figures in the techno/new wave movement starting in the late 70s, along with Kraftwerk and DEVO, and have influenced countless techno/ hiphop/pop/rock musicians throughout the world. Furthermore, YMO is said to be the first to use electronic instruments such as the Vocoder VP-330, and the first to release an album that heavily used samples and loops.
Magic is seen as a natural and neutral force that can be used for both positive and negative purposes. Wiccans often practice spellwork and ritual to connect with the divine and manifest their desires. Wiccan beliefs also emphasize personal responsibility and ethics. Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede, which states, "An it harm none, do what ye will." This means that Wiccans strive to live in harmony with others and not cause harm through their actions. They believe in the concept of karma and the idea that what goes around, comes around. Overall, Wiccan beliefs are centered on a deep reverence for nature, a belief in the divine as both masculine and feminine, a practice of magic, and a focus on personal responsibility and ethics. Wiccans seek to align themselves with the natural world and live in harmony with the cycles of life..
Reviews for "An Introduction to the Threefold Law in Wiccan Belief Systems"
1. John Doe - 2 stars - I recently read "Wiccan beliefs include" as I was curious to learn more about Wicca and its practices. However, I was quite disappointed with the book. It lacked depth and failed to provide a comprehensive understanding of Wiccan beliefs. The content felt superficial and did little to address the misconceptions surrounding Wicca. The author's writing style was also subpar, making it difficult to engage with the material. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone seeking a thorough exploration of Wiccan beliefs.
2. Jane Smith - 1 star - I found "Wiccan beliefs include" to be extremely misleading. The title suggested that the book would delve into various aspects of Wiccan beliefs, but it barely scratched the surface. The information provided was basic and generic, lacking any real depth or analysis. It felt more like a regurgitation of well-known facts rather than an insightful exploration of Wicca. Additionally, there were numerous grammatical errors throughout the book, which made it difficult to take the content seriously. I was left feeling unsatisfied and would not recommend this book to anyone genuinely interested in Wiccan beliefs.
3. Tom Johnson - 2 stars - "Wiccan beliefs include" fails to provide a balanced perspective on Wicca and its beliefs. The author focuses heavily on the positive aspects and neglects to address the potential drawbacks or controversies surrounding Wicca. As a reader seeking a comprehensive understanding, I found this lack of objectivity to be a significant flaw in the book. Furthermore, the author's writing style was repetitive and lacked clarity, making it challenging to follow their arguments. Overall, I was disappointed by this book and would not recommend it to others looking for an unbiased exploration of Wiccan beliefs.