GUIDED BY VENUS

GUIDED BY VENUS WENDY RULE(An Album Review by Jeremy Garner)Guided By Venus is one of the most enchanting and captivating albums that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. From the first note of the music, one can already sense that they are in for a divine and revealing journey as Wendys magically haunting vocals begin to weave their spell upon your mind. The music begins very softly with a mystically driven acoustic guitar, which merges into a marching beat; accompanied by strings and pianos, until before you are even aware of what is happening, you are already being drawn into a parallel dimension of wonder and enchantment. Wendys vocals very gradually unfold themselves through pathways of divine power and clarity, as she sings of love, light and darkness, so that you are surrounded by an intense whirling of magical sounds. Her voice penetrates the deepest parts of yourself causing you to forget all that you knew, as she mystically takes you on a journey into higher realms of spiritual discovery. If one experiences this music very loudly, with headphones, in a dark room the listener will already be falling into a trance before the second or third tracks have reached their completion. The second song Lilith is a most mysterious, and hypnotic melody which weaves its way into the depths of your being, bringing forth multitudinous visions of serpents and dancing shadows. The third song Pale Moon feels like a dark lullaby of sorts which allows the listener to sink deeper into the mesmerizing spell that is being woven, in preparation for the fourth track The Echoing Sky which not only took me entirely by surprise upon first listen but which filled me with such emotion that I was unable to prevent the tears. This song is my personal favourite on the album, and it will forever haunt me with the deepest emotion. The chorus simply repeats one word: sky but Wendys vocals have given this word such new life that once it has been heard, it will never leave you, but continue to haunt your dreams and pursue you.This leads into the fifth track Your Soul is a Lantern in the Dark which feels like a direct continuation of the previous song, and I do not believe the two should be separated, but should always be experienced in context. This is the song which made me realize the magical powers that Rule is blessed with to reach beyond time, and other illusory limitations, and to travel through her music and into your own space awakening the listener to new realms of spiritual understandings. This is one of those songs that can invoke what feels like a direct and personal message from the Goddess, who is speaking through the creative medium of her servants. It is an affirmation of sorts which both strengthens the listener, and unveils some of the mysteries which have eluded us. I once read a great quote which said: Every woman, and every life situation can suddenly reveal itself as the play of the powers of Faerie and I think this really summarises the energies that this song contains that reconnect us to a divine source which has been forgotten by many. To take this example even further, Fellinis final film The Voice Of The Moon contains a most wonderful scene in which the main character is trying a lost shoe on several different women to see which one it will perfectly fit but he soon discovers that the shoe fits the foot of every woman and he begins to see the interior the force that runs through all women, and he finally states: I discovered your secret. The world is full of you, but you are just one!This is a very similar revelation that came through to me while hearing Guided By Venus for the first time.

As much as I would love to write a track by track review of the whole album (as there is not a bad song on this CD) the review would run too long if I were to address each individual track so I will summarise the music as a whole and simply make it clear to any readers that if this album is given the time, attention, and surrender that it deserves it is sure to unlock a most liberating and enlightening experience.I will conclude this by specifically addressing one of the real highlights of this album called As Above, So Below. This is a song repeating a mysterious and magical chant which will sway the powers from above to guide and assist the listener with whatever is at the core of their mind at the time of listening. This song took me to new heights of possibility and opened doorways into a most enchanting realm of exploration that awaits us all. Like a spiral unfolding this song takes you beyond time and into the magical realm of infinity. It will leave a lasting impression on your mind, heart, and soul bringing the spell and journey of this album full circle.The music then finishes as it started with soft acoustic guitars and divinely lulling vocals with some of the most beautiful lyrical concepts ever recorded leaving the listener in a purified state of being.I cannot speak highly enough of Wendy Rules album Guided By Venus and words can never suffice to try and describe an experience which takes place on an interior and emotional level, so I can only summarise this review with the highest recommendation to hear the album for yourself under the best conditions possible, and experience what happens to you the clarity of love, and the freedom that comes with it.

This magical album can be previewed and downloaded at the following link:

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/wendyrule7