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Wendy Rule

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Wendy Rule
Birth nameWendy Elizabeth Rule
Born (1966-10-31) 31 October 1966 (age 58)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres
OccupationSinger-songwriter,
Instrument(s)Vocals, Guitar
Websitewendyrule.com

Wendy Elizabeth Rule (born 31 October 1966) is an Australian singer songwriter and teacher of Modern Pagan spirituality. She was born in Sydney but moved to Melbourne as a baby, and lived there until she moved to the USA in 2016. She now lives in the small historic city of Las Vegas, New Mexico.[1] She has released an extensive catalogue of original albums, and still performs regularly in the USA, Australia and Europe.

Early life

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Raised in Blackburn, Victoria (a suburb of Melbourne) in what was once an old farm house with a sprawling and overgrown backyard, Rule developed an early love of nature and wild places. Since early childhood Rule loved to sing, especially when alone in nature.[2] In 1983, at the age of 15, Rule had her first experiences of performing to an audience when she performed the lead role in her High School musical, after which she dedicated herself to singing, taking weekly classical singing lessons, which she continued until her early 20's.

At the age of 25, just after her son Reuben was born, Rule discovered her Pagan spiritual path.[3] She had always had an interest in fairies, mythology,[4] tarot and the occult[5] but when she came across a white magic guidebook in a bookshop, she described it as being "like BANG! This is what I'm meant to be doing!"[6] She began prolifically writing songs about Magic, Witchcraft and mythology, which formed the songs for her first album, Zero (1996)

Career

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Musical style

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Rule combines elements of folk and cabaret, with gothic soundscapes and lush arrangements. Since her first album, Zero, was released in 1996, Rule has collaborated with UK cellist Rachel Samuel, who continues to feature on her albums. Percussionist Elissa Goodrich has also been a regular musical collaborator - especially on the Persephone double album (2019).[7]

Rule both composes[8] and performs vocals on her albums. Since her third album World Between Worlds (2000), she also performs acoustic and electric guitars on each of her major albums.[9]

Live Performance

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From 1995, Rule toured Australia regularly. In 2001, she embarked on her first international tour (USA, UK, Europe), with her then 8 year old son Reuben in tow. She continued to tour overseas every year, taking Reuben out of school for their annual adventure together. Reuben now continues the tradition of international touring as a member of the band RVG[10]

Although now often touring as a solo acoustic artist (guitar and vocals),[10] Rule forged her original-music career with a three piece band featuring Rachel Samuel on Cello, and Craig Patterson on keyboards. She continues to perform live with Rachel Samuel[11] (now based in the UK), when their touring schedules allow.

Record Label

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Although her first two albums were signed to a small Melbourne based label (Viridian Records), Rule separated from them in time for her third album (World Between Worlds, 2000) to be a fully independent release. She has continued to maintain an independent career, and manages her own touring and publicity.

Theology

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She is a practising Witch and her lyrics typically address pagan and mythological themes. She has publicly spoken about her belief in polytheism,[12] and her lyrics have been used in Wiccan ritual. She happily discusses her Pagan faith openly,[6] and it continues to inform her music and teachings.

Discography

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  • Zero (1996) - Her first solo album, which took 9 months to record.[13]
  • Live (1997) [Limited Release]
  • Deity (1998) - Established her "lush Gothic sound."[14]
  • A Journey to the Underworld. A musical play focussing on the Inanna mythology. Dibide into two sections, "Death" and "Life". Recorded at Melbourne's Universal Theatre and released on VHS video (1999).
  • World Between Worlds (2000)
  • The Lotus Eaters (2003)
  • A Night of Jazz (2004)
  • collaboration with Gary Stadler: Deep within a Faerie Forest (2005, Sequoia Records)
  • The Wolf Sky (2006) - Produced in a style described as "wild, epic, dark and beautiful."[15]
  • Meditations on the 4 Elements (2007)
  • Beneath The Below Is A River (2008)
  • Guided by Venus (2010)
  • Live At The Castle On The Hill (2012)
  • Black Snake (2014)
  • Vox Solfeggio (with Timothy van Diest) (2017)
  • Persephone (2019)

Compilations featuring tracks by Rule

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References

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  1. ^ "About Wendy Rule". Pagan Song: Music for Your Magic. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  2. ^ Brucato, Phil. Spring 2007, Article "Full Beautiful: The Magic Of Wendy Rule", New Witch Magazine ISSN 1546-2838
  3. ^ Horne, Fiona, 1998 "Scorpio Rising - Wendy Rule Interview", Witchcraft Magazine , Federal Publishing Company, Australia
  4. ^ Snodgrass, Julie, Summer 2008, "Wendy Rule, A Diva In The Mists", Spellcraft Magazine ISSN 1833-2552
  5. ^ "Singer Rule's second nature bewitching". 19 September 2008. p. 61.
  6. ^ a b "Bewitched!". The Age. 5 December 1998. p. 260.
  7. ^ De Rampart, Rick (20 July 2019). "persephone-revealed-a-review-of-wendy-rules-latest-release".
  8. ^ "Wendy Rule". Eternal Haunted Summer. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  9. ^ Nahrung, Jason (21 December 2009). "Wendy Rule, Midsummer fairies and the Christmas club". Vampires in the Sunburnt Country. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  10. ^ a b Writer, Staff. "Wendy Rule To Return To Australia For Exclusive Tour". themusic.com.au. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  11. ^ Hazel, Andy. "Live Review: Wendy Rule". themusic.com.au. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  12. ^ Hexham, Irving; Rost, Stephen; Morehead, John; Morehead, John W. II (2004). Encountering New Religious Movements: A Holistic Evangelical Approach. Kregel Publications. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-82542893-7.
  13. ^ "Interview with Wendy Rule". Melbourne: 3RRR-FM. 1997. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
  14. ^ McColman, Carl (2002). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism (Illustrated ed.). Alpha Books. p. 323. ISBN 978-0-02864266-6.
  15. ^ Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon; Zell-Ravenheart, Morning-Glory (2006). Creating Circles & Ceremonies. Career Press. p. 280. ISBN 978-1-56414864-3.
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