Ossian D'Ambrosio
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Ossian D'Ambrosio (born 18 September 1970 as Luigi D'Ambrosio), also known simply as Ossian, is an Italian heavy metal musician, organiser within
modern Druidry Druidry, sometimes termed Druidism, is a modern spirituality, spiritual or religion, religious movement that promotes the cultivation of honorable relationships with the physical landscapes, flora, fauna, and diverse peoples of the world, as ...
, artisan jeweler and writer. He is the founder and leader of the Cerchio Druidico Italiano () and creator of an annual
Beltane Beltane () or ''Bealtaine'' () is the Gaels, Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the March equinox, spring equinox and summer solstice. Historically, it was widely ...
festival in
Biella Biella (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the northern Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, the capital of the Province of Biella, province of the same name, with a population of 44,324 as of 31 December 2017. It is located about northeast of ...
. He plays guitar in the
symphonic black metal Symphonic black metal is a subgenre of black metal that emerged in the 1990s and incorporates symphonic and orchestral elements. History One of the earliest forerunners in what would come to be the sound of symphonic metal was Celtic Frost ...
band
Opera IX Opera IX is an Italian symphonic black metal band, founded in the city of Biella by the guitarist Ossian in 1988. History Early years: 1990–1995 In 1990 the band made the first demo tape "Gothik". There were many line-up changes, event ...
, which he founded in 1988.


Early life

Luigi D'Ambrosio was born on 18 September 1970 in
Nordhorn Nordhorn (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Nothoorn'', or ''Notthoarn'', ''Netthoarn,'' and Dutch: ''Noordhoorn'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the district seat of Grafschaft Bentheim, located in the southwest corner of the state, near th ...
, Germany. In 1980, his family moved to
Biella Biella (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the northern Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, the capital of the Province of Biella, province of the same name, with a population of 44,324 as of 31 December 2017. It is located about northeast of ...
, Italy, where he grew up and continues to live. During his adolescence he listened to
heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal band ...
, where the lyrics of various bands provided his earliest approach to
modern paganism Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of new religious movements variously influenced by the Paganism, beliefs of pre-modern peoples across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Despite some comm ...
.


Druidry

Publicly known as Ossian D'Ambrosio, he first approached organised forms of modern paganism through Italian groups focused on
witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...
, but was unable to connect to their forms of spirituality. He got into
modern Druidry Druidry, sometimes termed Druidism, is a modern spirituality, spiritual or religion, religious movement that promotes the cultivation of honorable relationships with the physical landscapes, flora, fauna, and diverse peoples of the world, as ...
through Emanuele Pauletti who was involved in the Druidic revivalism in
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
. Another major influence has been the
neoshamanism Neoshamanism (or neo-shamanism), refers to new forms of shamanism, where it usually means shamanism practiced by Western people as a type of New Age spirituality, without a connection to traditional shamanic societies. It is sometimes also used fo ...
of
Michael Harner Michael James Harner (April 27, 1929 – February 3, 2018) was an American anthropologist, educator and author. His 1980 book, ''The Way of the Shaman: a Guide to Power and Healing,'' has been foundational in the development and popularization o ...
and his Foundation for Shamanic Studies. In 1994, D'Ambrosio founded the Branco dell'Antica Quercia (), an association for research and for raising the profile of
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
cultural heritage in northern Italy. Through this organisation, D'Ambrosio held a
Beltane Beltane () or ''Bealtaine'' () is the Gaels, Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the March equinox, spring equinox and summer solstice. Historically, it was widely ...
festival at the Zumaglia Castle in 1996. The festival turned into an annual event held in the Arcobaleno Park in
Masserano Masserano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northeast of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,315 and an area of .All demographi ...
, Biella. At the Beltane festival in 2008, D'Ambrosio publicly launched the organisation Cerchio Druidico Italiano (CDI; ). The intention was to have a clear division, where the renamed Associazione Culturale Antica Quercia () focuses on cultural and artistic activities, and the CDI is explicitly a religious group. Among the first activities of the new organisation was a seminar held the same autumn, where the main speakers were Philip Carr-Gomm, president of the British
Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids or OBOD is a Neo-Druidic order based in England, but based in part on the Welsh Gorsedd of Bards. It has grown to become a dynamic druid organisation, with members in all parts of the world. The concept of ...
(OBOD), and Davide "Cronos" Marré, president of the Italian
Wicca Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a Modern paganism, modern pagan, syncretic, Earth religion, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esote ...
group Circolo dei Trivi. The seminar became formative for the members of the CDI. D'Ambrosio was in return invited to the OBOD's celebration of
summer solstice The summer solstice or estival solstice occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). The summer solstice is the day with the longest peri ...
at
Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric Megalith, megalithic structure on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, to ...
in 2009. The CDI has continued to host a conference each autumn, often focused on a specific theme. Led by D'Ambrosio and his wife Maria Feo, the group has developed a modern Druidry where
ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...
and orientation toward place in northern Italy are central. Ceremonies are performed in oak and chestnut groves in the vicinity of archaeological sites. D'Ambrosio has written books related to his engagement in modern Druidry. ''La via delle querce. Introduzione al druidismo moderno'' (2013; ) introduces the religion and tells the early history of the CDI. It elaborates on D'Ambrosio's approach to the religion, which acknowledges a historical rift caused by Christianisation, and tries to reinvent traditions and establish a deep link between contemporary people and nature, rather than to accurately reconstruct ancient Celtic spirituality. ''De negromancia. L'arte dell'evocazione dei morti'' (2020; ) is a historical essay and practical guide to
necromancy Necromancy () is the practice of Magic (paranormal), magic involving communication with the Death, dead by Evocation, summoning their spirits as Ghost, apparitions or Vision (spirituality), visions for the purpose of divination; imparting the ...
. The essay covers Greek myths such as how the witch
Circe In Greek mythology, Circe (; ) is an enchantress, sometimes considered a goddess or a nymph. In most accounts, Circe is described as the daughter of the sun god Helios and the Oceanid Perse (mythology), Perse. Circe was renowned for her vast kn ...
helped
Odysseus In Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus ( ; , ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; ), is a legendary Greeks, Greek king of Homeric Ithaca, Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, epic poem, the ''Odyssey''. Od ...
to visit
Tiresias In Greek mythology, Tiresias (; ) was a blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, Greece, Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes (mythology), Everes and the nymph ...
in the
underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...
, and Biblical stories, such as King
Saul Saul (; , ; , ; ) was a monarch of ancient Israel and Judah and, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the first king of the United Monarchy, a polity of uncertain historicity. His reign, traditionally placed in the late eleventh c ...
's consultation of the
Witch of Endor The Witch of Endor (), according to the Hebrew Bible, was consulted by Saul to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel. Saul wished to receive advice on defeating the Philistines in battle after prior attempts to consult God through sacred lots a ...
. D'Ambrosio provides his own
grimoire A grimoire () (also known as a book of spells, magic book, or a spellbook) is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms, and divin ...
intended to establish contact with the spirits of the dead, and a translation of a late 19th-century text by the
occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...
ist .


Music

Under the stage name Ossian, D'Ambrosio founded the
symphonic black metal Symphonic black metal is a subgenre of black metal that emerged in the 1990s and incorporates symphonic and orchestral elements. History One of the earliest forerunners in what would come to be the sound of symphonic metal was Celtic Frost ...
band
Opera IX Opera IX is an Italian symphonic black metal band, founded in the city of Biella by the guitarist Ossian in 1988. History Early years: 1990–1995 In 1990 the band made the first demo tape "Gothik". There were many line-up changes, event ...
in Biella in 1988. He plays guitar and has been the only constant band member, as other members have been replaced multiple times. The band has alternated between female and male singers and had its greatest successes with the former, especially with the singer
Cadaveria Cadaveria, real name Raffaella Rivarolo (born 31 May 1972), is an Italian musician famous for being one of the first women to enter the extreme metal scene in the early 1990s, as former vocalist and keyboard player of the symphonic black metal ...
, who was a member from 1992 until she left in 2001 to pursue a solo career. D'Ambrosio incorporates his interest in paganism in Opera IX's music and symbols. He says the band's dark aesthetic complements his engagement in Druidry and work with the Celtic festival, as he believes men have two
archetype The concept of an archetype ( ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, philosophy and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main mo ...
s, one dark and one sunny. He sees the band as a way to express his nocturnal side and achieve balance.


Other activities and personal life

D'Ambrosio works as an artisan jeweler, selling jewelry with
esoteric Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition, is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthod ...
themes through a store he runs in and online. He was married in 2001. His wife, Maria Feo, is also involved in the northern Italian Druid community, as an organiser of the Beltane festival and other annual events.


Bibliography

* ''La via delle querce. Introduzione al druidismo moderno'' (2013) * ''De negromancia. L'arte dell'evocazione dei morti'' (2020)


See also

*
Neopagan music Modern pagan music or neopagan music is music created for or influenced by modern Paganism. Music produced in the interwar period include efforts from the Latvian Dievturība movement and the Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt. The counterculture o ...


References


Further reading

*


External links


Antica Quercia

Cerchio Druidico Italiano
{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Ambrosio, Ossian 1970 births Living people People from Nordhorn Black metal guitarists 21st-century Italian male musicians Italian heavy metal guitarists Opera IX members Italian modern pagans Modern pagan religious leaders Founders of modern pagan movements Performers of modern pagan music Modern pagan writers Neo-druids 21st-century Italian non-fiction writers Italian jewellers