High on my list of 'Things To Learn' is drumming and drum stirring. Drumming is an important
tool for the shaman - it facilitates the shift in consciousness known as an altered state,
which allows the spirit to travel between worlds. It is also an integral part of many
ceremonies. Sound itself is sacred to so many spiritual activities and traditions. It is
the Word that jump started the universe; the song calling the land into being; the sacred
vibration of the divine itself. The song is physical vibration and the transmission of
culture: all tribal culture origininates in the story and the song.
Some sounds, especially vowel sounds, are prized for their powers to heal and mend, to
tranmute spirit and transform living cells: from the Awen to the Om. It has been said
that any healing technique can be magnified and amplified merely by playing healing sounds
in the room. Johnathan Goldman's work is often
heard in my own healing spaces. I am grateful too, for the efforts of so many musicians to
catalogue, record or update the tribal sounds of our native British heritage.
Bliss are a particular favourite of mine.
But whilst I am thankful for the modern luxury of being able to fit a CD or MP3 player in
one's pocket, I am never happier than wandering my little patch of earth, singing to the land.
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