Medibration

Honolulu

One of the tools I have been building and working with is a very large deck of "Oracle Cards", originally inspired by the Oracle chant from Summer 2007.  There are currently around 400 cards in the deck, in a beautiful wooden box. It occurred to me one afternoon that they could also be a great source of inspiration for new chants. I went and drew a card with the resolve that I would use as much of the text as possible.  The chant melody that came through was immediately fascinating, as I recognized right away that I had no idea what meter it was in! After feverishly organizing a recorder and capturing the ideas, I then ended up in a long deep session using my RC-50 loop station attempting to sort out what rhythm might work with it.  Eventually I settled on "Karshlima", in 9/8.  Unfortunately I haven't any notes about my actual internal process at the time, as these were part of the loss of a hard-drive melt down during this same period.  It's really a journey to set this song up with other people - I usually do so by inviting them to join me in stepping "TaKeTiNa" style, right-left-right on the Ga in GaMaLa GaMaLa GaMaLa (and then reversing left-right-left.) There's a metronome click in the recording to mark those steps.  Singing and stepping (or drumming) along with this chant fully requires one to come deep into the eternal now!

LYRICS:

meditation is a simple celebration

the magic of the eternal now
take the time to calm your mind
and be

focus on your breath
and let yourself connnect
to the great silence within you

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.   Karshlima

D...T...D...T.T.T.