Womankind

The Temple of Artemis in Nas valley, on the Greek island of Ikaria

The second night on Ikaria, I went down to the ruins of the Artemis Temple. Nas valley is populated by what is referred to locally as a "hippie" camping scene. In contrast to the fence enclosed, pay-to-see temple sites I had visited in Italy and Northern Greece, this site was wide open - and was decorated by the locals with stacked white stones, likely marble fragments of the original temple. I arrived at the ruins about 11pm, just in time to greet the Full Moon as she rose over the high ridge. After a bit of a scary start involving a tiny torch and some insufficiently researched fuel... I settled into a long musical ritual of honoring the moon, the Goddess, the elements of nature around me and some personal prayer work. Just as I was considering letting go for the night, I began to think about my relationship with women, and especially reflecting on the recent presence of lovers in my life much younger than I. This evolved into appreciation of the various ways that women of various ages contribute to my life... and thus the song. The emergence was a long sweet process of feeling for the right words, all the while basking in the moon light - witnessed in silence by a mysterious figure who had appeared sometime earlier in the night. S/he never said a word, but was fully and deeply present... and was gone when I finally let the music fade into the stillness.

LYRICS:

i honor the playful beauty of the maiden
curiousity learning of life
i honor her wild courageous energy
i give thanks for all of womankind

i honor the life-giving powers of the mother
nuturing and guiding of life
i honor her strong, calming presence
i give thanks for all of womankind

i honor the wisdom of the aged one
accepting and understanding of life
i honor her patience and perspective
i give thanks for all of womankind

1..2..3..4..
C.CkDDkTkD.D

...go to the next chant!

Steppin'

Riding the quad, Naxos

I ended up staying on Naxos an extra day due to what I considered some clever contract work by the quad rental company. So, I headed back to a remote little beach I had seen from a distance the day before, for some relaxation in nature. The bay itself was picture postcard perfect, with a tree right near the water for shade, delightful swimming... and a shoreline consisting of millions of 1/4" to 3/4" inch marble stones in a myriad of colors!

The chant came through both on the ride to the sea, and during the long afternoon. Although I loved the isolation of the place, the aftermath of the song found me feeling deeply lonely, and I found myself standing waist deep in the middle of the bay crying and crying and asking the universe for a miracle, for some sort of sign that I was not alone... A miracle which was to arrive in a number of small ways in the followng days.

This chant is the first of three which have became affirmations which now seem to pop into my mind on their own every day. (The others are "Today I Recreate" and "I Am the Miracle"). I especially love the line "I am one unique expression of the Great Divine"!

The first part of the song about placing stones actually came a few days later on Ikaria, inspired both by the process of writing "I Forgive Me" and the exquisite rock dwellings I encountered which were made entiely of stacked stones. It came and went in fits and starts, the words and melody changing and never quite jelling until I realized it was an opening statement for the Steppin' song - and the two became one.

LYRICS:

i'm steppin into clarity
i'm walking in my power
i'm dancing magic in my life
every day, every hour

i'm choosin to be using
the gifts i've got
to make the world so fine
for i am one unique expression
of the great divine

1...2...3...4...
D.CkD.Dk..CkD.D

...go to the next chant!

Roller Coaster

On a remote road on the North side of the island of Naxos in Greece

Naxos was one of the unexpected delights of my summer - and came along at a much needed moment. Immediately prior had been 4 sweltering-hot tourist days in Athens - complete with a saggy bed in an overcrowded hostel. This was followed by 3 days on the even hotter, mostly barren island of Santorini (though the view of the ocean filled Caldera is most astounding). I decided to run away and dug into my guidebook till I found words like "lush", "green" and "empty". Naxos turned out to be exactly that - and was easily 15-20 degrees cooler due to constant winds. I rented a "quad" motorcycle, strapped my pack on the back and literally headed for the hills. This song emerged from the delight I felt at driving along, wind in my face, having found a cool, beautiful island to explore that - aside from the port town - was virtually devoid of tourism. I could only laugh at the contrast to my "suffering" of the previous week... "Really living" often means we leave the comfort of our plans - and our controlled, predictable and safe environments - either physically or psychologically.

LYRICS:

life is such a roller coaster
really living is like a carnival ride
laughing on the way up
screamin on the way down
gathering up courage
for another go round

the ride is going up, the ride is going down
your head's begun to spin,
round and round and round and round

1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...
D.tkC.kT.kTkD.kT.kTkC.kT.kD.TkD. Julianna's Jam

...go to the next chant!

Oracle

On a train heading to Delphi, Greece

By this point in my journey i was about 1/2 way through, and I had become aware that I didn't seem to be making much progress on answering either the geographical or existential questions I had pledged myself to resolve. On the long train ride, I realized I was going to what has to be the most famous oracle in the world. That led to this happy tune (and a whole vision of a fire circle moment I intend to surprise you all with eventually...) The chant also reminds me that one of the games I played all summer was to engage in conversation with people "as if" they were an Oracle - which is a delightful practice!

LYRICS:

i'm on my way to the oracle
and i'm ready for what she'll say
i'm searching for solution
and i can't wait another day

tell me what's cooking,
where i could be looking,
tell me when and how
i got a big question
and i'd like it answered... now
cause..

Added 8/17/2009:

i'm lookin' and a listenin'
each and every day
taking note of the things
the world has to say

usin' tools of reflection
to help find connections
perspectives, impressions
new ideas and directions

my eyes see the symbols
and the people bring the sounds
and in what I see and hear
the messages abound


won’t you…
show me a way
what you got to say?
everythings a clue,
and it's right in front of you

open up your ears
livin' life will make it clear
open up your eyes
to the insights in disguise


1...2...3...4...
D..kC..k.kC.Dkt.

...go to the next chant!

Underneath

Deep in the Earth, Kastraki (Meteorea) in Central Greece

I had been in the area for a day already, visiting the amazing byzatine monasteries perched high on apparently unscaleable natural stone towers. The isolation of these places, although beautiful, was tinged in deep sadness; many of the frescos in the churches portrayed in graphic detail the cruel, violent religious persecution which drove these monks into such isolation.

One afternoon I spied a trail which I suspected might lead up through a canyon to one of the churches I had not yet visited and so I set out on an adventure. To my delight I discovered a wooded grove in the midst of which there was a most magical oak tree surrounded by lush greenery... and a cave! The cave was shaped just like a yoni, and as I sat in the cool, nurturing stillness it occured to me that I was hundreds of feet directly below the monastary above. As I imagined my friends joining me in the cave for song and celebration I got the biggest tingle of mischievious glee at the thought of generations of people gathering to worship in nature "underneath the churches"...

LYRICS:

underneath the churches
down deep within the stone
lies a house of
the mother of the one

and all around us gather
the creatures of delight
to celebrate the presence of the one

we're calling back the goddess
when we sing our songs in the night
we're calling out to the mother
lift us up once again in the light

1..2..3..4..
C.C.DD.TKD.D

...go to the next chant!

Diamonds of Light

On a ferry travelling from Corfu to Iguomenitsa on the Greek mainland.

I had boarded the ferry in the pre-dawn hours, and was excited at the prospect of a sunrise in the middle of the sea, with no buildings or landscape whatsoever. I sought out the farthest forward point on the ship I could reach, and settled into meditation. When I opened my eyes, the sky had begun to lighten, and the sea was glassy smooth reflecting the silvery sheen of the sky. Just as the sun appeared, a faint breeze came up - just enough to separate the reflection of the solar disk into briefly occuring clusters of 20 or so diamonds. As the sun slowly rose, the wind did as well - and the numbers of diamonds grew and grew! Out of the silvery mists ahead appeared the faint silouette of the Greek Coastline, welcoming me.

The night-time verse was a simple adaptation that came through while playing for the full moon later on my trip... and the last verse about people being a miracle joined me in Uchisar in the Cappadocia of Turkey after I had been in the trance of the "Jewels" chant for a long while...

LYRICS:

diamonds of light in the morning
as the sun rises out of the sea
i can hear mother nature she's calling
"please notice how precious each moment can be"

diamonds of light in the evening
as the moon rises out of the sea
i can hear mother nature she's whispering
"please remember how sacred each moment can be"

this morning my eyes are wide open
to the wonders of life around me
and i see that one miracle is people
in all of our infintite variety

1..2..3..4..
D.C.TT.DD.Ck

...go to the next chant!

Way of the White Clouds

On a ferry somewhere between Italy and Corfu, Greece

It's interesting for me to note that no chants at all emerged during the month I travelled around Italy. It took me that long to sate my craving for variety and stimulation with an avalanche of cathedrals, museums, fine art, musical performances, new cuisine, hikes, and other adventures. The ferry was literally the first time I sat still - for 7 hours. What happened was that my drum came out and I started singing to the sea and sky... This was the first occurance of an an interesting opening that happened many times over the summer; I would sing chant after chant from songs that I know, playing a game of also picking the rhythm on the fly... and at the end, out would pop a new song! The white clouds in the song also relate to a book by Rajneesh that had been a powerful influence in my 20's. I resolved that afternoon to track down a copy and reread it.

The second and third verses came a few days later, and were inspired by (2nd verse) by a desire to bring in the magic of the Lemniscate, and (3rd verse) a bit of musing on a freshly changed relationship with a lover.

This was also the period where I discovered my love for the practice of sitting in nature and singing to God-Goddess-Spirit-One. (That began at Cinque Terre - a place I recommend you visit someday!). I was also using this time to challenge myself to sing accompanied by much more complex rhythms that I had been accustomed to using... a completely different process of transformation that is a tale unto itself.

LYRICS:

my way is the path
of peaceful wandering white clouds
sailing over the boundless ocean of life

the sun warms the sea
the water rises to the heavens
gently falling to the earth
in the cool dark night

and the fire greets the rain
and each release into the other
dancing together through the endless orbits of time


1..2..3..4..
D.DkTkD.DkTk Lengen

...go to the next chant!