during this passing time within... i invite us to journey to those sacred cedars who are dying...9/4/2016 "This stone i place here to mark this Singing Moon-Time of Abundance + Passing Within with the Wisdom of Grandmother Wolf... May her sacred teachings help me to become more deeply human..." It's been an interesting time here on Gabriola these last few days as the month of September rolled in... The crisp scents of Fall are definitely in the air as we move into this next cycle around the wheel... reminding us to think about getting prepared for the coming winter... The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a cold one this year... One task we managed so far is, to get a couple of cords of wood delivered, stacked and ready - quite the job to say the least... an opportunity to use those muscles i haven't used in quite some time = holy whoa! I give many thanks to those Standing Ones, those trees who gave their lives so our home can be warm this coming winter... This last week showed me some teaching about letting go - when you least expect it... especially with what i had planned for this recent past New Moon... i had journeying circles planned both for September 1st here on Gabriola and another for Vancouver this week - when i travel over for the Luminous Path which is beginning a new round... And so what came into being was, both circles were not meant to happen... i won't go into the reasons why, other than to say, that each one had it's own releasings for not happening... I have to admit i was surprised that both ended up being cancelled... even after some of my own questionings, resistence and attempts to TRY and make them happen, i came to the realization that it was indeed all okay to let both circles go this time... perhaps good ol' Mercury Retrograde had a hand - who knows? I also had to get over worrying about disappointing those who had planned to come... When i was preparing for these next circles - Grandmother Wolf offered her guidance....She who teaches us about moving from the West to the North... the Teacher with sharp instinct and intelligence... sacred wisdom, the Sage and Elder... reminding us of our dear Ancestors who paved the way for us... gifting us with stamina... resilience... always reminding us of our own knowingness... It was the Cedar trees who spoke to me, asking if we could connect together - especially those here on Gabriola, who have been dying since our summer's long dry drought... Some folk we have met, who have lived on Gabriola a long time, mentioned that, over the years, the water table on the island has been shifting in response to climate change... confirming the beautiful cedars are feeling it the most... in the last number of weeks, we have been saddened to witness that a lot of the cedar trees are dying rapidly all over the island... The fire department was also announcing that they're concerned they are now becoming a fire hazard. We give thanks for the recent rains that have come... helping to nourish our dry island home, the blessed trees and all her kin... The English word, 'Cedar' comes from the Hebrew 'Qatar', meaning to smudge... indicating cedar wood was used in purification rituals and cleansing... The smoke of the cedar leaves are very cleansing and clearing of the energy/luminous body and spaces... First Nation peoples have and continue to use the sacred cedar to purify and cleanse in all aspects of life using all parts of the tree for housing, art, clothing, cleansing and ceremony ... The sacred Cedar was also known in many world cultures as the Tree of Life... the 'God/ess' tree... With blessed cedar, draw Earth energy and ground yourself, place the palms of your hands against the ends of the leaves... So, if our New Moon journeying circle did happen, i was going to invite us to journey with Grandmother Wolf to the sacred Cedars, to simply connect with them and check-in... and so, because we're not meeting physically.... i invite you here and now to journey...Open sacred space around you... state your intention, turn on the journey drumming below... get comfortable., relax... close your eyes... connect to your dear heart... + ask Grandmother Wolf to guide you on your journey............... Suggested Journey... or, create your own... This is the time of Passing Within... the cycle of Lammas and the element of water... This is the path of the mature adult who seeks to live responsibly and to bring healing... to find enlightenment to become more deeply human... I invite you to explore this pathway when you wish to understand how best to act when the 'stuff' of life becomes overwhelming... when you seek peace in all ways...... I invite you to face the sacred directon of the West and... with all your senses embrace the colours, the sounds, smells and taste of Fall... connect with the Sacred Waters of Mother Ocean... her life-blood streams... her rivers and lakes... re-membering that 'water-knows-all-water indeed informs all water... Find a beautiful place in nature you love or imagine where the grand Cedars reside near where you live... with Grandmother Wolf as your guide... She invites you to listen to the birds singing high in the Cedars... With Grandmother beside you, ask her to take you on a journey to the place of the singing Cedars... say hello when you greet them... create a sacred space in a circle including the Standing Ones and yourself... Offer the Tall Ones an offering of gratitude for who they are and the gifts they freely give us.... for we wouldn't be here without the trees... as we breathe them and they breathe us... thank them for sheltering us... for warming us... for cleansing us... and feeding us in many ways...... Sit down with your back to one Old Tall One and connect deeper... again, use all your senses when you merge with her or him... feel the rough bark on your skin.. smell the musty damp moss in your nose... look up and embrace how s/he embraces you.... and listen deeply for a message s/he may share with you....................... take some time with this............................ When you feel you have received your message or sense of one... hold the essence of that message-gift sweetly cupped in both hands in front of your heart center... gently blow with the spirit of your breath into your hands three times.... feel it... know it... receive it.... and then mindfully place that essence into your heart... giving thanks.... Now, offer your gratitude and healing for those Cedars who are passing within.... You're invited to hold a vision of their healed state as if it has already happened within this present moment... while holding this vision-dreaming, use all your senses of what that would feel and look like - drive it with your strong emotion resonance and vibration... know this is happening right now... dream it into being....... hold it strong for as long as you are guided.... When your journey feels complete... return back to where you began.... again, give gratitude for this blessed opportunity... close your sacred space and come back into the room or where you are... close your own physical sacred circle-space and make note of any teachings or guidance you received during your journey... also know that deeper awareness may still come later... If you feel called, offer ceremony with a gift or despacho to the Sacred Cedars near you and/or hold them within your own mesa or bundle... I welcome you to share any insights you may have received in the comment below... so we can share with each other as we do when we gather to journey... to share our wisdom and the knowings from Grandmother Wolf and the Sacred Cedars... I thank you for connecting in and caring ... for they thank you too... Wishing you many bright blessings... with much love + light.. weaver x (((o))) below... the blessed sacred Cedars of Gabriola....... photos by weaver x Above post, shamanic journey meditation + photos by weaver © 2016 - all rights reserved...
- the 20-minute journey drumming track, 'riding the wave' with rattle can be purchased + downloaded at cdbaby.com - from the album, 'journey with laughing wolf' - thank you for supporting my work... with appreciation, weaver x (((o)))
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Recently, i received an unexpected teaching from the bees... Since moving to Gabriola in April, we have never felt more welcome - what a community of beautiful people who care about people! We feel so blessed knowing our move was a good one... We've also been blown away with how much art, music and theatre there is here on the island - it's been absolutely wonderful. I am being more and more inspired to get back to my own art and music and can't wait! We've been attending events by the Gabriola Arts Council (we're now proud members) and other community events. We now frequent the Hive Emporium at the Village Market on Saturday mornings for coffee to meet and hang with friends. In addition to great coffee, the Hive is a community hub with a retail store show-casing local art and a multi-purpose performance space and art gallery upstairs. In mid May, i saw that the Hive sent out a "call to artists" to celebrate their first anniversary with an upcoming show to run June 16 to July 3, 2016, named 'For the Bees'... it read... "The plight of bees is deservedly making the press, and hopefully not too late! Gabriolans need no coaching on their importance, but a reminder to all to meditate on these venerable sentient "beeings" - and this call to all artists to explore in any medium!" I was intrigued... and wanted to be a part... so, i got to work. What i was immediately fascinated by, was the shape of the hexagon - which holds a lot of meaning in it's six sides including the number 6. I connect to the number six as it's a part of my life-path being a 33-6 numerologically... I spent about a week playing with this shape in many ways... i first built a hexagon out of wood. Right away, i really liked the simplicity of the shape - i liked holding it up to the light and looking through. My first thoughts were, 'hey, i could submit this as it is!" ... though, it all seemed too simple - i really should do something more...? After many failed attempts of 'trying' to add to my initial wood design... i thought i'd let the whole thing go and forget about it... Though, i found that i kept coming back to the wooden hexagon shape - there was something about it's simplicity. I was continually drawn to carrying it around and looking through the open hex shape like a window... And, then it hit me... what i was doing was perhaps... 'seeing' from the 'bee's perspective'... and that was it. Excitedly, i took the wooden hexagon outside to my backyard, hung it off a couple of trees and took a few photos - and my submission came into 'bee-ing'... After the 'full circle' journey of my creative process, i now know the bees were guiding and nudging me on some level... that they wanted their 'voice' heard in some way - asking 'us' to have a look and see from their perspective, for a change... So, in the end, i did decide to go with my 'first hit' and submit the simple wood hexagon along with two photos - i was thrilled and honoured to be accepted into and 'bee' a part of the Hive's show! I give thanks to the sacred bees for helping and guiding me... and, thank you to the Hive for creating this beautiful show - Happy Anniversary to you all! my submission, 'bee perspective'...Along with the two framed photos and the hanging wood hexagram, i added this statement and a couple questions... Have we considered the bee’s perspective? Perhaps the bees are feeling that we humans are mining them for our own advantage – NOT for the bee’s advantage... “The human species have weakened our species in our compliance to what THEY want...” Perhaps, our perspective of a “Colony Collapse Disorder” of the bees is simply a projection (perspective) of our own human Colony Collapse Disorder... What is your bee perspective? video... a bee's perspective...The sacred bees taught me a lot about trusting my own intuition and the gift of coming back 'full circle'... I'd really love to know your 'bee perspective' ...
i welcome you to share in the comment section below... "The Spirit of Bear: Go Within... Personal Strength Comes from Inner Knowing..." - The Medicine Cards If you read my last e-News last month, you'll know that we received unexpected notice to move in January - to be out of our home by April 1st... And, needless to say, we didn't have much luck here in the Burnaby/Vancouver area finding anything... As you probably know, the housing market in the lower mainland has really gone crazy with prices skyrocketing all over the place... Also, property taxes were raised as well - here in Burnaby, a whopping 17%. This has also affected renting in the lower mainland in a huge way... and, during our search we weren't seeing much option that was affordable nor much availability. This really surprised and shocked us... We were becoming concerned when still hadn't found a new home into late February... We had put out our intentions, offered ceremony and did our best to remain positive that something was indeed awaiting us... though, time was ticking by... One very early morning, under a few weeks ago, i was awakened by a very strong dream... When i have a strong dream like that, i know that spirit is wanting my attention... In the dream, i am on the deck of an old rickety house in the woods... i wasn't alone as there were a bunch of people gathered about... someone warned me that i needed to be very careful to not let 'that' bear in past the gate... i was aware that a black bear was wandering about outside the gate... I fumbled with the gate's door handle over and over without being able to keep it closed or locked... I kept feeling a sense of urgency and frustration... this went on what seemed like, forever... The scene shifts where i realized the bear was now coming in through the gate and onto the deck with me... I found myself now huddled down in a far corner to protect myself from bear... i was definitely concerned and upset that i had failed with the gate... Next, big mama bear was right over me, right up close, leaning on me and sniffing me all over my head, neck and shoulders... it was sooo real... i could really feel her... smell her and sensed her long rough fur on my skin... the weight of her head pressing her wet nose... hearing her snort and sniff.... As she continued to sniff me out, i felt some fear rise from within me... mama bear growled deeply when she sensed my fear... i realized that i had to stop my fear now and did... she wouldn't stop sniffing and sniffing... at first she was a black bear and then morphed to the colour cream and then back to black... she then stopped her intense sniffing and simply laid her head in my lap resting... Next scene... i'm still crouched down and now two smaller animals like badgers (i think) are now on either side of me and rise up on their hind legs to sniff out my ears as intensely as the bear did! After that, three black dogs came up onto the deck... and, then i woke right up! = holy whoa... I shared my dream at our journeying circle that next week and my friend Glen offered some insight... of which i found very helpful... here's some symbolism he shared...
Despite my best efforts to keep the bear out, the bear gets past the gate and past the limitations that have been placed in its path. The good news is that the medicine is morphing - changing from a black bear to a Kermode or spirit bear (colour change from black to cream colour)... Still a black bear but looks very different. The bear lays its head on my lap. No fear - only love, peace and tranquility even though bears are huge and powerful. My friend suggested i connect with the spirit of Bear to help me... of which i did... i connected with a lovely photo of a black bear (right)... and went within to say 'hello'... It's interesting, back in September, a black bear paid me a visit when i was parking my car... i had just got home and was just getting some groceries out of the car when s/he came trotting right out of the forest towards me.... we shared quite 'the hello'... It was a brief encounter though a very exciting one... I was sooo taken with her size, beauty and grace and how fast she moved! I didn't think much of that encounter at the time... though knew inside my heart that i had received a sweet blessing... After the dream, we were then guided to look further for housing out of Vancouver and over to the Island in and around Nanaimo... We noticed that prices weren't so high and more affordable... perhaps there was some hope here?... The thought of moving away from Vancouver/Burnaby was a concern... as i have lived here most of my life... my family was here and my work was here... We still weren't finding much there either when, we began to see some rentals on Gabriola Island... we had seen a couple that looked good though, we assumed were gone - as they had been posted back in January. Something nudged us to contact one of the ads we kept seeing - just to see if maybe, it was still available and, low and behold, it was! We made contact and arrangements to go over to 'Gabe' to have a look and meet the owner. On the way over, on the ferry we decided to contact another more recent ad and the owner answered and she interviewed us over the phone... The owner then decided to fly out from Alberta to meet us later that next day. So, in the end, the second house turned out to be 'the one' - as soon as we walked in the door, we both felt strongly we were 'home'... we made the decision to say yes and make this big move to 'Gabe'... We weren't expecting this at all... though i know deeply that spirit has directed this big move in so many ways...and time will reveal more i'm sure... I believe that mama bear has marked this new 'pacha' for us when she showed up out of the blue last September when she walked out of the forest and completely sniffed me out in my recent dream... She helped us 'sniff' out a new home... to embrace a whole new pacha-shift in our lives.... we've been invited to go even deeper within our own spirit... an opportunity to grow a strength connected much closer to mother earth... I now stand in complete wonder... amazement... and, some fear beginning again so anew... and some sadness all at the same time... = holy wow... Even though we are leaving the 'big city'...the Vancouver area to live on Gabriola Island, please know i am not far away - that i will still be back working in Vancouver on a regular basis (and other areas i have been been)... please see my calendar of what's coming up in April and throughout the year... I am open to all that is new in this shifting change... thanks for taking the time to have a boo... with brightest blessing of much love + light... weaver x (((o))) Time of abrupt shifting and transformation + the fire drummers drummed for us during despacho ceremony! Holy wow... you never know when life will throw a curve ball at you... At the beginning of January, my partner and i received notice to move from the lovely home we've called home over the last few years. This notice came out of nowhere and we certainly weren't expecting it. The owners informed us that their lives had shifted and they needed to move back in the space we've been renting. Whoa! Now? Of course when something like this happens, it's never good timing... We were shocked... and i know i went through the many phases of that shock... not knowing where we'll be next is a big part of that... And so, we are now in the throes of packing up our home and squeezing it all into cardboard boxes... searching for a new place to live while at the same time keeping the balance of work and daily life... Not long after hearing, we chose to offer a despacho ceremony... to offer our gratitude for the time we have had here in this beautiful space and community... and to offer our intentions of what and where we wish to land in our new home - wherever that will be... There are many types of despachos offered in the Andean cosmology and daily life... The 'despacho gift' we chose to create in ceremony was an ayni/gratitude gift for our blessed earth mother, Pachamama.... (see our photo above). Flowers, leaves and combustible ingredients like grains, aromatic dried plants and sweets are added in layers on top of a piece of wrapping paper. Every item is 'prayed through' and holds meaning as it is placed mindfully in mandala form. When the despacho is complete, it is wrapped up, just like a gift, tied with a ribbon and then offered to a sacred fire for transformation to the light - to be freely given away to the helping spirits and mother earth - to give thanks in right relationship (ayni)... We lovingly created our despacho andplaced it in our sacred fire in the hearth to burn. We turned our backs in respect to allow the spirits to 'consume' our prayer-gift.... as our gift burned, i offered some soft drumming to hold space... to honour our sweet spirit-helpers doing this work on our behalf... When we knew it had been fully burnt, we turned to sit on the couch together to watch the fire continue to burn... A few minutes later, we both realized that we were hearing soft drums drumming from what seemed a distance away... At first, we thought perhaps the drummers were outside somewhere... Though we soon realized that the drums drumming were actually coming right from the fire! ...The flames were actually dancing to the rhythm of the spirit drums drumming... We sat in complete awe for quite some time listening to the 'fire drummers' drumming for us - knowing on a deep level that our heart-gift had been accepted and acknowledged in such a beautiful way... that, we were receiving such a blessed gift from our helpers who were supporting us... Our hearts were opened and we felt so blessed in much joy!!!... a moment we shall never forget and hold so dear in our hearts confirming that we are never alone... We thank you fire drummers for your wonderful support and for the gift of 'hearing' your sacred healing rhythms of love and light... wow! We still don't know where we're going to land as of yet - though we trust that the best new home is awaiting for us as we prepare to move for April 1st... With much love + light... in ayni and deep munay... weaver x (((o))) • above photos by carol weaver © copyright 2016 - all rights reserved update: I thought i had repaired that little tear i wrote about a few posts ago - when laughing wolf accidentally fell and was wounded.... and out of the blue one day, i discovered the tear had split even more... it had grown sooo long that dear laughing wolf now requires a complete re-skinning... she will never ever sound or look the same again...... a major 'death' of sorts... stuff is definitely shifting... Ouch!... it all feels pretty strange that she is no longer 'playable' or sounding her beautiful resonant voice... soon, i will be removing her beautiful torn goat hide and have called + prayed for a new voice-hide to come so i can re-birth her... A wonderful thing has happened during all this... spirit guided me to finally find and re-connect with John, the dear man who originally birthed laughing wolf - it was wonderful to re-connect with him again and he has taught me much about this sacred drum... thank you John with so much gratitude and appreciation... i am so very glad we are back in touch... he is freely sharing his knowledge with me to re-birth laughing wolf myself this time... I know deep in my heart that i am grieving and at the same time, very aware that i am in a deep place of transition of 'what's next?' = a new pacha... the tear actually originated from the place of the east - the place of my 'becoming' and new birth... I also find it quite interesting that i am care-taking yet another sacred drum without her hide and no physical voice... (the other is windwalker)... Recently, i was guided to ask a question of an elder grandmother... "Is there a message from our blessed earth mother's 'deep heart'?... Without hesitation, a deep teaching came through dear grandmother... "The deep heart of the mother needs healing........." "...What does mother's deep heart need?... "...allow your self to experience the frequency of that call........... [pause]... ...allow your self to know...if you hold your hands in Gaia mudra - with the thumb and the tip of the index finger together and the other fingers stretched out straight.........." "...Your body is the deep heart of the mother... the mind and every cell of your body, in every nucleus of every cell is a resonant frequency that absorbs the messages from the deep heart of mother earth..." "...You are the deep heart... when you go into the forest... you are the deep heart when you ride your horse over a pasture... you are the deep heart of the mother when you're swimming in an ocean - not a chlorinated pool..." "...You are the deep heart because you're 70-80% liquid... When you're in a powerful natural setting, you are receptive to the 'signature' and 'pulses' of 14 billion years of earth...and, that's the message from the deep heart...and my advocacy for you is to join us in a journey to the deep heart of the mother..." "...She is we and we are she now........." Thank you grandmother for this deep teaching... with so much gratitude... Perhaps having the responsibility of two very special sacred drums in my care at the moment, is teaching me a 'whole' new way of 'listening'... a way of 'wholeness'... 'be-ingness' and 'open-ness'... perhaps my dear drum - these two dear sacred drums are 'drumming me' for now... ...and that's okay - for now... I continue to await for 'what's next' knowing deep within my own 'knower and the known' that, all that matters is the present moment of right now... Bright blessings to you all with deep love and hoards of light - i look forward to being in sacred circle with you soon.... weaver x (((o))) PS... another update... what's interesting is that my teacher's drum broke almost the same way two weeks prior to my drum breaking... of which i can't help knowing that perhaps this relationship of 'teacher/student' has come to a much-needed close... "The wound is the place where the light enters you..." -Rumi there are no accidents! x (((o))) Talk about timing... it happened right out of the blue, just a couple days before our winter solstice sacred drum circle + ceremony this last December... laughing wolf, the 27-inch sacred 'big' wind drum that i humbly caretake and carry suddenly fell down - and she fell down hard... At first i thought she was okay however, with a closer look, her beautiful goat hide had been torn from the impact of the fall in the lower southeast... OMG, yikes!...my heart sank. I closed my eyes and was immediately catapulted to the center of my heart... all i could do was take one grrreat big deep breath and prayed.... Initially i wanted to cry right out loud... I believe a year or more earlier i certainly would have... In that moment of stark-reality as i hugged onto to my dear wounded drum... what i felt was a strange deep calm of sorts... Breathing certainly helped in a huge way... I also knew that this happening that happened to my sacred drum - an instrument sooo dear and close to me was probably some kind of 'shift'... perhaps a new pacha (time) has come right 'now'... Oh, how the sacred drum can place us in the present 'now' moment - even when i wasn't even playing her! This happened to one of my other drums about 11 years ago that also marked a new pacha shift for me... So, what is this present 'wounding' informing? What is the 'healed state' my dear drum showing me now?... I re-membered the beautiful quote by Rumi... "The wound is the place where the light enters you." Well... the light was definitely shining through me and that torn and ripped hide! And she had lost her voice - sounding like a buzzing, flapping piece of paper... oh my and wow............. A few days later, a friend pointed out that the tear held an interesting shape... she shared with me that she saw a snake's head with a forked tongue (see photo above)... How fitting to see sachamama/amaru the serpent of light now sitting so prevalent in the southeast of my drum facing east... This archetype traditionally sits in the medicine wheel in the south-place of the "physical"... Also, in the east, the 'eagle-place', the place of our "becoming"... new beginnings and vision... I know from this past year i have been dealing with some health issues a number of times - i am very aware i must attend to another layer of physical healing to embrace the "light" of who i truly am - without fear... my dear sacred drum has yet again revealed a 'healed state' for me on so many levels... and, i give thanks for this... I managed to repair the tear in time for the ceremony and it seems to have healed her for the time being - if i can call it that... I was thrilled she sounded again - tho, not quite the same as before... there is a new sound now within her sound it seems... perhaps there is a whole new "light-frequency" that has been birthed on some level...? Our winter solstice ceremony was beautiful as we welcomed the new light coming... I can still see the light shine through her new "open" amaru-serpent shape on her hide when i play her - reminding of the deep healing i have been given layer by layer as i continue my journey of the 'wounded healer'... As i still 'grieve' what happened and move through this recent 'wounding'... i remain "open" to what is next... One thing i know and have learned yet again is that "things never stay the same" that's for sure! I welcome this new year and new pacha time with excitement of what's next... Bright blessings to you all dear friends... with love and light, weaver x (((o))) It's a sad moment for all women (and men) drummers as Layne Redmond, woman frame drummer extraordinare, teacher, mentor, herstorian... and author of one of the most beautiful books ever written, called, "When the Drummers Were Women" passed away from cancer this morning. It was probably in 1998 or '99 while nosing around in a local Vancouver bookstore that Layne's newly published book (1997) literally dropped off the top of a shelf and fell into my hands... I was awe-struck and couldn't believe what i was seeing... at first glance of the cover, i was quite taken with the stunning beauty and powerful energy of this book... i loved the feel of the paper it was printed on and the engaging herstorical photos on every page - each image was of women from all cultures drumming from the beginning of time! I was elated and it excited me to learn more about my own 'woman' herstory being a female drummer... We've been drumming together since the beginning! Well... needless to say, i immediately bought the book and have had it on my book shelf ever since. I have read it often and since learning of Layne's passing i am reading it again. I was thrilled to learn and re-member that the first drummers were women... The first drum was the women's drum... yeah!!! Layne spent five years travelling and researching the ancient Goddess traditions and civilization in the Mideast and Europe... she collected and compiled hundreds of photos and drawings of ancient women drummers, mostly of Goddesses and and priestesses... Layne was compelled to create a powerful and empowering herstory of the sacred drum - the 'women's' sacred drum - an empowering reclaiming of the sacred feminine... The book has over 80 photos and drawings throughout. I recommend all women drummers to own and read this important book. The ancient frame drum was and is a women's symbol - of the sacred power of women... of creation... birth... and fertility... where, with one stroke of the sacred drum, everything comes into existence. One of my favourite and i feel most powerful and beautiful passages within, is a sacred teaching from Layne Redmond... First Sound............
I love how Layne's sharing acknowledges and confirms our women's sacred frame drum lineage... We come into this world, even before we are birthed into the physical human form with a deep pre-knowledge and knowingness of the sacred drum - there is a red-blood drumming and sourcing deeply rooted within our DNA - also within the rivers of our own blood and we pass this on to our children and they, their children... there is no beginning and no ending - we are a circle round like the sacred drum... like the moon and the sun and our blessed earth mother... We women are all drummers even before we are born... So, the exciting news is that we all (women and men) already KNOW HOW to drum even before we are born - because it is the sound of our mother's heart-beat and her blood pulse that taught us - 'her' blood is the first sound we ever hear within our mother's womb... This is also our 'blood' lineage as women that connects us all... "In ancient times, Layne writes... women used to often paint their drums red, the colour of blood or sometimes green, the colour of vegetation... as throughout the ancient world, these were primordial colours of life... Also, Sumerian frame drums are referred to as painted red, the sacred colour of blood... The Egyptian goddess Hathor sometimes manifests as the Seven Hathors, or the seven Celestial Cows... These seven birth goddesses set the fate of a newborn child by giving it seven souls... The 'ab' was the most important of these souls "because it was the central blood-soul emanating from the essence of the Mother." The Egyptians believed that the mother's menstrual blood descended from her heart to her womb to create the new child's life... The mother's heartbeat was the power behind creation... this is why her frame drum was often painted red - it represented the pulse of creation..." Back in the late 1980's i had a profound dream about being ceremonially gifted a sacred 'red drum' by another woman... i often wondered if i may be gifted such a red drum at some point and remained open to the possibility... It wasn't until years later that i realized that i was to birth my own sacred red drum... to gift my self and reclaim my own blood lineage as a sacred drum carrier... to step into my becoming as a sacred 'red' drum carrier... After that dream, i created some art that i titled, 'red drum dreaming' ... to assist me in dreaming this red drum into be-ing...... to this day, i still hold that sacred dream very dear to my heart because that dream has been fulfilled... I know now when i birth any sacred drum, that the blessed Goddess is guiding me on many levels... I am truly honoured to birth a special red drum to those womyn who are deeply called to hold one... and, i am truly honoured to be a part of helping other womyn to become red drum keepers ... to help hold the balance of our blessed earth Mother, great goddess... I know one can never 'own' a sacred drum... we are simply caretakers + holders of our precious drums... as we are the midwives + the keepers of our dear Mother's sweet voice and deep heart... In Layne's book, When the Drummers were Women included a whole chapter about the Island of Cypress which is the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love and beauty. In her research she discovered that at one time, there was a flourishing ancient tradition of women drummers in Cypress... though that tradition had been long lost to the rise of patriarchy... In 2004, women from Cypress who saw and read Layne's book invited her to come to Cypress to teach them the sacred frame drum to reclaim, once again, the sacred frame drum... which is now sounding yet again in Cypress! The women have re-membered! It gives me goosebumps when musing this... Before Layne passed, in the last few months of her life, she was passionately working on a revised edition of "When the Drummers were Women" - to be republished with added photos, text and accounts from women all over the world on how her book influenced and changed them... I do hope she was able to complete this, her life's work. Thank you Layne Redmond for your life's work and your journey of reclaiming the sacred women's frame drum... thank you for your sharings and teachings... for helping all women (and men) to re-member the ancient traditions and feminine lineage of drumming... You have inspired me and moved me to continue my passion of sharing the sacred drum to those who are drawn to re-member... to re-member and return to our blessed earth mother... With bright blessings to you dear sister of the sacred drum on your journey home to ride the pulse of the great red mother... i-yi-yah!!! We hear + feel your voice! ...in deep sacred gratitude, weaver x (((o))) • To learn more about Layne's work and legacy, i welcome you to visit her website at www.layneredmond.com and... www.whenthedrummerswerewomen.com Beautiful video: When the Drummers Were Women with Layne Redmond... enjoy! Every once in a while i recall a past incident or better yet - a very interesting experience... and i still can't help but wonder about this one... In fact... i just can't quite figure it out - definitly one of those "shake your head" things......a divine moment perhaps?... One afternoon, i had been visiting a good friend for lunch and after, as i was just driving home... me and my little car were merrily motoring along on busy 12th street in the right lane nearing the intersection of Clark Drive... on 12th there are 4 lanes of endless traffic that go along at quite a clip... 2 lanes going west and 2 lanes going east... it's one of those Vancouver streets that never stops it seems... As i'm driving heading east something happens to catch my attention to the left side out of the corner of my eye (on the other opposite of the road!)... right at the edge of the sidewalk is a tiny, little tabby kitten that is about to step down off the curb and onto the road... and ultimately into the heavy traffic... yikes! I'll never forget that graphic-scene... the kitten was sooo small and about the same height as the curb... which meant if it did continue that step down, it was sure to take a tumble head-over-paws right into the traffic! It was inevitable - a sure-thing.... Now... really?... What was he or she thinking...? And to this day i still can't believe that i happened to catch this "incident' as i was roaring by (at about 35 km)... How was it that in that split-second-moment i happened to see this as i was going by so fast... it was kind of weird... it was almost as if time slowed down a tad - just for me to witness this... it was quite terrifying yet so graphically real... And so as my brain computes the doomed outcome... feeling so helpless 'cause i'm driving, i screamed right out loud to the universe and to the little kitty now behind me, "Noooooooooo!!! STOP!!!! Right NOW!!!" After my outburst i was now near the intersection of Clark Street... feeling much dread with terrible thought... OMG! I recklessly switched into the left lane and swung left into a gas station and parked... i jumped out of the car and raced down the sidewalk back to the scene expecting to peel what was left of the kitten off the pavement... i was sure of that... When i get back to where i thought i had seen the kitten on the north side of the block... i look all over the pavement... nothing! I look everywhere...still no kitten. I search and search out onto the 4 lanes of raging traffic and still can't see a kitten or remnants anywhere. I search the other side with hopes he had somehow and miraculously maybe made it across - nothing. I look behind me... i look on either side of the sidewalk... nada... still nothing. All there is... is the continuous steady traffic noisily racing to and fro in front of me... "Wow?", i think to myself... that's one amazing kitten... i wonder how the heck he got out of that one? Where the heck did he go...........? I couldn't help but feel like an idiot - did i REALLY see what i thought i saw? I thought i saw a puddy-cat... Standing facing the traffic i'm absolutely totally perplexed... literally scratching my head asking myself again... did i really see what i thought i saw? Am i in the right place looking now?... to double-check i walked up and down along the sidewalk checking again and again - back and forth many times over and... still nothing. I was sure it was here - in this place... i'm positive! Just when i think about giving up and start walking the block back to my car... inside the rhythmic-swishing of the traffic, i hear faint mewing-cries a short distance away... at first i can't tell where the mewing is coming from - i look around and around searching... and then i realize that the crying is coming from one of the houses behind me... "Where are you?" i actually cry out....... i turn around to face the relentless mewing-sounds but i still can't see where... my ears and eyes follow the desperate cries of help and then... i finally see UP on a house balcony in front of me, pacing back and forth hysterically against and in-and-around the balcony's rod-iron bars is a tabby kitten - and he seemed to be mewing at 'me"..........wanting my attention.... "Huh?.. i say to myself.....is this the same kitten??? No frickin' way... how can it be???"... i spin a 360-degree turn completely to see again for the kitten i thought i saw around on the ground or on the road... anywhere... there has to be another kitten... come on............... Whaaat?... How the **** did he get up there?... i again ask myself if this is the same kitten i saw earlier stepping off the curb...? ......it sure looks like..... it could be?????... As i'm standing on the sidewalk in absolute disbelief and shock watching the balcony kitten mewing incessantly at me running back and forth...... the kitten then throws itself off the 20-or-so-foot balcony and lands hard onto the lawn below and dashes towards me in short leaps through the long lawn grass, crying the whole way until... He reaches me... and i pick him up gently cupping him in my hands holding him up to my eye-level... We look at each other - i'm completely awed dumbfounded - he's sooooooo little.... ... i can feel his little heart just-a-pounding and he won't stop stop mewing... and to boot... he had pooped himself...... i promptly wipe him and my hands off together on the grass - nervously hanging on to him to keep him safe...and trying to reassure him he was okay now that he was in my nervous hands...... OK... so now what?......... I stand there for quite some time holding him continuing to comfort him and settle him down... i really didn't know what to do....... I eventually decide to knock on a few doors in the block to see if he belongs to anyone... after a number of feeble attempts i give up as anyone i talked to didn't want to have anything to do with him. And so... i head back to my car with kitty in hand... Once in the car, i again wipe him and me off with a rag and decide to take him to an SPCA i know about not far away on Clark Drive... i realize i can't keep him as i already have 2 pets of my own... i had to do something... 'cause i couldn't just leave him there.... When i arrive at the SPCA... i hand him over to the folks there, tell the story of how i found him and they assure me that he'll be probably adopted within the next few hours because he's so little and so cute... i reluctantly pass him over saying a quiet goodbye, give him a last pet and wish him the best - thanking him silently in some way...... and the SPCA folk thanked me for bringing him in telling me how lucky that kitten was to have found me... Found me? ... i believe he definitely found me! ...or, some divine intervention happened for both of us - for each of us - in one given moment of time... or........ no-time??? Still shaking my head and a tad teary to let him go, i head for the bathroom to clean up and leave to finally go home... all that day i was left with a mixed feeling of bizaare wonderment and somewhat confused....... Well... what do you think all that was?... just coincidence?... or what?... ...i don't know................... To tell you the truth i'm really still not sure... but i just can't help but think that somehow... that i witnessed and was a part of some kind of "divine grab" of some sort...... and still wonder to this day how i was a part of all that... Was it my immense feeling-state of yelling out "NO!" in the just-right-moment" - was my strong-feeling a prayer of some sort?........or what........? And, oh yeah.... little guy - wherever you ended up or wherever you are or from... thank you for the gift of showing me a little more of the blessed divine! I welcome your thoughts and/or comments my friends...... and would love to hear if you have ever experienced anything similar to this.......... Bright blessings with always so much light and love, weaver (((o))) We are in a time of great healing and for all those who are willing to work toward releasing emotions held too long in the heart... our ancestors gift us these wise deep words they suggest, in silence... meditation... they came to me through and within the sound of drumming this day.... x (((o)))
I am love but know not love... I am free but know not freedom... I am born but know i not die... I can walk but know i not run... I can see but know i not hide... I must release this old burden, weighing on my heart heavy... Drowning me in deep sorrow, for all the wrongs I have inflicted... For all the wrongs I have so suffered... Endured in lifetimes, long forgotten.. Carried forth now, for all to hear... Brought forth now, for all to listen... Brought forth now in great remembrance, this lifetime forgiving... Learning present to let go... Turn the ego toward the Light... Choose the pain to drop away... Gift all hurt to our earth Mother... it feeds Her... as She feeds us... Breathe the Light She gifts back within Right Relationship... Feel the sorrow wash through, feel the tears now turn to joy... Open your heart once more to laughter, feel your joy light up the sky... Your soul is clear and now rejoices... Let this go, move through this, your day... - sourced through weaver © October, 2011 I purchased the book, The 40 Day Prosperity Plan by John Randolph Price and have read it a number of times... below is an excerpt section to review and perhaps follow, if you are drawn... i also suggest you purchase the book for all the other valuable info... it is indeed a 'good plan!' The 40 Day Prosperity Plan (excerpt) by John Randolph Price... INSTRUCTIONS: Here is a program for realizing abundant prosperity in your life and affairs. According to the mystical Christian principles, on which this program is based, it takes 40 days for consciousness to realize a truth. A break in practice during the 40 day period will release the energy being built up around the new ideas. Therefore, there must be a definite commitment to faithfully follow this program each and every day for 40 days. If you miss even one day, start over again and continue until you can go the full period with perfect continuity. Here is the course of action: Establish a specific date to start your program, such as the beginning of a particular week. Count out 40 days on your calendar and mark the completion date. On the first day of the program write the statement shown below in your spiritual journal:
There are ten statements of principles below... Read one statement each day. This means that you will go through the entire list four times during the 40-day period. After reading the daily statement upon arising or before going to bed in the evening, meditate on it for at least 15 minutes, focusing on each idea in the statement with great thoughtfulness and feeling, letting the ideas fill your consciousness. Following each meditation period, write down in your journal the thoughts that come to you. Be sure to do this daily. Since you have already received an all sufficiency of supply (all that Infinite Mind has is yours now), you can prove this Truth to your deeper mind by sharing your supply on a regular basis while you are working with the Plan. Giving is an esoteric science that never fails to produce results if it is done with love and joy, because the Law will shower you with a multiplied return. But if you tithe (and I really prefer the word "sharing" to tithing) as a mechanical and calculated method to please God/ess, unload guilt, meet a sense of obligation, and play a bartering game with the Law, no one benefits, not even the receiver. Give with love, joy, and a sense of fun, and the windows of heaven will be thrown open with a blast! The Statements of Principle:
This excerpt comes from, The 40 Day Prosperity Plan by John Randolph Price... you can purchase the book here >> You can find more info/purchase as a CD Audio Book through Amazon, by clicking here >> |
i wish to acknowledge with gratitude that i live, work + play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation...
my blog writings...i'm a creative soul choosing to walk softly on our blessed earth mother's back... more here... Spirit Art Frame Drum Available by weaver…
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