COMPETITION EQUALS VICTIMIZATION

I know it's been forever since I have written, but I have accomplished so much in the last few months therefore I can't feel too terrible about it. And now with the winter months, I am able to enjoy some time where I can sit at the window, watch the tankers float by while the geese migrate. As I get a chance to relax, I feel like there is something in the air. An awareness if you will. It has a tinge of the uncomfortable, and a smack of reality - definitely a shift - one that doesn't feel good but still necessary. It has the smell of global and universal implications - but what is it? Is it one thing or everything? What I do know is that whatever it is, it is meaningful. It's also interesting that I am watching it play out in a more individualistic way not only with others but personally. And aren't we just pieces of the total cosmology? This was driven home as I walked away from a situation where I know someone felt badly about a repeated disappointment in their life. I am not to say what another human being's lessons are. That is their personal journey. My lesson is to remain aware of my part and to remember that whatever happens, it was due to my actions and I have no one but me to blame for it. What I put out into the world is what will come back. Some examples are the pickpocket who believes everyone is out to get their hands in his pocket. A liar thinks everyone is lying to them. Someone that uses people believes that they are or will be used. If a human being believes the need to compete than everyone becomes competition. It's human nature. What you are, is what you see, is what you get back. I am coming around to my own accountability and with that have asked myself some hard questions. I have come up with some answers that seem satisfactory and will continue to work on the issues at hand. But as I was dealing with my own story, I thought -isn't this the same journey that we as a species need to undertake? If as individuals we learn to take our own advice, then so must the human race in our global development on this planet. While reviewing, there seems to be one thing that can quickly make a difference....and that is to stop being a victim. What is a victim? In my opinion a victim compels others to rescue them by making them hostage to their alleged circumstances, dragging them into the abyss of their own making. Did I say of their own making? Yes, I did. No matter what your, mine and our circumstances, we are responsible for our actions from this point forward. Where we are now is a result of our previous decisions and actions. Regardless of what has happened in the past,we have the power to change our situation now. If we don't like what is happening on this planet - whos fault is it? We get what we deserve. This mess is a result of what we either asked or settled for. When we play the victim and expect others to come to your rescue, we are shutting ourselves off from that tremendous power of personal accountability, the power of "you'. You are creating a self-limiting environment for yourself. You are failing to be 100% responsible. Do I deny the reality of circumstances good and bad? No, but I do deny the benefit when you or I or anyone else focuses on them from a victim's perspective. For every whine, somebody has a better case somewhere else. No matter what has happened to you, something worse has happened to someone else. If you demand people focus on victimhood, you owe it to others less fortunate to focus on them and not yourself. You'll never win this losing battle of being the biggest victim. Every minute you spend playing the victim, is a minute you spend not doing something about it. Aside from that, nobody else wants to hear it. You are just spreading the misery unnecessarily. Right, so what are some of the characteristics of the victimized masses that got us here? Greed? Fear? Partially, and much more, but I am going to deal with the result of competition, since that is what I see firsthand being in the music business. Ah, the world of competition. We get so focused on our daily routine that it never occurs to us how dirty we sometimes play. Society has always been competitive, but today life is perhaps more competitive than in any previous era. Since childhood children are taught how to show that they are the strongest, the smartest the very best. This is where competition starts. People are used to thinking that their lives, possessions, belongings are the best, the biggest the most attractive. That keeps us wanting for more and we continue to never be satisfied. Race, financial, or social status doesn't matter. When we are accused of playing dirty, everybody tries to prove the jury wrong even if the jury is them. Is there an answer to this. I say yes there is. Let us consider the world of collaboration. A world where we see what our part is and then join together with others to accomplish the dreams of the individual, group and mass. Realizing that no one is better than anyone else. We all have our strengths, our weaknesses, our talents, our neurosis - it is what makes us interesting or challenging. With these characteristics in tow, are any of us really that different than anyone else? Do you deserve more than the human being you are standing next to? I think that many of us think so and I say, shame on us. We will never move forward if we are victimized by our own desperation and dreams. We will never see eye to eye if we are not living in the collective consciousness about who we really are and what we all really want. I don't think we have to think too hard about what truly makes any of us happy. I am sure that being accountable will lead us to it. I know that I have never met anyone that didn't do better my trying to achieve it. And what would that be? That my beautiful human family would be the pursuit of love. From my garden to yours..... Cricket Garde

Peace in the Moment and Within

"Anything in life that we don't accept will simply make trouble for us until we make peace with it."...Shakti Gawain

Hindus have their Gods. Christians have Saints. There are thousands of them and, like our Gods, each one ' looks after' a particular part of the world. There are Saints for Lost Causes, and a Saint for acne. There are Saints for death row inmates and Saints for love. There are hundreds of Saints for animals , who have demonstrated acts of compassion and charity on creatures great and small. But I'm not sure there is a Saint for time management or a Saint for believing that you have failed as a human being by not always doing the right thing. Both issues that have been coming up for me in the last month.

Let's start with the time management issue and really, maybe management is a misleading word. Because who in this world has the power to manage time? An elusive, manmade construct that is completely misleading when considering that our calendar is completely out of sync with the flow of the planets and their cycles - a universal knowing if you will - but I digress. The issue at hand is that I am falling backwards and not doing what is required for me to function in a healthy way. The exercise went out the window along with meditation, eating as healthy as I can and oh I don't know a list of many other things that I am not getting to.

With the opening of my own studio (Holistic Voice Institute) and the garden season upon us, it has been a bit much. Not only that but due to all the things I was trying to accomplish on my to do list, I got really sick and am on day number 14 with a cold virus thing that won't seem to let go. This slowed me down and as most of you know when you are sick, it seems like life is passing you by.

Now out of bed and getting back on the serenity train. I have hired a yoga instructor for my studio and looking for a trainer that can work out of my studio space, bringing them to me as I can't seem to get to them. The rest will follow I'm sure - just a temporary blip but even so, why can't I maintain a normalcy in my life? What is so fricking hard about it? Is it supposed to be hard? Is that the character building of it all? Taking joy in the appreciation so that when you achieve just a bit of it, you are grateful?

"Find joy and Peace in this very moment"...Thich Nhat Hanh

Lying in bed for four days I did finally come to a conclusion and that is - God made me perfect. I am in the image of God and if it's good enough for God, then dammit, it's good enough for me. It is time for me to make peace with who I am. Constantly picking at an etheric scab does not allow me to ever truly heal. With all that I am supposed to do to be a better human, I am losing sight of what actually makes me one. For example, I no longer have time to be connected to nature. I am not spending any of these precious life moments falling in love with Mother Earth which is a hands on daily exercise. I haven't written my newsletter which is an absolute joy for me and once again, connects me with something above my hair. So yeah, maybe I don't have clutter in my house, or I meditate regularly, or I eat right, or I exercise, or... or... or... or.....but what really matters to me is getting lost.

With the writing of this newsletter I am recommitting to what makes me tick. I am getting off the "to do list" and back into "Living in the present" which is to be aware of what is happening, of what I am doing and what I am feeling and thinking. It is being conscious of my thoughts and focusing them on the now. In this way I can look at situations as they are, not coloring them with past experiences. Living in such a way will make it easier to deal with whatever I am doing at the moment. See things as they are, without being influenced by fears, anger, desires or attachments.

There is a story about two friends traveling by train. One was very nervous, restless and full of complaints the whole trip. He was impatient to reach his destination, and disliked every moment of the trip. He did not pay attention to his surroundings, as his mind was full of impatient, restless and grumpy thoughts. His friend, on the other hand, enjoyed the scenery, drank a cup of coffee, ate a piece of cake and chatted with the other passengers. He enjoyed every moment the trip. He lived in the present moment and made the most of it. On arrival he was fresh and felt good. His friend, as expected, arrived exhausted, tired and unhappy. It is a matter of the right attitude. Life becomes a happy and enjoyable trip when the attitude toward it and its events is positive, and the present moment is used in the best possible way.

It is time for me to get on the train and enjoy the view. To wake up to the moment and live in it. The past happened, the to do list finds it place and I know longer am enslaved by thoughts and emotions, losing my freedom by living in the shoulda woulda coulda world. I have declared myself to be a citizen of the "world of the present moment". The world of peace of mind which frees me of unnecessary, burdensome and unpleasant thoughts. A world where I can stop pointing a finger at anyone including me and thrive in a peaceful state leading me to where peace lives within.

Anything in life we don't accept will simply make trouble for us until we make peace with it. This can only be achieved by knowing constant living and awareness of the present developing a new kind of awareness-consciousness. It is awareness of freedom, of being alive, of happiness, joy, peace and realizing the freedom from thoughts. There is nothing mysterious, mystical or out of this life about this concept. It is the most natural and positive state to exist in because when we learn to say a deep, passionate yes to the things that really matter, then peace within ourselves begins to settle onto our lives like golden sunlight sifting to a forest floor.

From my peaceful garden to yours.

Deserve To Love

It has been over two weeks since I have written the Cricket Newsletter. With all that is going on, to find time to just "write" seemed almost impossible. It's a little bit sad, because out of all the projects I have, Cricket Newsletter is one of my favorites. Besides the time factor, so much is going on in the world, that I just didn't seem to have anything that was important enough to write. But after this last week and the horrific circumstances in Japan, I was suddenly compelled to write something. As the facts unfolded of the horrors of the earthquakes in both Christchurch, New Zealand and Japan, there was something that struck me in the center of my heart. And that was how the people in both catastrophes, handled themselves. I watched how hour after hour, family members would walk through debris, groups of people and government agencies in order to find loved ones. I saw how these people in quiet dignity stood in lines for water and small portions of food while huddled around heaters in makeshift tents. I cried as individuals described trying to hold on to loved ones, to no avail as the raging waters swept their children and spouses away. In all of this, I never felt pity but only admiration for how courageous and kind they were being to each other in the middle of their hell. Very much like the Taiwanese interacted when they were faced with the same horrors. I wonder if this same kind of horror happened to this country if we would conduct ourselves the same way? Would we still hold on to our humanity while rebuilding, allowing us the realization that it was the only way to maintain and/or grow physically and spiritually? Or would we think that the government or the world or life needed to give us what we deserve? And what is it that we deserve? Who owes us? Anyone? Would we loot to our heart's content? Or would we look inside ourselves and find out what we are made of which may then lead us to rely on each other and then out of that building a stronger, richer and wiser community? I will speak for myself on what I deserve. I was told a long time ago when I was living a very selfish life, by someone very wise, "If you got what you deserved you wouldn't be alive." Sounds harsh, I know, but honestly, that was the truth. I completely got it when I heard it. The statement drove home how much more I could be offering to the world. I needed to up my ante as a human being and become more useful but not only that, I had a moment of clarity that allowed me to see that false promises had been made to me on how life should be. On how easy it was supposed to be. Ah, I get it....work hard, enjoy the hard work and lower all expectations. Maybe what I deserve is a crimson sunset. A hot bath. A monarch butterfly. The reassuring voice of a stranger. The gifts that nurture the soul. Maybe this is what are the special moments instead of yearning for a nice house, a big color TV, being famous or being rich. Maybe what we might be actually yearning for are the special moments to give balance to that which so often and easily becomes off-balance due to the hectic demands and increasing pressures of society, government, ad campaigns and what the next door neighbor has. I have known catastrophe to clear the way for divine energy to speak and filter through my senses so that the human spirit can be invigorated. Now let me be clear, that my intention is not to minimize the horrific suffering that people in New Orleans, Australia, Haiti, New Zealand and Japan have been through. Far from it. It is just my way of putting a personal perspective on what is happening in a way that I can make sense of it. I have to remember that so often, people who have endured nothing less than catastrophic life experiences have most often come out victors rather than victims. When asked, "What was it that got you through your crisis?" Each person gives a similar answer. What they describe is what can be coined as "muscles of the soul." Those inner resources which help us dismantle and transcend the roadblocks on life's journey. These roadblocks include everything from the ex-spouse from hell to cancer to earthquakes. The muscles of the soul include, but are not limited to courage, faith, humor, patience, compassion, imagination, humbleness, forgiveness, intuition, creativity, optimism, honesty and love. These are the resources people draw upon in times of crisis and catastrophe. They are not gifts for a chosen few. They are birthrights for each and every one of us. But, like our physical muscles, they will atrophy if not used. And while they will never disappear, in a weakened or inactive state, they will be as ineffective as the muscles of a sedentary person attempting a marathon. In times of catastrophe we are called upon to use our inner resources and come through each situation the victor, not the victim. Our spiritual muscles are there for the asking. Spiritual health is flexing these muscles and feeling the strength they provide when needed. I can only hope that my spiritual muscles have not atrophied when I am called upon to act in difficult times. I hope that I remember I am a spiritual being living in the physical. And with these hopes I pray for everyone that is suffering in this changing world. I choose that in the end what we are left with is love, light and compassion. I choose to live with an open heart expecting nothing in return. And may I be left with knowing the one thing we do deserve is that we deserve to love. From my garden to yours..........

Deserve Humanity

Let's take a deep collective "here comes the spring weather" breath! Shall we? Between a really long and seemingly harsh winter here in Michigan and all of the world events, I keep praying for a little down time which doesn't seem to ever happen. Of course, the never-ending when will the ferry not be running drama, adds a little bit of stress. As a matter fact, today, once again, the ferry is stuck in ice. And it is almost April. I do have some gardening tips below. As the spring approaches we are spending more time outside so my little Cricket Garden Newsletter will be dealing more with the actual act of ...yes, gardening. In the meantime, I do want to share some last thoughts on what has been taking place. So please indulge me and then like I said, it is all about the garden.......I think. As the events after the catastrophe in Japan have unfolded, I am saddened by the reaction of press, politics and other powers that be, in regards to the dialogue that has followed. The fact that we are still discussing whether Nuclear Power is a good thing or not when we know that major templates are shifting is absolutely absurd. To say that there were no deaths after 3-mile island is absurd (see stats below). The fact that we are worried about the economic situation in Japan and how it affects us instead of the recovery of the future of human welfare in the world is absurd. Remember you can't eat gold and you can't eat a dollar bill. Money is something we made up as a means of exchange. But services are a means of exchange too. Let's have that converstation or would we have to turn off our televisions refusing to listen to information that circulates round and round, feeding in on itself. I say, wake up to all of those who are stuck and live in a world that has nothing to do with a new reality. We live in a culture where everything tastes good but nothing satisfies. The mercenary mind perceives the world purely in terms of material resources to be used for its benefit, to increase productivity and profit without thought of long term consequence. If there is still a vague and oppressive sense of guilt, of wrongness and imbalance, this gnawing guilt spurs money mongers on to greater acts of consumption, more and more violent attempts to subjugate nature, more totalizing efforts to create distractions. To the "rational materialist" living without a connection to oneness, he believes death is the end of everything; this thought feeds its rage against nature, which has placed us in this position of despair. What I do know is that if we don't learn our lesson then the lessons will get bigger. And with the bigger lessons are bigger consequences. Wake up everyone. Do your research. There are other forms of energy. Do some investigating. Go back to Tesla in the 20's who already had his system in place for free energy only to be usurped by J.P. Morgan and Thomas Edison. Investigate Hutchinson's experiments with Anti-Gravity. Google David Sereda and see what he is up to in regards to Anti-Gravity and free energy. Or maybe if you would like a little celebrity with your renewable resources you can see the work that Daryl Hannah is supporting with her own money. I like to take a positive outlook on whatever is happening and see the higher purpose of it. But when I am channel surfing to get any kind of "real" information, only to land on the senator from Tennessee who is going on about how wonderful Nuclear Energy is only to find out that two of the biggest contractors for Three Mile Island contributed $15,000 to his campaign, I have to look a little harder for the "light" in all of this. The world I look forward to is earth friendly. It is a world that knows that at the center of this beautiful green sphere that I call Mother Earth is a beating heart. A heart that my heart needs to be connected to so that I know what I am made of and how I fit into this beautiful cosmos. The earth that I am looking forward to is one that doesn't think that money is so important that the distribution of it goes to the very few while "most" people on this planet suffer. I am pining for the society that sees a more intelligent way for humans spending their time investigating new constructs for sustainable communities. For example, maybe if each person donated two hours a day to the needs of the community then they could spend the rest of their time pursuing what their passion may be. That's all it would take, two hours from every single person. For years I have been saying that we will waste valuable time trying to keep things the way they were when what we might want to do is leap forward with faith, imagination, an organic responsibilty to ourselves and each other bringing our brushes and pallettes to this canvas, an art project called humanity. Something we truly can't live without.

Pilgrimage - An Unfinished Opus

'We only have to look around us to see how complexity and psychictemperature are still rising: and rising no longer on the scale of the individual but now on that of the planet. This indication is so familiar to us that we cannot but recognize the objective, experiential, reality of a transformation of the planet as a whole'. We are heading through a period in history where we can no longer dismiss the wisdom of ancient peoples. Being that - the cosmic concept where intelligence is not just a function of humans on earth but an intrinsic part of energy space and time itself. Every religion comes to the same concept in the end - there is a hierarchy of sorts along with one creator. These beliefs, which I share, cause me to believe there is one full consciousness, so therefor there is only one identity. Singularity - the concept of oneness. The tricky part is that everything we see around us is part of a dream leading us to think that when we are looking at others we are looking at someone else. But really, as we are all part of the same consciousness - we are just looking at ourselves. Yep, that's right folks. No pointing fingers or it's the other guys fault or how can she do that or boy, that so and so is really stupid.....in other words, all we are ever seeing in each and every face, is the face of God. A perfect human being made in God's image. This is my mantra when I begin to slip, finger getting ready to point - and then begin with an inner voice, "I can't be angry, I can't pass judgment, I am looking at the face of God. The journey, pilgrimage, if you will, has not been an easy one for me. I did not come into this humaneness, adjust my halo, fluff my wings and begin loving everyone....Life just always seemed hard. Many reasons for that. Being an overly sensitive kid, mother on welfare and food stamps while my father ran around, no proper clothes to wear in a community where that was not the case for others. Then choosing the music business to go into at a time few women were singing in bands, developing a tough skin, while being forced to make decisions that did not make me the most popular girl in the neighborhood. More than half of my life, I was incredibly angry. As I look around the world, so many of "us" are still angry. The world moving through its journey, is now dying it's angry death of what it has been. I am standing on a planet watching a rebirth, pulling us all in since we are included in the active elements of the universe. But maybe "journey" doesn't really explain it as the word seems to have a beginning and an end. So Pilgrimage may be more fitting. "Pilgrimage", because it is a journey of the spirit frequently beginning long before the journey commences and continuing long after the destination has been reached. Believing that the earth/ universe/mankind, all part of a singular concept, we can look at the earth's pilgrimage, as if it applies to an individual (or the other way around?). How does a pilgrimage begin? Could be an invitation from a friend, a suggestion by a stranger, an unexpected prompting from within one's mind and heart can set a pilgrimage in motion. Haven't many of us, in our hearts and mind yearned for a more peaceful world? Because a pilgrimage is a spiritual journey, it makes the decision to go on a pilgrimage not come quickly or easily. Don't we still feel the pull of the negative even though it can only lead to our demise? Isn't there a tug of war within our own collective consciousness, playing out on a world stage? To displace oneself, that is, to leave the familiar and comfortable place and travel along an unknown and different path may require a season of prayer, the support of a praying community, and a process of discernment before the inner "yes" is freely and intentionally uttered. I am beginning to hear a collective yes, each day more affirmative revealing that awareness of the pilgrimage has already begun. "The words community and solitary pilgrims may seem like they do not belong together in the same sentence. Yet, throughout the experience of pilgrimage the need for pilgrims to be alone and the need for them to be also in community complement and support one another. Pilgrims come together often with an innate contemplative attitude, a stance requiring periods of inner solitude and outer spaciousness so the spirit can be cared for by silence. Corresponding, when pilgrims come together and form a pilgrim community, the spirit of each pilgrim speaks to the spirit of the other, harmonizing and balancing the movements of each person's involvement in the divine cosmic dance of transformation". What is the spirit in spiritual for the earth's and our pilgrimage? Maybe the answer begins with a premise-that we are not human beings seeking somehow to do something to become spiritual, but rather we are spiritual beings who long to become fully human. If that premise is accepted, then spirit is an element of being human, being alive and experiencing the emotional qualities of spirit, inner promptings that reflect certain conditions of the mind, heart and body. As humans, if we can remember that we are truly pilgrims often encountering the shared experiences of a deeper life-giving spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and compassion, which affect the mind, the heart, and the body. Then we can realize this is the only way to combat intolerance, rebellion, hatred, violence, or bigotry. If our collective spirit can embrace that a pilgrimage is not always what it seems to be, it is not a vacation, it is uncomfortable, including moments of despair, doubt and conflict, then we can look around and understand what is happening providing more clarity to what is playing out. Maybe while we percolate, grow and morph, we can bring intentional prayer, meditation, silence, shared reflection and a peace driven vision to the petri dish. We can keep at the forefront of our minds, that love, compassion, peace and knowing are the connection of the human heart to our higher self. And then maybe we can connect, protect and realize what is at stake. One of our greatest gifts....The Great Mother, Earth.

RESOLUTIONS

Making a New Years resolution is like broadcasting your intentions to the Devil.".......Alan Watts, British Philosopher

That is a pretty heavy quote. Actually, my mother, a wise old soul put it differently. "Kathleen, the minute you want something, the universe puts up roadblocks, so it's best not to "want" anything." Or in another case, my dear friend, Johnny B said in reply to me stating that I "wanted" to practice acceptance, said, "Why do you want anything, just learn to be." Ah, the perils of being human! I have to say that my experience in the spiritual realm tells me there seems to be forces at work trying to keep me from becoming my best, that try to keep me from progressing on my spiritual journey. Whatever these forces are they don't have my best interest in mind which means that the progression of a spiritual path stalls and I end up staying right where I am at. And to not want anything? Of course, that is pretty impossible as a human being - over the years I seemed to always be in a state of "wanting" something or the other. Even with my Taoist leanings of "everything you need is in the moment", it seems that I get popped out of Taoist serenity all too often.

But it is getting better. My list shortens and has more purpose. This last year, so much was accomplished that I can't believe it. Losing weight, working out, finding spiritual teachers, meditating, gardening, organizing my lifeto be more efficient, getting rid of clutter, the garden, the produce stand, finishing a book of poetry, getting two websites up, setting up a fund for families in need, moving into working spaces that are conducive for what I want to do and training in the etheric, spiritual and physical so that it can be applied to the voice and all that goes with it. The list continues for the new year; find time to write/read/study, going vegetarian, recording my next CD & a children's record both with original songs, opening up my own Voice Institute, go camping more often this summer and step up the physical activity. And of course the little cross hairs that get in the way - balancing and working within a budget and improving communications in business affairs. It's not a big list nor are these insurmountable - however, some of them get brushed under a rug, sidetracked, bamboozled and skewered - because I don't really want to do it (budget) or just get lost in the shuffle.

Oh, this just doesn't work anymore because as long as my thinking and/or headspace is taken up with all the internal chatter of life's clutter and whether my checkbook is balanced, it steals all the energy away from what may have more purpose for duties that ring through to a higher level. So stinking thinking takes over and leaves little room for loftier thoughts. Because of this realization, resolutions have now become something more important - however, they are no longer, what I "want". Instead I place my "needs" into right now and manifest as if it has already happened. I no longer get into the "I want" or even "I need" but rather state it as "I Am". Then I seem to become a co-creator, if you will, as opposed to a victim - someone waiting for something to happen to them. It seems to be working as now, I sometimes move almost too quickly towards my goals.

We live in a society of wanting - wanting something other than what we have. This is tricky ground to walk, filled with ego-driven landmines. The tightrope for me has been turning wanting into what my actual needs are and then living as if they are already in place. It takes some meditation, guidance and thought - but keeping the heart pure and my eye on the goal of what I am here to accomplish - seems to keep the journey honorable.

Years ago, while working with women who were ex-addicts and trying to put together clean pregnancies - would come to me worrying about every little thing. My standard reply was, "What are you worried about? It's already happened, you just haven't gotten there yet." (Believe me, there was a lot of eye rolling after that statement). How many times have I looked back and thought, how the hell did that all happen? Between the experience of living life and of course, the garden, have taught me to just "be" - the Water Course or the Way of the Tao. When in the garden, I compost, plant, water and then lower my expectations. Because of this the Taoist lessons of try without trying to act without acting come into play.

By doing so, maybe I won't attract the attention of those who want me to fail.

Or am I the culprit of the failure.....hmmm.........

With the beginning of the New Year I want to take a minute and thank those of you who take time out of your busy lives to read this newsletter. You have no idea, how much it means to me when you drop a note to tell me how you look forward to reading it. It means a lot because it confirms my belief that all of us are on the same journey - different modes of operandi, but the journeys are the same. My purpose of writing this newsletter is to share some of what I move through, hoping that it will strike a chord with some of you. Afterall, we are all part of the same cosmos and need each other to grow, love and share.

May your New Years be as loving and rewarding as we all deserve.

From my garden to yours......

Songs of Peace

"We sang all night and everybody went home early in the morning. It was emotionally so strong that the next day there were even more people. The day after, there were even more people. People took out their hidden flags. They had these flags hidden for 50 years and now they took these out and started to wave them."...Estonian "They listened to the sounds of the wind, the mountains, the creeks, the rustling grass and imagined the many spirits surrounding them. The Tibetan monks, used this as part of the preparation for prayer as a way to cleanse themselves to pray to their deities"...Humming Your Way to Happiness Sound is a healer because sound is who we are - a mass of beautiful vibrations as a result of connected harmonic strings informing us of all of that we are made of, beyond and etheric. We along with every living thing has a "cosmic hum" - which of course includes our planets (The Murmers of Earth, Carl Sagan). If we are so lucky as to be sensitive enough to hear the sound (Ah the ears of our furry critters), it is these hums, sounds, harmonics that I think prove that everything is humming along with everything - until there is a discord, putting us out of sync with the universal flow. And as we look around, there is much discord. What we have forgotten is that most ancient cultures and indigenous peoples, regarded sound as a creative generative force associated with the creation of the Universe, and capable of being harnessed to produce impossible physical and spiritual feats. I reiiterate "physical and spiritual feats", which brings me to something that I wanted to write about. Most people don't think about singing when thinking about revolutions and/or troubled times. But in Estonia song was the weapon of choice when, between 1987 and 1991, Estonians wanted to end decades of Soviet occupation. The Singing Revolution was the name given to the step-by-step process that led to the reestablishment of Estonian Indepedence in 1991. This was a non-violent revolution that overthrew a very violent occupation. It was called the Singing Revolution because of the role singing played in the protests of the mid-1980's. The movement started in 1987 with 10,000 people at a national music festival and by 1991 two million people joined hands while singing, making a human chain across 400 miles. In late December the Soviet regime was over. Let's face it - it is just getting weird out there or should I say here. Afterall, it is happening on the same planet I live on. So what do I do about it? Do I ignore it - the answer is no. Do I feed into the power of the negative as every newscaster and heandliner cast an eye on an atrocity that happened in Tucson or anywhere else. - the answer is no. The more we feed into the "paying attention" of how horrible it all is and then having knee jerk reactions which will take away even more rights, enslaving pepole that have nothing to do with these atrocities, we have to come up with a solution. Or do we find a way to "counter" the darkness of all this by bringing light and prayer? And frankly, I just don't think that we have given these incredbily powerful tools their due. It is really easy to point fingers and guns. But really, what can we do to change it? To change us? To change our world? And not to just change it, but to evolve - to have vision. Isn't it love? Isn't it compassion? Isn't it light? And since music is the most powerful thing I have ever come across and more importantly the human voice - is that something we can utilize for change. I think so. As a singer and more importantly as a voice teacher, I see people change every day as they and their voice connect. They are happier, more relaxed, more confident, their creative juices begin to flow, problem solving becomes easier and they and I have the most beautiful connection. They and I are changing, one cell at a time. Human to human, voice to voice, heart to heart. So why can't we inform change one person at a time? That is just what I am going to do. I have been inspired by sound all of my life. It has taken me to heights that sadly, most people don't get to experience. I am going to take this and do something with it. But let's not call it revolution. Let's call it peace. Let's call it Peacesong. From my sound filled, peaceful garden to yours.........