mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys
Sounds and the Soul
December 23, 2013
— 2 Comments
Sound is a powerful meditation tool. Chanting has been used around the world by all people to celebrate and honor spiritual beliefs. All the senses are engaged in the holiday customs of now, with little time to be still and know why we are celebrating in the first place. If you are a singer in a choir or caroling ensemble this is a time when you can share music with others in many ways. I love to hear acapella choral music because it requires intense listening on the part of each singer. There is much rehearsal to arrive at the harmony and balance each musical piece requires. Gothic architecture creates superb acoustics for this art form which is still popular in religious services. If you have no gothic cathedral, elegant concert hall or well rehearsed choir, please enjoy this heavenly break from your daily routine. Harmony, in my mind, is the greatest of all human achievements.
Aguinaldos for Christmas
December 4, 2013
In the tropical part of the world Christmas is celebrated differently. Aguinaldos are songs that people sing during the season. The man above is playing an instrument I have not seen, the Puerto Rican cuatro ( which seems to have 8 strings and be pretty big). The traditions differ, but where I lived in Venezuela, the parranda, or band of musical merry makers, went from house to house singing, drinking and then taking the family with them along to the next house. Unlike Christmas caroling, this parranda gets bigger and more spirited as the night continues. They usually came to my house last because my dad was their boss (everyone who lived in the petroleum camp) and it was fitting that he supply the alcohol for the majority of the evening. They came with harps and cuatros, guitars and furucos, cramming into our large central courtyard and rushing the bar. They made up improvisational songs about our house and our family, a la calypso (which comes from neighbor Trinidad). Many of the songs were funny and had nothing to do with Jesus. Some people think of Christmas and snow, and that is fine, but there is more to December than sleighs and gluttony. Here are some religious Venezuelan aguinaldos. I do like to hear the Mormans ripping a Hallelujah Chorus or two, but I am also very nostalgic about the memory of my tropical Christmas fun. Feliz Navidad!
Saraswati, Goddess of Knowledge, Art, and Music
January 26, 2013
— 5 Comments
The Hindu goddess Saraswati is associated with wisdom and teaching. She is the essence of eloquence, with a particular talent for music. She is a water goddess representing a river flowing freely. She expresses herself in words, images, and all musical composition. She is depicted riding swans, playing a stringed instrument. She is the embodiment of knowledge and the ultimate patron of the arts. She is symbolic of the power of learning.
This year in the Hindu calendar her puja this year is Feb. 15, 2013. It is a custom to honor her by wearing yellow and teaching children to write their first letter on that day. Art supplies, musical instruments, and writing implements are used to honor her. Her sacred temples include libraries and schools. She represents wisdom and science in a pure form. She is the mother of the Vedas, the sacred texts at the heart of Hindu literature. She is the feminine aspect of Brahma. She rode her swans right out of his mouth, not completely unlike being formed from a rib. He was overwhelmed with darkness and chaos thinking, “How can I deal with all this formless mess?” (not so unlike Adam) then, BAM..Saraswati rides out of his mouth on her swans, knowing everything!!! What a stoke of luck! She was able to sort everything out with her wisdom.
On February 15 you may want to remember her with something artful and beautiful . Find something that is essentially the most creative part of you, no matter what medium is used. She is a mighty discerning art critic, appreciating the magic in the making. You can honor her with a little ditty, a dance, or a fingerprinting…she knows the joy of capturing emotion in art. She can teach you this secret if you give her some time and attention. Everyone has artistic talents, some hidden. Artistic expression is a gateway to truth and open communication. Saraswati invites you to discover the artist in you.
Best Beach Bar
November 19, 2012
There is no other place like the Kraken, in Cardiff by the Sea, CA. This live music venue is loved by surfers, bikers, and all kinds of folks. Step inside and it is always in another time zone ( about 1976). On Sundays the Brokers play from the late afternoon until 9 pm. This is my favorite time to go because it is before my bedtime. The crowd is always classic California and the music always rocking. The lagoon is out back and the beach right across the street. Meeting my friends Jodina and Beth there last night for a dancing good time reminded me why I love North County and the old surfer culture..still alive and rocking the Coast Hiway.
Ishvara-Pranidhana
November 16, 2012
— 2 Comments
PSO at Heinz Hall
Last year I was very lucky to see the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra perform Handel’s Messiah as a fully staged opera. Everything about it was remarkable, even the serendipity of finding an excellent seat the day of the performance by just noticing the box office while I was on a walk. I grew up in Pittsburgh, but the Heinz Hall was new to me. Syria Mosque where I saw them in the 1960’s was gone like Forbes Field. In the lobby there was a great display about the life of Handel and the composition of the Messiah. He signed it SDG, in other words, he gave full credit to God for the music. I had seen this phrase before. It was written in German (those incredibly fancy letters you can’t read) on the outside of the school in Langweis, Switzerland, a small alpine village where my friend Steffi Burger lives. I love all that writing on the outside of old Swiss buildings, including hex signs to protect the contents of the buildings. They declare their faith and ask for protection in bold ( but hard to read) statements. I had some trouble with the reading, but was sure God was involved (most of them are about God and work) so I asked my friend, who also could not read it. We asked Walter Engle, whose family had crossed the Davos pass with their cows to settle the area centuries ago. He informed us that it said all glory to God (SDG).
School in Langweis
The protestant reformation was very into this idea and that is why it landed on the wall of the school. I relate it to the Niyama, or internal practice, of surrender to God as it is written in Sanskrit, Ishvara-Pranidhana. Apparently Handel went into a kind of trance and did speed composition under the heavy influence of spirit when he wrote the Messiah, signed it SDG and everyone knew what he meant. Bach was into this also. In yoga practice Ishvara is about trusting the divine flow, not so different from thy will be done. I wonder if by being a big student of linguistics I have stumbled upon the lowest common denominator of all religions. Surrender to God.
mermaidcamp 