Musical Coyote!

A dear friend of mine gifted me with an image of Coyote as a musician. I love the emotion captured by the artist, and it inspires me to pick up my own flute when I need a dose of silliness.
It also reminds me that I need to create a Song of Healing.

Songs are used in shamanism for a variety of functions:
  1. To increase blood flow through the body by strong inhales/exhales.
  2. To stop the shaman's Ego from getting in the way of the healing (it's hard to help another when all you are thinking about is how silly you might look in your outfit and whether or not the client is silently judging your cracking voice).
  3. To help focus the intent of the ceremony on healing. Singing can help shamans who become easily distracted-- "Oh look there's a cute squirrel outside!"
  4. To call in all the spirits who are willing to work with the shaman in healing the client.
  5. To help the client focus on the intent of the ceremony. Songs help the client's right-brain pay attention and even help calm the logical left-brain.
  6. To help alter the shaman's state of consciousness.
My teacher and classmates have excellent songs; they invite all kinds of helping spirits, honor the working relationship between the spiritual and physical, and are very pretty musically.

I am slightly intimidated by the whole process of creating individual Songs of Healing. Should I honor all those whom I work with in a general way, or create specialized lyrics for each one? (Would any client last all they way through a Spiritual Opera?) Should I create songs for individual healing treatments? Should I Journey with my rattle and wait for something to happen? What if all I Hear is 1980's pop music? Can David Bowie really be my muse? <-- As I type this, Coyote nods his head excitedly and begins to sing, "Fame."

Clearly, this is going to be quite an undertaking for me, and I plan on starting the process with some serious brainstorming...

Comments

  1. I've noticed a really big misconception in pagan circles that popular music is not sacred and therefore cannot be used in rituals. I thought that too, until I attended a workshop on the use of music (of all types) as part of the work of a chaos magician. I had a very moving and vivid vision when we meditated for about 20 minutes to a soundtrack consisting of a number of songs, including "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads.

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    Replies
    1. I love using the shuffle application on my mp3 player for ritual music & omens! I used to be a member of a wonderful Urban Druid Grove in NJ, and they were big on NOT using the usual chants...

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  2. Have you written a song of healing before? Or will this be your first one?

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    Replies
    1. This will be my first. I've hummed and OMmmed numerous times during ceremonies, and come up with random songs on the spot, but I'd like to make something concrete.

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