Christmas Songs And Mary

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Mary And The Birth Of Jesus

What are all our Christmas songs about? We touched upon vernacular and religious songs of the season in another blog post Christmas Songs Across Time.

Christianity brings us the spirit of Christmas. It's the story of the birth of a child, the manifestation of spirit into mortal flesh. This birth of light is embodied through a mere mortal woman, Mary.

Artwork by Jason Jenicke

Mary's Song

What do our Christmas carols tell us about Mary, the earthly Mother of Jesus?

Come to find out, not much. Christmas songs across the years celebrate the birth of Jesus, but there are not many that sing the story from Mary's viewpoint.

In Michael Linton's article on this topic called Looking for Mary in Christmas Carols, he describes with charming humor:

“Both the “First Noel” and “Angels from the Realms of Glory” are remarkable for Mary’s invisibility.

In the nine verses of “Noel,” we have the economic condition of the shepherds (poor), the weather report (cold), the star (bright), the homeland of the wise men (far away), their mental condition (assured), the gifts (you know the list), the local livestock (ox and ass), the nature of divine creation (of naught), and, in a verse mercifully found in no hymnal, the doctrine of salvation through good works...

...there’s not even a hint of Mary. She’s simply not there.”
— Michael Linton
 

As for Mary's lack of visibility, Linton offers this theory:

“Our carols are primarily nineteenth and early twentieth-century Protestant inventions (although the tune dates from the Renaissance, the medieval-sounding text ‘What Child Is This’ was written in 1865), not a time that’s known for its deep Roman Catholic, Protestant cooperation and mutual affection.

Mary can’t be excised from the Christmas story completely, but in the carols she’s mentioned as little as possible, for fear of turning her into an object of cultic devotion, something most Protestants have accused Roman Catholics of doing for a fairly long time.

So Mary merits only passing mention in a few carols or, even better, no mention at all in most.”
 

Today, there are a few songs that view the miracle of the birth of Jesus through Mary's eyes:

Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) – by Amy Grant

Mary's hesitant questioning speaks to her human frailty. You can almost sense the trembling of her hand as she embarks on this journey. Her doubts give voice to her concerns that she will live up to the task before her.

“I am waiting in a silent prayer.
I am frightened by the load I bear.
In a world as cold as stone,
must I walk this path alone?
Breath of Heaven, hold me together. Be forever near me.
Breath of Heaven, lighten my darkness.”
 


For The First Time – by Jason Bare

With his voice and music, Jason Bare paints a scene so we can envision when Mary and Joseph look upon their son, this birth of light, and hear his cries for the very first time.

“In a world so dark, heaven and earth would collide and would change who they are.
Could this be the same voice that brought us to life?
Unbelievable, the promise is this little child.
What a miracle.
The world has seen the Light for the first time.”
 

Mary, Did You Know? – by Clay Aiken

As Mary held her baby boy for the first time, could she have possibly guessed the future that was about to unfurl in front of him? Clay Aiken wonders out loud if Mary could have known the remarkable destiny of her child and his greater purpose. 

“Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?”
 

Mary And The Radiant Child

The artwork by Sulamith Wulfing entitled Frohe Weihnachten portrays the radiant child of light held in Mary's heart.

The symbology is there for all of us to appreciate. It's the awakened child within our hearts, the birth of light into the darkness of this outer existence.

For any Christmas music, students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can bring a song's imagery to their meditations with use of TRT® hands-on. Accessing universal energy with TRT® lets you explore the deeper meaning behind the notes and the words.

What child is this who is awake? Awake in consciousness, even at our birth. 

 

(The Radiance Technique® is not associated with any religion or belief system.
Please see Radiant Nursing – About for more details.)

 

A Butterfly And The Opera

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At The Seattle Opera

The Seattle Opera opened its 2017-2018 season with a production of Madame Butterfly written by Giacomo Puccini. All the action takes place in Japan, in the home of Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese woman also known as Butterfly.

Puccini wrote Madama Butterfly at the turn of the 19th century and historical accuracy was not his main objective. It's opera, after all.

In today's overly sensitive atmosphere, some people might cry "cultural appropriation" because of the Japanese context. That's a little silly in opera.

Since when did opera resemble real life? Never.

Opera is some of the finest cosplay. Not only do you get to dress up as a character, you act out entire scenes complete with a live orchestra sawing away underneath the action.

Everything in opera is overly-dramatic, intensified and condensed into a few hours. It's filled with fantastical, over-the-top characters. In opera, it's best not to get too bogged down in reality.

The Heart Of The Opera

Not that the emotions aren't real. Morte (death), sangue (blood) and amore (love) are grand themes that cross all our lives. And let's not forget to add in a smattering of revenge and damnation!

Magic spills into the audience as the music begins. Grandiose emotions sweep through the opera house, carried on the voices of singers and the musical strains of the orchestra.

The nuance of a vocal phrase, the lift of the melody from the violins and a musical motif capture the mercurial moods of the operatic characters. Tumbling notes twirl us along the story of life.

As a live audience member, we have only to allow ourselves to be swept away in a suspension of disbelief and to let our hearts ride the tsunami wave of music crashing over us.

Madame Butterfly's Story

Madama Butterfly captures all the essential operatic elements: love, happiness, crying, sorrow, despair and death. That's the story in a nutshell. 

In the early 1900s, Butterfly falls in love with Pinkerton, an American naval officer, and marries him in Japan. A real marriage for her and a sham for him. 

When Butterfly relinquishes her own culture for the American one of her husband, the razor sharp rejection of her own people slashes across her. Despite all odds, she stands firm in her love and devotion for him.

Pinkerton departs with his ship before learning that Butterfly is pregnant with his son. She hears nothing more from him, but believes with all her heart that he will return for her. Hadn't he said so? While she waits, her initial innocence changes to the wise depths of a woman matured beyond her years. 

Credit: Seattle Opera Company

Butterfly's Sorrow

Three years later, Pinkerton finally returns to Japan... with his new American wife in tow. They've already been married for one year.

When Pinkerton and his wife learn of the boy, they want to take him with them to America. Butterfly understands her son will never have a chance to succeed in Japan with her alone.

Making the ultimate sacrifice of her love, Butterfly agrees to let Pinkerton take their child from her. From inside her crystalized anguish, she bids goodbye to her son.

Bereft of her culture and family, Butterfly's world, and by extension that of her ancestors, is only filled with dishonor now. She believes that to die with honor, rather than live with dishonor, is her only option.

Lianna Haroutounian – Lyric-Spinto Soprano

The Seattle Opera shared the title role of Butterfly with two sopranos and I had the good fortune to hear Lianna Haroutounian. From the start, her voice sailed effortlessly over the orchestra. In the audience, we relaxed knowing we could drink in the rich tones without any strain to hear her. 

Haroutounian's voice is smooth and powerful on the high notes and her low register is strong and well-balanced. She has a wide range of vocal expression.

Haroutounian's smile as well as her tears light up the stage. Her sheer exuberance carries to the balconies as she swings her son high in the air when she learns Pinkerton's ship is in the harbor. Her entire body melts with dignified sorrow after a long night of waiting for a Pinkerton who never comes.

It's a demanding role with parts of it sung on her knees and she's on stage for nearly the entire opera.

Haroutounian gives a stellar performance. It's well worth attending more than once. 

Artwork of Madama Butterfly by Esther Wagner

 

Hocus Pocus Halloween

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Magic And Halloween

Halloween draws near. It's time to bask in the spells of magic and make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

Getting in the mood for Halloween demands a viewing of the movie Hocus Pocus. It has become a Halloween tradition. It’s time to curl up with warm drinks and popcorn in front of the wide screen to watch this classic movie.

Hocus Pocus

Disney's 1993 movie, Hocus Pocus, is a light-hearted show the whole family can enjoy. True to Disney style, there's just enough play on words to keep the adults entertained too.

Get ready for magic and time travel.

“Hocus Pocus revolves around the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, who are resurrected inadvertently, 300 years after their deaths, on the eve of Halloween in 1993.

Hanged as witches those many years past, they live up to their reputations and wreak havoc across Salem. Only a teenage boy (Omri Katz), his girlfriend (Vinessa Shaw), his little sister (Thora Birch) and a talking cat (Sean Murray) are able to stop them. ”

I Put A Spell On You

In Hocus Pocus the witches cast a magic spell over the entire town. 

However, apparently a magical spell was also cast so the movie wouldn't disappear into obscurity. The film has developed a loyal cult following.

“Critics tore apart the horror comedy, but it then went on to establish a cult audience thanks to its release on home video. ”

Who says magic's not real?

The Sanderson Sisters – Three Witches

“Bette Midler as Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson, the buck-toothed leader of the Sanderson sisters. She is the eldest and the wickedest of the sisters, as well as the most intelligent. She has a great knowledge of dark magic. Her robes are green.

Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, the second witch sister. Often complimenting and comforting her domineering older sister Winnie, she likes to eat children. Her powers are smelling children. Her color is red.

Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, the youngest and most beautiful witch sister; she also is ditzy and vague. Her powers are mesmerism (by singing a siren song), which she uses to lure children to feed upon their life force. Her somewhat revealing robes are purple.”
— Wikipedia

Wicked And Delightful

Listen to the resonant ring of Winifred's voice, "SISTAHS !!!" as she calls to her beloved sisters. They are bonded in a coven as sisters and witches, even if she does call them idiots at one point.

The three sister-witches are a goofy bunch (after all, it's a horror comedy) and while they’re pretty silly, their magic is certainly wicked enough. Sucking the life out of young children qualifies, don't you think?

Sarah's Enchanted Song

As the witches fly on their broomsticks, Winifred calls forth to Sarah:

“Use thy voice, Sarah,
Fill the sky!
Bring the little brats to die!
Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha...”

Sarah sings a melodious song as she weaves a thread of magic to lure the children of the town to the witches' lair. Perched on her flying broomstick, Sarah coos her lullaby into the night sky. Her dulcet tones melt onto the children, mesmerizing them into obedience.

“Come, Little Children, I’ll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come, Little Children, the time’s come to play
Here in my garden of magic...”

Come Little Children

Sarah sings only one verse of the song, but its haunting melody enchanted people near and far.

Who is the author of the song's lyrics?

Some claim it was written by Edgar Allen Poe; that is simply not true. To add to the confusion, more verses were tacked on to create a longer version of the song.

It's our good fortune that author D. Melhoff launched an inquiry into the matter. Leaving no stone unturned, Melhoff's research on the topic provides the most satisfactory answers.

The first verse was written by Brock Walsh for the Disney movie Hocus Pocus and the music was composed by James Horner.

The origin of the added verses remains shrouded in mystery. Perhaps that's how it should be when you're dealing with a song that leads to the supernatural.

You can read all the circuitous details found by D. Melhoff in the post entitled: Who Really Wrote the Poem "Come Little Children"?

The singer, Erutan, also performs a full version of the song. She created a YouTube video with images from the movie Pan's Labyrinth as a cover.

Happy Halloween.

 

Christmas Songs Across Time

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Dust Off Your Christmas Songs

The month of December is here and that means uninhibited, unabashedly repetitive, guilt-free playing of Christmas songs.

Allow me to address the guilt-free part. Naturally, we can play Christmas songs at any time of the year. There are no laws on the books saying we can't.

But, honestly, don't you feel just a little out of sorts when you play them in the blazing heat of July? Sweltering under 90 degrees Fahrenheit, I only need a few notes of Frosty the Snowman to picture him in a giant puddle. Not the effect I really wanted.

For our holidays in December, Christmas songs are ubiquitous. They point the way to joyful celebrations with family and friends as well as the intimate journey on the path of inner light.

A Wide Variety Of Christmas Songs

We have Christmas songs to suit every taste. From traditional to modern, from serious contemplation to light-hearted frolicking.

Time-honored traditional songs:

  • Silent Night

  • Hark the Herald Angels Sing

  • O Holy Night...

  • O Come, O Come, Emmanuel...

Classical songs:

  • The Nutcracker Suite

  • The Messiah...

Venacular songs:

  • Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

  • Jingle Bells

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

  • Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

Raucous songs:

  • The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)

  • Fairytale of New York...

 
“The boys of the NYPD Choir were singing Galway Bay and the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day.”
— The Pogues
 

Wistful songs:

  • Merry Christmas, Darling

  • I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

  • The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)...

The fluid, lyrical voice of Karen Carpenter as she sings Merry Christmas, Darling is like warm butterscotch coating your ice cream.

Christmas songs are timeless. It's okay to dust off the Carpenters from 1970. No apologies needed. It's the time of year when songs from the past are like a badge of honor in a world of nostalgia.

The Christmas Song

Another song that must be played is The Christmas Song sung by Nat King Cole from 1961 with its full orchestral arrangement. It is one of the definitive songs of the season.

The liquid gold of Nat King Cole's voice smoothes our ruffled feathers after we've ventured out in the shopping-crazed world.

 
“The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the song early in 1946. At Cole’s behest – and over the objections of his label, Capitol Records – a second recording was made later the same year utilizing a small string section, this version becoming a massive hit on both the pop and R&B charts.

Cole again recorded the song in 1953, using the same arrangement with a full orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, and once more in 1961, in a stereophonic version with orchestra conducted by Ralph Carmichael.

Cole’s 1961 version is generally regarded as definitive, and in 2004 was the most-loved seasonal song with women aged 30-49, while the original 1946 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.”
 

Christmas Songs And History

Many of our Christmas songs are steeped in history.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen – was written in England in the early 1800s as a reaction to church music of the 15th century.

Carol of the Bells – was composed in 1916 and was based on an old Ukrainian folk tune. It was originally named Shchedryk. It means "the little swallow" and it was a New Year's song. The little swallow flies into a home and sings to the family about the bountiful year that awaits them.

The English lyrics that we associate with Christmas were published and copyrighted in 1936. 

Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabelle – originated from the Provence region of France in the 16th century. Initially, it wasn't a Christmas song at all, but rather a dance song for nobility.

The list goes on. It's impossible to complain about a lack of Christmas songs.

And everyone has to record their own version of them on every instrument possible. What are your favorite renditions?

Merry Christmas to One and All.

 

(The Radiance Technique® is not associated with any religion or belief system.
Please see Radiant Nursing – About for more details.)

 

Diamonds Of Your Heart

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From Pebbles To Diamonds

A rock or a diamond?

We all know that diamonds are simply a type of rock to which we have assigned great monetary value. And, we think they’re pretty.

Industrial Diamonds

Diamonds have also been adapted for many uses because of the material's exceptional physical characteristics, so they are utilitarian for industrial applications.

“Diamond is the hardest known natural material on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, where hardness is defined as resistance to scratching and is graded between 1 (softest) and 10 (hardest).
Diamond has a hardness of 10 (hardest) on this scale and is four times harder than corundum, 9 Mohs.
Diamond’s hardness has been known since antiquity.”

Diamonds are extremely effective at polishing, cutting, and drilling.

“Many industries – including automotive, mining, and military – use diamond saws and drills. Small diamond particles are added to drill bits and saw edges to make them more powerful for cutting tough materials.”

So, we agree a diamond is a pretty rock and it even serves a useful function, but does it really have any romantic value?

Diamonds As A Declaration Of Love

The question as to the intrinsic value of diamonds in romance is a matter for debate. Viewing diamonds as a worthy romantic statement is examined in this article that claims we’ve all been brainwashed.

Like Pavlov’s dogs, we’ve been conditioned to believe that diamonds are a declaration of love. All part of a wildly successful marketing scheme by De Beers and Madison Avenue.

It started around 1938 when a study, paid for by De Beers, revealed that men were the ones buying diamonds for engagement rings. However, sales were low after The Depression. Another problem was that many prosperous women didn’t want them while others wanted to put their money in a better investment. Lower income groups simply couldn’t afford them.

Marketing Diamonds

The big question loomed. How to increase sales for something that people did not want and could not afford?

“Since “young men buy over 90% of all engagement rings” it would be crucial to inculcate in them the idea that diamonds were a gift of love: the larger and finer the diamond, the greater the expression of love. Similarly, young women had to be encouraged to view diamonds as an integral part of any romantic courtship.”

In 1947, N.W. Ayer, the advertising agency hired by De Beers, invented the slogan “A Diamond is Forever.” Having that diamond engagement ring became a sign of never-ending love.

“The De Beers marketing machine... circulated marketing materials suggesting, apropos of nothing, that a man should spend one month’s salary on a diamond ring. It worked so well that De Beers arbitrarily decided to increase the suggestion to two months salary.
That’s why you think that you need to spend two month’s salary on a ring — because the suppliers of the product said so.”

The diamond ring became a symbol of personal family success. Like a waving flag to show-off one’s socio-economic achievement, the big diamond on a wife’s finger reflected a man’s success in life.

For many years, a simple wedding band sufficed as a declaration of commitment and marriage. Further in the past, clothing used to indicate marital status. Perhaps it’s time to let go of the notion that the size of a diamond on a ring indicates your self-worth or the value of your love. Are you ready yet to forego the diamond?

Diamond Songs

One of the iconic diamond songs is Diamonds Are Forever from the 1971 James Bond movie of the same title. It plays with the marketing theme of diamonds being forever, but tosses the love and keeps the diamonds.

Spiral Diamond Necklace

As we run off in search of riches and jewels, we are reminded:

“You wander from room to room
Hunting for the diamond necklace
That is already around your neck! ”
— Rumi

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) have a wonderful technique to support them to find these treasures hidden in their hearts.

The use of TRT® hands-on, Radiant Touch®, supports our journey to greater awareness and lights up our path along the way, making it easier to find the real diamonds of the heart.

And, if you own some diamonds, you can hold them in your hands and direct radiant energy to them to get in touch with their journey from pebble to diamond, enhancing the light within them.

 

Meditative Stillness In A Galloping World

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Meditative Stillness

 
“Meditation is the journey from movement to stillness,
sound to silence.”
— Sri Sri
 

A lovely meme from the The Art of Living organization reminds us of the meditative process of movement to stillness.

However, because our lives are not a straight line, but rather an ongoing spiral – meditation also takes us back again from stillness to movement.

We are always in motion, but the balance between stillness and movement often becomes askew.

Our Modern To-Do List

Our modern lives are stuffed full of activities all the time. I'll bet you noticed. Upload a photo on Facebook, make sure you tweet something, email, text, call someone, watch a video. In the meantime you should also follow everyone else's Facebook posts, tweets, emails and texts.

Go to the workplace: work, work, work. 

Go back home: sleep, sleep, sleep.

Go out, go in, go to, go from... go, go, go.

Hurry up and work. Hurry up and sleep. Get up and do it again.

Stillness does not rank high on the to-do list.

Do More With Less

In the workplace, the dreaded phrase "do more with less" is used to justify squeezing more work out of you with less staff and resources to support the workload. Instead of being a terrible thing that should be corrected, "do more with less" has become a workplace badge of honor.

"I work 16 hours a day!" co-workers yell as a battle-cry, "Look at me, that must mean I'm important!"

It's incredible how skilled we are at turning things inside-out and backwards.

Caught in the dusty whirlwind of outer activity, I picture myself galloping like a horse from activity to activity, to yet another activity, and on and on, ad nauseum. Never stopping long enough to catch my breath, to gather my thoughts, or to look up at the bigger picture.

Galloping, galloping, galloping...

Have you noticed in our fast-paced world, there is never a lack of things to be galloping to or from?

Wild Horses Galloping

But we are not herds of wild horses thundering on the Great Plains; we are humans in search of our awakening. Part of that process involves stopping, sitting with stillness and holding space for awareness in our breath.

If we could master stillness, we could then learn to bring greater awareness to our "galloping."

Galloping with awareness. In motion with consciousness.

All this galloping made me think of a popular song from my youth – Wildfire. In 1975, in the days of driving down country backroads in my 3-on-the-column Rambler, I listened to the AM radio. Wildfire was a top hit.

For a little blast from the past – I created my own video version of this song:


Michael Martin Murphey, the songwriter, tells us much of this song blossomed from a dream. In his Story Behind The Song 'Wildfire' he shares:

 
“The song came from deep down in my subconsciousness.
My grandfather told me a story when I was a little boy about a legendary ghost horse that the Indians talked about.
In 1936, author J. Frank Dobie identified this ghost horse story as the most prominent one in the lore of the Southwest.”
— Michael Martin Murphey
 

You can weave the verses of this song into the context of your personal life. Murphey recognizes the fluidity of the symbolism in the verses and wisely resists trying to limit its interpretation, leaving it instead to each listener.

For me, some of the deeper meaning in this song has to do with cycles – how we come and go from this planet. The hoot owl can be a harbinger not just of death, but of a great transition.

I picture this aging, weathered farmer coming to the end of his life, setting aside the harshness of these outer planes and riding freely in the wind with Wildfire. Naming the horse Wildfire harkens to the inner fire burning brightly inside all of us.

What ideas and feelings does it evoke for you?

Finding Meditative Stillness

Mornings without time-constraints are the ones I cherish – when I have time to do a full TRT® hands-on session of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®).

What a healing gift.

For the many days when time is limited, however, I can still use TRT® hands-on while I'm on the move. We are able to use TRT® any time, not just when we are meditating.

As we bring more radiant light to everything we do, our awareness of wholeness expands to both our stillness and movement.

 

Marsh Wren Competes With Van Damme

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A Marsh Wren And The Joys Of Nature

This humble marsh wren is certainly talented. I adore its little mouth, wide open as he sings at the top of his voice. With gusto, as they say. All this, while doing the splits on cattail reeds.

No one can accuse this little bird of not fully participating in the moment. It warms my heart every time I see his photo.

Nature And The Radiance Technique®

Connecting with nature is one of the more healing things we can do. Deepen that connection by using The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) while in nature.

With The First Degree of The Radiance Technique® – apply TRT® hands-on for yourself and expand your awareness and love of nature.

With The Second Degree of The Radiance Technique® – you are able to direct radiant energy to different animals or flora without the need to actually touch them. This gives you freedom to serve and help in many ways.

Jean Claude Van Damme In Epic Volvo Ad

When I saw the marsh wren tweet by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah – I couldn't help but think of the Jean-Claude Van Damme video with his epic splits on two Volvo trucks. Van Damme's splits are crazy impressive, but I must say this little marsh wren is giving him some competition.

Personally, I find Van Damme's splits compelling at the age of 53. The Volvo advertisement picked a captivating choice of music, Only Time, by Enya. Two perfectly positioned 18-wheeler Volvo trucks roll smoothly backwards with early light gleaming off golden paint as the sun rises across the landscape of Spain.

All rather epic.

I Confess, I Used To Drive A Volvo

To be honest, I'm probably a bit partial to the Van Damme/Volvo video because I drove a Volvo S-40 T5 AWD for nine years, that I first picked it up in Germany.

I drove that Volvo all over Europe for 4 wonderful years. What an awesome piece of machinery on the German Autobahn. I definitely miss driving 100 mph in the early morning on an empty, silent Autobahn that had no speed limit. But, that's a story for another time.

Traveling the highways in Europe, I was always a bit surprised to look up to see big rigs with the mark of Volvo or Mercedes Benz. I'm used to seeing those marks on cars in the U.S. – but not on long haul, transport trucks.

In the video, Volvo shows off the impressive and steady precision of its big rigs.

Back to the topic of splits – I dutifully acknowledge anyone who can do the splits, no matter the species. I will admit that I (at any age) can't do anything vaguely resembling proper splits, even standing still in my living room, much less on moving trucks or slim reeds in cattail marshes.

Between the two of them, Van Damme and the marsh wren, I'm not sure which one has outdone the other.

Here's a link to the song of a Marsh Wren so you can be alerted when one is near and perhaps observe its lovely splits.