Thursday, March 22, 2012

A Ballad for Trayvon Martin





It was a cold and rainy February day
Behind the gate’s supposed to be the safest place to stay
Walking home from the 7-11 with a tea and Skittles in his hand
Young Trayvon, just 17, will now never be a man (but he's more of a man than)


George Zimmerman called the 5-oh,
then decided to follow where he might go
Neighborhood could not watch as he caused woe.

Through the fire at nine years old, Tray saved his old man
But who could save him when the ground George stands
Becomes anywhere Trayvon ran?



2. On his way home to see the NCAA
On a lonely phone his girlfriend heard the last he’d say
“Someone’s watching me, but I don’t want to run”
Do you run for your life when you see a maniac with a gun?

Determined "another" won’t get away
Never listened when dispatch told him to stay
Zimmerman took his life away



(chorus) Come out, people, come out/ innocent memory we praise
Let life not hatred choose/ the color of our days
What is right for each of us/ need no color for our ways
What is right for each of us/ need no color for our ways
Come out, people come out in your colored rays
Ah, oh, when, Amen

My son, my son
oh my son
My son, my son
oh my son
Oh world...



3. And that phone lay far too long without an answer
After screams were borrowed as clumsy lies
For the Sanford police cancer
“It was self-defense” he said and they let him go
And for days they simply called Treyvon “John Doe”
And you’ve got to stand for what’s right
Even when there’s little light
So our children go not gently to that night


Come out, people, come out/ innocent memory we praise
Let life not hatred choose/ the color of our days
What is right for each of us/ need no color for our ways
What is right for each of us/ need no color for our ways
Come out, people come out in your colored rays
Awen, Amen

Come out, People, Come out
Come out, People, Come out
Come out, People, Come Out

(x4)

Written by C Lue Lyron Copyright 2012 Wingbat Tunes


R.I.P. Trayvon Martin

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

My guest writer Imogen!

Art created for Henry Zeo Covert's upcoming Conclaves. It's simply great to be drawing comics pages again, much less to help a friend boost his project!
Yes, two door knobs.

I need to pick up something useful: how to keep blogspot from giving me dead end links.

For example, < a href="http://integr8dfix.blogspot.com/2012/02/test.html" >Intergr8dsoul Test Page< /a >

MyEssentia

When Imogen approached me about writing for this blog, I really felt like the concept hit a new milestone; author Betsy Thompson comped me a copy of her book Walking Through Illusion for purpose of review; I am nearly prepared to edit a book together myself; and here, someone grasps the concept enough to want to try her hand at its themes. I'm sure many of you deeply enjoy the work here, but that was a surprising and refreshing bit of feedback. Here is Imogen's debut writing for Be Chill, Cease ill; enjoy!

Signposts on the Spiritual Path

Sometimes, with any kind of spiritual living, it's hard to keep going, isn't it? There's a sense that it would be a whole lot easier if we could ignore the deep things we know, dismiss our psychic experiences, and focus on "the real world". What makes it even more difficult is that many of us are living a spiritual life in isolation, because we do not belong to an organised religion. We are outsiders, depending on our own self-motivation. Prayer, ritual, reading, learning and following the Rede (which many choose to do, although if they are not actually Wiccan) - it all takes so much energy. In this world, if something takes dedication, time and space as well as mental effort, we at least want a certificate to hang up in the lounge.

Finding a community

However, just as with anything that is challenging and worthwhile, it is okay to stumble on the pagan pathway, and it's okay to need encouragement to keep learning and developing. This is perhaps one of the problems of being a solitary practitioner (of anything, not just of an earth-based religion) - often we feel alone in our quest. With Wicca and paganism of any kind there's the added element of societal misunderstanding and disapproval, making it harder to be open about our spiritual struggles and discoveries. Online forums are essential in building some kind of alterntative spiritual community, and books too (even if they have to be hidden in the wardrobe when your in-laws come to stay). Web-based courses are also superb for learning about Sabbats and so on, in the absence of a teacher, particularly if you are a beginner in your chosen field.

Starting small

It's easy to say to myself that I don't have time for study, however good it is for my soul. Many of us can’t embark on rituals very confidently without feeling totally sure that the postman isn't going to turn up with a recorded delivery, or the children are going to troop downstairs wanting an extra bedtime story (yet another reason why sky-clad's not on the radar at the moment for a lot of us). Another temptation is to collect tools and books about Druidry but never really use them or apply my knowledge. To avoid burn-out, which is a problem in all faiths, particularly when coupled with the guilt of the major religions, perhaps a "little and often" approach will work for you. Wise advice is to start small with paganism, and keep things simple, developing and revising as experience suggests, and it's clear that trying to be an expert Druid in the first six months is neither achievable nor desirable.

Resources

If you are also looking for signposts to keep you on your chosen spiritual path, then perhaps some of the following books and CDs can be incorporated into your day, making life simple and giving you some structure (if you want it) and reminding you there is no One Right Way:



Choose a diary or calendar that reflects who you are, spiritually. Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Datebook is a winner for those who are out of the broom-closet, but an alternative choice might be the Mind Body Spirit Book of Days 2012 or the Earth Pathways Diary, which has been extremely popular this year. The point is that it reminds you of your spiritual nature, as well as the phases of the moon, and because you use it regularly, it encourages you to rise above the mundane medical appointments and children’s swimming lessons.

An almanac such as Marie Bruce's can also be a useful tool in helping you see the spiritual in everyday life. It's a great way to keep track of the seasons and symbols of the year, and details more than simply the Sabbats, so can be a real source of inspiration. Moving through the year, month by month with the aid of an almanac, gives you a sense of progression and purpose.

You may think you know all too much about Old Moore's almanac, and it can be seen as a bit of a cliché, but it is actually written by six of Britain's most successful astrologers, and it goes into more detail than you might expect. The "Month at a glance" section and the chart depicting the rhythms of the moon and their effects are particularly interesting. The diary pages give readers an opportunity to plan ahead according to the part the planets and moon play in their life. There's also an in-depth look at the personality of each zodiac sign me, the impression we tend to give, what's going on beneath the surface, and how we can make the best of ourselves. For anyone wanting to look deeper into astrology in a way that they can apply to their everyday life, the Astral Diary for your horoscope sign is a good place to start.

One of the additional bonuses of Kate West's The Real Witches' Year is that, because it isn't date-specific, it can be used for years and years. With a page for each day, this everlasting year-guide covers a wide range of topics, from cough and cold remedies to corn-dollies, all pertinent to the time of year. It makes a thought-provoking daily read, which is usually easy to apply to everyday spiritual practice.

Meditation, although undeniably valuable, is often difficult to fit into daily life, especially if you do not live alone. It takes practice and is worth persevering with, but you may need some help. Guided meditation tracks can be found on Youtube; see what works best for you. You may want to concentrate on a particular area, such as rebalancing your chakras, or work with a specific entity, such as your guardian angel. Just make sure you are not too distracted by the internet and don’t find yourself booking your next yoga holiday, tracking down old classmates on facebook, googling Tempurpedic mattress comparison reviews or playing another round of online poker. Alternative spiritual music can also be incorporated into daily life, with CDs like Moon Chants (Marie Bruce) or by tuning in to new age radio stations on the internet.

I hope these resources will act as signposts for you, as you make your way along your chosen path.

---Imogen Reed


www.myessentia.com



Monday, March 12, 2012

If this isn't the Elton you know...you have MISSED OUT!!!

Sponsored today by : Kudzu Mountain Gypsy Cave FIND YOURSELF IN A BOTTLE TODAY! (tHIS IS HOW JEANIE GOT HER START, RIGHT?)



If this isn't the Elton you know, you have MISSED OUT: till NOW!!!!



HAHAH love the title when he says it at the end. or go with this "tribute to Elton" montage, it is SO funny




I have a half a mind to follow "Amoreena" with this live, whether anyone knows those two songs or not, because they are just bad, bad, bad to the bone (Madman) and sweetest of the local honeys (Amoreena).


We've found Elton's early gospel/ rock years a fun fit for the Marc Kane and I with Integr8d Soul, and to celebrate My Hero's birthday, we're throwing a bash replete with one great Elton John song after another. Here's a few of the deeper cuts, starting with this bril live BBC number, backed wonderfully by : Madeline Bell (Blue Mink), Leslie Duncan (Who wrote "Love Song" off Tumbleweed) and Kay Garner.

He stands so strong on his own, a voice and instrument with the song he's crafted from Bernie's words. When it came time to design my live shows of my own, I realized Elton came onto the scene with raw musicianship nonpareil. He became a master of performance. I think it was just how much he seemed to really MEAN all those strange words, and the way he used the melody to interpret them. Listen to him approach the psychology of every single word of these performances with an understanding beyond his years...his melodic cues are born of his mind's relationship with the words. For about eight albums, he wrote, for my money, the most pleasing overall set of songs by anyone immediately following the departure of the Beatles...I can't name one other performer who put together eight albums quite like those...and granted you may find about a third of those songs of that count really stand outside their time in a way with which anyone can still connect...and a third are like gibberish...LOL...and that leaves a third of songs that to me stand up to their FM contemporaries. Being very general here: I hand picked say 21 of the most promising and am now looking for help delivering them. I know some people are all about Elton in the last twenty years, but one of my inspirations of arriving here in California was thinking about his trip here one August day in 1970 and his star turn at the Troubadour.

If you listen to 11/17/70, or 17/11/70 as it's called in its UK release, that's young Elton delivering the live goods, all right. Whether you like that one or not's a decent indicator whether or not you'd profit from digging through his early catalog. That's the way to throw a rock'n'roll show: with talent, and confidence, and good cheer.

1975 from the album that went gold an hour before its release, I heard LOL


Elton sorta meant to retire in 1976; he announced suddenly, "okay, well this is the last show!" on stage while supporting Blue Moves, which he thought of as his final LP. Elton just couldn't seem to live without writing new songs, sure, and it turns out, his performance hiatus didn't last long at all. But I'm fascinated to think what if he could've pulled off the early retirement? What if his artistic statements had ended with Blue Moves? Anyway, pretty much everybody who's seen him sense, I'm sure, is just as glad he didn't hand up the ivories.


Still, for my money, I hope our airwaves again fill one day with young people with talent like this. He's my favorite surviving artist of the 60's, arriving so in a style I'd understand, late, late as can be imagined to the party. But that meant at least four or even five albums of material I'd defend---successfully---against charges of commercialism, and that is a feat in itself: to even make THAT much art. I hope to Valhalla I have four or five good albums in ME, LOL at this rate I'll be as old as Glen Campbell still trying to get started. I just think Elton killed it, y'all, and while I find plenty to like in the rest of how his life eventually came 'round, something about Elton John always gave me hope,and in these early songs, I see songwriting of a magnitude, and live performance at a level, that makes me remember why this shy boy ever dreamed day and night of both, without the slightest example on hand as to how!






Monday, March 5, 2012

Look! A New Way of Life's Coming For YOU!



I thought a couple of even BIGGER change were coming along, but as it stands: Angela got a raise and a promotion to supervisor of her department! Ah hah---less physical demand, AND she can come in a couple of hours later! Nothing's been made worse, and it's so nice for her to get recognition and more money.

You may be looking forward to some kind of change in your own life, and it may not even be quite the change you expected at first. Any changes you can make on your own in the meanwhile are worthy considering. One friend lived with a bit of pudge all his adult life, then decided, with forty bearing down on him, he'd bear down on forty, and get in the best shape of his life. Suddenly, he's got an exciting new dating life, with twists and turns he didn't foresee, but the point is, he feels so much better about himself, and more active in his life, which had taken its twists and turns in ways quite outside his influence before.

For us, we've always enjoyed nature, but have gotten ourselves more closely attuned with it. Now we're learning names for plants, animals, and historic formations found right here in our current home county.

While I still need dental care, my entire relationship to pain keeps changing. I often thought gratefully about the opportunities and fortunes and challenges, aware of how very desirable even my humble lot in life was compared to those who must struggle to have even the simplest things I have each day. When the pain starts to turn up and I wish I could escape my own head, I always try to think of the misery of others, so easy to forget sometimes. Lately, I've only used over-the-counter ibuprofen or naproxin and cold water to anesthetize my mouth, along with thoughts of kindness for myself, others, and from others. Hey, yesterday I felt better long enough to play along with the Marc Kane and record a quick birthday text surprise for another friend looking at forty: the classic album cut "Amoreena" from the Tumbleweed Connection! Boy did the Marc really hit that one. You'll hear it for yourself, soon.

It's been a dramatic distraction from my writing in particular lately, but here I am today, hurting but typing, thinking about something our friend Dora said: "You heal the world as you heal yourself." There's a lot of wonderful people sending prayer and energy, which is much better to consider than feeling sorry for myself or frustrated by this chronic condition. I'm ready to call and set an appointment now; there's just too much I want to do and there's a way to get help, and the problem's just not going away to stay, even as it has, thankfully, sometimes days at a time. As a fan of smiling, kissing and other mouth-oriented activity, I'd welcome the change, even if I have to pay in even more pain while recovering. How I think about those for whom their suffering seems to have no end in sight!

I really wish I could afford to pay for it out right, but if I get fixed up, I will go back to more of the things and start new things that I feel like will put us in better financial shape, while at the same time, will take our work out to new audiences and maybe even set off new friendships. That's a quality change. It's already begun.

So hey: just don't doubt it.

Go to the mirror---start or re-start every day---tell that person you see staring back in the looking glass:

Look! A New Way of Life's Coming For YOU!