July 2, 2003

Dear Drummers,

In the Celtic wheel of the year, we are entering the height of summer and the direction South. The south is associated with music, artistic inspiration, dancing, the element fire (the summer sun), and fecundity of the earth. The summer months are associated with the Irish God Lugh (pronounced Loo). His name means "Light" or "Shining One." Beyond being a solar deity, he is the embodiment of all human skills. He represents the flowering of human abilities. He is a master of all the sciences and all the crafts. He is also the champion warrior in the cosmic battle with the figures of chaos and darkness, the Fomorians (one-eyed, one armed, one-legged monsters). His grandfather, Balor of the Evil Eye, was the leader of the Fomorians, which beautifully points out that we all have the powers of chaos and civilization, dark and light, in us, on a genetic level. We also honor the goddess in her aspect of Great Mother. This is the time of year when the earth births the fruits and grains that sustain us. We are at the height of the powers of the life force. The link between these two images, for me, is the idea of bringing things to fruition - an idea, a pregnancy, any kind of dream or plan.

We honor the sun at this time of year because it is actually beginning to wane in power after the summer solstice. One of the lovely things about earth-centered spirituality is that it tends to honor both sides of a (false) duality, welcoming the powers that come with both poles. We honor the sun as it begins its decline, as the powers of darkness gain hold over the northern hemisphere. The Mother is beginning her aging process to become the crone of winter.

So, as usual we will drum for a little over an hour - cool grooves that will dizzify and entrance your rational mind, clearing the way for the inner dreamer of earth-wildness to emerge and begin dancing and singing. In "Hour 2" I'd like to lead us in a ritual that focuses on fruition.

As always, you are totally free to view everything we do in the monthly drums in your own way: as interesting theatre, as useful psychological exercises, as soul work, as all of the above, or none of the above. There is no right or wrong way to approach this work. All I ask is that you approach the work with wonder, imagination, and an open mind and heart. Spirit comes to those who make themselves open to receive it.

Below is a poem by Hafiz, a 14th Century Sufi poet and saint. This poem, so full of intense delight, speaks to me about this time of year. To be honest, it is sometimes very difficult to enter into the delight of creation, and that is what I hope we will all do in the next drum.

For those of you new to the drumming group, I encourage you to check out the information available on the web sites that carry information on our drums, and to read some of the other letters to drummers I have sent over the months (available on the first web site below).
http://www.firstuniv.org/drum/drumhome.html
http://www.jaimemeyer.freewebsitehosting.com/

See you on Friday!

Jaime

A Suspended Blue Ocean
The sky
Is a suspended blue ocean.
The stars are the fish
That swim.
The planets are the white whales
I sometimes hitch a ride on,
And the sun and all light
Have forever fused themselves
Into my heart and upon
My skin.
There is only one rule
On this Wild Playground,
For every sign Hafiz has ever seen
Reads the same.
They all say,
"Have fun, my dear; my dear, have fun,
In the Beloved's Divine
Game,
O, in the Beloved's
Wonderful Game."
From: Hafiz , 'The Subject Tonight Is Love' translated by Daniel Ladinsky