I'm a little over four hours into Flame Shift #35, and I have a song running through my head and a spring in my step. This afternoon, after several months of attempts and cancellations and whatnot, I finally met up with Lisa Brodrick to see if we could make some kirtan magick.
Oh my. Did we ever ...
I got to Yoga Basin a little late, closer to 130, and when Reggie saw the new me, she assured me that we would talk "when you guys are finished". She then introduced me to Lisa, who seemed quiet but lovely, and a few other people who were all sitting and having tea.
They invited me to sit with them, and I started telling stories, as I often do, while nursing a Moroccan mint with agave concoction. We talked about Bhagavan Das, and bits of my drumming and musical history leaked into the tale, as they often do. 'Twas a very nice beginning.
Lisa and I made our way into the main studio space and started talking as we set up. Once we played our first tune, and slowly relaxed into the sound we were making, we began opening up and started getting into real things : yoga and shamanism and magick and the like.
Dear god, her voice was beautiful, achingly so, and the sound of it put me in a real state. What an amazing way to meet someone for the first time, to hear the true sound that they make! I do hope that my drumming wasn't quite as revealing, though, considering the state of my life & heart.
We played three or four tunes, continuing to talk and share between takes, our confidence growing with each note. By the time we got to our last tune for the afternoon, which came from the Hawaiian kahuna tradition, we were really starting to feel each other's flow.
Something clicked during this last piece, though, something amazing. The voice and the guitar and the drum understood each other, as if they had made some sort of agreement. When it was over, ten or so minutes later, we both looked at each other and knew.
For lack of a better phrase, we had just become a "band".
Reggie had been listening the whole time, of course, and was quite pleased that her instinct of bringing us together was spot on. There were hugs and kisses all 'round as we packed up and made plans for next week's rehearsal. The gig is Saturday May 7th, which I am now looking very forward to.
After Lisa left, Reggie invited me back into the studio so she could ask all of the questions that everyone asks these days. We then proceeded to have one of those wonderful discussions that I've had so many times this last 18 months or so, when an acquaintance becomes a friend.
Normally Yoga Basin is a thriving, busy place, and as ringmaster, Reggie's mind is usually in three places at once. This was the first time I've really gotten to stretch out with her, and we talked about everything : my transition, Anam Cara, the Muse, my shamanic work, etc ...
She got it, all of it, on that level that I always hope for but don't always get. She was very adamant that I seemed healthier and more powerful, both physically and energetically, and that I need to own the fact that I have a real opportunity to shine now, however the story eventually ends up.
As I was leaving, she told me I was adorable and gifted me with a lovely blue and grey alpaca scarf. Walking back to the car, the bone grey sky in stark contrast to how light I was feeling, I thanked The Lady for another opportunity to connect with new people in a new space.
It goes without saying that it is not possible for me to be that close to Avon without stopping for a visit. Driving the ten minutes or so up the road, it felt, more than it ever has, that I lived there. Turning onto Sylvania, I had that future sensation I get sometimes. It was wondrous.
I parked Rose and did my usual rounds, out to Happy Cove and up onto the jetty, then south along the shoreline to the pavilion and back up the boardwalk. Still light on my feet from the good music and marvelous company, I didn't want to leave. Ohhhhh, how I didn't want to leave.
I did have a Flame Shift to get to, though, so I said my goodbyes and drove up Ocean Ave, through the usual towns, the usual daydreams. I stopped at Cake Bake & Roll for a cookie and cupcake, and drove through Pier Village while thinking about a recurring dream I've been having, before giving thanks one more time and heading home.
Well, my other home, anyway ...
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