The Rowdy Goddess

An Ecstatic Vision of the Goddess, dancing in harmony with the Universe.

Archive for the tag “Song”

10 Mar 2014
1 Comment

Here Comes the Susie Snowflake

Suzy Snowflake sheet music

Suzy Snowflake sheet music

There is another snow storm predicted for our area later this week.  This is no news for the people to the west of this area since they will be getting it first.  The forecasters warn us that predicting springtime storms is difficult so we may get freezing rain and sleet mixed in.  I’d rather have snow.  I’m tired of my own kvetching about the snow so I’m trying to be peppy about it.  I’m of the generation of Captain Kangaroo with all his stories, songs, skits, and laughter.  “I learned that from Mr. Greenjeans,” or “I heard that on Captain Kangaroo” was something often said by me and others of my generation.  One of the songs is Susie Snowflake tap, tap, tapping at my window pane.

Not many people seem to remember the cartoon  from the show.  I don’t remember the cartoon but I remember the song vividly.   Still less remember that it was sung by Rosemary Clooney, one of the sisters in the movie White Christmas.  Danny Kaye was in that movie, a very clever and talented performer.  One of his best movie skits was in the movie Court Jester, where he did a spectacular tongue twister about the Chalice with the Palace.

I’m cheered up.  Nothing like a song and a laugh along with a trip to memory lane to make me more cheerful.  Another thing that helps is a tarot reading.  Below is a tarot spread based on the expression that no two snowflakes are alike to remind us that not only are no two snowflakes alike but no two snowstorms are identical.

 

Each One Unique Spread

Use this spread to ask a question about your situation when you are confused or certain things are not as they appear.  It’s a good way to help you keep on the path to reach your goal(s).

Each One Unique Spread

Each One Unique Spread

  

Card One:       What is nearest and dearest to your heart in this matter?

Card Two:      What does your intuition tell you about the situation?

Card Three:    What does your imagination tell you about the situation?

Card Four:     What is hidden beneath the surface?

Card Five:      What is out of reach at this time?

Card Six:        What does logic say about this situation?

Card Seven:    What is the possible outcome?

May your day be filled with cheerful song, funny word-play, and a little wisdom!

 

Posted in Tarot and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
18 Nov 2009
1 Comment

Giving Voice to Our Souls

Sing through my Voice

Play through my Hands

Let the way be Open.

                                                     —- Abbi Springer McBride

It began with banter and repartee between two student working in the cafe in my building at work. “Nobody likes the sound of your voice,” she said, “so you should just not use it.” We laughed uproariously as the young man responded and the two of them continued their playfully hostile banter.
I posted this in my status on Facebook as “overheard in the library.” It shows why context is so important. A couple of people reacted to the hostility and not the humor of the remark. O one person said that when she was a child that her singing was an offense to God and she should stop singing aloud, and she carried that remark and prohibition forward to adulthood. My jaw dropped and my angry fingers typed.
From my Baptist background, my reaction was a very sarcastic “nice witness,” and currently would have added a well placed expletive as well.  It reminded me that I have my own journey with that kind of silencing. When I was younger, I sang all the time and was in the school choir. My voice was relatively untrained but I still sang all the time and sang along with the radio, albums, and the television. I sang myself to sleep, I sang in the shower, I sang in the car…everyplace was a good place for song. Some where in the midst of a couple of difficult relationships, I silenced myself.
When I moved to rural New York, I got sick a lot. It was part allergies and part stress related colds and flu. I coughed a lot, sometimes for months on end. All of this roughened my voice and made it crack. Still I sang–coughed and sang. One evening, I was sitting at a table of amateur singers who said they’d like to form a choir of singers to sing pagan chants and songs at our gatherings. “I’d like to be a part of that,” I said. The deafening silence as all the women looked at each other told me all I needed to know: they don’t think I’m good or good enough. I shut up about that.
At the same time, I was in a relationship with a man who didn’t like a lot of distractions including noise. He’d turn down the television or the stereo. He didn’t even like the sound of the refrigerator, washing machine, or dryer running. He didn’t like hair dryers. My life became quieter. And then too, the radio in my car stopped working so I couldn’t play music and sing along. I couldn’t afford to get it fixed for a long time and then when I did, it stopped working immediately.
The good news was that I became very comfortable with silence and didn’t need extraneous sounds and noises to distract me or entertain me. The bad news was that I forgot how to sing and learned that I was a bad singer. I became embarrassed by my singing voice. I forgot the words to songs and I forgot to sing.
As time moved on, so did the friends and relationships; what remained was the silence and the silencing. My practice as a witch and shamanic practitioner deepened and I became a High Priestess and leader in my community. I was reading a well respected teacher on an email list who said that shamans and shamanic practitioners “gave voice” to their magic. With their voices, raised in song, they led their communities and themselves to greater healing and soul discovery.
That challenged me to confront the silencing. I re-retrieved my power song and began to sing again. Over the past few years, I’ve actively practiced ‘giving voice’ to the songs within. Our group sings alot and we have some wonderful Enchantresses in our midst. They help me to have the courage to remember and to give voice. My voice has gotten stronger and my memory has gotten better. It’s all in process and it’s all beautiful.
One person who responded to the Facebook thread says she makes a joyful noise using the voice the Creator gave her. And as another one said, if they don’t want to hear it, they don’t have to listen!
One of the things I’ve learned from this silencing and self-censorship, is that you don’t have to stay silent. We are resonant beings and can give voice to our power and our songs. Music fills our souls and its energy wants to go out into the world. Our histories and our culture often tries to inhibit that energy, so it takes courage to give voice. Once you do give voice to your soul and your heart, you find out how much freedom you have. The gods wish us to sing every note so may you find your voice and give it to the world, loud and proud!
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged , ,

Post Navigation