In the past, many people have said, “music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.” That’s because they got the quote by Congreve wrong. I understand why, too. The phrase “savage breast” brings such strange images to mind nowadays. Maybe the public chose to go with the sentence which made more sense to them, quote be damned. After all, what parent hasn’t tried a lullaby at least once when their child started crying for no reason?
In our infancy, we are at our most primal—driven entirely by our needs without thought for what society says we should want. Those worries come later, when we learn how to be civilized. Sadly, the better we become at fulfilling others, the worse we tend to be at fulfilling ourselves. If we’re taught to fret about the opinions of others too early, we might not even remember the goals and desires we left behind. This leads some of us to search outside ourselves for missing pieces that aren’t really gone at all, only suppressed and ignored. I believe music has the power to lure the angry and wounded parts of us back into the light for healing.
Previously on my blog, I talked about a novel that scared me so much that I couldn’t finish writing it, and how my fear blocked me from nearly any writing fiction afterward. Since posting how I’d decided it’s time to tackle the project again, I’ve had nightmares frequently. Some are truly awful, others merely nonsensical, but a good deal of them feature labyrinth symbolism I can’t ignore. The book is obviously weighing on my mind although I haven’t started it yet.
But I didn’t want to go in unprepared. First, I wanted to work with the daemon Malphas to build myself a place of safety and creativity in which to write. The old books magicians are supposed to care about say he can strengthen our defenses. The grimoires also depict Malphas as a giant, humanoid raven. Considering that makes Malphas look like the long lost, twin brother of my novel’s monster, I figured I could face a fear or two when I contacted him.
Few people know that ravens are our largest songbirds. Of course, their love songs sound a little like gargling rocks, but so do mine on most days. That’s why I chose to invoke Malphas with song this week. I sang his enn whenever I invited him into my circle, occasionally adding the beat of my rattle as a counterpoint.
It was difficult for me to open up that way. I know each spirit-song was meant to be a conversation between me and the Divine, but I remained keenly aware of the size of our new apartment. My family sat just down the hall every time I worked with Malphas, and I was certain they could hear me crooning and cawing away. It was nerve-wracking until the rites gained momentum. Then it was just… me and Spirit. I didn’t care who heard.
I hope that I will feel the same way throughout March. To support the work that I will be doing on the novel, I’ll be integrating sound into my life in the following ways during the #domagick challenge:
EVERY DAY – I will write my novel for one hour, without planning anything in advance, using a soundtrack I created for inspiration. I will not judge or even looking back at the work until the end of the month.
EVERY DAY – I plan to make some new art, even if all I do is photograph or draw something I love. If possible, I will listen to upbeat music while I work.
EVERY DAY – At minimum, I will sing the enns of the daemons I’m working with and run their energy through my chakras. This month I’ve chosen Salleos (for love), Ose (for self-understanding), Sitri (for a passionate life), and Crocell (to soften hard emotions).
EVERY WEDNESDAY – I am attending a sound healing class here in my city.
MARCH 10 to 12 – I am attending a workshop on the how to use the 5 Warrior Syllables.
In short, I aim to use music and sound as a method of lessening my anxiety and improving my confidence level throughout March. Whenever I feel particularly stressed, I hope to use vibration as the reset switch for my mood. If nothing else, I am learning two new sound-based techniques that I can add to my shamanic practice and Reiki repertoire.
Wish me luck. Now get out there and #domagick!