These words were written in support of the Rise from the Ashes Event.

As a Southern Californian native and resident, I know about fire, albeit nothing as disastrous as our friends and loved ones are witnessing in Australia.

I recorded these vocals over Stefan Kartenberg’s work Schwingungen.

THE SONG OF THE PHOENIX

Listen for the sound of your heart opening.
There are times when there are no words. Times when no words are at all needed
These are the times, if we listen with our hearts we can hear the song of the phoenix

We sense what we know — We sing it in song
As the phoenix sings, let’s sing along

She sings of transformation — Transformation through fire
Through the pain of grief, sacrifice, the ache of desire
a light refrain as fresh as rain over drought parched land Or smoldering ash
The song of the phoenix as she rises again Is a soft song of deliverance

There may be shock with thunder and lightning. Towers will fall — It will be frightening
Some will be lost — the collateral damage of a civilization built with bricks of hubris

Darkness reigns in parts of the world now. Find your resource hold onto that light.
The truth dissolves everything over time.
Think of mountains becoming sand. Think of deep water carved canyons.

The truth is infinite. Expressed as life. It is green grass softening scorched hillsides.
It is leaves growing on blasted oak — Growth on the part that still survives.

As light darkens brightness will hide. Embody brightness as a mythical creature
A dragon, a gryffin or as the alchemical fire embodied as the phoenix

We will return. That’s the nature of life.
Our bodies dissolve to essence whether through biological process or scattered ashes.
Some say we return to ephemeral energy. The essence of creative possibility.
During this lifetime life’s life-long mystery

The phoenix is the calling bird emerging from shadows of fear
Can we sing along as the smoke clears
A song of redemption, resilience, rage, truth
A song to celebrate making it through

* * * *

The images and lyrics for this piece are inspired by an IChing consultation. I specifically sought inspiration for this project.

The hexagrams received were 36 changing to 24. In traditional interpretations, these hexagrams are known as Darkening of the Light and Return respectively. In other texts I study, 36 is also known as Brightness Hiding and the Calling Bird.