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Dear Drummers, A word has been floating around in my mind lately: biospiritual. It is a word used by some to define our planet, and by extension, the universe. Well that’s a big leap from micro to macro, but stay with me here. The word affirms the interplay between the physical (“bio”) and ephemeral parts of existence. For much of the west’s religious history the physical and spiritual have been split apart and set in opposition to one another. Religion has viewed the physical world as fallen, unclean, sinful, or merely of no real importance. As science and religion came into increasing conflict during the Enlightenment (1700’s onward) the devout in both camps tended to preach that you must choose between poles. Science told us that must grow up, become rational and intelligent and put away the absurd superstitions of religion. As the enlightenment wit Voltaire said: “It is an infantile superstition of the human spirit that virginity would be thought a virtue and not the barrier that separates ignorance from knowledge.” Religion told us to become mature in our faith, to remain courageous in our adherence to God’s revelations, which atheistic science was bent on destroying. As is said today, the earth, the very elements themselves are cursed by God because of Adam’s sin. The evidence is in the rocks that decay and give off deadly radiation. (www.icr.org/article/3190/) Both sides agreed that there is and should be a split between bio and spiritual, and all of us must choose the right side or perish. But we come now to that word, biospiritual, which recombines perhaps the two greatest gifts of humankind, our ability to reason, analyze and deduce, and our ability to dream, to speak in metaphor and symbol, and to create art – our seemingly inborn need to revere what we cannot see, touch or comprehend. And here comes that word, biospiritual, to re-member what has been severed, a wound that has so damaged our world. It is a good word, a word that perhaps could only come around to us at this time in history, a word that we are ready for now. It is a word that affirms the physicality of life and its organic wonder. For centuries scientists have uncovered layer after layer of new knowledge of the physical universe, leaving us breathless with surprise and awe at each new revelation. For eons, across time, humans have imagined and re-imagined the gods and spirits that must be the source of life, or at least invisible companions. Their research, too, has led us to more wonder. For me, neither science nor religion is the enemy. The adversary (to use the name from the Book of Job) is the One Who Urges Us to Silence and Reject New Wonder. And this is why I love the drum! Anyone who has spent more than a few moments with the drum knows that it reminds you that you are biospiritual that you are an amalgam of physical and spiritual, so is everything you can see and cannot see. When we gather together this Friday, we will explore our biospirituality with rhythmic exuberance! I won’t go into detail here since this letter is overly long already, but we will focus on being blessed by the animal powers. And here is a request for volunteers. If you are someone who has some training in shamanism or is experienced in working with power animals or animal spirits, I’d like to invite you to work with them this week and ask them to assist us on Friday, and let me know on Friday if you’d like to be part of the ceremonial work. Be ready to dance. See you soon, Jaime |
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