(Painting by Nik Helbig) 
Oh Lady of Liberty 
hold your ground
remember your foundation 
remember your origin
the “laws of land” are truly not governed by the people at all.
Mother Gaia shall see that all walls will eventually crumble and fall, all life to the dust from whence we came..
Upon this sacred, fertile land, 
within this self proclaimed “manifest destiny”
…
within a country founded on false liberty i was born, 
taught from an early age to conform
to fit in and play my role in a slavery system..
to not question the iniquity, the poverty, the invasion of our lives with material waste…in witnessing the ravenous ghosts of endless desire and consumption,
a Curiosity arose within me, like a coming of age, like the lotus rising from the mud…a yearning for true meaning…
as the soul’s natural desire is to evolve
and the self’s highest aspiration is to truly be realized.
Guided by the ever burning flame of Truth within us all 
we rise from the ashes of humanity’s waste
for even just a taste of this… Libertea…. 
to see, feel and taste what it is to be truly free.
Hold your ground-
this ever Free Field of Consciousness
within which you wield your power of thoughts, words and deeds to manifest your destiny…
its all a work in progress really.
choosing truth and love to heal, to transform, to ripple out through all creation. 
The Land of Liberty is within you and me.
Hold your torch high & Be a beacon of light in these times.
painting by Nik Helbig

What an amazing time to be alive during these times. While every generation of humanity had its own unique social movements, attributes and collective consciousness, I’m still convinced that we are standing on a precipice, a precarious place in which we bear witness to our potential as creative beings on this planet to bring healing and harmony or on the flip-side destruction and chaos. What a diverse range of consciousness that can be expressed in so many human ways: ethical standpoints, spiritual or religious beliefs, political views, artistic expression, and so on…. In the midst of all this diversity however, we must remember our common unifying threads of humanity if we are to live on this planet together and if we wish for our next generations to have their basic life needs met.  What are the common threads? Having a “heart-centered” perspective can come in handy to really feel into this question because our ego and mind’s perception can be shaded with beliefs that separate and divide. To Love and feel Love is the highest expression of humanity and our greatest power we possess. The many expressions of Love- forgiveness, compassion, empathy, charity, connectedness, selfless service- have the power to Unite Humanity. With a heart-centered perception we can see that there many people in this world that are in dire need of Love- to feel connected, to feel Safe, to feel Loved, To forgive past grievances. However, its just not that simple. In our thought-driven, fast paced world we live in, we must consciously make space for the healing that Love can bring! Sometimes its not so simple for people who are basically just doing what they can to survive day-to-day, trying to not be killed by bombs or trying to find shelter or food to eat. Even still, even people like you and I still seem to feel like “there’s never enough time.” 
Making space is exactly what it means: Making Space- Stopping whatever you are doing in your life to really make space to contemplate, to feel deeply, to reconnect with the deepest parts of your Self that perhaps you forgot about or stopped listening to as a result of societal pressures. Its interesting what people do make space in their lives for, which may not serve their highest good, which perhaps disconnects them from their own lives and world, such as drugs, social media, movies, etc. Sometimes the easiest and most effective way of “making space” is going for a walk out in nature. Disconnection from nature may arguably be humans’ most grave problem, resulting in so much disharmony and imbalance of our relationship with Nature. Great respected spiritual teachers will emphasize the importance of Meditation as being the almighty salve. For me personally, I create this sacred space by keeping a home altar has which has tools that remind me of what is truly important and which can assist me to reconnect with my higher self. I am so grateful to have a home. Yet even while I was in nomadic phases of my life, no matter what, I still kept an altar (my “travel altar”). For me these tools are: candles (non-toxic, all natural wax!), incense (sage, palo santo, copal, frankincense) personal photos and inspiring art, crystals and sound healing instruments (singing bowls, and bells). Having a ceremony is a very effective way to bring insight, healing and love, if that is what your intentions are. The way our capitalist society is, there isn’t much space allowed  or honored for ceremony. The only time you might hear that word is when its used with the word “wedding.” However, the powerful healing tool of ceremony is thankfully becoming more common within our subcultures of seekers. We are steadily reclaiming this rite as a means of healing, transformation and empowerment. And for some, such as indigenous peoples, ceremony has been a way of life from the beginning.  How unfortunate that in westernized culture, the empowering practice of ceremony has been marginalized to areas of religion and otherwise judged by misunderstood minds as ceremony being either cult-related, or “new age-y” or something that can only be performed by someone else with some sort of “credentials.”  It almost seems like one must be a societal outcast to a certain degree, if one chooses to empower one’s self and seek healing from within, for in our capitalistic world those kinds of things should cost you, right? And people DO pay a LOT of money to participate in healing ceremonies, hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars for a single ceremony. What are they REALLY paying for? Time for Re-connecting to Self. And hey, you could spent hundreds of dollars on a new article of clothing if you wanted too- Im not sure how much that would connect you to your Self. 
The aspect of gathering and connecting with others is also a very important piece for healing too.  We need the reflections of others sometimes to truly see ourselves. We need a safe place to witnessed and accepted as we are. Ceremonial gatherings can be that kind of place. I recently attended a festival gathering in Santa Fe called Unify Fest to share my music. The intention of this festival was unifying humanity. There were artists,  teachers and musical performers from all around the world in the fields of yoga, indigenous wisdom, healing, wellness, and the like. It was a profound experience to attend such a gathering with this intention- it felt like a non-stop three day long ceremony, and indeed there was an opening and closing to this ceremony/fest. There was a sacred fire that was kept the entire duration of the festival brought in the indigenous wisdom. I gained so many reflections and so much inspiration from these three days.
I guess what I am really trying to say is the more space and time you create for connecting to your true Self- that is beyond all thoughts, all judgements, all fears, doubts, insecurities- The More you connect to the vibrations of Love, in and from the Holy temple of your Heart, The more you can be filled, the more there is to be shared. The path of the Bodhisattva is not merely to liberate your Self from suffering- Its to attain enlightenment with the compassionate desire to Free others as well.
“The Ocean refuses no river.” Just as every raindrop will as some point find its way to be one with the ocean, so will our small limited perception of self- whether it me in this time or another- find itself re-united with the infinite One consciousness. Getting little sips of this vast consciousness is enough to make one thirsty for more. To be an embodiment of Love is the highest Human expression. May we have the willingness to Be the Love, to Be the vessel which can be filled with our own soul’s wellspring of wisdom and Love, til our Being overflows to all Beings we come into contact with.
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Swaha
​Paintings by Autumn Skye

Being a native to the Middle East and South West Asia, the cultivation of this Nigella sativa can be traced back over 3, 000 years, to Ancient Egypt. This seed is actually not even related to the “Cumin” seed that we know of, which resembles caraway, so its name can be misleading. 
Even the prophet Mohammed proclaimed Black Seed as “a remedy for all diseases except death.” Black Seeds with honey, an ancient recipe, which was found in King Tutankhamen’s tomb, is still used my many people to this day for digestion, respiratory ailments and more.
Black Seeds are used in many dishes in the Middle East, as well as India, yet it is argued by some that the cooking of the seeds may decrease some of the medicinal aspects.  Others believe that the tempering of the spice is what brings out the medicinal qualities. 
Consuming the ground up black seeds can be helpful for easing digestive troubles, flatulence, clearing parasites, and have also become an alternative treatment to battling cancer. However, many prefer the oil for economic reasons and wider range of use. Simply, with the oil, you can get more of a potent dose with a smaller amount.
There are so many potential nourishing and restorative qualities of this precious oil, but one needs to know what to look for as the consumer to get a good product. 
First of all, be sure the oil you use is cold pressed and organic, to assure the integrity and purity. 
Second, due to certain chemical constituents present in the oil, such as the Omega fatty acids, this oil (similarly to flax oil) should not be heated as these constituents can be chemically altered and become disadvantageous to the body. 
Third, the proper storage of this oil would be in a dark colored, preferably glass bottle and to keep it cool or refrigerate it, especially after opening. A daily recommended dose is 1 teaspoon of oil, and for more medicinal effects, not around too much food. 
It can be taken in capsules, or simply swallowed from a spoon. Using this oil on the skin and hair is deeply nourishing, however the smell is quite strong (in a spicy and savory way) so combining essential oils may help to create a most supreme healing, anointing oil. 
Autoimmune disease and cancer are huge problems in today’s society. Thymoquinone, one of the chemical constituent in Black Seed Oil, is of great interest to scientists, because its been shown to actually kill cancer cells, act as an anti-inflammatory and stimulate Opioid receptors which could help treat or prevent food allergies.
Even the big corporation Nestlé applied for a patent in 2010 which would protect their extraction process and the use of this chemical from Nigella sativa, which expectedly caused mass protest and controversy from upset people who felt a big corporation should not be able to own and control a natural chemical or people’s right to use it.
The knowledge and use of Black Seed Oil is becoming very common these days, just look it up on the internet! 
There are oil pulling blends which use this oil , luxurious body washes, and even a “Kardashian Beauty” brand of oil for the hair! 
The truth is, this oil alone can be used for a wide range of things, and is revered by the ancient and modern healers and scientists.
Lastly, I’d like to leave the readers with an image of this beautiful flower from which these precious black seeds come from. It may look familiar to you because, perhaps, its relative “Love in a mist” flower is already growing in your garden. If so, why not make some space in there for Nigella sativa too.
References:
sciencedirect.com aritcle
theblessedseed.com/learn-more/history/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2583426/
wakeup-world.com/2013/01/02/black-cumin-seed-oil-the-miracle-oil/
wellnessmama.com/37127/black-seed-oil-benefits/

above art by Autumn Skye.

***with much passion in my heart I write this***for my  love of Creation and Life and for my Prayer that Harmony and Balance to be restored within and without.
​
I finally watched the documentary "Queen of the Sun" last night, which is all about honey bees and our deep connection to them. For about ten thousand years humans have had this connection with honeybees, realizing how much we depend on the honeybees for much of the food that we eat and the precious balance that is crucial for our survival. Yet many human beings have strayed far off the ways of living harmoniously with nature. People are born into this world everyday, into a society that promotes disconnection from nature. This film brought up so many feelings for me, one of the most potent being rage. It also made me feel sadness for humanity, that our ways of "living" have come down to the systematic and literal raping of nature. I started to tremble with sadness and rage when it showed the drone bees having sperm pushed out of them and the Queen Bees being artificially inseminated. 
To me this felt like rape. I understand there are people who would find my perspective ridiculous and reply that these are "just insects" I'm talking about, and that “if this isn't done then our future agriculture and food supply could be in peril.” To me, getting to the root of the issue is what is needed- such as the deeply flawed ways of mass monoculture and all the problems that come with it. Looking deeper at how we got ourselves into such a perilous situation of existence, we would see that our flawed human egoistic tendency to think that the we are somehow greater than nature, that we have the power to manipulate, and control nature to our needs and desires, is what is the problem here. 
What a film like this does is inspire a deep remembrance- Remembrance of our inherent interconnectedness, and interdependence with all life. The feelings that come up as a result of witnessing what we might call injustices in the world- whether it be the huge corporations such as Monsanto that are working against our right to grow our foods naturally and organically, or the prejudice/violence against people of various skin colors and ethnicities, or the mass inhumane farming and slaughter of animals- these feelings within us carry the energy to make change and we must allow these feelings to be felt. 
And we must also realize that the ignorance which breeds apathy and complacency does not support the change that we need for our future generations.  I have deep respect and honor for the people that are putting their feelings into action- that are working to educate, to make change, to BE the Change that is needed in this world to bring back harmony and balance. 
Inside the Beehive, there is Harmony, selflessness, and co-creation of beauty and medicine. In studying the ways of the honeybees, we can gain a sense of remembrance and also responsibility to Creation. If humans continue to live in a way that disregards the interconnectedness of Creation, The Vitality of Life will diminish on all levels. The mass collapse of beehives, especially in America, is a sign of the times- a premonition for our own collapse as well. Please take a moment to feel into yourself, what is most important and of most value to you in your life. Consider the amazing Life we are given on this planet, the incredible intricate and diverse beauty that exists and that we are a part of.  And now take this moment to consider what your life would be like devoid of the beauty and perfection of flowers and fruit. The primary pollinator responsible for most of the fruit and nuts that we eat are Honeybees. You may ask yourself “What can I do?” or “How can I help?”  You have the power to make conscious choices that WILL affect the world around you. The easiest way we give away our power is thinking we don't have any. Long Live our Queen Bee and our beloved Honey Bees. 
​

Known as the “queen of all herbs,” the use of Tulsi, or holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) reaches back thousands of years as one of the most important Ayurvedic herbs and is now receiving renewed praises for its qualities. This amazing herb, with it’s many varieties continues to offer so much healing on a multitude of levels. Tulsi is growing in popularity these days, now being distributed throughout the world as a tea, yet let’s explore this beautiful plant more deeply and discover even more of it’s beneficial uses and healing potential that you might not know about!
There are three main commonly recognized varieties of Tulsi: Krishna, Rama and Vana Tulsi. The Krishna Tulsi has a deep purple color with rounded leaves. This variety has particular spiritual value, being planted around most temples in India and actually worshipped. Vana Tulsi looks just like Krishna Tulsi except it is totally green. This variety can be seen growing wild all around India and is also known as “wild forest holy basil.” When I was staying with a family in India, which all happened to be medical doctors, they would collect this wild tulsi as well as neem leaves from their own land, dry it, powder it and mix in warm water for a powerful and natural antiseptic mouth/throat gargle. The third common variety is Rama Tulsi, which has more pointed leaves and looks more like basil, with purple and green flowers, but its still distinctively very spicy smelling and tasting. This type is commonly used for distilling the essential oil. The bees love these flowers and they are wonderful to infuse in water to flavor and enhance medicinal value. All Tulsi is quite easy to grow and can be found to propagate itself when the seeds drop from the flowers!
The basil genus Ocimum, native to tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia, contains up to 150 species, and has long been revered world wide for its flavorful, aromatic and medicinal qualities. This can be attributed to the array of oils and other chemical compounds, which are especially high in Tulsi. 1,8 Cineol, also known as Eucalyptol (also found in eucalyptus, cannabis and common sage), is beneficial for the respiratory tract, easing headaches and even repelling insects. Another compound found in tulsi, Eugenol, which can also be found in cinnamon and clove, has antiseptic and analgesic properties-effective against prevalent bacterial strains such as E. coli and Streptococcus as well as simply helping ease the pain of a toothache. Tulsi essential oil, which contains these compounds I’ve mentioned plus more, is very uplifting and clarifying. It smells like a combination of basil and cinnamon, and is fantastic in an oil diffuser for the house because it will also help clear the air of harmful microbes!
The ancients knew about the healing properties of Tulsi and now modern scientific research has classified Tulsi as an Adaptogenic herb, beneficial for immune system, balancing of hormones, protecting against free-radicals with anti-oxidant properties, treating cancer and radiation exposure as well protection from flouride exposure. Scientists are now extracting ursolic acid from Tulsi for applications its many biological applications, including fighting cancer. Krishna Tulsi is especially high in phenolic compounds which act as powerful anti-oxidants, due to the higher amount of anthocyanin pigments.
Tulsi has unique spiritual significance especially in India, being the most important plant to Hindus, found in every household and around every temple. Not only are it’s healing properties revered in the ancient Ayurvedic texts, being considered a divya aushadhi (divine herb), it is widely worshipped as a deity. There are many wonderful Indian stories to be explored about Tulsi’s origin. Some people lovingly call the plant “Tulsi Devi” because “she” is believed to be an incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi, bringer of health and prosperity. It is used in puja (devotional rituals) with the leaves of tulsi being put in the blessed water the medicinal and purifying qualities it contains. Offerings of Tulsi are made especially to Lord Vishnu and his incarnations. The childhood home of Krishna, Vrindavan, is actually named after the wild and beloved Tulsi groves that thrive there and just one leaf of Tulsi is believed to be a supreme offering to Lord Krishna. Japa mala beads made of tulsi wood are believed to bring a Sattvic and cooling energy to the one wearing and using them. It is said that just being around the Tulsi plant is beneficial for ones health and well being.
Growing Tulsi is very easy in the tropics and subtropics. The first tulsi plant I got was a Krishna Tulsi, from some dear friends of mine who revered the plant as an incarnation of the Goddess. I created a spiral herb garden and planted my tulsi in the very middle. She grew fast, strong and tall and I began propagating more from the seeds that began sprouting below and sharing them with friends. I acquired Rama Tulsi from the a bush I found in the backyard of a cabin I was renting, I easily made cuttings of this plant and started spreading this variety as well. Now I find Tulsi has gotten around the islands swiftly, Ive seen the most amazing Krishna Tulsi growing in Kauai with the biggest leaves I have ever seen. I find Tulsi growing in downtown Hilo on the Big Island. This fills my heart with joy!
Tulsi is here to serve us in a variety of ways and I am grateful to see that it is becoming more widely grown, known and appreciated for the inherent values it possesses. I encourage you too to get to know “her,” grow her if you are able to and invite her many blessings into your life. Aloha!

Good MedicineThis past weekend I had the privilege and the pleasure of attending a “family reunion” gathering that has been going on for the past 26 years in southern Oregon. In a way it’s kind of like a festival, however there is no stage, no commercial stuff at all, and it’s all a community effort to make it happen. The money that you pay to attend basically goes towards getting all the food and maintaining the land upon which it is on. You have to be invited in order to attend this gathering, which is on private family land, and for many of these people that attend, this is the onlY time they see each other during the year because they live in various places. It was around 350 people this year, many people for the first time. There are families with babies and young children. There are elders. There are people of all ages. We camp together on this forested land which has a creek running through. We eat together three healthy organic meals a day, which are lovingly prepared. The best part of all, we sing together. The singing happened throughout the day but the juiciest moments were around the fire in large tipis. Many of the songs sung were well known songs with refrains that everyone knew and sang along too, and the songs that were new, people would catch on and start singing along at some point. I was overjoyed and grateful to be able to share my own songs as well, for most of these people had never heard my music yet. I received much positive feedback, love and gratitude in return. Our host and owner of this land is one of the most well known songwriters of our rainbow culture, whose songs of unity, peace and right relationship with the earth are sung all around the world in ceremonies and gatherings. The most potent moments for me was when she shared her songs around the fire. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in the feeling of powerful heart expansion, as I was brought to tears many times, overflowing with pure and real gratitude for life and community as we sand together:
“You gotta be a strong soul…to live in this world. You gotta be brave,my our gotta be wise…if you want to survive…”
We can’t make it through life and truly thrive with out the support of some kind of family and community. We beings need this connection, and reflection that we receive through the contact with other kindred spirits and like-minded souls. One of the biggest lessons/reminders at this gathering was being of service and fulfilling your personal responsibility.
The only way an event like this is even possible is because people work together, help each other and take it upon themselves to just do what needs to be done. I helped out in the kids camp as “snack fairy,” something that I used to do when working as an After school program leader. I made sure there was yummy healthy snacks available, lots of fruit which I got from the refrigerated room which held all the donated fruit from all the people who attended. You should have seen so much fruit was in there! I also helped serve meals a couple times. There were different “workshops” offered everyday, on different topics such as beekeeping, knowing the medicinal plants around you, ceremonies using plant medicines, tantric practices, songwriting, tea ceremonies, Celtic song singing, African drumming, yoga, ecstatic dance, and much more! There were spontaneous musical jams throughout the entire time in various places. Every night the “chai bar” was open from like 8-12 pm, which began with kirtan. On Sunday there was a kids parade, which was absolutely precious. They were being supported by a wonderful musical collaboration, many of them being the parents. The parade ended in the middle of the meadow and turned into a land blessing by the same person that’s been doing it for like 25 years. We all walked together across the land singing, through the garden and to the clearing near the creek where we had a huge watermelon feast and wild drumming jam out, led by a young man who has been studying with the Senegalese people. It magically sprinkled with rain while we were all there dancing. That night I stayed up singing songs til the light started to return to the sky. There was a marvelous bartering fair in the meadow the last day before we all packed out. I was able to do many musical trades with the other musicians there, I am so stoked to have so much new musical inspiration and know that my music has made it to these people as well. After that was over, the main tipi was taken down and we gathered around the fire, which was still burning and the closing mahalo and prayers were given by Ohana and Windsong, our gracious hosts. Beautiful Words were shared about the sacred fire, which we had gathered together around all weekend, about it’s healing and life giving qualities. Cedar prayers were made for the protection of all that were there, and for our elders, and that we take the good medicine that we gained from this gathering out into the world where it is needed. Mahalo nui loa for Good Medicine, for all the visionaries out there that selflessly work to create the space for this good medicine of music to be shared together. When we sing together there is peace and love in the heart. Music is what will unite the world. Bless the people. Mahalo for reading. Now listen to this song :http://youtu.be/u3JKkcUmsdM

It’s been two weeks since arriving in the state of California, Which is where I was born and grew up the first twelve years of my life (Santa Cruz). California holds a special place in my heart, not only because of the childhood nostalgia and because much of my family still lives here, but because of the true beauty of this place. Here’s some varying and diverse examples of the beauty of California that I have had the opportunity to experience: Tall forests of moss laden redwoods that tower over the lush green ferns. Hotsprings nestled in rolling hills of oak and manzanita. Scenic coasts lined with jagged juniper trees looking over calm seas with kelp beds and otters. Stark deserts with giant cacti and giant orange rock formations. Fields of bright orange poppies and brilliant blue lupines. Clear and cold Emerald river pools. Rushing icy blue streams of snow melt. Hotsprings of Esalen, on the Big Sur cliffs, overlooking the smooth ocean, seeing pods of dolphins. Witnessing the thick fog encroach upon until finally completely enveloping a whole city. The scent of jasmine….bay leaf……geranium…lavender….these are the smells of my childhood. The flavors of ripe apricots, juicy plums, artichoke hearts. Yum.
Im grateful to have some roots in California….and am also grateful that my parents chose to move to Hawaii to give me the opportunity of growing roots there. 
I’m aiming to get the most of this summer on the Pacific West Coast. Summer solstice is coming and I will be assisting and serving in a healing ceremony retreat with some amazing people in Santa Rosa, then traveling on to Nevada City to meet up with friends and play a concert and enjoy the Yuba River, then on to Inlakesh Festival and onwards North hopefully all the way up to Seattle! It’s festival time and the ecstatic bliss tribes are gathering to celebrate and sow their wild seeds of a hopeful future….creating their own realities, living their dreams. 
I’ve got my ukulele, an arsenal of amazing essential oils blends and spritzers and other healing nourshments….and I am here to serve my medicine, connect with my family, share my music, my love, from the chalice of my heart to yours. 
Aloha and I hope to see you upon my journey. Stay connected.

I believe music can and will unite the world. Music already does connect the people of this world. Music is created by all cultures of people around the globe and to share a song with someone of another culture is always a bonding experience. I remember singing a Hawaiian song to some young people on the Crow reservation in Montana. They loved it! And then they shared with me one of their native songs and even pulled up videos on their phones of their most respected Crow ceremonial dancers.
How amazing it is that we have the ability to hear the music of so many different cultures of the world because with the internet. For instance, If I want to hear a folk song of the Sami people (from Lapland) I can google it and listen to it now. If I would like to hear the healing songs of a Shipibo shaman of Peru, there it is on You Tube! Terence McKenna said in his Evolving Times : The way in which [the internet] will dissolve boundaries is by making us transparent. To each other. I mean, I can imagine a child of the future, we all bring home our drawings to stick on refrigerators, and things like that—in the future we won’t stick them on refrigerators, we will stick them in our website.“ The same goes for music. Songs used to be shared from person to person. Nowadays songs are shared via the internet, instantaneously connecting people in very different places! I could point a camera at myself, record myself singing a song and then share it to the world.
I think it’s a very provocative question to ask where Music comes from in the first place. For instance, what is the difference (other than language and content) between a song being sung by a pop star about their personal romantic hardships and then the icaro song being sung by a Shipibo shaman while in ceremony? Are these two songs coming from the same place of inspiration and Imagination? What is inspiration and Where does it come from? From the beginning of humanity as far as we can go back the musical element has been there. You cannot talk about Music and Art without talking about the Imagination. Albert Einstein said “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” It is our imaginations that birth new culture, through our visions and our dreams and our desires. It is our imagination that drives social evolution.
We have the choice whether to consume something which has already been imagined and brought to our physical reality, or we have the choice to create something of our own heart and mind to feed the human community with….Its a dance and delicate balance of Creating and Consuming. In a sense we “consume” what inspires us. We take it in and it may somehow influence what we then create. Our imagination and creativity is also how culture and art is birthed in the first place. Some like to give this creative force a name. Saraswati, the Goddess of Art, Music, higher knowledge, wisdom. We as conscious beings have the capacity to create culture from chaos of the cosmic soup we are all swimming in. “Civilized Society” however works to promote ideas that would keep us encaged in certain modes of thinking and acting that are predictable and controlled and this is just to keep “The System” going. It keeps people as consumers of culture. What is truly important in our lives is the truth of our own souls, our lives and our loved ones, the songs that spring from the imagination of our minds and the sacred poetry that flows from our hearts. The Truth never goes out of style. Even though each person has their own truth (if they seek within and donʻt consume someone elseʻs truth) when that truth is shared through song, it will be beautiful. It will make a soul impression. This is because no matter how many different versions of truth there is, they are different rays coming from the same original source of light.
Even though you may be “consuming” these words I have formulated for you to read, it is my hope that it inspires you in some way. I also wished to share my own experience of how the influential and inspirational role of music has evolved in my life thus far, just because I like to reflect through my writing.
Growing up in America in the 1980ʻs, in Santa Cruz California, I definitely had my fair share of media influence from TV and Radio as far as music goes. Until my late teen years I was still pretty influenced by mainstream pop music, although my preferred flavor was in the more “alternative genre.” Yet I can say that from the beginning I have always had a keenness for world music (music from other cultures other than my own). 
My mother tells me that from a very young age, before I used words, I would sing and bob my head in beat to music. Then when I did start talking I began making up my own songs while playing in my room with my older brother and toys (my favorite being “my little ponies” and all my stuffed animals). Being born in the year 1980, my first musical influence I can remember was Cyndi Lauper. Her album, “Sheʻs so Unusual” was my first cassette tape. I had the coolest cassette tape player too, which I was also able to record with. Oh how I loved recording myself! I remember fantasizing being a punky pop rock star like Cyndi Lauper. I would belt out her songs and dance around like I was in my own music video. I should also add that I loved Classical music and listened to plenty of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and Tchaikovsky. I remember when I would go to my grandparents house, MTV would seem to be the only station on and I remember loving to play in my uncleʻs room because he had so many instruments, mainly guitars. He also had an awesome CD selection, once CDʻs became the new media for music. One of the first CDʻs I remember borrowing from him was Whitney Houstonʻs first self titled album, from 1985. I remember belting out “Im saving all my love for you…..” It was listening to and singing along with Whitney Houston that taught me to refine my vocals. You can imagine I was pretty sad to hear about her unfortunate death a couple of years ago. I was pretty into pop music for my early years (the 80ʻs): Along with Whitney it was Olivia Newton John, Linda Ronstadt, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Huey Lewis and the News, INXS, Sting/The Police, U2…In my pre-teen to teen years I got into Mariah Carey (only her first couple albums), Janet Jackson, Alanis Morisette, Bjork. I also got into more “heavier” and alternative music: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Metalicca, Smashing Pumpkins. I also got very into reggae music, which may have been the result of moving to Hawaii as age 12.
At 14 I was introduced to Tori Amosʻs music with her second album Under the Pink. Tori Amos became my favorite artist, her more abstract lyrics and very original sound and music struck a chord in my soul, like no other artist has. She is the only artist that I have purchased every released album , including singles. Toriʻs music was with me through all my tumultuous years of adolescence. Her songs were a personal safe haven for me to find refuge in and I loved how she would layer her vocals and the interesting sounds in her songs. I also admired her artistry in her photos and videos. There was always this apparent originality and authenticity to her that made her stand out as a very independent and strong female artist that could not be put into any musical genre “box.” Other artists that made positive influences on me vocally and musically since her in no particular order: Loreena McKennit, Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Erykah Badu, Natalie Merchant, Tracey Chapman, Joss Stone, Sade, Joni Mitchel & Carol King (I know, way before my own generation!) Alicia Keys, Sinead Oʻconnor, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow and Feist.
In my late teens to early twenties I began to sing kirtan as well as participate in ceremonies, which involved singing spiritual hymns and my musical perception radically changed and My own songs began to come through.

When I began writing and recording my own songs I kind of stopped paying attention to mainstream pop music. This was because I was delving into my own soul to see what it had to say. This all goes hand in hand with my expansion and exploration of consciousness, my continuous shamanic journey of self-realization and questioning who I really am. Even now I feel pretty “out of touch” with it (with the exception of Tori Amos). It seems that now the only music I really listen to is either music of my friends or more classical compositions of world music as well as Sacred Devotional music. To me, Engaging in playing music and singing is always the best!
My music has become an integral part of my spiritual path. In bringing forth songs to share to the world it is done with much care and consideration and most of all earnest prayer that the song will help raise consciousness and vibration. New songs are always coming to me and I can never record them fast enough.
My ever evolving passion as a singer, musician, and producer of Sacred Music has brought me into contact with so many amazing people. Currently I find myself in Australia with my partner. We embarked on our travels nearly seven months ago on a “Sacred Music and Healing Arts Pilgramage.” In the beginning of our trip we didnʻt know we were going to come to Australia, but it was definitely all part of Our Plan Ultimately. We connected with a wonderful spiritual community here called Shanti Mission. They are like a modern day mystery school that offers workshops and courses in various pranic healing techniques, which work to heal the energetic centers of the body (chakras). Their meditations involve music, chanting mantra and speaking powerful affirmations which work to clear out old patterning, old prisons of consciousness that would hold a person back from progressing in their spiritual growth and path of peace. I am very grateful for this alignment with Shanti Mission, especially Shakti Durga, hthe founder and main “Guru” who also has the voice of an angel. Being in the presence of her when she is singing is truly beautiful for she has the amazing capacity to align herself as a clear channel and let truth flow through her, essentially “free styling” beautiful melodic healing words. The practical spiritual practices that Shanti Mission offer are needed so much in todayʻs world. Im absolutely sure that because their mediations and satsangs are so interwoven with music, that they are so successful with raising the vibrations of all who participate. In this day and age, people need something to focus on to in a sense quiet their mind chatter. Meditation, which involves sitting in silence is not an easy practice, and that’s because our lives in this day and age are inundated with sounds. I donʻt mean that sitting in silent meditation is not beneficial. Bhakti Yoga, which involves the devotional singing, is thought to be the easiest way to connect to the Divine.
Sacred Music is universal. Every country has a form of sacred music. It could be songs that are played or sung for healing, for praising the Divine Power that Is, Songs that honor life and creation and the Source of all Life. Let us sing together the many sacred songs of Earth and bring peace. If people are singing together, it is impossible to fight.