A Deeper Way of Seeing: Part III – Sacred South

Out of Silence

The Sacred Life Direction of the South is characterized by The Great Song. It encompasses inspiration, creativity and music, both literal music and “the invisible ‘music’ spinning within cells, molecules, and electrons,” as Frank MacEowen describes in his book The Celtic Way of Seeing: Meditations on the Irish Spirit Wheel.

MacEowen says that for many traditions the Great Song is synonymous with the original music, “an original heartbeat at the center of the universe,” also calling it “the Great Mother’s lullaby.” Our encounters with nature, great art, poetry and inspired music are reminiscent of an ancient truth resounding in our soul.

The emphasis here is on intangibles that connect us with a realm beyond the ordinary. At first glance there’s merely a comfortable familiarity with these insights, of course inspiration moves us toward spiritual reality. Yet the point here of seeing more deeply is that it enables us to seize on the connection between Sacred Life Direction of the South and its near neighbor visionary insight. What opens the door for this connection to be viable is our “seeing,” is our “hearing.”

Has our hearing become dull? Has the Great Song been relegated to the background, barely recognized by our conscious selves? We need a thunderous awakening birthing this sound once again into the sanctity of a quiet space that we’ve made out of reverential respect. In other words we need a reverential approach to the Great Song.

The bride’s wedding march to meet her groom and the monarch’s great procession to coronation are both rituals intended to emphasize reverence, to give a sense of a suspended moment, a deep appreciation and an intentional focus on being present.

Even the smallest of rituals can facilitate our own practice of reverence, slowing down the cadence of our life enough to enable us a bit of reflection through journaling, an intentional choice for solitude at appropriate times or other ways we choose to mark the beauty of a moment.

Maybe we just close our eyes during a particularly elegant piece of music, or we sit thoughtfully in a museum pondering a Renoir or by a waterfall listening to its rhythms. Maybe it’s the acknowledgement of the utter silence of a starry night or the lonely cry of wolf, a puppy’s warm breath, the endless glide of hawk on the wind or even the dance of shadows on the sidewalk. All of these can be a reverential experience.

The invitation of the Great Song has gone out into the Universe. She who has an ear, let her hear.

In what ways have you sensed the Great Song?

Writing Prompt for the Week: Lullaby