It's Time Wise Woman Center 25th Anniversary Celebration CD

Transcription

1 1 It's Time Wise Woman Center 25th Anniversary Celebration CD Song List (in possible play order) 1. Sacred Corn Mother (c. Lisa Thiel) 2. Cerridwyn, My Star (c. Susun S Weed) 3. Scarlet Poppies (words by Alice Henderson) 4. Goatie Goat Song (c. Susun S Weed) 5. Dance in a Circle of Women (c. Marie Summerwood) 6. We Are Sisters On A Journey (anonymous) 7. We All Come From the Goddess (c. Z Budapest) 8. Let It In, Let It Go (c. Marie Summerwood) 9. It's Time to Be the Goddess (c. Susun S Weed) 10. The Spirit of the Plants (c. Lisa Thiel) 11. Pressing Cider Song (c. Susun S Weed & Marie Summerwood) 12. Tubs In, Tubs Out (The Apprentice Song) (c. Marie Summerwood) Moonlodge Songs 13. Neesa, Neesa, Neesa (traditional Seneca Nation chant; by permission of Gran Twylah) 14. My Sister the Moon (c. Spider) 15. I Give Away My Blood of Life (c. Brooke Medicine Eagle) 16. In The Heart of My Womb Lies My Power (c. Marie Summerwood) 17. Unite to the Calling (c. Corinna Loomis) 18. Genét, Genét, You Smell So Sweet (c. Susun S Weed) 19. Linear Time Let Me Go (c. Daphne)

2 2 Goatie Goat Song Susun S. Weed, c This song gives you a taste of life at the Wise Woman Center. All the events depicted in the song actually happened, nothing has been changed. And, of course, I still take my goats out to play. I went out one day with my goats to play, And the sun the shine, and the air was fine, : Singing "Goatie, goatie, goatie, goatie, goatie, goatie, goat." Singing "Goatie, goatie, goatie, goatie, goat." Singing "Goatie, goatie, goatie, goatie, goatie, goatie, goat." Singing "Goatie, goatie, goatie, goatie, goat." Oh, we pranced and we leaped in the woods so deep When what did we see, but a bright fairy, Well, the deer were there and the turkey and the bear, So we laughed and we danced, and we twirled in a trance, Then we walked to the stream, well, it seemed like a dream, Saw five turtles on a log and a big bull frog, Then an owl flew by, 'tween the trees and the sky, With a chipmunk in her claw for the owlet's maw, Oh, the things I can see, and the things I can be, When I open up wide to what's outside, I went out one day with my goats to play, and the sun did shine, and the air was fine,

3 3 Cerridwyn, My Star Susun S. Weed, c I wrote this to keep my goat Cerridwyn still while I milk her. She loves her song; and I love her. : Cerridwyn, my star, how beautiful you are. In the days of old, there was a goddess bold, In the days of old, there was a goddess bold, Of herbs she knew a lot, she put them in her pot, Of herbs she knew a lot, she put them in her pot, Sometimes she is a crow, and always in the know, Sometimes she is a crow, and always in the know, She is life and she is death, she is hope and she is breath, She is life and she is death, she is hope and she is breath,.

4 4 It's Time to Be the Goddess Now c. 2005, Susun S Weed I wrote this chant while in the woods with my goats after a week-long Green Goddess event. Only one of the women, the youngest, elected not to be initiated as a green witch that day, and I was thinking about her when these words came into my mind. We often sing the maiden, mother, and crone verses, then continue on using the name of each woman in the circle, making her the goddess and gifting her with song. (1) Maiden, maiden, maiden so fine, Maiden, maiden, maiden so fine, : It's time to be the Goddess now, Time to be the Goddess now. It's time, it's time, it's time, it's time, It's time to be the Goddess now. (2) Mother, mother, mother of mine, Mother, mother, mother of mine, (3) Crone, crone, crone divine, Crone, crone, crone divine, (4) [Name, name, name] uh huh, [Name, name, name] uh huh,

5 5 Genét, Genét, You Smell So Sweet c. 2001, Susun S Weed I wrote this song while horseback riding in Provence, France. We rode from inn to inn; six to eight hours a day. The views out to the Alps on one side and the Mediterranean on the other were consistently fine. Originally, there were twelve verses to this song, but one by one, they got lost along the way, until only the lavender, the roses, and the irises remained. If you listen closely, I'm sure you can hear the horses. : Genét, genét, you smell so sweet, Genét you make my senses reel. Genét, Genét, you have the sweetest smell. The lavender that grows in rows, It scents our clothes and things. Has a smell, gets up your nose, But it's of genét I sing. The roses bloom in white and pink, And every rose has thorns. They have a smell that's not a stink, But of genét I'll blow a horn. The irises they sure look fine; Their colors can't be beat, And they smell good all of the time, But let me now repeat.

6 6 Unite to the Calling c. 2005, Corinna Loomis Corinna wrote this spiraling chant when she apprenticed at the Wise Woman Center. She, who had always listened to recorded music, found music playing her head. This is one of the simplest, and most exciting, of the many chants she heard. Women of the world, unite to the calling. Women of the world, ride the night wind spirit. Women of the world, unite to the calling. Women of the world, ground your power. : We are the heartbeat of the Mother. We dance the rhythms of Her breath. We sing vibrations of healing, We are... Witches of the world, unite to the calling. Witches of the world, ride the night wind spirit. Witches of the world, unite to the calling. Witches of the world, work you magic. [Repeat until dizzy] Pressing Cider Song c. 2002, Susun S Weed and Marie Summerwood At our Spirit Healing Intensive, we asked Marie to help us create a chant. We worked and worked, but didn't seem to get anywhere. The last night of our four-day gathering, with our high magic ritual and initiation to be celebrated in the morning, we gathered in the tipi to make a last try at our song. Soon we were despairing, and ready to give up, but Marie urged us to spend just five more minutes on it. Those five minutes saw the birth of this chant. It evokes a small part of our time together: the heady scent of the apples, the bubbly taste of the cider, the squeak of the cider press, the slanting light of a late autumn afternoon, the power of sisterhood. Turn me in your spiral press, 'Til my sweet juices flow, Goddess. The wheel of the year is turning, turning,

7 7 Dance in a Circle of Women * Let It In, Let It Go These simple, lovely chants by Marie Summerwood exemplify the songs we love best and sing the most. They are ideal for processions, campfire nights, and big groups of happy women. Dance in a circle of women, Make a web of my life, Hold me as I spiral and spin, Make a web of my life. Dance in a Circle of Women c. 1998, Marie Summerwood Let It In, Let It Go c. 1998, Marie Summerwood Let it in, let it go, Round and round we flow, Weaving the web of women. Let it in, let it go, Round and round we flow, Weaving the web of life. Let it in, let it go, Round and round we flow, Weaving the web of wisdom. Let it in, let it go, Round and round we flow, Weaving the web of life. We All Come From the Goddess c. 1972, Z Budapest I have always considered this to be one of the finest of all rain-making chants. We used it to bring rain, after a five-year drought, to Joy Lake. What a delicious surprise to discover it was written by my witch-mother, the woman who initiated me as a high priestess, the woman who started it all, Z Budapest. We dedicate all the love of our hearts and voices to Grandmother ZB. We all come from the Goddess, And to Her we shall return, Like a drop of water, Flowing to the ocean.

8 8 Scarlet Poppies words by Alice C. Henderson I learned this song--which is sung before every meal at the Wise Woman Center--from a German woman, leading me to the first of the two wrong assumptions I made about it. One, that it is a German song; it is not. And two, that it means what it seems to say; it does not. "Scarlet poppies" are menstrual blood. This song honors women's menstrual blood as being as important as the sun and the rain in helping the grain to grow and in nourishing us all. The silver rain, the shining sun, the fields where scarlet poppies run, and all the ripples of the wheat, are in the bread that I do eat. So when I sit for every meal, with thankful heart I always feel, that I am eating rain and sun, and fields where scarlet poppies run. We Are Sisters On A Journey I learned this song decades ago, and continue to sing it to this day. These words are so close to my heart and my vision. In a way it is a theme song for the Wise Woman Center. My blessings and gratitude to those unknown women who created this chant. We are sisters on a journey, Singing now as one, Remembering the Ancient Ways, The women and the wisdom, The women and the wisdom. We are sisters on a journey, Singing in the sun, Singing through the darkest night, The healing has begun, begun; The healing has begun.

9 9 Sacred Corn Mother c. 1986, Lisa Thiel We begin every morning at the Wise Woman Center, whether there's a class, or just apprentices, myself and the goats, with this chant. When I sing it, I think of the many Goddesses of Grain, such as Ceres and Demeter, and of the many people who do live on bread (or rice or millet) alone. My we all be feed. May we never hunger. May we never thirst. Sacred Corn Mother, come to me, Make my way sacred, fill me with beauty. Sacred Corn Mother, come to me, Make my way sacred, fill me with beauty. Fill me with beauty, fill me with beauty, Fill me with beauty, that I may bring others beauty. The Spirit of the Plants c. 1984, Lisa Thiel Many people associate this song with me, or with the herbal community in the United States. Lisa really says it all in this simple, evocative chant. Verse 1 The Spirit of the plants has come to me, In the form of a beautiful dancing green women. The Spirit of the plants has come to me, In the form of a beautiful dancing green women. Her eyes fill me with peace; her dance fills me with peace. Her eyes fill me with peace; her dance fills me with peace. Verse 2 Repeat verse 1 Verse 3 The Spirit of the plants has come to me, And has filled me with great peace. Her eyes fill me with peace; her dance fills me with peace. Her eyes fill me with peace; her dance fills me with peace. Verse 4 Repeat verse1

10 10 Linear Time Let Me Go c. 1986, Daphne Ross This chant was written by the very first apprentice at the Wise Woman Center. Hearing that we were making a CD, she called to remind us to include this most important song. We love to sing it, the apprentices and I, when we are lost. It really seems to help. Linear time let me go Linear time don't you know That the world that I seek Is beyond your reach. Moonlodge Songs These are just a few of the songs we sing in our monthly moonlodge at the Wise Woman Center, with special thanks to Brooke Medicine Eagle, who challenged us white girls to recreate the moonlodge. In the heart of my womb lies my power. In the heart of my womb lies my power. Woman, Goddess, Queen am I. In the heart of my womb lies my power. In the heart of my womb lies my beauty. In the heart of my womb lies my beauty. Woman, Goddess, Queen am I. In the heart of my womb lies my beauty. In the heart of my womb lies my wisdom. In the heart of my womb lies my wisdom. Woman, Goddess, Queen am I. In the heart of my womb lies my wisdom. In The Heart of My Womb Lies My Power c. 1998, Marie Summerwood In the heart of my womb lies my power, beauty, wisdom.

11 11 I give away my blood of life To all my relations, And open my womb with delight. I give away my blood of life To all my relations, And open my womb with delight. Give away, give away, give away, give away, I open my womb with delight. I Give Away My Blood of Life c. 1989, Brooke Medicine Eagle My Sister the Moon c. 1992, Spider My sister the moon Sings her song to my womb, We dance in the spiral of life. Neesa, Neesa, Neesa Chant from the Seneca Nation, Great Peaceful Nations Group Three times three is the magic number -- not just in fairy tales, but in many indigenous cultures. Here, the three-times-three theme is women's magic. Each woman is the triple goddess: Maiden, Mother, Crone. And each of those three stages has a beginning, middle, and end. This song reminds us of the beginning (0-5), middle (5-10), and end (10-15) of the maiden; the beginning(15-25), middle (25-35), and end (35-45) of the mother, and the beginning(45-65), middle (65-85), and end of the crone (85-105). Neesa, Neesa, Neesa Neesa, Neesa, Neesa Neesa, Neesa, Neesa Guy-wee-oh, guy-wee-oh.