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riverdream through us

a Listening Ceremony in Seven Dreamings
for Singing/Listening Masks, Pre-recorded Tape & Listener/Celebrants
by Norman Lowrey

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All are invited to participate by simply relaxing and listening throughout this ceremony, or to take part in any or all of the activities as described, according to your own present inclinations.

The boundaries between the seven dreamings are marked by the appearance of mask/guides. There may be natural overlapping of the dreamings. Feel to continue any activity into successive dreamings.

Everpresent Guides: Hearkener, Listening Raven


1. Dreaming/Opening     
Guide: EarthSinger
"Listening is the opening. Opening. Orar, 'to pray', and Oir, 'to listen', both have the same ancient sound." (from the invocation by Cecilia Vicuña at Yeaman Farm Sounding, July 31, 1994)
2. Dreaming/Flowing     
Guide: Bear

3. Dreaming/Riving     
Guide: Loon Spirit
river n [ME. rivere < OFr. riviere < VL. riparia < L. riparius < ripa, a bank < IE. *reipa, a steep edge < base *rie-, to slit, cut, whence RIVE, REAP]

4. Dreaming/Bottoming     
Guide: Water Spirit

5. Dreaming/Verging     
Guide: Blue Oracle
verge1 n. [ME. < OFr., a rod, wand, stick, yard, hoop <L. virga, a twig rod, wand <IE. *wizga- < base *wei-, to bend, twist, whence WIRE, WHISK] 1. the edge, brink, or margin (of something)
2. a) an enclosing line or border; boundary, esp. of something more or less circular b) the area so enclosed

verge2 vi. [L. vergere, to bend, turn <IE. werg- < base wer-, to turn, bend, whence WARP, WORM] 1. to tend or incline (to or toward) 2. to be in the process of changeor transition into something else
6. Dreaming/Weaving (river/stars)     
Guide: Spirit of Dream Time When we were exploring Biscuit Brook as a possible Sounding site, I tried out my listening stick in one of the springs feeding the stream. I was startled by the similarity of the spring's bubbling sounds to recordings I'd heard of stellar activity - pulsars and quasars. Here, at an origin of the Delaware River were sounds like those emanating from the farthest reaches of the heavens. Two lines from Cecilia Vicuña's poetry flickered through my mind:
Origin from Oriri: the coming out of the stars

7. Dreaming/Riverdreaming     
Guides: Inua Yua & EarthSinger

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Contact:
nlowrey@drew.edu

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