Dit was ZubinNur’s eerste CD. Bij de CD is een boekje met uitleg over de teksten en waar van toepassing een beschrijving van de begeleidende dans. Alle melodieën zijn origineel. De CD bevat 10 tracks waarvan 3 met duizenden jaren oude Sanskritsche Mantra’s zijn. De andere zijn liederen die tot Zubin gekomen zijn terwijl zij werkte met de energieën van deze godinnen in meditatie en zang. De opnames zijn eenvoudig, zonder trucage of modificaties, vaak zonder begeleiding, een enkele keer met trommel of saxofoon.
Download het boekje bij Honouring the Devine Femine
1 Sri Mata
The first of the 1,000 names of the Divine Mother in San- skrit from the Hindu tradition.
This name encompasses ALL. It is the name of the Universal Mother for whom nothing is too small to be overlooked or left out.
Sri means the first or the most important. She is the Primal Pulse, the Cause and Effect of the Universe. To Lord Shiva who ate poison to save the world, She was the Antidote.
Mata means the One who sets or establishes limits. She, being the One who is in All is the One who can limit. She can limit Sri Lakshmi (The Goddess of Abundance) because She encompasses her. Possessing a glory which exceeds that of Lakshmi is true liberation, solid Bliss. Sri Mata is the embodiment of Bliss. Here it is sung 108 times as is the Hindu tradition
Feel your attunement to the mantra and sing along. Walk with your Sri Mata, She is alive and dancing in your heart.
This is a very simple mantra and can be sung to many different rhythms, chants and intonations. Experiment and feel what suits you the best. Feel how at home you are with Her and She with you. And above all however it feels, just be with it, don’t worry about it, or judge it, just know “This is how it is right now.”
2 I am the Ancient One
Words:
I am the Ancient One
You live in Me
I am the Ancient One
Living in You
OO – OO – OO – OO
Ah – Ah – Ah – Ah
The first spirituality that humankind knew was probably that of The Mother. She was respected in every woman, who was considered an amazing and wonderful creatrix. She could bleed and not die. She could bring forth new life. She was the embodiment of creation. This Mother aspect was honoured and respected not only in each woman but in All of Creation. Everything was recognized as an integral part of the Whole and was therefore Sacred, to be respected, honoured and thanked. The first humans knew that Everything was connected to Everything.
The Ancient One has been holding, supporting and caring for us for ever. For many centuries she has received a dwindling amount of Love, Honour and Respect and little or no recognition - let alone thanks.
In this song She reminds us of our connection to Her and that She is ever living in us ~ we too are sacred.
3 Saraswati Mantra and Dance
Words:
OM EIM SARASWATYEA SWAHA
Dance
Part 1
Form a circle. Chose partners for the 2nd part.
- Whole circle processes behind one another in a circle. Clockwise direction. Identify with Saraswati. As you walk, know that She walks with you. Arm and hand movements/mudras are free.
- Turning to your left (anti-clockwise) hold your left hand underneath your heart and use your right arm to gather all the parts of you/your personality. End standing facing the centre of the circle with hand cupped in front of the heart with the whole of your presence in them.
- Walk inwards, offering up this cup, that represents all you are, to her. On reaching the centre turn to your right gradually releasing all to Her who is not only in the centre but also 'outside', the Container of all.
Repeat this part as desired, or dance just the first part.
Part 2
- Turn to your partner. Partner on the right begins, ben- ding and reaching down to the feet of her partner, she strokes the aura from the feet upward, encompassing the whole aura. Affirming that this (her partner) is an embodi- ment of the Goddess.
- On the repeat the partner on the left completes the same blessing and acknowledegment.
- Third repeat, hold hands, l to r hand, r to l hand of your partner, walk a half a circle together (changing places). Affirming what has been seen in each other.
The Dance may finish here. Personally I like to go back and finish in the first part. Affirming that we know this Divine Female quality is in us without affirmation from ‘outside’.
4 Inannah Ereshkigal
Words:
Inannah Ereshkigal
Many of us raised in the Western world with a Christian background know of the self-sacrifice of Jesus. Few us are probably aware that the self- sacrifice myths go way back into mythology and are also there in the Ancient Goddess traditions.
Sing and dance the mantra of these two sister Goddessess. Feel their energies in you and around you.
As you sing the song feel which sister resonates more with you at this moment?
Are you as at home with Ereshkigal, Goddess of the Underworld, as with Inannah, Goddess of Heaven and Earth?
Can you be comfortable in the darkness of your Underworld and re-emerge to your Heaven?
What ever, how ever it is, is how it is just now and NO - THING on this plane is forever, except Love.
5 Maria, Quan Yin, Tara
Words:
1 Maria, Quan Yin, Tara
2 Live in us, live in us
3 Maria Quan Yin, Tara
4 Blessed be, Blessed be.
A song/ prayer calling upon these Goddessess and the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion which they embody. While it is a prayer asking these qualities to descend into this earth plane and into our lives, to inspire and to help us to embody them. It is also an affirmation that their qualities already do live in us. Notice how it feels to you, an invitation or an affirmation? Notice how your attunement can change from one to the other according to your inner process.
Dance:
Form a circle. Processing anti-clockwise, bringing these qualities into our presence and sowing it for our future.
- Process meditatively raising the arms from the heart to the heavens.
- Continue to walk bringing these qualities into your heart and body.
- As 1
- As 2 bringing the energies further down to the Earth. Hand palms to the Earth.
6 Om Tare Tu Tare Ture Soha
The mantra to the Buddhist Goddess Tara (according to John Blofeld it is possible that both Tara and Quan Yin descend from a tradition that was around before Buddhism and that this Compassionate Goddess was so sympathetic to Buddhism that she became absorbed into it.)
Tara is a great source of Compassion. It is said she leaves no call unanswered. She will not judge you or find your call unworthy. She answers all, like a sun of compassion, without discrimination and with abundance of compassion for all.
As we sing and dance this mantra we can practise offering the hand of compassion completely and unconditionally. Just as this Bodhissatva does. She seeks nothing in return, but continues to work for the enlightenment of all. Refusing to stay in Nirvana (the state of the Enlightened) until all can be there in that blessed state.
If we chose to carry wrath, injustice, vengenance, hate or rage, it is ourselves we are poisoning first. In the first place we will be harmed by these thoughts as they flow in our brain and so in our bloodstream. Would we still chose to do this if we were fully aware of the harm we do ourselves? We can make the positive choice ~ to learn and let go of the pain and bitterness.
Draw this compassion into your life and gradually you will see how it overflows into all you do. Move on to embody your true light.
Dance:
Form a circle, find a partner.
- Hands on own heart
- Extend right hand to your partner.
- Seal the hand hold by putting your left hand on partners right hand.
- Change handhold to r holding l, l holding right. Make 180° turn, moving clockwise. Stand attuning to the other. Open into a circle.
- Step in, lively, into the circle, rejoice in Tara, swing the hands up.
- Step back, lower arms.
- Bow, hands in prayer mudra to honour Tara.
- Turn to bow to the partner you have just danced with, honouring where we have been.
- Turn to bow to your new partner, honouring where we are going.
During the whole of the Dance our eyes are cast down. Stepping out of the pattern of giving only to receive. We offer this forgiveness and compassion whole-heartedly and unconditionally not looking to see whether the other recognizes or accepts our giving. This giving is a release, it unloads our backpack. Occasionally we may glance at our partner, yet not lingering to ‘catch their eye’. A moment
of meeting each others’ glance may be on 8 or 9 where we honour ‘where we have been and where we are going’.
Words:
- Om Ta-re
- Tu Ta-re
- Tu-re So-ha
- Om Ta-re Tu Ta-re Tu-re So-ha 5 Om Ta-re
- Tu Ta-re
- Tu-re So-ha
- Om Ta-re Tu Ta-re
- Tu-re So-ha
7 The Love of the Compassionate One
Words:
- The Love of the Compassionate One
- Flows through me,
- Healing me
- Feeding my wholeness
- Holding me in Love
- Quan Yin Quan Yin Honour to Thee
- Quan Yin, Quan Yin All praise to Thee 8 Quan Yin, Quan Yin
- All Love_
- to Thee
In this song we affirm that this ancient, female, compassionate energy does indeed flow in us and through us. The more we affirm it the more we empower it and so strengthen our own capacity to embody compassion.
This is a great healer. As we forgive ourselves, releasing our judgements and complaints about ourselves we can step into Wholeness, becoming a more effective part of Divine Unity.
Dance:
Form a circle
- Process in the circle anti-clockwise (no set movements.)
- Turn to the right on your own axis. End facing centre.
- Affirm your channel of healing from above the crown chakra down.
- Bring hands to heart.
- Cradle yourself.
- Walk in toward the centre raise hands (not holding hands) off- ering honour.
- Walk backwards, hands in prayer mudra.
- Hands on your heart as you call Her.
- Offer the love to Her.
- Bow on the last sounds of Thee, turn to your right, ready to process again as the mantra repeats.
8 Goddess Come Down
(Zubin Nur’s version of Mariam Baker’s Dance)
Words:
- Goddess come down
- May we feel you all around
- Goddess rise up
- Live in us, live in us
- Goddess come through
- Be there in all we do.
This song actually only affirms and reminds us of what is actually happening all the time. She is here, we really don’t need to remind Her, we need to remind ourselves that we may be open, to be channels for this Divine Feminine energy.
Dance:
Form a circle.
- Process behind each other (clockwise) raising and lower- ing the arms, bringing Her energy down.
- Turn left on your own axis, end facing anti-clockwise direction.
- Process behind each other (anti-clockwise) bending and raising the energy from the earth.
- Turn to your right. Free turn, embrace this Divine Femi- nine energy in and around you, end facing centre.
- Pull back the bow to release the arrow and release it up and out, feel Her energy coming through.
- Bring arms down to the sides and finish with hands on heart.
9 Passion and Compassion
Words:
- Passion and
- fire and
- death
- am I
- Still I hear your every cry
- Live in me and (7) I’ll live in you
- Passion and compassion in all you do
Whilst on this journey of discovery it can seem as if the divine qualities are split up and that the quiet, compassionate woman is often considered more desirable. Kali seems to be chaos and destruction and Quan Yin seems demure and compassionate. However sometimes the compassionate thing to do is to stop something. Set your limits, know your aim. To release or dissolve an attachment – can at times be the best for all parties. The image of Kali as destruction and Quan Yin as all encompassing compassion are both facets of the same jewel. They can help us to get an anchor on these qualities. In actual fact they are one and the same being. There is only One Divinity it is Whole, The Whole, is including everything and excluding NOTHING ~ not even the worst we can imagine!
This song came as if in answer to this call to remember the Unity of the different facets of The Divine Form.
Dance:
Form a circle.
1 – 4 is the embodiment of Kali,
5 that of Quan Yin or Tara,
6 & 7 brings these energies together.
1 Reach up and out in front of you with ‘passion’/ fire in the movement.
2 Cut diagonally down from upper right to lower left (right hand)
3 Cut diagonally down from upper left to lower right (left hand) 4 Raise both arms as a confirmation of this statement
5 Bring your hands gently to your ears.
6 Bring arms up to the side, round in front of heart, bringing the backs of the hands together.
7 Bring the hands to heart turning them to make an opening gesture from the heart.
8 Process behind each other in the circle to the right (anti- clockwise), free movement as you walk, express your passion and compassion.
10 Lalitambika
This is the last of the 1,000 Names of the Divine Mother.
Lalita is described as charming and graceful in all Her ways. She transcends all worlds. Her home is in the bindu (seed centre) of the sri chakra, through this position she transcends and transmits the light of all deities. She is said to embody the eight qualities of brilliance, playfulness, sweetness, depth, steadfastness, energy, grace and generosity. It could be described as the quality of humanness in its highest form.
Ambika is the Universal Mother, Mother of the Universe. She is the Ultimate Embodiment of these qualities. She embodies the power of will, knowledge and action.
A wonderful way to close our Journey of Honouring the Divine Feminine.
Thanks for your attention, I trust you have enjoyed listening as much as I have enjoyed receiving and singing these manras and songs. Enjoy! And carry these energies and melodies into the world with you.