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Brothers and Sisters and Folk of the Tribe,
Can I have your attention a minute?!
For you Alphas and Elders, this stuff is old hat,
But there are some that are just jumpin' in it.
They've got the primal call, but not the protocol
That changes Fire to Fire and Place to Place.
Now I don't claim to know it all, but my knowledge isn't small,
And I speak for the common good and face to face.
Egocentric exhibitionist? What can I say?
But don't forsake this gift by explaining it away,
'Cause I'm not doing this for pay; I'm not looking for a lay;
I've got esoteric knowledge here; I'm giving it away!
It's cheaper than a workshop and not scheduled for all day,
And if you trust in my intentions and attend to what I say,
If you just listen for a minute you'll find the magic in it,
That can help your work and really help your play
Still if you're thinking I'm a bore or you've heard it all before,
Some truth could be the kernel of that thought.
But if it's just redundant lore, then what'cha waitin' for?
Weave a wonder of your own or wander off and don't get caught!
'Cause it just makes sense; don't get tense!
Cut a gate or jump the fence!
'Cause I don't want to give or take offense!
I just want a moment in the light.
It's only time; I'll make it rhyme.
You could even get a cosmic sign.
And when I've done my job we'll return to the throb of the Drums,
And everything will be all right.
So settle back and listen; let me tell you of my mission,
'Cause my mind it was trapped and I freed it!
This is not an intermission; it's an open invitation.
And it's a way to give permission to those that think they need it,
'Cause learning Wicca 101 or introduction to the Drum,
It don't reveal what we do here after dark.
To the Fire Light we come; it's a tribal thing say some,
Where intention is the glue and play is the spark...
So some are asking what's the point? What's the deal with this thing?
It's a bunch of crazy drummers and some dancers in a ring.
And every now and then someone will try to chant or sing.
I mean, come on and tell me what's the point?
What's real?!?
I mean I wanna get down, but I don't know the deal!
I'm groping for guidance, and it's gettin' surreal!
I don't know how to act; I'm not sure how to feel!
C'mon share in the mystery! I need some history!
Make it consistery, 'cuz we need to know, bro!
Where are these know-it-alls? Share in those protocols!
If this thing's gonna go at all, we need to know!
As old as human memory and deep within the myth collective,
Gathering around a Fire is like a Pagan prime directive.
A kind of tribal retrospective.
As a path to the past it is most effective,
'Cuz Fire was first and most likely will be last.
And we who would recall the primal patterns of the past,
Open up our souls to possibilities so vast,
Call the ancient powers and the sacred circles cast,
We all know it takes investment to be more than just half-assed.
So leave behind your preconceptions and get this simple truth at last:
It's as much about surrender as it is about control.
Sound droll?
Well to make the soul whole is just part of the goal.
Drum roll!
You gotta rise with the energy, go with the flow;
'Cuz the moment's always changin' on ya dont'cha know
That the moment isn't still; the circle isn't static.
Sometimes it's perfect skill, and sometimes it gets erratic!
Sometimes you get your fill by reaching points ecstatic,
And intrusion on that can seem rude.
But no one means to intrude on your solitude,
As you chance to enhance the trance of your dance, dude.
Cut some slack, don't cop an attitude,
And don't look at that sister askance!
Because where perchance is the great romance
In trying to control every circumstance?
Don't lose your pants if by mischance
Your own agenda don't advance,
Or someone else's scene seems like a hindrance.
Just wait with a little bit of tolerance,
And the moment will return to the sweet balance.
And those who seek the chance
To lose themselves in trance
To the rhythm of the drum
And the writhing of the dance,
To transcend beyond the ego,
To become the vast expanse,
We all know there are no limits
To the gifts that spirit grants.
So this is not an Open Mic or a Bardic Circle, true!
But don't concern yourself with what you may or may not do!
It's not just about this trancing and the ego to eschew.
We're also here to celebrate the best of us in you!
I mean to listen to each other that's an ego lesson too.
And there'll be time and space for everthing before this night is through.
This is a marathon of magic, it's a dark to dawn to-do,
And there'll be time and space for everthing before this night is through!
Fire is one of the five primal powers,
Transformative tool of the southern watchtowers;
And it's not wise to work with this stuff for hours
Without protecting yourself from the heat.
So I entreat:
Don't just run around like slow-roasting meat.
Don't burn out too fast and become obsolete.
If you just pound the beat you defeat the sweet
Healing power of the circle and the rhythm of the drum beat.
And if you're gonna work the Fire till 3 or 4 or more,
Pay attention to those other four.
These are primal powers not just metaphor.
They're real!
Get'em back in your body and feel!
As around and around and around and around
Around and 'round the circle you go.
Around and 'round and around and around and
Around and 'round the circle you go.
Around and 'round, around and 'round
Around and 'round and around and around
Around around and around and around
C'mon you picked it up you got to put it back down.
Put it back where you found it put it back in the ground.
You picked it up, you got to put it down.
Put it back back back in the ground.
Put it back where you found it put it back in the ground.
I'll say it again, though I said it before,
That grounding isn't just a metaphor.
As around and around in the dust and the smoke,
You breathe the air and gasp and choke.
After hours and hours of breathing ash,
You'd think you're under the master's lash!
But you ain't no slave! That's not a yoke!
You gotta breathe! that's not a joke!
Everybody, breathe...
Don't forget to breathe!
Anywhere but the Fire, mon frere, is where!
And if doing the distance is your destination,
Never underestimate dehydration!
Your body is a temple; pour a deep libation,
'Cuz Goddess knows your bones could use the lubrication.
I mean, not to drink water, that's an act insane!
You got no brain; you deserve the pain
Of a predawn crash and a sharp migraine!
I ain't sayin' that'cha oughta, it's watta, ya gotta!
And eye to eye and heart to heart,
Every single one of us a vital part!
You can't complete this journey unless you start,
And we are starting fresh right now and right here!
So connect the eyes and connect the hearts,
'Cuz the soul is greater than the sum of the parts.
That's what puts the magic in the magic arts:
The sharing of magic and the shedding of fear.
Magic is energy; energy moves; energy is moving us all in a circle.
If you get with the synergy go with the groove,
When you dance to the trance you are answering her call.
Magic is energy energy moves; energy is moving us all in a circle.
I don't want to run this show; I just wanted you to know
These thoughts I had throughout the living year.
Like if magic is an art, worked with will and from heart,
Listen to your inspiration and not your fear.
If magic is an art worked with will and from heart,
Listen to your inspiration and not your fear.
© 2001, William J. Thorpe