Music and Spirituality

Music is Spirit.

See, the four elements (air, fire, water, earth) on the pentagram each have a sense connected with them, and spirit, which is the element associated with the upper point, is associated with hearing. Hearing is transmitted through vibration, and vibration is connected to spirit.

Am I the only person here who, whenever caught in the synergy of a musical performance (I have to say, especially through being part of the performance, but even through observation), has experienced a connection with Deity far stronger than anywhere else? No circle, no religious service, no mass (and there is power in mass - the only one I went to was as a curiosity after becoming a pagan, and there is something to be said for the ceremony), nothing contains the power of a truly outstanding musical performance. In my personal beliefs, it is caused through the connection forged between the performers as individuals, the audience as individuals, and the two groups as a whole. It is the closest thing to meditation I can achieve, the closest to Spirit one can get.

I have always been afraid of the idea of one cosmic consciousness, in that I highly value individuality. As a Baptist child and teenager I was terrified, utterly, of the concept of Heaven - submitting one's entire being simply to the worship of a Supreme Being (although this was not a fear I articulated). The concept of subordinating one's whole self to any one thing is almost inconceivable to me.

However, if performing music is anything like that, then I can understand why people enjoy the idea of merging with one's higher self and with all of consciousness, with Deity, or going to Heaven.

Maybe it's why a truly good musical experience is almost sexual in its absolute connection - when there is a true synergy among the performers (and you can tell, instantly, when there is - the conductor becomes almost superfluous), you might as well be physically joined. Perhaps the fact that breathing plays such a role in music helps - there's almost a Tantric breathing sort of thing going on with the unity of the performers, and music is punctuated by breath.

It makes some sense out of why, in choir class in high school, our teacher would have us stand up, close our eyes, and start singing whatever song it was without seeing her conduct. Those sorts of rehearsals, generally, were the best, even though they would be punctuated by the awkwardness we felt in our own bodies and our fear of messing up.

So perhaps becoming a truly skilled musician entails the ability to both be conscious of one's self and to effortlessly connect with others in order to produce a true sense of Spirit.

Perhaps I should just take a Keirseyan view of the whole thing and simply allow my P-self to enjoy the concept of becoming just one thread in a tapestry - since music is spirit, and spirit encompasses all, whether I like it or not.

I am glad that I got what training I did to become a priestess, because, even though I am a dedicant and not a priestess or witch, my spirituality fits so very perfectly with the way that I experience the world. Maybe my being a musician is part of why I cannot forget that I am a child of the Goddess - or vice versa.