A Singing Solstice / Midwinter/ Christmas Card for You!

A Singing Solstice / Midwinter/ Christmas Card for You! With gratitude to all friends in song Wishing you and yours a magical midwinter and wonderful start to 2018  **love n sparkles **

Reindeer & Rituals

A Tsaatan child asleep on his reindeer - Photo: Pascal Mannaerts.
The Last Reindeer Tribe

 

As another midwinter comes around, here in London we navigate our way through a mad medley of Christian, Pagan and Capitalist rituals – from turkey dinners, consumer shopping frenzy, carol singing and leaving carrots out for reindeer.  In the face of seasonal overwhelm, how can we find ‘peace and goodwill’ with Midwinter rituals?
Let’s call in Scrooge’s three Ghostly friends to help us.
 
Christmas Past

Ritual is important to us as human beings. It ties us to our traditions and histories  – Miller Williams

Ritual can offer us a connective story-line through time and space - the ritual of posting photos preserves millions of memories on instagram everyday.
I’ve recently had the great honour of conducting St Christopher’s Hospice Choir at two beautiful Remembrance Services.  These powerfully simple services are attended by hundreds of people who light candles, sing and remember together.  Singing in the choir is a healthy, weekly ritual where singers can safely share their feelings with others who have experienced bereavement as part of their recovery.
I've also just completed four wonderful terms of maternity cover at Heart of the City Choir - and trust that the warm connections we have shared will continue in many forms, including participation in cross-choral events including a magical forthcoming Festive Winter Voices Concert in aid of Sydenham Arts.  
My present-day experiences of leading choirs in these diverse settings across London connects me to people and places I still hold in my heart - to my Christmases Past singing around the piano with family while my grandparents were still alive and the beauty of candlelit carol services in my hometown of St Albans Abbey.  Through ritual, we can chart landmarks in our own journeys through time. 
 
Christmas Present

Rituals are the formulas by which harmony is restored.
- Terry Tempest Williams 

As the saying goes, the best present you can give is your presence – and effective rituals are a space where we can enjoy harmonising shared presence – whether it’s volunteering at a Soup Kitchen or partying with friends. Shared rituals build shared communities – at the recent Croydon Diwali Mela in Surrey Street, I was spotted happily singing along with the Gayatri Mantra by a member of the Hindu community who was curious to know where I learned it and to share about his experiences.  Turning up for this ritual brought me gifts of understanding and connection.
To turn up and engage fully requires a process of tuning into which rituals which feel true for us - for me, that means turning down the volume on commercial clamour and decorating the trees in my garden rather than chopping one down.   We can reinvigorate traditional rituals to make them relevant to our modern communities - as part of Festival of Peace Croydon, we are posting pictures of peaceful cultural and arts activities with the hashtag #PeacefulCroydon during December.  

Christmas Future

Resolutions need rituals – Tony Robbins

Rituals can offer us moments of present moment reflection on what we want to create in our lives – whether that’s the ritual of making New Year’s resolutions or taking time out to meditate or exersize before the day begins.
In my choirs we’ve been enjoying singing the Finnish Reindeer Chant - Ole le loila – which brings out a sense of playfulness when we imagine a stampede of reindeer responding to our calls.  In our rituals we become playful, creative, imaginative – and in shifting our present, we create space for something new to happen - the reindeer will surely come any minute now - and in Finland they really do!  
When children play, they repeat the same pleasurable experience - ‘again, again!’ – creating their own rituals.  We are all still children inside and we need magic, playfulness and creativity to lighten our days and the long winter nights.  Changing our reality together in a shared ritual enables us to call in the reindeer or our dreams for the coming year.

Chosen well and infused with our conscious, creative presence, ritual can enable us to remember, become present and create a beautiful legacy for and with our families and communities.
 
Wishing you all a beautiful midwinter that resonates with your heart’s desire




Remembrance Service, St Christopher's Hospice, Bromley

Acts of Creative Rebellion

Fireworks at Crystal Palace - Photo Fluid4Sight

Necessary Rebellion

Nothing is more necessary or stronger in us than rebellion. - George Bataille

To grow we need to continually rebel - whether that's the new generation against the old or the internal dynamic of overcoming our inhibitions.   In this month where we light fires and launch fireworks in remembrance of a daring act of rebellion, we are seeing a great rebellion against oppressive patriarchal abuses of women.  Jo Brand just courageously addressed a panel of men on Have I Got News For You and the #MeToo campaign following the revelations around Harvey Weinstein has released an outpouring of voices calling out sexual abuse and harassment.  This is an absolutely essential rebellion - one that must continue daily as we call out and challenge centuries of patriarchal conditioning.  So here's a few thoughts in celebration of Creative Rebellion for this month...

Rebellion rewards risk taking

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. - Banksy

Risk taking is at the core of rebellion which invites us beyond the comfort zone into vibrant, vital, authenticity - life lived in the quick of the present from the heart of our deepest longings, passions and convictions.   I am often asked to lead singing groups in large institutions where hierarchy, bureaucracy and politics are often at odds with our humanity.  Singing together immediately restores a sense of human connection as we breathe and raise our voices together.  It requires us to take the risk of being vulnerable through creative expression - we have to let our guard down to allow our voices to rise up.  As we open up to the power of our creativity, we experience a confidence-boosting salve in disturbing times and spaces.  Isolated individuals become knitted together in a supportive creative eco-system - and this act of rebellion against divisive, dehumanising social conditioning can lead to cultural change -  the enormous growth of choirs in healthcare, workplace and community settings is now being backed by government led research.  

Rebellion Raises The Game

Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.
- Alice Walker

One of the poems I love and return to repeatedly is Maya Angelou's poem And Still I Rise.  Every time I read it, my spirit rises.  It acknowledges centuries of suffering whilst commanding us to rise above feelings of 'victimhood,' imbuing a vital, empowered state of mind.   Creative acts of rebellion such as this incredible poem make us step up, stand up, turn up for ourselves and for others in powerful, meaningful ways.

Rebellion Roars with the Voice of Courage

Real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness. Real courage is risking one's clichés. - Tom Robbins

A recent Miss Peru Pageant challenged the cliches of the beauty industry when instead of stating their body measurements, models listed statistics about violence against women.  They immediately changed up the meaning of 'vital statistics',  clearly demonstrating that it's not about waist measurements, it's about respect and safety for women in Peru and everywhere.   It takes courage to refuse to conform and to insist on living from the healthy, vibrant creativity that gives rise to our unique contribution in life.  It takes that one deep breath to raise your voice for that which makes your heart sing.

Wishing you a radically rebellious November

At Croydon Composers - Photo with thanks to Fluid4Sight

A Recipe for Smashing It

We Smashed It!
I just had the most extraordinary September - getting over the finish line for the jointAnthem For Peace & Festival of Peace Crowdfunder, co-directing 500 people at Sing for Water and the debut performance of a collaborative project with Croydon Composers atCroydon Mela - WOW! I feel so honoured to have been part of these immensely enriching projects which have stretched and grown me exponentially!
Huge thanks to all our crowdfunder supporters and pledgers, the amazing fundraising singers at Sing for Water and the Croydon Composers Team - we totally smashed it -people power in action! 
So here's a fun recipe for smashing it this October.... just a few flavoursome ingredients to add to your pot... :)

 

1.  Daring Dreaming

Dare to Dream, for in the daring there is defiance to live beyond your circumstances
- Su Williams

Yes you can have that big one. That big juicy, delicious dream that you only occasionally admit to yourself.  The really mad one that will wake you up in a cold sweat when it starts coming true.  That's the dream that will catalyse your greatness into embodiment.  Following that dream will have you cooking up a storm, burning the midnight oil, chasing rainbows, having kittens, butterflies and collywobbles - the works!  And it will be absolutely worth it because it will totally smash through your limiting beliefs and enable you to feast on the flavours of self-fulfilment.


Dream Team - Croydon Composers at Croydon Mela - Photo Vipul Sangoi

2. Dream Team

“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.” - Edmund Lee

I am so full of gratitude for all the people in my life who call me out and grow me up.  We all need smashing dreamcatchers who remind us to catch hold of our greatest dreams.  This is not about having too many cooks in the brew, it's about precisely combining skills, talents and actions to make nourishing collaborative connections.  Sometimes these will take the form of angel-helpers who sweeten the way with a tender guiding hand, other times teachers will appear to chop through excuses and give us an almighty kick up the proverbial.  Welcome the friends who don't buy the 'I'm too small' stories and inspire you to play all out.

3. Practice Makes Presence

“Choosing authenticity means cultivating the courage to be imperfect" - Brene Brown

My early education featured phrases like 'practice makes perfect' which exerts unnecessary and unattainable pressure.  If perfection is the goal, we may need to go and live on another planet.  More honestly, practice means accepting that every time you sing a song, perform a play or bake a cake - even when using the same recipe - it will be different.   Practice means giving yourself the time to repeatedly embody and experience something until smashing it becomes a gloriously human, imperfect, spontaneous and joyful reality.   In the face of mega-nerves, I've found that practice is grounding, reassuring and informative - it helps me measure what I flavours I need more or less of, what is working and what needs work.  It is where I develop presence via the precious process of allowing dreams to land safely with me before taking them out into the big wide world.  It is a place full of constructive, present-moment, supportive action. And most importantly it is a place I can be utterly imperfect, make mistakes, recover, try again and sing bum notes to my hearts content.   

4. Upgrade to Action

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. - William James

If you are smashing pumpkins this October a large baseball bat is a great utensil.  Often we are sold and told we need the upgraded baseball bat with flashing lights and an instant pumpkin corer gadget.  Sometimes we use this as a get-out clause to say - 'I'm not ready, I need this amazing upgrade before I can do this dream.'  The most important upgrade we can make is from states of fearful inaction to fruitful creativity.  Many of the worlds greatest artists turned up with whatever they had and got on with it.  The Beatles are just one example of mega artists who made it without ever learning how to read music.  Richard Branson, whose motto is 'Screw it, just do it' dropped out of school at 16 with dyslexia and started his first mini-business running a student magazine which evolved into a record label that signed the Sex Pistols.  One of the principles of this month'sCreative Sprint is 'Perfection is Overrated' - people around the world are creating spontaneously from their immediate inner and outer resources in response to a daily prompt.  So if you want to smash pumpkins, that old baseball bat at the back of the shed will do just fine.

Smashing events this October - You are warmly invited to come along to all the wonderful events this month - there's a feast of choirs to sing with plus delicious events including the Launch of Compassionate Neighbours with St Christopher's Hospice & London Mozart Players on 21st October and an innovative performance cooked up with Croydon Composers at Scream Lounge on 27th October. 

Wishing you a smashing October

At Sing for Water London - Photo with thanks to Fluid4Sight

Back to Singing There's a waft of autumn crunch riding the breeze and the feeling of the city cranking up again after holiday times... it's definitely back to school and back to singing with sharpened pencil tops and a satchel full of harmonies...  Here's some thoughts about making learning a tip-top adventure...   1. Permission We need to give ourselves permission to act out our dreams and visions, not look for more sensations, more phenomena, but live our strongest dreams - even if it takes a lifetime - Vijali Hamilton Every time we want to learn we have to actually allow it to happen - to give ourselves permission to grow, learn, change and take risks as part of that process.  We need to be willing to get out of our own way to enable learning to happen.  We need to be willing to make plenty of mistakes and backward steps as we move towards new ideas, schemes and projects.. and we need to give ourselves time to grow. 2. Clear Intent A true intention or belief does not need to be spoken. It is revealed through one's action. Having a clear intent is like putting an address on the envelope - it gets things places.   Intention requires tuning in to deeper motivations - our WHY -  so we can direct ourselves with clarity and elbow grease to the journey ahead.  Taking time to set clear intentions can save enormous amounts of time and energy, as it acts like a internal sat nav enabling us to be clear about what we are doing, where and with whom. 3. Space  The story goes that a Zen Master, when a rich man demanded that he teach him the way of Zen, filled a tea cup to overflowing and said    “You are like this tea cup, so full that nothing more can be added. Come back to me when the cup is empty. Come back to me with an empty mind.”   All learning requires emptying - the making of space in the our mind, heart and habits for new adventures.  To learn to sing requires a setting aside of daily distractions so we can to listen fully - both inwardly and outwardly.  Often where we are most full up is in our mental stories - the things we have been told and told ourselves about our own capacities. Learning to sing allows us to let go of the voice of that old music teacher who sent us to the back of the room when we were only 4 and couldn't get our heads round Mozart. As adults we can learn to tune ourselves up with the sweet harmonies around and within us that help us remember that everything is made of sound - from the beat of our heart to the music of the spheres and that singing is as natural as birds tweeting in trees... 4. Inner and Outer Resources Human resources are like the earth’s natural resources. They are highly diverse and often buried deep beneath the surface. They need to be discovered, refined and applied - Ken Robinson New adventures require equipment - whether its a folder for your song lyrics or a backpack for the round-the-world tour, getting the kit is all part of the process.  We also have to pack our inner knapsack with helpful qualities - patience, kindness, enthusiasm - and don't forget a bit of razzle-dazzle to keep spirits high :) Join a Global Singing Adventure Travel's promise is that tomorrow is not going to be like today - Samantha Brown I'm very excited to be setting off on autumn singing adventures with a new set of songs which will enable me sing with wonderful friends new and old at choirs, celebrate World Peace Day with One Day One Choir friends across the globe and make a splash for WaterAid at Sing for Water London.  All welcome to join me at choirs, events and singing sessions.  Whatever way you find to share your voice this September, I hope it fills your cup with fresh inspiration and allows you an outpouring of creative expression. Wishing you a spacious voyage of discovery this singing September Singing One Day One Choir with Tom Morley, Gill Manly & Jane Hanson at Black Tie White Lie Photo Jason Purple Photography

The Peace of Release

The Peace of Release It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. - Alan Cohen

Dear Friend We're all going on a Singing Holiday.... Here in the Northern hemisphere, many folks are embarking on summer adventures to release them from their everyday routines.  The word release comes from the French relaissier - to relinquish, the Latin relaxare - to loosen and PIE root words meaning to slacken.  In other words, we need to let it all hang out sometimes and summer holidays are one way to do that.  We can also find daily sources of creative inspiration to release and refresh us. I invite those of you still in London to come on a Family Summer Sing this Saturday August 12th 2-4pm at The Paxton Centre, Crystal Palace - all welcome!

Arts Enable Release I think I just get excited by music, and, like, singing is a very physical thing. It releases endorphins in your body. You're using almost muscle in there, and I think that adrenaline really helps to kind of make the songs fresh every time. - Florence Welsh, Singer Florence & The Machine

This image by David Shrigley is featured in the recent report by the All Party Parliamentary Report on Arts, Health and Wellbeing which celebrates the demonstrable and wonderful benefits of the arts at all ages. From various case studies of arts activities in healthcare settings, a cost-benefit analysis showed a 37% drop in GP consultation rates and a 27% reduction in hospital admissions. That represents an NHS saving of £216 per patient. Click here to read the report

Release Brings Real Ease (Peace) The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity. - Glenn Gould

Why people return to artistic activities time and time again is for the cumulative effects.  Yes there is a great endorphin rush after singing, just the same as any sporting activity.  But just like sports, we know we build inner and outer strength and ability when we do our reps - whether thats showing up at choir every week, committing to our community garden or turning up and tuning in for daily meditation.  The result - we get a regular release that builds lasting peace.

Thank you so much for the flood of lovely birthday messages- I had a wonderful seaside weekend with family (featuring the full cycle of English weather from thunderstorms to glorious sunshine) Peaceful thanks also to the generous pledgers, including the Mayor of London, who have helped us reach 52% of our crowdfunder to help us launch the Festival of Peace and LMP's #AnthemForPeace. You can find out more and make your Pledge for Peace here: https://www.spacehive.com/anthem-for-peace Wishing you much peaceful rest and release this August

Peace is Possible

Peace is Possible. Pledge for Peace Here -

http://londonmozartplayers.com/anthemforpeace/

Dear Friend
Peace is Possible
When we talk about peace we have to talk about it in a way that we believe that it's achievable, that it can be a real and tangible thing in our age. ... We have to be convinced that it's possible and in being convinced seeing it coming to some sort of permanent flourishing in our societies. -  Father John Pritchard, St John The Evangelist, Upper Norwood
If peace is to be possible, we must affirm it, we must declare it and we must celebrate it.  Peace is not an utopian dream - it is, I believe, the basic baseline of our existence.  We notice peace most when it is gone - when violent incidents happen or our body becomes unwell, then we notice peace has been disrupted. When we are in a state of rest, peace is easy, accessible and possible.  It is as natural as a long sleep, a deep breath or a soak in the bath.  The peace that we are privileged enough to enjoy in this country is made possible by a multitude of daily contributions from the people who clean our streets to those who save lives everyday in hospitals.  Every day we can make everyday choices to make our streets and communities safer, happier, peaceful places - whether that's smiling at someone on the bus, expressing gratitude to those who serve us in shops or taking care of our friends and family.  Peace is possible, it's within us and when we extend towards others peacefully we help create a more peaceful world for everyone.

Music Creates Peace 
There’s something about communal singing that reaches into the dawn of human history and speaks to us in a way that transcends many boundaries and enables something innately human to manifest itself – the sense of belonging, of sharing, of being part of a team and a bond of camaraderie. - Jeremy Haneman - Conductor, writing about Singing Lives event Refugee Week in The Plight of the Dispossessed resonates with us all 
When we sing and play music together, we remember our shared humanity in a powerfully visceral way.  We move, breathe and sound together in rhythm and harmony. We tune into the shared beating of our hearts and the tapping of our feet.  We merge ourselves in a shared endeavour and enjoy a peaceful connection. Time and time again I see disparate groups of people meeting in harmony to sing at choir - peace is real and peace is possible - and it sounds good! 

An Anthem for Peace

I am absolutely delighted to be supporting the LMP's Anthem for Peace which will be a modern-day anthem for our time which can be rapped, spoken, sung, played by anyone.
The UK's longest running chamber orchestra, LMP have a longstanding commitment to making music accessible to audiences from tiny babies to people in care in their twilight years.  Since the closure of Croydon's Fairfield Halls for renovation, the orchestra has been nestled in the heart of the community at St Johns The Evangelists Upper Norwood and has embarked on a highly successful, imaginative#LMPOnTheMove Programme playing in festivals, libraries and community hubs which will culminate in a finale with Shift K3Y at Boxpark on 19th July.
As part of their Harmony & Confiict series, LMP have commissioned this specialAnthem for Peace and will be inviting everyone to get involved in community performances next year at Croydon's first Festival of Peace. The piece will tour nationally and internationally, taking this special message around the globe -
and you can be part of it right from the start!!!

Help Us Sing, Play, Dance and Declare Peace
Declare it.  Just the same way we declare war.  That is how we will have peace ... we just need to declare it - John Lennon
As we sing, dance, play, smile peacefully we declare that is it so, that is possible, that it is everyday, that it is the beautiful, natural state of shared life that connects us all.

Help Us Declare Peace 
For just £2, less than a cup of coffee, you can help us create a beautiful piece of music that will live in the hearts, minds and memories of people forever.
PLEDGE HERE
https://www.spacehive.com/anthem-for-peace

Thank you for all you do to help keep the peace in our world - wishing you a joyful, peaceful July.

www.therosewindow.org
Twitter: @katierosewindow
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Roses of Peace

Dear Friend Roses of Peace Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it. It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all. - W. Somerset Maugham It's been a strange, sad day in London today after last nights shocking incidents at London Bridge.  Searching out comfort I went for a walk and the beauty of these roses in the park helped soothe me with their soft sweet perfume.  Nestling in it's leaves helped me finally feel connected. We Are All Connected We are all connected to one another, in a circle, in a hoop that never ends - Pocohontas It tears us inside, when another person violates the circle of life that connects us all. The sadness we feel at the incidents we have witnessed recently in Manchester and London is instinctive because we are all linked, like the many petals of a rose.  The outpouring of grief is often accompanied by a rush of empathy, care, concern, love and offers of help as people seek to comfort each other across the world.  Tragedies here are inextricably connected to tragic events in Kabul, Syria, Israel and communities who experience daily violence and horror.  At times of tragedy we all look for connection - and we start searching for ways to understand and examine the conditions that made it possible for it to happen. Peace encompasses the dark Feeling at peace, however fragilely, made it easy to slip into the visionary end of the dark-sight. The rose shadows said that they loved the sun, but that they also loved the dark, where their roots grew through the lightless mystery of the earth. The roses said: You do not have to choose. - Robert McKinley, Sunshine There may be hard lessons to face when we dig into the dark around a tragedy.  We need to be willing to go there - to face unpleasant truths about the darkest aspects of humanity. We can condemn and drive away the dark but it will scream for our attention repeatedly.  The root causes and conditions from which tragedy grows need to be addressed if we are to have any hope of healing it. Two great teachers, Einstein & Ghandi taught us that solutions cannot be found at the level of the problem and that an eye for an eye will make us all blind.  Tough talking, blaming and shaming, throwing threats and bombs around can only perpetuate cycles of violence.  We need to go deeper and examine the conditions of our socio-economic political systems which breed hatred, alienation, exclusion and war. From the medieval Crusaders, to the Klu Klux Klan and the Nazis, men have been conscripted for centuries to go out commit atrocities in the name of cultures, races, creeds and politics. Young men have been used time and time again as fodder for power hungry regimes who understand how to manipulate their need to feel significant with promises of heroism, especially those who feel aggrieved, alienated or excluded.  They are trained to suspend their innate sense of empathy or conscience to carry out actions which tragically breach the invisible circle of human connection. Yet as the old song goes, the circle remains unbroken because even in death, we remain inextricably connected to each other through the legacy we leave. Reconnecting with the Roses of Peace One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. Dale Carnegie Even in the face of overwhelming challenges and grief we can choose, minute by minute to make peace with ourselves and each other- to connect.  Even when life seems to be far from ideal, we can dig deeper and find a truer sense of connection within ourselves that brings up roses. We can choose the life we have now this minute, with this rose, this breath.  We can hold out our hands and offer our hearts to build bridges and connections.  The way of peace asks us to really look and listen deeply, beneath knee-jerk responses - we need to go into the unknown and encounter that and those we consider 'other'.  To go out, as one brave young muslim man did in Manchester and stand blindfold with a sign saying "I'm Muslim and I trust you. Do you trust me enough for a hug?".  As I write this a huge One Love concert is taking place for Manchester, demonstrating what becomes possible when a community comes together and chooses Life and Love.  We can, as John Lennon urged us, Declare Peace. Roses of Peace coming your way... convinced of the power of the arts to help build peaceful communities, I am helping launch a big Peace Project for 2018 .... watch this space for news coming very soon! Wishing you all petals of peace - remember to stop and smell the roses :) www.therosewindow.org Twitter: @katierosewindow Facebook: www.facebook.com/therosewindow

Growing The Garden of Our Dreams

The Garden of the World has no limits, except in your mind - Rumi

Dear Friend
Growing The Garden of Our Dreams
The garden of love is green without limit and yields many fruit other than sorrow and joy - RumiAs May bursts into bloom, I've been enjoying singing Jean Ritchie's beautiful songNow is The Cool of the Day (arr. Kith & Kin) with Anima A Capella Quartet and my choirs.  For me, this song conveys a sense of stewardship towards our world often tragically lacking in modern life.  Currently pivotal decisions being made about what kind of garden we wish to inhabit here on earth. Will it be fenced with the barbed wire iron of prejudice, persecution and conflict or will it be welcoming, inviting and celebrate the beauty of our natural diversity?  We are all gardeners in this life and we can all contribute to growing a beautiful world together.

The Wisdom of Weeding
Unless it's a Hell Yeah, it's a No - Cassie Everett, HomeopathLife is full of decisions - from controversial referendums to what we are having for dinner tonight. Decision-making requires being clear about our YES and our NO - which sounds straightforward, but our mind gets cluttered with the brambles of expectations, conditioning, delusions, fears, and worries which obscure our vision.  So often we say YES when we really mean NO and vice versa - we may run from the things that would grow us because we are frightened of change and cling instead to familiar attachments.  We may overcrowd our garden with commitments and engagements because we are scared to face the space and silence.  Weeding in my garden regularly teaches me that if I want things to grow gorgeously in my life then I have to be willing to give things up, cut things back, let things go, dig things over and make space for the new.  If I avoid this essential pruning, life will inevitably end up feeling overrun and exhausting.  Nature teaches me to learn from the wisdom of loss, decay, death, change over and over again.  In doing so I am more able to affirm and enjoy the abundance and diversity of life and love that grows in the garden.

Greeting the Green Man
The Green Man is complex, he represents many things. Primarily he symbolizes the unity of the human and plant worlds. - Sandra Knauf
There is a Green Man all of us encounter daily when we cross the road who gives us the Green Light to GO.  There is also the mysterious figure of the Green Man whose bushy beard is made of leaves and who dwells in the underworld of myths and legends.  Whilst he has a close relationship with figures such as Pan, Dionysus, Osiris, Father Christmas, Robin Hood or Odin he has no dedicated scripture or single story that contains him.  His sometimes grimacing, sometimes grinning face peers out from sculptures across the world, yet he is so entwined with nature that he cannot be effectively bound by words.  He reminds us that for all our technology, humanity is still part plant, part nature, part earth.  His enigmatic smile beckons us to reconnect with our natural roots and resources as we face life's challenges and adventures.  His mysterious, multi-faced personality invites us to relinquish old stories and fixed identities so we can renew and recreate our lives.

Dreaming in Green
In the Garden of Memory, In the Palace of Dreams, That is where you and I shall meet  - Mad Hatter, Alice Through The Looking Glass Another much loved eccentric, The Mad Hatter, reminds us that it is in dreamland that we can truly encounter each other - in the space where we are able to let go of our day to day identities and remember something of our mysterious essence together.   A recent Heineken advert #OpenYourWorld demonstrates the power of what happens when we put our fixed beliefs aside in a space of creative enquiry and encounter.   For me singing is that palace of dreams - it enables people of diverse walks of life to collaborate on the sculpting of beautiful sounds together.  In singing we share an experience which is innately human and expressive of our core vulnerabilities, emotions, longings and loves and which also takes us into an imaginative, creative space where the usual name tags and identities need not apply.  People from different faiths, cultures, generations can all access the joy of making something beautiful together and meet one another in the palace of dreams, where memory allows us to recall our shared humanity.

You are all invited to join me in the palace of singing dreams at Dream Choir Workshop on 27th May - early birds catch the lower booking fee by 13th May.  Or do come and sing at a choir.  Or just sing... with your neighbours, your loved ones, your human family and help make this world a gorgeous garden of dreams this May..

Wishing you all much green gorgeousness this May

www.therosewindow.org
Twitter: @katierosewindow
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