I’ve heard a lot of Tibetan monks chant, but never with this incredible sense of cosmic harmony. Listen to all the notes in each chord: unbelievable! Then, you have the contrabass solos functioning as little interludes. Then they all join in again. WOW!

I had the great fortune to have this past Saturday off, to stay home with my little family, read, nap, eat, and watch lots of movies. Through some cosmic combination of three separate movies, I got a clear message: we have no proof that life elsewhere in the universe exists. The shows I saw were two episodes of Carl Sagan’s COSMOS, and one episode of the NOVA series, done on PBS.

The Nova episode was called MAGNETIC STORM and tells us that the earth’s magnetic shield is weakening, and apparently getting ready for a complete polar reversal — which hasn’t happend for 780,000 years. The magnetic shield protects us from deadly radiation, and is created by the whirling molten lava at the core of the planet. As that core cools, the shield will weaken, and our atmosphere and protection will be blown away, as Mars is today.

The first COSMOS episode dealt with the issue of whether earth men could relocate on Mars. It all sounded encouraging, but I don’t think Mr Sagan took into account the magnetic shield factor, and that Mars’ shield is likely weak or gone.

The second COSMOS episode dealt with the fact that there is no hard evidence that there is life anywhere else in the universe. To this date, such talk, according to Sagan, “…is like superstition and religion.” (I tend to think he may have really meant “faith” rather than religion, per se.) By “life” I assume he is not delving into spirit beings, angels or God.

When I heard these words come out of his mouth, I realized that I have faith that there is life elsewhere in the universe. It seems implausible that there isn’t; but Carl painstakingly pointed out that there is no hard evidence: no alien books, no alien writings, no alien bodies, no alien spaceships.

Realizing exactly how rare life is in our part of the universe, I am developing a new love of the variety and magic of life on our planet and how precious it is.

If I think about the future of my music, but also the complete works of Mozart, Beethoven, Beatles, Coltrane and all of the music in the world, I am more and more convinced that it is, and only will be for us, right here, right now. How can we presume that any other evolved life creatures somewhere else in the universe could “hear” the music designed to be transmitted in our atmosphere? And how could be assured that these creatures even will have ears or apparatuses that could perceive earth music? And as far as we know, we are the only intelligent creatures in the universe. Frightening thought, eh?

There are times when I’m a Christian
There are times when I’m a Jew
There are times when I’m an atheist
There are times I only think of you

There are times when I’m a Buddhist
There are times when I’m a Jain
But all I know is that
I really love you.

I am in Mountain View today, killing time while my husband gets some work done at Palm. Google provides free wifi to the city so I’ll take advantage of that and write a post.

I used to love going to metaphysical bookstores. I’d walk in knowing that the book I needed to read would pop out at me and say BUY ME. There is a terrific one here. I went in and browsed. Nothing jumped out. I guess I’ve lost my enthusiasm for metaphysics and religion.

I feel that I’ve done my homework, so that when I die, I will be ready if there IS life after death, and if there isn’t, no matter.

I used to hate it when I would ask my father about some spiritual truth and he would answer: “it’s a mystery.” Now that phrase is my core belief.

The arrogance of faith is increasingly something I have a hard time dealing with. Just as one has a hard time changing dentists or barbers or operating systems, changing one’s belief systems rarely occurs, so what is the point of arguing about religion?

The word “marriage” is so drenched with religious entitlement, I was skeptical when Mark Leno told me he was going to go to war over that word so that gays and lesbians could marry.

The problem is that church and state are dangerously entwined in this activity. Even though traditional marriage has a secular and sacred component — the licence (secular), and the church ceremony — religionists insist that marriage can ONLY be a sacred act, governed by what is written in the infallible bible. How can you argue with faith? You can’t. God said it in the bible so it must be true.

As I watched thousands of queers in SF angrily walk to protest Prop.8, I kept wondering why we have to fight over a religious status (marriage) rather than inventing a new word or status, devoid of any religious baggage. I bet that if Prop 8 were worded differently it would have passed.

Instead of buying any spiritual books I bought “The World in Six Songs” by Daniel Levitin. I realized that composers are indeed ministers or priests, but, thank dog, without any words to screw up people. The message goes right to the heart, and if it doesn’t you turn it off. Music never promises eternal life or imposes crazy rules. Each person gravitates to the music they like, and there is no going to hell if you have different tastes. And, thank God, there is NO musical bible.

My parents have both had various facial skin cancers. It was only a matter of time before it was my turn. The phone rang and the caller ID said: SM UCLA Dermato. I knew it was Dr. Kim.

It is cancer. It’s the kind that is not life threatening and very slow growing basal cell carcinoma (common in fair folks like me), so I’ll have it removed in two weeks. One on my nose, one on my chest. The grim reaper won’t take me here. This is easy. I know, if I were a cave man it would eventually take me down. But we can cut it out now. Right?

So, tonight, I went for a spin in my new car. The leather smelled great. The evening Hollywood smell was intoxicating. The colors were vibrant. Life was even better.

[Photo: Still Life © Roger Bourland]

Be careful for what you wish for.

We are told this and learn this many times if we are lucky. Along with religious freedom comes a variety of other freedoms. Richard Snyder became a minister online of the Universal Life Church and it was he who married us a few weeks ago. I took the bait and applied for ordination as well and am now a minister of the same church. As I look down the list of things I am now legally able to do I am amazed by my new status. I can baptize, marry, hold funerals, I have visitation rights in hospitals and hospices, and all the other authorities that people like my father (who is a REAL minister who went to school to become the great preacher/minister that he is) have. Now here’s the kicker: I can start my own religion. There is a whole section online on how to do it.

In line with starting one’s own religion, one must find appropriate titles for one’s self and whoever else you decide to have be part of your religion. I’m struggling with choosing my title. “The Most Esteemed” jumps out at me and cuts right to the point. But then there is the traditional “Reverend” and “Most Reverend” that doesn’t draw too much attention to itself. And then I could be Swami, or Brother, or His Holiness. “Pope” and “Cardinal” just seem wrong so I’ll cross them off right away. Here are the accepted titles available to date:

Abbe, Reverend of Rock ‘n Roll, Abbess, Abbot, Ananda, Angel, Apostle of Humility, Apostolic Scribe, Arch Deacon, Arch Priest, Archbishop, Arch cardinal, Ascetic Gnostic, Bible Historian, Bishop, Brahman, Brother, Canon, Cantor, Cardinal, Channel, Chaplain, Colonel, Cure, Deacon, Dervish, Directress, Disciple, Druid, Elder, Faith Healer, Evangelist, Emissary, Father, Field Missionary, Flying Missionary, Free Thinker, Friar, Goddess, Guru, Hadji, Healing Minister, High Priest, High Priestess, Imam, Lama, Lay Sister, Magus, Martyr, Messenger, Metropolitan, Minister of Music, Minister of Peace, Missionary, Missionary Doctor, Missionary Healer, Missionary of Music, Missionary Priest, Monk, Monsignor, Most Reverend, Mystical Philosopher, Orthodox Monk, Parochial Educator, Pastor General, Patriarch, Peace Counselor, Preacher, Preceptor, Priest, Priestess, Prophet, Rector, Rabbi, Religious Preacher, Revelator, Reverend, Reverend Father, Reverend Mother, Right Reverend, Saintly Healer, Scribe, Seer, Shaman, Soul Therapist, Sister, Spiritual Counselor, Spiritual Warrior, Starets, Swami, Teller, Thanatologist, The Very Esteemed, Universal Rabbi, Universal Religious Philosopher, Vicar, Universal Philosopher of Absolute Reality, Wizard, Gothi, Gythia, Psychic Healer, Minister of Rock ‘n Roll, Rock ‘n Roll Missionary, Rock Doctor (R.D), Rock ‘n Roll Minister, Child of the Universe, Prince, Spiritual Healer, Saint, Pope

Don’t worry, I haven’t gone off the deep end. I’m not starting a religion. But I could. And you could too.

Be careful what you wish for.

Photo by Mark Davidson

As the topic of “friends” was something that appeared everywhere I looked a few weeks back, lately it has been “death.” I’ve had four friends die in the last month. Today Paul and I had lunch and we both seemed to dwell on dying, death, and maladies. It wasn’t that we normally chat about dark things, it’s just that it has been intensely present in both of our lives for the past few weeks.

In high school and college, I was obsessed about death and what happens “on the other side” or after death. This question drove me for decades to research what various religions, metaphysical traditions, and science had to say about the matter. I think that at this point, I’ve done my homework and am ready for whatever happens, whether it is the evolution of the soul, cosmic recycling, or pure extinction.

I got home from lunch with Paul and what was next on my DVD pile but THE BUCKET LIST with terrific performances by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The film is all about death from the point of view of two men who decide to do a Thelma and Louise in the last few months of their lives. and make a list of all the things they want to do, and do them before they kick the bucket.

I brought up the issue of planning for the disposing of your stuff before your death to several people this week and it was NOT a popular issue. I forget that we all have different tolerances about talking about death, and specifically, our deaths.

[Image: Father Time Overcome By Hope, Love]

Speaks for itself. Is it a hoax? A natural phenomenon? A miracle? Who knows? It’s cool whatever it is.

I do have several books on the crop circle phenomenon and have seen quite a few TV shows on it, but I just don’t know. I assume it’s a hoax.

Lisa Summer, author of “Music The New Age Elixir”

I’m reading a fairly interesting book called MUSIC: The New Age Elixir by Lisa Summer. It calls to task the several shelves of books that have been written about music and the spiritual world over the past 100 years or so, from the point of view of a music therapist. Got that?

Whether through nature or nurture, I have always asked “yeah, but is that all there is?” And this restlessness took me on a long spiritual journey through learning about traditional religions, their mystical components and offshoots, theosophy and all its offspring, and a large amount of channeled material from the profound to the ridiculous.

On that 30 year journey I picked up a fair number of books about music and metaphysics. None of them interested me terribly much as, like sex, the real thing is so much better. Being a composer, I didn’t really need to worry about what anyone else thought the metaphysical correspondences to music. I picked up Summer’s book and realized WHY none of them really stuck. These people would write these books and just SAY stuff, and it was all of a sudden true. And the older it was, the more true it had to be. She critiques all of those books I have on my shelf, pointing out their flaws, inconsistencies, absurdities, non sequitors, and other impossibilities of these strange little world views.

The kvetch factor is very high in this book. You always have the feeling she’s complaining, or bitching, or whining. You look at her picture and she looks, well, a bit upset. And after reading her book, I understand why.

Summer rakes metaphysical musician-mystic Steve Halpern over the cosmic coals with the vituperation of a jilted lover. Maybe she had believed in Halpern’s shtick until she accidentally peeped around the curtain.

She compares different authors’ writings on the correspondences between exactly which pitch and which color and which music correspondes to which chakra. And each author speaks with equal authority. And as I said, these dudes are just makin’ this shit up. The P.T. Barnum factor prevails in literature about the mystical nature of music.

Summer gets really pissed when authors claim that THEIR music will heal. One of her tirades is against the chap who insists that the customer must buy his specific cassette (sic) in order to get the full power of the treatment. Copies will NOT work. She scalds the snake-oil salesmen who claim their meditation music can cure cancer or AIDS.

My old friend Rosemary Brown appears throughout the book.

I’m only half way through the book and will update this post if I need to. It succeeded in bringing back some old incomplete memories and in processing and updating them.