The Tale of Wiku: A True Story
Once upon a time a few years ago while in deep meditation and ceremony, the focus of my intention was purification and a return to the innocence and lightheartedness of a child while at the same time nourishing and respecting the wisdom that life teaches and that has deepened through my journey.
The spirit world gave the symbol you see on the album cover and gave it a name. "Wiku" is a Lakota word. The original context means "sun returning". However in the context used here, it means "Sun Child Returning". Lakota language works that way.
The symbol figure is facing left. In the symbol you see the belly "pregnant with life" and the arm extended back which means "letting go of the past". This total surrendering of past and embracing the life before you is how one returns to innocence. It cannot truly be done without letting go of this particular sacrifice: the past. All of it! When this is done, you will then able to be fully present in the now. You are free.
I will go through the songs and give you insight into their coming into being. First I want to share with you the story behind my music video, "Crossing the Event Horizon".
So what is an event horizon? Well in simplest science terms it can be thought of as the boundary of a black hole. It is also thought of as a point of no return. This second meaning is also used as a metaphor which is what I have done in the song.
A few years ago I came upon an eight hour video presentation by physicist Nassim Haramein that he had given at the Rogue Valley Metaphysical Library in Oregon. I was absolutely captivated by his work and his findings. I watched this presentation countless times. I just couldn't get enough. I was also deeply touched by Nassim's unassuming humility, his sense of humor and his devotion to the truth. He brings the sense of the Divine and the understanding of the importance of stillness and meditation into the work he does.
I wanted to do something that would be supportive to his efforts because I can see the profound contribution to humanity that he and his colleagues are making. So I asked the universe, "If it is meant to be, may I somehow write a song that expresses these ideas that have moved me so deeply in this presentation?" The intention being to help in raising awareness through music and hopefully attracting support for his foundation, The Resonance Science Foundation (now resonancescience.org). The universe responded profoundly! The song came with ease. I was so happy about that. It is my prayer that this song and music video will be supportive in the way it was intended. Thank you Nassim Haramein and all of the Resonance Team!
Sometimes the general public may not be interested in studying physics, but they may however, embrace the essence of the message when it is expressed in an art form. I am asking that any of you who have websites, blogs or Facebook pages where this video would seem appropriate, to please add it to your page and share this message with your followers and friends. So if you haven't seen "Crossing the Event Horizon" yet, I do hope you enjoy it.
"Oaya Chant". This chant was given to me in the dreamtime by the whale people. They made me aware in a dream that they wished to sing with me. I didn't know at all how I would do that. I am not near an ocean and didn't have any connection to accomplish this. But they showed me the way. It was a gift from them and I am so thankful to these my beautiful relations.
Their request to sing with me had to do with the unity of my voice with theirs, with their song, both together conveying a message. I don't know what the message is in words. I know it in vibration and I know that it is being transmitted through the frequencies of "OAYA". But it is not meant for me to say too much about it. Otherwise my words would just get in the way. To understand the message through your own perception and intuition, you must experience the sound. Experience it in your heart chakra. You will know what you need to know. It is done. It is so.
"Weave a New Dream". Sometimes songs just appear. I find myself singing and in the middle of singing realize that it is something I have never sung before. This was such a song. I was singing the chant part. As I have always said, my job is just "to show up". So there I was; this song was being born. I was dancing around the room making up the lyrics and having a lot of fun😊 Actually I can say I had more fun creating and recording this album than any I have ever done. It was just pure joy! This song is a waltz melody and when I sing it live, I just love to watch the audience swaying dreamily from side to side with the music.
"All of Life Is a Circle" is a similar story. I found myself singing it. I just love that! The recording is simple and to me, one of the best. I just love this song. This is a great song for audience participation in singing and dancing together. Now that's what music is for🧡 Dancing in a circle and being that very life we are singing about.
"Wiku". There are three songs on this album that relate directly to the title. This is the first one. Do you remember that song by Cher called "I Believe"? That effect that was used on her vocal came to be known as the "Cher Effect". It became very popular and honestly a bit over used. However, I had never tried it and I just had to do that once in my life (LOL) so here it is. And yes, it was fun!
"Divine Will". Now here's a song with a story: a very personal story. Many years ago I had a dream. In this dream Jesus, or Wanikiya as we call him in Lakota, was talking with me in a small village somewhere in the Middle East. He told me "You must die to the images of yourself to be who you truly are." This was a profound message that has had many many layers of meaning over the years and brought much healing.
In the same dream Wanikiya sent me to a pool where he said I was to go to meet him and other ascended masters like him. When I went to Israel last year, I was asked if there were particular places I wanted to go. I hadn't talked a lot about this dream but I knew if it were possible that this pool was a real place then I must tell them about the dream. I described the pool; a small enclosed pool with steps. It was then that I learned that what I was describing is called a mikvah (sometimes spelled mikveh). A mikvah is a pool used in Jewish tradition for spiritual cleansing and purification. I learned that sometimes the mikvah is used to help Jewish women in healing from all kinds of abuse. So we see here the connection to Wiku; letting go of the past and purifying to return oneself to a state of innocence. This was very significant to me although only Jewish women can use a Mikvah and I am not Jewish. But the significance relating to the meaning in the dream goes beyond the restrictions of religious practices to something deeper; purification, releasing the past, returning to a state of innocence and living always in the present is how one elevates to a place of mastery. This is true for any being willing to follow this path.
One of the places I visited in Israel was the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The ruins of the Essenes settlement near the caves were filled with ancient mikvahs. The Essenes were ascetics and as such paid great attention to ritual bathing and purity. Most of these mikvahs were roped off but I did find one that I was able to go down into and just sit and meditate for a short while. The message was clear that it was important on my return home to connect with water. Here is a picture of me sitting in the mikvah.
Photo Credit: TANKA/Kibbutz Maagan Michael
Now before I left for Israel, I knew that only Jewish women were allowed in mikvahs. However, I knew of an old Native American sacred pool nearby. It was a small secluded natural pool at the source of a warm springs. So I decided to go there to prepare myself spiritually for my journey. It was a beautiful experience. Then upon my return home from Israel, on the shuttle ride back to Taos, I met a woman who lived in Israel and who was on her way to Taos. It turns out that she lived just a few miles from the Kibbutz where I had been staying. There were only three or four of us on that shuttle so for one of them to be someone who lived just a few minutes from where I had just been was extraordinary! She was also trained in a special water rebirthing process. I told her about the pool and about my experience and we really hit it off. So we returned to the sacred pool and she took me through this very special water "ceremony". It was a very beautiful experience that I shall never forget and a perfect conclusion to my sojourn.
Continuing on with the story of "Divine Will": In a Lakota ceremony a few years ago, Wanikiya came into this ceremony with another message. This time he said, "Let go of the sacrifices. Stand up. Raise your spirit, and go live." At that particular place in my life, this was another profound message. It came in a time when I was still recovering from a serious illness. I was so moved by this message that I later went to my piano and just quietly sat there, waiting. While "just showing up", I put my fingers on the keys and just "let them play" shall we say, not thinking it out, just being. Then the words began to flow along with the notes. It all just flowed. The messages Wanikiya had given were woven into the song like a delicate tapestry and this song, "Divine Will" was born.
This was a deeply personal story but with the arrival of this song it seems the messages are meant for more than just myself. Part of my sacrifice is to allow it to be bigger than me by sharing it with you. May you be blessed by this song in whatever way is appropriate.
"Calmly Know" was inspired by a Ute ceremonial chant song that is used at the beginning of a ceremony to calm the spirit. Its intention is to bring you out of worldly hustle and bustle and into presence and quiet. I wanted the chant to convey "be still and know" so the Lakota words to express this idea are "Hwayela Slolyaye". When translated back to English it translates as "Calmly Know". The title is in English to convey the meaning but the chant is sung in Lakota.
"Threads of a Greater Tapestry". The very beginnings of this piece began with a talk and musical presentation I did in 2001 at the Outpost Performance Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I got inspired to create a "tapestry" that would weave favorites from Fire Prayer into this new creation. Technically it is not a medley but rather stands on its own as a new song.
In 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami gave new inspiration and meaning to this piece. It is during these times of earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters that it is very poignantly demonstrated that we truly are a part of a greater tapestry. "We", as humans, are a thread, not a dominating force over nature. It is unfortunate that it takes natural disasters such as these to remind us of our place in it all.
We talk so much of healing the Earth Mother, but the truth is she just shakes her back when she needs to rebalance herself. She is capable of this rebalancing. It is the humans, who caused the imbalances in the first place, who are running for cover in these times. It is not a punishment. Karma perhaps, but not punishment.
"Quiet Light" has become one of my favorite songs. Sometime prior to its creation I had the intention to express musically the importance of stillness. In the creative process for me, I sometimes "feel" the song stirring, if you will. It is a movement in some dimension of my being that I have no words to adequately describe. When it comes and I "show up", such as sitting down at the piano and being present to what is occurring, the music begins to flow. Sometimes words and music together, sometime just in their own way and time. I have said for some years now that I wish I knew how to trust life in the same way that I trust this musical process. I can say that finally I am "getting there" on that one!
"Child of the Sun". Do you remember those fun things in childhood such as rhythmically clapping your thighs and hands with a childhood friend? That essence of joy is what inspired this song. I found myself clapping, stomping, and dancing around (even in the shower!) and having fun with it. As I began to record and added other instruments along the way, it developed the South American feel on its own. I hadn't planned that but it was a fun surprise.
"Spiral of a Planet". Several years ago, at a time when war was heavy on everyone's mind, I began to step a little further back and look at humanity from a much broader perspective. For all our achievements, here we were again, fighting the same old fight in the name of our God(s) fueled by senseless killing for the profit of a few.
When I have looked deeply into my own patterns throughout my life, I have been able to see how such patterns get passed on from one generation to the next. It is no different with the patterns of humanity. The spiral goes round and round; generations come and go. Pattern is not an easy thing to change. These contemplations were the inspiration for this song. We want change. We want peace. But are we truly ready and willing to do what it takes to manifest that peace in our lives?
"Sun Child Returning". Of all the things I know about these times we are in, aligning ourselves with our precious Earth Mother is of utmost importance to our survival. We must make that heart connection with her and with all our relations. Put away competition and power struggles and embrace an attitude of cooperation and kindness. This is our job. This song is a song of joyful connection with Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth).
This concludes my notes on the creation and process of WIKU (Sun Child Returning). I hope you have enjoyed learning about this musical journey.
Much love and blessings
Denean
THE END😊