Considering I can't sing worth a damn and don't play any musical instruments, music is surprisingly vital to my path. I am our coven ritual DJ; I've been known to spend hours trying to combine just the right pieces to capture the mood I want to convey for our Circles. As I've said before, I consider my iPod a magical tool. I think of music the way I think of incense: one wisp of scent, one verse, can completely change your state of mind, taking you from screaming rage to peace in a matter of minutes.
I've already posted a list of music that I use in ritual, as well as some suggestions of music for ecstatic dance (one of my absolute favorite ways of prayer); there’s another category of songs, however, I find equally important.
You could call this my Spiritual Soundtrack. Each of the songs on this list is, to my mind, a prayer in and of itself; listening to them, or better yet singing along, lifts me up into the sense of sacred space and a moment of pure lyrical holiness.
I don't expect everyone to use my list, of course, but my hope is that you will take this list as inspiration to create your own. A CD of prayer songs like this one is its own ritual. My main criteria for the list were that A) each song had to have lyrics to sing with, as I already have plenty of instrumental CDs for dance and meditation and B) each song had to move me from the heart center outward. I also tried to choose songs that were explicitly spiritual in nature--there are a lot of uplifting songs out there, but these all deal with and mention Deity, magic, ritual, or similar.
Being as I am an eclectic gal of many flavors, it should come as no surprise that my list encompasses a variety of traditions and genres. I intend to keep this CD in the car as well as making a playlist on my iPod so that wherever I am, I can turn to my prayer songs and change my world…at least for four or five minutes at a time.
Sylvan's Spiritual Soundtrack
(in no particular order)
Krishna Das, "Namah Shivayah" - CD: Pilgrim Heart
Circle of Women, "Earth my Body" - CD: Circle of Women
Emerald Rose, "Freya Shakti" - CD: Bending Tradition
Loreena McKennitt, "All Souls' Night" - CD: The Visit
Deva Premal, "Gayatri Mantra (RajRishi Alternate Mix)" - CD: The Essence
Robert Gass & On Wings of Song, "The Circle is Cast" - CD: Ancient Mother
Madonna, "Shanti/Ashtangi" - CD: Ray of Light
Sinead O'Connor, "The Healing Room" - CD: Faith and Courage
"Down by the River to Pray" from the O, Brother! Where Art Thou? soundtrack
Indigo Girls, "Strange Fire" - CD: 1200 Curfews
The Pretenders, "Hymn to Her" - CD: The Singles
Seal, "Love's Divine" - CD: Best of 1991-2004
U2, "Mysterious Ways" - CD: Achtung Baby
Alanis Morissette, "Still" - CD: Dogma soundtrack
Alanis Morissette, "Thank U" - CD: Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
Sarah McLachlan, "Prayer of St. Francis" from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack
Sarah McLachlan, "Ordinary Miracle" from the Charlotte's Web soundtrack
Tori Amos, "Original Sinsuality" - CD: The Beekeeper
And finally, "Pukka Pukka Pukka Pukka Squeetily Boink!"
and "Let Me Be Your Song" from Fraggle Rock
I can't wait to check some of those out. I'd add Three More Drops by Emerald Rose.
Posted by: Hecate | February 23, 2007 at 12:44 PM
Not only is my iPod a magical tool, it's a tool of divination. The first three songs of the day (on shuffle) I read/hear like a tarot layout. It works, it really does.
Posted by: deborah oak | February 24, 2007 at 12:38 AM
I'd already checked out some of the music you mentioned in your "Conversations with God" posts. There were many that I liked and saved to my wishlist on Amazon for future purchase.
I look forward to looking up many of those listed above as well.
Posted by: kay | February 24, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Nice post - thanks! Definitely a subject near and dear to my heart.
I've done some posting on this topic at my LJ (http://dawnpiper.livejournal.com), and have another one or two spiritual music posts coming in the next few days. Here I'll just note that Krishna Das is definitely on my list, along with another Neem Karoli Baba disciple, Baghavan Das (especially the CD "Now", produced by Mike D. of the Beastie Boys)... and that I also like to seek out the little pagan nuggets hidden in the mainstream. :)
I think this ought to be a meme.
Posted by: Erik | February 27, 2007 at 08:43 AM
Your first line sounds so much like me. I love your list and will definitely be pulling at least some of these together.
By the way, I'm over from Shapely Prose for something else...but I've decided to stick around. BB from Houston!
Posted by: Plum Texan | March 01, 2008 at 09:50 PM