Lip Synching Your Way To Enlightenment

For this next article, I’ve allowed more of my playful muse energy to shine through, inspired by the budding of Spring. The Muse is one of the archetypes we work with in our priestess training. To hear a talk describing all of the archetypes, click here.

The Muse in me wonders, at times, how it would feel to be Madonna, because she gives herself full permission to live into so many different sides of herself. She broke out as a material girl, speaking the language of the eighties. She rolled out her erotic phase with an album erotica and her racy SEX coffee table book. She stepped into her inner Latina with her hit “La Isla Bonita” song and her starring film role as Evita. That’s not to mention her more recent spiritual journey into Kabala and her dive into motherhood.

In one musical career, Madonna has managed to embody a variety of feminine flavors, or archetypes, that live within each of us. Of course, there are many other archetypes—like the quiet hermit or the goddess of compassion—that aren’t exactly Madonna’s forte. But she has a pretty broad spectrum compared to most of us. My personal experience is that as I integrate multiple aspects of womanhood into my own being, I feel more alive, radiant, and free. I have more zest for life and more depth in my relationships. I ultimately end-up attracting more of the people and situations that I want in life.

But how to access all of these sides of our being? For me, the journey accelerated when I was a first a participant in a 13 Moon Women’s Circle. It gave me a safe, sacred space each month where I could stretch my boundaries to reclaim more of my full feminine. I also met amazing sisters there who were pushing their own edges and encouraging me to do the same. Those circles, which I now facilitate myself, are my foundation.

But my favorite new practice may be more of a surprise. Lip Synching. I’m serious! In the past, I have tended to listen to more mellow “spiritual” music. But lately I’ve been listening to a wider variety of vocalists, letting myself sing along and really resonating with the diverse frequencies transmitted by each diva. Recently, I’ve loved rocking out with Meredith Brooks and singing I’m a bitch, I’m a lover, I’m a child, I’m a mother, I’m a sinner, I’m a Saint, I do not feel ashamed! In contrast, singing along with Vanessa Daou’s sultry beats (especially on her Zipless album) have invited me to explore different parts of my voice that aren’t my norm. Whispering with Vanessa… it feels so very naughty.

Then on my recent trip to Hawaii, I was exposed to the deep, primal vocals of some of the native Hawaiian women. These women sing from deep in their bellies and when they do, I can imagine the volcano goddess Pele emerging and the Earth shaking. I was privileged to spend time singing and recording with one such woman, Alva Kaipoleimanu Kalamani, who is a hula kumu (teacher). Hearing Alva’s singing and allowing myself to mimic her style gave me access to a much deeper, more powerful side of my voice. They say “fake it till you make it.” And I can attest that YES, it works.

My experience with music as a doorway to accessing the archetypes has lead me to record my first CD with songs dedicated sacred feminine. This album will serve as the center point for my doctoral project. I’m hoping that others will sing along with my tunes and access in themselves the nurturance of the Great Mother, the heart of the compassion, or the instinctual nature of the Primal Goddess—among others. I’ve posted my first 5 tracks on www.devaa.com, and you can download a few of them for free. Let me know which flavor of the feminine you feel in each track, and if it evokes Her spirit in you.