Aloha and Kiaora!

Sending greetings from New Zealand (Aotearoa) and the Hawaiian islands . . . .

The World Drum is an incredibly powerful messenger! It has been received by all in such depth . . our drum ceremonies have been profound.
This drum has changed me,
and I'm sure it will change all who have the honor of
caretaking it and facilitating ceremony. . .

In New Zealand, the World Drum first traveled to Auckland.
You've seen the ceremonies there up until the time I received the drum.
From that point, the drum traveled south.
Aunti Nahi, Hawaiian Kupuna, and I arrived in Auckland on March 14th.
Fraser Bruce, who had already facilitated three ceremonies with the World Drum,
passed it to me, telling me that he had scheduled our first ceremony
for an hour and a half after we arrived!!

The first ceremony I was privileged to facilitate was at a beautiful boat house in Auckland. Fraser's community found this dilapidated boat housen at a
park on a small bay several years ago.
Fraser petitioned the Resource folks for a deed for the property,
then set about fund-raising so they could totally revitalize this place - new pilings,
windows, floors, just about everything! I was quite impressed - the boat house has been transformed into a wonderful drum and dance studio.

We held a talking circle, passed the Drum,
each person got to play it a little and share their prayer for peace and healing Mother Earth. Around thirty people came, and after the intentions were spoken,
we called two to four people into the middle of the circle and "Spiral Drummed" them . . .
an old traditional healing way taught to me by my elders.
These folks had never experienced such a thing,
and felt the immense power and energy of the World Drum and all the companion drums that were there that evening. . .

The next morning we set out for New Plymouth and the World Music and Dance Festival -
40,000 people!! On the way, we'd been invited to a Native American SunDance ceremony
(in New Zealand!?!) . . .we stopped there for about 3 hours,
and were invited into the center of this solemn and profound ceremony.
We share the drum and songs there, then were invited to share a meal with the dance supporters. It warmed my heart deeply to be able to share the World Drum in this setting, because I have been a SunDancer, but haven't been to a dance in many years.

WOMAD! Oh, my!! Wet . . . Cold . . . .Crowded . . . .Amazing Music and dance!!!
On Saturday, March 16th, we attended the festival,
enjoying all the incredible musicians . . .
Tuvan Throat singers, the Gyoto Monks . . . talent from all over the world . . .
an appropriate place for the Drum.
At 6pm, everyone stopped for dinner.
I started drumming close to the food court, and people got curious.
Eventually, we had a crowd of about 30-40 people,
so I explained the purpose and mission of the World Drum,
told some stories about how the original drum came to be, sang some songs, and invited everyone to share their intentions for healing the earth.
Everyone did. It was spontaneous and quite beautiful.

I'll send another report about the next several ceremonies soon.
Tonight, I need to go to bed!

Mahalo and Wado to all ~

Pakiri Beach, East Coast New Zealand

The following night the drum travelled further north and over to the East Coast
to a beautiful forested compound not far from the roaring ocean surf of Pakiri Beach,
and into a huge tipi lodge where a half dozen folks had gathered from afar to
celebrate this special drum and time around a beautiful big fire inside the lodge.

Again after prayers of welcome and invoking the 4 directions and the 4 winds the elements,
the ancestors, the people who are aware and watching this drums progress,
by the warmth of the flames and the flickering light, this group again articulated all
that was special about being alive right here right now.....
like friendship, wellness, compassion, curiosity, beingness, nature, delicacy.
the web of life, awareness,family, fun, peaceful relations, Love.....
There were so many wonderful things said.
As each of us said our blessings we were also holding a small branch of our native Titree (Manuka) aromatic foliage crushed up in our hands.
We breathed these global positives and blessings into the foliage then placed all these
on the fire together so that the smoke billowed heartily up and into the back of the drum
above which we were all hoding together above the fire, infusing this special instrument
with our prayers, wishes and now scent.
Benefi-scent.
Now it's already beautiful aroma has the added essence of Aotearoa,
New Zealand as it travels its future journies.
We concluded again by playing behind each other so that each could
release that which needs to go within our selves and welcome
into us that which each of us chose to receive or amplify for the Good.

We sincerely wishe to thank you all you once again for this blessed instrument,
a beautiful tool of empowerment and healing.
Sadly there were no cameras at the tipi gathering but will post a pix of the tipi in another post.
More to follow...

Blessings
Fraser Bruce
www.rhythmcentre.org

Helensville, West coast New Zealand

On Saturday10 th March the drum was taken to a small rural village
on the West Coast called Helensville where a small group of fathers
and some of their boys had gathered for the day to make drums and
percussion instruments and to learn how to play these together.

Group Drumming is gaining momentum here as a fantastic community
building process..... known for millenia by indigenous cultures!

In a circle each added words and phrases richly significant to each person
articulating the values each cherished about being alive in this most
blessed and wonderful planet as the drum was being played by one of the young boys.

Then as we concluded the drum was played for a short time directly behind each of
those present as a personal and enabling,healing vibration.
The deep deep tone filled each of us with a very special energy as we gave
thanks for this moment, energy and opportunity to be alive......
Visioning the best for the planet, our beautiful home.

Blockhouse Bay Boat Clubhouse, Auckland New Zealand

Last Thursday night, Fraser played the drum to Lizzie Haylock and me at the
Blockhouse Bay Boat Clubhouse. We knelt facing the east and the big moon,
and I focused on the outbreath and let the sound and rhythm merge into my senses.
; I saw the sky above New York filled with the sound of the drum,
resonating over the sound of traffic. I saw the sky above the Middle East,
and the drum's rhythm breaking through the sound of the gunfire.
It's vast. This is no gentle ambassador. More like a voice of command. To
me, the drum says NO, NO, you will not do this any more.

Susie Vincent

The Sufi Sharda Centre, Tuakau, South of Auckland

It’s early Sunday morning New Zealand time.
We’re thinking of you. Last night we opened our circle with a healing zikr for the world.
Franchelle, who came representing the Maori and the Cherokee peoples,
reminded us that this is the time of the Cherishing Waters,
the time to come back to the heartbeat of the Mother –
living our connection to each other and all life.
She reminded us of the healing we receive from the trees, plants, ferns, seeds, flowers.

Many candles were lit, all around us, for those peoples, places, groups,
living and growing things,
that need healing or to be remembered in this time of transformation.
We invoked all of you who are adding your hearts and prayers for the world.

The atmosphere was charged,
the room was illuminated only by the light of the candles we lit.
We could feel the power of light that was reaching all those places and people.

The World Drum is a symbol, and yet it is empowering us as it continues to be transformed
by the sacred ceremonies happening in its journey around the world.
Here, as the drum was passed around the circle,
each person breathed a prayer or blessing into it,
as we sang Te Aroha – unconditional love, truth and peace.

May your prayers be added to the flow.

In the beauty of the dawn,

Jamilla, Sarmad, Devi, Rahima, Bev