Drumming
by Ken Johnson
When you think of a drumming circle, what image springs to mind? A
bunch of hairy guys, perchance, pounding away in search of a wildness
they may never have had?
In fact, drumming is one of the oldest human activities still going,
and one of the most magickal. A log and a stick formed the first drum
set, and still work just fine. Native American drums are painted and
decorated in an entirely different way than African tribal drums; the
differences can give you a hands-on feeling (literally) for the
cultures that produced them. The sounds are unique too. A Scottish
bodhran drum sounds altogether different than a Caribbean drum.
Not only is the drum the earliest of all musical instruments, it is
still used for magickal purposes in cultures where only two
instruments, the flute and the drum, make up the native orchestral
assembly. Shamans beat on drums to induce a state of trance, which
will help them travel to the Otherworld, as well as to summon the
spirits into their sphere.
Because drums make magick, they should be treated as ritual
implements. Of course, if you have an expensive tribal drum produced
by a Native culture, you won't want to change it, but if you have a
plain and simple drum, you can make it your own. Try making your drum
both more magickal by painting a picture of the magickal universe on
its head, and tie some bones, feathers, stones or other magickal
objects to it in order to represent whatever spirit speaks to your
heart and soul.
Drumming circles are a great way to stir up positive energy with
other people, but try not to be competitive about it. Just because
you happen to be a music school drop-out capable of imitating twelve
different complex tribal time signatures, that doesn't mean you
should impose your talents on everyone else! Bringing people together
in a circle of energy is far more important than showing off.
And if you can't keep time to save your own life, don't worry about
it. Just shut your windows and listen to the beat of the "different
drummer" that is you. |
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