Index for Mage Music's archive of Jimmy Page's On This Day for September
Showing posts with label Mage Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mage Music. Show all posts
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Monday, October 31, 2016
November On This Day Index
Jimmy Page's On This Day Index for November
13 November 2012
19 November 2015 Jimmy Page Honoree at EMP Museum
Saturday, October 1, 2016
On This Day Index for October
Index for Mage Music's archive of Jimmy Page's On This Day for October
Thursday, September 1, 2016
On This Day Index for September
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
A stab at movie making
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Review
“Will is another word for animate energy.”
~ William Burroughs, Crawdaddy Magazine, June 1975
Mage Music 60
There are quite a few new readers of Mage Music now, so this week I’m presenting a review of what this blog is all about. The review will not only serve as introduction to those who haven’t read the posts from the beginning (shame on you), but for those who've been here all along but maybe have forgotten some of the basic concepts.
Forgetting, of course, would only happen if you aren't practicing what you’re reading. But that’s a lecture for another time.
About Mage Music
I began this weekly blog because I was personally interested in exploring the music/Magick connection, specifically as demonstrated by the work of Jimmy Page. Mr. Page himself has stated that his music reveals who he is, and I found this to be a fascinating concept that felt intuitively correct as well as significant - a clue not simply to the mystery of that very private man, but about where his music comes from and what it is.
Mage Music, it must be emphasized, is not about Jimmy Page. It is about exploring the concepts involved with manifestation of new states of being in this reality through use of creative acts, such as music. I use Mr. Page’s music because it is so clearly full of Magick.
It is my intention to present an understanding of what Magick is and how it works in the real world in a way that is free of the constraints of traditional customs or beliefs of Magick and religion. To do this I explore the basic concepts that underlie all traditions.
Sometimes music helps explain or fleshes out things I’m discussing, in which case I offer a playlist. But not always.
About Magick and Music
The spelling, “Magick” has been in use since the mid 1600s. I spell the word that way, and I capitalize both “Magick” and “Mage” in this blog to not only to emphasize their use as metaphysical terms and to differentiate them from descriptors of the acts of illusion such as performed on stage, but also as a form of respect.
Magick is a process of desire+will that brings about change in reality, and desire+will are focused through ritual. According to the culturally influential and innovative artist and novelist William S. Burroughs (1914-1997), it is self-evident that the assertion of will is the primary moving force in this universe. All discussion of Magick in this blog derives from that assumption.
This means that any “rules” of Magick are the same as for all living beings that are capable of choice in this Universe (choice is a result of desire+will). Thus Magick works the same for Mages as for anyone who uses the process, and further, the laws of Magick are laws of deliberate creation. They are different from the laws of other physical objects, even other living objects, because they are laws of conscious and on purpose behavior. As Mr. Burroughs has said, there are no accidents in the world of Magick.
Music and all creative acts are very similar to Magick in how they work. Music, in particular, is worth looking at because it involves the same parts of the brain as Magick - and the effects are, in many ways parallel. Music is so natural and such an integral part of human consciousness that it amounts to another non-verbal language, one that expresses concepts that words cannot express.
Music used as a ritual of Magick is powerful stuff.
About Mages, You and Magick
Anyone can perform Magick. With sufficient desire and will, and focused through a correctly designed ritual, Magick is available to all as a way to purposefully manipulate the energy of the Universe, that is, change the stuff of which reality is made. As used in this blog, the difference between a Mage and anyone else who creates change through Magick is the level of proficiency. A master is a person who has complete knowledge or skill in an accomplishment, technique, or art - a Mage is a master of Magick.
To master music to the point of someone such as Jimmy Page is a matter of powerful desire and will, and a tremendous amount of time and effort. The music is the ritual that focuses that specific desire and will. Mr. Page has reached a level of proficiency that allows him to manipulate the music as he desires and wills without having to consciously think about it. This is not something that comes about accidentally or overnight, and it is the mark of a master.
Whether or not Mr. Page is a Mage is his own business, as whether or not you or I practice Magick is ours. What is important is to know that the concepts presented in Mage Music can be applied successfully to life itself, because Magick is a process of life itself.
About the Author
A professional non-fiction writer of government documents for the last ten years, I have decided to branch out into areas that are more speculative and closer to my heart. To that end I write weekly posts here on Mage Music and occasional posts on another blog, Spiritual Horsemanship. For a person with an open mind, the two blogs may be synergistic.
I also have completed my first novel, which touches on music and Magick. More on that another time.
~ William Burroughs, Crawdaddy Magazine, June 1975
Mage Music 60
Forgetting, of course, would only happen if you aren't practicing what you’re reading. But that’s a lecture for another time.
About Mage Music
I began this weekly blog because I was personally interested in exploring the music/Magick connection, specifically as demonstrated by the work of Jimmy Page. Mr. Page himself has stated that his music reveals who he is, and I found this to be a fascinating concept that felt intuitively correct as well as significant - a clue not simply to the mystery of that very private man, but about where his music comes from and what it is.
Mage Music, it must be emphasized, is not about Jimmy Page. It is about exploring the concepts involved with manifestation of new states of being in this reality through use of creative acts, such as music. I use Mr. Page’s music because it is so clearly full of Magick.
It is my intention to present an understanding of what Magick is and how it works in the real world in a way that is free of the constraints of traditional customs or beliefs of Magick and religion. To do this I explore the basic concepts that underlie all traditions.
Sometimes music helps explain or fleshes out things I’m discussing, in which case I offer a playlist. But not always.
About Magick and Music
The spelling, “Magick” has been in use since the mid 1600s. I spell the word that way, and I capitalize both “Magick” and “Mage” in this blog to not only to emphasize their use as metaphysical terms and to differentiate them from descriptors of the acts of illusion such as performed on stage, but also as a form of respect.
Magick is a process of desire+will that brings about change in reality, and desire+will are focused through ritual. According to the culturally influential and innovative artist and novelist William S. Burroughs (1914-1997), it is self-evident that the assertion of will is the primary moving force in this universe. All discussion of Magick in this blog derives from that assumption.
This means that any “rules” of Magick are the same as for all living beings that are capable of choice in this Universe (choice is a result of desire+will). Thus Magick works the same for Mages as for anyone who uses the process, and further, the laws of Magick are laws of deliberate creation. They are different from the laws of other physical objects, even other living objects, because they are laws of conscious and on purpose behavior. As Mr. Burroughs has said, there are no accidents in the world of Magick.
Music and all creative acts are very similar to Magick in how they work. Music, in particular, is worth looking at because it involves the same parts of the brain as Magick - and the effects are, in many ways parallel. Music is so natural and such an integral part of human consciousness that it amounts to another non-verbal language, one that expresses concepts that words cannot express.
Music used as a ritual of Magick is powerful stuff.
About Mages, You and Magick
Anyone can perform Magick. With sufficient desire and will, and focused through a correctly designed ritual, Magick is available to all as a way to purposefully manipulate the energy of the Universe, that is, change the stuff of which reality is made. As used in this blog, the difference between a Mage and anyone else who creates change through Magick is the level of proficiency. A master is a person who has complete knowledge or skill in an accomplishment, technique, or art - a Mage is a master of Magick.
To master music to the point of someone such as Jimmy Page is a matter of powerful desire and will, and a tremendous amount of time and effort. The music is the ritual that focuses that specific desire and will. Mr. Page has reached a level of proficiency that allows him to manipulate the music as he desires and wills without having to consciously think about it. This is not something that comes about accidentally or overnight, and it is the mark of a master.
Whether or not Mr. Page is a Mage is his own business, as whether or not you or I practice Magick is ours. What is important is to know that the concepts presented in Mage Music can be applied successfully to life itself, because Magick is a process of life itself.
About the Author
A professional non-fiction writer of government documents for the last ten years, I have decided to branch out into areas that are more speculative and closer to my heart. To that end I write weekly posts here on Mage Music and occasional posts on another blog, Spiritual Horsemanship. For a person with an open mind, the two blogs may be synergistic.
I also have completed my first novel, which touches on music and Magick. More on that another time.
It is no accident that I have chosen to live in New Mexico, a.k.a. the “Land of Enchantment”.
About the Artwork
All artwork on Mage Music is created by the author unless otherwise noted. Sampling has been purposefully limited to small portions of pre-existing images and, in using the samples for non-commercial educational purposes only, seeks to avoid infringement of photographer’s copyright. You are welcome to share Mage Music images.
Mage Music generally also avoids using full face images of living persons due to the subject matter of this blog. Therefore, any resemblance to a living person found in a Mage Music image is in the eyes and mind of the beholder.
Disclaimer
You will see this at the bottom of the Mage Music blog:
Magick is a matter of personal responsibility for beliefs, choices and actions. No one is required to believe, choose or act in any way other than he or she wills. No one else is responsible for the beliefs, choices or actions any human takes but that human alone.
That said, understand that what is expressed on this blog is a matter of the author's personal opinion, and these expressions of personal opinion are not recommendations for the readers' beliefs, choices or actions but merely food for thought.
About the Artwork
All artwork on Mage Music is created by the author unless otherwise noted. Sampling has been purposefully limited to small portions of pre-existing images and, in using the samples for non-commercial educational purposes only, seeks to avoid infringement of photographer’s copyright. You are welcome to share Mage Music images.
Mage Music generally also avoids using full face images of living persons due to the subject matter of this blog. Therefore, any resemblance to a living person found in a Mage Music image is in the eyes and mind of the beholder.
Disclaimer
You will see this at the bottom of the Mage Music blog:
Magick is a matter of personal responsibility for beliefs, choices and actions. No one is required to believe, choose or act in any way other than he or she wills. No one else is responsible for the beliefs, choices or actions any human takes but that human alone.
That said, understand that what is expressed on this blog is a matter of the author's personal opinion, and these expressions of personal opinion are not recommendations for the readers' beliefs, choices or actions but merely food for thought.
I don't know everythingIn Closing
And I don't know the only thing
But what I do know...
I KNOW.
Your comments are welcome - I know what I know but I don't know everything. Please keep comments on-topic. I reserve the right to remove any comments that I have decided are are too stupid or ugly or boring to sully our minds.
Walk in Beauty.
Walk in Beauty.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
A Year of Music and Magick
"We had been taken somewhere and brought back and we were different people..."
~ Terry Pratchett, Snuff (Discworld)
Mage Music 52
A little over a year ago I posted my first article to this Mage Music blog. I really didn't know what I was going to write about, but I knew that there were questions I had that needed answering. I was pulled towards the music of Jimmy Page. There was a depth to it that spoke to me in a language that was beyond words. It was... vaster, more meaningful. It was the essence of emotion... primitive, essential and powerful. I wanted to connect with that, but first I had to know it.
I confess that part of the reason I wanted to write was because I couldn't seem to find anything about what I wanted to learn anywhere else. There is so much to say about Jimmy Page's work, but I wasn't finding anyone writing about what I was interested in reading about, which wasn't the drugs, sex or excesses, the outfits, his facial expressions or his hair (sorry if that offends or disappoints, but there it is).
And of course, people like to natter on about Mr. Page's connection with the occult, specifically the work of Aleister Crowley. To me that wasn't the right direction. Yes, there was Magick in the music but it was so obviously Jimmy Page's own Magick - not someone else's - that I didn't see the point of looking to anyone or anywhere else for answers.
So I have spent a year exploring the concepts, delving into understanding the basis of Magick across disciplines and focusing on music as an expression of Magick. I used Mr. Page's work as inspiration for the words I wrote. I came to understand that I was translating from not only another language but another reality, and the result could only ever approximate the depth, the beauty and the mystery of what I sought. Still, the music compelled me to keep trying. Or maybe it's been the Magick doing so.
It took me somewhere and made me grow
Over the course of the year I listened to so much of Jimmy Page's music that I began to hear it in an entirely different way. The beauty and mystery that had always called to me now was speaking to me with a meaning that I could almost comprehend, but that remained elusive. I knew I would understand if only I listened just a little more closely, a little more carefully, so I really listened, focusing on what I was hearing at the root rather than at the surface.
What I was hearing was the Magick that was speaking through Mr. Page's guitar, of course. I came to understand that I was never going to understand it with my thinking brain, because Magick is meant for a deeper part of a human than that.
I'm no musician, I'm a listener and I'm a writer, so I finally just let the mystery of the music flow past my brain and into my heart and soul to inspire me and push my own creative process. I found myself writing much more than I ever had before, and about things that that I didn't know I knew. The music of Jimmy Page has taken me to times and places I'd never been before in my own work - a process so exciting and so inspiring that I plan to keep going there.
~ Terry Pratchett, Snuff (Discworld)
Mage Music 52
I confess that part of the reason I wanted to write was because I couldn't seem to find anything about what I wanted to learn anywhere else. There is so much to say about Jimmy Page's work, but I wasn't finding anyone writing about what I was interested in reading about, which wasn't the drugs, sex or excesses, the outfits, his facial expressions or his hair (sorry if that offends or disappoints, but there it is).
And of course, people like to natter on about Mr. Page's connection with the occult, specifically the work of Aleister Crowley. To me that wasn't the right direction. Yes, there was Magick in the music but it was so obviously Jimmy Page's own Magick - not someone else's - that I didn't see the point of looking to anyone or anywhere else for answers.
So I have spent a year exploring the concepts, delving into understanding the basis of Magick across disciplines and focusing on music as an expression of Magick. I used Mr. Page's work as inspiration for the words I wrote. I came to understand that I was translating from not only another language but another reality, and the result could only ever approximate the depth, the beauty and the mystery of what I sought. Still, the music compelled me to keep trying. Or maybe it's been the Magick doing so.
It took me somewhere and made me grow
Over the course of the year I listened to so much of Jimmy Page's music that I began to hear it in an entirely different way. The beauty and mystery that had always called to me now was speaking to me with a meaning that I could almost comprehend, but that remained elusive. I knew I would understand if only I listened just a little more closely, a little more carefully, so I really listened, focusing on what I was hearing at the root rather than at the surface.
What I was hearing was the Magick that was speaking through Mr. Page's guitar, of course. I came to understand that I was never going to understand it with my thinking brain, because Magick is meant for a deeper part of a human than that.
I'm no musician, I'm a listener and I'm a writer, so I finally just let the mystery of the music flow past my brain and into my heart and soul to inspire me and push my own creative process. I found myself writing much more than I ever had before, and about things that that I didn't know I knew. The music of Jimmy Page has taken me to times and places I'd never been before in my own work - a process so exciting and so inspiring that I plan to keep going there.
♫
The job of the artist is to recognize the truth of All That Is and to fairly represent it to the best of his ability. The tragedy of the artist's lot is knowing that, no matter how skilled he is, the artist's creation can only ever be an infinitesimal aspect of All That Is. And the triumph of the artist is that he keeps doing it anyway.
Here is a Kashmir playlist - because the Magick is right there.
♫
I hope you have enjoyed reading these posts as much as I've enjoyed writing them this past year. I hope you won't mind if I keep on writing them, too. I've got another big project in the works that I'll be talking about in upcoming months, but you can count on Mage Music posts every week as long as the music has Magick. I guess that'll be for a while.
 |
| As always, thank you Jimmy Page |
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Accidental Mage
“The fact that [certain mages] were famous in mainstream circles was just a strike against them. By the standards of magical society they'd fallen at the first hurdle: they hadn't had the basic good sense to keep their shit to themselves.”
~ Lev Grossman, The Magicians: A Novel
Mage Music 51
Not everyone who seems to be a Mage is really a Mage.
These things do not mean a person is a Mage:
Not Mage
Not everyone who is popularly thought of as being a Mage is really a Mage. Being a Mage is a whole person thing, not a job or hobby. "Mage" is a description of a person's state of a being, not his skill set.
A Mage is merged with Magick, and in his mind the difference between the inner world of Magick and outer world of reality is necessarily rather fuzzy. Just because a person studies Magickal theory or performs the practices doesn't mean that Magick has infused his very soul, any more than just having an MD makes a person a healer.
A person isn't necessarily a Mage even if clear acts of altering reality are witnessed. What would have been seen is one instance of Magick, not necessarily the act of a Mage. After all, ordinary people are able to do Magick, too - Mages don't have a monopoly on Magick.
You can't just ask the person in question, because if he's real he probably won't want to tell you. And of course, even if he was willing to admit it he might not understand that he is a Mage, particularly if the Magick comes through the act of creation known as art.
Nattering on:
~ Lev Grossman, The Magicians: A Novel
 |
Mage Music 51
Not everyone who seems to be a Mage is really a Mage.
These things do not mean a person is a Mage:
- Other people think that person is a Mage.
- A person follows a particular philosophy that focuses on or embraces Magick or the occult (e.g. Thelema, Wicca, Kabbalah).
- A person engages in practices associated with Magick or the occult (e.g. augury, fortune telling, scrying, tarot reading, rituals).
- A person can actually use Magick to change reality.
Not Mage
Not everyone who is popularly thought of as being a Mage is really a Mage. Being a Mage is a whole person thing, not a job or hobby. "Mage" is a description of a person's state of a being, not his skill set.
A Mage is merged with Magick, and in his mind the difference between the inner world of Magick and outer world of reality is necessarily rather fuzzy. Just because a person studies Magickal theory or performs the practices doesn't mean that Magick has infused his very soul, any more than just having an MD makes a person a healer.
A person isn't necessarily a Mage even if clear acts of altering reality are witnessed. What would have been seen is one instance of Magick, not necessarily the act of a Mage. After all, ordinary people are able to do Magick, too - Mages don't have a monopoly on Magick.
You can't just ask the person in question, because if he's real he probably won't want to tell you. And of course, even if he was willing to admit it he might not understand that he is a Mage, particularly if the Magick comes through the act of creation known as art.
Accidental Mages
The principles of Magick hold true across all disciplines and rituals that are used to change reality, but nowhere is Magick so unconsciously and accidentally evoked as within the area of creative arts, particularly music.
Music that carries Magick is produced by a very few musicians. Even fewer of those who do so are aware they are doing it - or care. Any artists' purpose is art, not the practice or the study of Magick. However, when an artist sufficiently merges himself with the music (or painting or whatever medium) and his desire and will are powerful enough, the act of creation is ultimately no different than any formal ritual of Magick.
Intense desire and will applied to any ritual submerges the performer into the ritual so that nothing else exists but the now of the Work. This is what it takes to change reality, whether it's the alchemy of chemicals or of musical notes.
The beauty of Magick is that anyone can do it, but like with a great musical performance, not everyone can do it so consistently and so well that they live it in their bones, their cells, their soul. The difference between the person who can perform discrete acts of Magick and a Mage is the difference between oh, you and me and Jimmy Page.
Mr. Page has always maintained that his music says everything there needs to be said about him. If he is a Mage, he has the good sense to keep that to himself and let the music be the Magick.
Can you hear the Magick? Case closed.
Can you hear the Magick? Case closed.
♫
Nattering on:
I listened to Led Zeppelin's Madison Square Garden show of Wednesday Feb 12, 1975 while working on this post. That made writing the post a very slow process, indeed, since I kept stopping to listen closely to the music.
That show was just prior to the release of Physical Graffiti
and when Mr. Plant introduces Kashmir, the audience doesn't go wild because they didn't really know what it was. That seems so strange now!
"We came four blocks in the snow to get here, do you realize that?" says Robert Plant. Funny guy.
By the way - Amazon.com gives free MP3 downloads when you buy CDs. A good deal - 2 for the price of one with no copyright guilt.
That show was just prior to the release of Physical Graffiti
and when Mr. Plant introduces Kashmir, the audience doesn't go wild because they didn't really know what it was. That seems so strange now!"We came four blocks in the snow to get here, do you realize that?" says Robert Plant. Funny guy.
By the way - Amazon.com gives free MP3 downloads when you buy CDs. A good deal - 2 for the price of one with no copyright guilt.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Two for the price of one
“We went in there with such a
will....”
~ Jimmy Page, BBC interview
2007
Mage Music 40
Mage Music 40
There are a couple of things I want to talk about very briefly today. They really should be two separate posts but oh well. This week you get two for the price of one.
Leveraging
There are two ways for a person to move a very heavy object: Work at it really, really hard or use leverage. Smart people don’t sweat it if they don’t have to, and Mages don’t get very far without being smart.
A Mage would have to be very, very powerful to generate all the energy required from his own person to manifest most of the monumental works of Magick. Even if he was very, very powerful, the continued effort to fuel Magick that way sooner or later would consume him. We've seen more than one Mage musician flame out that way. Thank the gods (or name your deity of choice) that a smart Mage can leverage power by tapping into the energy of the infinite.
Giving up the need to control, giving up specificity of process in favor of letting the Universe provide answers while still using desire and will to focus the energy through ritual is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a master-level juggling act of Magick to pull it off. I think we all agree that Jimmy Page is capable of that.
Most musicians would make playing at the highest level possible the primary goal for a one-off performance like the O2 Concert. It would be a “have to do” thing - yet ironically, having to put forth a best performance makes it harder to reach. That kind of pressure can lead to performance anxiety, to fatal doubt that undermines Magick by weakening the will.
They - Jimmy Page et al - didn't do that, though. Instead, they went onstage with the desire to live in the musical moment, using their will to follow their hearts the way they always had. Rather than attempting to force the manifestation, they felt their way to their desired end by following the sound and letting it lead them to the Magick. In letting the music be their master, they opened to the infinite and let the energy pour in. And we heard it as Mage music.But was it really Magick?
What if Magick was just a fiction, only existing in novels about kids with lightning bolts on their foreheads, or TV shows featuring professional wizards who consult with skulls named Bob?
What if there was no such thing as Mage music?
Nah.
We know Magick exists because we hear it for ourselves when we listen to the music of Jimmy Page. We recognize it personally when the Mage himself creates it right in front of our eyes (or ears). We know Mage music because we experience it. We live in it and because it becomes part of ourselves we don't need anyone else to tell us when it's there. We know Magick is real because we feel it.
When the music sings in our own souls and we resonate with it and are brought out of ourselves to something more than these physical bodies because of it - that is Magick.
That is Mage music. Thank you, Mr. Page.
That is Mage music. Thank you, Mr. Page.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Alchemy: Led Into Gold (Part 5) Jimmy Page in the 21st Century
…from a juggernaut to a dragonfly in a moment...
~ Roger Taylor (Queen) UK Hall of Fame Induction of Led Zeppelin
Mage Music 26
Jimmy Page has been criticized for appearing to back off from music after the turn of this century, particularly compared to Led Zeppelin band mate Robert Plant, who was putting out albums and touring. That appearance would, of course, only be true if Mr. Page was simply a rock guitarist - but of course he is so much more than that: Besides the private and personal inner world of Mage, beyond composer and performer of music that is his public face, Jimmy Page has also always been the complete artist. Arranger, producer, engineer, dreamer - Mr. Page’s vision encompasses a complete experience, whether it be song, show, album, band or career. Jimmy Page's interests are widespread, his passion is for perfection in all areas of his creations; given Mr. Page's well-known compulsion for perfection of detail, anything he produced would have to be hands-on, not just something he signed off on.Add ingredients and mix well
Jimmy Page continued to keep his performance skills - and his public presence - honed by appearances with other musicians from 2000 on, while simultaneously working on other projects that required his time and attention. He produced the Led Zeppelin DVD of 2003
(choice concert material from over the years) and also in 2003 How the West Was Won
(the "ideal" 1972 Led Zeppelin concert complied from the Los Angeles Forum and Long Beach Arena shows of that year). In 2007 Mothership
was released, as was the remastered Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same
. During this time Jimmy Page also continued his work on behalf of two Brazilian charities dedicated to the welfare of the poverty-stricken children of Brazil, and was involved with more events (including ceremonies in which he received and presented awards) outside of performing music than most people are aware of - all of which required, and benefited from, Jimmy Page’s personal touch.
Cook until done, serve when ready
It is instructive to note that Jimmy Page has always been committed to "everything in its own time - and only in its own time”. This may explain why, in January of 2010 when asked about a DVD of the show, Mr. Page said, "I can't give you an answer on that” - yet we now know that just a year later he was involved in production of the movie, surely a task that was not spur of the moment. It has been made quite clear in the 2012 press conferences that prefaced the Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day
movie release that Led Zeppelin would not be reuniting to tour as a band again. The full reasons for this will likely be revealed – if ever – well in the future, when the time is considered right and not a moment before. Meanwhile, Jimmy Page forged on with new projects, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics closing ceremony (Whole Lotta Love with Leona Lewis), the It Might Get Loud
documentary, a Genesis Publications limited-edition photo autobiography Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page, and a website at jimmypage.com, the latter two being fully controlled by Mr. Page, focused and concerned, as always, with the details.Soul food
Ironically, the more Jimmy Page has seemed to open up to the world, the more mysterious he has become. While it is true that he has made his work more accessible and available, and while he has been willing to talk more about the music in terms of how it was done, the life of Jimmy Page as expressed by Jimmy Page remains limited to his life as a musician. Brad Tolinski says in his just published book, Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page
, that Mr. Page considers creating music to be a transcendental endeavor.We know this to be true by the music we hear; by his preference, however, the inner life of the Mage Musician may only be revealed through his work, not through words. In 2011, Mr. Page released a sweet but fleeting solo piece on his website, called Summer's Day. His comment about it was simply: "I had a day off."
♪
(Note: Led Zeppelin will be presented with an award for lifetime achievement in the performing arts on December 1, 2012. The 35th Kennedy Center Honors medals will be presented at a dinner at the State Department and will be followed the next day by a reception at the White House and a performance at the Kennedy Center. The event will be taped for a television broadcast on Dec. 26 at 9 p.m. on CBS. It is unknown at this time whether the Led Zeppelin/Jason Bonham band will perform.)
♫
YouTube Playlist - Alchemy: Led Into Gold (Part 5)
Individual songs
2001 Page & Fred Durst & Les Scantlin, Thank You (live) MTV Europe Video Music Awards
2001 Page & Plant, Baby Let's Play House (live) Montreux Jazz Festival
2002 Jimmy Page, Dazed and Confused (live) with Paul Weller band, Feb 09, 2002 Royal Albert Hall, Children's Cancer Trust benefit
2005 Jimmy Page, Whole Lotta Love (live) NY Stock Exchange
2006 Led Zeppelin UK Hall of Fame Induction by Roger Taylor of Queen (live)
2007 Led Zeppelin/Jason Bonham, Nobody's Fault But Mine (live) O2 Concert
2008 Jimmy Page, Kashmir (live) Kashmir chords
2008 Page, Jones & Foo Fighters, Rock and Roll (live) Wembley Stadium
2011 Jimmy Page & Donovan, Sunshine Superman (live) Royal Albert Hall
2011 Jimmy Page & Roy Harper, The Same Old Rock (live) Royal Festival Hall Onstage at 2:40
2011 Jimmy Page, Summer's Day (studio) unk - featured on JimmyPage.com 08/12/11
Friday, September 28, 2012
Alchemy: Led Into Gold (Part 1)
…all went into the melting pot... ~ Jimmy Page, Interview Musician Magazine November 1990
 |
The Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher's Stone,
by Joseph Wright, 1771
|
From saints to scientists, some of the world’s most brilliant thinkers also studied alchemy, including St Thomas Aquinas, Pope Innocent VIII, Martin Luther, philosopher and Franciscan friar Roger Bacon, and Sir Isaac Newton. Philosophers, scientists, physicians, religious theorists and occultists round the world have studied and practiced the art and science for thousands of years.
From chemistry, medicine and nuclear physics to psychology and the arts, alchemical-like research still goes on today. The goal of transmutation (changing of the form, appearance, or nature of something, especially to a higher form) is all, in a sense, the search for a Philosopher’s Stone, an object (or some other, depending on who’s answering the question) that can turn base metals into silver or gold.
Why Bother?
You would think with all those great minds invested in alchemy, there would have to be more to it than just making expensive metals. After all, you have more likelihood of success with panning for gold in a stream than you do creating it using Magick. Even the gold produced by physicists who have converted platinum atoms via nuclear reaction has only lasted for a few seconds: A lot of effort for not much result. Of course, true Magickal alchemy is not really about gold, but rather is about something very different. Like with so many of the other Magickal traditions (shamanism, Kabbalah, Thelema, Wicca, divination, etc.), when practiced by the most advanced Mages, what you think you are seeing of the Magickal alchemy is not what is really happening.
More than just the transmutation of lead into gold, alchemy’s core is spiritual. The Magick is in the personal transmutation of the human soul to a higher, more perfect and enlightened state.
The Philosopher’s Stone is not unlike the Grail and other transformational objects, such as the Cup of Jamshid, in that they all represent hidden spiritual truth or power that enables the Mage to change not just the outer world, but the inner. The difference between the Philosopher’s Stone and the Grail or Cup, however, is that the alchemist has to discover how to create the Stone - and that, too, is hidden knowledge, just as the locations of the Grail and Cup are.
While there have always been those alchemists who just wanted to create a Stone that would enable them to transmute gold from base metal, the great thinkers understood the terminology and apparatus of alchemy to be symbolic of the higher quest, a way of talking about the search for knowledge and enlightenment without sharing the information with the rest of the world.
Remember the lesson of Lucifer: Throughout human history people have been broken on the rack and burned at the stake for using Magick openly. Being secretive has often been the safest bet for the brilliant.
The Alchemy of Music
Many of the arts have used the quest for the Philosopher’s Stone as a basis for their work, as subject and plot devices as well as a Magickal alchemical process of transmutation. Painters and other visual artists have incorporated alchemical thought and symbols in their work. Music, too, has been influenced by alchemy. In fact, of all the arts, music is perhaps the most suitable for transmutation of the soul. That is why, in the hands of a Mage, music can be such powerful Magick.  |
| Kimiya-yi sa'ādat (The Alchemy of Happiness) a text on Islamic philosophy and spiritual alchemy by Al-Ghazālī (1058–1111). |
Although he was talking about the rapport between a bass player and a drummer, when John Paul Jones said it was “…quite uncanny sometimes; we would both pick an off-the-wall phrase and put it in at exactly the same time and it would end up totally in synch….”, he was talking about successful alchemy (Musician Magazine interview, November 1990). We know that Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones were extraordinary musicians as part of Led Zeppelin, however it was the Mage Musician in the form of the guitarist Jimmy Page, who selected and mixed using his vision and his art, that created a musical Philosopher’s Stone of their music.
Rather than provide my own playlist, here the first ten of a playlist recommended by Dave Lewis in his book, Led Zeppelin: A Celebration (Omnibus Press, 1991). Mr. Lewis selected these songs “…to demonstrate the achievements of Jimmy Page as a guitar player.” These selections are meant to provide examples of Jimmy Page’s work spanning every stage of his career. “You will discover an aural history of a guitar master and his art,” wrote Mr. Lewis. This first half of the playlist provides the search for the components. The second half of the playlist will appear in this blog next week and will contain the artistic touch that creates the Philosopher’s Stone.
Don’t listen to lyrics, don’t listen to style - don’t listen to anything but the guitar to get a glimpse into the evolution of this alchemist’s Mage Music. All of it went into the alchemical melting pot.
♪
Future posts:
Led Into Gold (Part 2), with more of David Lewis’s History of Guitar Master list The Chicken/Egg quandary (the neurophysics of music)
♫
YouTube Playlist - Led Into Gold (Part 1)
Individual songs (URLs)
1963 "Your Mamma's Out Of Town", Carter Lewis and The Southerners. Dave says: "…young Jimmy can be heard subtly undercutting the innocent pop beat of the day with some clever acoustic picking."
1963 "Money Honey", Mickie Most. Dave says: "…an early and aggressive flexing of the Gibson Les Paul custom guitar Page used during his session days…"
1964 "I Just Can't Go To Sleep", The Sneekers. Dave says: "…Page's early deployment of guitar effects. Fuzz, distortion and wah-wah…"
1964 "Once In A While", The Brooks. Dave says: "…Jimmy injects a series of sizzling runs culminating in a brief but quite brilliant solo that is years ahead of its time."
1965 "She Just Satisfies", Jimmy Page. Dave says: "… early example of Page's ability to manipulate a simple guitar riff and stretch it over the framework of an entire song. " Jimmy Page plays all the instruments on this song except drums, and it appears that he sings as well.
1966 "Happenings 10 Years Time Ago", The Yardbirds. Jimmy Page sharing guitar duty with Jeff Beck. Dave says: "…largely responsible for the song's arrangement [Page] takes credit for the jerky rhythmic chording and the eerie police siren effects…" The solo is Jeff Beck. Dave further says: "… a yardstick for some of the adventurous and unorthodox guitar arrangements that were to follow…" John Paul Jones, bass.
1967 "Little Games", The Yardbirds. Dave says: "…represents the subtle beginnings of the Page/Jones guitar/stricg section interplay that would manifest itself years later and to much great effect on their composition, 'Kashmir'." Also, "On the fade-out Page, by now using a Fender Telecaster, plays a beautifully sustained note that echoes above the strings."
1967 "Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor", The Yardbirds. Dave says: "…concentrate on the slashing simmering guitar chordings that drive the song along. It's very similar to the layered effect on Zeppelin's own 'The Song Remains The Same'". Note the use of the bow to produce "… the atmospheric, almost majestic, sound that was to become the highlight of almost every live Zeppelin concert during 'Dazed And Confused'".
1967 "White Summer", The Yardbirds. Dave says: "…the first flowering of Jimmy's flirtation with a finger-picked acoustic guitar," and "…the first master-stroke on a trilogy of Page studio performances that would continue with 'Black Mountain Side' and climax with 'Kashmir'".
1968 "Think About It", The Yardbirds. Dave says "…a stepping-off point from which Jimmy Page was able to transfer his musical identity and relocate it within the framework that was to become Led Zeppelin's first album."
Individual songs (URLs)
1963 "Your Mamma's Out Of Town", Carter Lewis and The Southerners. Dave says: "…young Jimmy can be heard subtly undercutting the innocent pop beat of the day with some clever acoustic picking."
1963 "Money Honey", Mickie Most. Dave says: "…an early and aggressive flexing of the Gibson Les Paul custom guitar Page used during his session days…"
1964 "I Just Can't Go To Sleep", The Sneekers. Dave says: "…Page's early deployment of guitar effects. Fuzz, distortion and wah-wah…"
1964 "Once In A While", The Brooks. Dave says: "…Jimmy injects a series of sizzling runs culminating in a brief but quite brilliant solo that is years ahead of its time."
1965 "She Just Satisfies", Jimmy Page. Dave says: "… early example of Page's ability to manipulate a simple guitar riff and stretch it over the framework of an entire song. " Jimmy Page plays all the instruments on this song except drums, and it appears that he sings as well.
1966 "Happenings 10 Years Time Ago", The Yardbirds. Jimmy Page sharing guitar duty with Jeff Beck. Dave says: "…largely responsible for the song's arrangement [Page] takes credit for the jerky rhythmic chording and the eerie police siren effects…" The solo is Jeff Beck. Dave further says: "… a yardstick for some of the adventurous and unorthodox guitar arrangements that were to follow…" John Paul Jones, bass.
1967 "Little Games", The Yardbirds. Dave says: "…represents the subtle beginnings of the Page/Jones guitar/stricg section interplay that would manifest itself years later and to much great effect on their composition, 'Kashmir'." Also, "On the fade-out Page, by now using a Fender Telecaster, plays a beautifully sustained note that echoes above the strings."
1967 "Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor", The Yardbirds. Dave says: "…concentrate on the slashing simmering guitar chordings that drive the song along. It's very similar to the layered effect on Zeppelin's own 'The Song Remains The Same'". Note the use of the bow to produce "… the atmospheric, almost majestic, sound that was to become the highlight of almost every live Zeppelin concert during 'Dazed And Confused'".
1967 "White Summer", The Yardbirds. Dave says: "…the first flowering of Jimmy's flirtation with a finger-picked acoustic guitar," and "…the first master-stroke on a trilogy of Page studio performances that would continue with 'Black Mountain Side' and climax with 'Kashmir'".
1968 "Think About It", The Yardbirds. Dave says "…a stepping-off point from which Jimmy Page was able to transfer his musical identity and relocate it within the framework that was to become Led Zeppelin's first album."
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Mage Music 18: Fetching the Magick
Ritual is the glue that holds the Magickal process together...
Mage Music 18
Like everything else associated with Magick, Ritual is simple, but it’s not easy. Just for openers, there is more than one flavor of Magick. There is no one Magical path that is the sole truth of things. There is no good or bad Magick, either – Magick is what the Mage chooses to make it, since Magick is a process and tool of the Mage, not an independent thing in itself. The Power that the Mage accesses using Magick is the infinite energy of the Universe, which is not owned by Magick, the Mage, a demon, an angel or any being.
Even within one flavor of Magick there are many possible rituals that can be used by a Mage to achieve the desired outcomes. The ritual can be from any number of possible sources or it can be created by the Mage. The same ritual can be used over and over again or can be changed from time to time. Always, however, the risk exists for putting too much emphasis on the ritual’s form rather than its function. More on this in a bit.
Ritual: The Abracadabra Part
Ritual is the visible, external part of Magick. It’s what people see in the movies and read about in books and, if they are uneducated about Magick, it's what they think Magick is all about. Not so.
Ritual is the action that is used to bind the desire and will of the Mage and provides a focus for long enough for the Mage to access and open to the energy of the Universe. It’s the unlimited and infinite energy of the Universe that makes changes in the reality of the Mage... if all the component parts of Magick come together just right.
There is no Power in Magick itself, since Magick is a process not a thing. There is no Magick in a magic wand or in a secret word or symbol – if any of those things seem to contain Magick, it is only an illusion, a seeming that comes from the Mage at the time of use in ritual. Don't believe it? Well, a non-Mage can go to a magic store and buy the most arcane, most talismanic object - but outside of Magickal process by a Mage, the object will be just an inert thing. Think about this: Jimmy Page told Brad Tolinski in 2010 that the iconic outfits that our favorite Mage Musician wore on the 1977 tour were “more than just stage clothes; they were talismanic”, yet I doubt anyone who put one of those dragon suits would suddenly gain the Mage Music abilities of Jimmy Page. That's because....
Magick isn't in the objects or the ritual; Magick is a process that provides a framework for a flow-through of purposeful and directed energy of the Universe. It isn't easy to do this - and it's not an immediate cause-effect, either, which is a good thing when you think about it. One moment of inattention and a demon pops through! No, it is fortunate for reality as we know it that immediate cause-effect - a wave of a wand and an Abracadabra - is not how Magick works.
1971 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Osaka (pre-album performance)
1971 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (studio) Album: Led Zeppelin IV
Mage Music 18
 |
| Black Dog artwork based on NASA image click on image to enlarge |
Even within one flavor of Magick there are many possible rituals that can be used by a Mage to achieve the desired outcomes. The ritual can be from any number of possible sources or it can be created by the Mage. The same ritual can be used over and over again or can be changed from time to time. Always, however, the risk exists for putting too much emphasis on the ritual’s form rather than its function. More on this in a bit.
Ritual: The Abracadabra Part
Ritual is the visible, external part of Magick. It’s what people see in the movies and read about in books and, if they are uneducated about Magick, it's what they think Magick is all about. Not so.
Ritual is the action that is used to bind the desire and will of the Mage and provides a focus for long enough for the Mage to access and open to the energy of the Universe. It’s the unlimited and infinite energy of the Universe that makes changes in the reality of the Mage... if all the component parts of Magick come together just right.
There is no Power in Magick itself, since Magick is a process not a thing. There is no Magick in a magic wand or in a secret word or symbol – if any of those things seem to contain Magick, it is only an illusion, a seeming that comes from the Mage at the time of use in ritual. Don't believe it? Well, a non-Mage can go to a magic store and buy the most arcane, most talismanic object - but outside of Magickal process by a Mage, the object will be just an inert thing. Think about this: Jimmy Page told Brad Tolinski in 2010 that the iconic outfits that our favorite Mage Musician wore on the 1977 tour were “more than just stage clothes; they were talismanic”, yet I doubt anyone who put one of those dragon suits would suddenly gain the Mage Music abilities of Jimmy Page. That's because....
Magick isn't in the objects or the ritual; Magick is a process that provides a framework for a flow-through of purposeful and directed energy of the Universe. It isn't easy to do this - and it's not an immediate cause-effect, either, which is a good thing when you think about it. One moment of inattention and a demon pops through! No, it is fortunate for reality as we know it that immediate cause-effect - a wave of a wand and an Abracadabra - is not how Magick works.
Focus
I mentioned in discussion of the use of a Mage's will how hard it is to sustain powerful desire and a conscious awareness of purpose for any meaningful length of time. For most of us, a moment or two is pretty good. For a Mage, minutes - many of them - may be needed to bring about the desired changes in Reality. There probably have been humans who could sustain the desire and awareness for long enough solely through their own will, but for most Mages, ritual is the tool that allows them to do the job.
Good ritual, through the use of stylized, formal actions performed sequentially, focuses the mind and emotions so that distractions are prevented and the primary desire and purpose can be maintained. Good ritual draws in and binds the senses and ensnares conscious awareness in order to align the mind, body and soul with the desired outcome. It is the loss of awareness and surrender to the desired new state - existing in the changed reality before the change exists in reality - that is the key to the ritual of Magick. Shamans dance and chant or dream, priests use prayer, Mages use Magickal ritual - all do so to surrender to the process, to step out of themselves and into the new state and to sustain that altered existence until it becomes the new reality. For some Mages, the form of ritual - and the surrender - is to music: Mage Music.
Form vs. Function
The form of ritual provides a framework for the Magickal process that creates a familiar pattern. [Note that if the pattern is achieved, then the ritual isn't improved by increasing technical expertise of performance, since it is the familiar patterns themselves that tell the receiver what kind of information to expect. Jimmy Page has often been criticized for sloppy technique, but technique is secondary to content for a Mage Musician.]
The formula for ritual is pretty standardized: There's a beginning, middle and end. Each kind of ritual has its own pattern-within-pattern. With Magick (and Mage Music) the ritual pattern looks approximately like this:
Ritual in itself is a catalyst, meaning that it brings about change while itself not being changed. Ritual is simply a component in a process that brings about/transmutes the Mage's reality, via desire and will, into a new reality. The need for the Mage to be able to surrender while maintaining the highest and most powerful levels of desire in full purpose and awareness means that during the sequential moments of ritual, what it looks (or sounds) like is secondary to the change it brings about in the Mage's reality.
No quality of musical performance, however skilled, will bring Magick to the music without the Mage’s purposeful immersion in the ritual. The technical skill of a Mage Musician is less important than the strength of emotion, the purity of desire and the power of will used to perform the musical ritual.It can’t be faked and it can’t be emulated – Magick in music can only be created and recreated each individual time and only through the efforts of a Mage.
Fortunately for Mage Musician, audience has a function in the ritual. We provide energy. When we recognize the the ritual pattern and the quality of the music that carries Magick, when we feel the Magick we are transmuted along with the Mage and our feedback helps power the Mage. It is the Mage Musician, however, who always does the fetching for us.
I mentioned in discussion of the use of a Mage's will how hard it is to sustain powerful desire and a conscious awareness of purpose for any meaningful length of time. For most of us, a moment or two is pretty good. For a Mage, minutes - many of them - may be needed to bring about the desired changes in Reality. There probably have been humans who could sustain the desire and awareness for long enough solely through their own will, but for most Mages, ritual is the tool that allows them to do the job.
Good ritual, through the use of stylized, formal actions performed sequentially, focuses the mind and emotions so that distractions are prevented and the primary desire and purpose can be maintained. Good ritual draws in and binds the senses and ensnares conscious awareness in order to align the mind, body and soul with the desired outcome. It is the loss of awareness and surrender to the desired new state - existing in the changed reality before the change exists in reality - that is the key to the ritual of Magick. Shamans dance and chant or dream, priests use prayer, Mages use Magickal ritual - all do so to surrender to the process, to step out of themselves and into the new state and to sustain that altered existence until it becomes the new reality. For some Mages, the form of ritual - and the surrender - is to music: Mage Music.
Form vs. Function
The form of ritual provides a framework for the Magickal process that creates a familiar pattern. [Note that if the pattern is achieved, then the ritual isn't improved by increasing technical expertise of performance, since it is the familiar patterns themselves that tell the receiver what kind of information to expect. Jimmy Page has often been criticized for sloppy technique, but technique is secondary to content for a Mage Musician.]
The formula for ritual is pretty standardized: There's a beginning, middle and end. Each kind of ritual has its own pattern-within-pattern. With Magick (and Mage Music) the ritual pattern looks approximately like this:
- Preparation - Sets the desire and will, repeated so that the body/mind/soul are prepared (theme, riff)
- Invocation - Losing self in order to put the desire and intention of the Mage out into the Universe and to thereby become aligned with the change that is desired (solo)
- Close - Gratitude and creating the path to return to end of ritual (return to theme)
The function of ritual is essentially that of prayer (in the sense of spiritual communion), the object of which is to transform the Mage and thereby transform the Mage’s reality.
No quality of musical performance, however skilled, will bring Magick to the music without the Mage’s purposeful immersion in the ritual. The technical skill of a Mage Musician is less important than the strength of emotion, the purity of desire and the power of will used to perform the musical ritual.It can’t be faked and it can’t be emulated – Magick in music can only be created and recreated each individual time and only through the efforts of a Mage.
Fortunately for Mage Musician, audience has a function in the ritual. We provide energy. When we recognize the the ritual pattern and the quality of the music that carries Magick, when we feel the Magick we are transmuted along with the Mage and our feedback helps power the Mage. It is the Mage Musician, however, who always does the fetching for us.
1971 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Osaka (pre-album performance)
1971 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (studio) Album: Led Zeppelin IV
1971 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Knebworth
1973 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Madison Square Garden
1975 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Earls Court
1979 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Knebworth
1993 Page Coverdale Black Dog (live) Osaka
1995 Page Plant Black Dog (live) New Orleans
2007 Led Zeppelin/Jason Bonham Black Dog (live) O2
1973 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Madison Square Garden
1975 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Earls Court
1979 Led Zeppelin Black Dog (live) Knebworth
1993 Page Coverdale Black Dog (live) Osaka
1995 Page Plant Black Dog (live) New Orleans
2007 Led Zeppelin/Jason Bonham Black Dog (live) O2
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Mage Music: Whence Magick?
It was a very successful experiment.
- Jimmy Page, Guitar World, 1993
Mage Music 12
How magical to get to use the word “whence” – never did I imagine I’d ever have reason to use it, but “Where Does Magic Come From?” is such a boring title for a blog post, don’t you think?
♪
Last week on the official JimmyPage Facebook page, Sara said she can’t listen to more than one version of Tea For One or any Led Zeppelin song one after another because they are so intense she feels like they would stop her heart - she said she has to pace herself. It’s easy to feel that way about such powerful music. For me it’s particularly tough when I first begin to hear a Led Zeppelin song. Like Sara I feel that the act of listening could cause my heart to falter, my blood to cease to circulate, my lungs to be unable to take in oxygen ever again. That’s intense!
Intense… but not mundane.
What we’re reacting to isn't just ordinary music - there's plenty of music out in the world that's really great but it doesn't make anyone feel like they're having a near-death experience. What we're reacting to is pure Power, and so much of the stuff that it feels like it is too much for a merely physical human being to withstand. Power... but not mundane. It's Magickal Power.
So where does this Magickal Power come from? And how is it that Mage Musicians can not only withstand the Power, but do so performance after performance?
Whence?
Magick doesn't come from the Mage - let's get that straight. And so sorry, but Magick isn't a Super Power either.
Magick is a process that the Mage is a part of.
The process of Magick involves the Mage's engaging with and essentially becoming an active component of the evolution of the Universal Energy (you could call it Magickal Energy, Source, Great Spirit or just plain Power if you prefer) that everything that exists is made of, in order to bring about some change in the Mage's reality.
Desire, focus and ritual (conscious choice, will and action) bring about alignment with the Universal Energy that manifests as the change the Mage seeks. If the Mage fails in any part of the process, the whole process will fail. Failure means that something else will happen. It could be good, bad or ugly - once the Mage falls out of alignment something will still happen, but it's the Universe, not the Mage, that "decides" what will happen.
The Paradox of Control
The process of Magick is about control – having it and letting it go. The Mage has to have absolute control - not over other people or over things, but control of Self: Control of the Mage's own mind, thoughts, emotions and physical body. There needs to be so much control that the Mage can let it go; the goal is to move beyond it to as pure a state of simply being as possible.
In other words, the Mage's goal is to have no control of the process, of the Magick, at all.
This seemingly contradictory state of absolute control and absolute lack of control is like meditation - except that the Buddha had it easy: A Mage can’t do sitting meditation but must be able to perform the Magickal rituals while in the meditative state; a Mage Musician has to play a musical instrument while holding a pure state of being!
And to top it all, the Mage must also let the Power that results in the change in the Mage's reality do what it will.
To maintain sufficient control while giving Self to the music and the Magick and letting them manifest as they will is another seeming contradictory state of no will and free will, of control and no control. This is the true choice that a Mage makes: Choosing the end, then allowing the journey to happen; abandoning Self to the journey, trusting/knowing/believing that it will all come out the way it needs to; controlling to perfection and then letting it go… this is the choice that is made to allow the Power to pass through the Mage and into the Music, and it is the choice that means the Mage Musician is not burned out by the Magick.
A Mage Musician is a pure crystal lens that channels light without interference. No matter how strong the light, the lens is unharmed by it, but oh, beware when you are in the focus of that light! We mere mortal listeners to Mage Music risk frying our souls unless we, too, open ourselves and become lenses that pass the Light through.
♪
Future post:
Comments on Jimmy Page's playing a bit of Beck's Bolero in How Many More Times
♫
Playlist for 07/29 post: How Many More Times
Please listen to these selections while contemplating what a Mage Musician is actually doing as he channels the Magick.
Please listen to these selections while contemplating what a Mage Musician is actually doing as he channels the Magick.
Mage Music 12 Full Playlist on YouTube
Individual song versions:
Led Zeppelin Studio - Led Zeppelin 1969
Led Zeppelin Live Gonzaga University, Spokane Washington 1968
Led Zeppelin Live Olympia Theater 1969
Led Zeppelin Live Danish TV 1969
Led Zeppelin Live BBC Sessions 1969
Led Zeppelin Live Royal Albert Hall 1970
Led Zeppelin Live Montreux 1970
Page & Plant Live WDR Rockpalast / Bizarre Festival 1998
Page & Plant Live MGM Grand Las Vegas 1998
Page & Plant Live Shepherds Bush Empire, London 1998 (How Many More Times begins at 7:00)
Links to other versions are appreciated.
Links to other versions are appreciated.
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