I FEEL THE EARTH SHIFT

EARTHDANCE JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Written before the 2008 event.

By dancing you scratch the earth where it is always itchy!? Through movement the earth comes alive, heals itself and in turn heals you!"

Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa  

 

 


Baba Credo, Virginia and their Granddaughter, Masedi
by Diana K. - Sept 08

We are dancing under the stars where humans have danced a million years ago.  Dancing in the Cradle of Humankind, as music fills the air and takes us on a journey of unity.  This is my vision for 13 September 2008 whilst people all around the world dance for humanity. This is what I see for our city of gold, sometimes known as “Egoli” - Johannesburg.

Yes, South Africa has become a challenging place.  It’s hard not to get into fear when every week you hear of rape, violent crime or death of someone you know or know of.  It hits close to home. Let’s get real - we are living in a cold war.

The other day I was driving to my office on dustbin collection day .  I was in tears.  At every second or third bin outside people’s comfy suburban homes along a 4 Km stretch, there were vagrants digging in for  their weekly ‘spoils’. Oh my gosh – can you imagine living out of a dustbin?  Eating anything that’s been rotting for a week?  Can you imagine scrabbling through the rot to find paper and scrap metal?  At least these guys are doing us a favour.  Many people are simply too lazy recycle their refuse. 

For me, that’s desperation as rock bottom as it gets.  I mean, how much lower could you go?  This is tangible to anyone who chooses to notice.

In all my life I have never seen it as bad out there as it is now.  Zimbabweans are flooding into our country.  We have a critical shortage of jobs.  Many business owners have taken their families to start a new life elsewhere.  There is little infrastructure to sustain hungry, homeless and hopeless people.

There are no immediate simple solutions to the problems here.  There are more people dying here weekly than in the Iraq war.  Johannesburg, our biggest city, is possibly the crime capital of the world.  Recently “Xenophobia” became the word of the moment. We are also having to deal with power shortages and the signs are showing that soon it will be water, and then ….. who knows what?! 

Yes – the world has gone crazy with little respect for nature and other people.  There is so much aggression – perhaps exacerbated by greed, the media and playstation games.  Whatever the reasons, the time is here and the time is now to change our destiny.  Prevent our mutilation of our own planet.  Oh, I think this planet will survive, but I’m not so sure about the people that populate her lands and have abused and exploited her mercilessly.

How can we stop this rising tide of imminent disaster?  The only way I know is through wisdom, intelligence and consciousness.  That is, using the power of the mind and the love in our hearts to live in a higher state of being.  To understand how to work with energy and think the changes we want to be.  Where everything around us matters as much as we do.

It’s not only about “Going Green”, debating global warming and rushing eco-friendly, sustainable living.  Oh don’t get me wrong.  I well can see what benefits the challenges here have brought to our country,  They have forced us to face reality and think carefully about our energy sources and future.  So although a lot of good has transpired, it may just be a little too late and the only real way we’re going to survive, is to learn to live in harmony and love.  With that will come the consciousness to deal with the issues confronting us with wisdom and the absence of power plays.

So when Earthdance came into my life 8 years ago, I saw it to be one of the most important ways in which we can raise the frequency of this planet.  I understand and fully value what Chris Decker has set into motion.  That is why it has become imperative for me that Johannesburg, city of my birth, in a beautiful, wild and free country, connects with the rest of the world at that moment of global unity.  When the whole world shines bright and we truly feel one!

Last year Earthdance Johannesburg celebrated it’s 10th year anniversary at “Naledi” (“Star” in Zulu).  A global group. the “Women of Peace”, acquired this piece of land for Baba Credo Mutwa.  A visionary, author and Sanusi - (head of  Sangomas  - our local medicine men or Shaman - in SA). Many dignitaries visited him in the 17 odd years he lived at Naledi, including Bill Clinton, Giscard d'Estaing (President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981) and the Dalai Lama whom he saw several times.  Baba Credo commends him for his ever-present humour in his smiling humility.

Baba Credo Mutwa moved away from Naledi two years ago and retired from public life to live in peace and solitude with his family in the Northern Cape.  I saw him at Naledi about a year before he left and something he said to us that day will always remain in my memory:

"Dance is used for many purposes - all of them positive!

 In the old days there were massive migrations along exactly the same migration paths year after year. The animals were actually migrating along powerful ley lines and reacted as if the earth is singing to them. These migrations vibrated the earth.

 Nowadays the natural migration paths have been disturbed by mankind’s intervention, so we need to dance.

By dancing you scratch the earth where it is always itchy!? Through movement the earth comes alive, heals itself and in turn heals you!"

The Sanusi and Sangomas performed holy rituals, created artwork and sacred spaces at Naledi over the years.  With it’s dragon-shaped mountain, flowing river, wide grassy areas, beautiful trees, this was a perfect venue for Earthdance Johannesburg 2007, which was celebrated in high spirits by about  700 people. After an Opening Ceremony, fabulous bands played in the open air under a blue sky, kicking off with drums, marimbas and easing into world music, didgeridoos and soulful bands.

As the day progressed, more and more happy smiley faces came to join us.  I always marvel at the power of intent when people unite for peace and the absolutely awesome vibe it creates – unlike any gathering or party I have ever known! 

As the tempo picked up, people were dancing and “tickling the earth” in a big way. Earthdance Johannesburg has developed into a beautiful event for families.  The day has a fully facilitated kids program for our peace carriers of the future and there are food stalls and stands with all kinds of interesting goodies.  Despite all their challenges, Johannesburg people are vibrant and colourful.  Those that come to Earthdance dance from the depths of their hearts.  Express their joy of life in the moment!  The dancing sweeps forward with varying degrees of rhythm and beats as we dance through some rock, live trance, more world music, with hip hop and firedancers lighting up the night, Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Electronic grass-stomping beats!  Yay!! 

Swirling around, smiles abound
feet floating above the ground and thumping down!
Bright colours – bright hair – bright tattoos
Bright eyes – wide open hearts!
Bright smiles –
yes we can only change the world if we KNOW love….
shower our hearts with love and
shower the world with it too!

The energy builds up like a wave on the ocean until, just before the global link up (1am on the Sunday morning here), the music slows to a pause….. and we gather together, candles held high, in a ceremony honouring the waters.  Then we start Om’ing.  When the moment arrives and the “Prayer for Peace” plays out around the world, I am standing next to Mapula, a Sangoma and wise woman who has lived at Naledi for 17 years and held its energy sacred.  As I hear the words reverberating around the world, with an ever present Om echoing above, I feel the earth lift.

I see a broad smile on Mapula’s face - tears streaming down – hand held at her heart.
I feel all of us lift.
And as the Om is chanted over and over
(we did a full 20 minutes – can you believe?)
We lift higher
We feel it
We all feel it
The warm, soothing, wave of love around the world

Now take a pause……..
And if you were there in that moment,
Take a moment to remember how it feels

OR

If you haven’t got there yet –
Imagine how love around the world feels
And…
Breathe it in….

Headlines feature crime, fear and desperation in this city.  We get little media support for a “Peace” festival.  Strange!  When we so need to enhance peace in this land.  It is sadly seen as something just for barefoot hippies and idealistic, flowery, airy fairy, drugged up floaties.  (Or as my friend Chris coins them “Heyshoowows!).  Yet what I love about Earthdance is that we get all types of people from all walks of life joining in this celebration.

To be involved in Earthdance Johannesburg takes courage.  All the wonderful people that truly resonate with its mission, have set an example for others to show that great heights can be achieved without artificial mind-altering stimulants.

We all know peace begins within ourselves. 
It’s the lotus flower of our heart – pink and green.
We all know too the power of the mind - the strength of intent.

So when the two combine synchronistically - with the intent of Peace
 and thousands of people illuminate the world - with dance, music, love and harmony,
I feel the Earth shift!

And that’s what Earthdance means to me

Now here we are on the brink of another year’s festival scheduled 13 September 2008.  The theme:  “Honouring the Earth”.  This event will be showcased at Auto Cradle about 50Kms outside of Johannesburg. There we will dance on the wide grassy lawns looking out over the cradle’s golden veld (savannah) reaching out to tip the distant horizon.  The energy permeating the air whispers with a timelessness and wisdom.  Infinite peace!

What we have in store for the day:

 

This will be for all ages and cultures with something for everybody

- a music and dance festival of note to Give Back to the Earth!

 

IT IS THE TIME TO MOVE TOGETHER!!

 

 

I APPLAUD ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

who come with all their human weaknesses –

Who respect the other for their unique humanness

knowing that each of us is as perfect

as much as we are not (perfect)

Yet each and every ONE of us counts

And no ONE is better than anyONE

Our thoughts wishes desires and intentions

are ONE

To live in peace and love!

 

Love and peace go hand in hand

Peace to you all my friends

And love for self and all.

 

© Diana K.
 Sundancer
www.sundancer.co.za
August 2008

The week before the actual event of Earthdance 2008, I went to see Baba Credo Mutwa and listened to him talk about many interesting things.  He urged me to continue to dance for peace.  He says it is a very powerful and good way to bring peace onto the planet.  The Sangomas and Saunusis dance, not only in celebration and ritual, but also if they are ill, they dance until they work the pain/disease out of their body.  Dance to them is highly important and in fact, was a great part of Baba Credo's own healing.  At a young age he fell ill, which after many years, was acknowledged to be the illness of the 'calling' by the Ancestors.  Dancing everyday, when he could barely stand, formed the basis of his healing and initiation into becoming a Sanusi.  I was most honoured when he bestowed upon me my Zulu name "Giya" which means "Dance of Victory".  
Thank you Baba Credo.

That day I got a copy of Virginia’s book “Woman of Four Paths” and in the front was a message that will always remind me of what they had told me.  It says :

“To Diana – ‘GIYA’ – Dance of Victory

from V1rginia and Cred0 Mutwa

Hey dancing lady we wish you good luck and we ask you to heal the world with great dancing –

especially the youth of SA.

God bless you.

V1rginia and Cred0”

God bless you both too *

and that is just one of the reasons why, once again I will be doing it in a beautiful and meaningful way …..

Earthdance Johannesburg 2009

(Sure there will be more to read here soon......)

Keep an eye on:  www.earthdance.org.za

 

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