Magickal Record of Louis Martinie’November 1998

The Magickal Record of Louis Martinie': November 1998

Sunday 1: Drum Prayers and sessions at the Voodoo Spiritual Temple. We would play for the people and then explain the what and why of the particular rhythm we had played. Priestess Miriam was in the Temple proper speaking to people. Very relaxed and, I believe, informative.
- Barbara from Chicago spoke of going to a Jazz Parade yesterday. She was amazed by the sense of community and comradery of the people in the street. What is more, she spoke of the sense of love the people in the parade shared. Said it was like Pagan line dances she had been in. This reminded me so much of the Yenvelou and the snake dance to Damballah. A primary virtue of the snake is connection. This is like the Jazz Parades connecting all of the people. The band forms the head of the snake followed by the Second Line; the vertebrae. Camus In THE PLAGUE points to an ignorant mind as one that does not acknowledge the connection of the individual, through love, to the community. In terms of this understanding, a sense of connection, of love, would be an antidote to ignorance.
Monday 2: RITUAL: All Souls Day; Voodoo Spiritual Temple
WILL: Dedication of La Peristyle Dantour
LOVE: Steven, Miriam, another man, and I. I brought a vase and at Miriam’s suggestion we took it outside to offer rest to the spirits passing on the winds. Back inside we each took a direction for the consecration of the space, four of us . . . perfect. Salt and sugar to the corners. Procession around the PORTEAU MITAN.
SUCCESS: The space is consecrated.
COMMENT: Honored the spirits of the 200 hundred year old house in the consecration. I believe this house stood and looked out at Congo Square when Marie Laveau danced and Dr. John drummed. Steven had a cake with the Marassa veve in its icing. He said his wife iced the cake and picked the design from a book of veves at random. Steven has a piano and pews in the space. His playing reminds me of Coltrane.
This is the last of five days of ritual for this Festival of the Dead. Well done!
Tuesday 3: Line from e-mail received from Maegdlyn............
In some ways I see my children as a willing injury for the sake of growing into something larger than myself...M
Wednesday 4: Begin reading Myth Of Sisyphus by Camus. These are works that shaped me.
Thursday 5: No ritual tonight. We are all a bit tired from the festival. Camus asks if one can be a saint or sin without the existence of God. This is a primary concern of his.
Friday 6: Rest and my love.
Saturday 7: Hart sculpture opening in the Quarter. His eyes looked tired and sad. I heard that he is shy and doesn't like these openings.
Over heard conservation. "I bought one for 86 in July and made 3 thousand already." The art industry. Capitalism making a commodity of all it touches.
Sunday 8: Began to clean out House Temple. While putting the white tree in place I broke many things. There is a need to balance this tree in the visible and invisible worlds.
Work constructing the MR from notes during my nose surgery. I see that it is my desire to walk new roads that gave me the courage to have the surgery.
Monday 9: See very clearly that it is not the amount of things one has but the attachment to them that can create suffering. It doesn't matter wether the things come from am expensive art gallery or from others garbage. It is the attachment, not the things that create suffering.
Tuesday 10: Camus notion of the absurd man describes a good way to live if the "physical world of the present was all that existed; rebellion, pride, and the will to use up all that the world provides. The alternative would be a justified, though awful, acquiescence and fear. Thelema, Voodoo, and Buddhism each offer either a way out or a way in.
- Working on Congo Square mss for Pelican Publishing.
Wednesday 11: Cold . . . Sleep . . . I am like a turtle in a shell.
Thursday 12: This is a very bad cold. I believe that Andi brought it with him from London.
Friday 13: Cold...Mishlen has it worse than me. Home to care for her.
Saturday 14: Able to do simple errands. Cold...both Mishlen and I.
Sunday 15: Cold . . . Able to do some work on Congo Square Mss.
Monday 16: Cold . . . letting up. But home and doctor with Mishlen. Mishlen had to get a shot to help clear up air passageways.
- Complete Myth Of Sisyphus by Camus.
Tuesday 17: Movie on Gypsies . . . Slept almost immediately after movie. So this is a London cold. Oh Lord, its as if Mishlen and I have no immunity to it. - Began to read Taking the Kalachakra Initiation.
There is a caution in the book about mixing systems. This requires great consideration.
Wednesday 18: Cold . . . Out with Mishlen. This is the first time in about 10 days we were well enough to do things together.
Mixing Systems - A strength of the druids was their ability to incorporate the gods and spirits of peoples around them. This seems like an easy going tolerance. Is this mixing? What of the Tree of Life. Part of my morning devotion from Malkuth goes: Farmer/Rain/Drummer/Dancer/White Snake/Strength/The Seas/The Land/Connection/Movement/The Awakened Ones. This incorporates Thelema, Voodoo, and Buddhism. Is this a mixing of systems?
Thursday 19: Begin The Possessed by Camus and continue with the cold. No rite tonight. So many people are down with a (the?) virus.
Friday 20: Albita Studio - Across the Causeway by Fulsome, LA. Went with Joey and Gabriele. Making a dat from the tapes recorded at home and at the Temple last May to be used as a basic track on the cd. The drum societe sounded so good; so strong. The cd as a means of opening up the experience of the drumming and the Temple to all the people who were not there is an expression of my and our will. Still with cold; but able to work from 7am in the morning to 4am the next day.
Saturday 21: MoonWeb Electronic mail to people around the world. Yes, the cd is a very good working. Very few people, comparatively, were able to actually be at the rituals we recorded.
Sunday 22: The rituals of Thursday night we did for the last 3? years may be complete. Work on the cd has taken their place. I am sad and happy about this.
Monday 23: Congo Square Mss - Dr. John is one of the primary characters. This is one importance of the mss to me, it is a way to remember his name and to locate drums within New Orleans Voodoo. He is a loa who is a drummer. How wonderful!
Tuesday 24: RITUAL: Home Temple Blanc dan-i
WILL: Ask that Guede speak through the Congo Square Mss
LOVE: Offering of energy (heat of palms); Honor and Respect
SUCCESS: He answered with a shift in the ethers
COMMENT: The cats passed by drawn by the current.
Wednesday 25: Complete New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple Order of Service. This could be the basic flow of the cd.
Thursday 26: RITUAL: Home Temple Blanc dan-i; Thanksgiving
WILL: Honor and respect to the spirits, loa, and buddhas
LOVE: In courtyard; constructed etheric Tree of Life and climbed its worlds in Thanksgiving.
SUCCESS: well done and well received
COMMENT: Very nice dinner later at the Voodoo Spiritual Temple with Priestess Miriam.
Friday 27: Congo Square Mss - Manman Bridgitte is introducing herself. Her narrative is much stronger than I thought it would be.
Saturday 28: With Mishlen. This is one of the first evenings in a long time she and I are really well. Together all evening.
Offering of 7 cowrie shells to Manman Bridgitte so she may speak in the mss.
Sunday 29: Congo Square Mss - Papa Guede identified himself as Papa Shovel. He says that a way he uses to bring on possession is to throw a shovel full of dirt over his shoulder.
Monday 30: Congo Square Mss - Papa Shovel has spoken his piece. Now on to Manman Bridgitte. In the story Manman speaks through Papa Shovel. Perhaps Manman Bridgitte will chose another name as Papa Guede did. Perhaps not.
Papa Shovel (Guede) is strong in the mss. His advice to Lizabeth is powerful.
Invited Stella Djoir to the ritual Friday. Her spirit has much depth.

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