Ckakra Zodiac

I absolutely agree, Sam. The more I learn, the more my creative process is enriched. There is a place where the information connects with my direct experience, and magic happens. I also notice I reach plateaus with it where I feel especially connected to the knowledge and liberated to express it however I like and be creative with it. Right now, studying with our friend Ernst Wilhelm, I am once again humbled and immersed in lots of new information which hasn't exactly coelesced into a beautiful epiphany yet. But I trust that it will, it always does eventually.

Don't get me wrong, I like the people who are truly dedicated to unearthing the wisdom of the ancients as it was recorded. In fact, I depend on them, since I don't feel like that's my strength. It's good to hear that you think the Vedic community is open to experimentation and creativity, I think so too!

DR

ohmigod, I love him!!!

When I was eighteen and disillusioned with traditional theatre and looking for something experimental, I came across a beautiful photo book about the Manhattan Project's Alice in Wonderland project. I totally fell in love and knew that was the direction my theatre work was going to go. I loved the idea of an "actor-centered" production, where you fit the parts and script to the actor, and not the other way around.

Years later I decided to create my own theatre company. For each production I would find small groups of people, choose a story from ancient mythology to work with, cast it and come up with a scene breakdown. Then we would improv the scenes and tape record them and generate our own actor-centered script that way. I did a production called Origins, which was four seperate vignettes based on myths: Quetzalcoatl, Sigurd Dragonslater, Isis & Osiris, and a story based on the Hindu triad of Brahma, Shiva, & Vishnu. I did another one that was a modern version of Dante's Inferno, as well as an improv-generated re-telling of Ikarus, which dealt with issues of changing from a matriarchal to patriarchal society. Since then I have also worked with a radical faerie sanctuary in Vermont to create an improv-generated version of the ancient gay love story, Gilgamesh & Enkidu.

Now, after working with a Playback Theatre company for a year, I am getting more and more into improv theatre. Recently I was part of Lola Tarot in Seattle, where we acted out live tarot readings for audience member questions. Everything was improvised. We had a bunch of random costumes and props, and would use the questioner's question, the cards they picked and their positions in the reading to create improv theatre. We did an intensive 9-month rehearsal period before we even performed, and this process taught me so much about the tarot (and astrology). There is nothing like actually embodying these archetypes for bringing their deeper meanings to life.

Since I connect the major arcana with the tarot, I did a fun (and powerful) theatre exercise with the cast where we acted out each other's Vedic charts, based on what we knew of the tarot cards! There is definitely some great potential in this type of "astro-drama", but I agree that not everyone can do it because it requires a certain skill set that for most people takes some time to develop. I would personally like to explore this stuff more.

I will check out the websites, thanks!

Please keep me informed about any performances and/or workshops you are involved in.

What a strange synchronicity..

David