A Special Kind of Instrument
When an instrument comes to me, I've been given permission by the instrument itself to consciously bless, cleanse, and express an aspect of the divine creativity shared between me and the instrument. I call my painted instruments "Divine Instruments" because my work starts and stops with the conscious expression of the divine beauty of the universe in relation to the instrument. It is not for me to decide or determine the soul-path of a music instrument, so I can't say if an instrument is meant for divine musical or sacred work - I'm simply a stop along it's journey to you and beyond. Although, I can say that an instrument coming to me is *probably* in one of these two categories - a "normal" instrument wouldn't likely come to me for divine creative work... but then again, who knows! I'm open!
Whether the instrument becomes a sacred instrument used for ceremonies, journeys, and healing work, or a divine musical instrument used to make music, is up to you - the rightful keeper of the instrument - to discover. Your intention when calling the instrument to you as well as your developing relationship with it will lead you and the instrument to the right constellation for both of you! Sacred or divine musical - that's between you and your instrument!
Whether the instrument becomes a sacred instrument used for ceremonies, journeys, and healing work, or a divine musical instrument used to make music, is up to you - the rightful keeper of the instrument - to discover. Your intention when calling the instrument to you as well as your developing relationship with it will lead you and the instrument to the right constellation for both of you! Sacred or divine musical - that's between you and your instrument!
Storytime: Journey to My First Sacred Drum
OUR BEGINNING
This beauty - who I now know to be my Divine Feminine Moon Drum - came into my life many years ago, long before I felt the call to paint her, or any divine instruments for that matter. Originally, she was a musical instrument - made as an Arabic hand-played frame drum called a Duff. Back in 2014, my best friend and I were on a mission to explore the divine feminine and we decided what better way than to take a belly dancing class! We went to get all our gear to start, and this drum was sitting in the corner of the shop (which was actually a living-room-turned-bazaar in the apartment of a Lebanese man living in Berlin.) When I bought her, I did have the feeling of her being a shamanic drum, but at that time I did not have access to her expression as a sacred instrument. So I kept her with me and she became a lovely decoration in my space, patiently waiting for us to continue our path together when I was ready. |
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS READY
My little beauty had unending patience. She waited in my presence for 7 years, quietly observing and energetically supporting me as I maneuvered my way through what felt like a lifetime of experiences - career change, divorce, career change again, move, new relationships, healing work, shamanic initiations, awakening, going back to sleep, waking up again... she was there for all of that. I never forgot she was there. As a musician, I deeply understood the disservice I did to her by *not* playing her - I'm the first person to know that musical instruments aren't for decoration! They are for music! So I drummed once in a while, but she could not "sing" until we were finally walking on the same branch of our path. |
WE BLOSSOMED
Her and I being able to sing together has happened largely due to my readiness to accept my role as a shaman in this life - particularly in relationship to the 'becoming' of my own expression of the divine feminine. As I grew into my shamanic self, she softened towards me, opening up energetically. First, she made herself know more - I noticed her more, looked at her more, glanced over to her as you would when someone said something to you and you didn't quite hear it. Next came her calls for me to hold her and gently play. Then in the fall of 2020, I began my formal journey in training as a Shaman under the Celtic tradition with Sli an Chroi. That impulse continued in the spring of 2021 when I began my training as a Moon Mna Circle Facilitator. I serendipitously signed up for the training on International Women's Day - March 8 - and 2 days later the drum all but jumped off her place on my wall, telling me "Nicole, it's time. Paint me with intention. I am now your sacred instrument. I am your Divine Feminine Moon Drum." As I painted her, aspects of us became one - she became mine and I became hers. After I painted her, she sang for me for the first time. Her voice is more beautiful than I ever knew.
Her and I being able to sing together has happened largely due to my readiness to accept my role as a shaman in this life - particularly in relationship to the 'becoming' of my own expression of the divine feminine. As I grew into my shamanic self, she softened towards me, opening up energetically. First, she made herself know more - I noticed her more, looked at her more, glanced over to her as you would when someone said something to you and you didn't quite hear it. Next came her calls for me to hold her and gently play. Then in the fall of 2020, I began my formal journey in training as a Shaman under the Celtic tradition with Sli an Chroi. That impulse continued in the spring of 2021 when I began my training as a Moon Mna Circle Facilitator. I serendipitously signed up for the training on International Women's Day - March 8 - and 2 days later the drum all but jumped off her place on my wall, telling me "Nicole, it's time. Paint me with intention. I am now your sacred instrument. I am your Divine Feminine Moon Drum." As I painted her, aspects of us became one - she became mine and I became hers. After I painted her, she sang for me for the first time. Her voice is more beautiful than I ever knew.
MY INITIATION
While I've always painted, my journey with Divine Feminine Moon Drum was my initiation into shamanic service through painting divine and sacred objects. Divine Feminine Moon Drum acted as a spirit representative for all divine and sacred instruments. A Shaman herself, she initiated me in cooperation with Grandmother Moon, some of my own spirit guides, and Spirit, giving me permission to do this work. It is with this love, devotion, and sacred call that I paint divine instruments for you. |
What is the difference between a sacred instrument and a musical instrument?
Intention and initiation are what separates a sacred instrument from a musical instrument. In truth, anything that makes a noise can become a sacred instrument - after all, everything is music! And an object which was conceived as a sacred instrument can indeed be played as a musical instrument - if done with a sacred intention. Your relationship with your instrument will inform the dynamics between you.
SACRED INSTRUMENT
Sacred instruments are used with very focused intention for ceremonies, journeys, healing work, transformative music, and any other activities where you consciously call in support from or open up portals to other realms. Sacred instruments are also often blessed or initiated into their role as sacred instrument. There are many ways to initiation, including working with a shaman/medicine person/tribal healer or initiating the instrument with your own intention. Sometimes, as happened with Divine Feminine Moon Drum, they tell you that they are a sacred instrument! How you and your instrument get there is a sacred and very personal part of your journey together. There is no "right" way to the sacred. Once an instrument has been blessed/intended as sacred, it has an awakened power that non-sacred instruments don't have. That means you have a beautiful yet great responsibility to use your instrument very consciously if it has become a sacred instrument for you.
Once your instrument has become sacred, it becomes a part of your daily life and needs to be allowed to express itself as often as possible. Play it. Sing with it. Enjoy the song yourself. Try to include it in more sacred activities than only when you are doing healing or journey work. This important ally is another soul in your life and needs regular nourishment and "exercise" just like every other being.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
Musical instruments are used to make music. While music can (and is!!!!) absolutely divine and often sacred, the instruments used are generally intended for playing with a special focus on quality of sound, precision, resonance, and timbre - all elements important for professional-quality instruments. Musical instruments are often unable to open up the same portals/call in support from other realms as they have not gone through that initiation. However, from my personal experience, any musical instrument can *become* a sacred instrument.
SACRED INSTRUMENT
Sacred instruments are used with very focused intention for ceremonies, journeys, healing work, transformative music, and any other activities where you consciously call in support from or open up portals to other realms. Sacred instruments are also often blessed or initiated into their role as sacred instrument. There are many ways to initiation, including working with a shaman/medicine person/tribal healer or initiating the instrument with your own intention. Sometimes, as happened with Divine Feminine Moon Drum, they tell you that they are a sacred instrument! How you and your instrument get there is a sacred and very personal part of your journey together. There is no "right" way to the sacred. Once an instrument has been blessed/intended as sacred, it has an awakened power that non-sacred instruments don't have. That means you have a beautiful yet great responsibility to use your instrument very consciously if it has become a sacred instrument for you.
Once your instrument has become sacred, it becomes a part of your daily life and needs to be allowed to express itself as often as possible. Play it. Sing with it. Enjoy the song yourself. Try to include it in more sacred activities than only when you are doing healing or journey work. This important ally is another soul in your life and needs regular nourishment and "exercise" just like every other being.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
Musical instruments are used to make music. While music can (and is!!!!) absolutely divine and often sacred, the instruments used are generally intended for playing with a special focus on quality of sound, precision, resonance, and timbre - all elements important for professional-quality instruments. Musical instruments are often unable to open up the same portals/call in support from other realms as they have not gone through that initiation. However, from my personal experience, any musical instrument can *become* a sacred instrument.
My Instrument Sources
All the instruments I paint are up to basic professional instrumental standards. That means at the very least, they are instruments musicians would buy. I don't have a particular instrument source at this time as I want to leave the path open for many instruments to make their way to me from all corners of our world. If applicable, I will put details of the basic instrument in the description on the product page for each instrument.