Music, CDs and Books which I have found useful, or which I love. You may have to search hard to find some of these now – I’ve provided links to independents where possible, otherwise to Amazon.
Books
Nada Brahma – the World is Sound: Music and the Landscape of Consciousness
by Joachim Ernst Berendt
This is an amazing book, insightful, well-researched, presented in an entertaining and readable style, spanning everything from mantra to jazz to zen to medicine to – the world.
“Scientists have only recently learned that the particles of an oxygen atom vibrate in a major key and that blades of grass ‘sing.” Europe’s foremost jazz producer takes the reader on an exhilarating journey through Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America, exploring the musical traditions of diverse cultures and reaffirming what the ancients have always known–the world is sound, rhythm, and vibration. Berendt’s book is alive with his experiences–living in Bali, studying at a Zen monastery in Kyoto, and encountering budding jazz stars in Indonesia, Japan, Europe, and the United States. Drawing from his friendships with composers and performers as well as his knowledge of new physics and Tantra, cybernetics, Sufism, and the works of Hermann Hesse, he reveals the importance of sound in shaping cultural and spiritual life worldwide.
Cymatics: A Study of Wave Phenomena and Vibration
by Dr. Hans Jenny
Dr. Jenny’s original ground-breaking research republished as one volume in English with 16 colour plates and 300 black & white. Due to be republished in 2021.
Music and Sound in the Healing Arts
by John Beaulieu
“Explore the history and practice of sound healing from ancient philosophies to practical applications in therapy, religion and art in this pioneering, bestselling work by Dr. John Beaulieu. Ideal for students, teachers, musicians, therapists and all those interested in sound healing, Music & Sound in the Healing Arts will teach you how sound impacts your mind and body, and expand your level of consciousness and understanding of sound and music in your life for personal growth and healing.”
Tuning the Blues to Gold: Soundprints with CD
by Vicki Dodd (American sound healer)
“This book is revolutionary. Because it is primarily in verse, it is rhythmic and has meter. Be prepared to laugh, to weep, to whine, to moan, to groan. Be prepared to read it aloud and take the sounds deep into your cellular memory where Mother-Father-Mother-Source reside.” Kay Gardner, Composer and Author
The Mysticism Of Sound And Music: The Sufi Teaching of Hazrat Inayat Khan
by Hazrat Inayat Khan
“Music, according to Sufi teaching, is really a small expression of the overwhelming and perfect harmony of the whole universe—and that is the secret of its amazing power to move us. The Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882–1927), the first teacher to bring the Islamic mystical tradition to the West, was an accomplished musician himself. His lucid exposition of music’s divine nature has become a modern classic, beloved not only by those interested in Sufism but by musicians of all kinds.”
Widely available – Amazon – Shambhala Press
The Hidden Geometry of Flowers: Living Rhythms, Form and Number
by Keith Critchlow
A beautiful and original book in which renowned thinker and geometrist Keith Critchlow focuses on flowers as examples of symmetry and geometry. Fully illustrated with hand-drawn geometric patterns.
The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life: v. 1
by Drunvalo Melchizedek
I have been priveleged to take workshops with Drunvalo (The original Merkaba and Living in the Heart series) and found him to be the most humble, generous teacher of knowledge. This book contains such a wealth of insight and research. Although some of the material has been superseded, the core is incredible. Draw the geometries out for yourself, and feel as they work on you.
Should still be widely available – Amazon
The Spirit of Trees: Science, Symbiosis and Inspiration
by Fred Hageneder
I love this book, with its mix of science, photos, drawings, traditional folk knowledge and inspiration. It may not be easily available, but the author has published several tree books and I would recommend any of them.
“Trees are one of Earth’s oldest forms; silent witnesses to human evolution and the passing of time. Many people today take the presence of trees for granted, unaware of their greater significance in Earth’s ecology, their medicinal and nutritional properties, or the veneration bestowed on them by ancient peoples. The Spirit of Trees captures all these elements in a holistic appraisal of Earth’s most influential creation.
The book explores the relationship of humanity and trees, in terms of the trees’ natural assets, humankind’s cultural interpretations of the forest and particular tree species, and the ability of trees to inspire, soothe and sustain humankind.”
Floris books (2017 reprint)
Links
Archaeoacoustics – Aaron Watson
– academic research into possible uses of sound in megalithic stone chambers in the British Isles, subject of a Channel 4 TV documentary. Originally found at www.neolithic.reading.ac.uk/
College of Sound Healing (UK)
College of Sound Healing (UK)
Cymatic Source: Jeff Volk and the study of Cymatics
– including the reprinted works of Dr Hans Jenny
Didjshop
Welcome to the World’s Largest and Finest Didgeridoo Shop
Sedona Portal – Michele Fitzgerald
Fantastic training on intuition & subtle energies. Michele Fitzgerald is an amazing intuitive – I credit her work and knowledge with saving my life.
Valhalla Wilderness Organisation
– campaigning to protect the habitat of the Canadian “Spirit Bear” – the white ‘black’ bear.