Sacred Beat: From the Heart of the Drum Circle
by Patricia Telesco, Don Waterhawk
Category: Music

The beat is universal -- drumming as a way of communicating with other people, spirits, and self exists around the world and throughout time. And contemporary drumming is thriving! In the neo-pagan community, the most popular festivals and workshops are those that feature drumming circles. In healing centers, nursing homes, women's centers, and schools across the country, people are forming drumming circles. Sacred Beat honors and explores every aspect of drumming -- historical, contemporary, practical. In Part I, Telesco and Waterhawk tell the history of drums and drumming circles and the myths, superstitions, and religions that have grown up around drumming. From West Africa to Tibet, from Siberia to England, from Vietnam to Apache territory, where Fox gave the people drums along with fire -- come stories about drums, their invention, their use up until contemporary times. People respond almost universally and profoundly to drums -- to relieve stress, to communicate, to move in rhythm with the universe, to praise their gods. A comprehensive section of practical information follows, with ideas for finding a drum and other rhythmic tools that are right for your vision, caring for and decorating your instrument, drum etiquette, and elements of a good drum circle. The next section of Sacred Beat is all about drumming in groups -- different ways it's being done, from Native American Pow-Wows to Goddess gatherings to community centers, and how to become a part of it. The book closes with a section on creating drumming magic all your own, with meditations, prayers, and divinations to create overall well-being and spiritual awareness with drums. The voice of the drum combines with the voice of the Ancestors, the voice of Spirit, and the voice of our own soul to create a powerful and transformational partnership. By working with the drum, a person can support this partnership, reach out to the community, touch the earth, and nurture their own spirit.