2010-June-Nürnberg

nürnberg – the name conjures up a thousand images!

it honestly feels to me as if deva is on this planet to heal some of its dark history.
not all dark though – in the middle ages nürnberg was the toy making centre of germany.

imagine a happy, creative town, where craftsmen worked with wood and paint, dreaming up new ways to make their children happy - and earlier, alchemists gathered here, knowing the town to be located on a highly charged power spot

rumour has it that adolf hitler, being a practitioner of black magic, chose the city for his nazi rallies, knowing of its power and attempting to transform its light into a force of darkness.

deva was born here - in that old sandstone house, which somehow survived the ww2 bombs, and which now nestles between two modern buildings.

in a room under the fairy tale castle turrets, she first saw the light of day and heard the gayatri mantra.

she spent her childhood chanting the gayatri here - the mantra her father had chosen to protect her through life.

her mother, viten (the name given to her by osho in 1981) still lives there, and when we tour germany, she welcomes deva and i to her home on the top floor, which we use as a precious retreat, to re-charge and re-group, from our travels.

although most of the city was razed during the war, many old buildings and walls still remain...

this is the old city wall where deva’s father, wolfgang, would walk for 4 hours every morning before dawn, chanting his mantra.

the river runs through the centre of the town

mysterious gargoyles look down from towering statues

this is known as the hangman’s bridge...because it was!

the ‘holy spirits’ hospital, now an old folks home

swans live on the river throughout the year

our concert was held at the city hall in the neighbouring town of fürth.
the last time deva and i were there was to see bob dylan and his band, about ten years ago.

different music, different intention, and yet...

mr. tambourine man plays a flute these days – or maybe ‘he’s’ a woman chanting mantras now...

many, many friends, old and new, came to meet us after the concert...

...it is always a blessing to meet them...

...their love is such a nourishment to the soul - so clear and plain to see...

young and old alike...

...babies wrapped in the holy sound...

the workshops are intimate gatherings of inspired chanters... (not professional singers, just people like you and me, who love to sing from their hearts)

this picture reminds me - i must write a song about deva’s blue eyes!

manose is hilarious... sometimes we laugh and laugh together, deva, he and i.
here he is demonstrating the very serious and ancient nepalese bansuri – nose – flute technique.

maybe that’s how he got his name?

the sufi dance meditations are always precious – deep and yet, playful

singing and chanting while in motion...

the women here are chanting towards the men.

unfortunately we don’t have a photo of the men singing for the women – or receiving this blessing - but i can tell you, it is inspiring - and healing - to be a man and to receive such loving, feminine energy.

we sang back in thanks, clear and strong.

our crew, in viten’s castle under the turrets

and here’s a glimpse of wolfgang’s art: the gayatri mantra, on wood, which hangs above the bed in deva’s old room

and a peek into his sketch book, discovered after his passing

...and that’s it for now folks...! i hope you enjoyed your trip
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