An extract from 'In an Unspoken Voice' by Peter A. Levine:
'Mythology teaches us about courageously meeting challenges. Myths are archetypal stories that simply and directly touch the core of our being. They remind us about our deepest longings, and reveal to us our hidden strengths and resources. They are also maps of our essential nature, pathways that connect us to each other, to nature and to the cosmos. The Greek myth of Medusa captures the very essence of trauma and describes its pathway to transformation. In the Greek myth, those who looked directly into Medusa's eyes were promptly turned to stone...frozen in time. Before setting out to vanquish this snake-haired demon, Perseus sought counsel from Athena the goddess of knowledge and strategy . Her advice to him was simple: under no circumstances should be look directly at the Gorgon. Taking Athena's advice to heart, Perseus used the reflective shield fastened on his arm to reflect the image of Medusa. This way he was able to cut off her head without looking directly at her, and thus avoided being turned into stone.'
So that's how she dies in the story, and what about how she became a 'snake-haired demon' in the first place? Before she was a Gorgon, Medusa was beautiful, and she knew it too! So irresistible that she is raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple. Rather than showing any sympathy for Medusa, Athena is furious at the sacrilege that has taken place and transforms her into a hideous snake woman. In feminist readings of the myth. Medusa is the embodiment of femininity from the point of view of the Ancient Greek patriarchal society - something wily and deceptive, and to be controlled. And the turning to stone is symbolic of impotence or castration of the male....
When I listened to the Tom Waits song 'Such a Scream' recently, it made me think of the Medusa myth, and my latest piece of writing is based on it;
I'm checking my rear view mirror, Medusa
I see you every time I turn my back
Don't lose your head over me, Medusa
I'll never kiss you again
Just last night I dreamed I was dreaming of you
The moon was gold and your hair like wind
Take a swig of this poison, Medusa
I won't ever mention the rain
Men once fought each other for you, Medusa
Now your skin is blotched and scaled
Remember when you burned for them
Now you burn with the shame
Your red lips were a flag to me, Medusa
I can never look you in the face
Time is just memory mixed with desire
A scream is all that remains
I'm frozen with the fear, Medusa
I watch myself turn to stone
Now you must lose your head, Medusa
Stretch your wings, ignore the pain
Real Gone
'Mythology teaches us about courageously meeting challenges. Myths are archetypal stories that simply and directly touch the core of our being. They remind us about our deepest longings, and reveal to us our hidden strengths and resources. They are also maps of our essential nature, pathways that connect us to each other, to nature and to the cosmos. The Greek myth of Medusa captures the very essence of trauma and describes its pathway to transformation. In the Greek myth, those who looked directly into Medusa's eyes were promptly turned to stone...frozen in time. Before setting out to vanquish this snake-haired demon, Perseus sought counsel from Athena the goddess of knowledge and strategy . Her advice to him was simple: under no circumstances should be look directly at the Gorgon. Taking Athena's advice to heart, Perseus used the reflective shield fastened on his arm to reflect the image of Medusa. This way he was able to cut off her head without looking directly at her, and thus avoided being turned into stone.'
So that's how she dies in the story, and what about how she became a 'snake-haired demon' in the first place? Before she was a Gorgon, Medusa was beautiful, and she knew it too! So irresistible that she is raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple. Rather than showing any sympathy for Medusa, Athena is furious at the sacrilege that has taken place and transforms her into a hideous snake woman. In feminist readings of the myth. Medusa is the embodiment of femininity from the point of view of the Ancient Greek patriarchal society - something wily and deceptive, and to be controlled. And the turning to stone is symbolic of impotence or castration of the male....
When I listened to the Tom Waits song 'Such a Scream' recently, it made me think of the Medusa myth, and my latest piece of writing is based on it;
I'm checking my rear view mirror, Medusa
I see you every time I turn my back
Don't lose your head over me, Medusa
I'll never kiss you again
Just last night I dreamed I was dreaming of you
The moon was gold and your hair like wind
Take a swig of this poison, Medusa
I won't ever mention the rain
Men once fought each other for you, Medusa
Now your skin is blotched and scaled
Remember when you burned for them
Now you burn with the shame
Your red lips were a flag to me, Medusa
I can never look you in the face
Time is just memory mixed with desire
A scream is all that remains
I'm frozen with the fear, Medusa
I watch myself turn to stone
Now you must lose your head, Medusa
Stretch your wings, ignore the pain
Real Gone
I don't play favourites with Tom Waits albums, but this is probably one of them. Waits has constantly reinvented his sound over the decades he's been making music, and I remember buying this album when it first came out and thinking how different it sounded to everything else I'd heard.
I read that he'd taped lots of different vocal percussion tracks as starting points for many of the songs; ravaging his voice in the process as he refused to simply loop the sounds. In one of my recent rehearsals I set myself the challenge of recreating the percussive tracks in this album using rhythm tap. This is a style of tap dance that I've been learning for a year under the tutelage of my friend Lexi Bradburn of Sole Rebel Tap - it's more of an acoustic than aesthetic style, whereby the shoes are used as percussive instruments. I came up with some very simple combinations as shown below - I'm not sure how or even if I will use any of these in the final show, but they were fun to make!
I read that he'd taped lots of different vocal percussion tracks as starting points for many of the songs; ravaging his voice in the process as he refused to simply loop the sounds. In one of my recent rehearsals I set myself the challenge of recreating the percussive tracks in this album using rhythm tap. This is a style of tap dance that I've been learning for a year under the tutelage of my friend Lexi Bradburn of Sole Rebel Tap - it's more of an acoustic than aesthetic style, whereby the shoes are used as percussive instruments. I came up with some very simple combinations as shown below - I'm not sure how or even if I will use any of these in the final show, but they were fun to make!
I've now written 12 stories/poems for 'Frontal Lobotomy', there is a rough order or structure I'm working in, and I have plans to write 4 or 5 more short pieces. I'm currently on my 4th draft, though there is much editing and refining to do. I have a show image, I have copy, I have a venue for the Edinburgh Fringe, and 3 London previews booked in for late May and July. And now I'm going to Berlin to study Integral Movement and Performance Practise at LISPA for 5 weeks.
So this my last blog post for a little while, I expect there will be a bumper edition in May! Xxx
So this my last blog post for a little while, I expect there will be a bumper edition in May! Xxx
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