Quinta Tonantzin Retreat House Tepoztlan
06.38
Quinta Tonantzin Retreat House, Tepoztlan, Cuernavaca, México.
Waking around 05.30 from NightWorld Adventures with Andy Summers. Andy was playing a solo lounge spot in a Bournemouth hotel, around the corner from where I was also playing. One of these hotels was the Royal Bath, a 5-Star hotel (that, in DayWorld some 48 years ago, I actually once played: it was not a success). Another noted guitarist, perhaps Clapton, was also doing a solo lounge spot in another Bournemouth hotel, but he did not appear in these adventures. I visited Andy, playing background music at his gig, before moving to my own hotel venue to set up and to do the same. But without being able to; this a regular part of NightWorld: the equipment couldn’t /didn’t get set up.
A feature of the dream: the hotel staff in my hotel were dismissive of the management. My sense, that their treatment by management had eroded all claims/right to staff loyalty.
It was a relief to wake up. And immediately reflecting on the distance between yesterday’s morning and evening here. Desperate, but not hopeless. To quote Uncle Bill, caught up in Central London and the events of 7-7-2005: We’ve been here before. Nil desperandum! On the edge of Tepoztlan, embracing the condition as-if for the first time.
09.37 Into the Morning Sitting c. 07.05.
Breakfast at 08.00. Comments offered on yesterday. Fernando the House Person stood and apologized to the House: yesterday evening he forgot to set out the Ballroom chairs in the particular configuration that was requested. This set a course of consequences in motion, which he feels contributed to the poor quality of the meeting (paraphrase).
Various comments offered.
From a Gringo: he felt people were trying to please Robert, rather than doing the work they needed to do for themselves.
Another commentator, in a very long comment, argued that the Circle is a machine, the function of which is to enable Robert to improvise.
As both these comments directly involved Robert, he felt able to respond to them both.
The Circle is a machine, the function of which is to enable Robert to improvise. This is a direct inversion of my own views on the Circle. The Circle is not a machine: rather a “living presence” that wishes and seeks to become present in our world. Our work in the (our) Circle is to give the Eternal Circle a “physical and material body”, in time and space, that the Eternal Circle may inhabit and act within. Robert’s function is rather, in the terms of the commentator, to enable the Circle to improvise.
(For those of a metaphysical bent, particularly those who like to cavil and quibble, a more sophisticated presentation is possible than these few, roughly presented words. But why? Our work here is practical, experiential and available to all, including those whose concern for cosmology is somewhat less than a concern for the quality of biscuits provided at tea-time. This, without taking into account the various renderings made available by translation. Sometimes good to get to the point, the gist of what is being said, quickly and succinctly. Botany and floral arrangements are fine, but when we enter The Paradise Garden, we find them to be of secondary interest, if of interest at all).
Whenever anyone tries to make Robert a happy boy, he withers inside. When someone addresses the work they need to do, necessary for themselves, it supports Robert’s own work and brings him to life.
The (non) set-up chairs did not distress him. What upset him was that Fernando moved to the right in the Circle. The mistakes of yesterday evening, and the limp House of Guitars meeting, are both characteristics of the Great Divide. What carries Robert through the middle part of a process, it is to remember the aim and his commitment to it.
We could also sacrifice some dogs, maybe some cockerels too. There is no mistake save one: the failure to learn from a mistake.
Work for the morning called.
Meeting with the NAFGC Quorum at 09.00. Discussing Heaven and Hell yesterday. In response to a request, Sandra re-presented her yesterday-comment on the Garden of Eden processing. Tom and Robert presented their Points of Seeing. The distance between the morning and evening, something like:
This is what is possible with Help.
This is what you can do.
14.23 Guitar Meeting with the Intro Team at 10.00.
Becoming present.
Beginning with notes in 5/8 and 7/8, striking prime accents, in two groups. This proved insuperably difficult when moving chair by chair, so the accents were distributed to sub-groups within the two larger groups. This was more successful, eventually, and magic chords were strapped onto the accents. At 10.55 the Team went into the garden in small groups for 20 minutes, to better establish their relationship with this.
Returning at 11.15 to look at developing variations around an E natural minor figure in 6/8. At 11.45 small groups returned to the garden of paradisiacal memory, retuning to present their work in five small groups to the whole Circle.
Work in the Circle is sacred, but not solemn. It is also permissible to rock out.
To T’ai Chi at 12.30.
Lunch at 13.00.
An honourable and courageous performance by Erin of Bach, twice.
Then Tom appeared, to sing a classic of
The Hellboys’ repertoire.
Silence visited, with good comments following.
One, from Vicious Queen Three, who found that the Circle did speak to her, as had been promised.
(Metaphysical benders, especially cavilers and quibblers, may/may not be open to the suggestion that when we discharge a role, one that enables a pattern/process to unfold, something within the process enables us to play that role: that is, we are provided with the necessary juice that makes the action possible. How is this? Fortunately, the experience is more direct and available than the explanation, as with the report of QV3).
Mention has been made on this course of the difficulty of moving from being fixed and stuck in habit, or in a part/stage of the process such as the Great Divide. There are several techniques for addressing this, and one often used on Guitar Craft and Guitar Circle courses is challenge.
At which point, c. 14.05, The Hat appeared. Names were taken, from this impartial and disinterested material object, and placed in various groupings, to determine varying sizes of ensemble. Working in different sizes of ensemble is one, very good, practical approach to experiencing the qualitative significance of number.
Two young men approached me shortly afterwards: their names had escaped the Hat. What to do? Clearly, they were a duo. The Hat never lies, even if it sometimes hides a name or two.
16.46 Tea at 16.00. A stunning performance by Leo & The Mexican Circle of Crosstown Traffic.
I...
II...
III...
IV...
V...
The Ballroom (although a Room Without Dancing) I…
II...
III...
20.24 Quiet Time at 18.30.
Dinner at 19.00.
A solo performance from a Kitchen Team member.
Many waftings of small groups are wafting here into Room Two.
22.21 In the Chapel: an exercise presented to the NAFGC Quorum and two invited Team members.
