Quinta Tonantzin Retreat House Tepoztlan
06.41
Quinta Tonantzin Retreat House, Tepoztlan, Cuernavaca, México.
Rising from a very busy night reforming King Crimson. None of the Usual Culprits were on hand: this was more like a reformation of Asia. Johnny the W, Carl Palmer (?) and Steve Howe. My concern was how to move this from a song-based approach towards improv; while sensitive to the personal needs of mature, established players, such as whether it was acceptable to use their coffee-making implements (A: not without asking). Also a concern: to negotiate the business arrangements for a new, independent band.
Overall, this part of NightWorld reflected historic DayWorld concerns of the Crimson Kind, when an about-to-be-existing Crim is in process of formation. A relief to wake up, c. 05.35.
12.21 Morning Sitting 07.15.
Breakfast at 08.00. Sandra confirmed the importance, in the Alexander Technique, of freeing the eyes.
Comments, observations, reports, noticings or Points of Seeing invited.
Comments from performers until c. 09.00, then leg stretching.
Followed by comments from audients, with occasional interspersals from performers.
A degree of wittering in some of the reports drew an insistence upon the specificity of commentary.
10.30 Kitchen Team meeting.
11.00 Vicious Queens’ meeting with Sandra. My aim: to support and encourage the feminine voice in the Guitar Circle.
Followed by a meeting with the Intro Team.
Q: What did the leader of the Circle do? (ie in the Performance yesterday evening).
Onto two special exercises for the day.
The first special exercise: Division of Attention.
The second: the Exercise of Qualitative Endeavour.
Personal meeting with Tom at 12.00.
14.06 Point of Seeing at the handbasin before setting off to T’ai Chi.: my role on the course.
T’ai Chi at 12.30.
Lunch at 13.00. A whole group performance by the Intro Team: superb.
Comments, observations, reports, noticings and Points of Seeing are now restricted to those who have not yet spoken today, with these exceptions:
1. Any woman may speak at any time. Leo included in his translation: who will say what they want, to whoever they want to say it, anyway. For which he was reproved.
2. In response to a direct question or invitation to speak.
Good comments followed.
14.52 Meeting at 14.15, introducing a morning exercise with three members of the Kitchen Team and Sandra.
I…
II...
III...
16.43 Meetings at 15.00 with four sub-groups of the Intro Team to introduce (what was once referred to as) The Division Of Attention Exercise. This seemed to have impact, and was the first time for several years I have introduced this.
A member of the final group asked: What is the reason for this exercise? I declined to answer. But one of the available answers is this: it reveals the extent of the student’s drug use.
22.43 Tea at 16.00.
Course photos c. 16.50 I…
II...
III...
Meeting in the Ballroom at 17.00 to present our works of Qualitative Endeavour. How to take home (at least one small) something from this course? Many of the examples were good aims, but perhaps not sufficiently thought-through. A few were multiple-choice, and a small number were not satisfactory. But overall, good work was done.
As I left the space, a person who had an Important Question chased me.
Quiet Time at 18.30 with our Alexander Teachers moving among us, without words.
Dinner at 19.00 with performances.
The first was a duet.
Then, a bluesman-soloist who had problems with women. Or it may have been problems with one woman. Whatever. He had problems with them, however many there were.
The Important Question no longer held importance.
Final Meeting at 21.30. Thanks were given to all those who have made this course possible, including Unforgettable Dev.
And then, despite today’s attempts to constrain and limit the helpless witterings of helpless-witterers, some were not to be discouraged. At one point in a lengthy exposition, not germane to the experiencings of this course, I sensed the energy in the room lessening. This coincided with the dwindling of my own will to live. Interjection: Forgive me: wlll you move to the point.
(A comment on the unnecessary talking of this course: I’m not sure that damage was done, but some actualities were spoiled and opportunities lost).
Good observations were also presented.
Plans for future courses announced.
Italy in April:
The Orchestra Of Crafty Guitarists VI - Special Performance Project Casa Stella Maris, Caorle, Italy
Saturday 13th to Sunday 21st of April, 2013.
United States in May:
The Orchestra Of Crafty Guitarists VII - Special Performance Project
May 20 - 26, 2013
Royalston, Massachusetts USA
At 22.33 and 20 seconds the Course was declared completed. We stood and an unfisting took place.
23.40 A meeting to arrange the cleaning and restoration of the property followed the formal completion.
A final meeting of the NAFGC Quorum covering a variety of topics and arisings, including planning for another course here, this time next year. Leo has much work to do with the Circle before then.
Overall conclusion: we were not able to reach and sustain everyone who came here. This is a disappointment. But, something new has begun.
