I describe the process of writing new chants for the fire circle at SpiritFire rather like this:

I hear the symbolism and sense of the circle as words in my left ear.
And I hear the rhythms of the drums as a pattern in my right ear.
And there’s a whhe oifhwo ughewoufhw eoufhefhefhe in my brain.
And a chant comes out of my mouth.

It’s not at all a clear process what happens between steps 1&2, and 4, but it happens.

The result this year was the following SONG. I come up with short, one or two-line chants fairly regularly, but this was the first fully-formed song I’ve created this way:

The Mountain Will Follow You Home

The Mountain will follow you home, gents and ladies
The mountain will follow you home (best believe it) 2x

You fed it like a puppy you stroked it like a cat,
And there’s nothing at all that is wrong with that;

But the mountain will follow you home (if you let it)
The mountain will follow you home (just accept it) 2x

When you look in the mirror when you leave this place
I bet you’ll see the fire in your face

Because the mountain will follow you home (like a puppy)
The mountain will follow you home (tail a-waggin’) 2x

Your friends are all a gossip over cups of tea,
She’s acting like she’s grooving on eternity…

Because the mountain will follow you home (like a puppy)
The mountain will follow you home (tail a-waggin’) 2x

I didn’t get to do all of it in circle, but I got to do some of it, and it was wonderful and fun. Ten years ago in the “feedback” session of the first SpiritFire, I noted how many ‘pagan’ chants seemed to be dirge like, and I think I accepted the challenge and mission from some muse to fix that… And I think that I’ve been succeeding in that process slowly but surely. Now maybe it’s time to figure out some ways to put the chants and songs out there for people to enjoy and use.

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