Voice of the Spirit

Welcome to My Website

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience,” the saying goes.

Music is often the conduit for this.

This blog explores how music (primarily but not limited to rock ‘n’ roll) and body/mind/spirit, mysticism, God, self-realization, science, various conventional and non-conventional spiritual beliefs and paranormal and supernatural realms—interrelate to enhance our understanding of life.

It is my intent with my book and this blog, to help people build the tools they need to realize their dreams. The purpose of life is to experience joy, to achieve our dreams and to show others the way.

May you achieve everything you’ve ever dreamed of—and more.

Baja Rock Pat

Book Review: "The Shack" by William P. Young

I believe there are as many ways to God as there are beings in this universe.

The Shack by William P. Young is about how one man finds God through the atrocity of his young daughter’s murder.

This book reinforces some of the truths I've learned on my own journey, primarily the discovery of God in unexpected places and times in our lives.

I also find it interesting that the author mentions music and musicians here, and references James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Moby, Sarah McLachlan, Jackson Browne,  Bruce Cockburn and the bands U2, Indigo Girls and Dixie Chicks, to name a few.

Kudos to The Shack for portraying God as alternating between male and female personifications and for depicting God as more than one spiritual entity. For me, these were the book's shining moments.

I did however, have a few problems with this book. The main issue was that it is a bit too slanted toward Christianity. Although the author goes out of his way to say this isn’t the case, I found some of the concepts confusing. For instance, Young assumes that everyone practices a rite called "devotions." I had no idea what he was talking about.

I also think that due to the manner in which the story is presented, it excludes a lot of people. Not everyone sees God within the context of Christianity or religion. The Shack makes reference only to The Bible, as if it were the only holy text, whereas there are other books out there that also contain universal truths. Tao Te Ching, for instance, is even older than The Bible.

In any case, this book is written, as all books are, from the author’s perspective, which includes that which he believes to be true and that’s why I forgive these “indiscretions.” There is still a light in this book that will inspire many.

That being said, neither do I think it’s wrong to see God within the context of Christianity or religion. However one discovers God is great. It only matters that you find Him/Her/It/Them--whatever your definition of the Divine may be, and that you realize you are an important part of the Magnificence—that which is in you and also all around you.

Oh, the Drama of Writing (and Achieving Goals)

I'm scared to death. My book is finished. I’ve been sending queries to prospective agents. Last week, one of them emailed me back and requested my manuscript. Oh my God…

A million thoughts are running through my mind. What if she doesn’t like it? What if my writing is no good?

Worse, what if she does like it? What if she finds a publisher for me and my book is released to the world? Then, what? I might as well stand stark naked in the middle of I-25 at rush hour, with a blinking neon sign and arrows pointing to me! Am I really willing to do that?

I sometimes compare my book to The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. If you haven’t read this, I highly recommend that you do. DANCE OF THE ELECTRIC HUMMINGBIRD is a modern day and true story version of this fictionalized tale about a shepherd boy seeking his Personal Legend—the purpose of his life. And just like in The Alchemist, now that I’m standing on the edge and I need to let go and jump into the abyss—solo and without a parachute, I’m paralyzed with fear.

“Just DO it,” Nike says. Yeah, easier said than done, pal.

Apparently this is a common reaction. We want our dream to come true. We want it with all our might, have perhaps even spent our entire lives working toward it. And then, just when we are about to see it come to fruition, most of us back off. Why? Because of all of those fears I mentioned. Then the final hurdle consists of facing the notion that we may actually be more afraid of achieving our dream than we are of not achieving it!

Patricia Walker--Featured Writer This Week

Published author Tim Northburg, a fellow member of the Northern Colorado Writer’s Association has featured me and my book, DANCE OF THE ELECTRIC HUMMINGBIRD on his blog this week!

You can read it here: feature-northern-colorado-writer-pat.html

Thanks so much for your support, Tim!

T.A. Northburg

There's a Supernatural Force...

…that desperately wants me to tell my story, DANCE OF THE ELECTRIC HUMMINGBIRD.

I’m absolutely positive about this because my post, “Semantics,” dated Oct. 21, 2009, almost didn’t get published, for the same reason I keep working so hard at DANCE OF THE ELECTRIC HUMMINGBIRD. I’m trying to cross all my “t’s” and dot all my “i’s” and bending over backward to get everyone’s approval every step of the way—I’m so afraid of offending anyone.

But I believe our interpretations of the events in our lives and the meaning of those events is something that is strictly personal and comes to us in a way that’s unique to each person’s way of understanding. What’s right for one isn’t necessarily right for someone else. This goes for tastes in food and living conditions as well as spiritual beliefs.

Just when I’d been hesitating to publish “Semantics,” I received an update from the founder of the Northern Colorado Writer’s Association, of which I am a member. Kerrie Flanagan’s blog featured a gifted writer by the name of Laura Resau, who wrote about how shamanism played a major role in a lot of her books. Laura said shamans believe that their power comes from a divine source and this power translates itself into words or stories, much like what writers have to do. She also provided a link to a talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the immensely successful EAT, PRAY, LOVE.

Book Update: A New Endorsement and Other Exciting Things in the Works!

I HAVE FINISHED THE MANUSCRIPT!!!! Yes, I’m shouting. Six years of toil—blood, sweat and tears…

I’ve changed the title of my book from Wings of Rock to: DANCE OF THE ELECTRIC HUMMINGBIRD. (You’ll have to read it to see why I’ve chosen this title.)

This too, is subject to change at any time, as writing is a never-ending process. I’m told publishers often change the title anyway, unless they absolutely love it, so I’m prepared for that.

My editor is now checking the entire manuscript for punctuation and grammar, so this is the final writing stage before submission. She should be finished by the end of next week. After that, hopefully it will only take me a day or two to incorporate the changes.

I have also finished my query letter and am very pleased with it.

The next step is finding an agent. A professional author is giving me a recommendation to someone, so please send positive vibes my way. I have a really good feeling about this; I don’t know why!

I also now have a new endorsement. I’m so excited! Here it is:

"Pat Walker's memoir is a joy. It is Eat, Pray, Love for the common woman -- you know, the vast majority of us who can't travel the world because we're stuck at home, doing laundry and driving kids around. I laughed out loud, but I also discovered that serious transformation can occur when one is open to it. In other words, it gives me hope."

-- Laura Pritchett, winner of PEN/USA Award and Milkweed National Fiction Prize

I’m deeply honored to have this endorsement, as giving people hope is what I’ve worked tirelessly to accomplish with my book. I will put this blurb under the “Praise” tab here on “Voice of the Spirit.” However, please don’t get the impression that my book is for women only—it’s for everyone!

Excerpt from "Dance of the Electric Hummingbird" by Patricia Walker

From Chapter 28—One Foot on the Path, Body and Mind to Follow:

I want to be fully immersed in this moment, to experience all of my life, attach myself fully to all my emotions, feelings and experiences. I want to let them show to the world without apologies, to share this love and joy openly and freely, not keep them quietly to myself and be disciplined. I don’t want to speak softly or live beneath diffused lighting and muted colors. I’m tired of beige.

I want to scream at the top of my lungs, laugh out loud, experience vibrant red, yellow, orange, purple. I want to dance and make noise, let it all out of me no matter how long it takes. I don’t want to feel holy and reserved. I want to grab ahold of the tail of the tiger, feel his tight muscles moving beneath his skin, white fangs flashing as he thrashes and twists trying to devour me. I want to hold onto him with every ounce of my being for as long as I can before I release him to the universe, or he consumes me, then watch the effect float away like the text of a Star Wars film.

Semantics

The other day, a man I’d never met before asked me what my book was about.

“It’s supernatural; it’s spiritual—about a mystical experience I had in the middle of a concert that changed my life. It also involves a famous rock star…” I started to say.

As I spoke, I noticed that the man, an older gentleman dressed in a biker’s vest with the word “VET” sewn onto it, was attempting to disguise the look of disappointment spreading across his face.

“Supernatural is different than spiritual,” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and backing off a bit.

“No, I had an out of body experience…” I continued, and this time as I tried to explain it to him, I used the word “God.”

His eyes lit up and he moved closer. “God isn’t supernatural; God is natural. He is everything.”

“Oh yes! It’s everything!” I grinned, feeling joy moving into all my internal organs.

The man went on to tell me that he too, had had an out of body experience. “The Holy Spirit came to me as I lay dying in a hospital bed.”

“How did you know it was the Holy Spirit?” I asked him. “Did you see it?”

He gestured an arc around himself. “No, I felt it all around me.”

 

Cabo's Mystical Beauty

My husband and I returned home last night after 12 days in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I’m sitting here at my kitchen table, which is loaded with the Halloween motif our son put up while we were gone, an empty bottle of tequila given to me by Sammy Hagar at one of his concerts (it was half full when he gave it to me), my digital camera and camera cards, a bottle of cipro antibiotic (a must for a trip to Mexico), a colorful, hand-painted fish mobile I’d purchased at one of the shops in Cabo and a pile of junk mail and bills that’s still too intimidating to tackle. Oh, and the decorative candle in the centerpiece of my table has been replaced with one that looks like a bleeding skull.

I’m still trying to process everything that took place over the past few weeks. It rained most of the time we were in Mexico—rained in Cabo! So I didn’t get much of a tan. But when the sun came out, it was marvelous. On our last day, yesterday, I got up early to watch the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez and the rocks of Land’s End. My photos don’t do it justice.

The sun was hot pink as it lifted out of the water and the higher it rose, the hotter it got until it drew beads of sweat from my skin. There were two cruise ships in the bay and hundreds of fishing boats heading out to sea, something that hadn’t taken place for several days due to Tropical Storm Patricia—how ironic is that name?

But yesterday morning Cabo was back to her normal, splendid self—hot, humid and sunny. It seems so dark here in Colorado, but at least it's not snowing.

As I get back into the swing of my old life, I will tackle the task of finishing revisions of my book and keep you posted on its progress. I’m almost finished. I will also write more about Cabo and Sammy Hagar’s concerts while we were down there (my husband and I were fortunate to be able to acquire tickets to all five shows), and I’ll post a few pics.

Besides Cabo’s alluring beauty, I did have several moments during this trip that I consider somewhat mystical—interesting at least. One of those moments was when a woman sat next to me on the plane from Phoenix to Denver and the two of us hit it off as if we’d known each other before. Maybe we have—she told me that she owns a metaphysical bookstore in California. It never ceases to amaze me where the writing of my book “Wings of Rock” seems to be taking me.

For right now though, I have about 50 loads of laundry to catch up on. Stay tuned…

Excerpt from "Dance of the Electric Humminbird" by Patricia Walker

Being intoxicated with art, or music,

emotions or ideas

is the gateway to the world of spirit,

to God and other dimensions

where the voice of the soul

speaks…