Magic Symbols - How to Create Your Own Powerful Magical Symbols

When practicing magic there are many different elements involved. A sacred space or hallowed place to perform the magic is sometimes important. The tools that are necessary such as wands, crystals, stones, or a mirror for scrying. Some magical workings require herbs or other plant materials such resins. There is usually an incantation of sorts depending on the particular magical working. All of these are important elements used in various magics but none are more ancient or powerful than the symbols that are used.

There are an infinite number of magical symbols that can be utilized for an infinite number of workings. You may be scratching your head and wondering how that is possible, but I am not just referring to the dusty old symbols that already exist and have been utilized for centuries. Some of the most powerful magical symbols are the ones that we create ourselves for our own personal magical use. True magic is a creative art form and should be practiced as such. When you create your own magical symbols and empower them with your will and spiritual energy, you are tapping the most powerful source of magic. It comes from within and flows from your Higher Self.

Your Higher Self is speaking to you all of the time. It not only speaks to you within your dreams but it can also guide you through your daily life. You must be willing to listen to its voice and hear the truth of its words. The Higher Self takes on many different forms and it is represented uniquely to everyone. We all have our own system of beliefs and it communicates to us through the patterns of these beliefs. Communication with the Higher Self can be achieved through mediation but it needn't take place within the mind alone. Sometimes your Higher Self can communicate through the synchronicity of events within our everyday life. It is through developing a healthy connection with your higher self that you can facilitate the creation of your own powerful magic symbols.

Magic Symbols - How to Create Your Own Powerful Magical Symbols

Sometimes these symbols of magical power may come to you while you are dreaming. This is another one of the many good reasons for keeping a detailed dream journal. If you keep an accurate journal of your dreams you can draw any of the symbols that you may see while dreaming within your journal along with a detailed description of the dream itself. Other elements of the dream may be used as a clue to the relevance of the symbol and the nature of the power it channels.

Another way of creating your own magical symbols is through automatic writing or in this case, automatic drawing. You will need a blank sheet of paper and a pen. I use a sketch pad. Sit comfortably in a dimly lit room with the pen in your hand and the paper beneath it. Clear your mind. It helps if you achieve a light trance by meditating a bit just before attempting this. Allow you hand to move across the paper involuntarily. At first you may get nothing but scribbles and random lines, but don't give up. You mustn't allow yourself to consciously think about what you are doing. With practice you will begin to draw symbols which at first will look primitive and crude but over time they will increase in quality and sophistication. Eventually, you begin to see the symbols in your mind's eye before you draw them. In the beginning you probably won't be able to make sense of the symbols but eventually, over time, the meaning of them will become clearer. It may take a very long time and several years of practice but eventually you may begin to utilize the symbols magically.

The easiest way to create personal magical symbols is by visualizing and drawing them in the same way that you would any other form of art. You can easily create and empower your own personal magical symbols. The power to create them lies within.

Magic Symbols - How to Create Your Own Powerful Magical Symbols
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What Instruments Are Found in a Samba Band? Brazilian Percussion Instruments

A samba band usually contains surdos, caixas, repiniques, tamborins and shakers. They can also use timbas, chocalhos, and agogos.

AGOGO (Ah-goh-goh)

This is typically a double metal cowbell with a flexible handle. The two bells have different tuning. The agogo is held in one hand and hit with a stick held in the other hand. Most experts hold the agogo with the hand is holding the bell, not the handle - this gives the bells a duller tone, which is the right sound for samba.It is thought to be one of the oldest instruments in a samba band; before it was introduced in samba it was used to provide the structure of Baiao, Maracatu, Capoeira and religious cults of African origin. A newer form of Agogo is a big heavy iron 4 bell model.

What Instruments Are Found in a Samba Band? Brazilian Percussion Instruments

BERIMBAU (ber-im-bough)

The berimbau is a wooden or bamboo bow with a metal string, and a gourd which acts as a soundbox. You hit the metal wire with a wooden stick and move the berimbau away from and towards the body to change the tone of the soundbox. The sound this produces is unique, and often used for special effects. This is a very ancient instrument, In Brazil it is most used in Afro Brazilian rhythms from the North East, especially Capoeira, but it has found a place in Jazz and other modern musics because of its unique sound. It is not usually used in samba bands.

CAIXA DE GUERRA (Cash-ah)

Samba snare drum. The caixa is a descendant of the european marching drum, but it has been adapted to be much lighter. The caixa is a metal cylinder with a nylon skin at both ends and a string snare across the top of the playing end. The best caixas are made from aluminium. Caixas can be of various widths and depths; the standard sized caixa used in Rio baterias is 12" wide by 15 or 20cm deep.

CHOCALHO

This is a metal or wooden frame carrying many metal jingles. It is a VERY LOUD samba shaker. This is a fundamental element in the flavour of a large samba percussion ensemble, and also has an important function in helping the caixas to sustain the rhythm. Famously described by the Times of London as 'a cross between an abacus and a tambourine'

CUICA

The cuica is a friction drum. It has a metal culindrical body with a hide skin at one end, and a stick secured to the centre of the skin protruding back through the body of the drum. The cuica is played by rubbing the stick with a damp cloth. It sounds like a series of moans - and is said to imitate the sound of a monkey, and to have been used in hunting by Brazilian Indian tribes. Traditionally used by samba schools; it produces an exotic sound which changes the timbre of the bateria. A real cuica has a hide skin with a thick aluminium body and must be tunable. Serious cuicas are 30cm deep and between 8 and 10" wide; anything smaller is really just a toy and will not be heard in a samba band.

GANZA

A hollow closed cylindrical shaker, varying from pocket sized to arm length, and single or double. The ganza is much quieter than a chocalho and isn't used much in big Brazilian baterias as it can't be heard. But it is still widely used in small groups and in teaching. An instrument of traditional importance in baterias where it used to have the same function as a chocalho.

MARCACAO

A term referring to the surdos, which are the big drums that mark the beat.

PANDEIRO (pan-der-oo)

A small light instrument, like a tambourine, but with a different sound. The head is hit with great skill, using a combination of taps, slaps, rim shots and rolls. A skilled pandeiro player can replicate almost anything a drum kit can do. Pandeiros can have wooden, plastic or fiberglass frames and brass or metal jungles, and plastic or hide heads. In samba the pandeiro is used both for rhythmic backing and as a solo instrument. Much used in bands playing many different styles of Brazilian music, in Samba Schools and in Capoeira.

REPINIQUE

The repinique or repique is a lightweight samba kettle drum, with nylon skins at both ends. The best samba repiniques are made from aluminium for both sound quality and lightness, although you can find repiniques made of iron or even wood. In Rio samba it is played with one wooden stick, with the other hand slapping the drum. The repinique should not have more than 8 single struts; any more both deaden the sound and do not leave enough space for the hand to slap the drum without hitting the lugs. 6 lugs are preferred in Rio. In other styles of Brazilian music the repenique is played with a pair of flexible plastic 'whippy' sticks. The repinique was introduced into Rio baterias in the 1950's. Its function is to complement the tamborims and to support the surdos. It is also used as a solo and lead instrument, with its solos supplying the correct speed for the entrance of the other instruments.

REPIQUE DE MAO - this is a special hand repique developed especially for pagode . It has a metal body and a nylon skin at one end only.

SURDO

The surdo is a big bass drum, which holds the beat for the rest of the group. Surdos have heads at both ends. In Rio hide heads are used. The best surdos for marching samba bands have aluminium bodies as these are light and sturdy. Surdos can also be found with wooden bodies (fragile) and iron bodies (heavy). The surdo is considered the heart of the bateria, and is responsible for marking and maintaining the beat of all the other instruments. The First or Primeiro surdo hits strongly on the beat, and the second or segundo hits on the second part of the beat, responding to the primeiro.

TAMBORIM

This is a little frame drum with a 6" nylon skin, and should be tunable. Originally made in a quadrangular shape and with skin head. This little drum is held in one hand and played with a special flexible stick (vareta) and in samba it is used to highlight the strongest parts of a tune, providing punctuation for the melody. The first Brailsin tamborins were octangular and covered in hide. There is a legend that they used to be covered in cat skin, but as this is fragile and tears easily, the legend may not be true. One tamborim is spelt with an 'm', but the plural is tamborins.

TAN TAN - a long tapered drum with a hide or Napa head at one end. Used to take the place of a surdo in a small samba group or pagode session. Played sitting down, resting on the player's lap. The skin is hit with one hand whilst the body is tapped with the other.

TAROL

The tarol is a slim line samba snare drum typically no more than 10cm deep. From the same family as the caixa da Guerra, it has a determining influence on the rhythmic identity of a bateria. It is often used for playing up on the shoulder; instead of being supported by a belt at waist level it is cradled in one arm, high up at chest level.

THIRD SURDO

The third surdo is a smaller surdo. This is the cutting surdo, also known as the Surdo Centrador, or Cutador, and is used with creative freedom but remains responsible for the swing of the bateria. It fills in the spaces between the first and second surdo beats.

TIMBA - a conical drum made of fiberglass, metal or wood with a plastic head at one end - a marching drum. Adult sized timbas are usually 70 or 90cm deep - short people should use the 70cm timba. The timba is played upright, using plastic flexible whippy sticks or drumsticks, or can be played by hand too. It is used in styles from North Eastern Brazil, such as samba reggae. Although this is a traditional drum it was almost obsolete in Brazil until Carlinhos Brown reinvented it for his band Timbalada in the 1980s.

WHISTLE

The traditional Brazilian samba whistle is a 3 tone whistle made of wood. Genuine ones are very loud and can be heard easily over 30 or 40 drummers. The whistle is used to scatch the attention of the drummers and to regulate the speed of the samba band. But a 3 tone samba whistle can also be used as an instrument in its own right.

What Instruments Are Found in a Samba Band? Brazilian Percussion Instruments
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To find out more information about Brazilian samba drums and other Brazillian instruments and to see pictures of all of these percussion instruments, visit http://www.tdsounds.co.uk, and click on the various instruments.

* Giselle Winston has been playing samba for 20 years, in various samba schools in Rio de Janeiro and the UK, and is one of the founders of Paraiso School of Samba in London. She is joint director of Traditional Sounds of Samba Ltd (TDSounds) and has been selling samba drums (mainly in the UK) since 2001. She can be contacted on ++44 (0)208 601 7131 or at info at tdsounds.co.uk.

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How Does Music Influence Our Lives?

Music influences our lives considerably because there is no man who can admit he doesn't like music and he doesn't have a favorite song or artist. Many people live or breathe through music; others earn money from it, but most of them relax while listening to music. It is said that music therapy is so powerful that it can cure diseases or disorders of the brain. Our musical preferences reflect our image in society, influences our mood, makes us more courageous, more cheerful, or, on the contrary, more sad and depressed. It all depends on the way we understand or feel it.

Many research shows that not only our personality is influenced by music, but also our sexual activity that improves or gets worse depending on the music we listen. It seems that those who listen to jazz have better sexual performance than those who listen to pop: it seems that the saxophone has this significant effect on people. Those who have the lowest sexual activity are those who listen to classical music. Heavy metal music, however, makes you be temperamental and stubborn.

Music develops certain parts of the brain that can not be stimulated otherwise. It seems that when small children learn to play piano, they are willing to acquire much more information than those who do not play to any instrument. Thus, children who learn to play the piano have a greater intelligence than those who learn to use a computer.

How Does Music Influence Our Lives?

Music influences our health and has a great contribution to the adjustment of neurological and moving deficiency. In some cases, patients suffering from Parkinson's were able to move only when they remembered certain songs from their youth. It also seems that we choose the rhythm depending on our heart or breathing rate. The combination of musical rhythms seems to induce our fluctuations of blood pressure, sometimes being imperceptible, but usually influencing our feelings. Therefore slow music calms us, while having a fast rhythm makes us tense, but when music is based too much on harmony, then it may tire our brain. What influences our state of mind is the length and location of breaks in a song.

The way we react to a song depends much and our state of mind or previous experiences. If we associate a song with a sad event in our life, we will grieve when we hear it, while others, with no memories connected to that song, will consider it happy. Also, we often associate an ad or a movie to the music we hear. That's why music is used in commercials and films, because, if the message did not reach us, music will do for sure.

Music has also its own message. Rock and rap songs with videos that incite violence and sexual messages addressed directly send the same message to its listeners. Young people who listen to this genre of music have more hectic lives and a more aggressive behavior. Rap has a more powerful effect because its lyrics are more explicit and even if the lyrics can not be understood, usually because the volume is too loud; its melodic line that repeats succeeds, eventually, to transmit the same message.

But music doesn't influence only people, it was noted that plants grow faster and produce more flowers, fruits and seeds when in the room is instrumental music, especially violin, flute and harmonium.

How Does Music Influence Our Lives?
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History of Percussion Instruments

Anthropologists and historians repeatedly speculate that percussion instruments were the first musical apparatus ever came into being. But with the utmost certainty, the human voice was the first musical instrument, and surely, percussion tools such as feet, hands, rocks, sticks and logs came in second to the on-going evolution of music. When humans developed tools for hunting and agriculture, their knowledge along side with skill, enabled them to produce more complex tools. They use slit drum, made from a hollowed-out tree trunk. For instance, a simple log may have been shaped to generate louder tones (log drum) and may have been pooled to create numerous tones (set of log drums).

As time moved on, so is the evolution of percussion instruments. In the early 10th century, it was known that most tribes in Africa use sorts of percussions such as djembe, macaras used in Latin America, karimbas in Asia and seed rattles in Australia for their recreational and worship rituals and sometimes used in sending signals.

Percussion instruments that are displayed in orchestra first came from Asia Minor. In the 15th century, people began migrating east and brought with them numerous instruments. Our percussion instruments got their initial stages there, when the Crusades took back the drums that they found in the Middle East. From then on, evolution of percussion and drums kicked up a notch and assortments of percussion instruments came into being.

History of Percussion Instruments

Percussion is categorized by a variety of criteria at times depending on their cultural origin, construction and function within musical orchestration. It is generally referred as ?the hearbeat? of a musical ensemble, often functioning close collaboration with bass instruments if present.

Drums and percussions as well as bass are known as the rhythm section of the most popular music genres. Most classical pieces written for an orchestra since the time of Mozart and Haydn are schemed to put emphasis on strings, brass and woodwinds. However, time and again they include a pair of timpani (kettle drums) although not played continuously. But moderately, they serve to offer additional accents when needed.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, more percussion instruments (like the cymbals or triangles) came to being and frequently, again moderately and cautiously played in general. The massive uses of percussion instruments become more recurrent in the 20th century, on classical music.

In almost all types of music, percussion plays a fundamental role. In a military parade, it is the strike of the bass drum that holds the soldiers in step and at a normal speed, and it is the snare that endows that crisp, vital air to the tune of a troop. In traditional jazz, one almost instantly thinks of the distinguishing rhythm of the hi-hats or the ride cymbal when the word "swing" is uttered. In more current popular music genres, it is almost impossible to name at least three or four rock, hip-hop, rap, funk, punk, techno, grunge, alternative and blues songs that don?t have some kind of percussive beat maintaining the tune in time.

Because of the mixture and wide assortments of percussive instruments, it is not unusual to find large musical gathering composed wholly of percussion. Rhythm, harmony and melody are all evident and alive in these musical factions, and in live performances they are quite a spectacle to see.

History of Percussion Instruments
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We are proud to offer our customers high quality ethnic percussion instruments that are sourced ethically from around the globe.

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Buddhist Alter Supplies - Do You Need a One-Stop-Shop for Your Buddhist Altar Supplies?

Here is just a sampling of what to look for while creating your Zen or Buddhist altar:

* A Soapstone Oil Warmer can create a calm and relaxed setting with its soft candlelit base and carved rose-colored soapstone. Incense granules infuse your sacred space with a delightful scent.

* A Sitting Wooden Siddhartha Buddha that is hand-crafted from the finest wood. The focal point of any Buddhist altar, Siddhartha is the birth name of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

Buddhist Alter Supplies - Do You Need a One-Stop-Shop for Your Buddhist Altar Supplies?

* A red Lacquered Offering Stand that is a graceful addition to any Zen altar, measuring 3" around at the top.

* Tibetan Singing Bowls that are made from hand-pounded brass make a profound and mystical sound when played, and come with a wooden striker and silk cushion. Tibetan Singing bowls have a profound and mystical sound when played. They are considered to literally "sing".

* A Yin and Yang Incense Holder that is a symbolic decoration for Tibetan Buddhist altars, and it illustrates how opposing forces give rise to the interconnectedness of the universe. This classically designed incense holder will provide wonderful aromas to your altar.

* A set of Dragon Tingsha Meditation Cymbals that are hand-cast in metal is engraved with an intricate dragon pattern. These beautiful 3" cymbals are used to begin and end a meditation session or to clear the mind. The origin of the Dragon goes back centuries in Asian culture. They are strongly associated with being rulers of the water and weather including rivers, seas and waterfalls.

If you have been trying to put together a sacred space or Buddhist altar in your home, then look no further than searching the internet for all of your Buddhist altar supplies.

Buddhist Alter Supplies - Do You Need a One-Stop-Shop for Your Buddhist Altar Supplies?
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Jim C. Phillips owns Chopa Zen Home and Gifts, which is the leader in Japanese inspired living. Jim seeks out the finest artisans and manufacturers, and offer quality products, such as Japanese or Zen home decor items, meditation supplies, 100% cotton Kimonos, Japanese furniture, Shoji room dividers, silk scrolls, Japanese garden fountains and much more.

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