Let go your head, let go your heart and feel it now...

At the risk of having you break into song (Feelings, nothing more than feelings) this post is indeed about 'Feelings' (with a capital F). But we'll bypass Albert Morris' song if you don't mind.

Instead - let's rip into the Jackson Five's disco down boogie of Can you feel it?

The title of this post comes from the stupendous David Gray song Babylon. And just because I adore this song here it is too
David Gray - Babylon (Official Music Video) - The best home videos are here

The third of my video homages to Feelings is from The Feeling - a great British band that I've mentioned before on my music blog http://googoogarjoob.blogspot.com/


THE FEELING - LOVE IT WHEN YOU CALL
Uploaded by huntylch. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

That's all nice 'n good, I'm sure you're thinking. but why is he telling me this? And why isn't this post on his goo goo blog thing anyway? And why don't I have anything better to do than read this stoopid blog??

Well I'll tell you - it's all because of a Time magazine dated May 3 1999. Yes, that's right - 1999! It suddenly appeared in my pigeon hole at school. The cover introduces a story on the new Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace. Turns out the librarian at school came across it and thought of me! I'm pleased she did too. I've been reading this copy for weeks now. It has the aforementioned cover story but it coincided with the Columbine massacre and that story is still chilling and fascinating to read. It shook me at the time and it shakes me still. Aside from those two stories it's been interesting to look over a ten year old magazine. It puts the 'now' in perspective in many ways.

But anyway - feelings - remember. I am getting there - trust me.

The magazine also had a great interview with Bill Moyers and George Lucas. Those of you who've been along on the blog ride with me since the start will remember I'm a huge Joseph Campbell fan - he of the 'follow your bliss' line. I have a series of great interviews on video between Moyers and Campbell in which they discuss the mythic properties of, among other things, Star Wars. So when I saw this interview in this old issue of Time my heart started to pound.

Moyers: In authentic religion, doesn't it take Kierkegaard's leap of faith?
Lucas: Yes, yes, definitely. You'll notice Luke uses that quite a bit through the film - not to rely on pure logic, not to rely on the computers, but to rely on faith. That is what "Use the force" is, a leap of faith. There are mysteries and powers larger than we are, and you have to trust your feelings in order to access them.

I love this idea! Lucas says at another point in the interview that, "You have control over your destiny, you have many paths to walk down, and you can choose which destiny is going to be yours...You must let go of your past and embrace your future and figure out what path you're going to go down". This is when the 'Trust your feelings' lesson means things for me. David Gray in Babylon says 'Let go your heart, let go your head, and feel it now'. Same deal. Go with the inner voice, trust that. Is it instinct? The Holy Spirit? The Force? Different people will have different answers. I don't know what it is for you. For me - trusting my feelings leads me into the larger mysteries of the universe.

I'm reading a very interesting book at the moment by Susan Jeffers called 'Feel the fear and do it anyway'. It's a self-help book (I find these books affirming at various stages of my life - I'm there now) and her basic message is in the title. Again with the Feeling you'll note! I found the book by complete accident. I was watching CNN and a short clip from China had a person say he'd read this book called 'Feel the fear and do it anyway' and it had changed his perceptions of life. Okay! So I, of course, googled the title and then went to my local bookstore - who had a copy!

I'm enjoying the book and one passage resonates with me and all this Feelings stuff - "Stop fighting your life. Let go and let the river carry you to new adventures by the way you experience your life." I like this idea of letting go, simplifying, casting off old skins. It's very liberating! Time to stop fighting.

Love and peace and may the force be with you - W