It was the Taurus New Moon today! Time for grounding and getting real.

I've been a busy girl—it's been a while since I had time to write. Experiences pile up when you don't write regularly! And then I feel overwhelmed by things to say and so don't say them, and so more experiences pile up and more things to talk about. Whew!

News first: "Salon Phoenix" starts next Tuesday at SoulSpeak and will take place on alternate Tuesdays following (look for me under 'Weavers' on the SoulSpeak website). Each evening will revolve around a particular theme; I'll sing an hour's worth or so of songs that explore that theme from various angles, then we'll do an hour of discussion and interactive exercises that develop the theme further.

Next Tuesday's theme will be: 'Finding Guidance Within'.  I hope you can make it out. I'll send announcements out a week or so ahead of each Salon evening.

My house concert at SoulSpeak takes place on the 31st of May; I'll be sending reminders of that as well when the time approaches.

I'm stepping off a scary edge in myself--I've decided to try busking on the streets. This is something I've pictured myself doing in the past, but never quite had the proper sequence of opportunity, desire and willingness! As of today (the Taurus New Moon seemed the appropriate time to take this step), I am the proud holder of an official City of Duncan busking permit, so expect to find me occupying random street corners over the spring and summer. I also plan to apply for a permit in Nanaimo.

Why busk? I hadn't realized this, but in some folks' minds there's a stigma, as though buskers are 'merely panhandlers'. I was surprised to hear this recently from a musician who admitted he'd always wanted to try it but never had because he didn't want to be seen as as some sort of beggar.

I enjoy buskers, though. I admit to a bit of an icky guilty feeling if I can't afford (or don't want) to toss money into their guitar cases, so I must share that bias too, a little. Still, I want to try it, partly because it's an opportunity to make some good love dollars playing music (I can't think of a good reason why not), and partly for the experience, as a form of dues-paying.

My new busker friend Joseph tells me that busking got him off the street. Musicians receive money to play their music all the time; street performance has a time-honoured tradition and I'm proud to join the ranks. Thus goes the internal pep talk. It's true. Why not be proud?

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