Flute Circle B'day Gathering at Bellbunya

Wow what a weekend up at Bellbunya!!

For me it was the best flute circle ever and the response from others is much the same. There was a really strong sense of connection amongst us. Peace and unconditional love unite us further revealing the truth that we all are one in spirit. The union of all our journeys and our personal connections to spirit reinforced this bond and the great benefits of sharing this together were realised. I felt a collective desire present to enjoy and make the most of such a great opportunity and as the main organiser and leader of this group this humbled me and was a special goose bumpy kind of feeling. The warmth of being in this great company was awesome and that warmth will stay forever in the knowing of having so many great friends.

The Bellbunya community members also really enjoyed hosting us and joining in as well as welcoming us to join their activities. It's a honour as usual to have such a supportive community like Bellbunya to host such a gathering taking the pressure off us to create a great Gathering. It's also a great honour that Belbunya have invited us to come back so It has been decided that we will definitely return to Bellbunya for a future gathering one day.

Here are my pics of the weekend that are too good not to share.

Joking around, Krandan, Helen, and Sahayak.

Sahayak checking out my new flutes.

I enjoy a early morning chat with Kate at Kate's home away from home.

Saturday Dinner

MMMM, yummy healthy food.

Full tummy's, enjoying a good chat.

Karsten and Rob.

Karsten, Owen, Gecko, ?lovely lady from community?

Sahayak in a world of bliss as I massage his shoulders and neck, love the grin!!

Sahayak repaying the favor.

Kiya massaging his mum.

Kiya's had a big day.

Fire Circle
The fire circle was an entertaining and relaxing part of the weekend. A warm evening so just a small fire.

Owen Playing the Didge.

Maia, Rob, Sahayak, Krandan.


Maia and Sahayak sharing their sacred flute and hang music.

An Owl early on Sunday Morning, looking injured with blood dripping, but still able to hold itself in the wild, we chose not to intervene. We think possibly had a run in with a Python or was attacked by nesting Magpies. He was on the varandah railing outside our rooms and I saw him on the Sunday Morning as I opened my door at 6 am.

Sunday Circle

We gathered in a shady spot under some trees for the circle on the Sunday. We did the talking stick ceremony for a good while After we played a flowing flute meditation where silently without words, one at a time, we played a song and it flowed from one to another when and if they felt to play. This was very peaceful and meditative and was a totally in heart moment for all. After we all joined in together for one song together, amazing how these sound when the energy of peace has formed amongst the group, what normally would not work because of the varying keys just blends into a healing mandala of sound bliss.

Circle.

Krandan, all the way from his work in the Timor Sea to be with us, plays his Spirit.

Satya sharing her heart song.

Michael sharing his song.

Verna playing her spirit Song.

Helen going within.

Zoe sharing hers on her new flute.

Sahayak passionately goes to the zone where songs effortlessly flow as he shares his song.

Michael looks inwards and shares his inner peace.

Letting go of everything to go within, the flute the vehicle. I love it. Words cannot explain the feeling.

Kate plays a lovely song.

Soaking up the stillness of this moment.

Zoe and Maia.

Rob shares his inner journey in sound Verna looking on.

Group Photo after circle.

The community choir members share a singing healing with some of us. In the pic they are preparing.

Sahayak and Maia passionatley playing thier music for everyone.

Possibly the same owl or another watching over us. My Friend Paulie sent the following message after I first posted.
"Sooty owl !! amazing, very rare creature ~ they make the call of a falling whistle ~ definitely a sign of powerful intention and focused energy coming together"

Sahayak and I waiting for the movie entertainment to begin. Great to be together and fooling around once again.

Hanging out at Debbie and Nick's van on the Monday and joking around. Daya gets a massage from Nick, then I get one from Debbie.

A Fairwell group pic with Helen and Verna (sisters) just before they depart Bellbunya for the long drive home to Makay in Nth Qld. Love your dedication and enjoyed getting to know you better.

Raffle Update

Many more things have been donated to the raffle, see the post below for more details on the new additions. Currently we have recieved $1935 worth of prizes and all involved in a discussion on the Weekend agreed that we should be able with such great prizes to raise at least $2000
Currently we have raised nearly $200 so we are off to a good start. I hope you all tell your freinds and take advantage of this great raffle. Raffle will be drawn in late Feb 2010.

The Evolution Of The Circle

There was dicussion about the future and evolution of the Circle and this has lead to some really exciting news which will be shared soon.

A Big thank you to everybody for making this circle what it is today with your support and energy.

Blessings

Matt

2009 Charity Raffle

Thanks to all for their support with the new raffle. Take a look at the great prizes so far. Still asking for donations of prizes to add below. Blessings and good luck to everyone.

Current List Of Prizes

A workshop for two to make your own Native American Ceremonial Pipe (Peace Pipe) with Bud and Rona Jonson of www.Pipekeepers.org Pipestone Minnesota, valued at $300. A Australian tour by Bud and Rona to run a few workshops is currently in the pipe line, if all works out it will run sometime in Late 2010, stay tuned for more details. This workshop will be sponsored by the flute circle. Would anyone like to suggest a venue for the workshop, Bud, Rona and their 2 children will need a supporting family when they visit also and my home is too small but I have offered to organise the workshop, hellp on the days and drive them too and from the Airport, I am thinking Lyle Deer Farm possibly, does anyone have a contact there. The keepers as they are known are, like the flute circle, a non-profit organisation. Their aim is protecting sacred traditions of the Ceremonial pipe, the quarries, and supporting craftsmen and woman as an outlet for their work. This workshop is to make Elbow or T Bowl Pipes and includes much more such as history and background on the pipe.

A Eagle Claw pipe I made in 2008 at one of Bud and Rona's Workshops.
Smaller Alabaster (Canadian stone) pipe.

6 pairs of Wise Ear Candles kindly donated by Barbra Elkins of Wisdom for Living, valued at $70 www.wisdomforlivingcentre.com/


A Tantric Journey for either Male or Female, with Goddess Eve, valued at $150. Making sexuality more sacred.

A 1hr massage or Accupuncture session Kindly donated by Michael Koda valued at $60

2 packs of cards with envelopes kindly donated by Karsten Thompsen valued at $100. These are prints of his lovely his paintings.

2 Hand woven Guatamalan bedsheets donated kindly by Satya valued at over $80

A very large Ametrine (Amethist and Citrine) Generator Crystal kindly donated by Debbi and Nick valued at $250


A 15"white Moth Spirit Medicine Drum with dream catcher style webbing and Beater valued at $265, Kindly donated by Barry and Jenny.


A pass for two to a Night Of Light near you valued at $30, kindly donated by Gaia.

2 Cd's Kindly donated by Maia and Sahayak from Samjjana which are just released valued at $50 www.samjjana.com



A Cd kindly donated by John Rodriquez from Syncronicity called "Sing For Joy" valued at $30 http://singchronicity.net


Two Cd's from Ed Bassingwaighe, valued at $50. More details to come.

My Cd, Journey Over Mountains valued at $25

A Cd Tanglefoot by Rob Lonetree donated by Myself valued at $25

Two flutes donated by myself.

A beautiful NSW aromatic Rosewood Flute. valued at $350 and donated by Myself. picture coming soon.

A childrens Flute valued at $150

A one and a half hour session of Reiki has been kindly donated by Carolyn Jeffery, at her home or around the Gold Coast but she mentions she is willing to travel within reason to suit those who cant drive or get there.

More details and pictures to come. Please donate and support. Thanks!!

Tickets are priced @

$5 for 3 tickets
$10 for 10 tickets
1 prize per person so there's no multiple winners to keep it fair.

To purchase send an email to northernnswflutecircle@gmail.com with no of tickets wanted and forward Payment by cash in post to M. Farmer 264 Blackhorse Rd, Kyogle 2474 or Paypal to northernnswflutecircle@gmail.com

This raffle is an exciting and fun way to support those less fortunate than ourselves and there's the high possibility of being well rewarded for the effort by winning a lovely prize.

I'll keep you all posted by email as this info changes. The raffle will definatley be drawn at the final end of year circle in 2010 after being extended.

Blessings

Matt

Flute Circle Gathering 19th-20th Sptember 2009

Rainbow at Bellbunya

I am excited to invite you to the next flute circle gathering which will also mark the celebration of our 1st Birthday. Bellbunya Community just west of Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast have welcomed us to use their eco-community that is based on spiritual values as the venue for the weekend. This great venue has plenty of space and great facilities too and is located in lush and picturesc surroundings in the hills. It will be a fantastic place for us to gather, get to know one another and share our love. I have put together a program for the weekend which includes some really great workshops, nature connection, sacred space and finally on the Sunday evening culminating in a concert. I love these gatherings and this will be the second and last for this year. I really look forward to seeing you there.

When
19th and 20th September 2009
People welcome to arive from Friday Afternoon 18th September.

Where
Belbunya Community

Who is welcome
As usual absolutley everyone is welcome especially including non flute players, medicine drummers and children but no pets please.

Here is the program and below it is more information on accommodation etc. It is important we stick to the program times so if you want to participate in any part of the weekend program then please make sure you arrive a little earlier.

Saturday 19th

Saturday Lunch 12pm 1.30pm BYO A welcome and get to know one another.

1.45 to 3.45 pm
A journey into Spirit Songs with Matt. In this workshop Matt teaches you his philosophy about how to let go to become one with the flute. To release and tap your inner creative light and let it flow through you and the flute. This is as much about healing and balancing all aspects of your creation on all levels as it is about becoming an experienced flute player/shaman as they go hand in hand. The flute is a personal mastery and self love tool. A song is a gift to the universe, and through playing the flute and tapping our connection to our Source we become more in alignment - So it helps us to clear the patterns that don't serve us to grow and attain our highest purpose and potential in every new moment. This is why the flute and many other musical instruments are so healing. This is a great opportunity for those who are beginning, those who are already on the journey, and those who are experienced players. A journey into Spirit Songs is a journey into spirit and deep into the heart of your soul.

4.15 to 5.30 pm
Matt, Sahayak, Michael and other experienced flute players offer to teach those wanting to develop their skills. This will be done in a group firstly and then we will split off into smaller groups. This is aimed at sharing skills and sharing our experiences and will be a open discussion on anything flute related.

6pm Dinner.
This meal can be catered for by the community or you can BYO

7.30pm Fire circle.
Connections around the fire, flute drums, singing, chanting, chatting - whatever happens. mmm a lovely time of year for a fire too, can feel it already. If any one is interested we can also watch a DVD afterwards called 500 Nations about the history of Native Tribes in the Americas.

Sunday 20th.

8.30 to 9.30am Breakfast

10am-12pm
Medicine healing Journey with Walter (Walks On Wind) Smith
Walter, a close friend of mine has kindly offered to share his flute journey and his understanding of Spiritual Shamanism with us. Part of this workshop includes Walter guiding us along a medicine journey meditation which he tells me the space this can create is quite profoundly powerful and transformational. Walter has been playing the flute for many years now and has followed a spiritual journey based around Native American Culture, shamanism and other spiritual cultures for the last 30 years. I am really honored that Walter will be sharing this with us.

Walter playing during the closing ceremony of the WESAK Festival to 600 people in Brisbane 2006.

12 to 1.30pm
BYO Lunch and mingle. Flute circle birthday celebration. If a few people could bring some nice healthy cakes that would be great, please let me know if you are volunteering this service.

1.45 to 3pm
Group circle. Talking Stick, sharing, playing.

3.30 - 5.30pm Concert/Performance. Updated 2.9.09
This will be a very special part of the weekend as it's an opportunity for players of any instruments to perform some of thier music. The offer is open to all and encouraged, I may even get up myself.

I have invited good friends and Native American Flute and Hang Drum musicians Maia and Sahayak, collectively known as Samjana (pronounced 'sum-ya-na') to play as part of the Birthday celebrations. Maia and Sahayak are also playing a concert at Belbunya on the Friday Night 18th September and all are welcome. Please email me if you would like more details. It was their suggestion and connection to Bellbunya that has created the possibility of the gathering up this way instead of Northern Rivers area and to fit the gathering into their schedule. It is great to be connecting with them after their return from spending a year overseas and I appreciate their support for the gathering.

Together they offer profoundly peaceful sacred sound that restore listeners to stillness, balance and harmony. You are invited with samjjana to be immersed in profoundly gentle, deeply soothing, soul nourishing sound vibrations that enhance inner peace and stillness. Some CD's may be for sale also after the concert.



6.30pm Dinner This meal can be catered for by the community or you can BYO

Costs
As far as the flute circle goes there is no expectation that you pay anything, the motivation for the circle is in service to the flute and we are a non-profit community group. However donations to the circle are certainly not discouraged and importantly any funds will help with admin costs to help us create the next gathering. Volunteers are always needed so please volunteer in any way if you can.

Naturally we will all need to personally take care of any camping, accommodation or meal fees to Bellbunya Community. It is great to have them supporting us with their space.

Accommodation and meals
Accommodation is available as BYO camping equipment, dormitory and en suite. Meals for breakfast and dinner will be available or can be BYO. I am assured there will be a preparation place and a fridge we can use. Belbunya website please contact them directly to book and pay for your accommodation and if any question in regards to accommodation or meas is not answered here.

Camping is $15 per night. Showers and toilet facilities close to camping area.
Limited Ensuite and dormatory acommodation is available.
Two course Dinner $15
Breakfast $5
(Please note there is a small daily cost per person which is still being negioated with Bellbunya. Details will be updated here when they are available.) This is now replaced by info below.

Update 11.9.09 Belbunya have kindly offered us the Hall to use for donations only. They usually have a set fee. There will be alot of work community members do to prepare for us and clean after us as well as them sharing their space so I encourage you please support with a small note in a tin they have there on the day.

To book for camping and room accomodation please contact Bellbunya directly using the email address below to make bookings. It is very important they know numbers for accomidation and catering. The prices we have been offered are discount rates.

Bellbunya email: contact@bellbunya.org.au

Address and directions Updated 11.9.09
Bellbunya Community.114 Browns Road
Belli Park. Queensland 4562 Office Reception Telephone (07) 5447-0181 Bellbunya is located in the Blackall Ranges outside Eumundi off the Kenilworth/Maleny Tourist Drive, a one-and-a-half hour drive north of Brisbane, half-an-hour west of the Sunshine Coast and serviced by airports at Brisbane and Maroochydore.

How to Drive to Bellbunya
From Brisbane follow the Bruce Highway to 2 km north off the Eumundi-Noosa turnoff to the Kenilworth Tourist Drive exit.
Drive 11 km towards Kenilworth and after passing over Belli Creek Bridges 1 and 2, turn right into Browns Road.
Drive 1 km past the Belli shop in Browns Road and after a sharp right hand turn look for the access sign to Bellbunya Lodge.

Bus and Rail Transport to Bellbunya
Coaches and trains regularly service Eumundi. Arrangements can be made for a meet-and-greet service to convey guests to Bellbunya.

Flutes
Matt's Native American Style Flutes will be available on both days if anyone wants to look or purchase.

A New Raffle- Please Support. Updated 11.9.09
I am sending a call out to all of you reading now that we are launching a new charity fundraising raffle and to make it a goer of course we need people to donate new things of interest big and small to this great cause. I am kicking off the process as usual by making the first donation of 2 new CD’s One is mine Journey Over Mountains and the other is Rob Bruce’s Tanglefoot. So please give to the cause, it’s the best way to increase your abundance and that of other people and animals on the planet who need our support more importantly. For more information on the flute circles raffles look at previous posts or email me. We hope to have the raffle a goer by the flute gathering on the 19th and 20th September so let me know ASAP. Please get behind it.

I am still yet to hear from anyone to say they have anything to donate to the raffle. So just again I wan't to get the message out there what this raffle will support. We have been able to help empower the lives of orphined children in Nepal and help with their recent rehabilitation of wildlife in Victoria with the last raffle. I welcome also suggestions of where the money will go. We'll run it over the next 6 months and it would be great to get it started at this last circle for the year if it's going to be any success but it will need your support to work. We are very lucky so what can we lose. I have already donated some CD's and I will donate a Gemstone Inlaid flute worth $350 only if we can raise the same value in donated prizes first. It would seem pointless to abandon such a great fun community raffle due to lack of support. Everyone can benefit if we have some great prizes. Anyone got any ideas please let me know.

Contact
Please address all enquiries for the weekend to the flute circle email address northernnswflutecircle@gmail.com Please contact by email as the main form of contact otherwise contact Matt on 0429 832 071. Always great to know numbers so an email with details is appreciated. Please pass on the email with the link to the blog onto others who may be interested.

Manny Blessings

Matt

Winter Update

Dear Circle Friends,

I thought I would take this rainy day opportunity to post a general update, keeping the circle energy flowing and to keep us all warm with current circle news.

The circle is now 1 year old (Horray !!) and the next circle will serve as our Birthday celebration. The circle will be in September and I am really looking forward to that. Please let me know your suggestions and feelings for a outdoor venue for this next and very important gathering. I have invited Samjana to play at this celebration for us.

I am sorry to mention the winter circle which I had hoped to plan for the winter solstice has been canceled and the weather lately in the Northern Rivers has been unsupporting for any kind of outdoor circle. As the last years one was such a great time then we must make it top priority to get together around a warm fire for next year.

Our last circle in late March was such a great success even though the weather scared many off and shows that circles up in the national parks are great fun. It was a very appropriate place up there in the Border Rangers immersed in an ancient lost world of exquisite nature.

The flute raffle was drawn at the last circle and I have since donated the $275 to two separate organisations. Hands With Hands, the orphanage in Africa was given $195 and WRAP Wildlife Rehabilitation And Protection, an organisation in Victoria who are working to rehabilitate Victoria's bushfire affected wildlife areas were given $80. I figured the wildlife needed some suport and chose this organisation over the Red Cross Bushfire appeal as it has already generated in excess of 300 million. This is all thanks to our support and that of our American friends who conributed to raffle by donating CD's and signing the flute.

We are now starting a new raffle and I extend the challenge to anyone who has any main prize to donate to the cause. The prize can be goods, services, or cash for us to obtain a good prize. I am donating a copy of my CD to the raffle as a runner up prize. All ideas are welcomed and as soon as we have the prizes secured then I will let everyone know so you can buy tickets. We need new charities too and it would be really great to raise lots more money this time.

The circles website is still under construction and it is finding the time that has been the problem, I'll keep you all posted as things develop here. Thanks again to Beau Raven for with all his help.

If any Brisbaneites want to catch up I'll be at the Mind Body Spirit Festival at the RNA showgrounds from Friday to Sunday 26-28th June, and doing stage performances on the Saturday 12pm and Sunday at 11.30 am, I have a whole pile of free admission tickets that will save you $16 so if you want to come along and get in free just call me on my mobile when you arrive at the door. 0429 832 071 Please don't call me just before the performance time, try to make it an hour earlier.

Well that's it for now. I look forward to hearing or catching up with you all soon.

Blessings on the journey

Matt

A Beautiful Autumn Circle

Connecting to nature and each other through nature.

This was a very special weekend in the rainforrest complete with cleansing rains during the drum making workshop which was a blessing and made the rainforrest experience all the more real. The sun came out and cleansed us on the Sunday also and to shine light on us and the circle.
I wont say a whole lot as I have included a bunch of pics which say much more. I would like to thank all those who participated in the workshops and all those who braved the uncertain weather to be part of the group. We had a fantastic bonding and experience together and the medicine of us joining together to create sacred space and medicine tools to heal ourselves and our deer mother was truly a powerful experience I and surely all will never forget. A big thank you to Morning Star for her sharing her wisdom and knowledge with us and Mark Webb for volunteering to be a helper through the weekend. I realise the journey of this circle is about the joining of our one family in love and peace, more than ever when we come together like this. Times of separation and segregation amongst us will soon be a thing of the past, that's why gatherings like this are so important and powerful.

The raffle bowl with all the tickets was smudged and drummed and the prayer that those who would get the most out of and appreciate the most would be the new carriers. Thanks for all your support with the raffle, the raffle raised $270 and the money will shortly go to Hands With Hands and the Australian Bush Fire Appeal. As suggested by people on the day. Now I hand it over to anyone who can help with our next fundrasier by keeping thier ears peeled for a great prize that they can help find or manifest, or a suggestion of a new charity. Also the circle needs your support in many other ways small or large, this helps make it flow and what it is so if you can help in any way let me know. Always interested to hear your ideas.

The winners were;
First Prize, the Flute I made and took to 2006 INAFA convention where it was Autographed - Walter Smith
Second Prize, Autographed R. Carlos Nakai CD - Eve Glimma
Third Prize, Autographed Garry Strousos CD - Samantha Hyde
Fourth Prize, Matt Shooting Star CD - Celia Cox

Casey whittling his flute blank.

Matt demonstrating the whittling technique.

Drew carving his flute.

Demonstrating the planing of excess material.

Demonstrating the tuning method with specialised hot poker tools to burn out holes. A flute contains all elements. The tree grows in the earth and needs water, it makes air and you breathe the air and blow it in your flute, the sun and hole burning process bring the element of fire to the flute. The flute and many sound instruments are so healing to our bodies because we are made up of more than 70 % water and sound travels 5 times faster through water than through air. The flute is a very grounding and centering instrument and in a world of it's own.

Pre-softening the skins in the misty rain early on the Saturday Morning. These are thick Australian Fallow Deer hides

Then we head here to the sacred Brindle Creek to do ceremony on the skins and begin our journey with our drum and the connection with the earth. We left the skins here to soak while the group returned to camp to start their rattles, and returned later to collect the skins.

We pick up rocks and place them under our left shoulder connecting our life force our DNA and spirit with the skins and the running waters of the creek, and say our prayers to our skins, affirming our intentions for our healing and journey.

The cedar hoops act as a template to cut the heads out of the hide.

Morning Star explaining the best way to cut the skins.

Michael and Jai (The Drum Brothers) share and cut the drum heads from the Fallow Deer hides.

Morning Star showing Michael and Moocha how to start the strapping weave of the drum.

Jai stretching his strapping.

Matt cutting his strapping.

Moocha weaving her medicine into the drum.

Jai weaving his medicine.

Moocha enjoying the journey and excited.

Michael also enjoying the feelings of making his first drum and entertained by Morning Star's Stories and deep knowledge of the drum.

Morning Star teaches the kids to make medicine bags inside the warm fire placed shelter.

Moocha's tribe proudly display their finished bags.

The group with their finished flutes, rattles and drums.

Matt explaining the story of the raffle flute and how it was created.

Matt decides to play the flute, a song to call up it's new carrier and journey.

Tickets smudged and drummed with the prayer that may those who will appreciate and get the most out of them win the raffle items.

Morning Star drawing the flute.

The flute circle, Matt sharing flute wisdom and story with the group..

The drum circle, Morning Star explaining the stories of the drum. The drum she is holding is the first drum I made with her, which has been a great friend.

After this we did a talking stick ceremony together to share our thoughts and feelings. Then end in a long group hug. Before the rain moves us back under cover we sing a few songs together and continue under shelter.

Blessings on the journey

Matt