Ben Rector - Extraordinary Magic
dedicate this one to NCC 
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Last night I was in a kirtan in Seattle with Shantala (Benjy and Heather Wertheimer) and Gina Sala. My friend Steve Gorn was on bansuri flute and clarinet along with some other amazing musicians. They had not rehearsed with Gina but they are all such amazing musicians that the whole thing just rolled along perfectly for about 3 hours!
I just found this video from a few years back in which they are doing a kirtan with Steve Gorn on clarinet. It also features Ram Dass and his guru Neem Karoli Baba. (I also had dinner last night with a friend who just returned from a visit to Neem Karoli Babaâs ashram in India that you see pictured in this video):
Hereâs Gina Sala at Bhakti Fest in 2012 with Shantala and Steve Gorn:
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Saturday morning, 1:00 AM Celebrating Tihar, Festival of Lights.
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Lakshmi is the primary Goddess of Diwali
She is the Goddess of abundance, among other things.
This is her mantra:
OM SHREEM HREEM SHREEM
KAMALE KAMALALAYE
PRASIDHA PRASIDHA
OM SHREEM HREEM SHREEM
MAHALAKSHMIYAI NAMAHA
Listen carefully and you may hear the name of someone running for U.S. President.
Kamala means âLotusâ, one of the names for Lakshmi.
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Itâs worth noting that Lakshmi is also the consort of Vishnu (in some of his avatar forms). I have a statue of her and Vishnu sitting beside me each day on the end table by my recliner.
I wrote a note and attached it to the base of her statue with her mantras, I also wrote on the note that I donât seek wealth or guidance from her. Instead, I explained that she was welcomed into my home out of respect for Vishnu, the deity from whom I have always sought guidance.
Good eye @fenwizard 
.
Om Narayanaya Vidmahe Vasudevaya,
Dheemahi Tanno Vishnuh Prachodayat.
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@fenwizard , I created a quick AI-generated song using the mantra. Itâs quite synchronistic that you found it, and it ties into one of the beings I hold close, so I felt inspired. These are exactly the kinds of synchronicities I usually look for 
.
Lyrics (click)
Guided by Vishnuâs Grace
(Verse 1:)
In the quiet of my heart, a whisper soft and true,
A guiding light emerges, from Lord Vishnu to me and you.
He charts the course before us, by paths that He deems right,
By any means He chooses, weâll follow in His light.
(Chorus:)
Om shreem hreem shreem,
Kamale kamalalaye,
Prasidha prasidha,
Om shreem hreem shreem,
Mahalakshmiyai namaha.
(Verse 2:)
Should He send fair Lakshmi, with blessings to bestow,
Weâll embrace her guidance, as through His grace we grow.
Her fortune and her wisdom, gifts from the divine,
Through Vishnuâs loving kindness, their paths with ours align.
(Chorus:)
Om shreem hreem shreem,
Kamale kamalalaye,
Prasidha prasidha,
Om shreem hreem shreem,
Mahalakshmiyai namaha.
(Bridge:)
Together they unite us, the Goddess and the Lord,
Leading us with compassion, their love our true reward.
We surrender to their wisdom, their plans for us unfold,
Trusting in their guidance, our spirits they upâŠ
Om shreem hreem shreem,
(Outro:)
Om shreem hreem shreem,
Kamale kamalalaye,
Prasidha prasidha,
Om shreem hreem shreem,
Mahalakshmiyai namaha.
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Nice! I knew that you had a connection to Shiva but didnât know you also had a connection to Vishnu. Thatâs a good balance, since Shiva is the one who destroys the old forms and Vishnu is the one who lays sleeping and dreaming at the bottom of the sea, continually dreaming this evolving Universe into being!
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Yup. This is my circle:
- Anubis
- Archangel Michael (Jesus)
- Vishnu
- Lakshmi
The closeness I have to Shiva is through my mother. She holds Shiva and his consort Parvati, in particular the Durga aspect of Parvati in her direct circle.
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Hereâs how Joseph Campbell tells it:
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I dreamt last night that I was hanging out with Nahko Bear. Nahko is a Native American/Puerto Rican/Filipino singer songwriter whose brilliant songs reflect a nature-based spirituality:
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Michael W. Smith - In Christ Alone (Live)
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Shivoham. A new song and music video from Ananda Das. Filmed in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Looks a lot like a place where I hiked there a couple of summers ago,
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Stay Alive - José Gonzålez (Lyrics)
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Hara hara mahadev
A new song release from Ananda Das (featuring Paloma Devi).
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