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I hope to try senut again in the near future.
Speaking the words aloud felt too starched in the past, the recitation from a printed page reminded me too much of past experiences in my father's Methodist church, and the given that the words themselves are so lovely... the disconnect was palpable.
I've been studying the Middle Eastern musical structure known as maqam (plural maqamat) in an effort to construct an alternative. Largely used in an improvisational context, maqamat, in their simplest definition, are a set of pitches and brief melodic motifs that a performer can draw on to build their music in the spur of the moment. Each of the 72 maqamat in existence has its own name, and is meant to evoke a specific mood. The educated musical listener (referred to as "sammi'ah") can then reflect on the experience of that emotion as they experience the sound.
The melismatic recitation of the holy Quran is often performed in a specific maqam; I have heard it done in maqam bayati, ajam, and nahawand. I am curious to see if any of these might be adapted for the words of senut. If anyone is interested, I'll see about posting updates with recordings of my efforts.
On a less significant note, I finally found the perfect white cotton dress to wear during senut. I previously wore a black and red cotton dress that I already owned after going through the process of ritual purification. I found the new option in a local "international goods" store, and while I was looking at it the shopkeeper insisted that it would look lovely on me and all but made me try it on. I'm not one for clothes shopping, but I fell in love with this item; the embroidery, the weight of it, I just... I felt removed from the mundane of all the world around me. Then I learned that the company donated 25% of all proceeds to a food bank in one of the poorest regions of India... well, if that's not money spent in the promotion of ma'at, I don't know what is.
Dua Netjer! May you guide me in my efforts to incorporate senut more thoroughly into my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to explore the ways in which my love of music and my love of You might be combined.
Speaking the words aloud felt too starched in the past, the recitation from a printed page reminded me too much of past experiences in my father's Methodist church, and the given that the words themselves are so lovely... the disconnect was palpable.
I've been studying the Middle Eastern musical structure known as maqam (plural maqamat) in an effort to construct an alternative. Largely used in an improvisational context, maqamat, in their simplest definition, are a set of pitches and brief melodic motifs that a performer can draw on to build their music in the spur of the moment. Each of the 72 maqamat in existence has its own name, and is meant to evoke a specific mood. The educated musical listener (referred to as "sammi'ah") can then reflect on the experience of that emotion as they experience the sound.
The melismatic recitation of the holy Quran is often performed in a specific maqam; I have heard it done in maqam bayati, ajam, and nahawand. I am curious to see if any of these might be adapted for the words of senut. If anyone is interested, I'll see about posting updates with recordings of my efforts.
On a less significant note, I finally found the perfect white cotton dress to wear during senut. I previously wore a black and red cotton dress that I already owned after going through the process of ritual purification. I found the new option in a local "international goods" store, and while I was looking at it the shopkeeper insisted that it would look lovely on me and all but made me try it on. I'm not one for clothes shopping, but I fell in love with this item; the embroidery, the weight of it, I just... I felt removed from the mundane of all the world around me. Then I learned that the company donated 25% of all proceeds to a food bank in one of the poorest regions of India... well, if that's not money spent in the promotion of ma'at, I don't know what is.
Dua Netjer! May you guide me in my efforts to incorporate senut more thoroughly into my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to explore the ways in which my love of music and my love of You might be combined.
