Mirror of the Soul: A Flutist's Reflections

By Tania M. DeVizia

Mirror of the Soul is a reference to the precious metal silver and its superior reflective abilities. Silver jewelry reflects ones personality and silver instruments, which render the purest tones, have the ability to reflect ones soul. Classical flutist Tania M. DeVizia uses her silver flute as a tool to connect with the divine and thus mirror her soul. In this book, she merges theology and science, time and eternity and hands-on healing with sound healing. She analyzes and reflects upon the five roles of Jesus when he walked this earth and describes the manner in which music and art mirror His roles of Good Shepherd, Healer and Miracle Worker, Carpenter and Stone Mason, Fisher of Men and Son of God. Her text reflects her quest for truth. She believes we have an innate desire to reflect the highest ideals of the Creator in all our works of art. The words on these pages mirror the soul of a flutist who enjoys listening, observing, analyzing, hearing, and sharing her insights with others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jul 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504335348

Tania M. DeVizia

Tania M. DeVizia has been an associate professor (Music Appreciation and Music Theory) at the Art Institute of Philadelphia since 2004 and a freelance professional flutist in the Philadelphia area for over twenty years. As a child who witnessed the miraculous power of hands-on healing, prayer, chanting in tongues, and song, Tania developed an interest in merging alternative medicine with allopathic medicine. She became a certified Usui Reiki Master in 2002 and a student/practitioner of Tong Ren in 2011. She uses her knowledge of these healing modalities and her musical expertise to communicate her unique experiences on stage and in the classroom. She lives in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and she enjoys researching information, reading, writing, and playing music.

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Copyright © 2015 Tania M. DeVizia.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-3533-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-3535-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-3534-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015909884

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/02/2015

Contents

Prelude

Part One The Roles of Jesus with Art as Mirror

Chapter 1 The Good Shepherd

Chapter 2 Healer and Miracle Worker

Chapter 3 Carpenter and Stone Mason

Chapter 4 Fisher of Men

Chapter 5 Son of God

Part Two Reflecting the Creator: ‘70’s and ‘80’s Pop Culture

Chapter 6 The Hero and the Antihero

Chapter 7 The Rainbow Connection and the Force That Will Always Be With You

Coda

Bibliography

Tania M. DeVizia, a native of Wilkes-Barre, PA, is a freelance flutist in the Philadelphia area and in Northeastern PA. She was a semi-finalist in the 1994 Flute Talk Flute Competition and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center, the 2002 National Flute Association Convention, in World Wrestling Entertainment’s Smackdown (2005), in Tijuana, Mexico (2007) and as part of the Andrea Bocelli festival orchestra in Atlantic City (2001). In October 2003, she traveled to Rome with the Jubilate Deo Chorale to play two chamber music concerts with the Benigni String Quartet in honor of the beatification of Mother Teresa and the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pope John Paul, II. Tania and the Jubilate Deo Chorale also sang with the Sistine Choir for the Consistory Mass. Her primary teacher and mentor is David Cramer. She earned a Master of Music in Classical Flute Performance from the University of the Arts in 1994, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from West Chester University of PA in 1992. She has been a Usui Reiki Master since 2002 and a student/practitioner of Tong Ren since 2011. Tania is the guest artist on the CD, Unimagined Bridges: Fountain of Consciousness (2010). She can be heard as principal flute on the Jubilate Deo Chorale and Orchestra CD’s The Spirit of Christmas, The Glorious Sounds of Christmas, The Wondrous Cross, God Bless America: Remembering 9/11 and as section flute on Fanfare and Serenity. Ms. DeVizia is a member of the Reicha Trio, the D³ Trio, served on the Board of Directors of the Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia and was the interim secretary of the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia. She is the author of the article, The Power of Elegance: An Interview with David Cramer, published in the July/August, 1994 issue of Flute Talk magazine and has been an associate professor (Music Appreciation & Music Theory) at the Art Institute of Philadelphia since 2004.

To my parents –

For mirroring for me the goodness and highest ideals of the Creator.

With all my love and gratitude.

PRELUDE

Will you play upon this pipe?

Govern these ventages with your

Fingers and thumb, give it breath

With your mouth, and it will discourse

Most eloquent music.

William Shakespeare

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Proverbs 25:11

(King James Version)

Mirror of the soul is a reference to the precious metal silver because of its extraordinary reflective ability. An exquisite piece of silver jewelry reflects one’s taste or personality. Kodak film or a full-length mirror reflects an image of a beloved friend or family member. A silver musical instrument reflects a person’s heart or soul through sound. I am drawn to the luster of a silver ring, which is a symbol of love and eternal commitment. I am drawn to vintage photographs creatively laid out in a scrapbook or memory book. I am drawn to the purity of sound of a silver instrument. Silver is a tool for healing one’s body, mind and spirit. It is the best conductor of heat and electricity on the periodic table. Its chemical symbol Ag is derived from the Latin argentum, which means white light and shining. A flicker of white light is a beacon in the darkness, and we are drawn to the light like sheep to shepherds. It is the reason we soak up the sun, look up at the man in the moon, gaze at the Big Dipper, and wish upon a star. Following the light, in the words of Jiminy Cricket, makes our dreams come true. White light warms us literally and figuratively. The closer we get to its vibration, the purer we feel. White light is of the highest vibrational energy, and it contains all the wavelengths of the visible spectrum. All colors of the rainbow are present in it, and healers past and present have visualized it in the hands-on healing process. That the Latin word for silver translates white light is a testament to the purity of this element.

Silver is a mystical moon element that has reflective and purifying effects. Oceans contain dissolved silver, and oceanic saltwater, like the element silver and the human body itself, is a good conductor of electricity. Human beings have used hands-on healing since ancient times, and one of the sensations experienced in the hands of the healer is heat, a by-product of electricity. This sensation is subtly electrifying. The hands channel subtle energy, which travels faster than the speed of light, turning them into instruments of God’s love. Like the hands, the ocean is thought to have therapeutic or healing effects on the physical body. Eighteenth century physician Richard Russel, M.D. believed in the healing power of the sea. In 1750, he published his Dissertation on the Use of Sea Water in the Diseases of the Glands. He stated, All these causes seem jointly to constitute this fluid which we call the sea, and which the omnificent creator of all things seems to have designed to be a kind of common defense against the corruption and putrefaction of bodies.

Since childhood, I have been drawn to the ocean. I love the smell of salt water, feeling the ocean breeze on my face and floating on the waves – the rougher the better! For me, there is nothing more beautiful in the summertime than watching the moonlight shine on top of the sea. It is the gravitational force of the moon pulling the ocean water towards itself during high tide that creates the large waves that I love so much. Bathing in the saltwater heals minor cuts or abrasions, and the salt concentration of the Dead Sea has been effective in healing psoriasis, rheumatism and arthritis. Meditation and relaxation CD’s abound that allow the listener to hear sounds of ocean waves crashing on the seashore. I find that listening to the ocean stimulates my imagination. Ocean waves and sound waves are both mechanical waves, meaning they require a medium through which to travel. In the case of the ocean wave, water is the medium, and for a sound wave, the air is medium. Water and air are essential to sustaining life. We drink water to maintain healthy cells, and we bathe in it to refresh our bodies. Baptismal waters cleanse the spirit from original sin. The breath, which is indispensable in animating a wind instrument, is our life force. The warmth of the air that flows through the tubing of an instrument creates water droplets along with its precious tone colors. It is no surprise that this wind player, who has enjoyed creating music since she was eleven years old, has such a strong affinity for the healing powers of sound and water!

Because of its stunning reflective ability, a layer of silver nitrate coats the back of mirrors. When one gazes into a mirror, he is experiencing a now moment. The present is reflected back to him. Silver is also a necessary element for photographers who work with film in order for them to create the perfect picture. The photographer is literally preserving a meaningful moment from the past. Mystics believe that the soul is connected to the body with a silvery thread that is severed after physical death. So silver is important to record the past, reflect the present and propel one into a future of eternal bliss.

Silver is a symbol of purity, and instruments made of silver have the clearest, purest tones. What music lover does not like to hear Silver Bells, especially around Christmas time? I play a silver flute. I did not choose the flute; it chose me. It was a gift from my uncle. What draws me to the instrument is how comfortably it can be cradled in the hands. Despite the fact it is played transversely, it is positioned very close to the heart center. Sound is produced by air (our life force) that is filtered through the lips – the essential part of our anatomy that speaks our truth. Words we speak have power. [In the beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. John 1:1 Open English Bible (OEB)] My flutist lips have been essential in communicating truths so profound they were impossible for me to verbalize. When the breath resonates within the silver tubing, its vibration can be felt in the fingertips. The warmth of the tone and the warmth of the metal can be felt by the hands as well as by the heart. The metal, so light in weight, has the ability to reflect the light of God. Playing this instrument is a form of meditation for me. I believe we are put on this earth to give glory to our Creator who provides for our every need. Playing music allows me to feel his presence and give glory to him for all the blessings he has showered on me. The flute provides me with a means to connect. It is a tool that helps me feel closer to God. There are instances when the metal pipe merges so completely with my soul that I often do not know where my body ends and the pipe begins. I have experienced the phenomenon of becoming one with the instrument, or, as athletes like to say, going into the zone. That sensation for me is feeling God. My musical meditations have produced perfect solutions to challenging problems and some of my greatest creative ideas. Olympic champion Apolo Ohno had a similar connection with silver in the form of custom-made speed skates. His silver skates were so comfortable that skating for him felt as natural as walking. He experienced days so good on the ice that it felt like total synchronicity (Ohno, p.132).

Wayne Dyer, in his public television specials, has said feeling good is feeling God. I would tend to agree with that statement. This book is about discovering God and using music as a tool. It is a look at the journey of my life experiences with 20/20 hindsight and how they have aligned in divine perfect timing so I could produce a work of this scope. It is about exploring my interests and hobbies, and revealing the symmetry and common threads in different disciplines that interest me. To be thorough, I have read books on music, music history, art, acoustics, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, health, healing and theology. I focus on the role of music and prayer on the health of the human body – a subject that has fascinated me since my two-year-old sister, Christa, was diagnosed with leukemia in the fall of 1979. A month prior to learning about Christa’s illness, my maternal grandfather was diagnosed with lymphoma. Both he and my sister endured allopathic treatment, receiving their radiation treatments on the same day within minutes of each other. My grandpa died on the day after Christmas after battling cancer for three short months. I always felt that he left us quickly so he could pray to God from a higher plane and thus intercede on behalf of my sister. Christa nearly died three times, so, in addition to allopathic care, our family experimented with prayer, chanting in tongues and hands-on healing. My parents joined a Catholic charismatic prayer group, and its members would visit our house to pray over Christa. We were all baptized in the spirit, and between the chemotherapy, radiation and healing hands, Christa was in remission. After five years of remission, she was considered cured. Laus Deo.

All these past experiences have piqued my interest in hands-on healing, and I have studied Reiki and Tong Ren and am intrigued by acupuncture. Sound healing fascinates me as well since I am convinced that daily flute practice keeps my body healthy. In the pages that follow, I offer theories about the inner workings of the disciplines that are meaningful to me. I am not a scientist, nor a theologian, and I do not even claim to be a master musician. I love puzzles, and I like to analyze and contemplate. My thinking brain rarely rests. This is not my personal story but merely an analysis of my personal interests. Every aspect of this book has been thought out and carefully arranged. All chapters in this book have an underlying connection, and I am in awe of the stunning parallels that can be drawn between seemingly unrelated concepts. This book is about unity and duality, theology and science, allopathic medicine and alternative medicine, frequency and music, and linear time and eternity.

This book includes an accompanying CD that features pieces I have felt connected to for many years. Each piece resonates with me. It was not until I began researching these works that I discovered the reasons I have such a strong affinity with the chosen selections. There is an even split of past recordings that have been re-mastered and newly recorded material. The music is purposely arranged in this manner because of my fascination with the concept of time. In performing these compositions live, time has stood still for me or passed faster or slower than the second-hand of a clock or the ticking of a metronome. I have discovered theological and scientific theories that suggest past, present and future are happening simultaneously. I believe I have felt this intuitively and that this concept is mirrored in art via sculpture, painting, music, TV and film. We reflect the Creator in all we create.

This CD will paint an aural landscape or soundscape of my deep connection to the pieces I love to play. Whereas the painter paints with oil or pastels, I paint with tone colors. I like the way silver rings or shimmers when the sound is focused. Vibrato adds an extra dimension or depth to my sound. Focusing my sound helps me to focus my mind. It is my hope that the listener will be able to detect my enthusiasm for this music from the past and present. One of the nicest compliments I have ever received was from a colleague after an orchestra rehearsal that said, It sounds as if you breathe your entire being into that instrument. I was pleased with that assessment until I received the ultimate compliment from a concertgoer in Tivoli, Italy. I was playing a concert in honor of the beatification of Mother Teresa and the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pope John Paul, II. One of the members of the audience approached me, said he was watching and listening to me play and said he could see the face of God on my heart. I was humbled and profoundly moved and have tried to recapture how I felt while I was playing in that church at that moment. I hope the mindset I had in that place at that point in time is reflected in the music on this CD.

My silver flute has allowed me to mirror back to God the blessings he has bestowed on me for over thirty-two years. Like the moon that reflects the light of the sun, I hope my silver flute reflects the light of the Son. This book is also about mirroring, both literally and figuratively. It is about reflecting – analyzing, observing, listening, hearing and heightening one’s awareness. Mirrors are and always have been part of our consciousness, from the microscopic to the macroscopic, from Narcissus to Walt Disney. There are many dimensions to this book. It is about developing a sense of awe for our Creator and the creations that mirror him. It is about our ability to mirror aspects of our friends’ personalities or interests or our ability to recognize another person as a complete mirror image of one’s essence – a rare relationship that must be cherished.

Silver is not only a great reflector and an essential element for mirrors, but it is also a great purifier. Colloidal silver is nature’s antibiotic and is used to dress wounds. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it to prevent infections. Settlers across the American West purified water by immersing a silver dollar in the water jug and letting it sit overnight. Playing my silver flute purifies my body, mind and spirit and allows me to maintain perfect health.

This book is about simplicity and complexity – spiritual significance reinforced by science and art. It is about the role of music in the cosmos, as all is vibration. The word universe literally translates one song. A recurring theme in my research is the power of the perfect fifth musical interval. Fifths are referred to as perfect because they are mathematically perfect ratios and very stable intervals. Sound healers use the interval of a perfect fifth to restore the physical body to perfect health. The number five is significant because it is the union of 2, an even number, with 3 an odd number associated with the Trinity. Modern mystics believe the perfect fifth serves to unite or connect heaven to earth, much like Jacob’s ladder. Jesus himself assumes this role of uniter in the New Testament. J.S. Bach used the number five when referencing Jesus because of the five wounds he suffered at his crucifixion – two hands, two feet and his side. This book devotes five chapters to the five roles Jesus assumed in his life on earth – Good Shepherd, Healer/Miracle Worker, Carpenter/Stone Mason, Fisher of Men and Son of God. References are made to music, science and art that reflect, or mirror, and support each of these roles of Christ. In the spirit of Jesus, I want to draw some stunning parallels between theology and science and reveal the reasons why these disciplines do not have to be diametrically opposed. Sound is the very vibration that preceded all matter. This material is presented by a musician who enjoys listening, observing, analyzing and hearing sound.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Tania M. DeVizia

PART ONE

THE ROLES OF JESUS WITH ART AS MIRROR

Chapter 1

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.

John 10:11(OEB)

Eternity is the now of time.

Thomas Aquinas

Shepherding can be traced back in history nearly five thousand years. Famous shepherds appear in both the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Abraham, Jacob, King David and Amos were all shepherds. Moses shepherded his people, and Jesus himself was the Good Shepherd. Shepherds care for their flocks, protect them from predators, guide them, feed and water them twice a day. Masters count noses and try to prevent illness by checking the sheep’s eyes and hooves. The animals are accustomed to hearing the shepherd’s call in the morning and thus recognize the sound of his voice. They follow the voice of the familiar only. Sheep are prone to severe stress if they sense danger, so the shepherd creates an environment of peace and tranquility, and the flock responds to that kindness by trusting the master’s voice and following where he leads.

In the New Testament, shepherds are privileged to be the first to hear of the birth of the Savior. Angels announce the birth of the Christ child to the shepherds caring for their flocks in the fields:

Have no fear, the angel said. For I bring you good news of a great joy in store for all the nation. This day there has been born to you, in the town of David, a Savior, who is Christ and Lord. And this will be the sign for you. You will find the infant swathed, and lying in a manger. Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly Host, praising God, and singing — glory to God on high, And on earth peace among those in whom he finds pleasure (Luke 2:10–14 OEB).

Shepherds draw sheep first to themselves and in doing so gather their sheep closer to each other, uniting them as one flock. God sent his angels to shepherd the shepherds, leading them to the place where the Savior was born. These shepherds visited the holy family and reported to them about the angels’ visitation and proclamation of the Savior’s birth. Mary stored and later contemplated the memories of their visit in her heart (Luke 2:19). The shepherded, upon receiving the gifts of joy, hope, awe, and wonder, then return to lead their own flocks, perhaps a little wiser than they were before. Having had a life-altering experience that forever changed their hearts, they could trust that in drawing their flocks to themselves, they were drawing them closer to their experience of God.

The shepherd’s life was a metaphor that the people living in Jesus’ time fully understood. They had lived it. They easily identified with Jesus’ reference to the Good Shepherd: I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and my sheep know me —Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep (John 10:14–15 OEB). The shepherd knows his sheep as intimately as God knows his children. As sheep so easily recognize the voice of their shepherd, so, too, do the children of God identify the voice of their Creator and follow him.

The master shepherd leads his sheep to food and water, and he searches for the animals that wander away from the flock. Lambs are more likely to get lost, but the good shepherd takes his hook, uses it as a walking stick or tool to ward off predators, catches the lost lamb by the neck or hoof, and leads him safely home. Lambs are symbols of purity or celestial innocence. They are as innocent as newborn children, and Jesus loved children: Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for it is to the childlike that the kingdom of heaven belongs (Matthew 19:14, OEB). It is only fitting that the man who gathered the lambs in his arms became the sacrificial lamb who saved all the members of his flock (Isaiah 40:11). His sacrifice by precious blood, as it were of a lamb, unblemished and spotless ensured our redemption (1Peter 1:19 OEB).

If an artist were to paint the scene of a shepherd in his field, images of lush green grass, a steady stream, abundant vegetation, hills or meadows, or perhaps a gentle waterfall might fill the canvas. Pastel colors might bring to life beautiful flowers opening toward the sun, sheep safely grazing, or birds singing or soaring overhead. Upon completion, one might feast his eyes upon a peaceful, serene, harmonious sense of time standing still – a perfect reflection of Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd: I am never in need.

He lays me down in green pastures.

He gently leads me to waters of rest,

he refreshes my life.

He guides me along paths that are straight,

true to his name.

And when my way lies through a valley of gloom,

I fear no evil, for you are with me.

Your rod and your staff comfort me…(OEB)

The first line of this psalm reveals that with the Lord or Yahweh as shepherd, we lack nothing. All possible needs are met if we lean on the Lord. He gives us the means to satisfy our needs. Like sheep that know his shepherd’s voice and trust they are secure in following it, we need to trust that inner-knowing that we are being shepherded by God. He will never lead us astray if we listen to his voice. In a chaotic world, it can be difficult to hear that voice, but God reminds us to Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10, King James Version). Silence or stillness creates a vacuum which nature abhors. The voice of God (John 1:1) created the universe. His name is I Am. When one is still, one knows that I Am presence. Those two words are the words of creation. Quieting the mind and opening the heart allows one to hear that I Am voice, and one is free to follow it.

There is a fine line between hearing and listening. Sounds bombard our lives, but how many of us truly listen, comprehend and follow our inner guidance? Psalm 4:3 assures us that the Lord listens to us and works miracles for us. If he can listen to us, the least we can do is take the time to listen to him. Ideas are whispered in that vacuum space from the Creator himself, and those ideas can grow into the next business, work of art or musical composition. Like sheep who trust and follow the master’s voice, we must hear him, listen to him and follow him. He will help us create something out of nothing. With Yahweh as shepherd, there is no lack.

On the journey of life, one experiences both happy and challenging times. God is the medicine that restores the spirit at all times. In good times, he is like a fortifying multi-vitamin, and, in challenging times, he writes the prescription tailored to each individual. When circumstances change, we experience growth. Change is always constant, but so is the love and guidance of God. He is with us every step of the way. Like a pendulum that swings back and forth, so do the circumstances of our lives change from hopeless to hopeful. Stillness can combat any storm. The center of the pendulum swing is the still point. All swings meet at the center. Staying centered will allow anyone to thrive during any storm. Psalm 4:4–5 advises us to be still, listen to our hearts and to trust in the Lord (OEB).

In Psalm 23, we learn that the Lord will guide us on straight paths befitting his name. This particularly strikes me because of the mention of his sacred name. Historically, the name of Yahweh was never to be uttered by the Jews. They tried to respect and revere its sanctity. His name and the ground where it was revealed to Moses via the burning bush was hallowed ground, and thus when Jesus was teaching the people to pray, he said, hallowed be thy name. In later translations of the Torah, there were as many as 6,800 substitutions for the name, Yahweh (Goldman, p. xii). His name is not only sacred, but it is powerful. God says in Exodus 3:15 that he wishes his people to invoke his name from generation to generation. So, when the Lord guides us on paths befitting his name, he is leading us on a holy path to righteousness, the product of which will be holy ground. From that holy ground will flow abundant blessings (my cup runs over OEB). Following the Good Shepherd will ensure we will be surrounded by kindness and faithful love throughout our lifetimes, and when we finally cross over to the next life, we will live with Yahweh for eternity.

Time and Eternity

As a musician, time and timing have been integral parts of my life for over thirty-five years. Music students are taught to count simple rhythms from day one of private instruction. Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware it is counting, said Gottfried Leibniz (www.brainyquote.com). Each note has a specific duration, and it is placed carefully within the context of a steady pulse or beat. The pulse moves horizontally. Notes move up and down to create a memorable melody, so melody as well as harmony, move vertically and horizontally simultaneously. Adding meter and placing notes within the context of measures with a specific number of beats per measure allows the listener to feel and internalize the pulse. Composers in the Medieval and early Renaissance eras did not use meter or barlines, and their music had a greater sense of freedom, almost sounding improvisatory. Compositions from the late Renaissance to the twentieth century made use of meter and thus established continuity and equilibrium for the listener. Time and timing were consistent and reliable. Twentieth century composers like Messiaen experimented with time and timelessness by eliminating the need for meter and once again forcing the listener to adapt to rhythm without meter, mirroring God’s time rather than earthly time.

Before the Big Bang, the universe existed in