PRIMAL MALE AND FEMALE

The distinction between male and female is itself a manifestation of dual energies that interact in the whole of creation. What we find as the sexual differentiation that characterizes the interpenetrating forces that are in primal woman and man, represent a marriage of energies which extends beyond the human, to give life to the whole of nature.

COSMIC ENERGY IN THE BODY

In Primal cultures as we see in the rock engravings of Edakkal, the human form is like a vessel in which cosmic forces are embodied. The body is not just the visible form that we see with our senses. Rather it is a profoundly spiritual manifestation of energies that lie beyond the human, giving life to the whole of Creation.

THE SHAMAN

One of the most primal figures that we find in the Edakkal rock engravings is that of a Shaman, who seems to be inviting the spirit to descend upon the earth. Rays of energy seem to be entering through his head, like a crown, as he holds up his hands in a gesture which is universally understood as one of supplication, and receiving the Divine Spirit.

ELEMENTAL SPIRITS

The Spirits that are present in Creation remind us of the Angels. The basic elements from which nature is constructed, such as Water, Earth and Fire, are not simply phenomena—they also have a Presence, which seems to enfold a spiritual energy.

THE ANCESTOR SPIRITS

The spirits that are present in creation, remind us of the ancestors, whose lives are remembered in sacred groves, where the fore-fathers of the human race are believed to be present in spirit. The ancient trees that we find venerated at the heart of human settlements, among primal peoples, represent the link between the human and the natural. The tree gives both food and shelter, and under its spreading branches, we feel the presence of the whole of creation on which human culture depends. The peacock has played an important symbolic part in Indian cultures, as embodying the human soul which is undying, passing on from this world to another reality which lies beyond our present experience. It is for this reason that the peacock has been a sign of the Resurrection in Christian art.

THE FOUNDATION OF ROCK

The foundational Cube of rock from which Creation has been fashioned, reminds us of the Kaaba sacred to the Islamic tradition. But we can also relate this cube of primal substance to the “rock that was rejected” which is also the rock which Moses struck in the desert, and yielded life giving waters to the wandering Hebrew tribes. In folk culture we find great lumps of rock made into a grinding stone, where seeds are crushed into oil at the time of harvest. The dance also celebrates the harvest, which is the gift of food that earth provides.

SPIRIT IN PRIMAL CULTURES

What we are calling "Primal Cultures" are concerned with the Spirit which is present in Creation. This Spirit is experienced through dance, but also in natural elements like rocks and sacred spaces beneath the trees. A rock can serve as a primal altar, and is often associated with a feminine presence, which we can understand as Wisdom. The sacred space which in primordial times was a space created in the forest, is defined by the overshadowing branches of trees. In Adivasi cultures this is sometimes termed as an "Akhara" which could be understood as a natural cenacle.