Voice – Previously Sirens
Mythological Women
The Sirens were those mythological women who lured in sailors with the power and enchantment of their voices. In the Archetype Realm, the sirens are shown in their oppressed form mainly, having lost the natural power of voice.
What is your relationship with your voice? As you prepare for this role you can reflect on where you may have been silenced and may also have reclaimed your voice.
This is a painful place for some women; the loss of their voice may be the reason they have come to WiP. For others, it will be an easier place, and they may be very ready to make noise when they are encouraged to during the Sirens piece.
The Sirens are the only archetype that is played by a group of women sitting together. You will use your voice and you will also be in silence and invisibility too. You are sitting still, sometimes with your faces covered with fabric, silent at first.
Logistics
You need to bring your own costumes of blue/green floaty clothes.
Go to the Goddess Realm as soon as you hear the participants being drummed to snacks. Change into costume in the Goddess Realm. Bring a bag to put your black clothes in and give to the Co who will take all bags to the materials room where you will get changed again after the session. One of the facilitators will come to you, once you’re all dressed and in position, to answer any questions and help you get into role.
The Sirens piece in the Goddess Realm
[music – track #2 from Carolyn Hillyer’s House of the Weavers play 50 sec. leadin and 1st verse, then turn sound down]
The Siren women are here to represent the ways in which we have lost our voices…
You want to say something, but it gets stuck in your throat. Or maybe you have said something and you were punished for it, so you learned to shut up. Is there anyone here who has learned to shut up? Put your hand on your throat and maybe on your belly. Push on the belly and see what comes out of your throat.
How did you lose your voice? When did you give it away? Why?
Come closer, those of you who have been silenced. Come right up to them. What’s at risk for you to speak your truth? What will it take for you to speak your truth? From your womb, from your gut. And what’s at risk if you don’t? What might you reclaim with your incredible voices? Sailors would crash their ships. How many of you were afraid that if you speak your truth, you would crash the system?
Make a sound. Let your sound become a song. Feel your song come out of your throat. We were born to sing, women. Who told you you couldn’t sing? Bow to the sirens and their ancient ways of crashing the system with their songs.
Sirens start to find their voices as the women start to make sound.
Maybe you have some words you’ve been holding back. What words are in your heart, in your gut, in your throat?
Communication is a power. We can hurt or we can speak. The whole world needs your voice now. We need to speak what needs to be spoken. Words of power. The deep prayer inside.
What do you want spirit to hear from your heart? You know the places where you want to take back your voices. Hear yourselves. Set your intention. Speak your longing. Reach down in your belly and your heart. What is your deep prayer? What do you want? How might you say it out loud? Speak it now. Speak.
And will you honour the words that you have spoken?
We honour the sirens.
