Stephanie Burns shares the story of Gondwana, and the deepest southern roots.
This mix is merely a sketch or an arrangement, a beginning. If I had more time I would spend more time tweaking and layering. I would love additional sounds in the mix -- maybe some percussion here and there, atmospheric tones tastefully places. Thank you Haskel for the fine guitar stylings. You added a lot!. . . . My stems -- bass and singing bowls uploaded separately.
Time is shifting – Gondwana Story
Dream Story
Dr. Stephanie R. Burns
Enters the Room
She entered the waking dream space. The wind moved like sashaying hips, and her tree-curved
arms accentuated her waist. She is more than an ancestor; she is an ancient wisdom keeper.
The mother of Deep Southern Roots. She introduced herself as Gondwana, and this is her story.
180 million years ago – hear me, see me, understand me – Deep Southern Roots
Before I start, make sure you ground yourself and stay present. It's easier to go back in time if you
imagine you're watching it on TV. Picture the richness of Africa, the sassiness of South America, the
diversity of Madagascar, the place you call the land down under (Australia), and Antarctica all
connected. All of the land spaces were just one supercontinent - with tropical lush rainforests,
segmented worms, round creatures that looked like jellyfish, and a warm climate.
The Separation
I know you're wondering what happened – what caused this separation? We were already separated
from Laurasia – the Northern part of Pangea. Pangea was the supercontinent that existed over 250
million years ago. Laurasia was in the North, and I was in the South. You see, the South was colorful
and had a flavor like your Gumbo, unlike the North, which wanted to disconnect. We were different,
but we were also fun and enjoyed being together.
Eventually, Laurasia separated from us. Drifted North and gradually split into Europe, North
America, and Asia.
What Happened?
So, why did we split? The Earth was grieving/changing – the core was finding herself, and as a result,
we began to move. You all know about tectonic plates - what lies beyond the core and causes a
shift. “They” wanted their independence/separation – we wanted community. But Africa and South
America were the first to go. They had their own plans to do their own thing. But when they did split,
they created the South Atlantic Ocean, with so many beautiful and new creatures. We understood
and forgave them. The other continents stayed for a while. They hung out. They vowed to be there
for each other. Eventually, Madagascar split from India, and that left Australia and Antarctica. I
know it may be hard to understand, but Antarctica was more like Australia than what you know of
her today.
Antarctica – you rarely talk about her – a frozen piece of ice – but back then she was life. She was
warm like your Southern climates – she, too, was made of lush rainforests. She and Australia were
the best of friends.
They stayed together for as long as they could, even after Africa, South America, India, and
Madagascar had split and moved on. Yet, the inevitable happened. Australia decided it was time to
leave. Can you imagine being part of a community for so long and then suddenly being alone? As
Australia shifted northward, catching up with India, and gained independence, Antarctica felt sad
and lonely.
Where did the ice come from on this Earth? There are always two sides to every story. No one
considers that the shadow of the fire is ice—the coldness of what they call snow. The evidence of
the "Snowball Earth" still remains in Antarctica.
Antarctica Story
Antarctica enters. I can feel her sadness. speaking – I am frozen – no one comes to see me. I am not
visited as much as Australia. I am the distant cousin, the cold part of the family. But they say time is
shifting. There will be a time when we will all come back together and I will be back with Australia
and with my family. The question is how much has everyone changed? Will we recognize each
other? I long for those lush rainforests and milder, warmer temperatures. I long for the time when
there was no ice, and we were all side by side, and what we gave to each other. We were the
rainbow tribe. We were the heart, sacral, solar plexus, and purification chakras of the Earth - we
were Gondwana - we were Deep Southern Roots. Gondwana – Deep Southern Roots – know your
power and don’t let anyone tell you what you are not capable of doing.
Thumbprints: SackJo22