Paula Gilbert, one of main artists and producer of Chanting For Healing Music CD tells her spiritual story of how album was made. The album benefits global unity causes such as OxFam, RAWA, Twin Tower Orphan Fund, Global Exchange, and Food Not Bombs.

Paula is a performance artist, songwriter and teacher who founded Cloverdale School of Music in 1994. After 9/11 she attended a Shamanic (Native American) mask making class that she had been attending every year for past 7 years. The purpose of class was to create a vision for following shamanic year which begins each year in November. In class, participants worked together with a facilitator to create their vision through several guided meditations and journaling. The class took place late in October following attack on America. During one of her meditations she had a vision. Paula says, "I became fluid and went into earth. I saw myself dressed as a bear going around a table with children. I also saw a stone mouse from my Mother’s table that we had made together up in mountains when I was young. Then I saw birds flying through light above me and I felt Bear merge with me and tell me that he would be there to help me with strength in coming year. Then bear said we would need some birds for spirituality and a blue bird with a black head appeared and told me to gather chants from all over world, especially Afghanistan and to put them on a CD for healing and prayer." There were other parts to vision telling her to use not just her own renditions but also to do research and to include a chant for children and soldiers.

After class, Paula went home with her mask and began research and started collecting chants. She told her mother about her vision and her mother offered to help out. She wanted as many chants from different cultures and languages and possible. Once she had collected several chants, on December 16, 2001 recording began at Joe Hoffmann Studios in Occidental, California. Paula Gilbert, and local artists/musicians Tory Rotlisberger and Mal Tornay started off recording with their beautiful rendition of Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai, Ram Om which means "I am, you are, we are one". The recording continued on December 30^th in a beautiful mansion on top of a hill in Sonoma County with a large group of people including local musician Zackary Miller on dijiridu (one of oldest instruments on planet). Mal Tornay again brought his wonderful drumming ability along with his daughter, a beautiful singer, Elise Tornay. Katy Ketchum a local artist from Sebastopol brought her healing voice and impeccable piano playing and her husband Mike, a local poet, who also added to vocal team. Local performance artist, Tory Rotlisberger again brought her healing voice along with her friend and vocalist Joanna Noble of Noble Designs in Healdsburg, and more friends and vocalists Karen Wallace and John Faulkner. Rick Mariani of Wolf Coffee with his twin sons Nicolas and Mitchell added to their vibrant vocal mix as well. Paula’s family also participated in this recording session, with her Mother, Pat Gear, two Brothers, Karl and Rodney Sanchez, her sister-in-law Bethany Sanchez and her neice, Crystal Sanchez. "It was a great healing adventure to all sing together. I remember it was pouring rain outside. It was like skies were raining all tears of grief we felt for victims of 9/11 attack."

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis1:3)

The 36 candles on menorah correspond to 36 hours when Adam and Eve were bathed in The Primordial Light of creation. Today, as we kindle our own lights, we call forth a revelation of this now hidden and intense light.

(12th century Kabbalist, R. Eliezer of Worms)

The Primordial Light of Creation is hidden in 36 candles of Chanukah.

(B’nei Yissachar, Kislev)

Introduction

The mood of Winter shares with us tender gift of returning to our inner wombs, where our wisdom resides and from which our destiny will once again shine forth in Divine Timing.

Chanukah, Festival of Lights invites us to turn our senses inward to find, cultivate, and rededicate our inner sanctuary. It is a time to empty accumulated garbage, to create an open and receptive space, and to cultivate an intimate relationship with our emotions as sensory system of our soul. As we become more peaceful inside, we gather back our power, one candle at a time. The more supportive and nurturing our inner container, more Ohr HaGanuz, Primordial Light of Creation becomes available to us during this time of year.

Spiritually, eight nights of Chanukah are a cumulative and progressive process through which light of menorah grows to reveal inherent light of Creation. The total number of Chanukah lights over eight days is 36 (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8). As Rabbi Eliezer writes, these 36 lights arouse that very same Primordial Light which illuminated Adam and Eve on dawn of their creation, first 36 hours of their existence. The Talmud teaches: “36 hours Light served . . . and Adam HaRishon (Primordial Man) saw with it from one end of this world into Other”. (Yerushalmi, Brochot 8:5)

The Midrash teaches that this intense light needed to be removed from universe, hidden away for a time still to be realized. All this so duality could exist and evolution and purpose of universe could unfold.

Ever since dimming of that Primordial Light, we yearn for it, search for it and pursue it, in our prayers, studies and meditation. Yet, even in our darkest hours, we can access this memory born of 36 hours when we, humanity as a whole, were bathed in this light. "Where was this Light to be hidden?" asks Midrash. It answers, "in Torah." When we immerse ourselves in truth and wisdom of Torah, in its inner radiance, we can experience this Primordial Light of wisdom, purpose, and intent of creation.

The significance of number 36 will lead us into some further deeper understandings.

God’s Name

God’s Name in Hebrew is Elo-him (language of Moses) God’s Name in Arabic is Al-lah (language of Mohammed) God’s Name in Aramaic is Elahh (language of Jesus)

They all share a common three letter root in Hebrew: Alef, Lamed and Heh. The sum gematria, or numerical value of three letters is 36 (Alef – 1, Lamed – 30, Heh – 5).

Torah

Concept of light (in one form or another), appears exactly 36 times throughout entire Torah (Rokayach).

Moses

It took Moses 36 days to explain Torah to Israel (Seder Olam Rabbah 10).

Moses himself was born exactly 36 years after oppression in Egypt began.

When Moses was born, it is said that house was filled with light. It is written there, “And she saw him, that he was GOOD” (Exodus 2:2) and there (in Genesis 1:4) it is also written, “God saw light,that it was GOOD” (Talmud; Sotah 12a)

Commentary to above: “She saw him, that it (he) was good” — “it” being Ohr HaGanuz – Hidden Light of Creation, as a Presence that came into world with Moses. (Sha’arei Leshem, p. 130)

The word in Torah used to describe Hidden or Primordial Light is “tov” meaning GOOD. When it appears in Torah for first time, first letter “Tet” of “tov” (good) has a very unusual feature. The letter “tet”, like many other letters in a Torah scroll have tiny “crowns” extending from them (which kabbalists teach is a hidden language of its own). What is unusual about this letter here is that is has four “crowns” instead of usual three. According to Kabbalist, B’nei Yissachar, when four is multiplied by number nine (the value of “tet” itself), total is 36.

The Patriarch Isaac

Abraham was a righteous person whose very life embodied values of Hidden Light of creation. But when Isaac was born, he was first in history to be circumcised on eighth day. Since eight represents transcending physical, he became infused with all that "eight" represents (transcendence), raising him forever above natural world. This is why he, at such a young age warranted to see Divine Presence like his father. Contrary, to popular legend, Isaac was 37 years old when he was “sacrificed”. According to mystical tradition, Isaac was a very willing and enthusiastic participant in offering himself up as a sacrifice to G-d, and that although no slaughter took place, Isaac nevertheless left his body.