Sound Made Sacred

“Sound frequencies, like Vivaxis energies and high potency homeopathic remedies, have no physical form.”
The Vivaxis Connection, by J. Jacka, p. 45

Sacred Sounds: Magic & Healing Through Words & Music author and healer Ted Andrews says, “To hear one’s astrological chart played musically is at once eerie and awesome” (58). Listening to the musical interpretation of an individual’s personal astrological chart is one way to achieve higher states of consciousness and can help a seeker of personal truth to gain insight. Composers of this kind of music work with a client’s birth chart and hand him or her a musical copy of how the planets sounded upon the client’s first breath. Andrews says that it is inspiring and deeply moving to be immersed into personal sound on this level. This metaphysical guru goes onto say, “Pythagorus created the modern musical octave in an attempt to reveal the relationship between musical notes and the mathematical principles of the universe” (5). For those interested in following this concept, Esoteric Acupuncture and Sacred geometry may be two subjects worth investigating. Through personal music, meaning the sounds and vibrations of the planets at our first breath, we have another tool to help us understand how our astrological charts are affecting us. As Andrews says, “Astrology and music are tools to help us to understand the energies within us and how to bring them into harmony” (54). But music in general, as a tool, is far more convenient and available to us than hiring an astrological chart musician.

Ted Andrews acknowledges the commercial and artistic aspects of music. He further encourages “music needs to be considered in a third way- as a power of universal force” (30). Andrews feels that respecting this third aspect once again, as sacred sound, is long past due. All vowel sounds and also words resonate to various parts of the body, various chakras, and to an individual’s different states of awareness. Because of this, listening to different vowel sounds can help with various physical ailments throughout the body.

With all the technological diversions in our world, it is worth looking at what he has to say. From the healing aspects of speech, to tones, to music in general, sound, whether from an instrument, from a voice, or from a machine, is able to affect the body. Let’s take a look at this concept. Physically, sound enters through the ear. Ten of the twelve cranial nerves communicate with the ear and from the ear have an impact on other parts of the body. Some scientists theorize that this is why a baby, for example, may get an acute (sudden) stomach ache from loud noises.

The chakras (spinning energy points) and the subtle bodies (Etheric, Astral, etc.) also play a part in the effects of sound on the physical body and on a person’s consciousness. “The chakras are the primary mediators of all energy already in the body and all the energy coming into the body” (34). Chakras are not a part of the physical body on the physical level, yet they contribute to physical health and are also affected by one’s physical health. Chakras are situated along the midline, back, and front, of the Astral body, corresponding with the midline of the physical body. Andrews feels it is important for individuals to understand the chakras system and how each relates with our various bodies and energies. Plenty of books have been available for a long time on this subject. You will learn the basics, such as which gland corresponds to which chakra, and from there a whole new world will open up to you.

In Andrews' view, each chakra communicates with a particular subtle body. He states, “The normal life-force from each subtle body enters into its own particular chakra,” then sends its energy to the spine, blood stream, and finally to the organs (35). Likewise, sound and tones from the outside offer calm or discordant energy to the chakras. The energy enters the chakras and travels to the spinal sound resonator vertebrae in the form of vibration and, as energy from the subtle bodies, is then sent along the nerve pathways of tissues and organs.

When balanced, the subtle bodies and chakras are able to dictate what can enter a person’s experience and change it or leave it as is. Further, prior to the physical body, the subtle bodies are adversely or positively affected first by outside influences. Andrews writes, “The higher and stronger our own energy fields are, the less likely they are to be impinged upon from outside sources, and the more we can adapt them to resonate to a wider spectrum of forces, people, and conditions of life”(23). Talk about preventative medicine! Basically, this is like strengthening your aura so as when socializing in a huge crowd, you won’t feel like you need to take a shower to rescue yourself from the crowds’ stuff. Your subtle bodies support you in handling anything that comes your way.

What if the subtle bodies are adversely affected? They will be unable to discern incoming impressions, and therefore, will be unable to protect the whole person against these incoming vibrations. Andrews recommends that in this era of technology and dissonance, people reestablish the use of Sacred Sound, for anyone with vocal abilities can make sounds and intentionally direct these sounds somewhere within their Being with a purpose. For example, anyone who is able to hear can at least direct the sound internally without vocalizing, simply by being able to recreate the note in their mind. Thought application of sound affects the subtle bodies, chakras, and our auras, so we can produce a remedy to a physical malady by sending a vocal sound with thought only. Of course, it is best to also physically send the sound vocally to the area of physical discomfort.

Diagnosing the chakras through noticing an off pitch voice is also possible, for “off-pitch sounds usually indicate imbalance in one or more of the chakras”(73). An example of changes occurring in a chakra and being mirrored on the voice is when a youngster goes through puberty and has a cracking voice. Andrews writes, “The cracking and changing voice indicates the opening and activation of the base chakra from a new level. It indicates the movement of the individual to develop and assert his or her own independent and individual energies” (73). Asserting one’s will is therefore related to the chakras, too.

When the chakras are imbalanced, it is as if they hurry to gather energy from the subtle bodies (Etheric, Astral, etc.) in order to establish balance, therefore, “in many cases, simply restoring the proper balance and functioning to the chakras will correct the imbalance, or at least alleviate it” (37). Assist the chakras, and you will assist your subtle bodies. Assist your subtle bodies, and you will assist your chakras. His remedy to restore this proper balance? Sacred Sound.

Andrews says, “The more we are exposed to beneficial sounds, the greater and the more permanent the effect they have upon our own individual energies”(21). Sound Therapy International CDs are beneficial in this area. Listening to them at the movies, for example, blocks out the incredibly loud noises. At the same time, offering music that has been run through Tomatis’ Electronic Ear will exercise the ear as well.

The voice is a powerful tool. Andrews states, “Tuning energies with voice, sound, or music will affect people in different ways, but since sound is basic to all life, it will affect everyone to varying degrees”(183). The meridians traveling up the center of the front and back of the body can be balanced by singing, toning, or playing middle C and high C simultaneously (192). The tongue is to be placed against the teeth when silently toning (meaning hear it in your head) with the inhalation. Visualize energy traveling up the spine, and as you exhale, tone audibly, visualizing energy traveling down the front of the spine or front of the body (194). A secretive way to carry this out in public, or to just give yourself a quick tune up without the visualization, is with humming. Andrews says that humming “carries sound internally,” harmonizing all our subtle bodies and various aspects of ourselves (195).

In 2003, I was in an evening hypnotism class with a fellow acupuncturist. She had had an awful stomach ache all day, having tried herbs and attempts at needling herself to no avail. I had just finished reading Ted Andrews' book and asked her if, on the short break, she would let me attempt a toning treatment that I had just learned to do through the book. She felt she had nothing to lose, so we went into an unused room and together attempted this unusual treatment. The best thing is we needed no equipment. Also, people do not need a medical degree of any kind to conduct this treatment on themselves or friends.

She stood facing me. I was about two feet away from her naval area toning a raspy, throaty sound, “aw,” as in the American way of saying “saw.” I moved closer and up, down, and out following the feeling of where the edge of her aura was and the exact spot being a key to where her trouble was. She did as I did. Upon our inhales, we mentally sent the sound to her second and third chakra locations, and upon the exhale we toned, sending the sound to the same place. I explained to her that Andrews says that this technique affects the subtle bodies as well as the physical body. We weren’t always toning the same notes nor were we in unison. It did not sound pretty!

Suddenly, something seemed to shoot out and expand. Then her aura felt calm and settled in that spot. Our short break was up, so I figured that was pretty good timing because we had to stop anyway. Back in class, she looked at me with dazzling eyes and proclaimed her stomach ache was gone. “What was the name of that book again?” she asked.

Even if you do not think you are talented, singing encourages freer, fuller breathing, so it is worth doing daily. There are other benefits as well: “It can improve the posture, enhance our speaking voice, and helps bring emotional awareness and fulfillment” (196). Singing energizes and balances qi and the subtle bodies, assisting in healing between acupuncture treatments. The chromatic scale consists of thirteen tones, including sharps and flats, and all can balance the chakras. Like Esoteric Acupuncture, these tones can also “unblock and balance the energy pathways (meridians) from the chakras”(187). In Esoteric Acupuncture, the order of needle insertion and removal is important. With Sacred Sound, the order of notes played along with the rhythm can also set up a particular energy field for balancing. Also, just as it is with various New Encoding Patterns within the Esoteric Acupuncture system, rhythms and tones in various combinations can have specific effects upon our individual subtle bodies, which in turn show the results in our physical body. Andrews notes, “Part of the spiritual quest for any individual is to find the spiritual center within- the center which has all power and all balance and all healing”(205). As with Esoteric Acupuncture, using Sacred Sound helps you find and work from your center.

Esoteric Acupuncture and Sacred Sound, like Geomancy (Feng Shui), also both employ the use of the Yantra, because they all access geometric shapes. Andrews says, “Yantras are essentially visual tools to help in centering. When used for healing or worship purposes, the energy associated with them is evoked and symbolizes some divine aspect of the universe” (200). Toning in groups where the participants are assembled into various shapes, representing the Yantra, with a person in the middle, enables the “patient” to effect change for all those involved. The geometric shapes and the toning work together to ground the work into the physical.
Think of the people your voice affects if you are a school teacher, a radio disc jockey, or an actor. Even as a client. Wouldn’t you want your health care practitioner to use an appropriate timbre? Andrews assures us, “Through practice, we can learn to create physiological and spiritual changes in ourselves and others through altering the timbre of our speech and by employing the timbre of various instruments to elicit specific effects” (25). Sacred Sound takes Intentional healing to a whole new level while you are working to integrate the spiritual self with the physical self “within the circumstances of your present life” (46), and while taking the perfect voice into that next meeting with your boss, principal, or group you trying to persuade. The prepared voice is ready to create. As Andrews says, “One who sings, prays twice” (196).