Thursday, Sept 9
Vernon put us in touch with Lisanne, a long-time friend of his from LA days though originally from Somerset in the UK. She invited us over for a lovely BBQ and salad lunch, topping it off with her famous flourless chocolate cake and lemon pie (served once to Xaviera Hollander in Barcelona). We ended up spending the afternoon talking art and music projects (she's a singer and is planning a charity tour for homelessness), swapping experiences building with strawbale and adobe (Lisanne lived off-the-grid outside Taos for five years), and musing on what celebrities she is separated from by 3 degrees or less for Wren's Olympic Mile sneaker installation (Lisanne's been in a film with Colin Firth). And consulted Native American 'medicine cards' and stroked the black cat and had a lovely time together.
Back at Emaho's -- who left yesterday for California and then is off on another European tour -- we watched 'Fire Dance', a video from 2004 of the ceremony he performs (and that Wren has participated in). It lasts about 4hrs (the ritual, that is -- though the video could do with some drastic editing). Emaho opens with some comments about the healing power of fire, arranges his altar, then launches into the dance where all participate (a rhythmic stomping of feet with intermittent chanting) and he pulls people aside individually to lay his fire-warmed hands on (he literally holds his palms in a six-wick candle flame). One such ceremony had been held in Santa Fe the Saturday before we arrived, and a number of people staying at his house had participated in it.
In the evening we walked the two blocks over to Fort Macy Park for the burning of Old Man Gloom -- or 'Zozobra' as he is known in Santa Fe. This year's incarnation was a giant white puppet with a glam-rock air about his turned-up cuffs, with movable arms and mandible, making fearsome groaning noises (which grew anguished as he was set alight). Before night fell the Santa Fe Highschool Choir sang a Queen medley and the Douglas Brown Show did some James Brown and Prince covers. Then it was time for the introduction of the festivities, which we found disturbingly reminiscent of hyperbole suited to a public hanging (or lynching), with chants flung out from the audience of 'Burn him! Burn him!' Fire dancers and some modest fireworks followed, ramping up to a full scale conflagration. Quite a show.
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