William Zeitler's Music Box

Author: william

  • Alchemical Transformation: 1. Nigredo (Darkness)

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    Alchemical Transformation: 1. Nigredo (‘Darkness’) W. Zeitler [PIANO] Advent Improvisation Alchemy is an ancient philosophical and proto-scientific tradition historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. Alchemists attempted to purify, mature, and perfect certain materials. Common aims were the transmutation of “base metals” (e.g., lead) into “noble metals” (like gold); the creation of…

  • Alchemical Transformations: 2. Albedo (Purification)

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    Alchemical Transformations: 2. Albedo (Purification) [PIANO] Advent Improvisation Last week we discussed the transformation of lead into gold in Medieval Alchemy, including the metaphorical transformation of the human heart from its default ‘leaden’ state into Enlightenment or Oneness with God. Commonly this was described as taking place in four steps. The first step is ‘Nigredo’…

  • The Great Schism

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    It has been observed that the Church has gone through a major upheaval roughly every 500 years. We discussed two of them a few months ago: the Reformation roughly 1500, and Constantine and the Council of Nicaea roughly 300. The last to consider is the “Great Schism” which occurred in 1054. As we have observed,…

  • Church and State

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    Chaconne                       D. Buxtehude (1637-1707)   [ORGAN] Order of Chivalry: Courtesy & the Horse’s Bridle                  W. Zeitler It has been observed that The Church has gone through a major upheaval every 500 years or so. The Reformation — around…

  • Division and Union

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    william
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    Prelude in E                                                  Bach-maninoff [PIANO] (J.S. Bach, arr. by S. Rachmaninoff) Fugue in C                                   …

  • Erasmus

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    Secret Courage W. Zeitler [PIANO] Order of Chivalry: Truth W. Zeitler During the Reformation, while both sides where going at it, there were dissenting voices who sought a peaceful resolution. One of the most prominent was Erasmus (1466 – 1536), a Dutch philosopher and Catholic theologian who is considered one of the greatest scholars of…

  • Reformation Sunday

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    Symphonic Meditation on “Ein’ Feste Burg” [ORGAN] The Black Death — the worst pandemic in human history — first struck Europe around 1343. Although spread around Europe by ships carrying plague infested rats, there is evidence that it could also be spread airborne. Whereas COVID had a mortality rate somewhere around 1 in 1000, the…

  • The Dance of Life and Death

    The Dance of Life and Death

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    In many cases, seeming opposites are actually ‘dance partners’ in the never ending flow of the Cosmos. Protons are positively charged, electrons negatively so, and their balanced pairing is what holds atoms together and makes all the matter in the universe possible. The force of gravity by the Sun on our planet is balanced by…

  • Mystery

    Mystery

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    Here in the West we tend to think that we largely have The World figured out — well enough to live comfortable, predictable and safe lives — that WE are in control. And that Mystery and Paradox are exceptions, outliers, ‘not the norm’. Anymore I wonder if we have that backwards, that Mystery and Paradox…

  • I Am the Resurrection

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    william
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    Lotus Moon                          W. Zeitler Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Postlude The statement “I am ” is trickier than appears on first glance. When you say “I AM <X>” you’re saying that <X> is part of your essence. The word “Essence” is from…