Immersion into Formentera's totems

Totem formentera, a photograph by Davide Baraldi on sale on Fotolia website.

Aubrey Powell on Formentera
I love it. I first came here forty-one years ago with David Gilmour, and then the year afterwards with Syd Barrett. … It’s so beautiful. It is the light, and the water, and the general simplicity of Formentera. Also it was kind of difficult to get to. … So it was an effort to get there, you know, it was a rather remote place. But a lot of writers, painters and musicians gravitated there. … It was something I saw very early on; the particular vistas and landscapes that you get here in Formentera which are very Dali-esque.

Other mentions of Syd Barrett in Formentera
Once, there was lying Syd Barrett, when they improvised music happenings in the caves of La Mola, the “high” part (about 200 meters) of the island, dominated by a lighthouse quoted by Jules Verne in his literary fantasies...

A large and rather special beach like Mitjorn obviously offers a vast range of different eateries and chiringuitos along it’s 4km length, but anyone with an eye to combining a trip to the beach with a bit of culture will probably set their sights on the Pirata Bus chiringuito. I say set their sights because it took four attempts to locate this elusive rock ‘n roll museum and neither Pink Floyd nor Bob Dylan happened by on this particular visit.

Located just 30 minutes by ferry from the buzzing Ibiza Town, arriving on Formentera is akin to discovering another planet compared to what you have left behind on the White Island. … You’ll still find some throwbacks to that culture manning the stalls at the hippie markets in Formentera’s villages. Here, trinkets and jewellery are hawked to the Italian and German tourists who make up the bulk of the visitors during the summer season. It’s a far cry from a crazed Syd Barrett at large, but the original hippies would be happy to know that the hazy, laid-back atmosphere they knew when they had the place to themselves is still intact.

Timothy Leary totems
Your clan must be centered on a shrine and a totem spiritual energy source. To the clan you dedicate your highest loyalty, and to you die clan offers its complete protection.
 * — Timothy Leary, Start Your Own Religion, early 1967

The different meditation rooms can have different styles. One can be Zen, one can be macrobiotic, one can be bhahte chanting, once can be rock and roll psychedelic, one can be lights. If we learn anything from our cells, we learn that God delights in variety. The more of these we can encourage, people would meet in these places, and AUTOMATICALLY tribal groups would develop and new matings would occur, and the city would be seen for many as transitional... and they get started. They may save up a little money, and then they head out and find the Indian totem wherever they go.
 * — Timothy Leary, from "The Houseboat Summit: February, 1967, Sausalito, Calif."

Rosemary and I are American Eagles Totem animals of this land Wild Free High Proud Our children are eaglets Fierce stubborn wild birds
 * — Timothy Leary, "Notes from a caged eagle", 12 September 1970

Taurus is better described as the cow-calf linkage although sea-cow, frog, octopus are more appropriate totem. … The Zodiac symbol for this stage is the Crab. A better neurogenetic totem for this stage is a centaur with the face of Leonid Brezhnev, or perhaps a cigar-smoking dinosaur. … The neurogenetic totem is Lion-Lioness. The 5th Stage Cancer grabs and holds. The 6th Stage Leo manages dominates through political linkage.
 * — Timothy Leary, Exo-Psychology, 1977

Ibiza totems




Ebony skin
The captain waits above the celebration Sending his thoughts to a beloved maid Whose ebony face is beyond communication.
 * — Bob Dylan, "Changing Of The Guards"

The Ebony Idol
The Ebony Idol is a plantation literature novel first published in 1860 and written by G.M. Flanders.

Jewish ebony
The Hebrew word for ebony (hobnim) literally means "stonewood." … Highly polished ebony wood was used in Bible times for making musical instruments and ornamental work.

Ebony-sand color
Ebony-sand may define some combination of the two colours ebony and sand (e.g. for drawings of Indian rugs), but more often it defines a very dark grey, usually for the wood in cabinetwork.

"Jaipur Rugs Mythos Selene Ebony/Sand Rug 9' x 12' ", on sale on Amazon.com

A modern work surface described as "with Ebony Sand Finish"

Ebony totems in ebony flutes
Syd Barrett in Formentera, 1967

Native American flutes are a traditional cultural instrument. The Native Americans who make these flutes create them using specially chosen wood and a totem, usually an animal that is personal and special to the creator. … Many Native American flutes are carved from cedar wood. This is not an absolute necessity to making a flute, but if cedar is wood is available, use it. If cedar wood is not an option try ebony, maple or walnut.



And you may think Ebony is pure black, but that's not the case. Most Ebony has chocolaty ribbons in it, but when oiled and finished most of it goes very dark, indeed.



Wood: Zebra and Ebony Theme: Totem

The ebony is virtually indestructable. This flute is several years old and it has nary a ding, scratch of nick anywhere and I am hard on my flutes. … I had him make me an ebony totem while it was there.



Totems can be added to or removed from a flute. If you see a flute you like but not the totem just ask about changing it or removing it. I hand carve each totem from a variety of wood purchased in the U.S. Below is a sample of some of my totems. Contact me if you want a particular type of totem. — Frank "Standing Eagle" Taylor

First stood a rancke of hardy Pikes much like a thorny wood, Next after them the nimble Shot in order ready stood. Here wave the ancient in the winde, there stand the fife and drum, Attending when her Majestie would through their squadrons come;
 * — John Nichols, "Naile's account of the Queen's entertainment at Bristol, 1613"

Go back to the chapter "The totem"