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Along my wending spiritual path, I have been influenced by many sacred teachers, like Jesus, Buddha, Rumi, Hafiz…and of course, Van Morrison.

Wait, What? Who? Van Morrison?

 

Yes, I know.

You’re more likely to find Van listed in a famous whiskey-lover’s magazine than you are in the chronicles of great spiritual avatars.

But the more I listened, the more I saw a deep seeker, reminiscent of my own journey.

Perhaps this came from spending too many hours trying to discern what it meant to “be stoned like Jelly Roll.”

I was surprised to learn Jelly Roll was a person and not a pastry.

I always assumed that Tupelo honey was particularly sweet, but I was surprised to learn that it doesn’t come from Mississippi but instead is one of several surprising things that originated in the Florida panhandle.

After these two pop song mysteries were solved, I found myself sliding onto the path of Van’s more mystical lyrics.

I realized that a profoundly spiritual man penned these songs, and my appreciation grew beyond the catchy tunes.

Although Van provided me with hours and hours of evidence of his spiritual messages, perhaps I wasn’t ready to hear them—until one day in Costa Rica, while listening to his Greatest Hits, I wondered, “What’s a dweller on the threshold? Threshold of what?”

What I discovered, in that tropical paradise, was that I was listening to a fellow seeker, a philosopher, and a teacher who tapped into an Irish folk-jazz-blues-rock muse.

Some Songs

ENLIGHTENMENT (FROM THE ALBUM OF THE SAME TITLE)

Chop that wood,
Carry water.
What’s the sound of one hand clapping?

This first lyric is a nod to the Zen, saying, “Before enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.

After enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.” And of course, “What’s the sound of one hand clapping?” is a Zen riddle designed to center the mind. In this song, Van goes on to say,

I’m in the here and now,
And I’m meditatin’.
Still I’m suffering,
But that’s my problem…
Enlightenment, don’t know what it is.

Full Force Gale


I admit, at first I had no idea what he was singing, here. I had to look at the title. Then, I understood.

Like a full force gale,
I was lifted up again.
Lifted up again by the Lord.
No matter where I roam,
I will find my way back home.
I will always return to the Lord.

These song lyrics signify surrender and attribute his source as God.

It also indicates that the power of God is great, and when we stray from our path, the power of God cannot be resisted.

Whenever God Shines His Light (Obvious, I know)

Whenever God shines his light on me,
Open up my eyes,
So I can see.
It repeats the theme and then he sings,
Reach out for him.
He’ll be there.
With him your troubles,
You can share.

When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God

This one is meaningful to me in the same way “Dweller on the Threshold” is.
It is an example of the sincere but often failed attempt at spiritual connection until you surrender.
Standing on the highest hill with a sense of wonder,
You can see that everything is made in God.
Head back down the roadside,
And give thanks in God.

Into the Mystic (You knew it and I knew you knew it)

This song is more about a sailor who is returning home to his love, but Van has a spiritual way of describing that union.

Let our soul and spirit fly into the mystic.

And finally,

Dweller on the Threshold

This song is about being a spiritual seeker, hungry for spiritual connection, and wanting to see through the veils that obscure or glamour our true vision.

I’m a dweller on the threshold,
And I’m waiting at the door.
I am standing in the darkness.
I don’t want to wait no more.
I have seen without perceiving,
I have been another man.
Let me pierce the realm of glamour,
So I know just what I am.
Feel the angel of the present,
In the mighty crystal fire.
Lift me up, consume my darkness,
Let me travel even higher.

There are, of course, many more examples of Van Morrison songs that reveal the depth and breadth of his spiritual journey.

These are a few that might pique your interest in a spiritual Van ride.

See also at Jerry Mooney Books

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