Portents from beyond the edge
Following the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, poet-shaman Kevin Moran leaves Christchurch in search of new beginnings. As he travels he writes a series of 151 small poems and a travel journal. Extracts from the journal are included in the book.
The poems speak of the natural world, the path of Self-realisation and the way of Aroha (love) where strangers meet and become friends. As Kevin travels it’s the Self who teaches, inspires and heals through encounters with the Sacred Feminine, the Green Man and the Universal Heart.
Many of the poems are wisdom sayings received on the edge of sleep. They are ‘portents (or omens) from beyond the edge’. While part of a ‘personal exodus’, they sound universal themes, especially the theme of transformation. In a world that has lost its bearings Portents from beyond the Edge stands tall to bear witness to the Real.
Takaka Song
Tākaka Song: Activism and Awakening among The River Tribe, Golden Bay, New Zealand In poetry, story and images.
In the summer of 2016, hundreds of young people, mostly from overseas, create a free-flowing community in the trees beside the Tākaka River, Golden Bay, New Zealand. They call themselves the River Tribe. The Tribe’s values include, love, freedom, peace, simplicity, spirituality and sustainability.
In February 2017 Kevin Moran travels to Tākaka to spend time with the Tribe. Over the next two months he writes poetry supporting the young travellers he meets. He stands firm against the bigotry and violence these young overseas people are subjected to by a small section of the community. When the Tasman District Council closes the Reilly Street Freedom Carpark in April, Kevin stays on in Golden Bay writing a series of sonnets about the River Tribe, his education by the Māori Jesus and his environmental work as coordinator of the Campaign to Save Te Waikoropupū Springs.
Tākaka Song is a story of awakening and activism. Its foundation stone is Kevin’s experience of the process of self-realisation (psychological and spiritual rebirth) and his relationship with the inner Teacher who guides and inspires him through tiny wisdom sayings given on the edge of sleep. At the heart of the book is the call to love, not only our fellow humans, but the creatures and ecosystems of the Earth.
Wāhi Tapu: Poetry from the Onetahua (Farewell Spit) Artists Residency
In September 2017, Kevin Moran travelled to Onetahua as part of the eighth Onetahua/Farewell Spit Artists Residency. Over 5 days and 4 nights he and eleven other artists sought inspiration while staying in the old light-keepers house and wandering the sand and shorelines of Onetahua. Following the residency, artists had six months to create an artistic response to their experience. These 30 poems are Kevin’s response.
Kevin is a poet-shaman and poet-activist. He works to protect the natural world by writing poetry, public speaking and coordinating the Save Te Waikoropupū Springs Campaign. He has worked as a counsellor and spiritual companion and has a long-term interest in dreams and spirituality.
His love of the wild beauty of Onetahua shines through these poems. The poetry is written in the form of a pilgrimage which begins at the Onetahua Marae and ends with the participants returning to Collingwood and an Onetahua Blessing.
Water Protectors: The Story of the Campaign to Save Te Waikoropupū Springs in poetry and images
‘Water Protectors: The Story of the Campaign to Save Te Waikoropupū Springs in poetry and images’ is Kevin’s second book.
As you read the 92 page book with its poems, photographs and artwork you will enter the world of an environmental struggle. You will read of protests, passionate petitions and the tiny Iwi battling to protect Te Waikoropupū in Golden Bay through the implementation of a Water Conservation Order.
Water Protectors is more than a book of poems. It’s the inside story of the battle to save a Living Treasure. It’s a cry for justice for the People of the Land. It sings the values of the heart.
Book sales of Water Protectors support the Save Our Springs Campaign to protect Te Waikoropupū Springs.
Alchemical Psalms Book & CD
Alchemical Psalms is Kevin Moran’s first collection of poetry. Many of his poems are born out of encounters with the Self, the individual spark of Divine Life within. Jesus called this spark the ‘Pearl,’ the Treasure,’ and the ‘Kingdom of God.’ Carl Jung spoke of ‘the Dream Maker.’
Kevin’s poetry is concerned with the rebirth of the soul that occurs within the everyday struggles of life. For him, these struggles include walking with his beloved mother as she struggled with Alzheimer’s disease and the loss of his Brooklands home following the Christchurch earthquake. His poetry reminds us that authentic spirituality is grounded in sympathy and compassion; therein lies its true substance.
With each poem, Kevin has included a whakapapa. ‘Whakapapa’ is the Maori word for genealogy. The genealogies speak of the poems origins, influences and symbolism, including dream imagery and short wisdom ‘sayings’ given by the Self. The whakapapa also contains quotations from the various mystics, poets, visionaries and philosophers who have influenced the author.
The Alchemical Psalms CD comes with the book.
If you would like to preview some of the poetry on Alchemical Psalms click here.
Alchemical Psalms CD
Alchemical Psalms is an original & creative CD best listened to in a reflective & meditative space. The CD evokes soul & spirit through the author’s voice, his sister Eilish Moran’s feminine ‘soul’ voice, sound effects from nature & the talented improvisations of master didgeridoo player Sika Rose, harpist Amira Mudfaery Nadira and CD producer Levity’s guitar & mandolin offerings, making it a unique sensory and spiritual experience. The CD concludes with the hauntingly beautiful ‘Kotuku’ composed and sung by Kevin’s daughter Sita Moran, backed by harpist Helen Webby and guitarist Davy Stuart.
