It was a warm and sunny morning. I was enjoying my coffee on the steps right outside the kitchen door, gazing into the garden and the sky. Sipping on my hazelnut coffee and perusing my songbook that rested on my lap. I had about half an hour before Mark and I were heading out to the studio to record vocals for one of the last songs for the record: “The Good”.
The instrumental came to me during a cold and lonely winter night a few years ago, as I sat in front of my chimney with my acoustic guitar, fiddling around. The words and melody themselves flowed out of my mouth naturally, not surprisingly, as they had visited me in a dream. Sung to me by a group of spirit guides in the same melody and with the same words. During that winter, a friend shared their frustration of not being able to communicate with their guides, desiring answers and direction. Empathetic and motivated, I received the person’s permission to try to channel for them. I had just begun realizing that there might be something psychic within me. Back then, I believed that dreams were my medium to channel and connect with spirits, which is really exhausting.
“For a long time, I thought that dreams were my personal path to communication with the spiritual world. ‘The Good’ is inspired by a first channeling experience for another person – the song, as well as the message, came to me in a dream. Our dreams can be a key to our inner world, to the subconscious, which often holds very clear answers to our questions – if we give it that space. Later, I learned that there are much more pleasant ways for people to channel and receive answers, and I strongly encourage everyone to dream their own dreams.“ – Laura Carbone
Photo by Helen Sobiralski
Fortunately, I was introduced to the craft of mediumship and could dream without interference from the spiritual world (which might be a topic for another day,…). However, before bedtime, I set the intention to connect with the person’s spirit guides, and that’s where the chorus was introduced to me. Like many songs for The Cycle, I didn’t finish the lyrics right away, leaving room for infusion through time and space.
Allowing In
Fifteen more minutes until we were set to drive to the studio, and I was still missing the second verse. I could feel what it should be about and had a picture in mind—a story that needed to be told. A joke, that my dad used to share, came to me: A person desperately wants to win the lottery and prays daily to the heavens for their wish to come true. Frustrated as the heavens won’t answer, days turn to weeks and months pass, and the heavens won’t fulfill the wish. One day, the person damns the heavens for not fulfilling their wish, and they answer: “Pretty please, just buy a lottery ticket—otherwise, we simply cannot fulfill your wish”. Sometimes, we ask for things without putting in the work or the steps it takes for our guides to show full support. Like buying that ticket! As humans, we are blessed with powerful instances: Willpower and choice. Sometimes, we need to commit to walking towards “The Good” that might already be there.
After recounting that story, I gazed into the blue sky, grounding myself, and opened up my channel. I set the intention to find the words that would translate this story into a verse, my 2-year-old nieces could understand. And so I wrote:
“You have your wishes and your desires
To be released with a falling star
It takes the eyes to face the horizon
To see who is burning for you.”
– from Laura Carbone’s “The Good”
A deep exhale, a smile in gratitude, the last sip of coffee, and off to the studio to record the song on a sunny and warm winter day in a favourite place. “The Good” is from the winter chapter of The Cycle and one of my favourites to sing.
Words by Laura Carbone.
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“The Good” is out now via Cosmic Dreaming / Aporia Records. Laura Carbone‘s upcoming record The Cycle will be released in April 2024.