Recently I was fortunate to catch the end of a 9/11 memorial piece
which I found incredibly enlightening to the constellation process.
It involved Mary Chapin Carpenter's song lyrics dedicated to the
dead of 9/11. She derived her inspiration from an interview she'd
heard with an iron worker who described the energy he felt all
around him at ground zero. He said he felt compelled to go to Grand
Central Station every day to help these spirits find their
destination. I immediately found the symbolism of Grand Central
Station poignant, and thought how beautifully it illustrates
constellations. No sooner had the word "constellations" crossed my
mind, the iron worker said, "...you know, the part of Grand Central
Station that has the constellations on the ceiling?" Sure enough,
constellations were painted on the ceiling, where he was "called" to
take these energies. It's as though the universe set up its very
own constellation by providing this gentleman with the intent to
serve the dead. It was very beautiful.
Here's the link for the story behind the song, as well as the lyrics
below.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/2004news/5_11briand.htm
Grand Central Station:
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Got my work clothes on for love, sweat and dirt.
All this Holy dust upon my face an' shirt.
Headin' uptown now, just as the shifts are changin',
To Grand Central Station.
I got my lunch box, got my hard hat in my hand.
I ain't no hero, mister, just a workin' man.
An' all these voices keep on askin' me to take them,
To Grand Central Station.
Grand Central Station.
I wanna stand beneath the clock just one more time.
Wanna wait on the platform for the Hudson line.
I guess you're never really all alone, or too far from the pull of
home,
An' the stars upon that painted dome still shine.
I paid my way out on the 42nd Street.
I lit a cigarette an' stared down at my feet.
Imagined all the ones that ever stood here waitin',
At Grand Central Station.
Grand Central Station.
Instrumental break.
And now Hercules is starin' down at me.
Next to him's Minerva an' Mercury.
Well, I nod to them an' start my crawl, flyers coverin' every wall:
Faces of the missing are all I see.
Tomorrow, I'll be back there, workin' on the pile.
Going in, comin' out, single file.
Before my job is done, there's one more trip I'm makin',
To Grand Central Station.
Grand Central Station.
Grand Central Station.
Grand Central Station.
