Asha ~ Love is the only prayer

Описание: Asha plays & sings 'Love is the only prayer' from the album of the same name.

I wrote this in 1997, and I am grateful to say that it has been very well-received ever since. I was signed to New World Music at the time, and it was my 12th album with them.

I recorded this at the London studio of colleague James Asher. His other claim to fame was that his sister, Jane Asher, went out with Paul McCartney!

'Asha' means 'hope' in Sanskrit, and in the Zoroastrian tradition of ancient Persia it means 'best truth'. This is different than the absolute truth. The 'best truth' is the right thing, at the right time, in the right way. This became the Christ truth, as distinguished from the absolute truth of the 10 commandments.

Essentially, 'Love is the only prayer' is a dervish dance, and at over 16 minutes it is my longest song.

The gates of spiritual interest were opened for me by a Sufi at a camp in New York's Catskill Mountains n the 70's.
The Sufi interest sustained me and as a path it also brought me to studying Christ. There is a meeting point and a melting pot where the dervish way pours out of the Sun God Zoroastrian tradition, which in itself recognised the Christ being as 'The Hero of the Sun' (before the name Christ was established).

The phrase 'Love is the only prayer' was coined by the mystical poet Kathleen Raine, and it is essentially was Jesus told his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the eve of his crucifixion.
I have included a quote by the wonderful poet William Southey in the song:

Love is indestructible
As Holy flame forever burneth
From heaven it came
And to heaven it returneth...

Musically the song is a dervish dance, and lyrically it is a Christian mystic invocation.

It's taken me a while to get round to filming for this song, I'm hoping it's the right thing, at the right time, in the right way!
I hope it brings happiness!

I dedicate it to my family, with gratitude.