Wishes from the Musician's Lodge

I asked the attendees of "Evening in the Musician's Lodge" to share the wishes they made on Sunday, January 26th. Here are their responses.

2/1/20251 min read

In the Japanese tradition of leaving wishes at temple sites, especially on festival days, I asked the guests who joined me for the event to snatch their true desires down from the ether of immaterial space and write them down.

The concert itself was a desire long held, something I had even attempted and failed to materialize a few months before in October of 2024.

The act of writing wishes down is an exercise in making them one degree more real, and because this came at a time of much political tension and civil unrest, it was all the more important to revisit the origin of hope.

I handcrafted each of these tanzaku wish cards in the exact dimensions that Japanese people craft for the Tanabata Festival in July. Instead of the traditional bamboo tree, I hung them on a eucalyptus, a symbol of protection and purity. On the back, I wrote the character for dream, yume.

As a thank you for blessing me with their company, I collected the wishes of these beautiful people and gathered them together in one place. Thank you all, for sharing your most tender thoughts. You are seen, heard, and your thoughts are cared for.

With love,
Kristin