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LET'S yoko
ono
October 8, 2006 Thank you for inviting me to your
beautiful country and for making me feel so welcome. I am so happy to be here
on John Lennon's birthday this year, since this is the first time I will be celebrating
his birthday in Iceland. It will be over 40 years ago, when
I conceived this idea of a light house made of light, and listed it in my Conceptual
Sales List. Two hundred copies of which was sent out to people who followed my
artwork. In 1967, John Lennon invited me for lunch at his
Kenwood residence in England. It was about six months after we first met in my
Indica Gallery Show in London. He told me that he read about the Light House in
my publication and if I would build one for him in his garden. "Oh that was
conceptual. I'm convinced that one day, it could be built, but I don't know how
to do it." I said with a laugh. "Oh, I thought Americans came up with
something" was what he said. And that was that. I still marvel at the fact
that John was touched by that particular concept in my catalogue, and 40 years
ago at that! In 1967, for my Lisson Gallery show in London,
I re-wrote the concept more succinctly. In a way which, I should have expressed
the idea to John, in Kenwood, instead of laughing it off. That is what you have
in your press kits. It took over 40 years to finally realize
this concept in - ICELAND! The timing cannot be more appropriate. Right now, light
is what the world so desperately needs, since, in varying degrees, we all live
in darkness of fear and confusion of the polluted world. In
Ancient Greece, an eternal fire was lit and sent out, around the world. The fire
gave light and warmth. In the Olympics, we still follow that tradition and light
an eternal flame symbolically, but it is always then extinguished physically,
at the end of the event. This column of light in Iceland
will not be extinguished. It is the eternal flame we send out to the world and
the universe to give light and warmth, and the hope and conviction that our dreams
can come true. I have saved all the wishes people made and hung on my work, called
the Wish Tree in many different countries.
The number of those wishes I collected
and kept has now reached over 900 thousand, and they will all be placed directly
under this light tower in the Isle of Videy. People who still did not have the
chance to hang their wishes on the Wish Trees, can now send their wishes directly
to IMAGINE PEACE TOWER, PO BOX 1009 REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, using the postcards you
have there in the press kit or simply writing a note. Up
to now, a boat took you to the Island of Videy all summer long, free of charge,
but not any other time. However, in 2007, there will be an added feature that
the week of October 9th, John Lennon's birthday. The boat will take you to the
Island free of charge, as well. In the map of the earth
planet, Iceland is a country situated in the northern most of our world. It is
an ideal location from which to cover the earth with enlightenment and love. Since
we started this project, I have learned so much about this magical and beautiful
country. Icelanders believe in the power of elves and gnomes, who are protecting
this country. Icelanders call them Elves and Huldufolk - or the hidden people.
In
Iceland, the energy source is water, instead of oil. This is just one of the incredible
situations that creates the magic of Iceland. Once we all realize that this, is
being done, we will suddenly see that other countries of the world should have
the resources to make that change. As long as we live in
darkness and confusion, stricken by fear and staring at the unpleasantness we
believe to be the source of our fear, the unpleasantness will not only continue,
but we will finally be part of it. Let's leave our nightmare of darkness, and,
together walk into light. The future is here in our hands already. Let's switch
the channel to the future. Let's do it. Let's.
By
the way, two incredible pieces of information I want to share with you are, Lord
of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, was based very much on Icelandic folklores. He
also spoke Icelandic for his love of the country, and was inspired to adopt the
idea of Hobbits and Elves, right from this country.
Many past prophets pointed
to Iceland as a place where a great light of peace and spiritual awakening would
be lit, including Nostradamus, Rutherford, and Cayce. Dr.
Adam Rutherford in his book, The Prophesies Of The Great Pyramids published in
the 1930's, contextualized these prophesies and spoke of Iceland's great inheritance.
And that Iceland would be a source of light in a darkened world, and would turn
on a ray of light that would guide many nations and be the start of a spiritual
awakening.
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Yoko
Ono in Iceland. © Reuters |
