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Graceland

Green, Green Grass of Home

 

“Few people who have ever lived are less dead than Elvis Aaron Presley. A little of all our hearts will be forever Graceland”
*Donald Lyons*

 

 

Graceland was Elvis’ home from 1957 until his death in 1977. It was built in 1939 by Dr. and Mrs. Moore on a thirteen-and-three-quarter acre site that at the time, was heavily wooded countryside. Previous to the Moore’s ownership of the land, this site had been a part of a 500 acre Hereford cattle farm established in 1861 by S.E. Toof. The whole spread had been named ‘Graceland’ after Mr. Toof’s daughter, Grace. Certainly there could have been no more appropriate name for the home and final resting place of Elvis Presley.

From ‘Graceland - The Living Legacy of Elvis Presley,’ published by Collins Publishers San Francisco:

“My companions said they had come to Graceland to try to be close to Elvis. They had liked his music, they said, and that was important, but they were discovering that Elvis as a person, and even more so as a persona was what drew them to Memphis and to Graceland....These Pilgrims were open and totally unashamed about it. They were drawn, they said, by a presence. Some used the word ‘spiritual,’ some did not.”

 

During the short span of his life as Elvis, he opened his soul and let the starlight shine onto those who may never have known just how beautiful the stars could be. As one writer said, “He made it all his, then revealed it as ours.” Now his followers have only the garden, wherein the laughter of a man and his child still echoes. He left them his Graceland, his sanctuary, to read from as prose sweetly filled with the life of a man of grace, who knew how to live greatly, gently, and with love for every living thing, No flower was kept from growing by his shadow. He reached like a soaring redwood far above us, but he brought down to our realm the benefits of his blessings.

Beyond Elvis the man is the Elvis mystery. In this context the word mystery is used to denote a hidden and not commonly understood spiritual entrainment to a heart-mind consciousness, rather than something that can simply be learned through the study of books or such. A mystery of this genre is a labyrinth journey to reach the center of a particular knowing that is essentially catalystic in nature; that is it connects to other mysteries and paths of consciousness, once the individual has penetrated the central chamber of enlightenment sustained at the labyrinth’s core.

All mysteries have a secret that guards and empowers their purpose. According to my mystical inner sources Nostradamus predicted the Elvis mystery and its secret when he wrote:

“The divine voice shall be struck by heaven so that he cannot proceed any further. The secret of the close-mouthed one shall be closed, that people shall tread upon and before it.”

When a mystery reveals its secret it is no longer empowered, for it must contain that drive, that impelling force which is hidden in order to draw upon the subconscious mystical instinct of the masses, choosing from among them those destined to follow that path. Without the secret, the seeker is not challenged.

To move into some mythological metaphor, as the masses come to Graceland, so they enter the realm of the Quest, into which each seeker must journey. It is akin to the passage of King Arthur in Avalon, and the search for the Holy Grail No matter the mystery, this scenario is duplicated in some form. In this instance The Crystal Isle of Avalon has become Graceland.

Elvis is the ‘dead king’, that Arthurian representation of a Knight who has finished his Earthly quest and has ascended into the dimension of an archetype, where through the masses who loved him, he has received grace. The king is never seen as being without stain in these myths. He is that being who emulates the Christ, but who is also very human and thus makes at least one crucial error resulting in his death. But this error is never of an evil or debauched nature. Instead, it is a result of placing trust upon those who betray him. The lesson in this is that even the very good can err through their relentless belief in the essential purity of all things, which is a true but difficult path. In pursuing this virtue they are robbed of Earthly breath, but are claimed by God’s Light and glorified in the hearts of those who followed after them

The ‘king’ is one who is able to touch the heart of his realm - not just the individuals within it, but the very center of the collective heart, transferring this love throughout the kingdom. When touched by the love of the king, the people are roused to press upon the door of illumination, to enter unto their own questing. Without hero-kings humanity would not be able to rise above the turmoil within and without. Mankind must have its representatives, heros, and martyrs. Through their mysteries, so do the masses conquer the profane, seeing in the image of the dead king the living entity within themselves. Jesus Christ was the perfected mystery, from which the dead king gave life through the ritual of communion.

Elvis as an archetype has become a beacon to those still questing. This mystery is prefaced by the questions: WHO was he? WHY was he? WHERE is he now? This questioning is ultimately personalized in the seeker: WHO am I? WHY am I? WHERE am I going?

Elvis as a man was a reverberation of every man / woman at a soul-level, for he was as a little child - without guile, possessing a great sense of compassion, adventure, loving, and humor. He was HUMAN, he erred, yet he was noble, and through it all his integrity remained chiseled in the foundation stone of his heart.

In the body of the dead king we do not see decaying flesh, but hallowed ground, for wherever a Knight of Christ is buried so there a garden grows. It is that bit of Earth transformed by the heart, to which the flowers of his followers gather to root, to remember that once there was a Camelot. Toward the end of his life, Elvis told Wanda Hill that from backstage after a performance, he could hear fans calling his name - chanting for him. Often he continued to hear these voices in his head, calling to him even in his sleep. He said that his astrology chart predicted he would be even more famous after his death. Elvis expressed disbelief to Wanda about this, saying, “What are they going to do, come and chant around my grave?”

Indeed, this is what has happened, they come and chant, sing, cry, meditate and pray. Author Ted Harrison, in his book, ‘Elvis People - The Cult of the King’, writes on people praying to or through Elvis to God:

“Many fans truly feel that Elvis was a man with a mission, with a divine purpose. His music has touched so many of them at a spiritual level, they cannot think of him as an ordinary man. In that prayer is the act of spiritual communication, they feel they are justified in praying to or through Elvis.”

Also from ‘Elvis People - The Cult of the King’:

Marie, a fan of Elvis: “I do believe God chose Elvis for a reason on this Earth, and I reckon that he did what He wanted him to do and brought a lot of people nearer to God. That is what the whole thing is about, really, getting nearer to God.

“Elvis loves all his fans. And I feel that love personally. I feel that a lot of times he is around. In a sense I talk to him. I talk to him through the music.”

Elvis was noted for his unconditional giving under an infinite array of circumstances. This is something that Graceland and his fans have carried forth in his memory. Another testimony to the power of God’s Light that was unleashed through the heart of Elvis.

Elvis, father, Vernon Presley, recalled that as a child, despite the poverty in which they lived, Elvis was always giving his meager toys away to those who had even less. On one occasion, his father and mother had eaten corn flakes for several weeks in order to save enough money to buy their son a tricycle. Finally, the day arrived. When they presented little Elvis with his trike, the child was ecstatic. However, several hours later, the tricycle was missing. When Vernon inquired of his son where the shiny new toy had gone, Elvis informed him that he had given it to another child who didn’t have one. Vernon recovered the trike, only to have Elvis give it away again. This time, his father gave up. He realized that as long as Elvis encountered those who had less than he, the child could not be content to enjoy his own possessions.

B.J. Baker, background singer and vocal choir conductor for Elvis’ TV Specials:

“....I’m once again filled with a sense of awe and wonder at such a worldly innocent whose primary thought was of pleasing, helping, healing, soothing and uplifting those around him; a man who blessed everyone by his mere presence; a man so open, honest, and trusting that he was completely blind to the evil intent of others.

“My lasting impression is of a man whose generosity was without limitation. As a child suffering the sting of depression poverty, he insisted upon giving away his most prized possession. The giving never stopped. It was his way of letting you know that you were the most special person in the world - to him and to God.

“It was for his love of all people everywhere that he dedicated his work and for the last time, he gave his most prized possession...his life. “And the giving continues.”

Marty Lacker, a friend and employee of Elvis’ for many years:

“Elvis was the epitome of the Biblical joy of giving. He gave without wanting anything in return. He loved to make people happy.”

Jeweler Lowell Hays remembers Elvis buying, a ring from him which was to be a gift for Sammy Davis Jr:

“Then Elvis asked how much he owed me. I told him fifty-five thousand dollars. He said, ‘You gotta be kidding.’ No Elvis, it’s got an eleven and one-half carat diamond in it. ‘Well, all right,’ Elvis smiled, then looked at me with that lopsided grin and said, ‘Now I want to do something for you Lowell. What do you want?’”

J.D. Sumner of the Stamps Quartet, Elvis’ backup group in the 1970's:

“The man made $4 billion; I didn’t say million, in his life, and gave over half of it away.”

From ‘The Best of Elvis’ by Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman:

“Elvis felt a rare obligation to his fans. He never took credit for his success, knowing that his fans were responsible for his accomplishments. In many ways, whatever he had was theirs. More than once, an acquaintance of Elvis’ would visit him at Graceland and say, ‘Elvis, are you aware there are people sleeping on your lawn?’

“‘Yes, Sir. I’m very aware of it,’ Elvis would answer.

“‘Did you ever think of calling the police?’ the bewildered visitor would then ask.

“‘I’d never do that,’ Elvis would reply. ‘These people have come from all over the world to see me. I wouldn’t be in this house if not for them.’”

By Donna Rose Zaeko:

“All alone in a confusing and somewhat congested world, it stands high among the trees - surrounded by a winding road of precious memories. Its gentleness streams across each blade of grass and the trees quietly nod, as if to almost welcome you. Tall and proud it awaits, calling me to come into the glory of peace and rest. He lies there, sleeping in a garden, seeing it all and smiling ever so gently. He knows that I come to see him, he can feel me as much as I can feel him. How long have I waited to enter upon these gates, how long have I waited to be with my friend?

I am here now and all is still, except for the pounding in my chest and the rushing of feelings running inside my heart. I am free now, to remember and feel. This is our time together, no one can take away this beauty or lessen the tender moment, between me and my friend...”

This chapter was intended to be a tribute to not only Elvis, but to Graceland and the fans who continue to perpetuate the pure essence of Elvis’ love for humanity. It is this divine essence of giving unconditionally, of helping others in any way one can with no thought of self, that was the most outward sign of the Light of God that shone through Elvis’ heart, and truly this kind of Light IS Graceland, for while there is a unique and wonderful physical place called Graceland, it is only a representation of the state of mind / heart that all of it represents, and that can be found anywhere that love expresses itself unconditionally. Graceland is a state of the mind / heart that resides within everyone, and Elvis reminded us that it was there, just waiting to be revealed in all its shining splendor and glory, the beauty of God manifest on Earth.

 

From the song ‘Graceland’, by Paul Simon:

“In Graceland, in Graceland, I’m going for reasons I cannot explain, there’s a part of me that wants to see Graceland. And I may be obliged to defend every love, every ending, or maybe there’s no obligation now. Maybe I’ve a reason to believe we’ll all be received in Graceland”

 

 

Inscriptions Of Love ]

 

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This is a website created strictly as a tribute to Elvis Presley. Elvis, Elvis Presley, Graceland and TCB are all registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises. I make no claim to Elvis Presley Enterprises, Elvis Presley, his music, videos or voice.

All flash presentations, creative art and text is copyrighted by Maia Nartoomid (and in some instances with text and documents, Wanda June Hill and JoAnna McKenzie) - all rights reserved.