Why Firen?

In 2023, I asked the universe to bestow upon me... my artist name.

It was a late August evening, a seemingly regular night. At the time, I had been intentionally communing with ganja in a way that was for spiritual insight. I took one hit, closed my eyes, and knew I was meant to travel to Oregon. My favorite band at the time was playing in Portland, so it was the perfect excuse to make the trek. But I didn't want to just go to Portland, I wanted to see the coast. The beautiful, beautiful Oregon coast. So I zoomed zoomed zoomed in on Google Maps on small towns along the edge of the state and chose one called Yachats. I booked everything with ease. I went to see Richy Mitch & the Coalminers and the next day, I took a bus to Yachats.

I sat at the Drift Inn and I ate my veggie omelette. Another insight came, without the ganja this time.

You are going to meet a group of hippies today and travel with them.

Now, generally I feel like a very intuitive being. But I have NEVER and I mean NEVER received such a clear message that I literally heard inside my being.

Nonetheless, I went about my day. It was a particularly sunny one spent walking the big ocean rocks and popping into shops. Everything that this town was, was mystical and magical. The cheapest Moldavite on the market in crystal shops, salt water taffy indulgence, and stumbling upon the most extraordinary skirt in a vintage shop. That, might I add, I almost didn't buy. After a try on haul behind thin curtains and making decisions, I searched through the books on display. One in particular caught my eye, a book by Audrey Wood called Moonflute. Everything in my being stopped in place as I read the main characters' name.

Firen.

Firen, firen, firen.

FIREN. THAT'S IT.

I toyed with it back and forth, upside down, throwing it to the side, withstanding the test of time. Originally, I thought I was just going to be Firen. And you know what I still might be. But I can't not be Carly too.

As for the hippies,

on my way back to take a rest at the Drift Inn I noticed a van with three or four people standing outside with no shoes on. Is this them? I wondered. But the timing didn't feel right yet so I went back to my room and tried on my magic skirt for the first time. I grabbed all of my spiritual tools, put them in a tote bag, and walked out to look upon the beach. And when I say I, I really mean that spirit led me at every point of this day. It was an orchestra of perfect alignment and I was just the vessel. As I walked, I heard drumming and as I got closer I saw the same group of people, more of them now, communing with the ocean and their song. I looked directly into the sun, down at them, into the sun, down at them. From far away I looked down. And from far away they looked up.

Are they looking at me?

No thoughts, just experience.

A cosmic meeting through space and time.

My skirt fluttering in the wind.

I knew that I didn't have to think. I knew that there was no way I wasn't going down there. At this time in my life, I experienced a lot of social anxiety so it was not typical of me to just walk up to a group of people. I was nervous and, equally, I found courage. I walked around, around the road to get there rubbing my Moldavite and spirit holding my hand.

"Can I join you guys?"

And the rest of that night completely changed my life. Forever. But that is for me to know and to sacredly show. So hello. I am Carly Firen.