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Greetings and Namaste!
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Rumi
The grapes of my body can only become
wine
After the winemaker tramples me.
I surrender my spirit like grapes to his trampling
So my inmost heart can blaze and dance with joy.
Although the grapes go on weeping blood and
sobbing
"I cannot bear any more anguish, any
more
cruelty."
The trampler stuffs cotton in his ears: "I am not
working in ignorance.
You can deny me if you want, you have every
excuse,
But it is I who am the Master of this Work.
And when through my Passion you reach
Perfection,
You will never be done praising my name."
from The Way of Passion: A Celebration of
Rumi, by Andrew Harvey
One of our list members, Connie Zweig,
Ph.D., author and lecturer, asked
me to inform people about her latest book, a novel,
Moth to the Flame, exploring the soul's journey
through Rumi's life and his profound longing (and
every soul's) for the
Divine. Here is an excerpt from an interview she gave
about the book:
Julian: Hi Connie, tell me about the dream that got you
started on writing A Moth To The Flame.
Connie: Well, Julian, I don’t talk about this much. But
eight or ten years ago I was immersed in reading
Rumi. Like so many other people, I was just loving his
evocative images and themes, especially his longing
for the divine. So, I was reading various translations at
night before bed. And one night this turbaned man
appeared in my dreams, walking along a tree-lined
street, his caftan swinging. At first I had no idea who it
was. But then he came again the next night, and the
next. And I realized it was Rumi telling me a story. At
first, I didn’t want to pay attention. I was afraid that it
was too important, and I had too much going on. But
he kept coming. So, I began to write down the
dreams...
Read more....
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The Mysteries of the Divine Feminine and
Kundalini Empowerment Retreat two weeks ago
opened the sacred space for people to directly
experience the Divine and Her powers in their own
ways. Here are some sharings from the
retreat:
"The love was so overwhelming,
so
thick in here, the tears of love just
flowed."
"The mantra became a fire,
like the
sacred fire we made offerings into, and I could feel the
heat throughout my body as the mantra moved
through it."
"The Maha Kali Yantra was
so alive with Shakti, She was radiant!"
"I attended your workshop hoping it
would help me continue to open spiritually, and I
certainly wasn't disappointed! The week after the
workshop I felt an expansion in my eyes and head,
with the light around me seeming to be much brighter.
My body often felt heavy while this was occurring most
intensely. Then last Sunday I went into a state of
consciousness where I felt a depth of peacefulness
I've never experienced before, and the room and
everything in it faded away. I purposely pulled myself
out of this state several times and found I could easily
reenter it at will.... I
can't thank you enough!"
The next
Mysteries of the Divine Feminine and Kundalini
Empowerment retreat will be in the
fall.
Thank you all
for your notes of
appreciation
for our newsletter.
You've helped to expand the Anam Cara community to
nearly 1500 people around the world! Befriending the
soul is everyone's calling.
If you have any
suggestions, comments or sharings, please don't
hesitate to e-mail me and I'll do my best to
respond.
Anam Cara, Inc. is a 501 (C) 3,
non-profit
educational organization dedicated to teaching
meditative practices. Our non-denominational
programs are open to all.
Thank you for
the many ways you have shown
support for Anam Cara, Inc. Your tax deductible
donations enable Anam Cara to put on free programs
and expand its work in sharing the practices of
meditation. Checks for donations can be sent to Anam
Cara, P.O. Box 215, Bedford Hills, NY 10507.
I
look forward to welcoming you
in person to our programs.
With great
respect and love,
I thank you all.
May all beings realize complete freedom from suffering and enjoy the steady wisdom from which compassion, patience and loving kindness perpetually flower!
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