Beloved Atum has posted this new practice that is so important for our time. He suggests using it daily until the end of March as we move through this birth canal.

The Practice:

Deeply rooted / In the present moment, Seeing with a clear, open, spacious mind / Beyond doubt and fear, Abiding in the luminous heart of equanimity, Dispelling the possession of ignorant delusions, The way to a greater awakening unfolds before us.

I was blessed to hear this beauty 4-directions poem-prayer during a Creation Spirituality webinar and wanted to share it with you:

Mother Earth, beloved garden, living treasure under foot,
All our days you ground our being: sage and thistle, grass and root.
Herbs to heal us, plants to feed us, land to till and tend and plow.
With the pendant, deep as midnight, North we ask you: be here now.

Father Air, your inspiration holds together all that lives.
As we breathe, our minds see clearly, leading us to love and give.
Raging whirlwind, whispered breezes, violent gale and gentle cloud.
With the blade as sharp as morning, East we ask you: be here now.

Brother Fire, great transformer, share the passion of the sun.
In our hearths, your warmth revives us, cooks our food and heats our homes.
Flaming candle, blood within us, blazing desert, will to grow.
With the wand, directing power, South we ask you: be here now.

Sister Water, ever flowing, ocean, river, pond and rain.
Drink we now and quench our thirsting, cleanse us, we begin again.
Mist and ice, a host of changes, all that courage will allow.
With the cup, the holy chalice, West we ask you, be here now.

Lover Spirit, intuition in the center of our souls.
In your love we find relation. All connected, we are whole.
Timeless mystery, quiet conscience, deepest values, voice inside.
With the drum and with the cauldron, this we ask you, be our guide.

~ Amanda Udis-Kessler ~

As I return today to my home after a wonderful road trip with my family, in my meditations this morning I was contemplating an email message that one of of my mureeds recently sent asking for guidance on holding patience and balance in these challenging times. I responded to my Sufi students this morning and then realized that I’d wanted to share it more widely with all of you.

This chant/dance of universal peace came to me. It is written by the wonderful Maitreya and is one of my favorites.

I have attached both a pdf with the words and explanations and short audio of the music. 
Here is more information about the three wasaif that are used:

Ya Muqtadir (yaa muk-TA-dir) Al-Muqtadir is the one who places you on a particular path to God and enables you to firmly put your feet on that path, and keep going on that path, step by step. It brings the ability to actualize the divine purpose in your life. The power that is guiding you has put you in this very specific situation, here and now. There are no mistakes, and nothing is ever wasted or lost. Each soul is unique, with a unique purpose in life. That is the meaning of al-Muqtadir. To realize its meaning, each person needs to recognize al-Qadir and lovingly engage his or her will to fulfill it. The lover thus makes use of whatever power the beloved has granted and uses that power in the wise and beautifully proportioned way present in its very nature.

From the Physicians of the Heart: A Sufi View of the Ninety-Nine Names of Allah (Kindle Locations 1791-1798)

Ya Qadir (yaa ḲAA-dir) Al-Qadir is the expression of all the purpose and all the strength and will in the universe as one power. Nothing is unconnected from this divine power. Through awakening to it, the traveler on the spiritual path realizes that there is a path and a specific destination. Al-Qadir gives a definite meaning and a real purpose to everything in life. Al-Qadir also means unlimited capacity, and that every person has that capacity. Such a realization gives you a sense of value, power, and spaciousness, as well as a confidence that all things are possible. You are inherently able to receive and contain anything that may come, and to regard it as a divine gift. Al-Qadir expresses omnipotence, power, endurance, and proportionality. It is the power to both manifest and contain manifestation. Invocation of Ya Qadir is an antidote to feeling worthless and powerless and offers relief to those who believe that they are living wasted lives. We recommend that it be combined with Ya Muqtadir

From Physicians of the Heart: A Sufi View of the Ninety-Nine Names of Allah (Kindle Locations 1781-1789).

Ya Matin (yaa ma-TEEN) Al-Matin is the kind of strength that makes one consistent and dependable. At the scale of the whole universe, this balanced rhythm is an expression of divine omnipotence. It gives the strength to keep on keeping on. It involves mastery as well as stability. You become like a rock or a mountain. You feel grounded in the world because you are grounded in your own self, and this gives you integrity as a human being. A quality that indicates al-Matin in your life is the presence of rhythm, daily rhythm. The power that comes from this rhythmic existence is a kind of balance, harmony, and wholeness. Al-Matin gives you the strength to handle both success and failure. It is the strength to balance and harmonize your individual needs with the needs of the group.

From Physicians of the Heart: A Sufi View of the Ninety-Nine Names of Allah (Kindle Locations 1638-1643).

Breathe, Remember, Persist.

This looked so fascinating I decided to post it this morning (coming to you from Yuma, AZ!).

This podcast is from my friend and Antioch cohort, Simon. Always good, but this time it looks particularly compelling and timely. Here’s his announcement:

In this Saturday’s episode, I will be talking about the Conundrum, which is a play by Paul Anthony Morris, which gives us a unique insight into the incredible mind of a man trapped in a society that has not yet evolved. Having resolved to conduct a personal life review to critique the inequality of society, our protagonist, Fidel, becomes alarmed by the prospect that he may also be responsible for
undermining his own well-being. Perplexed by this conundrum, Fidel embarks upon an epic journey to wrestle with some of life’s most fundamental questions; Who am I and why am I here?

https://youtu.be/xGCQA9jpFxU

Paul Anthony Morris and Anthony Ofoegbu will be joining me live on YouTube from the UK.

9:00pm PST.

AFIAPodcast #AfricanFatherInAmerica

On this day we honor the day that beloved Sufi Poet Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi left this plane for his marriage to the Divine. Urs Mubarak!

This beautiful graphic was created and sent by beloved Murshida Khadija:

And for those of us with failing eyesight:

THIS WAY: A sacrifice…
any thickets blocking your path;
any distraction or fear of shattering like glass. 

This road demands courage and stamina, but is full of footprints!
These companions? Rungs on your ladder. Use them! Company quickens your ascent. You may be happy enough traveling alone but you’ll move farther, faster together. 

One person ambling cheerfully
to the customs house to pay the traveler’s tax goes more lightheartedly with friends. 

Every prophet sought companions.
A wall standing alone is useless,
But three or four together support a roof to keep grain dry and safe. 

When ink joins pen, blank paper can speak. Rushes and reeds, woven, become a useful mat. Without interweaving,
the wind could blow them away. 

LIKE THAT, GOD LINKED CREATURES, GIVING THEM FRIENDSHIP.

 ~ MEVLANA JELALUDDIN RUMI ~

My daughter Nina recently sent me her amazing thesis and it includes the work of Gloria Anzaldúa a poet and American scholar of Chicana cultural theory, feminist theory, and queer theory.

In her thesis about the sociological culture of the borderlands and its inhabitants, volunteers, law enforcement, etc. Nina speaks to the need to break down the borders within ourselves and notes, “The work of breaking down our internal and external borders is never finished. As Anzaldúa writes, it necessitates the strength to look within oneself and critically analyze one’s own conceptions of the world. It involves listening with openness to new ideas which challenge and complicate one’s already held beliefs. The journey towards a more mestiza-consciousness-like state where we are able to recognize the interconnectedness and interdependency of all things is not painless. As Anzaldúa’s poetry evokes, it is an unpleasant process during which “[y]ou must plunge your fingers into your navel, with your two hands split open”—a painful opening of yourself to scrutiny and change. And you cannot rely on others to do this labor, “[y]ou will have to do, do it yourself””

I found this so profound and beautiful and timely with all that we must do in our continual work on ourselves that I felt compelled to share one of Anzaldúa’s poems with all of you.

Letting Go

It’s not enough
deciding to open.

You must plunge your fingers
into your navel, with your two hands
split open,
spill out the lizards and horned toads
the orchids and the sunflowers,
turn the maze inside out.
Shake it.

Yet, you don’t quite empty.
Maybe a green phlegm
hides in your cough.
You may not even know
that it’s there until a knot
grows in your throat
and turns into a frog.

It tickles a secret smile
on your palate
full of tiny orgasms.

But sooner or later
it reveals itself.
The green frog indiscreetly croaks.
Everyone looks up.

It’s not enough
opening once.
Again you must plunge your fingers
into your navel, with your two hands
rip open,
drop out dead rats and cockroaches
spring rain, young ears of corn.
Turn the maze inside out.
Shake it.

This time you must let go.
Meet the dragon’s open face
and let the terror swallow you.
—You dissolve in its saliva
—no one recognizes you as a puddle
—no one misses you
—you aren’t even remembered
and the maze isn’t even
of your own making.

You’ve crossed over.
And all around you space.
Alone. With nothingness.

Nobody’s going to save you.
No one’s going to cut you down,
cut the thorns thick around you.
No one’s going to storm
the castle walls nor
kiss awake your birth,
climb down your hair,
nor mount you
on the white steed.

There is no one who
will feed the yearning.
Face it. You will have
to do, do it yourself.
And all around you a vast terrain.
Alone. With night.
Darkness you must befriend if
you want to sleep nights.

It’s not enough
letting go twice, three times,
a hundred. Soon everything is
dull, unsatisfactory.
Night’s open face
interests you no longer.
And soon, again, you return
to your element and
like a fish to the air
you come to the open
only between breathings.
But already gills
grow on your breasts.

~ Gloria Anzaldúa, 1999 ~

Friends, I will be traveling starting next week for about 3 weeks, so there may be a hiatus or at least fewer posts until mid-January.

I am sending all of you deep bows of gratitude for your presence in my life and for all the incredible and beautiful work you do. May your holidays be filled with love and light and your new year promise new beginnings. And may the inevitable challenges be faced with courage and grace through the companionship of our beloved community.

I was deeply moved by these words from Pir Zia Inayat Khan from his monthly Zephyr newsletter and wanted to share them:

14 December 2020

Dear Companions on the Path,

Here in the northern hemisphere we are nearing the darkest day of the year. It has not been an easy year. We have lost some dear friends—have lost, at least, their earthly forms—and the lives of many of us have been unsettled in numerous ways. The routines of travel and meeting that previously connected us have been unceremoniously interrupted. At the same time, we have found new means of being in touch.

Perhaps you find yourself, like so many, carrying an especially heavy load at present. This may be a timely moment to ask yourself what is really yours to lug through time and space. Are you bearing a heavier burden than is necessary? In addition to the ideals you have consciously chosen, are you carrying a load of inchoate worries and vague grievances?

Look how calmly the trees abandon their autumn leaves, scattering jewels on the ground, soon to become mulch. These serene beings are apt teachers for us. Just see how they send their life-essence down into their roots as the days shorten and darken.

There is a time for stillness and empty-handedness, a time for holding vigil in the darkness. Winter keeps a secret that is vital to our soul’s knowledge of itself. Before long, the days will lengthen again. But now is the time to be rooted in the silent, patient earth as the planet heaves through the ebon emptiness of space.

Yours ever,

Pir Zia

I’ve been reading and nearly finished the book they recommend at the end of this blog post by Matthew Fox. His Daily Meditations are always wonderful. This one struck me particularly because of the profound wisdom of Julian of Norwich who lived through a long series of pandemics and truly celebrated the fierce feminine essence of Christ and God.

Please enjoy this day’s meditation:

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