Photography and Cyanotypes – Eirene Archolekas

Rendezvous With Rumi: The Poet of Divine Love on Valentine's Day

Perhaps no poet has captured the ecstasy of love like Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhi or Mevlana/Mawlana “the Master” as he is known in the Middle East or just simply Rūmī in the West. His poetry, short and penetrating, reverberates with the energy of divine love. His connection to the Source is palpable through his words. On the day of love and lovers, what could be finer than studying the poetry of the Poet of Love, Rumi.

In this workshop we open our souls to the mystic intensity of Rumi’s verse and combine it with the Sufi tradition of whirling dervish dancing. This 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic writing in what is now Turkey but then part of the Greater Iran has become extremely popular in the 20th and 21st century since the translation of his manuscripts by Coleman Barks. Using his poetry as inspiration, we will go into a “trance-like state” to uncover the poetry within us, dance with the universe, and laugh with the knowledge that we are connected in Love that transcends time, culture, and ego.

This workshop includes:

-introduction to the life and work of Rumi
-journaling, visual and verbal, to some of the most poignant verses of his compendium
-whirling dervish dance (be advised those who do not have an easy gait or easily lose balance are urged to sit out).
-creating and connecting via short verses composed in the spirit and style of The Master along with visual art

Duration: 2 hours, Valentine’s Day, Tuesday Feb 14th, 7-9 pm

Cost: $25 per person.
Location: Astoria, NY (close to the subway (to be announced)