Rumi and the Cosmic Dance, The Study Society Mevlevi Turners Kim Richardson & Michael Ormiston & Candida Valentino

Rumi and the Cosmic Dance, Rumi poetry, music, & whirling dervishes
The Study Society Mevlevi Turners Kim Richardson & Michael Ormiston & Candida Valentino
Saturday 30th November 2019

Poetry and music
The 13th century Persian mystic Jalalu’ddin Rumi, known as Mevlana, ‘our teacher’ left a rich legacy of mystical poetry in the 25,000-verse Mathnavi and the 40,000-verse Diwan-e Shams-i Tabriz. This evening we will have readings of poems by Rumi in English translation, together with music and song from eastern and far eastern traditions performed by Michael Ormiston and Candida Valentino – Mongolian Khöömii Overtone/Undertone Singing, Turkish Ney reed flute, Tibetan Singing Bowls, Frame Drums, Whirling Wind Gong, Kyrgyz Kyl Kyiak Horse Hair Fiddle and more.

‘Whirling dervishes’/Dervish turning
Dervish turning from the Mevlevi order of dervishes was originally taught to The Study Society in 1963 by a Mevlevi Sheikh with the permission of the head of the order and it has been taught and practised at Colet House in West London on a regular basis since then. The turning is a part of a ceremony known as a ‘Mukabele’ (meaning ‘coming face to face’) and it was originally developed by followers of Jalalu’ddin Rumi. The ceremony is open to people of all beliefs and backgrounds. As well as having a deep transforming effect on the turners, the whole ceremony has a profound inner symbolism, which represents humankind’s inner journey back to the realisation of his essential oneness with God and the unity of all creation.
During this evening’s event you will be invited to join the dervishes for ‘slow turning’, a meditative practice that is part of the Mevlevi dervish tradition and open to all seekers.