Whirling through life: Reflections of a female whirling dervish [View all]

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

This anchoring is crucial because the dervish straddles the Unseen and the Seen realms. The right arm is directed toward the sky, with the palm cupped upward to receive seeds of blessings from the world of Spirit. These blessings pass through the heart and are dispersed through the left palm arched downward, like a spout scattering the seeds into the earthly realm. The whirling dervish’s face, tilted toward the left hand, is a symbol of the importance of rooting oneself in this world.

Whirling unites the mind, heart and body in a way that no other form of worship achieves for me. Sometimes in the midst of turning for a long time, I feel as though my body and mind are revolving around my heart, like planets orbiting the sun. They all engage in the practice, surrendering to the motion of the universe and the knowledge that the heart is the portal to Haqq, Truth.

To read more:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/livingtradition/2020/02/whirlingthroughlife/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Islamic+Wisdom&utm_content=49

This article, and the theme, reminds me of a Shaker hymn called simple gifts.

The words,

Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free
'Tis a gift to come down where I ought to be
And when I am in the place just right
I will be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend I will not be ashamed
To turn, to turn will be my delight
'Til by turning, turning, I come 'round right.