An esoteric Quest for the Golden Age of Andalusia

7/27/2019 An esoteric Quest for the Golden Age of Andalusia

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Co-sponsored with The Ibn Arabi Society, Centro Abierto Tomillo, The Lumen Foundati

New York Open Center and Lapis Magazine Online

Present

Granada, September 15th to 20th, 2007

Sufis, Kabbalists and Christian PhilosophersIn Medieval Spain

. E Q .


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Andalusia, or Al-Andalus, developed an extraordinaryculture o religious tolerance in medieval Spain that producedworks o enduring spiritual and artistic genius. oday, whenthe world seems to teeter on the edge o major religious conict, thisenlightened period when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in relativeamity serves as a powerul reminder o the achievements o co-existence

or conviviencia.

Tis was the time when the Zohar, the seminal kabbalistic work, was

compiled by Moses de Leon. It was also the period o Ibn Arabi, the Sheik

Al-Akbar, the greatest o Su teachers, while urther north in Majorca the

Christian philosopher, Ramon Llull, developed a orm o wisdom that drew

rom the deepest esoteric teachings o all three cultures.

Join us on a quest or the beauty and spiritual philosophy o this largely

orgotten age, a time when the magical city o Cordoba contained a library

o scores o thousands o books while the largest collection elsewhere in

Europe had no more than 400. Te Islamic culture that conquered Spain

went on to translate the works o the ancient Greek philosophers and

was amiliar with the secrets o alchemy. In this vibrant world, Kabbalistsintermingled with Sus, and streams o wisdom owed into Spain rom

both the ar East and the North.

Tis sixth in the Open Centers series o conerences on the Western

Esoteric radition will take place in Granada, the evocative and beautiul

city lying below the snowy Sierra Nevada that, alone on the Iberian

Peninsula, remained under Muslim control until the ateul year o 1492.

Outstanding aculty rom Spain, France, Britain and the United States

will address such topics as: the Zohar, the Sus o Andalusia, Arabic

alchemy, Ibn Arabi and Rumi, the knowledge system o Ramon Llull, the

troubadours, and the place o Spain and Islam in the Grail stories .

Evenings will be lled with poetry, amenco and music that emerged

rom the blending o Las res Culturas.

Join us on a Quest

Contact:

For more inormation please contact Andrea Lomanto at 212.219.2527 ext. 101or write [email protected]. Please see our website at www.esotericquest.org

or more inormation and program updates.


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Arabic Alchemy andGnosticismPierre Lory, Ph.D.

Arabic alchemy

developed rom the8th century as the heiro the Alexandrinehermetic tradition.Te huge alchemicalliterature in Arabic(several thousands otitles) spread rom Iraqand Iran to the Maghreband Spain. Te rsttranslations o suchtexts into Latin and/or

Hebrew were carried out in Spain duringthe 11th century. Te very aim o alchemythe disclosure o Gods wisdom andspirit concealed in the laws o mineral liewas not specically pagan, but could beadapted as well by Muslims, Christiansand Jews. Alchemy stands here as a ormo wisdom (hikma) beyond religion.

Beacon of Light:Ibn Arabi and the Su radition oAl-Andalus

Stephen Hirtenstein, M.A.

In 1190, at the age o 25, Ibn Arabihad his sublime vision in the GreatMosque in Cordoba, in which he metall the prophets and saints, rom Adamto Muhammad. Tis event not onlypresaged his own crucial role withinthe Islamic spiritual tradition, but alsointegrated the esoteric teachings thathad preceded him. One o the mostremarkable gures o world spirituality,Ibn Arabi penned writings which let an

indelible mark on ollowing centuries,becoming a beacon o light, toleranceand compassion. Tis talk will ocuson his lie and writings, including hisamous meeting with Averroes, andexplore the milieu o remarkable menand women he described.

The EsotericInterpretation of Wordsin Andalusian Sufism:Exploring the Roots

Pablo Beneito, Ph.D.Te idea o a common original meaningpermeating words with interrelated rootsis a undamental key to the understandingo many esoteric interpretations. ounderstand Su interpretations orevealed texts in Arabic, it is necessaryto know how they conceived o certainwords as sharing the same grammaticalroot, and thus created a highly relevantramework or contemplation and gnosis.Tis talk examines the special eatures

o the Arabic language concerning thegrammatical orms and roots o wordsgenerally three lettersthat are thebase o a words composition. We willlook at writings, including poetry andthe Koranic commentaries o the Sus,that reveal some o the secrets o esotericArabic semantics.

Sufis and Kabbalists inAndalusiaPaul Fenton, Ph.D.

Medieval Spain has been a rich terrainor mystics o the three monotheisticaiths. For over a century, historianso religion have speculated on thepossible connections between thespiritual masters o dierent traditions.Paul Fenton proposes to demonstratein the light o literary works, such asthe Jewish Su Bahya Ibn Paqudas

Duties o the Hearts, but also in light opersonal testimonies, like that o thegreat Muslim mystic Ibn ArabisMeccan

Revelations, that inter-conessionalcontacts did indeed take place. He tracessome o these works through Muslimand Christian Spain and even NorthArica, bringing out some o the mysticalthemes they hold in common.

Fruits of Al-Andalus:roubadours, Kabbalists and CatharsChristopher Bamord

Inluences and esoteric streams o allkinds lowed rom Mozarabic Spainthrough the South o France during thecenturies leading up to what has beencalled the 12th-century Renaissance.We shall ocus on the initiatorySophianic path o love practiced by theroubadours who arose in the contexto a vibrant, evolutionarily signiicantspiritual vortex that also produced the

Zoharand the little-known, maligned,misunderstood, and much persecutedCathar religion. Doing so, we shalldiscover a proound cross-pollinationbetween Suism, mystical Judaism andesoteric Christianity, in which we canind the growing tip o a truly uture-oriented ecumenical spirituality.

Plenary Sessions

Above: an alchemical-mystical commentaryon an allegorical poemtitled Shudhr al-dhahab(Nuggets o Gold)

Te roubador, Werner von euen, Maness C


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Black Fire and White Fire

in the Zohar:Written and Oral KabbalisticraditionsMario Satz

According to Te Zohar, Te Book oSplendor(the 13th-century SpanishKabbalah text), the orah or Teeachings were taught in the twoways: that o the black re (the writtentradition) and that o the white re (theoral tradition). Te relationship between

biblical wisdom and re began with theburning bush and Moses on the mount. Inthe 19th century, the Hasidim o CentralEurope took this theme urther withmuch more ervor, and ocused on howone would experience these teachingswithin ones own heart. Tese twotraditions can be compared to the ancientproverb which says, Te eachings o theCreator are like that o the iris in the eyeo man, where light and darkness reside.

Teresa of Avila andJohn of the Cross:Jewish Roots, Su SoilMirabai Starr

In this talk, Mirabai Starr will oeran overview o the lives o the twogreat Spanish mystics o the EarlyRenaissance, John o the Cross anderesa o Avila, paying special attentionto how the esoteric teachings o Judaismand Susm inuenced each o them,

not only by virtue o the spiritual legacythat still lingered rom the Golden Ageo Spain, but also in their own amilyheritage. Mirabai will illustrate hertalk with brie readings rom her newtranslations oDark Night o the Soul,by John o the Cross, and Te InteriorCastle and Te Book o My Lie, byeresa o Avila.

The Fragrance of Yemen:Te Shared Symbology o SpanishMysticism and SusmLuce Lpez-Baralt, Ph.D.

Strange as it may seem, some o themost important mystical symbolsused by St. John o the Cross and St.heresa o Avila are o Islamic origin.Miguel Asn Palacios, Spains oremostArabist, began researched the parallels

between these Spanish mystics andtheir Sui predecessors until his deathin 1944. He was able to trace St. Johnsdark night o the soul to the Shadiliteschool o mysticism, as well as St.heresas seven concentric castles toan anonymous 16th-century treatisecalled theNawadir. his talk updatesthese theories. What the critics havedeemed extremely mysterious andoriginal in Spanish mysticism is,in many ways, just the adaptation oIslamic mystical symbols.

The Royal City of theAlhambra:A Paradise o Water, Lightand PoetryAntonio Orihuela, Ph.D.

Te Alhambra occupies a hill whichrises steeply into the old Islamic Cityo Granada. Te walls once enclosedseven palaces, plus dwelling housesor ofcials and the nobility, as well asmosques, baths, workshops and gardensTe Nasrid sultans ounded their RoyalCity at the beginning o 13th centurywith courtyards and gardens, and poolsthat reected the architecture in watermirrors producing beautiul eects.Wooden and stucco lattices controlledthe light and created a magical

atmosphere along the walls, which wereully decorated with religious and poeticArabic inscriptions.

Te Zohar

Alhambra


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The Templars and IslamPaul Bembridge, M.Phil.

Despite their historic role as a militaryChristian order in a rontier battle

against Islam, both in the Near Eastand in the Iberian peninsula, theKnights emplar o the 12th and 13thcenturies were instrumental in creatinga climate o respect or the learning andspirituality o the Muslim culture theyencountered, especially in Spain. Here, atthe urthest extremities o Christendom,it seems, they ound common groundbetween the deepest layers o theirown Angevin culture and the Arabiccivilization to which they gave access.

The Islamic and JewishBackground of GrailChristianityPaul Bembridge, M.Phil.

InParzival, Wolram von Eschenbackredirected the gaze o his readers awayrom the Celtic Arthurian world oChretien de roys story o the Grail,

Perceval. He pointed to what he called atruer lineage and transmission o the Grailmaterial as it emerged rom the ancientworld and travelled via Jewish-Muslimadepts in early medieval Spain throughthe Aragonese-Catalan corridor toProvence and then to his native Germanlands. Te new era o Grail Christianity towhich European initiates now looked, heindicated, would be one o Muslim, Jewishand Christian reconciliation.

Rumi and Ibn Arabi:

Te Meeting-Place o wo SeasStephen Hirtenstein, M.A.

It is remarkable that two such greatmystical gures as Ibn Arabi and Rumishould have overlapped in time andspace, and yet apparently had little to dowith each other. Did they actually meetphysically? Did Ibn Arabi inuence hisyounger contemporary in any way? Is itaccurate to characterize their teachingsas markedly dierent? Or did theyexpress the same undamental message?

What is the essence o their appealtoday? In this workshop we will explorethese questions and compare texts romtheir works with the aim o ndingsome answers.

Guardians of the TreasureNicholas Goodrick-Clarke, D.Phil.and Clare Goodrick-Clarke, M.A.

Some o our most cherished Hermeticliterature, such as the amousEmerald

ablet, has come down to us onlythrough Arabic texts. In this workshopwe will examine the transmission oideas between Alexandria and themedieval Latin West through theportal o Islamic Spain. Tis workshopwill examine some examples o theliterature, preserved by Arab culture andembellished by the new learning, whichwas to play such a signicant role in the12th-century Renaissance.

The Elaboration of thePhilosophers StonePierre Lory, Ph.D.

Alchemical texts may be interpreted

as metaphorical descriptions o thetransormation o the individual selthrough initiatory knowledge. Materialoperations did, however, take place.Te purpose o this workshop is theevocation o this concrete work, in thelaboratory o the alchemist, on the basiso Arabic texts used in medieval Spain.Te questions raised are: what is themateria prima used? What is the Stoneobtained in the laboratory meant tobe? What are the relations between thisprecise material work and the quest othe mysterious perect Master calledImam? Are matter and spirit evokedin those texts really dierent substances?

Doctor Illuminatus:Ramon LlullNicholas Goodrick-Clarke, D.Phil.and Clare Goodrick-Clarke, M.A.

Catalan poet,novelist, scientist,

linguist and mystic,Ramon Llulls(c. 1232c. 1316)shining intelligence,sensitivity andbreadth o learningremained a beaconwell into theRenaissance andbeyond. TeArs

Brevis is anintroduction to Llulls Art, his mostoriginal and ambitious work o

systemising knowledge. His mostcherished work, Te Book o the Lover &the Beloved, weaves together Llullsliterary inheritance as a troubadour poetwith Su and Franciscan mysticism.Te Book o the Gentile & the Tree Wise

Men, based on the model o an earlierArabic text, demonstrates the graciousway in which Llull sought to drawtogether men o goodwill rom ChristianJewish and Muslim persuasions.

Workshop Descriptions

Ram

Rumi

Te Sword in the Stone


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The Mystical Heart ofAbrahamInterpenetrating Perspectives inJudaism, Christianity and IslamChristopher Bamord

We will explore the multiple innerconnections between the three religionso the One God and ask how these

could maniest in relatively peaceulcoexistence in Al-Andalus. We willexamine ways in which the threeRevelations mysteriously seem tobe each within the other, in endlessconversation, orever echoing andreerring to each other like magic,multidimensional Chinese Boxes.Against the still uid background otheir evolving theologies and practices,we will see what we can learn today othe virtues o the heart that unite them:love o God, neighbor, stranger and the

Earth, and all that ollows rom these.

Alchemy of CreationClare Goodrick-Clarke, M.A.

Tis talk takes us imaginatively into thealchemical drama o creation, where wecan begin to explore the transormationaljourney o the mind and heart that isinitiated by the alchemical process. Byworking creatively with the timelesssymbols arising rom the archetypalworld o the psyche, we can discover theinsights and special spiritual gits thatthe alchemical quest still oers to thecontemporary world.

The Cup of Receptivityarot, Perennial Philosophyand Intuition

Ellen Goldberg, M.A.

Te arot is a superb example othe perennial philosophy. Streamso wisdom rom both east and westmeet in this visual template o thepath to Sel-realization. Working withthe Archetypal images o the arotcultivates receptivity and intuition.Te arot is more than an oracle; itallows you to become your own oracleby connecting to the Inner Voice. Teaim o this workshop is two-old; we

will look at some o the dominantphilosophical precepts embodied inthe arot which are shared by esotericChristianity, Kabalah and Susm, andwe will use the cards to open intuition.

Tarot and the KabbalahEllen Goldberg, M.A.

We will look at the 22 letters o theHebrew alphabet and the 10 numberso the Serot o the ree o Lie, and see

how they breathe lie and meaning intothe arot. We will also consider someo the themes held in highest regard byboth the kabbalah and the tarot, suchas the healing o the world throughthe restoration o balance betweenthe masculine and eminine, and therecovering o cosmic consciousnesswithout renouncing the world.

Letters and Numbersas Symbols of SpiritualRealitiesEsoteric Systems o the SusPablo Beneito, Ph.D.

According to Islamic tradition, the rooto all things is speech and words. Tus,letters are the principles o existence

and knowledge. Letters in Hebrew andArabic correspond to numbers. Inrespect to divine revelation inparticular, numbers and letters areinterpreted in terms o their qualitativemeaning as symbols o spiritualrealities. In the realm o spiritualgeometry, numbers are proportionsand the symbolic oundation or allrelationships. In this workshop we willdiscuss the signicance o theSciences o Letters and Numbers andexplain the dierent numerical systems

used in their esoteric works by majorSu writers.

Te ree o Lie

Abraham surrounded by ames , detail rommanuscriptAnthology of Iskandar, Iran, 110

Alchemical ree rom the Treatises of Ramon Llull


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Rabbi Abraham AbulafiasMethod of KabbalisticMeditation:An Experiential WorkshopPaul Fenton, Ph.D.

Rabbi Abulaa developed a curiouscontemplative method called hazkara,involving meditation on Divine Names,

a method which comes close to theSu practice odhikr. Tis workshopproposes an introduction to thismethod, explaining the connectionbetween the two traditionsthe Hebrewand the Arabicas well as a meditativeexercise, involving spiritual music andbreathing control.

The Tree of Knowledgeand the Tree of Life in TheZohar and The Bahir

Mario Satz

Te Zoharsuggests that the tree oknowledge was actually what we knowtoday as the g tree. Te g tree haslong had mystical signicance and washighly revered during ancient Hebrewtimes. It is recognized throughout the

Bible as both sacred and cursed, just asthe tree in the Garden o Eden. An evenmore ancient source, the Hebrew bookoTe Bahir(Te Book o Brightness),identies the tree o lie as the palm

tree. Te symbolism o these trees hasinspired great works o poetry andarchitecture over the centuries. Teyrepresent humankinds dual nature:one which says we are conned by ourphysical bodies to the limits o time andspace; and another that speaks o ourmore proound and limitless essence.

Beautiful Wound:The Wisdom of theSpanish MysticsMirabai Starr

We will explore how the Spanishmystics, eresa o Avila and John o theCross, oer contemplative practice as away o transorming deep sorrow intoheightened spiritual aliveness. We willweave short periods o contemplativesilence with readings rom Mirabaistranslations oDark Night o the Soul,Te Interior Castle and Te Book o

My Lie. We will include ample timeor discussion o how these teachingsconnect with participants own lives,losses and transormations.

Islam in SpanishLiteratureLuce Lopez-Baralt, Ph.D.

Spanish literature showed evidence oa decisive Islamic inuence as late asthe Renaissance. Te dialogue amongChristians, Arabs and Jews that lastedmore than eight centuries deeplyinuenced the hybrid, immensely originalliterary works produced in Spain rom

the Middle Ages to the present. Tekharjas, considered the rst Spanishpoetry, were written in Mozarabic butwere transliterated in both Arabic andHebrew characters; Ramon Llull wrotehis esoteric treatises in both Catalan andArabic; Cervantes playully proposed thatthe author oDon Quixote was an Islamicchronicler. And the last Muslims o Spainor moriscos wrote a secret literature inSpanish in which they explored how it eltto be orced to abandon their religion and

their cultural identity.

Natural ChantPart 1 and Part 2

Catherine Braslavsky and Joseph Rowe

In all cultures and in all ages, the humanvoice has been honored as the mostprecious o all musical instruments,and it has always been sustained byrhythm. Practices which make use ovoice and rhythms together, especiallywith movement, have always been apowerul means o raising and deepeningconsciousness beyond the habitual. Teyallow us to play, to dance, to communewith each other, to puriy and renewourselves, and to heal. In our civilization,we have mostly lost this art. We rarely

sing together and have lost a true senseo our natural rhythm. Tis workshop isan intensive approach to rediscoveringthe authentic, natural roots o music inour own bodies and souls.

Alchemical Wisdom in theAge of Alfonso the Wise

Leigh J. McCloskey

Tis workshop is a visual inquiry into andoverview o the transmission o

alchemical wisdom to the West during theage o Alonso the Wise. Author, actorand visual philosopher, Leigh J.McCloskey, will present an illustratedjourney through books, ideas, art andarchitecture that captures the creativespirit alive and vibrant in the philosophicalopenness and religious tolerance enjoyedin signicant periods o MedievalAndalusia. He is creating this presentationin collaboration with his colleague andriend, author and Hermetic Scholar,Stanislas Klossoswki de Rola.

Alonso X o Castile rom the Libro des Juegas.


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Afternoon ActivitiesEach aternoon there will be a guided tour o rarely visited parts o the celebratedAlhambra Palace, a marvelous complex o Moorish buildings that include a ortress,palaces and the Generalie gardens. Tese tours will be conducted by some o themost knowledgeable scholars, architects and historians in the city o Granada.

One aternoon there will also be a showing o the dramatic lm Destiny directed by

the celebrated Egyptian lm maker, Yousse Chahine. It tells the story o Averroes,the great 12th-century Islamic philosopher and interpreter o Aristotle, and hisstruggle against undamentalism. Once protected by the ruling Caliph o Cordoba,Averroes nds his lie in jeopardy when the Caliph succumbs to undamentalistinuence and orders all o Averroes books to be burned. His students unite in arantic race to ensure that the enlightened impressions o the philosopher endure.

On certain aternoons there will be an opportunity or inormal group discussion toexplore the relevance o the contents o this conerence to the current world situation.Tere will also be ree time each aternoon to enjoy this beautiul and intriguing city.

Each o the districts o Granada oers something dierent. Te old town is ull ochurches and monasteries, and quaint, charming little squares. Parts o the Albayznhave the sleepy, timeless eel o a Moroccan hill town, and some gypsy amilies still livein caves in the primitive hillside o Sacromonte. Historical sights are to be ound on allsides, including the murals inside the Red owers, which were built immediately aterthe Arabs and their Berber soldiers took control o Granada in the eighth century.

Evening ActivitiesAn Evening of Sufi and Spanish PoetryRobert Bly

Te American poet, Robert Bly, is widely known or his translations and readings othe work o Rumi and Haz. Few artists have done as much to bring the great Supoets to the attention o the English-speaking world. Tis evening, he will also readhis translations o the great Spanish poets Antonio Machado, Juan Ramon Jimenezand Federico Garcia Lorca.

An Evening of Flamenco

Te passionate, dramatic dancing o Flamenco emerged rom a mix o the Gypsy,Arabic and Iberian cultures. Tis evening will eature some o the most gripping andintense perormers o this ancient art orm that brings alive the soul o Andalusia.

An Evening of Music

From Jerusalem to Cordoba:A Voyage in ime, Space and Religions Trough Chant, Music and extswith Catherine Braslavsky and Joseph Rowe

Tis evening is a celebration o the musical and mystical traditions in and around theMediterranean, rom ancient Judaism and Paganism to medieval Christianity and Islam.We will hear ancient and original music sung in Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, Greek, Occitanand Arabic. Te perormance includes quotations rom Ibn Arabi, Yehuda Halevi,Hildegard o Bingen and others, and evokes a rarely-perceived common ground andalternative view o sacred traditions which have so oten been in conict.


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Journey to Marrakech, MoroccoSeptember 21-2

Marrakech was the starting point o the ancient caravan routes across the Sahara and remains one othe most magical cities in North Arica. Here we will meet Sus, visit places o spiritual signicance andabsorb the exotic ambience o this legendary place. Tis journey will take us into the heart o the medina oMarrakech, an ancient world o storytellers, snake charmers and musicians.

We will also visit the verdant valley o Ourika, home to indigenous Berber villages o the high AtlasMountains. Participants can then choose between a trip to the beautiul, rereshing Atlantic town oEssaouira, or a visit to the shrines o seven Su saints around Marrakech. Tis extraordinary journey willoccur at one o the most sacred times o the year in both the Jewish and Islamic calendars, as Ramadanand Yom Kippur will be converging during this period. Yom Kippur services will be arranged or thosewho wish to observe the High Holy Days.

Tis post-conerence journey will begin Friday, September 21st, and will conclude ater breakast on uesday,September 25th. Participants will stay at Te Hotel Alixares in Granada on the evening o September 20thbeore departure or Morocco.

Price: $1195 per person or accommodations in a double room, $1455 or a single room. Tis costincludes accommodations rom September 20-24, all meals in Morocco (participants are responsible ortheir own dinner on September 20), English-speaking tour guides, bus travel in Morocco and entranceees to sites and one-way air are between Granada and Marrakech.

Pee te: In order to travel with Te Open Center as a group, registration must be received byWednesday, July 18th.

A Journey to the Sacred Places of Andalusiawo options: days (September 20-2) or days (September 20-2)

We will begin this journey immediately ater lunch on the last day o the conerence, with aculty member

Stephen Hirtenstein as our guide. Our adventure begins with a private tour o the olive oil mill o the Nunezde Prado Family set in the countryside o Baena. From there we will continue to the capital o the westernworld in the 11th century, Cordoba, where we will see the magnicent Mosque-Cathedral, the old Jewishquarter and the Alcazar Palace.

Outside o Cordoba we will visit the moving ruins o Medinat al-Zahra, the orgotten Versailles o the MiddleAges where nightingales sang in perumed gardens at the apex o Islamic Spain. From there we cross theertile countryside to Seville, the orange blossom city and one o the most beautiul cities in the world. InSeville we will explore Santa Cruz (the old Jewish Quarter), visit the Royal Fortress and see the huge GothicCathedral which was the original site o Sevilles 12th-century Mosque. Te journey will end ater breakaston the 24th in Seville or those only traveling with us or our days.

Tose continuing on the longer journey will travel Te Route o the White Villages, making stops atArcos de la Frontera, situated on a mountain range 500 eet above the Guadalete river; Zahara de la Sierra,

built on Moorish oundations and located on a mountainside; and Ronda, the jewel o Andalusia. We willthen head to Costa de la Luz Te Coast o Light and visit the town o aria as well as the ancient Romantown o Baelo Claudia. Our path will include the seaside town o Vejer de la Frontera, a perectly preservedexample o what many Andalusian towns were like during ve centuries o Islamic occupation. We willalso travel to Medina-Sidonia, considered by some to be the oldest city in Europe, and return to Seville viathe ancient city o Moron and Marchena, Te Unknown Beauty. Our last night will be spent in Sevilleand ater breakast on the 29th everyone can depart rom the Seville airport.

Price: $795 per person or accommodations in a double room, $1050 or a single room or the our-day tour;$1495 per person or accommodations in a double room, $1950 or a single room or the nine-day tour.

Tese prices include all accommodations, all breakasts and dinners (participants will be ree to explore ontheir own or lunch, suggestions will be made by our guide), all entrance ees, and travel in a luxury coach.

For a full itinerary, please see www.esotericquest.org.

Post-Conference JourneysParticipants will have the option o two post-conerence journeys. One will travel throughthe sacred sites o Andalusia. Te other will venture to Marrakech, Morocco.


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C Bf is editorial directoro Lindisarne/Steiner books and theauthor oAn Endless race: Te Passionate

Pursuit o Wisdom in the West. wo ohis essays have been recognized inBestSpiritual Writing(2000 and 2005).

P B, M.P., a Fellow o theRoyal Society o Arts, has a lie-long interestin the alternative spiritual traditions o theWest developed over a long career teachingliterature in UK universities.

P B, P.D., is proessor in theDepartment o Arabic and Islamic Studiesat the University o Seville. He has beenvisiting proessor at the cole Pratique desHautes tudes (Sorbonne), and the Escuelade raductores de oledo. He has editedand translated several o Ibn Arabis works

and recently published the anthologyLaaberna de Las Luces on Su poetry. He isdirector o the research group El Saber enAl-Andalus.

R Bis one o Americas best-known poets and the author o manybooks, including:My Sentence Was aTousand Years o Joy, Eating the Honey o

Words and Te Light Around the Body, orwhich he won the National Book Award.He is also the author oIron John and TeSibling Society.

C Bvis a ormer membero the Harmonic Choir, with whom sheperormed all over the world. Since 1995she has recorded ve albums, including

Alma Anima, and perormed in majorconcerts throughout Europe. Based inParis, she also directs the musical groupCredo, representing Jewish, Christian andMuslim traditions.

P F, P.D., is proessor oHebrew Language and Literature at theSorbonne. He has published extensively

on Jewish civilization in the Islamic world,especially on the mystical tradition. Hisrecent publications include work on theGolden Age o Spain and on Maimonides.

E G, M.A., is a psychotherapist,artist and mystic working within theHermetic radition. She has been teachingarot at the New York Open Center ortwenty years. Ellen is the director o theSchool o Oracles, and writes on both thesesubjects. She has taught at our previousOpen Center esoteric conerences.

C G-C, M.A., is anHonorary Fellow o the University oExeter where she teaches Te HermeticArt o Alchemy in the masters course inWestern Esotericism. Her book examiningthe Gnostic inspiration o many o C. G.

Jungs most powerul ideas, G. R. S. Mead& the Gnostic Quest, was published lastyear by North Atlantic Books.

N G-C, D.P.,is proessor o western esotericism atthe University o Exeter and the authoro many books on the Western esoterictradition including works on the visionarysavant, Emanuel Swedenborg;Paracelsus:

Essential Readings; and Te RosicrucianPrelude: John Dees Mission in Central

Europe in Te Rosicrucian EnlightenmentRevisited, edited by Ralph White.

S H, M.A., is the authoroTe Unlimited Mercifer, a spiritualbiography o Ibn Arabi, and co-translatoro two treatises by Ibn Arabi,DivineSayings and Te Seven Days o the Heart.He has been the editor o theMuhyiddin

Ibn Arabi Societys Journal since itsinception in 1982 and director oAnqa Publishing.

L L-B, P.D., is proessor oSpanish and Comparative Literatures atthe University o Puerto Rico. Te authoro over twenty books, she has lecturedworldwide on Spanish and Arabic literatureand mysticism. She has been a visitingscholar at Harvard and Yale and a recipiento Guggenheim and Fulbright ellowships,and is currently nishingLa LiteraturaSecreta de los Ultimos Musulmanes

de Espaa.

P L, P.D., is proessor o Islamicmysticism at the Sorbonne and aspecialist in Islamic spirituality andesotericism. His works includeLa Science

de Lettres de Islam on Islamic qabbala,Alchimie et Mystique en erre dIslam andOn the Religious Interpretations o Dreams

in Islam.

L J. MCis an author, visualphilosopher and actor. His rst book, arot

Revisited, has been reviewed as one o themost important books on the arot in manyyears. He is currently working with StanislasKosslowski De Rola on a television programdealing with esoteric themes.

A O, P.D., is a researcherand head o the department o the Schoolo Arabic Studies (Granada). He holds adoctorate in Islamic Architecture. He hasdirected the restoration projects otwenty historical buildings (palaces,

houses, castles and city walls) and is theauthor o our books, including Casas yPalacios Nazares andEn Busca de laGranada Andalus.

J R studied Middle Easternmusic with the late Nubian Su musicianand world-music pioneer Hamza ElDin. Ater years o playing classical andamenco guitar, he turned to the oud (theArab ancestor o the lute) and to traditionapercussion. He has appeared in numerousmajor estivals with Catherine Braslavsky,and also composes music or theater,

television and lm.

M S is a poet, novelist, essayistand translator who teaches seminars onkabbala internationally. His novel-essay,

Azahar, portrays the city o Granada inthe Fourteenth Century. A recipient othe Italian governments FellowshipAward or his work on Pico dellaMirandolas approach to kabbalah, hisbooks includePathways in the Garden othe Heartand he Most Splendid Fruit othe ree o Kabala.

M S is an adjunct proessor oPhilosophy and Religious Studies at theUniversity o New Mexico-aos. She isthe author o several critically acclaimedtranslations o the Spanish mystics, Johno the Cross and eresa o Avila, including

Dark Night o the Soul, Te Interior Castleand eresa o Avila: Book o My Lie.

R W is co-ounder and creativedirector o the New York Open Center,one o Americas leading institutionso holistic learning, and editor oLapis

magazine on-line. He has directed andorganized a series o six internationalconerences on Western Esotericism, owhich this is the latest. He edited andintroduced Te Rosicrucian Enlightenment

Revisitedand writes on holistic, social andspiritual topics.

Biographical Information


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Conference Fee

C C: 07SQUEST

R J 14: $1675

J 12: $1825

A 15: $1975Te conerence ee includes the ullconerence program, all meals andevening entertainment.

Accommodations FeeAccommodations are provided orthe nights o Saturday, September 15through Wednesday, September 19.

For single rooms, prices range rom$95-$240 a night.

For double rooms, prices range rom$125-$270 a night per room. Pleasespeciy i you will be attending as acouple or wish to share a room witha riend.

For details about the hotels, please seeour website at www.esotericquest.orgor contact Andrea Lomanto at212.219.2527, ext. 101, or at [email protected].

PaymentAll payment is in US dollars. Please

pay by credit card, international moneyorder or personal check (US bankaccounts only). Prices do not includetravel to and rom Spain. An aordable

payment plan or the conerenceis available. Please contact AndreaLomanto at 212.219.2527, ext. 101, or [email protected] or details.

Travel ArrangementsRegistrants must make their own travelarrangements to (and rom) Granada (oryour nal destination i you are joiningus or a post-conerence trip).

Arrival in GranadaBoth taxis and airport buses are availableat Granadas Federico Lorca Airport orthe 16km drive into the city. ravelinormation rom the airportand rom Malaga are on our website,www.esotericquest.org. You will receive a

letter conrming the location o yourhotel upon registration.

We recommend that all participantscheck into their hotels on the aternoon oSaturday, September 15th where they willalso pick up their conerence packet, whichwill include maps, conerence schedules,locations and directions.

About the ConferenceTe conerence will begin on theevening o September 15th as we

meet or an Orientation ollowed bydinner at the Carmen de San Miguelrestaurant. Each day that ollows, wewill have morning plenary sessionsollowed by lunch at the Hotel Alixares.

Ater lunch there will be an aternoonbreak allowing participants to exploreGranada. Later in the aternoon therewill be a choice o workshops to attendollowed by dinner, and ater dinnerwe will gather or an evening o culture

and celebration at the Biblioteca. Teconerence will end ater lunch onTursday, September 20th.

RefundsA ull reund, less a $200 processing ee,will be oered or cancellations madethrough July 31, 2007. ravel insurance isrecommended in the event that you needto cancel or i the program is aected bycircumstances beyond our control. Youcan purchase it online or rom your owntravel agent. ravel insurance options areavailable at www.myinsurance.com.

Taking Care of the PlanetOur Esoteric Quests take us to manywonderul places around the world. Wehere at the Open Center are committedto caring or the planet. As always, ourbrochure is printed on recycled paperand this year we will be neutralizingthe eect our sta air travel has onclimate change. We invite you to joinus in this commitment by visiting www.

sustainabletravelinternational.org so youcan nd out how many greenhouse gasesare generated by your journey and thenpurchase Green ags which make yourtravel 100% climate neutral.

Conference Registration

My heart has become capable of all forms. It is a meadow for gazelles

and a monastery for Christian monks, a temple for idols and the pilgrims

Kaaba, the Tables of the Law and the book of the Koran.

I profess the religion of Love, and whatever direction Its steed may take,

Love is my religion and my faith.

Ib Ab


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Conference Programs Include

An Evening of Sufi andSpanish Poetry

Robert Bly

Sufis and KabbalistsContemplative Meditation in theMystical Method o Rabbi AbrahamAbulaa

Paul Fenton

The Mystical Heart ofAbrahamInterpenetrating Perspectives inJudaism, Christianity and Islam

Christopher Bamord

Arabic Alchemy andGnosticism

Pierre Lory

Beacon of Light:Ibn Arabi and the Su radition oAl-AndalusStephen Hirtenstein, M.A.

The Royal City of theAlhambra:

A Paradise o Water, Light and PoetryAntonio Orihuela

The Templars and IslamPaul Bembridge

Doctor Illuminatus:Ramon Llull

Nicholas and Clare Goodrick-Clarke

Black Fire and White Firein the Zohar:Written and Oral Kabbalistic raditions

Mario Satz

The EsotericInterpretation of Wordsin Andalusian Sufism:Exploring the Roots

Pablo Beneito

Teresa of Avila and John

of the Cross: JewishRoots, Sufi SoilTe Shared Symbology o SpanishMysticism and Susm

Luce Lpez-Baralt

From Jerusalem toCordobaCatherine Braslavsky and Joseph Rowe

Sufis, Kabbalists and ChristianPhilosophers In Medieval Spain

An Esoteric Questfor

T h e I n n e r M e a n I n g o f

C o n T e M p o r a r y L I f e

MA G A Z I NE O NL I NE

83 Spring StreetNew York, NY 10012

Non-ProfU.S. Postag

PAIDNew York, NPermit #031

Documents

An esoteric Quest for the Golden Age of Andalusia