The Caroline Myss Tour of the Sacred Spaces of Morocco
11 days and 10 nights: October 15 ~ 26, 2011
Morocco is one of the ancient intersections of civilization. Boldly situated on the far northwestern corner of Africa, its expansive shoreline stretches from the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean. The cultural diversity of contemporary Morocco reflects its historic vantage point as a gateway to Europe and the world. Morocco’s heritage offers visitors an encounter with an exotic society and its customs, an incomparable cuisine, and a shopper’s paradise of magnificent markets.
This outstanding excursion is a rare opportunity to journey into Morocco’s sacred spaces that are steeped in tradition and history. We’ll visit breathtaking architectural sites, majestic palaces, glorious houses of worship, opulent gardens, see traditional Moroccan crafts being made by local artisans, and shop a dazzling array of unique and enticing marketplaces. And we’ll enjoy exquisite cuisine and elegant accommodations all along the way of this magical voyage.
Because Morocco is also a site of the earliest Christians and Muslims, I have chosen the theme: The Power and Mystery of Prayer and Miracles. During our tour of the fascinating sacred spaces of this seductive land, I’ll present an essential overview of prayer and the essence of the mystical teachings rooted in the three Abrahamic Traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Sufism – the mystical dimension of Islam. Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine.
Specifically, I will be addressing fundamental questions such as: What is prayer? How do we pray? How do we see God in the details of our lives? What is a miracle? Many people find the devotion of praying and the sacred power that is inherent within a prayer a deep and in many cases, unsettling mystery. Through the years, I’ve been asked to offer instruction on how to pray as well as what prayers to say. Such questions reflect that among the many aspects of the Divine we are seeking is that rich interior connection so familiar to the mystics. So many people wonder if prayer does indeed have the power to influence Divine forces and if so, how? The answer is, prayer does. But a person needs to know how to perceive God in the subtle details of his or her life and examining the nature of mystical perception is core to this workshop. My individual presentations will focus on the prayers and miracles inherent in each Abrahamic tradition because we have an inherent need to experience the Sacred through miracles. We long for experiences of awe and one could say we are truly in need of them. On this trip, I will present the esoteric teachings of the Kabbalah’s Tree of Life, the rapture of the Sufi Masters, and the wisdom of the Christian Mystics as these teachings represent some of the richest jewels of truth these sacred traditions offer humanity.
This is, however, not just an educational seminar to simply learn about prayer and miracles. During our sessions together, I will direct you into your interior life to experience the transformational power of prayer as it illuminates your soul. I am including a holy teaching or prayer from each tradition to give you a preview of the beauty of their sacred treasures.
From Kabbalah:
Kabbalist wisdom maintains that “thought” is the ultimate realm of connection between humans and the Divine, and angels are the messengers of thoughts between the realms. All actions, therefore, begin within the realm of thought for both humankind and the Divine. Combining texts from both the Psalms and the Zohar:
When it arose in thought before the Holy One, blessed be He, to create His world, all the worlds arose in one thought, and by means of this thought were they all created, as it says, “In wisdom You made them all” (Psalm 104:24).
By this thought, which is Hokhmah (wisdom from the Tree of Life) were this world and the world above created …. All were created in one moment. And He made this world corresponding to the world above, and everything which is above has its counterpart here below, and everything here below has its counterpart in the sea; and yet all constitute a unity (Zohar 2:20a). This, in essence, is the mystical law, “As Above, So Below.”
From these ancient, mystical teachings comes an understanding of the governing mystical laws of this universe, the laws that live and breathe within each human soul.
I will be discussing the mystical laws as represented by the Tree of Life as the contribution from the Kabbalist tradition of Judaism.
From Christianity:
EMBODYING
Let me be silent..
Let me be still
Alone
Empty
In the Presence
Saying nothing
Asking nothing
Being silent
Being still
Your Face, my Beloved
Looks upon me
That is all
That is enough
You know
You understand
You love me
Let me receive
Let me be still
Let me be silent
(from Prayer at Day’s Dawning by Jim Cotter)
And from Sufism, a sample of the soul-rich work of the mystical poet, Hafiz:
KEEPING WATCH
In the morning
When I began to wake,
It happened again.
That feeling
That you, Beloved,
Had stood over me all night
Keeping watch,
That feeling
That as soon as I began to stir
You put Your lips on my forehead
And lit a Holy Lamp
Inside my heart.
All human beings have a yearning for mystical intimacy, no matter what name they give to that feeling. The mystery of our quest for mystical intimacy will be deeply explored on our trip together through the ancient land of Morocco.
I invite you to review the resplendent itinerary for this wondrous tour of the beautiful sacred spaces of Morocco. And I look forward to having you with me on this exciting adventure in this alluring land.
Love,
Caroline