Come and join us (Sarah Bonner-Morgan and Jenny Williams) as we lead a day of Aramaic chant and simple devotional movement as part of the 2020 Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace (MESP).
Over Friday evening and Saturday all ten Beatitudes will be taught and ‘tasted’ combining the sounds of the original words as they were spoken with the refreshing and expanded translations from Saadi (Neil Douglas-Klotz abwoon.org).
Links to hear the words and melodies below.
Come for all or part of this journey to experience the essence of these Blessings; the life force that continues to bring healing. We will travel deeply into the sounds and vibrations of the original Aramaic language and there will be spaces for silence and reflection.
On our journey through the Beatitudes we are encouraged to reestablish our breath as central, give space for any confused or mourning parts of us to feel heard, soften our bodies and hearts back into natural rhythm, reunite our inner conflicted and warring parts and allow our natural compassion and joy to radiate back into the world. We come home to ourselves.
You are welcome whether you have experience of this work or you are brand new. We suggest if this Beatitude cycle is completely new to you, that you start with the first three Beatitudes on Friday evening – otherwise follow your heart and come when you can. Feel free to bring food to share for lunch if you are coming on Saturday and perhaps a blanket and/or cushion for quiet sitting.
Facilitators: Sarah Bonner-Morgan and Jenny Williams.
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Dates: Friday 20 March and Saturday 21 March 2020.
Attend all sessions: £40/£32 (concessions)/£12 (students)
or
Friday Evening: 6pm-8.45pm (registration 5.30pm) £10/£8/£3
Saturday Day: 10am-4pm. (registration 9.30am) £25/£20/£10
Sat Evening: 4.45pm-7.30pm (registration 4.15pm) £10/£8/£3
Jenny Williams is a Church of Scotland minister currently working in Drylaw Parish Church in Edinburgh. “I have been involved with this Aramaic work for over 20 years and have found it inspiring; supporting my faith, and discovering new ways of expressing ancient truths. It links with my interest in healing, neuroscience and my childhood passion for dance.”
Sarah Bonner-Morgan teaches the Alexander Technique in Edinburgh. “I found my way to the Sufi path via a love of poetry, dance and music and deepened my connection to the Aramaic work of Neil Douglas-Klotz through his visionary Inter-Spiritual Leadership Training (AILP) which I completed in 2013.”
Here is a link to the EICSP booking page:
Or for a Registration Form:
Contact: Neill Walker, mesp2020@hotmail.com, 0131 331 4469.
Here is a youtube link to Saadi singing the Beatitudes as a taster or to get to know the melodies and sounds of the words before the workshop .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp2tDwBiroo
The Aramaic words of the Beatitudes (and the Lord’s Prayer) with the contemporary and multi-layered translations by Neil Douglas-Klotz can be found in his book Prayers of the Cosmos: