The Alchemical Spiral
A Retreat for Inayatiyya Leadership w/ Pir Zia Inayat Khan
Friday to Sunday, January 28th – 30th, 2022
Hazrat Inayat Khan’s teachings in the Inner School describe an alchemical understanding of the process of spiritual transformation. What distinguishes the alchemical model, as you know, is its emphasis on the integration of form and formlessness, rather than a one-sided and precipitous flight from matter to spirit. This distinction has important implications for our world, a world that now more than ever stands in need of balance, healing, and wholeness.
In the late 20th century Pir Vilayat elaborated Hazrat’s alchemical method by drawing on the inner logic of an anonymous 17-century Hermetic treatise entitled An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, which traces a sequence of operations focused successively on the spiritual stations associated with Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon, Venus, Mars, and the Sun.
Over the last two years, Pir Zia has been gradually introducing a paradigm that has grown organically out of Murshid’s teachings, the seven centers of our Sufi system, and Pir Vilayat’s alchemical insights. This paradigm follows a spiral arc, weaving between poles and passing successively through the stations of Mars, Saturn, the Moon, Venus, the Sun, Jupiter, and Mercury.
Pir Zia has been unveiling the paradigm of the spiral implicitly in classes and retreats, and has been unfolding it explicitly in the Suluk Graduate course. Our January Leaders Retreat will be the first time that he presents it systematically to our leadership cadre. In order for our leaders to be steeped in this further elaboration of the alchemical model – a body of teachings which the murids of our order are increasingly absorbing – it is opportune that we gather together at this time.
Two sessions a day will be devoted to alchemical study and practice, with additional meetings for European and North American leaders set at times that work for both groups.
While this retreat is designed for leaders within the Inayatiyya’s Inner School, leaders within all Seven Activities – Inner School, Universal Worship, Healing, Kinship, Ziraat, Knighthood & Music – are welcome to join us.
We are all looking forward to being together in January, and to seeing you.
THE ALCHEMICAL SPIRAL SCHEDULE
Suresnes Time (CET)
Friday 28 January
3-4:15 pm Pir Zia
4:15-4:45 pm Tea Break
4:45-6 pm Pir Zia
Saturday 29 January
9:30-10:45 am Huzur Nigel
10:45-11:15 am Tea Break
11:15-12:30 pm Saki & Zumurrud
3-4:15 pm Pir Zia
4:15-4:45 pm Tea Break
4:45-6 pm Pir Zia
Sunday 30 January
9:30-10:45 am Huzur Nigel
10:45-11:15 am Tea Break
11:15-12:30 pm Saki & Zumurrud
2:30-3:30 pm Pir Zia
3:30-4 pm Tea Break
4-5:30 pm Pir Zia & Shaikh-al-Mashaik
Richmond Time (EST)
Friday 28 January
9-10:15 am Pir Zia
10:15-10:45 am Tea Break
10:45-12 pm Pir Zia
2-3:15 pm Inner School North America
3:15-3:45 pm Tea Break
3:45-5 pm Inner School North America
Saturday 29 January
9-10:15 am Pir Zia
10:15-10:45 am Tea Break
10:45-12 pm Pir Zia
2-3:15 pm Inner School North America
3:15-3:45 pm Tea Break
3:45-5 pm Inner School North America
Sunday 30 January
8:30-9:30 am Pir Zia
9:30-10 am Tea Break
10-11:30 am Pir Zia & Shaikh-al-Mashaik
In North America, on Friday & Saturday there will be two afternoon sessions, one from 2-3:15 pm EST and the second from 3:45-5 pm EST. While hosted by the Inner School, leaders from all Seven Activities are invited to join us.
The Divine Names w/ Zumurrud Butta, Naima Brown & Omid Safi
Friday & Saturday, January 28th & 29th, 2-3:15 pm EST
We will hear the recitation of the Divine names, and explore a few of the names in more depth and height. Each divine name represents a portal to the many expressions of the Divine Beloved while inspiring possibilities of new perspectives, sustenance, and balance for our unfoldment.
The Alchemical Retreat Process with Amida Cary & Suhrawardi Gebel
Friday & Saturday, January 28th & 29th, 3:45-5 pm EST
Amida and Suhrawardi will elaborate on the principles of the alchemical retreat process which Pir Zia will be guiding us through in the morning sessions. They will review practices from the morning sessions, point out some correspondences with Pir Vilayat’s alchemical retreat stages, and consider ways to bring experiences of retreat into daily life.
TUITION & REGISTRATION
Tuition for the three days is $85 including video and audio provided within a few days of the program. Partial scholarships are available as needed. All teachings will be provided via Zoom.
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about the content of this program, please email Naima at innerschool@inayatiyya.org. For registration, scholarship, and other details, please email Josh at astana@inayatiyya.org.
The Alchemical Spiral is taught by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, carrier of the Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia’s teaching will be complemented by additional faculty during the mornings in Europe and afternoons in North America.
Additional faculty includes Zumurrud Butta, Vice President of the Inner School in Europe, Naima Brown, Vice President of the Inner School in North America, Amida Cary, Director of the Inayatiyya’s Retreat Concentration, Suhrawardi Gebel, Senior Teacher & Chancellor of the Knighthood of Purity & Omid Safi. Biographies for all faculty may be found in the righthand sidebar.
Speakers
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Pir Zia Inayat KhanPir Zia Inayat Khan, PhD, is a scholar of religion and teacher of Sufism in the universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, a school of Sufi contemplative study and practice. He is the author of Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide; Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions; Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest; and the editor and compiler of Dream Flowers: The Collected Works of Noor Inayat Khan, for which he also wrote the critical introduction. Pir Zia divides his time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France. inayatiyya.org
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Suhrawardi GebelSuhrawardi Gebel is Chancellor of the Knighthood of Purity, a member of the Esoteric Training Committee of the Inayatiyya Inner School, a grandfather, a gardener, and author of two books, Root Speaks to Bud and Nature’s Hidden Dimension. He enjoys mentoring retreat guides and leaders in the Inner School. He also mentors Cherags for the Universal Worship. He lives in Boulder, Colorado at the intersection of the great Western prairie with the foothills of the Rocky Mountain range.
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Omid SafiOmid Safi is a teacher in the Sufi tradition of Radical Love & Founder of Illuminated Courses & Tours. His online, video-based courses range from Sufi approaches to the Qur’an to Rumi. The Illuminated Tours offer spiritually oriented tours to Turkey and Morocco. He is a professor at Duke University specializing in Islamic spirituality and contemporary thought. His Memories of Muhammad is an award-winning biography of the Prophet Muhammad. His most recent book is Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition. Omid is also deeply committed to liberationist prophetic traditions in the legacy of Martin Luther King, Rabbi Heschel, and Malcolm X. He has been invited by the family of Dr. King to speak at Ebenezer Church on the relevance of Dr. King for today’s America, and has delivered the Martin Luther King keynote in the annual national MLK service.
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Naima Khabira Brown
Naima Khabira Brown teaches online Internationally offering Leaders Training Modules for the Inner School, Esoteric Classes and Retreats. She was initiated by Pir Vilayat and studies with Pir Zia. She served as Vice President of the Inner School for 6 years where among other responsibilities she directed and developed the new leaders training program. She is a founding mentor for Suluk Academy and has participated in many supportive roles since its inception in 2003. She is a member of the Esoteric Training Committee and a Center leader in the Boston area.
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Amida CaryAmida Cary is Director of the Inayatiyya’s Retreat Concentration in North America and its Retreat Guide Training Program, working in concert with an international network of experienced retreat guides and trainee mentors. Her primary focus is encouraging all involved to enter the transformative depths of the retreat process. Amida is an experienced retreat guide herself and has worked closely with Pir Vilayat, Aziza Scott, and Pir Zia. She is a founder of Suluk Academy and has served as Suluk faculty. Amida lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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Zumurrud ButtaZumurrud Butta serves as Vice President of the Inner School of the Inayatiyya in Europe and leads the Inner School in Germany. She offers individual and group retreats and retreat guide training, has taught at Suluk Academy in North America and Europe and is serving on the Suluk Global Committee. Zumurrud teaches courses on Sufi mysticism in Europe and online, with a focus on the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Ibn ´Arabi and the female transmission of mysticism.
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Nigel Huzur Hamilton
Nigel is a qualified psychotherapist of some 40 years, working extensively with his clients in their dreamwork and helping them through their personal Alchemical transformation process. He is the Co-founder of the Dream Research Institute, London, and is the author of Awakening through Dreams (2014). He was initiated in 1978 by Pir Vilayat. As the UK Inayatiyya Representative, he is an experienced retreat guide having guided groups and individuals on spiritual retreats for some 38 years. Nigel has also taught as part of the Suluk Academy in the US, Europe and Zenith Institute Camp in Switzerland.
