13 April 2022

Dear Companions on the Path,

Here in Richmond, spring is in the air and the dogwoods are in bloom. Their roots deep in the soil and branches thrust up dervish-style, these trees know exactly when to unfurl their buds. They have their instructions from the Opener of the Seed.

We children of Adam and Eve likewise have our sacred instructions, though history shows we are less apt to honor them. How many senseless massacres could have been prevented, how many infernal smokestacks left unraised, if we wayward ones would have only listened to the still silent voice that whispers in the depths of our chests?

The news from Ukraine and Ethiopia is heart-wrenching. The voice of spirit whispers admonitions and supplications. All of humanity is killed with each killing. May not another life be lost! 

And the overheating of the Earth continues on our watch. Last month, Antarctica reported temperatures 70 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. The IPCC warns that if carbon emissions do not start to come down within three years it will be too late to avert the worst effects of climate change, which include rising seas, dying forests, and catastrophic droughts, floods, and heat waves. The spirit-voice whispers: Take heed. Respect your mother, the Earth!

Murshid’s words go to the essence: “We always have a counsel within, but the one who ignores the existence of such a thing as the Spirit of Guidance is left alone for some time by the Spirit of Guidance to look out for himself … The mother allows the child to have its own way to some extent, and feels sorry when the child falls and hurts itself.”

Haven’t we now gone our own way long enough? Isn’t it time for humility? Our instructions await us. To listen to the whispered message within is to join the serried ranks of the contentedly furred and scaled and feathered and leaved – the devout Earth-family. The blossoms of the dogwoods show the way.

Yours ever,
Pir Zia

The Inayatiyya’s Call of the Earth Initiative, galvanized by the climate needs of our collective moment, unites us all in spirit and action through the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan.
This month we hear from the Ziraat Activity:

The meaning of the name of our order offers guidance in addressing the Call of the Earth. Inayat means loving kindness… Read more

Purity of Heart
A Springtime Retreat w/ Pir Zia
In Person in Gersfeld (Germany) & Via Zoom
April 14th – 18th, 2022
Details & Registration

If you have yet to register for Springtime Retreat, it is not too late! You can register anytime through Thursday, April 14th, 12pm EDT. We hope to see you!


Kinship Circles – Explorations for Our Time
Radical Hospitality w/ Stephen Hitchcock & Kenneth Sparks
April 15th, 3pm EDT / 8pm CET
Details & Zoom Link

The Zephyr is a monthly newsletter of Inayatiyya, an interfaith mystical fellowship with branches worldwide. For more gatherings, please visit our Inayatiyya Digital Programs Calendar for Spring 2022.