I’ve been more absent than ever during this month because of health reasons that prevent me from even reading comfortably. Not the Halloween I expected, but I do hope you had a wonderful one. However, I have also found a kind of remedy in videos and documentaries. While it is uncomfortable as well, I can still get lost in the ancient work, mostly pre-Islamic Arabia. Although it’s hard to have a definite answer due to the diversity of faiths and… Read more
Not so recently, my life took a change for the better. Way more difficult, but better in the long term. It has been one sacrifice after the other, getting used to a new place, taking care of myself and my family, learning how to be part of a new community… In short, we are starting from scratch. My spiritual practice has changed as well, but with the amount of space we have right now, I can only have one altar,… Read more
I recently came across an interesting post which linked to the original article about an interesting poem. Ahmad Al-Jallad (2015) shared an extensive analysis of what seems to be the oldest Arabic poem, which describes a battle between the Gods Mot and Ba’al. Although it seems to be simple at first sight, when I read it and learned about the deities it references I had the feeling it was more than just a poem, or at least it could be… Read more
There have been a lot of talks in the media about what’s happening in Afghanistan, about the Taliban, human rights, and the future of a whole nation that ended in the hands of extremists that are capable of the unthinkable, of killing and dying for their cause. I’ve read comments, and initially agreed with them, about the world becoming a worse place, more dangerous, more hopeless, but then of my cousins made me see reason. There’s still time to make… Read more
I’ve been writing a lot about the Arabian Nights, and some may find it rather curious, but I keep doing it because I keep learning and discovering this classic. I think it was a matter of time before I started getting notified about new editions and translations because Amazon recently told me about a new book scheduled for September 28: A groundbreaking translation―along with new commentary and hundreds of images―enhances this celebratory publication of the most famous story collection of… Read more
This year has been full of surprises, but it has also given me a few things to read. Despite the fact that real life has come in between those plans, I have been able to learn a lot through books, some that I wanted to read, and a particular story that wasn’t on the horizon when I made my plans. However, I view this as a way of evolving and not being static, although I know I could have read… Read more
I’ve been reading The Arabian Nights, one of my pre-Islamic readings for this year, since the beginning of the year, and while it is a heavy and sometimes even difficult book, it is filled with a lot of useful information about Arabic folklore, and I recently came across an interesting passage that speaks about the nature of the jinn and demons*, and whether they are good, bad, and their role in the world. The passage in question is part of… Read more
I’ve been using a certain deck for a while now, and I’ve fallen in love with it already. It is one that I use only for myself, my blood relatives, friends, and people who come from an Arabic family. The reason is that it is the Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights, published by Lo Scarabeo, with art by León Carré, a deck that has a beautiful energy in it. I have used it several times, experimenting a bit when… Read more
I just finished doing a late Summer Solstice ritual due to lack of time, and now that I read about the materials I used, I can only think I just got a structure for future rituals with a strong pre-Islamic or Arabic focus. It was an intuitive experience with little to nothing planned, but I had a great experience, confirmed some information I wanted to work with, and got more ideas to enhance my practice as well. I can’t share… Read more
I’ve been doubtful about writing on a certain topic because I’m not sure if I’m the best person to do it and the topic in question is problematic, to say the least. However, I can’t remain silent any longer, not after all the bad news I’ve read about Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Many Palestinian families are being evicted by their own homes and properties because Jew families claim they have ownership on the land, even though the same Palestinians families… Read more
