Dervish means ‘Doorway’...
Dervish means `Doorway’ and is used to describe those who can offer spiritual direction in life. The Dervish was often the wandering wise man or woman of the Arabic world and the name has become richly associated with the Sufi tradition of mystical, sometimes poetic, enlightenment.
"It has always been the transcendent poetry of the ‘Dervish’ tradition that invited me to name the place as such. During the intensely painful ordeal, suffered by the mystic poet Jalalu’ddin Rumi, in which he began to dance so as to relieve his agony, the tradition of the Whirling Dervish was born.
Dervish is a name that is given, within the Islamic faith, to those who have devoted their lives to the service of the ineffable light that inspires all life. It does not necessarily denote a ‘place’ in the human religious hierarchy and is often used to indicate ‘heretical’ teachings –ie. a philosophy that places love and life above commercial interests of the religious fraternity. Thus for me, Dervish, embodies the spirit of one who steps beyond the ‘informed wisdom’ of their time in order to make a meeting with the ‘infinite Source’. The Dervish dances with one hand lifted to the heavens to receive grace, and one hand pointing to earth to ground the dancer. Thus a channel is created, allowing the flow and union of divine and earthly energy.
The Dervish emporium emerged from a desire to offer a place which mingles compassionate service with commercial interest. We embody two shops selling Spiritual Books, World and Meditative music, incense, crystal, handicrafts, yoga products, essential oils and fair-trade products all thrown between splashes of colour and light. We also offer a wide range of therapies from our centre located above the shops.
Installing such a name on a commercial enterprise would seem hypocritical but we must start somewhere and instill within our endeavours our dreams- not dreams of what we want but the dream of who we are. So by such a name, I have sought to direct the intention of the enterprise toward an increasing authenticity whilest ensuring its physical existence.
As such, it is an open book, but it can provide a place of refuge from the bland commercialism of city life, a source of information and inspiration on the path to spiritual awareness, and a centre where people can offer and receive the touch of healing from one another.
In this process it supports those connected with it, in both their spiritual and physical needs, relative to their involvement, it benefits an industry devoted to the work of awakening, or simply delighting, humanity; and it can shine a light, linking with the web of light coursing across the globe that voices to all who receive it that there is another way!
For us here at Dervish, we feel that we offer and are offered, a glimpse of the life and society humanity can and is creating. We embrace life, breathe spirit and share a common love for all existence".
~ Jonathan Dawson, Dervish Director
`Let us not forget every precious moment, the blessing it bestows upon us and the promise poised within!’
