The Rose and Nightingale
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The Rose and Nightingale is a space for cultivating beauty and devotion in sacred living. It is for nurturing life as women moved by Love, awe, wonder and joy; as women of courage, and of commitment to the Beloved.
This 'space' is envisaged as a collective effort for growing a reservoir of literature, sounds and stories which bear testament to paths to the Divine; which inspire a deeper commitment to living with and for Love. It is conceived as a space for leaning into feminine energies - in their many manifestations - on our journeys in fellowship with other souls. It is, in some ways, a 'women's club', for women of faith.
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It is rooted in the Islamic tradition, inspired particulary by the rich traditions and ways of Ihsan, and guided by Sacred Law with respect to traditional scholarship. It rests upon the yearning to mirror Beauty in each instant to the extent possible. It invites to a sacred living approach to personal growth, relaxation, and rejunivation through the harnessing of collective female energies and companionship.
For Women Moved by Love
A CollectiveResevoir
The content on this website - readings, sounds, writings, reflections and art - is a collection-in-progress as well as an invitation to contribution for whomsoever is pulled to do so. This collection of resources comprises of whatever may bear beautiful testament to Love and its yearning, and inspires living in Love. Its intent is to collect resources which bear testament particularly, though not exclusively, to female experiences of moving through worldly life seeking the Beloved. Some content may resound especially with those whose temparements incline towards poetic symbolism and literary expression, but equally, this space is a resevoir for real stories, anecdotes and ​​snapshots of striving and yearning.
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An Invitation to Gather
Gathering through the space of The Rose and Nightingale is an invitation to lean into and celebrate the blessing of intentional, mindful and carefully curated circles of women. At their opening and closing, gatherings are marked by some moments of prayer, reflection and the raising of voices in sacred song. Within this, they may involve a range of rejunivating beneficial activities, nourishing refreshment and sharing of experiences. They are for women of any spiritual path who seek female companionship and a space to share. They are conceived as complementary to - rather than as an alternative to - seeking scholarship and spiritual guidance by Prophetic Example.​
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The Rose and the Nightingale
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The name chosen for this space came about from a yearning to mirror and echo the sounds, sights and language of love. The rose - gol/gül - and the nightingale - bolbol, bülbül - are powerful symbols of the relationship between the lover and the beloved, recurring in Islamic poetic literature. Their symbolism, reflecting the alchemic psychology of love, revolves around themes of Divine Love and Beauty, and spiritual yearning. They represent the soul's yearning and the trials that accompany being in love. They call to look deeper in the experience of the various loves of the world, and inspire living in love with their ultimate source.
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The Rose
The rose, with its exquisite beauty and fragrance, is typically a symbol of Divine Beauty and Perfection, pointing to the beauty of the source of all beauty in creation. In romantic and mystical poetry, the rose represents the object of the nightingale's longing and love. This beloved in mystical poetry is often a spiritual guide, a spiritual companion or a fellow seeking individual, who carries a scent which points to the Divine. In many instances it has also been used to represent the perfected human: the Beloved Prophet ï·º. At other times, its symbolic intent is the Ultimate Beloved, God Most High. In all these ways, the rose symbolises the Divine essence that draws the nightingale - the lover, the soul - closer. The rose is a favourite symbol of mystical poetry because inspite of its enduring beauty, the thorns of the rose suggest the pain that often accompanies the devotion and madness of love, illustrating the idea that true love involves suffering and sacrifice.
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The Nightingale
The nightingale, with its beautiful yet melancholic song, symbolises the lover who longs for the rose. In mystical poetry, this represents the soul or the seeker yearning for union with the Divine. The nightingale’s song of longing represents the deep desire of the soul to be close to God, or to those who remind it of God, or take it to God. Its continuous singing in love of the rose has also often been seen as the soul's constant remembrance of the Divine. While the nightingale is passionately in love with the rose, the rose often remains indifferent or silent. This unrequited love symbolises the challenging nature of the spiritual path, where the lover may experience separation and longing, sometimes without receiving assurance of being seen or heard. The nightingale’s devotion to the rose, even though it brings it suffering, reflects the idea that true love is selfless and requires sacrifice of the self in the pursuit of Divine Love.
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Contributors and Hosts
Contributors and Hosts Welcome
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Sadia
Educator and researcher.
Teacher of Arabic and its lifelong student, should God permit.
Teacher of recital, and also its lifelong student, should God permit.
Moved most by song and words of beauty, and by mirrors of beauty in creation.
​Returning to writing for healing and learning to love as discovery.
Practising the art of gathering for the Beloved.