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Mehregan is a calling to bring Harmony, Rhythm, Joy, and
Gratitude into our life and the life of others. Inspired by the richness of this
tradition, Mehregan is being celebrated on October 7th at Golden Bridge Yoga
center at West Hollywood. Through Music, dance, Yoga and mediation we hope to
bring back the spirit of this healing tradition.
3rd Annual Mehregan Festival
Saturday, October 7,
2006
7:00pm-12:00am
Place: Golden Bridge Yoga, 6322 De Longpre Avenue Los
Angeles, CA 90028.
Registration: Please visit www.goldenbridgeyoga.com or contact (323)
936-4172 for more information.
Parking: Across the street at Arclight. 2 hours for
$1.50 with validation.
Program: An unforgettable evening of meditation, music,
dancing, and dinning.
Yoga: Become intoxicated by your own breath as
Gurmukh Khalsa, the acclaimed Kundalini yoga teacher leads a special Kundalini
set
Music: Mehregan Ensemble featuring the mesmerizing
voice of Mamak will elevate your soul as it moves your body. The arrangements
include a sophisticated blend of Greek, Armenian, Turkish, and Persian melodies
with the mystical poetry of Rumi.
Meditation: A special Mehregan meditation and chanting
presented by Mamak Khadem and Hessam Saddat based on Rumi's poetry invoking the
power of collective imagination to create harmony, peace and prosperity for
all.
Dance: Groove till midnight to the beats of Tej Gill
and surprise performers
Art : Original paintings by Firouzeh Neman,
Photography exhibition of Persepolis by Haleh Rassouli and an exquisite
presentation of original jewelry inspired by ancient art
Dining: Feast on exotic fusion
vegetarian cuisine prepared from the season's harvest by the best culinary home
chefs of the community.
Dress Code: Ethnic or colorful, creative, graceful, and
comfortable clothing. No Black. Be prepared to take your shoes off, sit on the
floor, engage in meditation and dance the evening away.
Tickets: all the above for
$45.00.
Please remember to bring cushions. Arrive on time to dine
and socialize between 7:00pm-8:30pm. In consideration of participants, late
arrivals will not be admitted during meditation.
Mehregan is
sponsored by the International Children's Book Foundation
(ICBF)
MEHREGAN has been celebrated by Iranians since the
Achaemanian period, around 550 B.C. While other civilizations adopted
elaborate festivities to commemorate the fall harvest, early Iranians, tied this
ritual to honoring Mehr or Mithra, an ancient deity and a symbol of the fusion
between opposites.
The Iranian calendar is based on the solar cycle with
the months corresponding to constellations and named after the signs of the
zodiac. Within one month there were twelve days in which the name of the day
coincided with the name of the month, that day was celebrated and special events
were organized. The sixteenth day (Mehr-Ruz) of the seventh month (Mehr) was the
feast of Mehregan and was celebrated with as much if not more splendor as
Norouz, which marks the Iranian New Year.
Celebrations played a major
role in the life of ancient Iranians. Long ago, much of life was dictated by
seasonal changes and the perception of time was cyclical rather than linear. The
passage of the earth around the sun was revered as was the natural rhythms of
life. Norouz, at the time of the spring equinox, announced the start of the
warmer months, while MEHREGAN at the time of the autumnal equinox announced the
start of the colder months.
One should view MEHREGAN not as an
exclusively Iranian concept, but as a universal way of life that symbolizes
unity and harmony. This philosophical pathway followed by many Iranians and
non-Iranians alike, including the great Rumi, has the potential to end division
in its pursuit of light and togetherness. In the spirit of Mithra, it is a time
to bridge the gap between opposing forces, between light and dark, so that peace
can be sustained.
Celebrating MEHREGAN, allows us to pause from the demands
of modern life in order to invoke the energy of the earth and behold its
abundant offerings: the beauty of a crimson apple, the exquisiteness of a
pomegranate, the tartness of cranberries, the medicinal value of herbs, the
miracle of the cycle that rotates uninterrupted through the astrological wheel
from fall to winter to spring to summer.
Although MEHREGAN as a tradition
has faded away, it is time to revive its spirit, to harvest its treasure and
cultivate its seeds so that it may burgeon and proliferate, for ultimately, what
we are harvesting is the very seed of our existence.
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