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Farid al-Din Attar’s “Conference of the Birds” has been influential in Sufi communities for many centuries, as well as becoming popular in the West through a series of translations, for several reasons. On a literary level, Attar’s language is both beautiful and challenging. His use of metaphor and allegory is second to none, leading another highly popular medieval Sufi poet, Rumi, to cite Attar as a direct inspiration.

On a spiritual level, Attar takes the reader on an epic journey through which we attempt to close the perceived gap between us and the Divine. Additionally, Attar wrote in a very tumultuous time period, where Central Asia was going through a great reordering through Chinghiz Khan’s expansions throughout the region. Those who feel that we are presently in a period of similar upheaval may find Attar’s words applicable to their own lives.

This reading group is designed to be accessible to anyone no matter their background. All are welcome, no matter if you have a general interest in mysticism, a more specific interest in Sufism (Islamic mysticism), or simply want to spend time with mystical poetry. My intention is to guide participants through the primary text at a comfortable pace, making occasional side trips to provide additional historical context when needed.