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The Dance of Created Lights: A Sufi Tale

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THE DANCE OF CREATED LIGHTS, A Sufi Tale,
by Jay Bremyer (New Falcon Publications, 1996)

Jay Bremyer, attorney, sacred
journeyor, mystic, and writer, explores, in
The Dance of Created lights, A Sufi Tale,
events and circumstances during the 10th
century in Spain, in a region known as
Andalusia.

He writes, in this novel, of a
historically accurate time when "many of
the greatest Islamic, Jewish, and Christian
philosophers, physicians, scientists,
theologians, and mystics which the world has
ever known lived and worked in al-Andalus."

To say this is an action novel would
be true. To say it involves delicious
eroticism and exotic, lush poetry would be
correct. To say it describes in highly
evocative prose the nature of the mysteries
behind every major Western religion would be
accurate.

Likewise, it is correct to say the
book teaches of the riches of cooperative
collaboration between religions and
philosophies and the dangers of
fundamentalism, not to mention the absurd
risks incurred when politics gets involved in
the mix. But none of these truths can in part
or in their sum adequately get around the
transformative work this book becomes in the
experiencing and reading of it.

I expected a good read, but came away
from the book so stunned at the complex truths
present within, I was unable to begin this
review for many days, until my thoughts
became more coherent. The tale is simple
enough--a serious philosophical student is
paired with a beautiful priestess to perform
a magical celebration dance.

His journey in the preparation of this
initiatory dance, set against a backdrop of
religious and political intrigue, trails
through multiple esoteric trainings to a
heart-smile deep-breathing finish.

But for those with any knowledge or
taste for the Western mysteries, be they
alchemical, Celtic, Egyptian, Kabbalah,
Gnostic, Sufi, or many others, this book is
a feast, an unending cornucopia of wisdom,
laid out for any with right eyes to see.
There are few pages which do not shout for a
second read, for more savoring and more study.

--By Jan Thatcher Adams
Whole Health Editor of The Edge,
Exploring the Evolution of Consciousness

(Excerpted from "Transformation is quite
likely in Bremyer's `The Dance of Created
Lights,'" which appeared in the November,
1996 issue of The Edge.)

Did people in the 10th Century Moorish Spain really talk primarily in riddles while spinning in circles like a dancer? I bought this book to learn more about the Sufi faith while enjoying a good novel. While the setting and underlying messages of unity and tolerance are always a plus, the story jumps around too much without explanation and is clouded by endless verses of silly and irrelevant ancient songs that could only be made relevant by someone desperately willing to make the pieces fit at any cost. Buy the works of Rumi instead.