Sugar, Spiritualism, & Parrots

We will fly like green parrots, fluttering our beautiful wings.

We have become the land of sugar.  We will go to the square of sugar. ~ Mevlana 

I may be a baker by trade, but I am a historian by education. Betcha didn’t know I have an M.A., huh? I love to learn about Turkish Art history and culture. 

Imagine my glee when I found a book that traced the history of Turkish sweets going all the way back to the 11th century!

What I have been learning is that there is a spiritual connection to sugar in the Sufi writings dating from 1207. Mystical poetry about sugar, spiritualism and parrots led to parrots becoming the symbol for local confectioners. 

Why? Well, apparently they associated parrots liking sugar to being “sweet tongued”, bestowing the gift of eloquence and raising your spiritual awareness. 

I’m going to leave you with this Sufi poem about happiness.. May we meet like parrots in heaven, laughing, and cracking sugar together.

XXOO

Elif

You and I

A moment of happiness,
You and I sitting on the verandah,
Apparently two, but one in soul, you and I.

We feel the flowing water of life here,
you and I, with the garden’s beauty and the birds singing.

The stars will be watching us,
and we will show them
what it means to be a thin crescent moon.

You and I unselfed, will be together,
indifferent to idle speculation, you and I.
the parrots of heaven will be cracking sugar
as we laugh together, you and I.

And what is even more amazing
is that while here together, you and I
are at this very moment in Iraq and Khorasan.
In one form upon this earth,
and in another form in timeless sweet land.

~Mevlana Celāleddin Rumi (1207-73)