We are very excited to bring you this issue exploring the unique power of poetry to convey, initiate, and sustain spiritual breakthroughs. When we requested poems from members of The Mystery School, it was clear that you, too, have been touched by poetry on your journeys.

Profound experiences are often traced back to a work of art. A book, a piece of music, or a performance can lead to a connection between one another, humanity, or the more-than-human world. Words often fail to convey the essence of our lived experience, and yet poetry is a vehicle for expressing the ineffable. Poetry uses metaphor, imagery, unusual pauses and breaks, and song-like repetition to alchemically open novel spaces of experience in the awareness of both the receiver and creator alike.

Many of the most cherished writings of mystics and philosophers across the centuries are preserved in poetic form. Poetry has a uniquely enduring quality that allows us to connect with people and share experiences across the vastness of time, space, and culture.

This is illuminated by our conversation with Dorothy Walters, who passed away in 2023. In the spring of 2019, we had the opportunity to speak with Dorothy about her life’s journey, and her work bringing the lived experience of Kundalini to a Western audience. She was a scholar and educator known for her contributions to literature and women's studies, but it was her poetry, inspired by her Kundalini experiences, that led Jeff to Dorothy. We are grateful to be able to share Jeff’s conversation with her in this issue.

To better understand Dorothy’s contributions to poetry and the spiritual landscape of Kundalini, we spoke with Andrew Harvey, who was a close colleague, mentor, and friend to Dorothy. He calls Dorothy one of the greatest mystical poets of the 20th century, and shares his personal reflections on their time together. Andrew helps us understand Dorothy’s work in the context of this moment in human history by expanding on Dorothy’s vision, and her mission to help us through this difficult moment in our evolution to be birthed into a new way of being.

John Pedro Schwartz joined Jeff to explore Fernando Pessoa’s unique and enduring contributions to poetry and literature, and the intuitive decisions required when translating poetry to preserve its essence. Pessoa’s use of writing as a tool for introspection and self-discovery is fascinating, especially when examining how he inhabited entirely different personalities and writing styles to convey different world views, and explore his own mind. We are delighted that John reads one of his favorite Pessoa poems for us, “Un Soir à Lima”.

Tejal Tarro leads us into her experience of poetry as a portal of transformation, awakening, and self-discovery. We related to her spontaneous discovery of her poetic identity, and the process of using poetry to express the shedding of old identities and desires. Tejal reads her poem “Secret Soul Longing” for us, and describes how it was one of the first poems to pour out of her, eventually culminating in the publication of Illusions of This World.

Our featured artist for this issue is Jaya Merina Patel, who illustrated Tejal’s book. Jaya’s illustrations capture Tejal’s poetic descriptions of divine love, and we are thrilled that her work is featured in this issue.

Nathan Hassall is known to us as a Poet Laureate of Malibu, California, and founder of The Poetry Vessel and The Poetry Vessel Podcast. Jeff and Nathan explore poetry as a transformative force capable of re-enchanting language, deepening perception, and awakening the imagination. Their conversation challenges us to confront our basic definitions of what poetry is by teasing apart the mysterious ways poetry invites both writer and reader into a living process of co-creation and inner transformation.

In addition to our featured interviews, we are delighted to include pieces and artist profiles from our featured poets:

• Janine Spirig - “Fly, my heart” and “My Prayer”
• Anna Maxine Robinson - “We Are All the Richer for This” and “Daughter of the Patriarchy”
• Karen Luke Jackson - “You First”

Members of The Mystery School submitted incredible samples of their own poetry for this issue, and we included everything we received. We’re so excited that each of you were inspired and moved to share your expressions of poetry and verse with us, and our readers. Thank you for allowing us to publish your work.

To celebrate our individual love of poetry, the editors have each included a poem of our own that touches on the transformative power of poetry. We hope you enjoy this issue, and that it pulls you into a deeper relationship with your own creative genius.

We hope you enjoy the issue.