SHARPENING MINDS: In search of individual passions. |
On first appearance, Zakhuur Diliiza seems more like a dragon than a unicorn, the creatures whose images he metalsmithed onto cuff-style bracelets for each wrist. His broad, dark-skinned frame easily fills a doorway.Touted by Diliiza as the state’s first and only “school of metaphysics,” Unicorn Cove, on Main Street in Westbrook, might be better characterized as a school of healing.
He is an unconventional therapist: a telepath, former professional belly dancer, Tai Chi master, artist, and craftsman. Diliiza characterizes himself as a “servant of the universe.”
The unicorn on one wrist represents himself and the dragon on the other wrist his mastery of his craft. His brand of counseling is hands-on, teaching his students art and self-discipline; he encourages independence, creativity, and personal empowerment.
“I fix broken people . . . I have an innate need to fix and I’m very proud of that,” he says of his work, in which he teaches one-on-one classes on astrology, mysticism, dream interpretation, and healing-energy work.
In Diliiza’s world, metaphysics (commonly defined as a branch of philosophy attempting to explain the nature of the world) encompasses everything from psychic defense — warding off harmful energy and thoughts — to painting and sculpting. Diliiza insists that though he is fluent in many arts, he is not a jack of all — only those he chooses: “I master every single thing that I set out to do,” he says.
Abiding by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a system of prioritizing what sustains humans, he knows that putting food on the table takes priority over finding god.
“I teach everything from common sense to keeping a job. You can sit and do magic all day, but if you can’t keep a job it won’t do you any good . . . my magic is practical.”
He moved from Congress Street in Portland to Westbrook in search of lower rent. Though he would’ve preferred to stay put, he said he got lucky in his new location. “This building was waiting for us,” he says.
Diliiza estimates that he has taught thousands of students worldwide. At his shop in Westbrook, he has a core of about 12.
“I teach people to be free. To do what you love to do . . . Each one of us has some place that we are masters of. My job is to help people reach that,” he said.
On the Web
Unicorn Cove: http://www.unicorn-cove.com/
