Welcome to Kesharim K’doshim Mussar, where we explore the soul-traits through the wheel of the year and the Kohenet Netivot. In Iyyar, we turn to the soul-trait of Emet (אמת) Truth and the Neviah – Prophtess.
Category: wheel of the year
Kislev – A Study in Opposites
This is the season of Fire within Water, according to Rabbi Jill Hammer in the The Jewish Book of Days . The fire of the season is easy to see with the lighting of Hanukkah candles and in the way our Christian neighbors light up the nights with decorative lights. The water, for many of us, appears…
Kislev: Spiritual Alchemy
There is so much we could say about Kislev, but I think the spiritual focus of Divine connection through creative expression, from a system I explored years ago, aligns particularly with the Temperance card. For me, fire (אֵשׁ) represents the element of personal connection to G!(d)dess and water (מַיִם) is the element of personal creative expression. Put together we…
Cattle: Symbol of Elul
Elul is a month of preparation for Rosh Hashanah — at least in modern Judaism. It’s interesting then, that the first of Elul is the “New Year of Cattle.” In ancient Israel it’s the time when the cattle were counted and tithed. Cows are mentioned from time-to-time in the Tanakh and other scripture — think about…
Elul: Rituals and Activities
Some practices and rituals to try out or adapt during the month of Elul.
Elul: Tarot Card: Hermit
In Av we explored the meaning of Strength. Now in Elul, we must find the strength to Journey alone. Elul is a month of private reflection and inward turning. We turn inward, so we are ready to stand in-front of our community at the Days of Awe and state our case to be written and…
Av: Rituals and Activities
Some practices and rituals to try out or adapt during the month of Av. Tarot Card Consider the Strength card of the tarot which shows a woman in control of a lion or a woman holding up a pillar. What does each of these say about the power of the a wise woman? What does…
Av: Tarot Card/ Strength
It’s very interesting to me that the months of Av and Elul, I have in previous years assigned different cards and/or Netivot. In theory, I’ve been using the same system for many years — but for some reason these months were reassigned. I don’t think there is any one system, so I could simply make…
Shimon: Tribe of Av
Shimon, also known as Simon and Simeon, is the second son of Jacob and Leah. His name alludes to the word for “hearing” in Hebrew, as Leah said in Genesis 29, “because the Eternal has heard that I am hated, Zhe has given me this son too.” His story is often one of the wielding of…
Eyes: Symbol of Tammuz
Tammuz is another one of those months with no holidays, except for a minor fast, and no real practices associated with it. At least not any I’ve found. This makes a lot of sense when you think of the Jewish wheel of the year in relationship to agrarian cycles. The summer months are when there…