Shevat (שְׁבָט) is a breath of fresh air. We may have a way to go, but we can see the light at the end tunnel. We are released from the bonds of Tevet (טֵבֵת) and get our first promise of the spring to come with the holiday of Tu b’Shevat (ט״ו בשבט) and feed the birds on Shabbat Shirah. Even if the earth is still frozen around us, this holiday represents the turning of the wheel; the gate between the seasons between Fire within Water and Earth within Air (as explained in the Jewish Book of Days). Even in the frozen north, sap begins to flow in the trees during this time of the year.
Just like the traditional tarot card, our wells, our springs are refilled in Shevat so we can make it through the remaining month(s) of winter. On Tu B’Shevat we can refill ourselves through tasting the promise of the four worlds and the world to come. Shevat is a moonless night filled with twinkling stars and one that is ready to guide us. Maybe the star is just illuminating the many riches available to us if we simply take the time to notice?
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Maybe the star is Queen Esther guiding us; revealing the Divine hidden everywhere. Maybe she is trying to tell you a secret that will show you the way home. May we follow her star through Shevat into the month of Adar and the wildness of Purim.
Shevat is our oasis. The hardest part of the winter is almost over. Even if supplies are running down, the spring is so close. In the parts of the world where spring will take the longest to arrive, magickal elixir flows from the trees in the form of tree sap — rich in sugar to bring sweetness and survival in ancient times. Shevat is a month of happiness, so appropriately associated with the tribe of Asher.
Let the star guide you and find joy, peace, and promise of good things to come in Shevat.