By Julia Hultgren

The nurturing New Moon in Cancer on July 11 finds the Moon in its own sign. Applied to all of us, this is the holding tank for our group emotional state. When we think about the Moon in Cancer, there isn’t much room for finger pointing or name calling.  Consider the idea of all of us being in the same womb together being nurtured by the same mother. Gets kind of unsettled and crowded in here if we are unwilling to spread compassion from one to the other, permeating the entire space.  Too much angst among us and our mother grows toxic. This is the time for us to intuitively open to others in our sphere, get the vibe of the whole womb territory; and send our purest energy pulsing out for some moments of cherished oneness.

Our Cancer New Moon finds itself in an eclipse this month, which increases the essence of the energy.  Receiving assistance from Mars in Virgo, our task in compassionate oneness is supported by a good capacity to heal using an exacting ingenuity.  We are reminded to be particularly observant of those in the armed services in our prayers.

After settling ourselves into a compassionate realm of “oneness,” it’s time to turn our attention to the rest of the chart for this period. We already know how to perform the breast beating fury of communication regarding our excellence and honor, our superior strength and economic prowess. Some would say ad nauseum.  Instead, we are charged with learning to discern what is significant on the journey of soul progression, and what is not. How do we really access the divine within and around us?  If we continue to insist on issues involving our separateness, if we continue to feed arrogance, we’ve already experienced the consequences for that behavior. Seems like we should be smarter than that.

By the 22nd of this month, the Sun shifts into Leo and Saturn heads into Libra, and the birthing experience begins!  With buoyant vitality we emerge, all set to lift the veil of the old.  It is, after, all a new day.  With abundant energy and a wealth of newly engineered resources we set about developing this new identity of mass consciousness. Again, we are reminded of what we already know that balance in relationships is of the gravest concern.  And, we are asked to redefine ourselves using the context we developed in the first part of the lunar cycle: compassion, divine entreaty and the knowledge that we really are “one.”  We have tremendous access to the new and inventive, with the ability to husband resources.  There is a danger of being profligate spenders, but Mars joins Saturn in protecting the home front and the resources of the planet.

Expect to feel the balancing act of this lunar cycle as we learn to weigh and integrate seemingly disparate issues.  How do we develop personally while merging with the “other”?  How do we share resources equitably while caring for our mother?  Our seeming separateness is intended to serve the purpose of identifying and aligning each cog in the wheel of life, not personal aggrandizement and tyranny. We continue to learn that forgetting we are part of a single pulsing organism only feeds our peril.

Julia Hultgren has been a practitioner/student of astrology for over 30 years. She was an avid student of noted Chicago astrologer, Doris Hebel. In addition to basic astrology readings and charts, Julia reads and teaches planetary indications for soul mates, life purpose and monetary aspects. She also reads and teaches charts of relationships, called synastry. She is a graduate of the Weiss Institute, where she was professionally trained in Past Life Regression. She has been meditating for 13 years and has had many profound and happy experiences becoming reacquainted with spirit, while investigating altered states over the years. She has lived in Colorado Springs since 2001 with her husband and 4 children, has an MSW, and also utilizes EMDR, hypnosis and mediation in her practice.

 By Melinda  Ribner  
Did I get your attention?

This week’s Torah portion (June 21) Balak begins with Balak, the king of Maob requesting Bilaam the prophet to curse the Jewish people.  “Please come and curse these people for me, ..  For I know that whomever you bless and whomever you curse is accursed. ” Why did he not simply say, ” Bless my people so no harm will come to them” , rather than ask that the Jewish people be cursed?  This is a sign of Amalek, that I see as  the code for embodied evil outside and even within ourselves. More than Amalek wants their own people to prosper, they want to hurt and destroy those they perceive as their enemy. So powerful is their hate, they do not mind even giving up their lives in this effort. As you may recall, Amalek went out of its way to attack the Jewish people when they traveled through the desert.  Amalek seems to be very alive and active today as well. Within a person, Amalek is equated with doubt, it is the voice of addiction. Because of addiction, a person will hurt himself.

 In this Torah portion, Bilaam, the leading prophet in the non Jewish world, tries many times to curse the Jewish people, but is not able to do so,even though he very much wants to do so, but he can not go against the messages that he receives from God.  At one time, Bilaam even says, ” How good are the tents of Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel. “  Bilaam affirms that there was no sexual perversity, no divination, no sorcery, so Israel could not be cursed. Interesting enough, these very words of this non-Jewish prophet ”Ma Tov vu”, that Bilaam utters, the prophet who tried to destroy the Jewish people introduce the morning blessings of our daily prayers.  Isn’t this ironic, another Tammuz reversal.

Bilaam was unable to curse the Jewish people because of the sexual purity of the Jewish people. Each Jewish tent allowed for openness and yet also protected privacy.  It is said in Kabbalah that when a Jewish married couple have proper sexual relations they create angels that protect the Jewish people. As long as the Jewish people were sexually pure, no harm could come to them.  Improper sexual relations, according to Kabbalah, are sexual relations that are purely lustful. Relations that are purely for physical gratification are said to create demonic energies that weaken the connection with the Shechinah of the individuals and lead to a lack of spiritual protection for the Jewish people as a whole.

My book New Age Judaism has an entire chapter on “Kabbalah of Sexuality”.  ” According to the Ramban, ( Nachmanides) sexual relations brings wholeness not only to ourselves, but it also radiates sexual energy and healing to the world. ” ( page 135) This chapter offers additional kabbalistic guidance on how to have holy sexual relations that are healing to the individuals and the world.

As part of an anti protest statement against the Viet Nam war, many of you will recall that John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged a rally in their bedroom with the slogan, ” Make love not war”. Little did they know that much before they came up with this concept, the Ramban wrote much earlier that making love if done with the proper intentions actually brings peace to the world. People may not realize how important and holy sexual relations are in Judaism and of their power to actually create peace in oneself and the world. Sexuality in Judaism is said to provide the highest revelation of God.  In Kabbalah, in Judaism, it is the bedroom that is likened to the holy of holies, the most important and powerful place to experience Godliness. Perhaps we should revive a campaign inspired by the Ramban, ” Make love for peace in the world.” How would it be if people had this intention when they made love?   Love warriors for peace. We have to fight this battle against evil on many fronts.  Perhaps the bedroom is another frontier for this battle.
Unfortunately, however, if sexual relations do not take place with proper holy intentions, if they are purely animalistic, according to Kabbalah, they can take us to the lowest depths. Lustful sex, even if it is between consenting adults is negative and creates klippot, opaque shells, that shut out the Light of the Shechinah, the Divine Presence.

Because Bilaam could not curse the Jewish people, he comes up with another scheme that will enable him to hurt the Jewish people. If he can cause the Jewish men to ‘sin’, they will become vulnerable and he will be able to curse them. The story I heard was Biliam hatched a plan by which beautiful women of Midian would trick and seduce the men of Israel. When the men would come to town to buy linen, ugly old women would set outside of the tent and escort the men into the tent to view the linen wares. Once inside, they would find beautiful young Midianite women lying down nude on linen who would invite the men to lie with her to sample the linen. Once he was sexually aroused, he was asked to deficate in front of an idol for that was how the people worshipped their idol. It seems hard to believe, but that is what I read. I imagine that the Jewish men did not think that was really like worship of God, so it was not a big problem to comply. The women invited the men to their idolatrous festivities, they ate and they prostrated themselves to their idols, not because they wanted to abandon Hashem, but because of the power of the sexual desire they stopped thinking.
 
The sexual seduction reached to such a point that an elderly leader of the tribe of Shimeon, whose name was Zimri, attempted to have sexual relations with a Midianite woman named Coshbi publicly in front of the tent of Moshe. In so doing, they both planned to usher in a new age for Israel and Midian, that would celebrate a merging of the two cultures. Kabbalah tells us that these two were indeed soul mates so there was a real powerful desire for them to unite with each other.  They had previous reincarnations such as Dina and Shechem. A plague however ensued,that was stopped by the quick action of Pinchus, son of Elazar, son of Aaron who pierced Zimri and Cosbi, his consort, in the stomach in the middle of the act. And that is how the chapter ends. Very intense.
This is the month of Tammuz, after all. The Torah portions reflect the times. I was not so surprised when I read today that the next flotilla ” Free Gaza” would be occupied by Christian and Moslem women. I thought that was interesting parallel of some sorts with this weekly portion. Another event today was an announcement that  the Presbyterian Church is voting its most anti- Israel referendum in their history. Today, as well, I read that a group of anti-Israel Pro- Palestinian protestors planned to block an Israeli ship from uploading in California, trying to equate this act with the Israeli blockade of the Gaza ship. I find it a bit humorous, that in the end they blocked a Chinese ship from unloading by mistake.  The Israeli ship did not arrive to much later, after the crowd left. Another little miracle that did not allow them to have the public relations opportunity they sought. I am sorry to report political events, but I feel that it is important that all be informed. This is all part of the preparation that is taking place. This is the month of Tammuz, after all as well.
 
 
Be gentle with yourself this month of Tammuz. I have heard already of so many stories of unexpected occurrences, reversals this month. Some of these reversals have been positive and some of them challenging. This is the month of clear seeing, where we can easily see through illusions, and deception, to see the truth. Sometimes, we do not allow ourselves to see what is really happening before, but events in Tammuz bring the truth into light. It may be helpful to know that this is what Tammuz is all about.   For more additional teachings, please consult Kabbalah Month by Month and New Age Judaism. These books can be purchased online or in bookstores.

By Melinda Ribner

We rely on weather forecasts when planning our days’ activities, stock forecasts or charts to guide or monitor investing, might it also be helpful to have a kabbalistic forecast for the month that serves as a guide to our spiritual growth? 

“Thousands of years ago, the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah revealed a very profound and powerful system for healing and transformation.  Though the knowledge remains obscure, it has influenced many current forms of healing.  According to Kabbalah, the Jewish calendar as a whole is a road map for personal transformation.

“To the unitiated, this material may seem mystical or superstitious, but that does not make it less true.  Many things exist beyond our powers of conception or reasoning. Just as there are various season and fluctuations in our weather, there are also fluctuations in the spiritual energies available.  Those who are attuned to these energies are aware of such changes and know how to use this knowledge for their personal growth and success. Rather than promoting fatalism, this knowledge actually increase our capacity to make meaningful and effective choices for our highest good.” (Kabbalah Month by Month, introduction) 

Welcome the Month of Tammuz on Saturday and Sunday, June 12 and 13:

“From a secular perspective, many think of the summer as a carefree time, a time to travel, relax, have fun, but according to Kabbalah, Tammuz is a heavy and challenging month.  The heat one experiences is not just physical but also emotional and spiritual. That is why we need to be mindful of the emotional intensity of this month and why it is important to be particularly sensitive to ourselves and others this month.  Tammuz is still ultimately a good and wonderful month but only if we know how to use its intense energy constructively.  When we do this we grow through challenges in ways that may not be possible at any other period of the year.”  Kabbalah Month by Month( Page 247-8)

“The divine permutation for the month is reversed. Tammuz can be a time of reversals. We expect one thing to happen but something totally different happens. As much as we may like to think we are in control of our lives, we need to realize our limitations, let go and invite God into our lives. This is one of the deep teachings of this month.

“As hard as it may be, we must realize that whatever happens to us can be an opportunity for growth and healing. We grow the most when confronting our greatest challenges. Tammuz is a month of judgment, we need to accept that nothing is accidental or coincidental. Through we have free will, everything is also divine providence.  (Kabbalah Month by Month, pg 251)

“The astrological sign for Tammuz is Cancer.  The Hebrew word for cancer is sartan, which means ‘ Satan”, a name that reveals the difficulty of the tests of this month. The ruling body of Cancer is the moon.  The moon is always changing, making Tammuz an emotional time with many ups and downs.  One has to learn to ride the emotional rollercoaster of Tammuz.” Kabbalah Month by Month)

“The Torah portions reflects what is happening during the month.  ”This week’s Torah portion Korach reveals the struggle within the Jewish people.  Two hundred and fifty men, the leaders of the Jewish people were followers of Korach claimed that Moses had concentrated too much power in the hands of his family and tribe, the Levites who served in the mishkon, the holy Tabernacle hosting the Divine Presence. Though they were jealous of Moses and Aaron, they did not express this directly. They couched their argument in idealistic terms, claiming that the entire assembly , all of them are holy.” ( Kabbalah Month by Month, pg260) If we look at what was happening on the external level, it sounds that the accusations might be true. Yet, we learn this month, that what is presented is not always what really is, and we must look beyond the external to perceive what is hidden and real. 

As we enter into this month, the world arena has many challenges and catastrophic events before it.  The BP oil spill is polluting the oceans, the economies in Europe are collapsing, Iran and Hammas threatening to destroy Israel, US stock market is plummeting downwards, the recent flotilla incident with the Free Gaza ship with so many nations in the world condemning Israel before they knew the facts. You know what is happening in our world as well as I do.  This is some of the heat of Tammuz. It is easy to be worried and concerned about what is happening in our world.  Additionally, I imagine that there are also challenges in our personal lives, in our relationships and even within ourselves as well.  Often what is happening on the macro level is reflected in the micro level as well.  

How do we grow through our challenges and tests?  How do we see God amidst all the turmoil?  This is the question of the month that we must be mindful of.  According to this month, the fixing of this month is seeing. What we see reflects our thinking.  This month we need to breathe, meditate and open to see life more clearly and calmly. We need to question our assumptions.  We can easily become upset about something that is not even true or do not know to be true. Take a moment to review how your recent responses to events in your life.  If you are upset about something or someone, might you be making assumptions that are not true.  As my teacher Reb Shlomo would often say, “What do we really know? “

We can all acknowledge that a response of fear, worry or anger to any challenge will not be helpful. Even though it may sometimes be an automatic response to become frightened and upset by major challenges and changes that occur in our lives, these emotions do not help us to cope or grow through the challenge.

 What helps us to grow? Faith and gratitude is what helps us to transform.  If we believe in God, if we talk to God, if we connect to God, we can find peace amidst chaos and strife, we can grow through challenges and become happier and better people. Learning Torah, reading psalms,  personal and standard prayer, and meditation are each essential. And sometimes we have to simply let go of our struggle and our resistance to life as it is and get down on our knees ( metaphorically, usually) to call out for divine assistance and faith. Try it sometimes.  Get down on your knees and open yourself to God. It is one thing to stand before God, and another thing to be on your knees before God.  I know that Jews do not usually do that. We Jews used to kneel before the Christians adopted this practice and then we stopped doing it so as to distinguish ourselves from them.  If you have never gotten on your knees before God, either literally or metaphorically, you may not yet have opened yourself to receive divine love and compassion.

Thankfully, God is very much alive.  As we say in our the Ahsrei prayer, ” God is close to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit, God saves.”  It is we who need to call out and open ourselves to receive. 

Blessings for a transformational Tammuz. Melinda Ribner.

Please feel free to invite others to join this list.  My book Kabbalah Month by Month is available online or in bookstores all over, even in Israel.  It offers guidelines, meditations, strategies, stories to promote personal growth and healing each month

From Kim Miller

 This is a 40 day Kundalini meditation.  There are 2 different options below, so if either speaks to you, please join in. If you can commit to do the meditation daily it is most effective…you can do 40 days or continue as long as you like… 

The words SA TA NA MA are the component parts of the mantra “Sat Nam” which means “Truth is my Identity”.

 This meditation stimulates the nerve endings in the fingertips, balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This positively changes your habits and works through insecurities.  This meditation will shift your spiritual unfoldment into high gear… :O)

 *Begin by tuning in by chanting Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo 3 times.

 *Sit with spine straight in easy pose-cross legged. Cross forearms below the wrist and hold them in front of the chest with the arms out slightly. Palms are face up and slightly turned outward toward the chest. To start, the thumb and second finger tips of each hand are touching with the rest of the fingers extended straight. Look at the tip of the nose and recite the following mantra aloud:

 Sa Ta Na Ma

As you recite each syllable, touch the thumbs to each fingertip, starting with the index finger:

 Sa- index finger

Ta-middle finger

Na- ring finger

Ma- little finger

 * Continue repeating this sequence, always starting with the index finger. The pace between each movement is approximately 1 second per fingertip.

 * Practice for 11-31 minutes.

 * To end, inhale, hold the breath for a few seconds, focus the eyes upward, exhale and relax.

by Sherry Dell, PhD, CN

Purple is my favorite color.  This predisposes me to love all things purple.  So when it comes to food, blueberries get my attention for several reasons.  Besides their luscious color and their delicious taste, they are one of the most therapeutic plants on the planet.

Purple and indigo colored food of all kinds is high in a flavonoid called anthocyanins.  Anthocyanins are very high in antioxidants.  Because oxidative stress and the free radicals that are produced by oxidation are linked with so many degenerative processes, not surprisingly, the fruit of the blueberry plant and its antioxidant capacity have been shown in research to reduce aging symptoms in general.

Oxidation essentially wears down the tissues of the body.  Just like your old car that had oxidized or rust spots on it, our bodies can also “rust out.”  Oxidation is caused by everything from just plain breathing to being exposed to toxins either by choice (processed foods, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc.) or by environmental features (smog, paint fumes, farm chemicals in food, etc.).

The natural design of our bodies allows these oxidative processes or “fires” to be quenched through the anti-oxidants in our foods.  Water, for example, has very high antioxidant capacity. Measurements vary but below is a list of the 20 highest antioxidant capacity foods as identified by a recent USDA study (1).  Eating from this list is a very good idea for most people.  Notice especially the rating of the blueberry.

1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup
2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup
3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup
4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup
5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup
6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)
7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup
8. Blackberry, 1 cup
9. Prune, 1/2 cup
10. Raspberry, 1 cup
11. Strawberry, 1 cup
12. Red delicious apple, 1
13. Granny Smith apple, 1
14. Pecan, 1 ounce
15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup
16. Black plum, 1
17. Russet potato, 1 cooked
18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup
19. Plum, 1
20. Gala apple, 1

To  be more specific about blueberries (both the fruit and the leaves), research has shown their positive impact on:

A close European cousin of the American blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum and Vaccinium corymbosum)  is called bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).  Bilberry leaf has been researched to show similar results to the blueberry.

A therapeutic dose of blueberry fruit is one cup per day.  Not a bad prescription, eh?

_{(1) American Chemical Society. “Largest USDA Study Of Food Antioxidants Reveals Best Sources.” ScienceDaily 17 June 2004.}

_{(2) “Anthocyanins and Blueberries,” Nutrition Week, October 3, 1997;27(38):7/Doctor’s Guide to Medical and Other News, September 25, 1997;3.}

_{(3) “Blueberry-induced changes in spatial working memory correlate with changes in hippocampal CREB phosphorylation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels,” Williams CM, El Mohsen MA, et al, Free Radical Biol Med, 2008 May 2.}

_{(4) “Cellular antioxidant activity of common fruits,” Wolfe KL, Kang X, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 2008; 24(56): 8418-26.} 

_{(5) “Blueberries May Reverse Some Aging,” Sison A, Medical Tribune, October, 1999;40(17):4.}

_{(6) “Antioxidant Activity of Berry Phenolics on Human Low-Density Lipoprotein and Liposome Oxidation,” Heinonen IM, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 1998;46(10):4107-4112.}

_{(7) “Blueberry fruit polyphenolics suppress oxidative stress-induced skeletal muscle cell damage in vitro,” Hurst RD, Wells RW, et al, Mol Nutr Food Res, 2010 March; 54(3): 353-63.}

_{(8) “Dietary flavanols and flavanol-rich foods intake and the risk of breast cancer,” Adebamowo CA, Cho E, et al, Int J Cancer., 2005; 114(4): 628-33.} 

By Debra Frick

What is the world coming to when a Barbie Doll makes the news? With all the violence our children are subjected to each and every day on the tv and in movies and in video games it makes me a little sick to think that a Barbie has become a political statement. People are in a uproar but the latest voilence riddled video game gets a meer notice from the public.

That being said my opionion is so what…………..At least it was not a Jihad Jane Barbie. Put it on the national news and on the internet when someone makes a sucide bomber Barbie or Airline highjacker Barbie. That would truly be obsence.

Barbie has always represented what a little girls ideals should be. When Barbie first came out she was a homemaker and wife. She had a strong love for family which represented her time. As Barbie got older her ideals changed in that she got job worked out of the house and was a soccer Mom and then she was back home working in great jobs but which left her more time for the children. As our society has changed so has Barbie. Barbie also has represented our changing  lifestyles. Once you lived in a town house and then a mansion. She drove a bug and now a SUV.

Barbie represents a girl or boys and (yes there are boys that play with Barbies) innocent. It is a time when we fill our minds with fantasy. I feel that Barbies should represent ALL professions that are open to women and if that is an Episcopal Reverend so be it. Barbie dressed as a minister should represent that our faith is inportant and that women now days are taking a more inportant role in spirituality. Children should be taught right from wrong and should not be allowed to fill their minds with voilence and hate. I remember a time when playing with Barbies and my brothers GI Joe was a great way to act out the roles of being adults and dreaming of what the world could hold for me when I grew up. Many people think that Barbie with her outlandish body is an offence to women but if Barbie can still be used to teach the paramount ideals of a strong healthy and intelligent woman then I say long live Barbies. Hey if Barbie can become President then why can we all.

So bring it on……If we can have Barbies that do construction, Ride in the rodeo, go to the moon and win the Olympics why should we not have a Barbie of Faith.

I am no bible scholar just a Christian but when I think of the virgin I think of all the hardships her faith helped to see her through and through her I know that I can withstand any trials that life may bring me. Mary comes to us as an unwed mother who had to suffer the tauts of other women who she thought of as friends. When she told them the story of the angel in the night she was called a liar. She was shunned by her people. Through it all her faith helped her to hold her head high.When Joseph comes into her life she has heavy with child. But Joseph loved her any way. His faith told him to love and care for her.

Imagine if you were told you had to make a journey to the city to be counted in the census and far away from all you knew you went into labor. After traveling so far you were told that every decent place had already been taken but you are offered a stable to rest your head. Your faith would have been tested. You had been told by the angels that this was going to be a special child a favored child of god and now you are going to give birth with nothing but the angels and animals as witness.

With the coming of your child your child was truly what the angel had fortold. Your child was worshiped by Kings of far away lands who brought him gifts and as you watched him grow you knew that wonderful things were in store for him.

As she watched him grow to manhood and to preform miracles how proud she must have been. He made the blind see, the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear and spoke of a loving god who loved each and every one of us. He taught how to live a rightous life and how to love each other. Her faith told her that he was truly the son of God. She also knew the dangerous road that his words were taking him and how many people called him a fraud.

And how her faith must have been tested as she watched the Roman soilders nail him to the cross. With a mother’s love she prayed to ease her son’s pain knowing that there was nothing she could do. She held her faith close to her that night knowing that our great God must have some plan for her son that was greater than any pain he was then suffering.

When he was brought to her for preperation for burial how she must have cried. But her faith told her that he was now with his father. How she must have rejoiced when she heard that he come back from the dead to proclaim that as he had risen from the dead that all that believed in him would also overcome death. When he told her that he was leaving but that some day he would return how it hurt to lose him for a second time but her faith told her that she indeed would see him again.

Mary faith was sure and steady but as an woman knows faith can sometimes make us wonder why. I am sure even with her faith Mary wondered why God had choosen her to have his child, Why her son had to die, Why was his life and death so inportant? But she chose to believe in something she could not see or feel or taste or hear and that is what faith is. She believed that God had a plan for her and her belief turned into faith. She just had faith to see her through and I hope that all of us can have some of that sure and steady faith in these times of uncertainity.

This month of Nissan is the headquarters for newness. A sign that we are close to God is that everything feels new, full of wonder and possibilities. These are the precious moments in life when we may be doing what we always do, and suddenly our consciousness is lifted upwards, our hearts open and we are filled with the awareness of the sanctity of life itself. We are so happy to simply be alive. This is a taste of the joy of Nissan.
 
The scent of Spring in the air makes us aware of the new life emerging in nature and that reminds us to pay attention to the new energies stirring within each of us as well. This is the month to leave our personal restrictions and move to greater freedom. There are significant life changes possible in Nissan. If you feel stuck in a  life routine that is limiting, take heart, Passover is coming, Nissan is here.  Nissan was the month when the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt, it will be the month in the future when the final redemption will take place, and in every Nissan there is the hope and expectation that something new and wonderful will happen. In this month we celebrate the holiday of Passover.  Many of us are already planning for where we will be for the Passover Seder.
 
 At the Passover Seder we are reminded that the exodus from Egypt was not just a one time historical event. The Hagaddah says, ” In every generation one should regard himself as though he personally had gone out of Egypt. ( Ex. 13:8)  Metaphorically, we are still in Egypt. The Hebrew word for Egypt is Mitzraim which means ” narrow straits” which represents all psychological, emotional, spiritual  and physical constraints. While we are in the physical world, there are varying degrees of bondage that we experience. On Passover particularly and throughout the month of Nissan, it is a propitious time to free oneself from internal and external constraints, to make a personal exodus from our personal mitzraim.
 
 How do we really move forward to greater freedom in our lives?  That is the question. The very rituals in the observance of Passover help us break through limitations and go forward in the ways that our soul yearns to do. We can not do it alone. We need to receive divine assistance. We need to forge a stronger connection with God through prayer, meditation, and doing acts ( mitzvot) that place ourselves in alignment with Divine blessing. We feel most alive and vibrant when we are connected to God. Give yourself time each day in personal prayer to stand in the question. What does God want of me?  Listen carefully to what opens within you.
 
 In this month of Nissan, it is particularly important and helpful to watch your speech. The healing dimension for this month is speech. It is through our speech that redeem or enslave ourselves.  We create our reality through our speech.  Be sure to take time each day to express your gratitude to God and people around you. A word, a look, a gesture of appreciation, a blessing to another person just for being in your life can be a holy passport that opens gates for greater freedom for each of you. We may never know how precious words of blessing and appreciation are to both the giver and receiver. 
 
King Solomon said in Proverbs” A man’s belly shall be filled with the fruit of his month Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Make a strong effort to increase virtuous speech and eliminate loathsome and forbidden speech such as speaking ill of others. Remember that you also have the right to limit what you hear from others as well. You do not have to listen to loshon hara. Note how your energy increases when you engage in virtuous speech and how your energy decreases when you speak ill of others. The therapist in me wants to remind people to make ” I statements”, to take responsibility for one’s feelings rather than vent one’s frustrations and blame others for the feelings that are clearly your own.
 
The more mindful we are of our speech, the more powerful our words are when we do speak.  That is why it is said that when a tzaddik ( righteous person) speaks, God fulfills his decree. Guard your tongue carefully. Don’t waste words and your words will be more powerful. You can actually heal people with your words.
 
 What has been shared above has been taken from my book Kabbalah Month by Month.  There is so much more information available in the book to guide you through this upcoming month.
 
 Please feel free to share this with others and invite them to join the Kabbalah of the Heart list. Always feel free to drop me a note to introduce yourself to me and let me know how you are doing. I do try to answer all emails.

By Stephen Simon

If the lines this past weekend are any indication, this is an incredible movie.  It definitely on our must see list, along with Clint Eastwood’s Invictus.

     Landmark films literally change the face of the art form itself and are rare indeed.  THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, the first big hit silent film; THE JAZZ SINGER, the first talking film; THE WIZARD OF OZ, the first huge family film; JAWS, the first summer blockbuster; STAR WARS, the first science fiction epic of the new technology era; and now AVATAR.

     AVATAR is simply unlike any other film ever made. The experience of AVATAR in 3D is a glimpse into the potential of film to literally immerse the viewer in the story.  We actually materialize in the on screen world.  Even more amazingly, the spirituality of the story of AVATAR is on a par with its technology. We truly aren’t in Kansas anymore, Toto.  We’re on Pandora.

     Pandora is the distant planet on which AVATAR plays out.  Humans have come to Pandora to mine the most valuable mineral in the universe.  Standing in their way are the N’avi, Pandora’s blue, 10 foot tall, deeply spiritual, indigenous race.  To infiltrate the N’avi, humans create biological avatars of the N’avi into whom the consciousness of human beings can be transferred.  The avatars can then interact with the N’avi, even though the N’avi can easily detect the difference.  One particular human marine is sent in as an avatar and falls in love with a N’avi, ultimately transforming both himself and the world around him.

     The spiritual metaphors of AVATAR are truly dazzling.  Aren’t all of us as humans truly avatars? Spiritual beings inhabiting human bodies that our consciousness adopts as a temporary home while our spirits evolve.

     The N’avi are a deeply spiritual race, fiercely devoted to family and their environment, choosing mates for life and worshiping the beauty and power of their natural world. “We are all one” is taken to its highest zenith on Pandora. Not only are the N’avi connected to each other, but also they have learned a way to bond, both physically and spiritually, with the magical and glorious creatures of Pandora. Furthermore, all of nature itself on Pandora is connected in a very tangible and communicable way, something that humans encounter in the denouement of the film.

     Nothing can prepare you for the visual and visceral wonder of visiting Pandora in 3D. Fortunately, the film uses none of the old and cheap 3D tricks of scaring you out of your seat with arrows or bullets coming straight at you. You just feel like reaching out and touching the wonders of Pandora.

     The genius behind Pandora is writer/director James Cameron, whose last film, TITANIC, became the highest grossing film in history. As in TITANIC, Cameron gives us a magical love story in AVATAR, tender and fierce, loving and comical, challenging and engrossing. Cameron has here mastered a new 3D technology that literally catapults us into a new era of film wherein we as viewers truly inhabit a whole new world.

     Cameron also created the TERMINATOR films and, unfortunately, the final confrontation between the N’avi and the marauding humans is quite violent, as are some earlier sequences.  For that reason, I do want to warn those of you who are sensitive to violence on screen that AVATAR very well might be a bridge too far for you.  Normally, my wife and I feel the same way but we were so immersed in the drama and wonder of the story that we made it through the violent scenes of the film, knowing that the spirituality and goodness of the N’avi would ultimately rule the day. (Not to be a spoiler, it does).  Still, I would be remiss in not waving a caution flag about the violence in the film.  It’s there and it’s significant.

     The violence aside, AVATAR has birthed a new method of movie storytelling.  Some day, the technology of AVATAR will be used (sans violence) by filmmakers to take us much further into the spiritual journey of our souls.  Into the dreams, we call illusion and the illusions we call reality.  Into the awe and wonder of this majestic, mysterious, and mystical adventure that we call life.  Into a new world of Spiritual Cinema. And we will look back and thank James Cameron for bringing this new vision to us for the first time.

     See AVATAR in 3D while it is still in theaters.  You just may want to be able to tell your children and grandchildren that you were there when everything changed.

(Stephen Simon produced SOMEWHERE IN TIME and WHAT DREAMS MAY COME.  He produced and directed INDIGO and CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD and co-founded www.spiritualcinemacircle.com).

Rachael Jayne Groover
The YIN Project
www.TheYinProject.com
 
Holidays can be one of the hardest times of the year if you are single. I know that first-hand. If you find yourself this year without a partner I urge you not to retreat on your own, but to look around you. How many couples do you see having a committed, sexy, fun, spiritually-enhancing relationship?  Not many? If you know some, carve out time to be around them this season.  Like just about anything else, the more knowledge and positive role models you have around you, the more chance of success you have. Take a moment, right now, and write their names down so you remember to connect with them. Ask them questions about their relationship.  The more you see positive, passionate, conscious couples, the more you will believe that you can be part of one too.
In the past, Datta and I both had our fair share of lonely holidays, confusion and heart-break. We had to overcome limiting beliefs that said, “The odds of finding a partner who fits with us in all areas of life are very low.” We are grateful to now be able to pin-point the specific things that shifted everything for us. Within months of these shifts occurring, we started dating each other. Our passion and love has been growing ever since.
If you long for an extraordinary love affair that will sweep you off your feet, we are here as an example that it is ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE.  However, you must take an honest look at your readiness and what you are energetically communicating to others. Above all, you must understand what not only attracts, but feeds the opposite gender over the long haul. Couples who are in love and still have the passion flowing can help you with this.

This year we set time aside to share all we know about becoming ready for this type of relationship.
Rachael Jayne Groover is running a Home Study Program on www.MoreThanDating.com

Comments:
When I first read Rachel’s article I had to smiles.  Paul and I have been together close to twenty years.  A passionate holiday season – well there was the year we stayed up to put together something – a bike or something that the box said, even a kindergartener can do it – it did heat up when it was apparent that we would have to find a kindergartener to put it together.
I do agree – find a loving couple or family to enjoy the holidays with and emulate.  The love comes from preparing for the holidays together and instilling traditions.  Whether it’s the cooking and baking or the cleaning or decorating or singing – they all come together to create the memories filled with love.
If you are feeling lonely and unloved, then get up and do something about it.  You won’t meet your partner hiding inside your house or hanging out online.  You can connect online with someone, but they too are lonely and unhappy and they too are probably too afraid to leave their house. 
This Christmas, if you are feeling lonely, find out where all the Community Christmas events are being hosted and go volunteer.  Talk to people.  Laugh with them.  Sing with them.  It will help you feel apart of the holiday.

When you are feeling more relaxed, more joyous you will attract people into your life.  The more people you invite into  your life the greater the chance you will me the romance of your life.
Have a joyous holiday and a wondrous New Year.