Rosh Chodesh Kislev

“When we sleep, we should sleep deeply. When we are awake, we should not be sleeping." -Melinda Ribner

This new moon will be visible in the western skyline, along with Jupiter, the Planet associated with Kislev and Sagittarius. It is said that Jupiter invites us to warm ourselves in the glow of positive energy. Jupiter is called “Tzedek” in Hebrew – the same root as the word “Tzadik” (righteous person). Rebbe Nachman of Breslov reminds us to always look for the good point in ourselves, in others, and in every situation, no matter how weird and scary it might be. Jupiter helps us with that effort more this month than any other month!

Kislev can be translated into “pocket“ & “heart.” This refers to the capacity to be a vessel for what your heart REALLY desires. The energy of this month may be hidden in pockets of your heart, in the secret places, the subconscious realms, in the dark nights, and during the festival of lights at the end of this moontime, Chanukah. In her book Kabbalah, Month by Month, Melinda Ribner goes on to say that “the light of our highest soul connection may emerge to shine upon us and guide us during this month.” In the day to day, we may dream and conspire but we do not receive what we want. It is said that during this month we have a greater capacity to actually receive what we want. Miraculous!

How? Dreams. Pay attention to your dreams. Dreams provide an opportunity to live in another dimension. Dreams and visions are said to connect all realms. The Rabbis in the Talmud teach that dreams are all about interpretations. How and to whom you tell your dreams are as important as the moment you are actually dreaming.

More info via my blogposts: https://healingmama.com/2019/11/27/december-dreaming/

Blessing A Dream

The sages of the Talmud offer the following ritual to help us communally witness and hold a friend who “has seen a dream and does not know what [s]he has seen.”

Dreamer recites: “Force for Good in the Universe, I am yours and my dreams are yours. I have dreamt a dream and cannot decipher it. Whether I dreamt about myself, or if I dreamt of others, if they are good dreams, strengthen and fortify them, and may they be fulfilled; but if they aren’t, heal them as Miriam was healed, and turn them from a curse into a blessing, so that all my dreams may be good.”

Communal Listeners respond: "Amen"

The ancestral medicine chest of Kislev:

Amethyst Stone —Ach’lamah אחלמה —one of the gems on the breastplate worn by the High Priest in ancient times, the Kohen Ga’dol. In the Hebrew word for this stone, Ach’lamah, the word for dream appears: cha’lo’m חלום. It is the Dream Stone, the stone whose power inspires Dream, Vision, Imagination, the precursors of our life stories, our life choices and actions and how they might unfold within the realm of infinite possibility.

The Sacred Incense Herb for Kislev is קושט ko’shet, or Costus in English, a spiraling ginger. Ko’shet literally translates as “correct,” as in the teaching of the second-century Rabbi Shimon bar La’keesh: “Before you ko’shet someone —meaning, before you correct them —first correct yourself.” This is the herb that guides the smoke of the sacred incense offering to best translate the core truth of intent behind the offering.

Herbal medicine: Echinacea, Wild ginger, Mugwort. Echinacea is an herb of purification that can aid the body’s innate defenses. It is symbolically used for achieving strength through purity, and protecting oneself from heated or angry situations. Wild ginger can be finely ground and burned as a healing aid over one’s belly to aid in circulation and warming or ridding oneself of harmful external energies. Mugwort is also a great aid in warming the belly, the womb, the heart and used externally or internally for vivid/lucid dreaming.

The Hebrew Letter associated with the Month of Kislev is Samech. Samech has the numerical value of 60. 60 is the number the Talmudic sages saw as the minimum manifestation of spiritual into corporeal reality. Samech is a closed, round letter shaped like a womb, it encloses and supports (Somech), it provides a safe, nurturing place in which to dream. Divine protection and shielding from spiritual harm belong to Samech.

Tarot: Read more about Sagittarius & about the Temperance tarot card @ www.astroshamanism.org

Those born under a Kislev moon:

Jupiter is the Planet associated with Kislev and Sagittarius. Jupiter is called “Tzedek” in Hebrew and Jupiter’s energy focuses on the attributes of generosity and righteousness. Be generous, not judgmental – starting with yourself, and then with others. “Sagittarius brings us a passionate impulse to radically burst forth in a new direction, to cast off our clothing and shackles, and let our arrows fly. And while there’s a real wind that can lift us to higher ground, we can temper our impulses with a grounded strategic vision to expand in the ways our Soul has deeply desired. It’s the result of genuine healing which allows us to be brave hearts, ready to face whatever challenges may arise, because we are coming from our authentic truth.” -MYSTIC MAMMA

"As women, we often experience many transformations in our lives, such as the transitions of familial or communal roles, the physical changes in our bodies, the hormonal cycles, and other emotional and spiritual waves that we experience. During spirals of evolution and uncertainty, Kislev reminds us to ponder: what gives us a sense of trust, security, and stability? Is there a place, image, prayer, or memory that we can bring to the mind's eye, no matter what?" - Jenna Zadaka, from At The Well

•Trust the Earth below you as warm, loving, and safe. Allow your body to be held by the props and ground beneath you.

• Where in the body do you hold resistance, fear, or tightness? Is there somewhere in your body where you can feel a sense of trust or openness to possibility?

• In a dark and cold month, Kislev represents light from a place of darkness. In the depths of winter, we celebrate our ability to search for the pure oil of light. What is the pure oil of light that you are celebrating this Kislev?