Independent Jewish Spirituality
By punktorah
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUD1kLY9XaE
Kohenet priestess Ketzirah sees the idea that “God is change” in the writings of Octavia Butler, even though Butler is not a Jewish writer. God’s interaction with people and humanity’s interaction with God is all about change.
Filmed at Washington, DC JCC. Visit us at www.theg-dproject.org
By Ketzirah
Here’s a little bit of deep spiritual practice, disguised as light fun, for Tevet. This month of Tevet, which began at sundown on December 26th, 2011 and ends at sundown on January 24, 2012, is associated with the concept of seeing. The letter associated with the month, according to Inner.org, is the Ayin (ע) — the eye. Over at PeelaPom.com I used this concept to explore the lighting of candles as a practice for the month. Then I had a flash of inspiration or insanity right before Rosh Chodesh services at OneShul.org — a little divination for the month of seeing!
Now, before you panic, yes — many kinds of divination are … frowned upon in Jewish tradition. Of course, if it’s the BESHT doing it — it doesn’t count. But I’m not the BESHT. Several sources, including the Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and Supersitiion, call the Jewish tradition of bibliomancy “Sheilat Sefer” (שאלת ספר). Sheilat Sefer simply means, “Question a Book.” This makes sense since dream interpretation is often called Sheilat Halom – Question a Dream (שאלת חלום).
Techniques like Sheilat Sefer allow us to tap into our deep intuition, and open ourselves to the wisdom of the Divine. They allow us to move beyond our rational minds to finds ideas, answers, or inspiration. Technically you could use any book for this practice, but traditionally it’s done with either a Chumash (The Five Books of Moses) or The Book of Psalms. But there’s a host of other amazing Jewish (and not Jewish) texts that can provide a powerful experience. Personally, as the folks at OneShul found out, I like to use the Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols by Ellen Frankel. I think the Perek Shirah, the Song of Nature, is another fabulous Jewish text to use for this practice
Curious? Want to give Sheilat Sefer a try? It’s pretty easy. Just grab a book, and flip randomly to a page. Then either without looking put your finger on something and read, or use whatever your eyes first fall upon. Don’t cheat — that’s really not the way to go. Just read and see what thoughts, feelings, or images the words bring up for you. This all works a bit better if you clear your mind, maybe state your Kavanah (intention) or question, and even give a little prayer to center yourself. Be sure to also give a prayer of thanks for the wisdom received — even if you don’t feel like you got much!
Want to learn more? Check out these articles
——-
Ketzirah is a Kohenet, Celebrant, and Artist. She works with individuals and groups to explore, discover, and create meaningful rituals and ritual artwork to mark moments in life.
By punktorah
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IHB2UAdVlA
God’s attitude to humanity – both men and women – can’t be characterized as either love or hate, says Kohenet priestess Ketzirah.
Filmed at Washington, DC JCC. Visit us at www.theg-dproject.org
By punktorah
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC3EY_p06mE
God is a part of humanity and has changed over time, says Kohenet priestess Ketzirah. Filmed at Washington, DC JCC. Visit us at www.theg-dproject.org
By punktorah
In thinking about Kislev, I went right to the dreidel and the Hanukkiah. I decided that if I had to pick one, it’s the Hanukkiah (but I may explore the other dreidels later in the month!) The Hanukkiah is the nine-branched menorah that we light on Hanukkah. Even though we generally just call it a menorah, not all menorahs are for Hanukkah! The menorah, which is an ancient symbol of the Jewish people is actually seven branched.
If the menorah is considered “the most central role of all the sacred vessels, for it is the symbol of light,” and a symbol of spiritual illumination — then it’s safe to assume that this is also the role the Hanukkiah plays. Hanukkah is a strange holiday because it’s not only post-biblical, but also two holidays smooshed together. I guess we have a lot of holidays that are two smooshed together, though. Most commonly Hanukkah is the holiday that celebrates the victory of the Maccabbees over the Greeks, and the “miracle of the oil.” It’s also a Winter Solstice (Tekufat Tevet) holiday, that acknowledges the darkness of the year and returning of the light. That’s actually found in ancient midrash, it’s not just some modern “new agey” thing. It’s even one of the stories I included in the Hanukkah Haggadah!
The lighting of the Hanukkah menorah offers wonderful opportunities for spiritual refreshment and renewal. This year, toss away the annual debates over whether or not Hanukkah is important or just a reaction to Christmas. Don’t worry about the ethics of celebrating the victory in a war (and that the Maccabees were total zealots, who probably would have killed many of us too…). Embrace our own holiday of lights at its root level — light.
What do you want to light up? What areas of your life, your heart, your soul need light? Dedicate your entire Hanukkiah to bringing light into an area in your life. Let each candle represent a step along the way, and watch the light grow over the eight days! Take this time to rededicate yourself — to whatever you need to rededicate yourself. Bring back the light in your own life, and rejoice in our very special holiday of lights!
Ketzirah is a Kohenet, Celebrant, and Artist. Her mission is to help others experience the best life possible by connecting with the Divine presence, physical resources, creative expression, and communal ritual experience.
Originally posted here: Hanukkiah: Symbol of Kislev | Peeling a Pomegranate http://www.peelapom.com/wheel-of-the-year/chanukah/hanukkiah-symbol-of-kislev/#ixzz1fPdj3kkP
.png)