Tishrei 5785: Let us gather what matters
Shanah Tovah 🌒 Tishrei the Moon of Gathering 🌒 begins at sundown on October 2, 2024
In my naming of the moons, Tishrei is the moon of gathering. It is the month where we gather our families, tribe, ancestors, and final harvest before winter (in the Northern Hemisphere). It’s also the time where we account for ourselves, spiritually; we gather in our mis-takes and responsibilities. We untangle promises we can’t keep.
The soul trait for this month is achrayut (אחריות) responsibility. That’s really about spiritual responsibility and accountability. Yes, you can go through the motions — but what if we all actually used this time to explore our individual and communal responsibilities? To reset, rebalance, and restate them? To be clear to ourselves and others what our commitments are?
One of my commitments, which I’ve shared before, is to shmita consciousness. I’ve come to believe that Shmita is the core purpose of the Jewish experiment, our mission, what moshiach really means. And, in my receivings, each of the six years between shmita years has a focus and purpose.
In 5785, we enter the 3rd year of the current shmita cycle: the year of Tiferet.
Tiferet (תִפאֶרֶת): The truest of truths is that all ends are beginnings and each moment is a beginning, a now, and an ending. The moments are what matter. Compassion. The lives we live. How we live them. The pleasure we take in the adornments we make reveling in the splendor of Being and Becoming. The unification of Divine diversity is breathing in the old to weave the present to exhale what may be and that is beautiful.
So during the Days of Awe, I’m exploring my commitments for the coming year, with an eye towards those that make space for beautiful truth - which means alignment with Being and Becoming. Especially those things that will help create a society where the shmita is truly possible. Step by step. Year by year. Cycle by cycle.
I write this knowing that I don’t know what will come in the days and weeks ahead. So I prepare to be prepared. I practice mussar. I try to be a better person. I learn how to live in Becoming with my fellow humans and the more than human world.
To quote Alan Lew (z”l): This is real, and you are completely unprepared for it.
Life.
Tishrei Resources
Tishrei: Overview
Moon: Gathering
Constellation: Moznayim (מֹאזְנַיִם) Libra
Soul Trait: Achrayut (אחריות) Spiritual Responsibility
Tribe: Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם֙ )
Tarot: Justice
Netivah: Gevirah (גְבִירָה) Matriarch/Queen
Looking Ahead to Cheshvan
Cheshvan: Overview
Moon: Stillness
Constellation: Akrav (עַקְרָב) Scorpio
Soul Trait: Kavod (כבוד) Honor, Respect, Dignity
Tarot: Death
Netivah: Mekonenet (מקננת) Mourning Woman
Find source citations for correspondences and so much more.
MUSSAR
I’m taking a brief break from Soul Trait Studio. But that doesn’t mean practice is on hold. I’ll be at Kesher Pittsburgh’s Yom Kippur services and teach-in, sharing about Mussar Practice.
To support your practice, it’s a great time to find a chevruta (practice partner) and explore the soul trait of the month.
And you can even use the Soul Trait Studio guide for your own practice this month. I did review and update it for 5785.
Ohh… you can also purchase a copy of my ebook: Introduction to Mussar Practice.
Dive Deeper
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What I’m Reading:
Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene (bookshop | amazon)
by Donna J. Haraway
After finishing How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them (highly recommend), I needed something that told me how to just LIVE now - in the midst of a highly unstable world. Which is probably always unstable. How do I live into the world that might be?
What are you listening, reading, or watching?
Interested in discussing “Staying with the Trouble” with me?
Note: Links to Bookshop.org and Amazon.com contain affiliate code that allows authors to earn a small commission on purchases