Parshat Vayetzi - "Birth of a Nation"

#‎Vayetzei‬ - "Birth of a Nation"

The Parsha this week tells the birth-story of 11 out of 12 of the Tribal Patriarchs, laying the foundation for understanding the Cycle of Sacred Time which is the Jewish Year, as reflected by Jewish Astrology.

The order in which sons of Jacob were born, the spiritual identities of the four mothers who birthed them, and their unique Tribal functions, both outwardly in physical reality as well as inwardly in the realm of symbols and archetypes operating within the individual personality, all have their seeds in this week's Torah portion.

The 12 Tribes correspond to the 12 constellations. This week it's "Birth of a Nation." Later on in Parshat BaMidbar, the appointed directions and functions of the now-mature Tribes are described in exact detail.

"As Above - So Below." The 12 Tribes around the Mishkan (Tabernacle) is the reflection of the heavenly arrangement. Recreated in exact detail each of the 42 times they encamped in the desert, as if to indelibly stamp this power-configuration into our very DNA, this arrangement is the sacred mandala of the Israelites.

Chodesh Kislev is Coming!

Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5779:

New Moon at 15 degrees Scorpio today (Wednesday November 7th), Rosh Chodesh #Kislev tonight through Friday (2 days this year). 

We welcome the Hebrew month of Kislev Nov. 8-9. Kislev is connected to the mutable fire sign Sagittarius (Keshet, the bow), the Tribe of Benjamin and the traditionally beneficent planet Jupiter (Tzedek). The Holy of Holies was built upon a tiny bit of Benjamin’s tribal land during the time that the Temple stood in Jerusalem. Just as the Temple gave spiritual light to the world, Kislev gives spiritual light to the soul during the darkest part of the year.

This year, Kislev begins 13 days before the Sun enters Sagittarius on the solar calendar. This gives most of November a Scorpio-Sagittarius (Mars-Jupiter) flavor, supersized by Jupiter’s return to his home sign of Sagittarius on Nov. 8 for the first time since Nov. 2006-Dec. 2007 and multiplied by Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius/Scorpio from Nov. 16 through Dec. 6.

Jupiter’s propensity for devotion can be seen in how Benjamin named his ten sons for life events connecting him to his supposedly lost brother Joseph. Sagittarius the Archer is brutally honest, aiming for the highest truth with his bow, shooting right through convention, tradition and the status-quo to reach the heart of the matter.

Pictured: Ceramic plate from my "12 Tribes" Series, Kislev/Benyamin/Keshet. Benyamin is portrayed as the "Wolf" of Genesis 49:27. Note the glyph for the planet Jupiter ("Tzedek" ), the ruling planet of Sagittarius.