Sivan: The Power of Life and Death in Our Tongues

Read my horoscope for Sivan in The Jerusalem Post.

Gemini/Taumim from a mahzor, Germany 1342

Chodesh Sivan (June 4 – July 3) is associated with the constellation of Gemini the Twins (Taumim). Tradition tells us that it was during Chodesh Sivan that the Children of Israel received the Torah on Mt. Sinai: the ultimate Divine data-download symbolized by Gemini/Sivan's ruler, swift Mercury (Kochav), the planet of communication. Sivan is all about gathering and disseminating information and interfacing with the immediate environment as indicated by Sivan’s Tribal ruler, Zevulon, whose flag was decorated with ships, symbolizing his journeys along the coasts of the Mediterranean, seeking new horizons and new opportunities. 
 

This month the journey is towards upgrading our relationship to the concept of security, both personal and public. What makes you feel safe: structures or relationships? Institutions or family? Old fears compete with new alliances when Saturn, South Node with Pluto in practical, serious Capricorn opposes the Mars / North Node / Mercury conjunction in emotional, sentimental Cancer on June 13. “Trust but verify” now, as information is more likely than ever to be biased. 

The second in a rare series of three exact squares this year made by Jupiter in Sagittarius to Neptune in Pisces occurs June 16. Stretching the boundaries of dreams and testing the borders of perception, we must guard against extreme distortion of ideals and zealous fanaticism. Facts must actively fight against fear-fueled fantasy now.   

June 17’s Full Moon in truth-telling Sagittarius inspires frankness. Proverbs 18:21 tells us “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit”. The Summer Solstice (Tekufah Tammuz) and the Sun’s ingress into Cancer June 21 immediately following Neptune’s retrograde gives us a moment to evaluate whether what we’ve spoken has been life-affirming or destructive. May we be wise with our words and careful guardians of our hearts during Chodesh Sivan!

Ramadan in Chodesh Sivan: Testing Our Soul-Root Connection

#Ramadan in 2018 is the last Ramadan which coincides with the Hebrew month of Sivan in the current triplicity cycle. Ramadan has coincided with Sivan since 2016. This year is our last chance as the Jewish people to get it right this time, before the next triplicity cycle begins and Ramadan will coincide with the Hebrew month of Iyar in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The Islamic calendar is a lunar system, and the annual occurrence of the month of Ramadan runs on an approximate 32 year cycle varying as to which Hebrew month it falls in, throughout the years, decades, centuries. Unlike the Hebrew solar/lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar has no feasts or fasts that must fall in a certain season (as the Jewish people do with the Month of Nissan, Chodesh Aviv, which the Torah mandates must start in the Spring). 

Ramadan always begins in sync with a New Moon / Rosh Chodesh of the Jewish Calendar (Head of the Month). This year (2018), Ramadan begins on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, as it did in 2017 and 2016, as well as in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1984, and 1985. 

The Children of Ishmael enact great spiritual power during the fast of Ramadan. Their zealous devotion in fasting from sunrise to sunset during the entire month of Ramadan functions to stimulate, trigger and if needs be, to provoke the Jewish people, cousins of the descendants of Ishmael, to desire and even envy the Muslim level of devotion, surrender and commitment, stimulating us as we seek to emulate, and indeed, exceed it.

Sivan is the month during which we're given the Torah. Sivan is associated with the Tribe of Zevulon, the Planet Mercury ("Kochav") and the function of Mutable Air - Transformative Thought.

Zevulon traveled the Mediterranean in ships, interacting and trading and conversing (Mercury / Gemini) with all the peoples and societies around ancient Israel, in order to bring back riches - both spiritual and material - with which to bless and support his brother-tribe, Issachar (those whose time was given to wisdom-learning, such as the Seasons & Times, and Torah study).

An important aspect of Chodesh Sivan is that of the "Ger", the righteous convert, the soul which enters Claal Yisrael to complete the fullness of our common soul-root. Ruth the Moabitess is the soul associated with Shavuot, and as she is the archetype / soul root of all righteous converts, she is also the great-grandmother of King David, prototype Messiah and King of the Jews. The story of Ruth, who married Boaz and gave birth to Oved, who was the father of Jesse, the father of David, is read during Shavuot. King David, David the "Sweet Singer of Israel", beloved of the Lord, was born and died on Shavuot.

The tikkun of Chodesh Sivan which Ramadan will trigger for us in 2018 is the test of how we treat the convert, how we relate to the one who desires to draw close for the sake of the blessings of belonging. Those who imagine themselves to be righteous in Torah will be challenged to experience transformative thought in relation to the convert. Indeed, anyone who falls outside our identity comfort-zone will come under the category of "other" - and we are challenged as a People to transform our thought towards the "other" until we can see the "other" contains something we ourselves cannot be complete without!

Just as the Jewish People were not complete until Ruth came to add her spiritual DNA to the mix, producing MOSHIACH in archetype - King David himself - Ramadan during Sivan years challenge us to SEEK that which is MISSING in our Claal, so that we all might be complete and shalem, whole.

Just as the Hebrew Calendar and the Jewish Year is the manifestation of Sacred Time, our Muslim cousins have been given the Islamic Calendar to know the times and the seasons they are to enact their devotions, which are intended to arouse us to a purer and more passionate response to our own spiritual calling. It is a dance of devotion between root souls - Isaac and Ishmael, both sons of Avraham - and in the end, the time of one is the time of both and the time of both is the time of All.

Ramadan Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem to the spiritual heirs of Avraham's firstborn. May your devotions spark our own desire to burn as brightly, illuminating all the world with the Light of God.

To contemplate / meditate upon which Hebrew Month Ramadan has fallen in since 1930, I present the following data:

Ramadan in Nissan - 1957, 1958, 1989, 1990, 1991

Ramadan in Iyar - 1954, 1955, 1956, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2019, 2020, 2021

Ramadan in Sivan - 1951, 1952, 1953, 1984, 1985, 2016, 2017, 2018

Ramadan in Tammuz - 1948, 1949, 1950, 1981, 1982, 1983, 2014, 2015

Ramadan in Av - 1946, 1947, 1979, 1980, 2011, 2012, 2013

Ramadan in Elul - 1943, 1944, 1945, 1976, 1977, 1978, 2008, 2009, 2010

Ramadan in Tishrei (Rosh HaShanah) - 1940, 1941, 1942, 1973, 1974, 1975, 2005, 2006, 2007

Ramadan in Cheshvan - 1938, 1939, 1970, 1971, 1972, 2003, 2004

Ramadan in Kislev - 1935, 1936, 1937, 1967, 1967, 1969, 2000, 2001, 2002

Ramadan in Tevet - 1933, 1934, 1966, 1998, 1999

Ramadan in Shvat - 1930, 1931, 1932, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1996, 1997

Ramadan in Adar (I and II) - 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995

Rosh Chodesh Sivan Tov!

Rosh Chodesh Sivan Tov! The Hebrew Month of Sivan is associated with the Mutable Air sign of Mercury-Ruled Gemini, the Great Communicator, as we celebrate receiving the Torah, the ultimate communication / Divine Download of all time!  

Sivan is the month of enhanced connectivity. We connect to thought, to speech, to information and ideas, to people and places. 

Gemini/Sivan belongs to the traveling Tribe of Zevulon. The Sefer Yetzirah connects Sivan to Thursday, the Right Ear, the Spleen, and the letter Zayin, and Mercury, the ruling planet of Sivan/Gemini to the letter Resh.

Follow this link to my "Astrolojew" column for Chodesh Sivan in J-The Jewish Weekly of Northern California!

Yallah, Taurus!

Chodesh Iyar began on Sunday, but tonight the Sun moves into Taurus. The lag/overlap between the Hebrew and Gregorian months is why there are actually 36 possible permutations of the Zodiac. For instance, anyone born between Sunday at this evening would be an Iyar Aries. Anyone born between tonight and May 15th will be an Iyar Taurus. Those born between May 15th and May 22nd will be a Sivan Taurus...etc., etc.

("The 36 Signs" - Just another fun fact detailed in my upcoming Astrolojew: The Big Book of Jewish Astrology. Watch for it in 2019! :) )

Pictured: Iyar (Taurus), by American artist Mark Podwal. You can see this at the Met.

Sivan - Time to Sail the Seven Seas

Chodesh ‪#‎Sivan‬ Tov!

Sivan is the month in which we receive both the ‪#‎Torah‬ and the ‪#‎Ger‬, the righteous convert whose soul makes Claal Yisrael shalem (complete). Ruth the Moabitess, the great-grandmother of King David (whose birthday and yartzeit we commemorate on ‪#‎Shavuot‬) is the archetype of the righteous convert. ‪#‎Zevulon‬, the Tribe associated with the Month of Sivan and the "mazal" (Zodiac sign) of ‪#‎Gemini‬, travels by sea to gather up and bring back home the riches of other lands and peoples, in order to bless his family.

We too must "travel by sea", cross borders and boundaries, cultures and comfort zones, to find those treasures and bring them "home" to our own hearts and souls, to enrich and make whole that which is lacking. 

Sivan/Gemini's Planet is ‪#‎Mercury‬ ("Kochav"), ruler of both written and oral communication - apt indeed for the month Torah was given at Mt. Sinai.
(Pictured: "Zevulon" by Linette Joel)

Harnessing the Spiritual Power of Ramadan

Ramadan always begins on a New Moon / Rosh Chodesh  of the Jewish Calendar (Head of the Month). This year (2016), Ramadan begins on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, as it did in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1984, 1985, and as it will occur in 2017 and 2018 as well.

  
The Islamic calendar is a lunar system, and the annual occurrence of the month of Ramadan runs on an approximate 32 year cycle varying as to which Hebrew month it falls in, throughout the years, decades, centuries. Unlike the Hebrew solar/lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar has no feast or fast that must fall in a certain season (as we do with the Month of Nissan, Chodesh Aviv, which the Torah mandates must start in the Spring). 

The Sons of Ishmael enact great spiritual power during the fast of Ramadan. Their zealous devotion in fasting from sunrise to sunset during the entire month of Ramadan functions to stimulate, trigger and if needs be, to provoke the Jewish people, cousins of the descendants of Ishmael, to desire and even envy the Muslim level of devotion, surrender and commitment, stimulating us as we seek to emulate, and indeed, exceed it. 

The area we need to renew our commitment and passion in is indicated by the month Ramadan falls in each year. Last year (2015), Ramadan fell on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz. During Tammuz years, we look at our patriarch Reuven, to which Tammuz corresponds.  

The tikkun of Reuven had to do with filial duty, and proper care for parents. The Jewish people were being provoked by our Ishmalite cousins to do tshuva this past year in the "Chodesh Tammuz" in the areas in our life, where respect and responsibility to our parents and elders are concerned.  

 Were we successful? How did last year go for us (for you, for me, for us as a community) in terms of "Kavod Av v'Am"?

 This year Ramadan begins on Rosh Chodesh Sivan. Sivan is the month during which we're given the Torah (Shavuot is the Chag which falls on the 5th/6th day of Chodesh Sivan). Sivan is associated with the Tribe of Zevulon, the Planet Mercury ("Cochav") and the function of Mutable Air - Transformative Thought.

Zevulon traveled the Mediterranean in ships, interacting and trading and conversing (Mercury / Gemini) with all the peoples and societies around ancient Israel, in order to bring back riches - both spiritual and material - with which to bless and support his brother-tribe, Issachar (those whose time was given to wisdom-learning, such as the Seasons & Times, and Torah study).

An important aspect of Chodesh Sivan is that of the "Ger", the righteous convert, the soul which enters Claal Yisrael to complete the fullness of our common soul-root.  Ruth the Moabitess is the soul associated with Shavuot, and as she is the archetype / soul root of all righteous converts, she is also the great-grandmother of King David, prototype Messiah and King of the Jews. The story of Ruth, who married Boaz and gave birth to Oved, who was the father of Jesse, the father of David, is read during Shavuot. King David, David the "Sweet Singer of Israel", beloved of the Lord, was born and died on Shavuot. 

The tikkun which Ramadan will trigger for us in 2016 is the test of how we treat the convert, how we relate to the one who desires to draw close for the sake of the blessings of belonging. Those who imagine themselves to be righteous in Torah will be challenged to experience transformative thought in relation to the convert. Indeed, anyone who falls outside our ghetto-mind will come under the category of "other" - and we are challenged as a People to transform our thought towards the "other" until we can see the "other" contains something we ourselves cannot be complete without! Just as the Jewish People were not complete until Ruth came to add her spiritual DNA to the mix, producing MOSHIACH in archetype - King David himself - Ramadan during Sivan years challenge us to SEEK that which is MISSING in our Claal, so that we all might be complete and shalem, whole. 

Just as the Hebrew Calendar and the Jewish Year is the manifestation of Sacred Time, our cousins have been given the Islamic Calendar to know the times and the seasons they are to enact their devotions, which are intended to arouse us to a purer and more passionate response to our own spiritual calling. It is a dance of devotion between root souls - Isaac and Ishmael, both sons of Avraham - and in the end, the time of one is the time of both and the time of both is the time of All.

To contemplate / meditate upon which Hebrew Month Ramadan has fallen in since 1930, I present the following data:

Ramadan in Nissan - 1957, 1958, 1989, 1990, 1991
Ramadan in Iyar - 1954, 1955, 1956, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2019, 2020, 2021
Ramadan in Sivan - 1951, 1952, 1953, 1984, 1985, 2016, 2017, 2018 
Ramadan in Tammuz - 1948, 1949, 1950, 1981, 1982, 1983, 2014, 2015 
Ramadan in Av - 1946, 1947, 1979, 1980, 2011, 2012, 2013 
Ramadan in Elul - 1943, 1944, 1945, 1976, 1977, 1978, 2008, 2009, 2010 
Ramadan in Tishrei (Rosh HaShanah) - 1940, 1941, 1942, 1973, 1974, 1975, 2005, 2006, 2007 
Ramadan in Cheshvan - 1938, 1939, 1970, 1971, 1972, 2003, 2004 
Ramadan in Kislev - 1935, 1936, 1937, 1967, 1967, 1969, 2000, 2001, 2002 
Ramadan in Tevet -  1933, 1934, 1966, 1998, 1999 
Ramadan in Shvat - 1930, 1931, 1932, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1996, 1997 
Ramadan in Adar (I and II) - 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995




 

Rosh Chodesh Sivan - Let's Fall In Love!

Everybody knows Shavuot is our "Wedding Day," the day Israel as a Nation was "wed" to HKBH with Mount Sinai itself as our chuppah and the Torah as our Ketubah. Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5774 precedes our "Shabbos Kallah" as a people, as we prepare to receive the Torah all over again next week. 

Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5774 is Tiferet Sh'B'Malchut, the manifestation of beauty and balance in this world. Venus ("Noga" in Hebrew) has just entered sensual, Venus-ruled Taurus in the 5th House of Romantic Love, and Mars Conjunct Midheaven is out there and visible in a big way, in romantic, idealistic Venus-ruled Libra. 

Emotional Moon in 7th House of Marriage and Partnerships in Communicative Gemini Squared by Wounded Healer Chrion in 3rd House super-sensitive Pisces makes the words we speak go straight to the heart. 

Exalted Jupiter in intuitive Cancer in 9th House of will make religious expression and spiritual connection one. 

The stage is set for words of love to pierce our hearts, cleanse our souls, and lift us higher. Chodesh Sivan Tov to everyone far and near, may we only hear and speak nourishing, healing, loving words, one to another.