Rosh Chodesh Adar "Aleph" - Time to Increase Our Joy!

We're in Year 6 of the current 19 Year Cycle of the Hebrew Calendar, which happens to be a 13-month Leap Year, and those two facts together explain why we're so far off the cycle of time - almost two whole weeks, considering that today was the New Moon in Aquarius (10/11 Degrees) and this evening is Rosh Chodesh Adar "Aleph," the extra month added for the Leap Year 5774 that will, by Purim - I promise! (Bli Neder) - Everything will start to feel "normal"-ish, again, like it hasn't in a while.

It is said that when the Month of Adar comes, it's time to increase our joy. Because we have two Chodesh Adars this year, we can double our joy and believe me world, we sorely need it right now.

The Aquarius/Aquarius New Moon gives Adar Aleph a particularly "out of this world" energy.... and for a very good reason.  In classical Astrology, the Planet Jupiter was associated with both Sagittarius and Pisces, while the Planet Saturn was associated with both Capricorn and Aquarius. Later when the unseen-with-the-naked-eye planets Uranus and Neptune were "discovered" (although Astrologers always knew they were there), Uranus was assigned to Aquarius and Neptune to Pisces. However, Aquarius and Pisces still retain a relationship with Saturn and Jupiter despite the addition of other Planets.

A "Normal" (non-leap) Year on the Hebrew Calendar is like this:

• Kislev / Tzedek (Jupiter) / Sagittarius
• Tevet / Shabtai (Saturn) / Capricorn
• Shvat / Shabtai (Saturn) / Aquarius  (Uranus co-ruler)
• Adar / Tzedek (Jupiter ) / Pisces (Neptune co-ruler)

A LEAP YEAR on the Hebrew Calendar is like this:

• Kislev / Tzedek (Jupiter) / Sagittarius
• Tevet / Shabtai (Saturn) / Capricorn
• Shvat / Shabtai (Saturn) / Aquarius  (Uranus co-ruler)
• Adar Aleph / Tzedek (Jupiter ) / Pisces (Neptune co-ruler)
• Adar Bet (Tzedek / Jupiter ) / Pisces (Neptune co-ruler)

Instead of the Jupiter/Saturn/Saturn/Jupiter of non-Leap Years, this year we have Jupiter/Saturn/Saturn/Jupiter/Jupiter, and the kickoff to Adar Aleph happens on the Aquarius/Aquarius New Moon, making it literally the "furthest out" month of the Year, as far as we can go before we are reined back into a more "normal" expression of time.

So too Adar Aleph is "far out" energetically, enabling us to meld the structure and discipline of Saturn (Shabtai)'s Aquarian energy, infused with the LIGHTENING MAGIC of Uranus, Planet of Hiddushim and the higher expression of "Bina," and move that into expansive Jupiter's enhancement of Neptune's big dream of universal love, brother/sisterhood and one-ness with our Creator and each other.

Leap Years in the Hebrew Calendar, when Adar Aleph is added to the Calendar called "Pregnant Years" (the actual Metonic Cycle term is "Embolismic") and Adar Aleph is what we're pregnant with - so Mazal Tov and welcome to the world, Adar Aleph, may joy begin to increase due to your arrival and may we all give birth to something joyful today!

Chodesh Adar Aleph Tov - Shabbat Shalom!