Autumn is around the corner. This is the final harvest month of apples and gourds. The leaves turn colors and fall. The light is shifting, the days are growing colder and on the Equinox (next Tuesday) light and dark are in equal measure. The Jewish new year which begins tonight, always reminds me of my connection to nature and the cycles of the seasons. So imagine my delight to find a website that explains the roots of this holiday based on honoring the sacred in nature. To read more please visit http://www.telshemesh.org Here is a small sample.
The first of Tishrei is called Rosh haShanah, the beginning of the year. It is a time for reflection and memory, a time to remember all that we have done and consider whether we have done it wisely. It is a time to commit to change. This new moon is the start of a year-long cycle in which we will awaken the Divine within our souls, minds, hearts, and bodies, honoring the sacred fire, air, water, and earth, and reminding ourselves, as the Hasidic masters teach, that there is no place where God is not.