Blessings for a Hanukkah filled with light and joy. You can find several Hanukkah related paths (posts) on Wellsprings of Wisdom from various teachers. Learn about:
Darkness and the Festival of Light
Light One Candle for a Better World
And as we embark on the New Secular/Solar Year, Find the Hidden Holiness.
I am continuing to build the Gateway of the Moon, with a goal of finishing it in 2017!
New P
ost about Rosh Hodesh (also spelled Rosh Chodesh), has been added. It’s all about the Jewish celebration of the New Month as an ancient and contemporary festival for women, for families, for everyone! Find this new pathway in the rapidly growing Gateway of the Moon.
I’ve also been continuing to update the Resource Guides, both for online resources and for real-world Jewish retreat centers, outdoor adventures, and organic farms.
I’m so honored that Rabbi Rachel Barenblat has allowed me to share a post from her celebrated blog, The Velveteen Rabbi. Since we are both transplanted Texans (myself via California) to the U.S. Northeast, I really resonated with Rachel’s feelings about New England’s “Stick Season,” in late autumn, when the trees are bare of colorful leaves but before the first snowfall coats them with glistening white. She has learned to treasure the dormancy and subtle beauty of this time of year, encouraging us to be fully present and learn from each season as we live it. Contemplate her gentle reflections on “Stick Season,” a new pathway in the Gateway of Seasons.
I have also added a new picture on that Gateway page that shows one of my favorite trees through three seasons of the year.
Here’s my instagram photo of a local tree in full autumn glory and then a week later in its bare leafless beauty:
Just added a cool animation to the Gateway of the Moon. When you click on it, it will take you to a page on Wikipedia that explains the phases of the moon. (The animation is a public domain gif file from that page.)
New Pathway (post) in the Gateway of the Moon! Learn h
ow the Moon’s cycles relate to Jewish time and history, and to cycles of personal renewal.
Backyard Pomegranate in California, JHD
Although most of my updates are about adding new Gateways (content pages) and Pathways (posts), Wellsprings is also a bit like a garden that needs regular trimming, and planting to keep it thriving. Today I’ve updated the listings of retreat centers and outdoor adventure programs, and added some information on Urban Adamah, a Jewish farm in Berkeley, California, to pathway post about community gardens.
I watched a lot of moon videos to find you one that evokes a meditative feeling in a natural setting. Enjoy this new vid
eo in the Gateway of the Moon.
Thank you to the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem for permission to repost Melila Hellner-Eshed’s in-depth exploration of the development of an 
ancient Jewish legend about the moon. Previously I was only linking to this fascinating article, but now you can read the whole thing here on Wellsprings, illustrated with great moon photos and a painting by Marc Chagall. Enjoy!
Creative Commons photos are linked back to their original sites so that you can explore the work of that photographer. Remember, you can see photo credits on hover, except for the large “Featured Images” for each post, which are credited and linked (where applicable) at the foot of each post.
More Moon Lore: Gateway of the Moon
הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.
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