Seasons are very different in each of the places I have lived. In South Texas, a short spring quickly stretches into a long, hot, heavy summer, followed by a pleasant fall and mild winter. (more…)
By Rachel Barenblat, The Velveteen Rabbi
I used to own a long, soft, narrow-wale corduroy dress that always seemed to call to me around this time of year. Its colors were muted: taupe and pale purple and deep fir-green. One day I realized that it matched the Berkshire hills in their November colors: the taupe brown of bare trees seen from a distance, the muted purple of distant hillsides at early twilight, the deep green of conifers on the highest parts of the hills.
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by Rabbi David Zaslow
There is an organic flow between all of the Jewish holidays that mirrors the cycles in nature. In the Creation story, we learn that “there was evening and there was morning, the first day” (Gen. 1:5). Jews continue to mark the beginning of the day at sunset—evening—and not at midnight as most of the world does.
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In Jewish tradition, the Moon has been associated with women and the feminine. In today’s world, one of the most central social movements for Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) is that of achieving full equality and rights for the world’s women and girls. Some see the advancement of women as a symbolic fulfillment of the old Midrashic tale that the moon (the feminine principal) will someday shine like the sun (the masculine principle). Appropriate then that the phrase “half the sky” has come to symbolize this movement.
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In addition to affirming the goodness of seasonal rhythms, the Bible also affirms the seasonal rhythms of human life, as in the well known section of Kohelet / Ecclesiastes:
There is a season for everything, and a time for every desired purpose under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3 לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
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Thanks to everyone who has shared your enthusiasm and support for the renewed Wellsprings of Wisdom! I really appreciate hearing from everyone and hope that you will share some of your own experiences in the Sharing Circles (and other posts) so that we gradually create some online community.
Wellsprings of Wisdom has opened a new Gateway of Seasons for exploring the seasons of the year and the seasons of our lives. This Gateway is starting with just a few Paths (posts) and my plan is to keep adding more, so you can experience its growth with me. I’ll let you know when I add more Paths to this and existing Gateways, and open up new Gateways!
Thanks for enjoying this adventure with me!
What is your personal connection to the Moon? Does the Moon ever symbolize something for you? Does tracking its cycles take you back to a more organic relationship to time?
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January 1, 2017
8th Day of Hanukkah 5777
Welcome to the NEW Wellsprings of Wisdom!
The confluence of the solar New Year with the Hanukkah festival of re-dedication brings an auspicious time to relaunch this site.
Thanks to our talented and dedicated web designer Rivkah Walton, and after many months of work moving all the material, Wellsprings has moved to this new WordPress Platform. Our new format will make it easier to update reg
ularly. I look forward to sharing more frequent teachings, images, videos and music, and to showcasing the work of many rabbis, teachers and creative artists. Wellsprings aims to be a truly alternative online experience, a place where you can nurture your soul and learn about retreat centers, outdoor adventures, and worthwhile organizations that help the environment and society.
If you are new to the site, you can start here for a full explanation of how it works.
If you are a past reader of Wellsprings of Wisdom, you will find the four Portals of Earth/Water/Air/Fire, and your favorite original Gateways. Explore them anew to discover some updates and new pathways (posts), including videos, images, and meditations.
In honor of our relaunch, at this season of the Winter Solstice, a new Gateway has been added: Darkness, where you can learn about the night side of nature, tradition, and spirituality. Thank you to Rabbis Fern Feldman, David Evan Markus, and David Seidenberg for sharing your wisdom, and to Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael for sharing music.
Wellsprings of Wisdom will continue to add new pathways (posts) to existing Gateways (content pages), and to add whole new Gateways, so be sure to subscribe to this “What’s New” blog to know what’s been added each week!
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