Heat-Rest

Today the Moon, wanting to share the gift of her own fullness, whispered in my ear: “A long time ago, out of being Full, I moved Babylonian moon goddess Ishtar to be menstruating. That led to remember the Sabattu as the day of goddess blood, or the 7th “evil day” of Ishtar. However, when  Sumerian evolved into Hebrew, Sabattu for “Heat-rest” became Shabbat, and the people totally forgot about the day of rest that the moon takes when full, for, at that time, I am neither increasing nor decreasing. Tonight may give a chance to remember Sabattu, as tonight may be THE most important Jewish holiday… Called Purim, it is only for the child at heart, as it is about telling the story of freedom, doing carnival by wearing deliberately a mask we choose to take off, and surrendering any judgment of good and bad. What mask will I put to rest, asks Fullness/Foolishness?

Green “heART”

Once upon a time, a little mouse drew something unexpected. “What is it?” asked mother mouse. Little mouse answered: “It is a three-leave clover turning into FOUR. One leaf is for the Father, one for the Son, one for the Holy Ghost…” Clearly, that was a very knowledgeable little mouse… “But,” said the mother (the famous BUTT that changed the FAITH’s history), “yes, but, if you want to represent the trinity, your shamrock should only have three leaves, not FOUR!” “And what about you, mother? Wouldn’t father like to have you around?” answered the little mouse. And it is said that, on this day, the “luck” of little mouse and of her entire family changed entirely. And the more green their grass became, the more they shared their true colors with the world. They lived happily ever after, allowing any limiting BELIEF to be flexible, just from hearing the song of “BE LEAF!”

Confluence

Everything eventually comes to its conclusion; and so it is with my trip to France, my “return to LOVE.” I am still integrating all the gifts of what was a rich journey, that offered plenty of opportunities for an increase in Self-knowledge. One focus was certainly transformation, as the first anniversary of my mother’s passing was celebrated.

The second was confluence, a flowing together of two or more rivers. As it happens, Lyon, the city where my father lives, has two rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, coming together. Such confluence is where a new museum – the Museum of Confluence – is built. Of course, I went to visit it. This is me, on the background of the first particle accelerator…

The confluence, however, was more than geographical. It was the confluence of the two rivers as two tendencies of the soul.

How else would I come to America, if I hadn’t experienced the sacred feminine being sent into exile and forbidden to touch the holy scriptures? This is pix from my father’s synagogue, which offers the main floor to the males and relegate the females upstairs…

This journey through time, space and mind reminded me of Gen. 32:26: “I will not let you go unless you bless me…” Yes, I am bold enough to “receive” the blessings of two brothers that appeared to go apart to then find that they were actually one, reunited by LOVE. That would have to be the ultimate “confluence.”

Tradition!

Tradition. I can remember a time, when, no matter what I asked, the answer was always: “It is because it’s the Law!” Asking “why” was held to be the epitome of rebelliousness — the most wicked act that a child could commit against an all-loving father… None of the religious stuff made any sense to me. Yet, one thing was made abundantly clear: disobey the Law, and you’ll be severely punished! My response to that kind of senseless and brutal indoctrination was to split; sayonara! When I arrived in the US, I kissed the ground of my newly found freedom and for my newly found freedom! Little did I know that I would open to a gift in painting so sublime that it would have me commit to humility. The best way I knew how was to voluntarily immerse myself in the studies of the Hebrew scriptures: tradition! Time passes. Little by little, I “received” (the meaning of word QKabbalah) the answers to my questions, so much so that the questions disappeared. The vacant place they left is now filled by an undeniable clarity, a surprising sensitivity, and an abiding sense of Peace. I now “grok” what religion is really about: it is a recipe to be inscribed for a good life. Totally awesome! If that wasn’t enough, I get to be happy as in a fish in water: I am at home, in Lyon, France, with my father. He teaches me Torah by telling me about his practice of the Law. I share with him the practical reasons behind his practices… It is so totally cool to be with one another that way: at last, and maybe for the first time ever, there is a listening. R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Totally cool! Did I say: “totally cool?” And that feels as much as LOVE as it ever did! Thank you, “God,” for giving us the gift of the Torah, that is, of the Way, the Law, the Wisdom-Teaching, and, essentially, the Song of LOVE. Moreover, thank you for allowing me/us to “receive” it!

Servant Leader

Truly, my cup overrunneth… Why are we, why was I so afraid of LOVE, when the only thing I was to do was just to open and say “YES, I receive!” I am still in France, amazed and enamored by the kindness and the understanding that are presiding over most of the exchanges I have with my father. It surprises me, it delights me, it blows my mind away… which is actually the goal of all spiritual work! It is as if all the wounds, all the pettiness of past grudges – of being resentful because “I” didn’t get enough [fill in the blank] – have disappeared to reveal the absolute perfection of a genealogy that prepared me to do gracefully the beauty I love to do. TS Eliot says it best: “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” This is THE END, and quite a beginning: I really am meeting my father for the first time, now that my eye is no longer furnished. Speaking of which (furniture), I also came to help him do a major decluttering of all his past lives, especially the one as a husband, since we are about to celebrate the first anniversary of my mother’s death. We lightened up and minimized two bedrooms, a cellar, and a garage. He was such a trooper in this challenging process! Throughout opening a number of boxes, I discovered a poster of him in his mid-thirties, and totally fell in love with his smile. The caption reads: “This man is a future X;” a letter which, in Hebrew, invokes the archetype of Servant Leader: I am amazed, blessed beyond belief, and SO grateful for an heritage that is pure beauty… Wow: this is REALLY a “return to LOVE,” and an honoring of my father, on Earth as it is in Heaven!