Palm Of Devorah, The Dragon Tree

והיא יושבת תחת-תמר דבורה, בין הרמה ובין בית-אל--בהר אפרים; ויעלו אליה בני ישראל, למשפט

And she sat under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Shoftim 4:5

The name of neviah (prophetess) Devorah (דבורה), who sat under (in the place of) a palm tree [1], comes from the shoresh (3-letter Hebrew root) DBR (דבר) meaning: collecting, gathering, combining separate items into one, connecting words with coherent speech, word, something, on account of or because of, commandment, judicial regulation, temple interior, raft of lashed planks, bees, and plague or epidemic [2]. This shoresh is associated with the sefirah Gevurah [3]. The dragon is the mythic animal corresponding to the sefirah Gevurah [4].

The name Devorah is comprised of 5 Hebrew letters. These 5 letters represent the 5 unrectified feminine judgments (dinim) in Malchut, where Malchut is represented by the second hei (ה) of the tetragrammaton. This hei corresponds to the power of expression (אמר). Consequently, Dragon's Blood is a botanical representing "slaying the dragon". In other words, it represents the rectified feminine power of expression.

Dragon's Blood is a resinous substance harvested from a Sumatran tree from the palm family. The mature fruit of the Dragon's Blood palm is reddish resin covered berries the size of cherries which end in points.

see here


The Dragon Tree of the Canary Islands (shown below) is (like the baobob tree) the "oldest living representative of the vegetable kingdom" (see link).

Footnotes:

[1] The word in the pasuk for "beneath" a palm tree is תחת , which can also be translated (see [2]) as "in place of" or "instead of". As a judge, the implication here is that Devorah sat making judgments. In other words, she could adjudicate the terms of justice, determining the sentence according (in the place of) the crime or violation.

[2] Etymological Dictionary Of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark (p. 46)

[3] Sha'are Orah, R' Yosef Gikatilla (pp. 48-49)

[4] Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart (p. 138)

Dragon's Blood

The botanical Dragon's Blood (Daemomorops draco) contains:

50 to 70 per cent resinous compound of benzoic and benzoyl-acetic acid, with dracoresinotannol, and also dracon alban and dracoresene. Not acted upon by water, Dragon's Blood fuses through heat.

A primary constituent (about half) of Dragon's Blood is benzoic acid, C₇H₆O₂ (C₇H₅COOH), a "colorless crystalline solid and the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid."

Considering the chemical molecular formula, we see that there are in total 7 carbon atoms, 6 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms in the molecule. Kabbalistically, the numbers are zayin (ז), vav (ו) and a chatoteret comprised of 2 lines. These number facts of 7-6 and 2 (the chatoteret) combined into one molecule make the letter chet (ח), which contains the secret to both the power of G-d and the soul of mashiach.

A diagram of the chemical structure of benzoic acid is shown below. Note the hexagonal shape of the aromatic carboxyl group. A regular hexagon (like the one shown) has 720 [1] degrees made of 6 equal internal angles of 120 degrees each. Interesting to consider in terms of the tetragrammaton and four forces from one, a truncated tetrahedron (split in half) has 4 regular hexagonal faces. The Hebrew word for half and arrow is the same word, חץ.

Footnote:
[1] There are 720 possible permutations of the 6 letters בראשית Bereshit (the first word of the Written Torah), a secret of challah and the tikun of tohu.

Koach Ha'tfisa & The Sharpened Arrow

I acquired (koach ha'tfisa) my athame this afternoon. As yet, there is nothing inscribed into it. I laid it angled (opposite to the way a mezuzah angles on a doorpost) across the middle of the altar plate to absorb light from the shabbat candles. I lit Dragon's Blood incense.

Also on the altar for shabbat, I lit 4 black candles at the quarters, an 8 inch black taper in the center, and a 6 inch dark red pomegranate pillar behind the taper (off to the right a small bit as I faced it). A little later into shabbat (a few hours), I noticed that the northern quarter black candle wasn't burning as bright as the others, even though it continues still to burn steadily. Odd, I thought.

After noticing it, a family member came to tell me the news (koach ha'klita) - Saddam Hussein was set to be executed within the next 15 minutes by hanging.

This evening is the first time I've used both Dragon's Blood incense and pomegranate candles. It's amazing how the Dragon's Blood incense and the pomegranate pillar are of identical dark red color.

Still, the northern flame humbly burns unextinguished. Interestingly, as I write this, the flame on the southern quarter has made itself to match the northern one.

The sharpened arrow (חץ שנון): There are 300 halachot concerning "you shall not let a witch live."

R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh (The Hebrew Letters) teaches:

King Yoshiyahu, יאשיהו, one of the most righteous kings to arise from the House of David and referred to as "the mashiach of G-d", was killed - due to the great transgressions of Israel - in battle with Pharaoh Necoh by 300 Egyptian arrows. Three hundred arrows is the secret of חץ שנון, the "sharpened arrow".

Recognition, Syncretism & Jewish Diversity

For the record, for all practical purposes, I feel I have been put into cherem ever since I returned to Judaism. Even though I haven't been under a ban (to my knowledge), I am basically a pariah left to survive at the mercy of the world. This is likely due to a confluence of many reasons, of which I am left to merely speculate as to what they might be.

My teshuvah experience has not at all been pleasant, and sometimes I wonder how I have survived at all. It has not been via any help from the Jewish community. In my early thirties my life fell apart, and still today, at nearly forty-six, I have not been allowed nor enabled to recover in those areas beyond my control. I am surviving basically.

I imagine my difficult path back to Torah (which has evolved into being a Jewitch) has had the side benefit of augmenting the tendency of my natural INTJ personality not to allow myself to be "told what to do" by Rabbis who would like me to "get with the program" (now, although for many years, Rabbis would have preferred that I "just die" or something). Clearly, they have found, I am not one to get with any program just to fit in or "just die". I am not going away no matter to what remote corner of the universe they may fling me.

I am what I am and that includes being of Jewish, Celtic and Native American American ancestry. There is no one on the face of this planet or in heaven above with the power to take away my Jewish soul just because I won't "get with the program". Nor will I cut off the Celtic or Native American aspects of my neshamah just because some Rabbis want me to and their automata parrot the call. I will be Jewish my way, in a manner which respects the integrity of my neshamah, and that includes being a shamanic Jewitch. I so wish I'd have realized I was a witch much earlier in my life.

Nevertheless, now that I have recovered this part of me, I fully embrace it. There is no way I legitimately couldn't embrace it anyway. I am a witch. I am a Jewish witch. The world, Jewish and non-Jewish, can accept me or not, but what I am is not (nor ever was) determined by that acceptance or lack thereof.

Further, for the record, most of my kabbalistic learning is chassidut-based. If I had to point to a primary teacher, that would be Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh of The Inner Dimension. Many of my kabbalistic ideas have a foundation in the Hebrew letters as he has taught about them. I have little knowledge of the Kabbalah Center although I have visited and linked to various pages on its website on occasion as a reference to support various ideas. I am not averse to doing this despite the nearly universal disparagement of it among the orthodox. Likewise, I don't recognize the ban against Sabbatean kabbalah (or any similar ones against Jewitches) and have incorporated some of those kabbalistic teachings when they resonate with my experience and religious or spiritual ideas.

If I learn something from someone, the fact that the orthodox world does not accept him or her, matters not. I am going to link to the source for that learning or reference. So, I'm not sure exactly where I fall on the spectrum of Jewish belief. I have some Reconstructionist leanings as well. My secular education is rather scientific-focused, and I find intellectual Reconstructionism a welcome balance to kabbalistic Chassidut.

Yes, I am syncretic, but only in ways particular to my own "portion" of Torah. I don't blend into my practice another tradition just for the sake of doing it. The syncretism must be born of my own netivot (personal soulpaths), otherwise it would be disrespectful to the integrity of both the path I was seeking to incorporate illegitimately and to the purpose in creation for my own unique soul.

At this point in my journey, the flavors of Torah in my soul are the Jewish tradition, Celtic witchcraft and Native American shamanism. Consequently, my "syncretic" focus exists there. Clearly, no one else is like me. We are all unique and I have no doubt that there exist Jews who should embrace the Arabic ancestries which they may have. I think Sephardic Jews do this to some degree. I love Sephardic meditation music BTW, it's beautifully congruent with the shamanic aspects in my soul (so maybe there is a hidden Sephardi ancestry or soul connection in me as well).

As I've posted before, I practice a unique form of Abulafian kabbalah and I know Abulafia held Sufism in very high regard, incorporating some of its teachings into his teachings just as I incorporate some of the teachings of Celtic witchcraft and Native American shamanism into mine. Clearly then, focused syncretism is not without precedent among the sages and has a place among the netivot of Klal Yisrael.

Many may or may not like my ideas or me and that's every person's right to decide. But one thing is surely certain - no one can tell me who or what I am or am not.

Mezuzah & Pentacle, Directing Divine Energy

Today I received my first silver pentacle. It looks like the one in the graphic on the left. Now I have both a gold magen David and a silver pentacle. Soon, I will receive the Jewitch star I purchased which combines them both.

Previously I described how the Jewish mezuzah and the Celtic witch's athame (ritual dagger) are both related to the "blood sign" of the exodus through the hebrew letters of mezuzah (מזוזה) and through the mythology of both. Interestingly, the witch's pentacle is even more directly related to mitzvah of mezuzah.

On the back of the parchment within a mezuzah is the esoteric inscription:

KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU
כוזו במוכסז כוזו

Moshe Idel (Language, Torah, and Hermeneutics in Abraham Abulafia) writes regarding this enigmatic phrase and its connection to the pentacle:

In many manuscripts we find a passage that contains a pentagram, and alongside it is written: ‘This is the Maaseh Merkavah KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU’, and under these letters is written: YHVH ELHYNU YHVH.

A pentagram is the star of five points with a five-sided geometrical shape in its center. A pentacle is a pentagram encircled [1]. As the pentagram clearly corresponds to KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU, the pentacle likewise corresponds to YHVH ELHYNU YHVH.

Given the connection of the witch's pentacle to Abulafian hebrew letter kabbalah (which I have uniquely practiced for nearly a decade), I can see now that my interest in Jewitchery is a very natural development of my kabbalistic learning. Moreover, in light of the fact that the witch's pentacle and athame are both connected to the mitzvah of mezuzah, when I acquire my athame later this week, I intend to inscribe upon its blade KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU, in hebrew letters (one side, with a pentacle also) and YHVH ELHYNU YHVH in letters of the celtic ogham (the other side, with a magen David also).

hebrew KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU
כוזו במוכסז כוזו

celtic ogham YHVH ELHYNU YHVH


Note the >-feather (eite) of the ogham line which denotes the "beginning" and direction of writing. This characteristic mark at the left end of an ogham line is like a mystical extention of the tip of the athame. In other words, the essential "energy" of YHVH ELHYNU YHVH is being directed beyond the tip of the blade when used in ritual. Thus, the athame inscribed as discussed above, which as an extention of the witch herself, is used not only to project and direct mystical kavanah, but to direct Divine Energy as well.

Footnote:

[1] The Craft, Dorothy Morrison (p. 84)

Tekufat Maavar

תקופת מעבר Tekufat Maavar
Literally: Period of passage
Idiotmatically: Transition period

I purchased my first personal Jewitch pentacle-magen David star today. My star, which unites both dark and light into something greater than either of them alone, looks like:

How You Found Me

Among the last 50 google search words which led visitors to Craftwork Of A Jewitch (number of times):

chaverah (1)
shamanism (1)
wife (2)
http://jewitch.blogspot.com (3)
jewish pentacle (1)
shevirat hakelim (3)
druid (5)
jewitch (10)
celtic awen (1)
mahdi eschatology (1)
Liorah-Lleucu (2)
Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto LeOlam Vaed (3)

Athame, Finger Of The Endless

deep deep complete
creature of the night eternal
a touch divine, a bit insane, off the edge
plunging into a cutting clarity
relentless, wild
stark and undistorted
without echo, raw tradition
a serpent song, a scorpion tale
thirsting inside out, like a finger of the endless
casting kisses
from the heart of the dark

ויקרא למשה ולאהרן לילה, ויאמר קומו צאו מתוך עמי
She called to Moshe and Aaron by night and said, "rise up, come forth from among my people ..."
Shemot 12:31

artist of painting "Athame" unknown

Mezuzah & Athame

Rabbi Yosil Rosenzweig writes regarding the mitzvah of mezuzah and the oht (sign) of blood:

The Mitzvah of Mezuzah is actually commanded in Devarim 6:9. But in Shemot 12:3-15 the reason for the Mitzvah is explained: "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel, saying: On the tenth of this month each person shall take for themselves a lamb or a kid, for each household...[on] the fourteenth of this month, the entire congregation of the assembly of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon. They shall take some of its blood and place it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they will eat...I shall go through Egypt on this night, and I shall strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man to beast; and against all gods of Egypt I shall mete out punishment. The blood shall be a SIGN for you upon the house where you are; when I see the blood I shall PASSOVER you; there shall not be a plague of destruction upon you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be a remembrance for you and you shall celebrate it..."

An Oht (a sign) is significant because it is a reminder of an act that occurred before the eyes of the entire nation.

The mezuzah (מזוזה), representing the protective blood sign, is spelled with two letters zayin. The two letters zayin united together (זוז) within one word for the Jewish ritual item upon the doorpost is like "one dagger of double edges (זוז) of her (מה)." In other words, the "blood sign" on the doorpost which protects a Jew's home in mitzrayim is a woman's double-edged dagger. The contemplative power to "connect and interrelate all elements within creation", bringing down Divine Will into Understanding, is a function of the letter vav which forms the spine of the dagger of double-edges.

The witch's double-edged ritual dagger is called an athame (pronounced a-tham-ay). Silver Ravenwolf writes regarding the Celtic history of the athame [1]:

We know from Celtic history that, for a time, their weaponry through use of iron was far superior to their contemporaries, and that they were feared because of it. We also know that such folklore practices as hanging a knife above a door to cut any negativity that might enter the home (which means that the knives were not used to physically cut, but to defend on the astral plane) were highly popular in that culture.

A witch's athame is never ever used to draw blood. If it ever does, it becomes ritually unfit and can never be used again. It must be buried. Thus, in ancient Celtic culture the protecting blood sign upon the door was a double edged dagger which never draws blood. In other words, like the mezuzah, it is a protective blood sign which never draws blood.

Putting these ideas together, we can see that the Jewish ritual mezuzah and the Celtic ritual athame both refer to the same essence of spiritual protection - to guard the house from all negative influences that might attempt to enter it. Even the construct of the word mezuzah contains within it the idea of a woman's double-edged dagger as the protective device.

Footnote:

[1] Solitary Witchcraft, Silver Ravenwolf (p. 125)

Sacred Ritual Seals

אתהפכא חשוכא לנהורא
Selah.

To seal a spell [1], witches say "so mote it be," meaning "it is so." In a similar manner, Jews seal prayer spells with the words amen (אמן) or selah (סלה). In the Temple, in place of amen, the words [2] are said:

Blessed be His Glorious Majesty forever and ever.
ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד

The witch's "so mote it be" and "amen" mean the same thing. This seal reinforces Divine Will with the soul power of emunah (interincluded within all levels of one's soul) and kavanah to make the prayer spell manifest. It is a formula of confirmation and agreement. By pronouncing "so mote it be" and "amen" one becomes bound to that uttered. One doesn't say either "so mote it be" or "amen" in vain or with evil intent. It is a serious utterance of creation-making for which one is held accountable.

Selah is an untranslatable term found 71 times in Tehillim (Psalms) and 3 times in Habakkuk [3]. Interpreted as a musical or liturgical sign, it implies raising, lifting, extolling, exalting (the voice of the singers) and in medieval Hebrew texts, it means "forever".

Consequently, we can see that selah "seals" a prayer spell, by raising it up into the Presence of the Divine. Amen and the the witch's blessing seals a prayer spell, by bringing down the Divine Presence and becoming personally bound to it and to the Divine Will by confirming the contract contained within the prayer spell. The Inner Temple blessing is reserved for the Most Holy of prayer spells in the Most Holy of spacetime. It should only be uttered in complete kedushah with the purest kavanah. It contains hashra'ah of Divine Essence, as does the form of the Temple blessing which alludes to the Kingdom of the Divine Feminine:

ברוך שם כבוד מלכותה לעולם ועד, אמן
Blessed is the Glorious Name, Her Kingdom stands forever and ever.

Amen. So mote it be.

Footnotes:

[1] Power Spellcraft For Life, Arin Murphy-Hiscock

[2] Encyclopedia Of Jewish Concepts, Philip Birnbaum (pp. 46-7, 438-439)

[3] Habakkuk 3:3, 3:9 and 3:13

Jewitchery On The Edge Webring

New webring featuring Jewitch websites: Jewish witches, wiccans, kabbalists, shamans, pagans, earth-based practitioners, and mystics welcome.

Submit a site here to Jewitchery On The Edge, and follow the instructions for inserting the navigation code. Once the webring navigation code is validated through the system, it enables me to add the website into the ring from the queue. If you have a problem with the code, email me and we'll figure it out how to get it done.

If you think you might be a Jewitch, submit your website or blog!

Star framework from Lilitu.

Smudging For Spiritual Renewal

I purchased a Native American made sage bundle (similar to the one pictured, except that mine is also wrapped with pink string) and performed my first Rosh Chodesh Esbat shamanic smudging ritual:

'Smudging' is the common name given to the Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing, a powerful cleansing technique from the Native American tradition. However the burning of herbs for emotional, psychic, and spiritual purification is common practice in many religious, healing, and spiritual traditions. It is a ritual way to cleanse a person, place or an object of negative energies or influences.

More about smudging, ritual herbs and sacred smoke.

Shamanic Smudging
Smudging - How To Do It, How Not To Do It
Of Shamans & Smudge Sticks

Instruments Of Divine Experience

Chatzot Of The Year, 29 Kislev 5767
Erev Rosh Chodesh Tevet, 5th Chanukah candle
new moon in Sagittarius Wednesday morning, 8:01 a.m. U.S. CST

According to Sefer Yetzirah, Wednesday is ruled by the planet Venus. The Hebrew and Celtic archetypes corresponding to Venus are Moshe and Rhiannon, respectively.

Moshe is an archetype of messianic consciousness whose name means "drawing out". In Celtic mysticism, Rhiannon is an archetype of the "great mother" whose name means "great queen".

Transliterated phonetically into Hebrew letters, Rhiannon רי ענן suggests the concepts of "clarifying and consciously experiencing" (ר) the concentration of something "infinite within the finite" (י) of a cloud (ענן), where the cloud represents the manifestion of the yud (י) of Hashem's Name. Taken together with the name of Moshe, the two archetypes (masculine and feminine side by side) correspond to the ability to clarify, experience (Rhiannon) and draw out (Moshe) the concentration of something "infinite within the finite" to reveal that concealed within a cloud (of consciousness). In other words, together Rhiannon and Moshe are instruments enabling revelation and experience of the Divine Glory.

What is the function of "the cloud" contained within the name of Rhiannon?

Rabbi Efrayim of Lunshitz, author of the Kli Yakar commentary, explains:

"The cloud covered the Tent of Appointment, and the Glory of God filled the cloud" (Shemot 40:34) - from this it appears that the Glory of God is not the cloud, but rather the fire and the light, i.e. the Glory of God was seen from within the cloud; were it not for the cloud, it would have been impossible to gaze upon it, for man cannot gaze into the light of the sun, kal va-chomer he cannot look at the brilliance of His Presence. Therefore the holy light was always seen from within the cloud ...

Yaakov, Beli Mawr & Torah LeAtid Lavo

According Sefer Yetzirah, Tuesday is ruled by the sun. The corresponding Hebrew and Celtic archetypes are Yaakov and Belenos, respectively.

Belenos is a "Romanized" form of the Celtic name Beli Mawr (בלי מאור), where beli means "shining" (Celtic) and mawr means "of light" (Celtic and Hebrew).

Alternatively, in Hebrew, beli can mean "without" - like within the word "belimah" of Sefer Yetzirah (page 25). Thus, Beli Mawr (בלי מאור) can mean both "shining of light" and "without light" simultaneously, depending on whether one is looking through Celtic or Hebrew consciousness. Consequently, in this archetypal name, we have both a kav (a "shining" of light as in Celtic myth and Jewish kabbalah) and a Lamp of Darkness (Botzina de Kardenuta, or the tzimtzum of Jewish kabbalah) existing together in harmony.

Interestingly, both Yaakov and "the giving of the Torah" are represented by the kav in Jewish kabbalah. This association is more in line with the meaning of the Celtic (kav) interpretation of Beli Mawr as opposed to the Hebrew (tzimtzum) interpretation. This makes Hebrew Yaakov and Celtic Beli Mawr one and the same essence, both possessing Torah, and each the "reverse vision" of the other.

On that day Hashem will be One, and His Name One. ביום ההוא יהיה יהוה אחד -- ושמו אחד

Eclectic, Self-Initiated, Solitary

Ormus/Shabbathai inquires via email:

I am interested to know those [if] some of us here practice a very rare form of Jewish Witchcraft known as Kishuf (Kishuph or Keshuf) and Nephashuth (or Nephashot)? I am initiated in this tradition and look to find someone who is also part of this way.

I have no idea about this tradition. To clarify my own path - I am an eclectic self-initiated solitary Jewitch whose practice combines elements of Jewish kabbalah (primarily), Celtic witchcraft and Native American shamanism. These traditions are the ancient roots of my known natural ancestries. My primary religious path is Judaism and Jewish kabbalah, however, I am the product and a tapestry of all my ancestors. I am made of all these peoples and I have no intent on cutting any of them off. In refusing to do so, I am honoring, not only my ancestors, but the mitzvah (Shemot 20:12) to honor one's parents (which means ancestors) as well. This mitzvah is one of the aseret hadibrot and I don't take it lightly.

I have no "coven" or "circle" that I belong to and I have no mentor. I do my own thing my way as my soulpath leads me. I have an INTJ personality, and those who know anything about personality types, will understand that I'm not really "into" following the crowd regarding much of anything - that includes spiritual matters.

Tiw & Shem HaMeforash

In both Jewish and Celtic timekeeping, days of the week run from sundown to sundown. Today is Monday.

According to Sefer Yetzirah, Monday is ruled by the planet Mars, as opposed to the moon as one finds in traditional western astrology. The Hebrew archetype for the planet Mars is Yitzchak, and the Celtic archetype is Tiw.

Tiw is the archetypal power which governs War, Justice and The Law. Transliterated into Hebrew letters, Tiw may be spelled tet-yud-vav טיו. These letters in reverse vision are ezer knegdo to the letters vav-yud-tet ויט, meaning "turned away", "stretched out", "turned in", "extended" and "and pitched his tent". The word ויט is found in Bereshit 12:8 -

From there he relocated to the mountain east of Beth-el and pitched his tent, with Beth-el on the west and Ai on the east; and he built there an alter to Hashem and invoked Hashem by Name.

ויעתק שמם ההרה, מקדם לבית-אל -- ויט אהלה; בית-אל מים, והעי מקדם, ויבן-שם מזבח ליהוה, ליקרא בשם יהוה

ויט is also found in Bereshit 26:25 -

He built an alter there, invoked Hashem by Name, and there he pitched his tent; there Yitzchak's servants dug a well.

ויבן שם מזבח, ויקרא בשם יהוה, ויט-שם, אהלו; ויכרו-שם עבדי-יצחק, באר

Interestingly, both times in Torah, the reverse vision of Tiw is concerned with invoking Hashem by Name. In the second case, the letters ויט are themselves explicitly connected to the word "shem" שם (Name).

Day 7 - Saturday Correspondences

Saturday - Day 7
Please note, these correspondences have been adapted from several sources and may differ from traditional astrological correspondences. All designations follow the planet for the day according to Sefer Yetzirah.


Symbolic Language & Mathematics

Celtic ogham letter -
Hebrew letter - ת
number - 400
permutation - תבג דכפר
vowel - tzerey
"42"-letter name - שקו צית

Astrological & Metaphysical

space/planet - Jupiter
Hebrew name - Tzedek צדק
Sumerian name - Enlil
Egyptian name - Isis
Babylonian name - Marduk
orbit cycle - --
retrograde periods - once per year for 120 days
satellites - --
degrees moved on average day - --
channel - yesod to malchut
sefirah - malchut, chesed
mazal/rulership - sagittarius (keshet, קשת)
firmament - Vilon
earth - Eretz

Archetypes

Hebrew archetype - David
Celtic archetype - Taranis
Germanic archetype - Thor/Donner
Greek archetype - Zeus
Roman archetype - Jupiter/Jove
seal/archangel - Tzidkiel, Tzadkiel
malachim - Tzuriel, Raziel, Yofiel
mythic animal - gryphon

Attributes

concept - reshimu, the impression of emunah upon superconsciousness experience
soul - mouth
gift - grace, personality improvement
direction - center
color - blue and purple
basic energy - expansion
basic mystical energy - money
element - air/fire
metal - tin
trees - oak (duir)
incense - nutmeg, cedarwood oil, frankincense, juniper berry, hyssop, st. john's wort
oil - nutmeg oil
gemstones - amethyst, sapphire
mundane animal - peacock, bull, eagle

Plants

mint, cedar, balm, olive, oak, clover, st. john's wort, anise, solomon's seal

Influences

life, peace, good, prosperity, religious feelings, joy, wealth, political advance

Energy Keywords

aspiration, benevolent, charitable, confident, dignity, expansion, extravagant, faithful, generous, growth, gullible, humorous, indulgence, human, kindness, merciful, optimistic, orthodox, philanthropic, poise, pompous, radiance, religious, reverent, understanding

Concerns

honor, wealth, health, peace, fame, power

Day 6 - Friday Correspondences

Friday - Day 6
Please note, these correspondences have been adapted from several sources and may differ from traditional astrological correspondences. All designations follow the planet for the day according to Sefer Yetzirah.


Symbolic Language & Mathematics

Celtic ogham letter -
Hebrew letter - ר
number - 200
permutation - רתבג דכפ
vowel - shurek
"42"-letter name - יגל פזק

Astrological & Metaphysical

space/planet - Saturn
Hebrew name - Shabsai שבתאי
Sumerian name - Ninurta
Egyptian name - Nepthys
Babylonian name - Ninib
orbit cycle - --
retrograde periods - --
satellites - --
degrees moved on average day - --
channel - tiferet to yesod
sefirah - binah/da'at, malchut/yesod
mazal/rulership - capricorn (g'di, גדי)
firmament - Aravot
earth - Chalad

Archetypes

Hebrew archetype - Yosef
Celtic archetype - Arawn
Germanic archetype - Santur
Greek archetype - Kronos
Roman archetype - Saturnus
seal/archangel - Kaptziel, Tzaphkiel
malachim - Shimshushiel, Raphael, Kidushiel
mythic animal - basilisk

Attributes

concept - clarification & rectification of the "yesh" of creation
soul - left nostril
gift - serenity, peace
direction - west
color - black and midnight blue
basic energy - restriction, authority, crossroads
basic mystical energy - banishing, rewards
element - earth/water
metal - lead
trees - alder/cypress (fearn/ -)
incense - civet, myrrh, cinnamon, rue, mullein, yew berries, patchouli, cypress leaves
oil - patchouli oil
gemstones - obsidian, onyx, black pearl
mundane animal - crow, raven, crocodile

Plants

aconite, yew, cannabis, hemlock, thyme, deadly ightshade, jimson weed, cypress

Influences

poverty, destruction, internal injury, sickness

Energy Keywords

authority, caution, defensive, diplomatic, fearful, humility, justice, law, old, patience, pessimism, respect, responsible, restrain, rigid, serious, severe, sincere, stern, thrifty, time

Concerns

harvest, long life, protection, stability, safety

Day 5 - Thursday Correspondences

Thursday - Day 5
Please note, these correspondences have been adapted from several sources and may differ from traditional astrological correspondences. All designations follow the planet for the day according to Sefer Yetzirah.


Symbolic Language & Mathematics

Celtic ogham letters -
Hebrew letter - פ
number - 80
permutation - פרת בגדכ
vowel - shurek
"42"-letter name - חקב טנע

Astrological & Metaphysical

space/planet - Mercury
Hebrew name - Kochav כוכב
Sumerian name - Enki
Egyptian name - Thoth
Babylonian name - Nabu
orbit cycle - 88 earth days, ~ 4 times per year, ~ 7.5 days in each sign
retrograde periods - 3 times per year for 3 weeks per period
satellites - none
degrees moved on average day - ~ 1.6 degree/day
channel - gevurah to hod
sefirah - hod
mazal/rulership - gemini/virgo (teomim/besula, תאומים/בתולה)
firmament - Ma'on
earth - Yabashah

Archetypes

Hebrew archetype - Aaron
Celtic archetype - Lugh
Germanic archetype - Woden/Odin
Greek archetype - Hermes
Roman archetype - Mercurius
seal/archangel - Michael
malachim - Shmuaiel, Ra'umiel, Kuniel
mythic animal - hippogriff

Attributes

concept - oral communication of knowledge
soul - left ear, lower eyelid
gift - authority, dominance, advancement
direction - down
color - yellow
basic energy - speed
basic mystical energy - communication, movement, mental energy, analysis, service
element - water/air
metal - mercury/aluminum
trees - hazel/ash (coll/nuin)
incense - storax, mace, sandalwood, cinnamon, sassafras, wormwood
oil - lavender oil
gemstones - fire opal, agate
mundane animal - jackal, ape, ibis, serpent

Plants

wormwood, valerian, dill, carraway, vervain, horehound, fennel, lavender, mandrake

Influences

wisdom, skill, writing, language

Energy Keywords

active, adaptable, agility, alert, analytical, articulate, aware, brilliant, changeable, critical, dexterous, duality, discriminatory, efficient, expressive, indecisive, intelligent, irresponsible, precise, reason, restless, sensory, skeptical, versatile

Concerns

communication, memory, truth, business

Besom - Besomim

Death and life lie in the hands of the tongue ...
Shlomoh HaMelech, Mishlei 18:21
מות וחיים, ביד-לשון

A traditional witch's broom is called a besom. Like besomim (sweet-smelling havdalah spices), the besom concerns "cutting".

The word besomim בשׂמים is from the shoresh בשׂם meaning "cut up" [1]. Words are like thought-pieces cut from the stream of consciousness to communicate that contained within the inner stream to others or to oneself during the process of self-discovery. Words, like spices, can be sweet or foul smelling.

As spices are "cut" from plants like words are "cut" from thought, the besom "cuts" life from death. Like the havdalah spices specifically, the besom "separates" between realities. The havdalah besomim separate between sacred and profane realities. The besom separates between the realities of life and death. How do we know this?

In addition to the "cutting" connection of the besom with its phonetic Hebrew root, there is also a "cutting" connection within the mythology surrounding the witch's broom. In ancient Rome midwives used special brooms to "cut the ties between the world of the living and the realm of the dead after childbirth" [2]. Interestingly, this directly calls to mind within the mythic symbolism the proverb of Shlomoh HaMelech - death and life lie in the hands of the tongue.

The besom-broom even looks like a tongue (held in the hands). Besomim are the words which fill it. When we breathe the sweet-smelling havdalah spices, we are breathing in the essence of good words born of shabbat consciousness, which hopefully will find expression throughout the week. When a witch sweeps out negative energy from her sacred space with her besom, she is "cutting off" evil words before they are even conceived.

The witch's besom in a witch's hand is the "hand of the tongue" crafting a path of life and cutting off the path of death. Besomim are the essence and expression of words the tongue may speak.

Footnotes:

[1] Etymoligical Dictionary Of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark

[2] Solitary Witch, Silver Ravenwolf; and The Woman's Dictionary Of Symbols And Sacred Objects, B. Walker

Day 4 - Wednesday Correspondences

Wednesday - Day 4
Please note, these correspondences have been adapted from several sources and may differ from traditional astrological correspondences. All designations follow the planet for the day according to Sefer Yetzirah.


Symbolic Language & Mathematics

Celtic ogham letters -
Hebrew letter - כ
number - 20
permutation - כפרת בגד
vowel - chirak
"42"-letter name - כטר צתג

Astrological & Metaphysical

space/planet - Venus
Hebrew name - Nogah נגה
Sumerian name - Inanna
Egyptian name - Hathor
Babylonian name - Ishtar
orbit cycle - 225 earth days, ~ 18.7 days in each sign
retrograde periods - every 18 months for ~ 40 days
satellites - none
degrees moved on average day - ~ 1.6 degree/day
channel - chesed to netzach
sefirah - netzach
mazal/rulership - taurus/libra (shor/moznayim, שור/מאזנים)
firmament - Zevul
earth - Charba

Archetypes

Hebrew archetype - Moses
Celtic archetype - Rhiannon
Germanic archetype - Freyja/Frey
Greek archetype - Aphrodite
Roman archetype - Venus
seal/archangel - Anathiel, Haniel
malachim - Chizkiel, Rahitiel, Kidashiel
mythic animal - mermaid

Attributes

concept - ability to actualize potential
soul - left eye, upper eyelid
gift - life, health
direction - up
color - green
basic energy - socialization
basic mystical energy - relationships, balance, manifestation
element - water/earth
metal - copper
trees - apple/rowan (ceirt/luis)
incense - jasmine, egg white, rose petals, gum benzoin, red coral, lignum aloes
oil - musk oil, lilac oil
gemstones - emerald, amber
mundane animal - dove, swan, dolphin, fish

Plants

apple, elder, rosemary, sandalwood, rose, geranium, orris, eryngo, fig, almond

Influences

grace, love, lust, children, fruitfulness

Energy Keywords

love, beauty, harmony, luxury, sex, aesthetics, friendship, artistic, possessive, stable, stubborn, loyal, diplomatic, greedy, indecisive, hypocritical, peace at any price, fickle, judicial, sociable, sensual, self-indulgent, materialistic, dogmatic, cooperative, affectionate, devotion, gentle, impressionable, evasive, indolent, indifferent, obstinate, vacillate

Concerns

love, passion, friendship, joy, safety, fertility

Sefer Tzelem

This Jewitch's Book Of Shadows (Sefer Tzelem) will be like a research laboratory record, documenting the experimental data and research methods of my craftwork. In this manner, it will be a quasi-scientific record exploring "magickal" consciousness.








Each craftwork experiment will scientifically document:

the observation of a reality and known variables influencing it
a working hypothesis about that reality
predictions from the hypothesis
an objective for change
stated intent
experimental design (tools, procedure, spell, etc)
data and results over time
analysis and conclusion
recommedations for improvements or alterations

Of course, the methods themselves will evolve as well. In the beginning, most "experiments" will be of an "exploratory" nature. General notes for reference and observations will also be recorded.

My education and experience with clinical and scientific research documentation should come in handy here.

Spellcrafting Change

What is a spell?

"Simply put, a spell is something you do with intent and awareness to create change. It consists of a set of symbolic actions performed in the physical world to initiate change on a higher level. A spell seeks to redress the balance of a situation by introducing new energy or redistributing the energy already present.

A spell is not a religious act. Spellcasting is a method of using energy to power some sort of change. Many religions use spells or a form of energy transfer or energy management as part of worship. However, spells aren't unique to any one religion. They are often described as a form of prayer, but there are subtle differences between prayer and spellcraft. First of all, prayer to a higher power implies that you honor that higher power, and that an established relationship exists between you, which enables you to call on that higher power for aid. It also implies that the higher power possesses the wherewithall to fix the situation. On the other hand, spells use the abundance of energy around us in the world to catalyze change. It's a more active process than prayer. In a spell, you are the agent of change: you call upon your own resources to gather and direct the energy instead of employing a separate agent such as a higher power to accomplish the task. Don't misunderstand the phrase "more active process" - heartfelt prayer raises alot of energy on the part of the practitioner. In fact, partnering a spell with some form of prayer is a very popular practice in several cultures. What it comes down to, though, is that prayer is a religious act, whereas spellcraft is secular."

The Benefits Of Spellcasting

"By crafting and casting spells, you learn the ins and outs of the flow of energy through your life.

Spellcraft teaches you about how energy moves, how you can handle it, and how to direct it into various areas of your life. Once you understand how energy behaves, you can fine-tune your use of it, and experiment tapping into it via different methods.

Spellcraft is a deeply transformative process, which touches the spellcaster as well as the goal and the environment containing them both.

A spell creates the added benefit of knowing exactly what you want. Part of the spellcrafting process involves determining a precise goal. It benefits the rest of your life; being able to sift through the superficial desires clarifies your areas of strength and areas for you to work on."

Excerpt from Power Spellcraft For Life by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Divine Feminine, Druidry & Chanukah

In follow up to my post on the Oak Of Asherah where I wrote:

The goddess archetype Asherah is associated with the oak tree ... Some of the meanings of the shoresh (root) אלה include: master, combine elements for control, G-d who combines all natural force ... the gematria of the physical oak tree אלון in reality is 87. This value is the gematria of Elohim אלהים plus 1 (im hakolel).

One could posit that the "oak tree" symbolizes the "place"where "complete unity of multiplicity" may be actualized in nature.This "feminine" actualization would be a powerful transcendental yet simultaneously immanent "feminine force" to be reckoned with, a unified field even - a unification of all physical forces of nature - on par with Havayah.

and also in follow up to my post about my dream this morning where I was initiated as Celtic-Jewish hybrid Druid priestess, I note two related ideas. First, chanukah is coming up later this week. With respect to both chanukah and the concept of "initiation", Dave @ Balashon writes on the etymology of the word chanukah חנוכה:

This article by Prof. Stefan Reif shows how the basic meaning of the root חנך is "to begin, initiate". He writes that the places where the verb חנך is used in regards to the Mishkan or Beit HaMikdash (Bamidbar 7:10, Divrei HaYamim II 7:5-9) a good translation would be "initation" or "starting upon their course of beneficial service". ...

Rashi on Bereshit 14:14 writes that "the word חנך signifies introducing a person or a thing, for the first time, to some particular occupation in which it is intended that he should remain".

Second, on the etymology of the word Druid:

Druid comes to English from Latin druides (pronounced /dru'i.des/), which is the same as the term used by Ancient Greek writers, the first to discuss the Celts: Δρυίδης[3] (Druides), associated by folk etymology with drus (δρύς, pronounced /drys/ meaning "oak tree") and -ides (-ιδης meaning "the son of" as per Aristides). The Latin and Greek terms trace via Proto-Celtic *druwid (also reconstructed as *druwis and *druwids) to the Proto-Indo-European roots *deru- and *weid-.
*deru-[1] is reconstructed as meaning "to be firm, solid, steadfast".

The defining "Druidic" characteristics of firm and steadfast were evident in another recent dream, Key To The Temple, and also discussed here, Binyamin & The Dark Feminine.

Taking all this together, we can see that all the ideas of:

1. being initiated as a Celtic-Jewish Druid priestess
2. unifying the Divine Feminine into a configuration on par with Havayah
3. building the Mishkan and/or Beit HaMikdash
4. Chanukah as a time of mystical initiation

are all intimately related.

Druid Measures

I dreamt of a Celtic community during the dark ages. They were Druids. There were a few Jews also "resident" in the community. I was there as a hybrid, simultaneously from the future and from the time in which the dream took place, of both the Druid community and of the few Jews who lived among them.

It was an extremely brutal time, the dark ages. Especially for children. Many never survived childhood for various reasons. Laws were harsh and strictly enforced. Children were often killed for various violations.

Without the harsh laws, the community would succumb to the brutality which existed outside the protected village. This was the thinking among the majority of community elders.

Nevertheless, the brutal pogroms came against the Druids. I saw the children's faces, around their eyes painted black. I saw how "the other" saw the children of the Druids - as darkly oppressed. Oddly, the dark cloud which permeated the age did lift following the pogroms. I wondered why.

Two Druid priestesses came forward from that ancient time into my dream. They were older women, in Druid cloaks. The elders had misused the power, and the laws had become corrupted. But these two knew the Old Ways of uncorrupted teaching, and even though I was not "only" Celtic and had "other blood" in me as well (i.e., Jewish and all my other current ancestries), I was worthy to receive the teaching. Perhaps, my "mixture" will in some manner serve to prevent the "corruption" which typically comes when a "purebred" achieves a high level. Something about being of one bloodline is not good at a certain point in mystical work. Together, even though each Druid priestess had at the same time "found me" independently of the other, they are both going to teach me, so that the Old Ways will live on. I am now an apprentice Druid priestess made of many bloodlines.
,
I woke up.

Oak Of Asherah

The goddess archetype Asherah is associated with the oak tree. Rivkah's nurse Devorah was buried under an oak tree. Biblically, the word typically used for oak is Elah אלה. The common hebrew word for oak is alon אלון.

Some of the meanings of the shoresh (3-letter root) אלה include: master, combine elements for control, G-d who combines all natural force, several items combined into one, etc. In other words, the root implies a gathering place for some sort of psychosynthesis and unification of the goddess archetypes into one.

Moreover, the gematria of the physical oak tree אלון in reality is 87. This value is the gematria of Elohim אלהים plus 1 (im hakolel).

Consequently, one could posit that the "oak tree" symbolizes the "place"where "complete unity of multiplicity" may be actualized in nature.This "feminine" actualization would be a powerful transcendental yet simultaneously immanent "feminine force" to be reckoned with, a unified field even - a unification of all physical forces of nature - on par with Havayah.

If one were to "cut off" אלה before its symbolic completion into אלון, one could hope to likewise prevent the potentially powerful feminine force from achieving her completion. Biblically, those who feared the Divine Feminine were attempting to do exactly this by cutting down all the "asherah trees". They wanted to keep the Divine Feminine in powerless disunity.

Da'at Torah, Cauldron Of Connection

Exploring my new tarot deck, it became immediately clear that at least four mythic archetypes have already made obvious appearances in my recent experience, both here (where the World-Universe card became my querent/significator) and in various dreams over the past several months.

Rhiannon (Tzipporah), Aranrhod and Asibikaashi (Spider Woman) have all appeared in dream journeys. Consequently, these three goddess archetypes are my guardian angels of sorts, forming a triple spiral cauldron “goddess energy” uniting together for some purpose. Aranrhod is the maiden aspect of the moon (yesod), Rhiannon is the mother aspect, and Asibikaashi is the crone aspect. Importantly, these Sacred Feminine archetypes have come together yesodically in my psycho-spiritual environment with purpose and have chosen me as part of that purpose.

Aranrhod is represented in Welsh tarot by the Wheel of Fortune card and the letter kaf כ.

Rhiannon is represented in Welsh tarot by the Empress card and the letter dalet ד.

Asibikaashi is represented in Native American tarot by the Devil card and the letter ayin ע.

The querent card, representing me the seeker, is the World-Universe card and the letter tav ת.

What do these letters taken together spell? An encircling crown (keter) of da’at כ-דעת. In other words, keter and da'at exist in simultaneous expression in this "tarot spread" brought forth into reality from my superconsciousness soul (as evidenced by the fact that the dreams and the tarot-blogquiz occurred prior to my acquisition the tarot cards). According to the kabbalah of the Ari, keter and da'at exist simultaneously in the universe of tohu.

Represented by 3 goddess archetypes, each feminine energy in turn, represents one of the three meanings of the word keter: “wait” (Aranrhod), “crown” (Rhiannon) and “encircle” (Asibikaashi). The querent binds them all together with the myth of Cadair Idris, ascends the mountain, and descends with the Torah of the Shechinah, the Holy Light of Tohu.

And Moshe entered into the cloud and ascended to the mountain ... Shemot 24:18

We can see the triple spiral cauldron nature of the feminine "moon" archetypes clearly evident in kabbalah. On the mysteries of Jewish femininity, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh writes:

Every lunar month, the moon goes through a cycle of phases—from completely disappearing to full moon and back again. The zero-point, the point at which the moon disappears, is actually the eve of the new Jewish month (erev rosh chodesh). It is on this day that a woman can reach her inner sense of nothingness, or nullification, in the spiraling cycle that goes from somethingness to nothingness to somethingness, and so on. When we merit the revelation of the Mashiach, there will no longer be a diminishment of the moon, and the feminine (the “woman of valor”) will become her husband’s crown (eshet chayil ateret ba’ala); that is, the female will rise above the male and super-consciously provide guidance and nourishment.

The querent binds them all together (ateret hayesod, the source of malchut) into a crowning cauldron of connection, and brings it down.

A Time Of Decree

AOL-News reports (hat-tip to DAG, Rare Celestial Events):

Stargazers Get Rare Look at Three Planets
By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Dec. 9) -- Stargazers will get a rare triple planetary treat this weekend with Jupiter, Mercury and Mars appearing to nestle together in the predawn skies. About 45 minutes before dawn on Sunday those three planets will be so close that the average person's thumb can obscure all three from view.

They will be almost as close together on Saturday and Monday, but Sunday they will be within one degree of each other in the sky. Three planets haven't been that close since 1925, said Miami Space Transit Planetarium director Jack Horkheimer.

And it won't happen again until 2053, he said.

read entire article

Interesting. Three planets. Only one degree of separation. So close they can be blotted out simultaneously by a mere thumb against the sky should one choose to do it. What can this mean?

Kabbalistically, Mercury corresponds to the letter pei פ, Jupiter to tav ת, and Mars to gimmel ג. What shoresh (root) does that spell? פתג decree

The shoresh פתג is found in the word פתגם of Esther 1:20 -

And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, great though it be, all the wives will give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.

ונשמע פתגם המלך אשר-יעשה בכל-מלכותו, כי רבה היא; וכל-הנשים, יתנו יקר לבעליהן--למגדול, ועל-קטן

Circle Dance

Jewitch Celtic Awen. Awen is a feminine noun and Celtic-Druid symbol. To HaMasovevet, it represents unified expression of the 3 expressive aspects of the Hebrew letter Hei in perfect commitment (אבת) to truth (אמת). These 3 aspects of unified expression are interwoven throughout the 3 expressive aspects of the soul's divine service as bard (psalmist), ovate (prophet) and druid (lawgiver, one's soulspark of Moshe). Blue symbolizes the Shechinah. White symbolizes focused clarity and renewal. The segol trope (3 dots) brings redemptive consciousness into actualized being.

The Holy One makes a circle dance ... Yeshayahu 25:9

In the messianic era, man will receive his light and bounty from the infinite source of consciousness via the agency of woman. R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Tefilat LeKhal HaShana

Awen form from The British Druid Order.

Ma'on, Creating Divine Space

Dave at Balashon writes regarding ayin:

From the word ayin we get ein עין and maayan מעין - meaning "spring, fountain", and according to Klein and others this is a shorter version of עין המים - "eye of the water".

Klein says that the word maon מעון - residence is related to ein, but I don't exactly understand how.

Here's one understanding of "how" these ideas are connected.

HaMasovevet can cast a ritual circle to create a Divine Space without using any tools at all. She can simply use her fingers.

To cast a ritual circle, she:

1. chooses the place
2. grounds
3. draws up energy from the feminine core of Shechinah within her
4. extends the middle and index fingers of whichever hand she prefers, and draws that core energy into them
5. encircles the space, marking its boundaries with the core energy flowing through her fingers

How is this finger-magick related to the excerpt on ayin? According to the Ari's system of chiromancy [1], the tips of the middle and index fingers of the right hand correspond to the hebrew letters reish ר and shin ש (resha d'ayin). The tips of the middle and index fingers of the left hand have no correspondence (resha d'lo itayada). There is not anything "written" on them.

The shoresh [2] אין refers to this left-handed "absence" of anything as yet written. It is the"place" made for the "no other" (of Ein Sof אין סוף). The shoresh also implies "from where" and/or a question of "location". In other words, אין is unknowably yet integrally connected to emunah (אמונה), the power of the soul through which all emanates to create "the where" of a "living" Divine Space. A Ma'on. Made through actions of the left hand.

R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh of the Inner Dimension teaches regarding Ma'on:

Ma'on ("the Residence")--our experience of the Divine forces that act in nature, enabling us to emulate God in our lives.

By casting a sacred circle with her left middle and index fingers, HaMasovevet taps into those Divine forces acting in nature to create a living Divine Space. Within this Sacred Circle - where the Divine, the spiritual and the physical are united - she is enabled to emulate God in her life.

With respect to the phrase "eye of the water" עין המים, the two fingers ע of the left hand י used to draw up ן the energy with which to create the Divine Space correspond to the "eye". The action of her hand המי corresponds to "of the water". The phrase ends with a mem-sofit ם. In both Rashi and cursive scripts, ם is written as a circle with a little "tail" [3] into אין סוף Ein Sof. We can see then, that the whole phrase can be interpreted as a description for making the Divine Space of a sacred circle.

Footnotes:

[1] Meditation And Kabbalah, R' Aryeh Kaplan, p. 205

[2] Etymology Of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark, p. 9

[3] "A star [kochav] shall go forth from Jacob and a staff [shevet] shall arise in Israel." BaMidbar 24:17 - from the Inner Dimension: "As is well known, a comet has a "tail" that trails it (the Rambam asserts this fact in his laws of blessings). This is the secret of "the footsteps of the Mashiach"--the "traces" that are left by the King Mashiach on his way to redeem us."

Drawing Down The Moon

Black lace webbed with tiny beads like pomegranate seeds draped over the altar cloth as a single black candle lit the night of tonight's full moon. Beside it, as the candle gently burned, lay my gold Jewish star and silver pentacle, side by side, as the smoke of incense danced with the air. Simply beautiful.

Sceptre Of Selection

This shabbat marks the observance of Celtic Gwyl o Rhiannon.

Rhiannon is the Lady of the Lake who gave legendary King Arthur of Camelot the mystical sword Excalibur (Caledfwlch in Welsh, meaning "hard lightning"). Interestingly, this discovery on my part follows Wednesday morning's dream where I am the woman emerging from the lake. Consequently, my dream suggests that I have integrated this "goddess" archetype psychospiritually with consciousness. In other words, it has emerged from the water of the concealed world and become revealed. This is an example of אתהפכא חשוכא לנהורא in action.

In Celtic mythology, the Lady of the Lake is She who gives (as described above) and receives back for safekeeping Caledfwlch:

As Arthur lay dying, he tells a reluctant Sir Bedivere (Sir Griflet in some versions) to return the sword to the lake by throwing it into the water. Bedivere thinks the sword too precious to throw away, so twice only pretends to do so. Each time, Arthur asks him to describe what he saw. When Bedevere tells him the sword simply vanished underwater, Arthur scolds him harshly. Finally, Bedivere throws Excalibur into the lake. Before the sword strikes the water's surface, the hand reaches up to grasp it and pull it under. Arthur leaves on a death barge with the three queens to Avalon, where as his legend says, he will one day return to save Britain from a threat.

From this we can see that Caledfwlch is interwoven with the Celtic messianic ideal. Among the sword's mystical abilities, is the ability to "select" the "destined" King. It is the Divine Scepter of selection. Caledfwlch, the scepter of Divine Truth which selects and the sceptre of Kings, represents spiritual evolution.

In Jewish kabbalah, both of these functions - selection and evolution - are characteristic of the letter zayin. Zayin epitomizes the Woman of Valor. Like the Lady of the Lake whose gift bestows enhanced survival skills, zayin "sustains" and provides sustenance for living. Her Divine Hand opens to extend the sceptre of benevolence and to select species for "leaps" of development and evolution.

As zayin also corresponds to the Shabbat Queen, feminine nevuah and the matriarchal archetype Sarah, so too do Caledfwlch and Rhiannon connect with these concepts. As previously written, Rhiannon has a correspondence with Tzipporah as well. Significantly - zayin, Sarah, Caledfwlch, Rhiannon and Tzipporah - all have mythic roles where a critical "selection" determines the outcome of history.

zayin, the letter of shabbat, pertains to natural selection of species
Sarah selects Yitzchak to receive the covenantal blessing
Caledfwlch (the sceptre of Rhiannon) selects the King of destiny
Tziporrah/Rhiannon selects the redeemer

It is fitting therefore, that this year 5767, Gwyl o Rhiannon observance begins on Shabbat.

Secret Of The Split Shin

As explained in a previous entry, Circle Name Of Shabbat Consciousness, the Welsh/Celtic name Lleucu is my Jewitch ritual name. Lleucu, meaning light and daybreak, carries both receptive and imparting mystical functions. It's both a mekubal and a mashpia. It's a circle of receiving and giving. For these and other reasons, Lleucu is an appropriate name for HaMasovevet, one whose "sacred encircling" turns the events of history.

Both my Jewish and Celtic roots came to the USA from Wales/England. Consequently, it honors my ancestors to add a Celtic name to my Hebrew name. Lleucu is the Welsh version of both my English name (Lori) and my Hebrew name (Liorah). These names each describe the same essence in unique ways.

These are my true names. They are neither something I've deceptively pulled out of a hat nor the result of distorted thinking. Each one is intimately woven into the very fabric of my life experience.

An interesting tidbit (hat-tip to Steg, commenting @ Balashon on Samech) surrounding Lleucu which demonstrates the true interweaving of my names with my life experience - both the Hebrew letter sin שׂ (of siyach, like in the epiphany) and the Welsh consonantal sound Ll (of Lleucu) are derived from some unknown common voiceless alveolar lateral fricative. Consequently, one could suggest that as שׂ (of siyach) characterizes "hesech hada'at" of the epiphany, Ll + שׂ might characterize "b'hesech hada'at" (Sanhedrin 97a) of messianic consciousness and the 4-headed shin of the luchot. Just a cute play on doubled/split/two-ב letters?