Ellen Gittelsohn
Sep 27, 2023
Rosh Hashanah
We began our evening at 6:00 p.m. with a cooperative dinner. I made peach salsa and provided tortillas. You all brought delicious fillings. Read more for the peach salsa recipe.
Alex shared some of the teachings from the Kabbalah Centre Rosh Hashanah. Thank you Alex.
From my notes about the many teachings Alex shared from the Kabbalah Centre and more from our group:
There were 1500 people attending from 41 countries and many faiths, even atheists.
On Rosh Hashanah we get to nullify the vows we made to ourselves and others but could not keep. We get to let go of the past and prepare for renewal. Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of our world. We get to connect with the creator to re-create our world.
Letting go of the past allows us to re-connect to the creator. We can re-connect to our creator with certainty. This connection is so important because it exists outside of nature or pre-creation. It's primordial as in the beginning of genesis. Water and darkness exist before creation. Energy exists before creation. From this awareness of the creator or source energy, we can create and perhaps calm ourselves down. According to Alex, Monica Berg said we can connect to our super power.
The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed - only converted from one form of energy to another. This means that a system always has the same amount of energy, unless it's added from the outside. --from Energy Education,
Energy transforms so it seems that the more we return to source energy, the more we can create and connect to our superpower, or passion, that is a conduit to source energy.
Alex taked about how the new world we are about to enter in the new year is aligned with astrology. Both the United Nations and the European Union are headed for change. In January 2024 Pluto will shift into Aquarious. This means we should take more time for emotion.
Annette said she has been feeling that this is a time to allow emotions to catch up after the activity involved in moving to a new city and a new life.
This is the time to hear the voice of our soul in thoughts, words and action. The Shofar blast calls us to remove idol worship including unhealthy relationships. It also helps us to see clearly and perhaps not miss the mark through greed and acts of an overblown ego such as evil speech.
Janet and Ché spoke about the importance of dreams. Perhaps dreams are the language of our soul. What is being communicated?
Recycled emotion resonated with everyone in the sense that we have a habit of returning to the same emotions as part of our human process. Alex said we get further away from the stupid stuff and return to something more rightous. We can be reborn as an innocent child ready for new experiences.
Rabbi Michael Berg, Kabbalah Centre director, said we should continually remind ourselves that we are taking things one stop at a time, going through a process even when we feel very enthusiastic or spiritually high. Remember Elul or the process leading up to the New Year or other signficant turning points.
Tashlich is a ritual on the first or second day of Rosh Hashanah for casting away our sins or times we have missed the mark. This ritual allows us to begin with a clean slate. Rhonda shared the experience she had as part of Rabbi Jan's tashlich gathering at Oakledge Beach. After collecting stones as though each stone represented something to be cast away, everyone had the opportunity to throw stones (representing obstacles to the soul self) into Lake Champlain.
Relevant poem from Yitzi: The waters weren't created READ MORE
LLL: Ché, Janet and I stayed and chatted for a bit after everyone left. Ché asked us for a word of intention and somehow the three of us came up with L words. Light, love, listen.
Our next Kabbalah meeting will be Monday, Oct. 16 at 6:00