Last night I was graced to sit in a sacred space with about 30 other women to receive a blessing from a dear friend who was celebrating her birthday. Shirah is an observant Jew who teaches mindful living through the practice of Mussar and as she’s matured in her spirituality she has become very aware of the reality that we are interconnected beings who live to serve each other as a way of connecting to the Divine.
Time is a Spiral
In her invitation to her birthday blessing ritual she wrote: Mystical Judaism teaches that time is like a spiral. On the anniversary of our birth, we have the opportunity to tap into the same spiritual energy in which we were created, when our mazel (bringing the Divine into the world) was full strength.
Please come share this intense spiritual energy with me. Bring a written blessing you would like to receive this year and I will bless you with it! Write your heart’s desire (e.g. May I be blessed with continued good health, gratitude for life, no worries, deep friendships, too many clients to handle, my son discovering a meaningful career, and owning a perfect home).
I went to this special occasion knowing only Shirah but I was welcomed into the space with huge smiles and welcoming hugs from women who were present, like me, to honor friendship with Shirah. The whole evening was such a gift. We sang a Psalm in Hebrew and then in English (not being Jewish I hummed along once I had a sense of the tune) then as each woman’s blessing was given, the group responded with an affirmation in Hebrew that meant “may this come to pass.”
In this setting I was struck by a few things: the joy and hospitality of these women, some of whom knew each other – many who did not, was infectious; I could feel a palpable energy of the love that brought us together (other women said the same); and the blessings we seek, whether Jew or Gentile, are so similar as to be essentially the same.
We are One
As we prayed together and were blessed by each blessing given, I was no outsider. I was One with these women, and One with the Love and Divine Spirit that brought us all together to celebrate Shirah and to bask in the full-strength mazel of the Divine in our world.
The gift was even more profound for me since it occurs as I am once again in transition. I spent the summer caring for two of my grandchildren during the school break. Today it is time to return to my own freelance work – work that I love but work that is always a challenge to find. But with the blessing of my friend Shirah in the fullness of her mazel, and the loving hospitality of so many beautiful sisters, I am energized to return to the task with a renewed sense of God beside me. And since I can do all things through God who strengthens me, all will be well.
Whether it is your birthday or not, may you also be blessed today with the full-strength of Divine energy and may you live each moment of this day in joy and love.