Everybody JUMP

It will be Passover (Pesach inHebrew) in a few weeks. It is known as a time of freedom, but before we are able to receive it comes a process of cleansing. During certain times of the year things that usually remain hidden from us come to the forefront — and this month is one of those times. The couple of weeks between now and Pesach, you may find that anything which needs to be cleansed, changed, or addressed will begin to reveal itself to you. This is because as we enter the window in time of Pesach we have a big opportunity that requires preparation.

 

My husband explains that Passover means to ‘jump over’ any negativity. Negativity or darkness can manifest in our lives in numerable ways, including conflict, unhappiness, chaos, feelings of lack, being stuck in a rut, hating a job, or fighting with your partner – just to name a few. By preparing our consciousness for Pesach, we can ‘jump’ over our darkness in order to live in a place of greater freedom. Freedom in this case isn’t referring to any political system of rights. For some, freedom means having the resources to meet their financial needs, for others freedom is a cure for a physical ailment, or from an abusive person or even freedom from a cancer cell.

 

In Days of Power, Rav Berg retells the story of the exodus, which most of us are familiar with, when Moses led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. When we think of this story we imagine the Israelites must have been joyous at the prospect of freedom. However, when Moses first told the people the Creator was going to free them from Pharaoh, they replied, “We have no time for this.” After the escape from Egypt and upon encountering challenges, they begged Moses to take them back to Egypt! Does this sound like a people overjoyed at their liberation? Not even!

 

We are the same as the Israelites. Herein lies the difficulty. Before you can jump over your darkness you have to first change those negative behaviors and thoughts that created the darkness in the first place.

 

We enslave ourselves in comfortable (often destructive) habits and addictions and feel no urgency to extricate ourselves. A smoker may feel a twinge of guilt every time they light up, but they keep smoking, time and time again. We enslave ourselves to things that feel good, that give us a temporary energy of happiness, but it is just that: fleeting. Rav Berg reminds us that the only true happiness comes from the Creator. Our ‘fixes’, be it gossiping or shopping, binge eating or pharmaceuticals, are standing in the way of our connection with the Creator and ultimately, our true freedom.

 

Change your consciousness by actively desiring and striving to be the person you one day want to be. See yourself in the future, and not just any future, in a perfect version of the future you desire. See the end game, not the minute-to-minute, day-to-day. Only through that consciousness will you be able to jump over your darkness.

 

None of us are truly free, not while chaos still exists in our world. When was the last time you stopped and assessed your endeavors? Do you contribute to chaos or do your daily actions mitigate chaos? Are you an agent of sharing and change or do you contribute to negativity and strife? Wherever your consciousness is, you will follow. This month check yourself constantly. Are you only taking in the moment or the day, or are you taking into account the perfection of the future? Stop twenty, thirty times a day to find a way to change your consciousness.

 

Above any other month of the year, Aries grants us the ability to change and shape our destiny – or as Rav Berg says, our outcome, which is unique to each of us. Kabbalist Rav Isaac Luria (the Ari) taught that each of the first 12 days of Aries corresponds to and directly influences each of the 12 months of the year. For example, day one of Aries corresponds to the month of Aries, day two to Taurus, day three to Gemini, and so on. The reason this information is so beneficial to us is because the way in which we think and behave on these 12 days will affect the nature and future of the upcoming months (changing our destiny.) Whatever it is that ordinarily stands in our way and blocks us off from receiving the fulfillment and happiness we desire and deserve, is no match for the energy contained in these next 12 days. As Rav Berg says, “Aries is the battleground to determine the outcome of all battles that will arise during the next 12 months.”

The Rav explains that the month of Aries is linked to the idea of seeds, where everything is at infancy level – everything is at the very beginning, offering us the unique potential for growth and change. This is a time of challenges, little tests and confrontations, which, if we respond to in proactive ways, will make all the difference and completely transform the year to come.

 

Thought Into Action

Prepare yourself for the 12 days of Aries by checking the sign of the day and the consciousness of the day. Come back each day until April 20^th.

 

• Saturday, April 9 – Aries
• Sunday, April 10 – Taurus
• Monday, April 11 – Gemini
• Tuesday, April 12 – Cancer
• Wednesday, April 13 – Leo
• Thursday, April 14 – Virgo
• Friday, April 15 – Libra
• Saturday, April 16 – Scorpio
• Sunday, April 17 – Sagittarius
• Monday, April 18 – Capricorn
• Tuesday, April 19 – Aquarius
• Wednesday, April 20 – Pisces