The Jewish Month of Shvat: Fall in Love with a Tree (or be one)

We are fully into this Hebrew month of Shvat. The archetype for the month is the lover, the ahavat. It’s also the month that holds my favorite Jewish holiday, Tu B’Shvat, the new year of trees. (Great thing about Judaism is we have four new years within the year.) Falling in love with trees is a good thing to do amidst this mess we have shoveled ourselves into. A tree is flexible, grounded, stable, makes nice noises in the wind. A tree is the conduit between earth and sky, it likes gravity but contemplates the reality of the existence of infinity by reaching to the heavens.

This month of the trees, may you have renewed growth and vigor! Jill Hammer says the teaching of the trees this time of year is  “shaking off their slumber and awakening to growth.” Awaken dreamers!

With our awakening from sleep we are going to need some support, it’s a rough transition. And that, is where my current plant obsession, pennyroyal comes in. (Plus we may need to rely heavily on it -without over harvesting- in this current administration because it can induce miscarriage -- only use with consultation from a trusted herbalist or midwife.)

The flower essence of Pennyroyal supports you to stay strong and ward off negative energies. We need you so badly right now pennyroyal! Because it isn’t just about standing strong in your center, it’s also about remaining calm, at ease and in peace. And what better way to be a lover than to be upright in your integrity, focused and calm.

Pennyroyal as an essence is a remedy for trauma, abuse and shock. Many of us are feeling that right now as we move into this second week of regime change.

When I talk about being a lover I mean both as a romantic partner and a lover of life, a warrior in the resistance. As a Capricorn integrity is very important to me. Being in our integrity we can stand upright using our bodies like the trees and plants. Any look upward can jog our memory to our celestial roots letting the grace of gravity hold us to this magnificent rock tumulting itself through what mostly exists in the universe: space.

My blessing for you: May you feel your feet on the earth rooting down to the hot center. May you awaken to the heat coursing through your body like liquid fire, reminding you of the sap rising in the trees. In this rising with arms open wide, may you dedicate yourself to a love affair with the stars, trusting in your unique path.

Organize Card #20 from the Moon Angels/Malakh Halevanah Oracle Deck

One way to cast spells is to organize. Our ancestors have been doing that for millenia. A spell can be as simple as a calling one of your representatives. You can also make magic by attending a protest, working on a committee with an organization you feel passionate about, making art, sending a letter of appreciation and support to your local mosque or donating money.

Magic is in the framing and intention.

In this time we need all the organizing we can get. It’s about doing it. And doing it again. And going back and doing it again. If we frame our organizing as magic, it will hold that much more power.

Here’s to the magic of organizing with love, for the resistance.