The Light of Elevation

This article on the portion of the week was previously published in 2019.

Welcome to the new moon of Taurus. Taurus is known as the month of Light, as well as the month of healing. It is a powerful month that will assist us unlike any other month in the year to further our spiritual development. It is the month of healing and Light, but also a month when we can mature and delve deeper into spirituality. This month contains the energy of our great teacher, Rav Shimon Bar Yochai, the author of the Zohar. Rav Shimon left the world during the month of Taurus, and the two are synergic forces to support us in our spiritual journey. This month elevates our being. No matter who we are, Taurus appears for us each year, right after the holiday of Pesach, to lift us up to a higher ground. In the process, it aids in our spiritual and physical healing. This month is yet another gift from the Creator designed to improve our lives, help remove our ailments, and provide us with blessings. In our spiritual rise, we can feel the pressure often accompanied with growth. Therefore, this month does contain the potential for major changes, as our current spiritual structures are asked to bear more weight than they may be used to carrying. As we spiritually mature in the next 30 days, we welcome the onset of new opportunities and challenges to take us on a higher path. The month of Taurus, like its sign the bull, is strong and formidable. It will ask of us to let go of the reins, trust in the process, and allow the opportunity for our spirits to grow, and most importantly, heal.

"This month of Taurus contains the potential for major changes."

The month of Taurus is referred to in Hebrew as Iyar. Iyar is an acronym for “I am God, your healer.” The Creator is immediately hinting to us the gift and potential of this month. The entire month of Taurus is composed of a period of time known as the Omer. The Omer is a time of spiritual maturity that occurs between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot. Each year, the cosmos blesses us with this treasure. The month of Taurus is our spiritual elevator to take us to a higher plane, but not without cost. Both the time of Omer and the month of Iyar throughout history have shown to be beset with difficulties. When carrying a great weight, the challenge ultimately does build our strength, but not without the required effort on our part. The month of Iyar leads us to a new hope, growth, and spiritual elevation, but it may not always be easy. As we elevate during this month, be open to seeing the challenges and obstacles you may face are only the effect of the positive change your spirit is undergoing. See every challenge as another step towards a life of your dreams filled with the blessings you have been desiring. In fact, each day of the month of Taurus is said to be equivalent to eight regular days in the year. We are asked to be more and do more this month, but we are given more Light and purification unlike any other time of the year. It is because of this special energy did Taurus merit being called the month of healing. As we spiritually elevate and increase the capacity to receive more Light, the darkness and negativity we may possess is washed away. 

"People need our Light and love."

Taureans physically embody this energy. They are slow in their movement and appear strong and capable. They possess the beauty and all-encompassing Light this month holds. Said to be one of the most physically beautiful of all the signs, Taurus basks year-round in the Light of this month. Ruled by the planet Venus, they know and desire beauty, balance, and peace. With the immense amount of Light available for them, they often find themselves thinking there is never really a reason to change. In fact, why even change at all when everything is already going so well? Here lies another caveat of this month: the avoidance of change. The Light of Taurus can fool us into thinking we do not need to make a stretch to reach beyond our comfort zones. We may feel a false sense of security. But, are we really in this world to just stare in the mirror at our beauty, dine on fine foods and wine, and simply enjoy the pleasures of life? If you are a Taurus reading this you might say, “Yes!” But, this is not the case, unfortunately. The world needs our Light and our love. People need our Light and love. There is always more Light that needs to be revealed in ourselves and in the world. This month is not the time to recline back, staying insulated in our own self-absorbed worlds. Because of the Light of this month, the Taurean can be stubborn, heavy, and unwilling to peek outside his or her own bubble at the needs of the world and even their own needs. Indeed, we are in this world to enjoy and to be fulfilled, but blessings are not given to us on a silver platter. It is when we reach beyond the confines of our selves where we can share our Light and give to others that we receive what we have been looking for from the very beginning. For spiritual elevation is nothing more than the development of our spiritual hearts. The more love we are able to bestow towards each other, the more we may receive ourselves.

During the time of the Omer, 24,000 students of the great teacher Rav Akiva were killed. Why? Because they lacked care for one another. We cannot afford to only think of ourselves. Thinking only of ourselves is never in our best interest. Our greatest interest always lies in the size of our hearts and how much we can think of others. It is in our ability to use our own Light to help those who find themselves in darkness, showing true love, that we initiate our own elevation, not just in the month of Iyar, but throughout the entire year. For the month of Iyar does offer great blessings, but it also asks each of us to achieve the great feat of carrying a little more weight of others on our backs. We need to use the Light of Iyar not to hide into ourselves, but to become aware of those around us, right near us, who need our help. We are asked this month to carry, just a little bit, the needs of our fellow humankind. It is in this way we are afforded all the Light, blessings, healing, and spiritual wisdom one can possibly obtain. Rav Shimon is one of our channels this month, as he teaches us the path to becoming a great spiritual giant lies in how much we are willing to care and do for others.

Wishing you the potential of your soul, and with it a beautiful month of Light and healing.

Chodesh Tov!