WHAT TO EXPECT THIS MONTH
Leo contains the most negative days of the year and the most positive days of the year. The New Moon of Leo arrives during the tail end of The Three Negative Weeks that are said to be “in between the limitations.” From the start of the New Moon, there are nine days that are considered to be the time with the most abundance of energy. The ninth day of Leo (Tisha b’Av) is a cosmic window in time that ends those three negative weeks. Tisha b’Av is considered a day of great sadness and darkness, as it corresponds to destruction in history. Yet, kabbalists teach that the greater the darkness, the greater the potential for Light. In addition, the great teacher, Karen Berg, was elevated from this world on the Ninth of Av, 2020.
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The symbol for the sign of Leo is the lion, and it is the only month/sign ruled entirely by the sun. With the warmth of both the lion and the sun, we’re invited to pay special attention to matters of the heart this month, and as such, our focus is love and relationships. The wisdom of Kabbalah is not meant to remain intellectual, it is meant to be internalized deeply in our hearts. The Zohar reiterates this sharing the secrets of this world are passed on to those who are “wise in their hearts” (Lech Lecha v.96).
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TIPS FOR PARENTS
- The sun brings each of the planets light and heat, without which organic life could not exist. During the month of Leo, we are all capable of incredible generosity, giving, and caring for others on both small and large scales. Sometimes we underestimate what we have to offer; we wonder - is it valuable, is it needed, is it enough? The truth is we don’t need to make grand sweeping gestures to have an impact on others. We simply need to open our hearts and make ourselves available to love others as much as possible. A simple smile can change someone’s entire day. Look for ways to be generous every day and notice how much love your heart has to offer.
- Leos are known to be natural-born leaders. They are not afraid to step up, assert their opinions, embrace responsibility, and inspire others. However, Leos are also known to have legendary egos that can sometimes get the best of them. When the ego gets involved, leaders seek to control and dominate others rather than collaborate, support, and serve. Leadership is not something we all run towards, but it is something we are all capable of doing and being. What it means to be a leader is unique to each person and his or her life circumstances. This month, practice asking yourself: how can I step up and lead (in my family, with my friends, my community, at work, etc.), what can I do to take more responsibility for my impact and positively affect others? Where am I leading with love versus leading with my ego? Notice the areas in which you shy away from leadership and ask yourself why? Identify the limited belief systems that are blocking you from fully stepping into your leadership capabilities.
- Loyalty. This word strikes a deep chord in us all. We all value this quality, and this month, we have the opportunity to practice embodying it on a deeper level. How do you define loyalty? What does loyalty look like in action? For some, loyalty means blind, unwavering support. For others, it may look like a willingness to give honest, raw feedback even when it’s difficult. Be real with yourself in identifying what it means for you. Look at all of your relationships; are you practicing the loyalty you wish to receive, and if not, what is stopping you? Identify where in your relationships you want to give and or receive a greater degree of loyalty. This may involve a conversation or two – don’t shy away from these difficult conversations, embrace them. You can be clear, strong, AND kind when communicating your needs, even when the topic is difficult.
- The sun sits at the center of our solar system, and as such, during this month, we can all fall into feeling like the world does and or should revolve around us. We may be particularly vulnerable to taking things personally, demanding attention or validation from those around us, and feeling rejected or angry when we don’t get what we feel we rightfully deserve. This is an amazing time to practice stepping outside of yourself and truly considering the thoughts and feelings of others. Start by pausing and listening when others speak without imposing yourself into the equation. Ask yourself how you can be more sensitive to the needs of others. See what comes up. Also, when you feel you’re not getting the feedback you desire from others, take this as an opportunity to work on your relationship with yourself. You want to be able to validate yourself and have that be enough. When you are living in alignment with your soul’s desires, you feel proud of yourself and fulfilled, regardless of the external feedback you do or do not receive. Take note of where you may be out of alignment and, therefore, sensitive to needing energy from others.
- Lions are known for their mighty pride, and that is one of the things we want to look out for this month. We all have moments when we think we know best, we are right, and we become stubborn. This month is a great time to practice asking for help, starting with the Creator. Practice consulting the Creator as much as possible. In your thoughts, ask the Creator for guidance, and be open to receiving this guidance, be open to new ways. You may also practice being vulnerable and asking those around you for help or simply for their opinions, even when you think you’ve got it all figured out. We tap into our greatest power and strength when we humble ourselves and are willing to be vulnerable.
TIPS FOR KIDS
- The sun brings each of the planets light and heat, without which organic life could not exist. During the month of Leo, we are all capable of incredible generosity, giving, and caring for others in both big and small ways. Sometimes we underestimate what we have to offer; we wonder - is it valuable, is it needed, is it enough? The truth is we don’t need to make grand sweeping gestures to have an impact on others. We simply need to open our hearts and make ourselves available to love others as much as possible. A simple smile can change someone’s entire day. Look for ways to be generous every day and notice how much love your heart has to offer.
- Leos are known to be natural-born leaders. They are not afraid to step up, assert their opinions, embrace responsibility, and inspire others. However, Leos are also known to have legendary egos that can sometimes get the best of them. When the ego gets involved, leaders seek to control and dominate others rather than collaborate, support, and serve. As kids, it may feel like being a leader is out of reach – like it’s not your time yet or you’re not capable yet – but the truth is, we are all capable of leading in our own special ways. This month, practice asking yourself: how can I step up and lead (in my family, with my friends, and at school), what can I do to take more responsibility for my impact and positively affect others? Where am I leading with love versus leading with my ego? For instance, if you have a younger sibling, you are a leader every time you listen to your parents’ rules – you model respect to your younger sibling. At school, if a group of kids is being unkind to another kid and you step in to support the kid instead of joining in on the unkind behavior, you are a leader – you are taking a stand for what is right and showing everyone involved what true kindness looks like.
- Loyalty. This word strikes a deep chord in us all. We all value this quality, and this month, we have the opportunity to practice embodying it on a deeper level. What does loyalty mean to you? Is it when your parents listen to your feelings and keep them private? Or maybe it’s when someone makes fun of you, and your friend comes to your defense. Look at all of your relationships; are you practicing the loyalty you wish to receive, and if not, what is stopping you? Identify where in your relationships you want to give and or receive more loyalty.
- The sun sits at the center of our solar system, and as such, during this month, we can all fall into feeling like the world does and or should revolve around us. We may take things personally, feel a strong desire for those around us to notice us and approve of us, and we may feel rejected or angry when we don’t get what we think we deserve. This is an amazing time to practice stepping outside of yourself and truly considering the thoughts and feelings of others. Start by pausing and listening carefully when others speak. Ask yourself how you can be more sensitive to other people’s feelings. See what comes up. Also, when you feel you’re not getting the attention you want from other people, take this as an opportunity to work on your relationship with yourself. Practice asking yourself what you can do for yourself to make you feel full of energy and happy. Maybe this means taking time to talk to someone you love and share your feelings, maybe it means taking quiet time to yourself to journal, draw, or read. You are so powerful – you always have the ability to fill yourself up with energy, you do not need to depend on anyone else to do so.
- Lions are known for their mighty pride, and that is one of the things we want to look out for this month. We all have moments when we are absolutely sure we know what is best, we are right, and then we become stubborn. This month is a great time to practice asking for help, starting with the Creator. Practice consulting the Creator as much as possible. In your thoughts, ask the Creator for guidance and be open to receiving this guidance. Be open to new ways of doing things. You can literally say to yourself, “Light, Creator, please help me! I am open to listening to you!” You may also practice being vulnerable and asking those around you for help or simply for their opinions, even when you think you’ve got it all figured out. We tap into our greatest power and strength when we humble ourselves and are willing to be vulnerable. For example, maybe math is hard for you, and you are struggling to keep up with your class. You feel embarrassed, you feel like you have to figure it all out yourself, and if not, you’re a failure. Instead, let your teacher know you’re having trouble and be open to receiving extra assistance, be it from the teacher, a tutor, your parent, even a friend! Notice how much more joyful life becomes when you accept help.
72 NAMES
The Kabbalists teach that the 72 Names of God are powerful instruments we can use to align our soul with different expressions or spiritual frequencies of the Light of the Creator. Each 72 Name of God is associated with a specific set of days in the Kabbalistic calendar. By connecting to the name associated with each set of days, we gain key insights into the opportunities available to us during these days.
- Av 1-5 (Nun Tav Hei – Speak Your Mind): Our words and our power to speak are tremendous gifts given to us from the Creator. We are distinguished from all other creations on earth with this ability. The mouth connects to our physical world where things become manifested, and it is through the power of our words that we actually can create and bring thoughts into fruition. Often when we are triggered, we “speak our mind” from a reactive place. In moments when you feel compelled to share what’s on your mind or heart, ask yourself the question: does what I want to say stand to benefit myself, others, or both myself and others? Expressing ourselves is very important to our sense of self-worth, but it is equally important we think before we speak and consider our impact on others.
- Av 6-10 (Hei Aleph Aleph – Order From Chaos): Often, it is during times of chaos we open our hearts and humbly ask the Creator for assistance, then when things are resolved, we experience a kind of forgetfulness and fall into the same behaviors that caused the initial chaos. The cycle repeats itself until we learn how to take full responsibility for our chaos and truly change. This name gives us the power to recognize the seed level cause of any chaos in our lives, be it a belief system or a specific behavior, and to transform the cause for good.
- Av 11-15 (Yud Resh Tav – Silent Partner): The greatest partnership we have in life is our partnership with the Creator. The Creator is our quiet, and often times silent, life mate and partner. We may think it is ourselves alone sailing our ships, but it is indeed the wind of the Creator which fills our sails. Here we are given the gift of humility to know we depend on the Creator’s Light for everything we do, and we can focus on building our desire for a closer partnership with the Light. During these days, you may also meditate on receiving the clarity and strength to invite the Creator into everything you do and merit to truly experience the Creator’s presence consistently in your everyday life.
- Av 16-20 (Shin Aleph Hei – Soulmate): We are capable of having many soulmate partnerships throughout our lives– romantic, friendship, familial, work, etc. We are more able to draw soulmates into our lives when we recognize that we cannot accomplish all of our spiritual work alone. When we awaken a true desire to share with another person and love them unconditionally, we also act as a magnet for soulmate relationships. Focus on becoming a soulmate, and trust in doing so you will attract the right people into your life.
- Av 21-25 (Resh Yud Yud – Removing Hatred): Awakening spirituality in our life is about the revelation of our own Divinity. Spirituality itself is the recognition that all of us on this earth share a spark of the Divine in our hearts. Every human being has goodness within, despite any negativity that simultaneously exists. Hatred is one of the heaviest and most negative emotions we experience in life, and it often results when we are blind to some level of goodness, only focusing on an aspect or aspects of darkness. Hatred creates walls between us and ourselves as well as us and others. Practice recognizing where these feelings come up for you and transform them through appreciation; pinpoint the goodness in yourself or others and make that your point of focus. Wherever we choose to put our focus – be it goodness or negativity – is what we ultimately amplify.
- Av 26-30 (Aleph Vav Mem – Building Bridges): We are all a part of the divine force known as the creative Light. We may seem fragmented, yet we are all connected at the core. Just as each letter in the Torah has a purpose, so too does each person. And that purpose is to help each other. For it is only through our combined strengths – the union of all our sparks – that we make up the sum of the whole. This is why mutual respect and human dignity for all peoples, even those whose ways are different from our own, is so important. We are meant to be different; we are meant to be varied and yet to act as One. Separation and disunity is the unfortunate illusion of this physical world. Practice identifying where in your life you fall into the illusion of separation and challenge yourself to work towards greater unity.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
- Parents: Monica Berg, in her book, Rethink Love, shares how our relationship to ourselves is the foundation upon which all other relationships we have are built. In order to awaken, build, and maintain deep love in our lives, be it with a romantic partner, family member, friend, coworker, etc., we must love ourselves first. How we love ourselves is how we teach others to love us, and we cannot love ourselves unless we truly know and honor ourselves. CLICK HERE for lessons and exercises aimed to help you increase your self-awareness in order to build your self-love.
- Kids: Parents, you may share the lesson above with your children and encourage them to focus on becoming more attuned to their true desires to awaken more self-love. As often as possible, ask your kids what theythink, feel, and want, encouraging them to share freely without shame, then prompt them to explore ways in which they can honor and give to themselves. For instance, if your child loves yummy desserts, next time you’re tempted to bake something yourself, instead, initiate a time for you to bake together so your child feels empowered to create for themselves that which brings them joy. Simple activities like this can help build a sense of self-love in your kids as they learn doing things for themselves is both nourishing and fun.
EXPAND YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS
