The Book Club
“There was something special about our book club up until recently. I enjoyed being part of a diverse group of women coming from all corners of the world. Women who had different ideas on books, life, men and that difference was something that I valued, up until now,” my Greek friend Zoe told me on a September evening when we met over a glass of wine.
The moon was getting to its fullest, and the night was lit by its glow in spite of the dark.
“Since covid has come into our lives, women in our club have split between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not ,” told me Zoe and continued.” Vaccinations have become an issue and criticism has become so harsh, that a few of us may need to opt out.”
The Equinox
As I am writing these words on September 22 there is an astronomical phenomenon happening: The Equinox. The word is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). On the day of an equinox, I read in wikipedia, daytime and nighttime are of approximately equal duration all over the planet. The Equinox signals the start of autumn.
“What is the essence of the messages of these planetary configurations” Bracha Goldsmith the astologer asks?
“We are working here with all the frequencies of love” Bracha, one of my favourite astrologers continues.
“……Pisces and Libra innate desire is for love, understanding, compassion, heart energy.”
It is exactly these energies that are so needed at this time of polarity among us. A polarity between vaccinated and unvaccinated and all the colors in between. This polarity has caused many to bully others from the other camp, thinking they hold the only truth, exclude and insult others who a while ago were their companions and comrades at school, work, and university, worked out together in exercise classes, but also joined forces in bookclubs, movieclubs, writers’ clubs and so forth.
“It saddens me to experience this lack of acceptance of different views,” Zoe tells me. Well, I think that these relationships were built over years, and these friendships were very dear to us all up until recently” and continues. “I would rather stick to my friends than give them up, stick to my book club than give it up.”
Sukkot
As I write these words in Jerusalem, the city is in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. In the festival of Sukkot we are called upon to sit in the sukkah, a booth.
A sukkah, is the name of the temporary dwelling in which farmers would live during harvesting. As stated in Leviticus, it is also intended to remind us the fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wondering in the desert after their Exodus from slavery in Egypt. During the holiday, meals are eaten inside the sukkah and many people sleep there as well.
We are to sit in the Sukkah to feel we are part of the cosmos, part of the natural world and rejoice. One feels more fragile and exposed in the sukkah as well as more modest and humble in relation to creation. When in the sukkah the modesty I experience brings me down to earth, down to my feet.
On each day of the holiday it is mandatory to perform a waving ceremony with the Four Species. In Talmudic tradition, the four plants are identified as: etrog the fruit of a citron tree, lulav a ripe, green, closed frond from a date palm tree, hadass boughs with leaves from the myrtle tree and aravah branches with leaves from the willow tree. Each of these species holds its special significance.
Unity Consiousness
At this time of crisis, shouldn’t it be unity consciousness that we need to call upon? I ask my friend Zoe; Unity, not polarity, inclusion not exclusion, cooperation not antagonism on that we both agree.
This is also the spiritual meaning behind Sukkot, teaching us that the four different species, need to come together, and bound up closely, in order for the people to be strong and whole.
Another friend, Sophia, with whom I chatted on this added “If only we could massage our hardened places at this time, soften up, round up our hearts and minds so that we do not become harsh and dogmatic would save us from so much pain.” “These friendships took so many years to build, it would be a shame to allow the current climate of polarity to destroy them.”
“To me” Sophia continues, “this is a time of weaving. A time to weave ties that have been hard to keep up because of the physical distancing among us, as we kept to our homes. Now it is time to come out of our homes and be together again, meet and be close to our communities and friends again.”
I wish this equinox and Sukkot season, books and booths alike could do their magic trick of opening the minds and hearts of all and create the grey, yes grey space in between black and white where we could all meet in the sukkah in respect and in honor of each other’s place, wherever one may be in the spectrum.
From Jerusalem with love,
Yvette Nahmia-Messinas