Moving from Narrow Spaces Toward Freedom and Full Expression

Can you bring your full self to this life?

Last night my husband I hosted two other couples for a Passover seder. In the traditional Jewish tradition, we spent the evening “reliving” the Israelites journey from slavery to freedom. At our table, the theme of our discussions revolved around the passage through the Red Sea. The Hebrew name for Egypt, Mitzrayim, means “narrow place,” [...]

How Do You Get Unstuck

stuck, Passover, narrow place, Mercury

On Friday night during our Passover seder, someone mentioned that Mercury was moving out of retrograde. I was happy to hear this, since that typically means the things that are stuck will get unstuck. I don’t normally follow astrology. I like it, don’t get me wrong. I believe it. I just don’t read about it [...]

Sometimes You Just Have to Let Go

People come into our lives in all sorts of ways. Some are born into our lives. We are born into the lives of others, thus they become part of our lives. And some walk into our lives due to the places we go and and the experiences we have. In all cases, we have to [...]

Are You Feeling Squeezed?

It’s almost Passover, and for me this always makes me feel squeezed. Actually, it just makes me more aware of the areas of my life that give me that sense of the walls closing in or getting tight. You don’t have to be Jewish to understand this even though Passover is a Jewish holiday. Passover [...]

Finding Consolation in a New Translation of Psalm 23

On Erev Yom Kippur, my rabbi, Eli Cohen, gave a moving sermon about Psalm 23. This psalm is most often read after someone dies, so for most of us it bears a negative connotation. Yet, it is meant to offer us consolation during difficult times in general, not just when someone has passed on. If [...]

An Issue of Trust

Trust is an interesting thing. Once it’s gone, it’s very difficult to regain. If you lose it, it’s difficult to find. When you stop trusting someone-for whatever reason, you tend to put up a wall to protect yourself…or at least I do. Then I have to really work at letting them back in. They have [...]

Passover Questions…Ask More Than Four

On the spring Jewish holiday of Passover, Jews all over the world ask questions. Traditionally, we ask just four questions, and we are supplied with answers either in the Haggadah, the prayer book used during the seder, or home service conducted on Passover, or by participants at the seder. The questions – and the answers [...]

Of Narrow Places and Miracles…Using the Energy of Passover

I’ve been living in a few narrow places. That’s what the Hebrew word for Egypt, Mitzrayyim, means. Narrow Place. When Passover comes along we have to look at where in our lives we’ve struggled with our own narrow places. I don’t have to look far this year to see mine. My husband has been without [...]

Signs of Life After Death and Passover Narrow Places

Okay, so Passover is over. I feel like I missed most of it…and while I’ve moved through a few narrow places and come out the other side of the parted waters, I’m still stuck in a few other tight spots. I missed a good bit of Passover this year, because my father-in-law passed away on [...]