Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, usually falling near the end of summer. Based on a lunar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards about ten days each year. This year Ramadan begins on August 11th and continue for 30 days until September 9th. In North America, it begins on August [...]
Create a Sanctuary and Use It to Feel the Divine Presence
July 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
In Exodus 25:8-9, God says, “Build for me a sanctuary (mikdash), and I will dwell among you.” In this one verse from the Torah, or Old Testament, lies an invitation for each of us. We are asked to create a sanctuary in which to join together with God. An extremely detailed description of how to [...]
Inheritance from Our Ancestors
July 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Many religious traditions honor their ancestors. In Judaism, we honor them, but unlike other traditions we don’t make altars to them or pray to them to help us. Indigenous religions spend a lot of time actually praying to the ancestors and trying to connect with them, feeling they are close at hand and always assisting [...]
Practical Spirituality: Lighting Sabbath Candles
June 16, 2010 By 4 Comments
Judaism has a lovely tradition of lighting candles on Friday night to welcome in the Sabbath. I consider this a spiritual practice that creates sacred space and invites in the Divine Spirit. Thus, the ritual can be used by anyone at any time. In Exodus 25:8-9, God says, “Build for me a sanctuary (mikdash), and [...]
Practical Spirituality: A Daily Prayer of Divine Unity
June 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Judaism has a prayer that speaks of Divine unity. It also helps Jews remember that God exists not only in the “heavens” but close at hand. This prayer is called the Sh’ma. I’d like to propose that anyone from any religion or spiritual tradition, however, can take the basic premise of this prayer and use [...]
Practical Spirituality: Touching the Mezuzah
May 9, 2010 By 5 Comments
On the right doorpost of almost every Jewish home you will find a small rectangular box positioned on a slight angle. This box serves as a reminder to live by God’s commandments. Everyone can benefit from a spiritual yellow “post-it” note of some sort to remind them to live a spiritual or religious life, and [...]
Simchat Chochmah: My 50th Birthday Ritual and Name Change
April 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Earlier this month I mentioned that I had turned fifty. I also mentioned in an earlier post that a few friends had helped me with a secular–or maybe “spiritual”–life-cycle ritual down at the ocean. This past weekend I had the opportunity to participate in a second and final ritual to mark my fiftieth birthday. In [...]
Practical Spirituality: Daily Prayer to Take Time Out for God
April 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
It’s easy to get so caught up in our lives that we forget to pray or to connect with God. That’s why some of the major religions suggest set prayer times during the day. While some advocate for long prayer periods, short ones can help us remember God, connect spiritually and provide a great practical [...]
Practical Spirituality: Using Your Hands in Service to God
April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Starting today, about once a week you will find a practical spiritual practice here on As the Spirit Moves Me. The tip may come from the Jewish tradition or from other major religious tradition, such as from Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism. These practical spiritual practices are meant to be adaptable by anyone, and they also [...]
Creating Rituals for Your Life-Cycle Events
April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I turned 50 last week. Although I really don’t feel 50 and I didn’t have much psychological “stuff” around turning 50, I felt the need to mark this event in some way with a ritual. So, I asked a few friends if they might help me do so. The first friend took me off to [...]
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