Weekly Consciousness by Karen Berg

Now, more than ever, people are striving for a spiritual purpose: to be better human beings. But for those of us who are already on a spiritual path where we are connecting, praying, and doing things for others, it is more difficult to find out exactly what we need to change and how we can reach the next level.

Many times, we may find ourselves looking at other people and saying, “My God, he talks so much!” or “I love him dearly, but he dresses like a clown." The point here is that there are times when we react in less than positive ways towards other people. That’s normal because there is negative and positive in every human being, including us. On the level of our souls, there is perfection. But in this physical world, there is no such thing as a person that is completely whole.

We are in a time of new beginnings. Kids (and parents) are in back-to-school mode, and many of us in one way or another are starting a new chapter in our lives as we move into autumn.

Welcome to the month of Virgo, a powerful month in which the universe affords us the opportunity to expand our spiritual vision and grow closer to revealing our potential. In order to do so, it is important that we have the consciousness that we need to transform because, of course, we cannot change if we are not aware that there is something to change.

This week's Bible reading discusses blessings and curses. But what's it all about? What does it really mean to be blessed or cursed?

The secret that we learn this week is that the concept of blessings and curses really refers to their impact on the consciousness of the person being blessed or cursed. Essentially, when we are blessed, we have the ability to go beyond the present moment and to see where the road will take us. We feel connected to a higher purpose for our being and we understand the difficulties we need to go through and why we need to go through them.

One of the tools that we learn about from the Bible is the 72 Names of God: 72 three-letter combinations of Hebrew letters, with each combination carrying a specific energy that can help us in our lives. Kabbalists meditate with these Names to connect to the Divine essence within themselves and to help them change and uproot the inner aspects of themselves that are negative, limiting or selfish. These combinations of letters are spiritual tools that help us to change at the seed level—the level of consciousness.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Now obviously this is a profound statement when applied to our personal or work life, but really it also holds true for our spiritual mission here on Earth: The mission of perfecting our souls. The truth is that we have been given whatever we have—whatever traits, limitations, or gifts—so that we will be able to change ourselves on the inside.

The prophet Nathan would come to King David every night and tell him, “This is what you did wrong today, what you said wrong today, whom you hurt today.” Can you imagine being confronted every night with every single transgression you committed during your waking hours? Most of us probably would not look forward to going to bed!

The month of Leo is ruled by the sun, the powerful celestial body that shares its Light with all humanity. Not surprisingly, therefore, the kabbalists explain that the month of Leo is a month of high energy and polarity. Within it exists a huge potential for Light, and at the same time, an equal potential for negativity. For us, this dual energy manifests as pressure. The pressure that we feel is exactly what we need make the changes that will ensure we are less reactive and more sharing in the next year.

The portion of the Bible we read this week, Pinchas, contains the energy of healing. And so let’s use this week to ask the question: What is healing and how do we go about bringing this energy into our lives?