The Great Escape

This article was previously published in 2018.

Happy New Year! Welcome to the New Moon of Aries. We are now at the very beginning of the astrological calendar and Zodiac. We stand at the head of all twelve months and begin the journey through the zodiac, once again. It is a time of new beginnings, which explains perhaps why this is the great month in which the holiday of Pesach resides. Only in the month of Aries could the redemption and release of the Israelites from Egypt occur. For it is in this month we find the power to create breakthroughs and miracles. 

"It is a time of new beginnings."

Sixteenth century Kabbalist Rav Isaac Luria explained that the first 12 days of Aries correspond to the 12 months of the upcoming year. For example, the first day corresponds to the months of Aries, the second to Taurus, the third to Gemini, and so on. It is said that our consciousness and behavior during these 12 days will actually create the experiences we have in the months ahead. These 12 days, then, are especially a time to remain positive and proactive. They are a time where some of us will be faced with great tests, but we know that the greater the test, the greater the reward. Certainly, this month contains multiple opportunities to transform ourselves and to carve out a new destiny.

In Hebrew, Aries is known as Nissan. Nissan derives from the Aramaic word nes which means miracle. It is in these days that we are able to harness a tremendous warehouse of energy that is capable of releasing us from any confinement. We are charged with the energy to complete any task at hand. There is an opening this month that can catapult us into the direction of the stars and into freedom’s arms. Like a blacksmith that must strike when the iron is hot, we too have come to a time when we can take the action that is necessary to draw into our lives the fresh air of a new beginning. We enter one of the most powerful times of the year to accomplish the seemingly most impossible of tasks. The iron is hot, and it is time to strike.

Aries is ruled by the planet of Mars, the planet of war. But it is not the war you may think. Aries is considered to be the child of the Zodiac. If you know any Aries, you will know someone who is often fearless. Aries are said to go where even the angels dread to trot. They are courageous people, however. So much so that it can accompany great self-pride and an insensitivity to the world around them. The Aries says “I am.” But with “I am,” little room is left for you and me. The battle we engage in this month is the battle within. This month, along with the great gifts offered, we find the ego rearing its head more than ever. If we are able to forge forward to our goals but simultaneously act in ways of generosity and love towards our fellow man, we will then be able to connect to the miracles this month offers us. The power is there, and the time is right. If we strike with the consciousness of love, we can shape the future and reach our destiny.

"It is the freedom from this bondage that brings us into the realm of endless blessings."

This month offers us the greatest Desire to Receive than any other time of the year. The Hebrew letter that created this month, and is our channel, is the letter Hey. The letter Hey is the full and all-encompassing energy of desire. We have heard before that the person who gets what they want is often the person who wants it the most. It is this great desire that is needed to break out of the darkness of limitations and addictions to the bright Light of freedom that waits on the other side. The Aries can find their way out of almost any situation. It is no coincidence that famed magician and escape artist Harry Houdini was an Aries. With this great desire, an Aries finds a way to achieve their goals. We too, this month, are bestowed with the power of a deep and strong desire and thus the ability to achieve great things.

But what do we desire? Do we settle for such small rewards like fame and fortune? Or do we tap into the desire that awakens the deepest yearnings of our soul: the desire for love, freedom from self, and a connection to the Creator. Now we may see, why the exodus from Egypt occurred during this month. If we wish, what the Israelites achieved in the month of Nissan can be ours too. The confinement of ego, selfishness, and apathy that enchains us at a distance from the Creator is our great trap that we can escape this month. For once we are freed from the Desire to Receive for the Self Alone, we are then able to rocket ourselves into the arms of the Creator where freedom, love, and lasting fulfillment reside.

The time is now. The iron is hot. This month we are able to strike, engage, and win the battle to love our neighbors as ourselves and the colossal task of treating everyone, even our enemies, with human dignity. It is the release from this cage of self, where we find our greatest rewards and treasures. It is the freedom from this bondage that brings us into the realm of endless blessings. This is our greatest escape yet, however with the help of the Creator and the energy present this month, we can find ourselves, at last, a way out.

I wish you all the miracles and blessings that the Creator can possibly give this month. Have a great month.