Awakening the Light of Consciousness

Consciousness is the bridge that enables the Light of our soul to travel to the heart of another. With consciousness, all that we undertake this month becomes a means to elevate the whole of humanity.

Those born under the sign of Taurus, or in Hebrew: Iyar, carry an energy of strength and stability. They enjoy routine and security and are known to be reliable and caring. What can hold them back is their reluctance to rock the boat. The sentiment is, "The sun is shining, so why make a fuss? The grass is pretty green here, so why move forward?"

While this fixedness and persistence makes Taureans loyal friends and excellent people to see things through in business matters, it can also bring a certain amount of limitation. For we are infinite beings and while we are here in this physical form, we are ever prompted to expand and transform ourselves. Rote thinking and behavior can work in opposition to spiritual growth. We are here to become better than we were yesterday, breaking our patterns and becoming new people, hour by hour, day by day.

Truth be told, we are all fixed in certain ways. Have you ever been riding in a car and suddenly found yourself home? How did you get there? Were you on auto-pilot? This seems like a simple example, but we all go into auto pilot from time to time. Sometimes it shows up in our relationships, in the ways we think about ourselves or the beliefs we hold about others, or perhaps the ways we become accustomed to engaging. Sometimes we do things "just because," or say things just to say them, without really considering why or what we want to affect. In this slumber of consciousness, we forget our creative power to channel Light into this world. Actions without heart are missed opportunities. With every step we take, we have the God-given ability – through the divine combination of mind, heart, and spirit – to spread positive energy with our actions. Each one of us is hereto make an impact that will last long after we leave. When we have this awareness, even our mundane duties and tasks take on a new life force. We are empowered to rise up and become the powerful creator that we were born to be.

Historically, a tremendous amount of negativity occurred during the month of Taurus. 24,000 students of the great Kabbalist Rav Akiva died of plague, and the author of the Zohar, Rav Shimon, left the world on the 15th of this month. And yet the Hebrew name for the month is Iyar, which stands for "Ani Hashem Rofecha" – "I am God, your Healer." What's more is that the Hebrew the month of Taurus is called Ziv, meaning “Light." Seems like quite a contradiction! But what we learn is that from darkness, Light emerges; just as a seed eventually becomes a beautiful flower after it has been buried within the cool dark earth. From the passing of the 24,000 students, there was an opening for a Light so strong it would permeate the world. When Rav Shimon elevated beyond his body, he created a portal of energy from which all of humankind could be nourished.

In the same way, this month, we have the opportunity to awaken Light from our darkness. Rote ways of thinking can be replaced with new inspired pathways. We can identify beliefs that are holding us back, certain habits and behaviors that are keeping us from living our potential. It seems like a tall order, but it starts with the small things.

Here some things we can try:

• Proactively be more caring and sharing with those around us.
• Focus less on how others are treating us, and more on how we are treating others.
• Become aware of our fears so we can conjure courage.
• Examine limiting belief systems and find more empowered ones.
• Focus less on what we are getting out of an interaction, and more aware of what energy we are bringing to that interaction.

On the night of Pesach, each one of us was scooped up by the hand of the Creator and released from all of those programs that enslave us. Now in this month, during the time known as the Omer, we make the effort to free ourselves. The energy has already been implanted within us. It is up to us to draw it out.

Yes, God is our Healer, but it also says He helps those who help themselves, and we are entirely capable of doing just that. Let's awaken Light of consciousness for ourselves and together ripple that outwards to elevate the world.

Wishing you a powerful month,

Karen