 The
Book of Formation tells us, "He appointed the letter chaf and crowned it and
created with it the sun in the universe and Wednesday in the year, and the left
ear in the soul. He appointed the letter tet and crowned it and created with it
Leo in the universe and Av in the year and the left kidney in the soul".
The month of Av, the sign of Leo, is one of the three negative months of the
year. The sun completely throws its energy into this month. All of the other
planets in the solar system control two signs. Only the sun and moon each
control one month and one sign. Therefore these two months experience an added
energy.
The month of Av has a few important cosmic junctures that affect us in a special
way:
Hei b'Av: This is the day upon which the Ari, the great kabbalist Rav Isaac
Luria, left this world. He was a spark of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai's soul and
continued his life's work. From the 17th of Tammuz (the day on which the walls
of Jerusalem were destroyed) to the 9th of Av (the day upon which the Holy
Temple was destroyed twice in different time periods) is what is known as "The
Three Weeks", especially difficult cosmic days, and its important to seek help
and support throughout these three weeks. That is why the Ari chose to leave on
the fifth day of Av, so that he may reveal a tremendous amount of Light to help
us make it to the ninth of Av, in order to prevent any further destruction in
the future. On the night of Hei b'Av, the entirety of the Ari's energy is
revealed. It is recommended to study from his writings. The Ari compiled 17
volumes of different topics found throughout the Zohar, arranged them according
to topic – like "The Gates of Reincarnation", which explains at length the laws
of reincarnation.
Tisha b'Av: This is the most negative day of the year. The Holy Temple in
Jerusalem was destroyed twice on the same day, in entirely different years.
Other tragedies have taken place throughout history on this day. The Spanish
Inquisition is just one of them. We know that each one of the 365 days of the
year is connected to each one of the 365 sinews in the body. Every action that
we do affects each of those parts spiritually, and also connects to one day a
year. When fighting with Esau's angel, Jacob injured his Achilles' tendon, and
since then, the Torah has advised us not to consume this part of any animal's
body. The Achilles' tendon is connected to the 9th of Av, and that is the day
upon which Satan takes control. Therefore, the 9th of Av has been negative since
its inception, as Satan dominates it completely. What happens is that when a
person's actions are so negative, like hatred for no reason, the result can be
nothing but destruction, and that is what happened. Therefore every year when we
approach this day, it is a day of calamity, upon which it is customary to fast,
in order to control the desire of the body to receive. The bottom line is, the
most negative day of the year, a day of destruction and tragedy, can be the day
of the greatest revelation of Light in the year. Because instead of almost total
darkness, we have the potential to reveal the greatest Light in the world, and
that is why Tisha b'Av is also considered a holiday, the day upon which the
Messiah is born.
Tu b'Av: The happiest day of the year also falls in the month of Av. On this
day, when the moon is at its fullest during the month ruled by the sun, there is
an equality of energies between these two celestial bodies. The sun, which is
the cosmic energy of Zeir Anpin (the energy of sharing), which channels energy
to Malchut. The moon is Malchut, the vessel which receives for the energy from
Zeir Anpin.
Because of this cosmic situation, it is a day of perfect balance between the
plus and the minus, the power of male (the sun, Zeir Anpin) and female (the
moon, Malchut). In ancient times, young single women would dance in the
vineyards and the young single men would come to choose their soulmates.
Leo is left column of the fire signs, and therefore is the most intense of the
fire signs. Leos are born leaders, managers, organizers and no matter what they
do, they must be king.
The sign of Leo is a creative one. Leos love music, stage, and the sound of
applause. They must be in the spotlight, wanted and appreciated. They are
generous, good-hearted, and helpful, as long as it's on their terms. They love
beauty and aesthetics, and often find careers in these fields.
Sometimes Leos can be overbearing, proud and controlling in a tyrannical manner
(like Napoleon). Therefore the most serious lesson for Leos to learn is to
control themselves, as the saying goes, "The greatest hero is one who conquers
his desires".
A big part of anyone's spiritual journey of transformation is to get to know
themselves for who they really are, and understand and accept the unique
combination of their personality and traits. Learning what your sign means can
give you an important and valuable insight as to what your biggest challenge is,
so that you can transform it and uncover your biggest gift to the world, which
is, simply put, the other side of the same coin.
Wearing a Sign Shield can significantly support you through this process - get
yours here.
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