Sorry about that unedited first line yesterday. I reread my posts to check for errors. Apparently I didn’t for that one.<\/p>\n
Nights have become cooler as the calendar turned over to September. What to look forward to in September:<\/p>\n
Harvest Moon<\/p>\n
Mabon. The fall equinox. (for us northern hemisphere types)<\/p>\n
Michaelmas on the 29th. The springtime of the soul.<\/p>\n
The main harvest. Drive across Nebraska and see the combine crews gathering in wheat.<\/p>\n
The start of the NFL season.<\/p>\n
Labor Day.<\/p>\n
Night beginning to overtake the day.<\/p>\n
My favorite time of year. Through Samain, the Winter Solstice, and New Year’s Day.<\/p>\n
Elul. The Jewish lunar month that proceeds Rosh Hashana, the new year celebrating the creation of the world and humanity. In preparation for this new year (one of four) we engage in cheshbon nefesh, an accounting of the soul. As with most things Jewish, its aim is to live well in this life.<\/p>\n
Here’s a summary from Gemini of what this entails:<\/p>\n
Cheshbon nefesh<\/i> requires stepping away from the noise of daily life. It is often done in a quiet space where you can be alone with your thoughts. Some people do a brief version of this daily before sleep, but during Elul, it becomes a more profound, deliberate practice of reviewing the entire past year.<\/p>\n2. Review Your Actions and Relationships<\/h3>\n
Take an honest look at your behavior, habits, and interactions. You might ask yourself questions like:<\/p>\n
How did I treat my family, friends, and strangers this year?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Did I act with integrity in my work and daily obligations?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Where did my patience fail?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Did I waste time or miss opportunities to help others?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The goal is to confront your mistakes without falling into despair or toxic guilt. It is an objective “accounting” where you tally up the emotional and spiritual ledger. You recognize where you missed the mark (the Jewish concept of chet<\/i>) so that you can correct the course.<\/p>\n4. Make Amends (Seek Forgiveness)<\/h3>\n
A critical component of this accounting is realizing who you have hurt. Jewish tradition teaches that God cannot forgive transgressions against other people until you have sought forgiveness from the people themselves. This means making the difficult phone calls, writing the letters, and offering genuine apologies to those you have wronged.<\/p>\n
Cheshbon nefesh<\/i> is not just about feeling sorry; it is action-oriented. Once you have identified your spiritual debts, you make a concrete plan for how to handle things differently in the coming year. It is about actively returning to your best self and aligning your actions with your values.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sorry about that unedited first line yesterday. I reread my posts to check for errors. Apparently I didn’t for that one. Nights have become cooler as the calendar turned over to September. What to look forward to in September: Harvest Moon Mabon. The fall equinox. (for us northern hemisphere types) Michaelmas on the 29th. The … Continue reading A Spiritual Audit<\/span>