My awakening began with a dream.
I dreamed that I was rowing a boat, heaving my arms forward with all of my strength. My gaze was transfixed ahead of me. With my heart throbbing, I quickly turned around to catch a glimpse of the world I was leaving behind and saw a skyline on fire. Buildings were crumbling to the ground, their formidable metal frames curling up like frightened children.
I was 28 years old. For decades, I had lived in a crowded city where it had always felt to me as if each of us was striving to grab our own piece of the pie. I had studied ferociously to get good grades, worked relentlessly as a young professional, even partied hard, too. I had done everything I thought I was supposed to do. Yet amidst the busyness, my days still felt strangely impoverished. What was missing?
I sat with this question for months. I researched it, I meditated on it. My attention eventually left the chaos of my mind and dropped into my body. As if reviving old lines of communication, my senses began to speak. They told me their desires: my eyes wanted to see soft greenery instead of concrete, my fingers wanted to touch moist soil instead of laptop keys, and my heart ached to feel joy.
My body was calling for earth, water, and love.
It was calling for the divine feminine.
The divine feminine is known in Jewish wisdom as the Shekhinah, the divine presence that dwells in the world. She is both a warm nurturer and protector. She is found in the earth and waters that nourish us. She is the cooling peace of the moon that lulls us to sleep, the wisdom of intuition, the feelings of the heart. She is also the warrior strength of the lioness defending her cubs from harm. The divine feminine’s other half is the divine masculine: the heat of sun and fire, the logic of the mind. In Judaism, the masculine Adonai is often called “Melekh Ha-Olam,” King of the Universe, the counterpart of Shekhinah, the Queen. China’s Yin and Yang, India’s Shiva and Shakti, and Greece’s Eros and Logos are all expressions of this relationship.
When balanced, these halves create a transcendent whole. But over centuries of patriarchy, the divine feminine has been trampled and nearly forgotten. With the rise of the Me Too movement in 2017 and the increasing threat of climate change, we have been searching for her return. My dream was a summons to exodus. The divine feminine was calling me to leave the crumbling systems of patriarchy behind.
I wanted to make this journey forward and move into a world in which the divine feminine and masculine were in balance. But where was I going, and how would I get there?
For guidance, I turned to ancient cultures that predated Western patriarchy. I explored Judaism in particular, as it is my cultural heritage and dates back over 3500 years. I searched for channels to connect with water, earth, and love, and found five rituals that resonated with me. Practicing these rituals has infused my life with the divine feminine and has led me to experience a deeper sense of richness and abundance.
Shabbat is a sacred day each week that is reserved for rest. Productivity is actually not allowed! Shabbat weaves regular pauses into the rhythm of time, creating the opportunity to reconnect with what matters most. My Shabbats include decadent meals of rich breads, wines, and desserts. I commit to “unplugging” by turning off my phone and stowing away my computer. I let time be luxuriously open and invite my senses to lead the way. I hike, read books, take bubble baths, and share meals with people I love. When Shabbat ends and the new week begins, my spirit has been recharged.
While Western calendars typically follow the sun, the months of the Jewish calendar follow the moon. Lunar months offer a guide to growth that is cyclical rather than linear. Each new moon is a chance to set intentions and begin again. As the moon waxes, we can follow it into expansion by setting goals and taking action. When the moon is full, we too can revel in our fullness by pausing to take stock of how far we have come. As the moon wanes, we reflect, release, and rest until we begin again. I incorporate lunar time into my life by bringing attention to the moon and to its correlation with my own energy. Rather than seeking to push constantly forward, I honor cycles of growth and release. In the long run, this approach is far more sustainable and fulfilling as well.
Every new month, according to Jewish tradition, begins with a gathering of women. Rosh Chodesh or “Head of the Month” celebrations have been traced back to the biblical story of the Golden Calf. While the men of the community succumbed to idol worship, the women stood fast in their refusal to participate. For this display of moral strength, God rewarded women with the privilege to rest and celebrate at the start of each month. I bring this ritual into my life through women’s book clubs, women’s circles, and women’s retreats. Through gathering, we fortify our hearts and minds and become sources of light for our communities.
Mother Earth’s gifts can all too easily be taken for granted: the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink. But if any one of those gifts were to be taken away, we would immediately be brought to our knees. Earth holidays are reminders of the ways in which the earth takes care of us. Sukkot, the fall harvest holiday, and Tu B’Shvat, the birthday of trees, are two examples of Jewish earth holidays. I mark these holidays by getting the freshest fruits of the season at the local farmers’ market and preparing a meal to be eaten outdoors. Combined with friends, family, and gratitude, earth holidays provide a recipe for joy.
Every living being arrives in this world by way of water. The mikvah, the Jewish ritual bath, commemorates significant transitions through a full-body immersion in water. Many organizations have modernized this ritual, applying it to a wide array of life transitions. At Mayyim Hayyim, the mikvah can be used to signify becoming a parent, graduating, or healing from trauma. I apply this ritual on my own by swimming in oceans, lakes, and rivers. Water provides a portal to reconnect with the original source of all life.
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The body’s wisdom has been crafted over millennia and is steeped within our bones. In the noisy modern world, this wisdom can be difficult to hear. But if we listen closely, we will find that it is there to guide us. Our ability to care for our bodies informs our ability to care for others, which extends further to our ability to care for the great body of the earth itself. Rest is radical; nurturing is sacred. By restoring the divine feminine to daily life, we can cool the fires of patriarchy and heal the parched lands left in its wake.
At The Well uplifts many approaches to Jewish practice. Our community draws on ancient Jewish wisdom, sometimes adapting longstanding practices to more deeply support the well-being of women and nonbinary people. See this article’s sources below. We believe Torah (sacred teachings) are always unfolding to help answer the needs of the present moment.
Shekhinah by Jill Hammer, Feminism and Religion
The Shabbos Queen, Aish
Immersion Ceremonies, Mayyim Hayyim
Lianna Gomori-Ruben is a naturalist, a writer, and a former middle school teacher. She is committed to creating a world in which all living beings may fully bloom.
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