“These holidays are such an opportunity for us to be looking at our lives, to be stepping in fully with humility and with honesty, and with care for each other and for the Earth — to find the capacity to forgive so that we can renew.”— Bluth

This episode of Living Jewishly is an instalment of Sacred Time, a podcast devoted to the healing art of the Hebrew calendar. In this episode exploring the significance of the month of Elul, Bluth and Ganga Devi unpack major themes related to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The month of Elul is a time of intimacy, love and relationships. It reminds us that the sacred is in the mundane — we are beloved because we feel G-d every day, in every human and messy moment. Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li is the acronym for Elul and it means “I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me."

Elul’s reflective energy guides us into the New Year, preparing us for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is our shared story of the birth of the world and humanity, celebrating creation by honouring the Earth and looking forward to our collective future.

Yom Kippur tells the story of the sin of the Golden Calf and the second chance given to humanity. This is a day to practice atonement and forgiveness — so we can enter the New Year with integrity.

By reflecting on the past year, we hold ourselves responsible and accountable so that we are able to cleanse and renew. In doing so, we return to Elul’s beloved meditation on loving and forgiving ourselves as well as others.

Listen as Bluth and Ganga Devi discuss the importance and benefits of shadow work, humility, and alignment of values as we introspectively and collectively work toward renewal and integrity during the high holidays.

“If we can recognize ‘this is where I’ve been missing the mark, this is where I’ve been out of integrity, this is where I’ve been out of alignment,’ [we can] actually recognize what are some of the possible benefits and blessings and lessons.”

— Ganga Devi

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

• Commentary on original sin as a lack of responsibility and accountability — not human nature
• How Jungian perspectives on the human shadow relate to human nature — shame, blame, and perfection as the enemy of integrity — and how shadow work can allow us to love ourselves and others, and step into our lives with empowerment
• The importance of humility in taking our place within the world, and its relationship to our field of action