Alchemy of Blessing

I once asked Rabbi Shefa Gold for a birthday blessing. She said that on your birthday, blessing flows through you, and she invited me to bless everyone. Here’s the blessing I wrote for this year’s turn around the sun—influenced by a wonderful book by psychologist Miriam Greenspan about the alchemy of Healing through the Dark Emotions. How do we get in the mud with the oogy feelings and find the treasure?


Whatever makes you weep
may it open your eyes
to beauty
Where your heart has hardened
may it crack open and let
the light flood in
Whatever worry squirrel-cages in your mind
may it animate your creativity
Whatever pettiness
worms through your door
may it teach you to laugh gently
at your very human self
May all the wrong turns you’ve taken
the fumbles, stumbles
every epic screwup
lead you to this
meadow
this river
this beloved
this work
this burning bush
that was waiting for you
 
***
And an extra blessing for this time:
May the latest Covid surge be like the fireworks finale on the 4th of July, where they throw everything into the air … and then it’s over.

 

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on email
Email

Ritualwell content is available for free thanks to the generous support of readers like you! Please help us continue to offer meaningful content with a donation today. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Rituals

Shop Ritualwell - Discover unique Judaica products

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Jewish Spiritual Autobiography

 Writing a spiritual autobiography helps you to discover how teachers, touchstones, symbols and stories have led you to make meaning and understand the sacred in your personal story. In this immersion, join Ritualwell’s Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, a writer and spiritual director, to map out and narrate your most sacred life experiences. Four sessions starting May 16, 2024. 

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.

The Reconstructionist Network