Omer Day 41: The Fire at the Core

Yesod sh’b’Yesod – Foundation of the Foundation

Go deep, the Mystery calls,
Travel far into the earth.
Keep going into the sand, the mud, the dirt.
Then go further,
Reaching the root systems,
The water table,
The rocks,
Into the fire.The fire at the core.
The fire that first appeared
In a bush on the path
Calling us to awareness and presence.
Keep going into the fire on the mountain
Where the One spoke
In the midst of flames.
But don’t stop here,

Keep going.
Enter into the fire that was given to you.
And now is yours to tend.
The aish tamid—the always fire.
That lives inside.
Tend it with devotion,
With care,
With practice.

Keep the fire burning,
Through love,
Gratitude,
Awareness.
Tend the fire
Always.

Let the fire nourish and reveal
The gifts that are yours to give.
Yesod sh’b’Yesod
The foundation is eternal.
The connection is always.
And each of us adds to this continual creation
With the offerings of our souls.

May my prayers be rooted.
May they rise like incense
May the offerings of my hands be received as a gift. (Psalm 141:2)

Yesod sh’b’Yesod

On this 41^st day of the OmerFrom the second day of Passover until Shavuot, Jews count seven weeks – seven times seven days – to commemorate the period between the Exodus from Egypt and the Revelation at Sinai. When the Temple stood, a certain measure (omer) of barley was offered on the altar each day; today, we merely count out the days. let us take time to listen to the earth, to be guided by the wisdom of the trees, the birds, and the rivers, to remember that creation is alive within us and is always speaking to our souls. 

Let this day ask us:

Where and how to we experience connection?

What values do we stand upon?

What can the earth teach us?

Image by D’vorah Horn from her set of Omer Practice Cards (2016).