REFLECTIONS OF A HOLY TIME - FAITH OVER FEAR

As we enter Springtime, a time of transformation, renewal and rebirth, it has also been a time of reflection for me.

I remember as a child, I never understood the correlation between the Easter bunny and hiding eggs and how it tied into one of the most sacred days in the Christian world. In later years, I learned that eggs and rabbits, are a symbol of fertility, and that Springtime is a time of rebirth.  Why no one explained this to me as a child is beyond me but then again, conservative, religious families would never speak to their children about fertility, let alone ruin a tradition, right? (I am obviously overthinking this now as an adult!)

I have always appreciated logical explanations regarding religious traditions, that never made sense to me and was always more spiritual-minded than religious and have always been interested in the origins of things, the why.

Hence, this is probably why as an adult, I also chose to follow my own religious path into Judaism, because I knew that historically Jesus was Jewish, and I believed (believe) in only one G-d and felt that I didn't need an intermediary to communicate. As the years passed, it eventually led me into Kabbalah and then landed me in a more spiritual world than anything. I realized (especially after having my own children,) that almost all the traditions and rituals that take place in the name of religion, have become way more about tradition and commercialism than anything else.

As I reflect during this time of the year, when people celebrate the belief in the resurrection of Christ and/or the freedom of the slaves from Egypt, I'd like to think that the lessons I learned from both worlds has helped me to have a better understanding of why people believe what they do.

I am a firm believer in freedom of speech and freedom of religion - however, what gets me every time and still to this day, is the irony of this time of the year, (when religion is brought to the forefront,) and the hypocrisy of so-called people of faith becomes even more evident. When the words and actions of people do not match their religious teachings and preaching’s, this is when I shake my head in disbelief.

None of us are perfect but it always boggles my mind that some people preach the word of God and worship Jesus, yet walk around condemning others, who are not like them. I believe this to be completely the opposite of what Jesus and his earthly embodiment represented. To worship or idolize higher evolved beings like Jesus, Gandhi or even someone like Mother Theresa, yet live life in the complete opposite manner, makes no sense to me.

I believe that you should not condemn others simply because they don’t look like you, because they don’t act like you, because they don’t have the same religious beliefs as you, or because they choose to love differently than you or because they are in a different socioeconomic bracket than you.

To love one another, without judgment and to allow others to live life on their own terms, is what we should be doing here on Earth.

We are not necessarily here to “save the world.” We are here to become better versions of ourselves individually, and in doing so, impact the world collectively. 

In other words, we should not cast stones, we should learn to not judge others, & we should not fear what we do not know or understand. 

We should simply aim to live our best life without harming others and most importantly, allow OTHERS to live their lives as freely as they so choose, and to always have faith over fear.

We cannot mix our religious beliefs (and/or ethics) with politics because your “code to live life,” may not necessarily be someone else’s code; so therefore, we should just worry about living our own best life and do what you think is right for YOU!

It is NOT our job to be judge & jury. We should simply aim to create and walk our own path, as we journey through life to become better human beings.

Do not let fear consume you. Do not be coerced into condemnation. We must re-evaluate why we are here on Earth - and it certainly isn’t to change someone’s religious or political beliefs or to make them believe that your way is the only way.

Whether you believe life began with Adam & Eve, the Big Bang Theory or that we are extensions of extraterrestrial life, we are ALL here NOW on planet Earth, at this time in history and we must learn to live in harmony and enjoy the abundance that DOES exist.

Regardless of how you were raised or where you stand now regarding your religious beliefs, it is imperative that we all recognize that the greatest force on Earth is unconditional LOVE, which can be demonstrated through empathy, tolerance, and compassion. Love is love and love always wins!

So, as we all individually go around celebrating religious symbolism and tradition, at this time of the year, remember that more important than following some religious dogma, is to simply be a kind-hearted, empathetic and tolerant human being who learns to be loving and accepting of others, regardless of race, religion political affiliation or religious beliefs.

And in so doing, we become more God-like and closer to Source.

May you rise above the hate and fear often demonstrated in our world and may you always be free to love and live as you so choose, while always doing what is best for your growth as a human being. 💛💫🌻-LR

 

 

 

 

POST NOTE:  As controversial as this may be to some people reading this (and most probably goes against everything you have may or may not have been taught, my personal belief is that Jesus was a real person, "an ascended master, (an advanced soul from the higher vibrational frequency dimensions) he was one of many advanced souls that have chosen to incarnate here on Earth to help us evolve our consciousness faster."

I do believe that he chose to be born during that tumultuous time in history. I believe he chose to incarnate to teach people about love, compassion, kindness and above all, forgiveness. I believe the important lessons we should take from the belief in Jesus/ "Yeshua," is that he taught people how to love unconditionally without judgment, so that we can evolve our consciousness, with the ultimate goal of being one with the Source/God.

Sadly, throughout history, that message has been lost through erroneous storytelling, as well as the fact that many people of power and authority monetized his message via the creation of the church and warped His teachings by turning it into a belief system, that they could monopolize as well. 

Unfortunately, in today's world, we are so far off the intended message. This is one of the reasons why there is a collective awakening happening, because so many people recognize the fact that there is something far greater and bigger than us, than just our Earthly bodies and what we have been taught to believe. In essence I believe we are vehicles with eternal souls traveling in the journey of this so-called life, in the quest to return to where we came from...where we actually belong. I also believe that when we die, we get to our own individual version of "heaven," and we manifest what we expect to see.

Ultimately, I believe that we have free will and we can choose to believe (or not believe) in anything or anyone we want, but first and foremost, we should respect others' rights to the pursuit of life, love, and liberty.

 

 

 

 

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WHAT IS THE EVIL-EYE?

 

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WHAT IS THE EVIL EYE?
The belief that certain individuals cause you harm or cause evil mischief to occur with just a look is one that historians trace across numerous cultures and from as far back as antiquity. Some cultures took the threat of the Evil Eye very seriously. For example, in Islam it is believed unlucky to accept a compliment without also stating "Masha'Allah," or "God has willed it," in order to ward off the power of the Evil Eye.  In Italian it is known as: Il malocchio for the evil eye, or casting the evil eye.  The idea of this is a cultural and superstitious notion

The mystical Red String Hamsa (or Hand of Fatima) Bracelet is said to possess the power to negate and block evil forces that are cast upon you. These powers, like the evil eye and bad luck are commonly being abused by people who mean you harm. Not necessarily intentional harm-but meaning, a conscious level of wishing something bad to happen to a person. Sometimes even just a simple jealousy can create the effect of the evil eye, or as some people call it- the stink eye.

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DESCRIPTION: A Red String Braided Bracelet with a Silver Hamsa and evil eye center; comes with clasp closure.

The red string bracelet is a powerful tool to negate the effects of evil eye and bad luck. It is garnished with a red string as in the traditional stories from Rachel Tombe.

An Evil Eye bracelet is a piece of jewelry that symbolically protects its wearer from the perceived negative effects of someone who has given them the "Evil Eye." The Evil Eye is a glaring look that is intended to cause harm to the person it is directed toward. In this case, both the harmful look and the protective device are called the "Evil Eye."
 
ORIGINS:

The hamsa is a palm-shaped amulet that’s popular throughout many parts of northern Africa. It is commonly used in wall hangings and, of course, jewelry. It depicts an open right hand and is seen as a protective symbol in many cultures (noticing a trend here?). It has also been known to protect against the evil eye we spoke of earlier. It is used in parts of the Islamic, Jewish, and Christian worlds.

This is such an interesting symbol, as it overlaps all the major religions of the world, yet there is not a true path to find where it started. It is used today by people from many places and can be something that’s worn or used in a home for protection. (Source: Social Moms)

From the perspective of Islam, the Hand of Fatima is worn as a lucky symbol, and each finger of the hand has a different attribute.  One is faith, followed by prayer, pilgrimage, charity, and fasting.



For some cultures, protective talismans in the form of Evil Eye bracelets became the most popular form of protection against the intended harm. In Mexico and Central America, bracelets featuring an eye are often placed on babies to ward off the Evil Eye, which could lead to their deaths. Another country that uses the Evil Eye bracelet to ward off evil is India, where the bracelets are crafted to be both beautiful and powerfully protective.

WHY I HATE RELIGION

In 1998, even before becoming pregnant was ever a thought in my mind, my husband and I had a discussion about raising our "hypothetical future children" as Jews.  He had (has) three older children from a previous marriage and in the event that we ever had kids together, we did not want them to be raised any differently.  And given the fact, that I always loved Judaism and its teachings, principles and way of life, I had absolutely NO problem giving up my Catholic upbringing.  I was excited at the thought. 

My mother, G-d rest her soul, made a lot of sacrifices to send me to private Catholic schools, for which I will forever be grateful for (her sacrifice, not the religious part.) I never liked, believed or agreed with some of the outlandish beliefs and teachings of the Catholic church, but that was okay because I was always taught to love and respect others, no matter what.  And she, my mom, exemplified love and compassion. So, it was not money wasted ( I think!) My choice was quietly accepted by my Cuban, Catholic family, only raising eyebrows during Christmas-time, not so much because of religious reasons but because it was tradition, which reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Fiddler on the Roof.

Fast-forward to the year 2015, where my 12-year old is currently in summer camp.  This week they have a holiday dress-up day, where they can choose absolutely any holiday they want, religious or otherwise, and my daughter wanted to choose "Hanukkah," her favorite holiday.  Instead of it being a fun experience, it has become a religious argument among her friends, well, mainly one friend, who apparently has not been taught tolerance and acceptance of others.  She is being told that she is only 50% , that she is not really "Jewish." (Note: A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism.”)  My daughter, quickly defended herself and proceed to explain how she has never celebrated a Christian holiday and how our family has always celebrated Hanukkah, Passover etc...

Now, I am not an ignorant person, I am aware of the Jewish law, that if a mother is not Jewish by birth, then the child is not recognized as such.  However, with that being said, I made a conscious decision 13 years ago to become "Jewish-by-choice," and raise my children as "Jews," send them to Hebrew School and celebrate every Hanukkah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, and observe Yom Kippur, having namings, Brit Millah (bris,) conversions etc... Not just because I married a Jewish man, but because I whole-heartedly believe in the Jewish way of life. Hell, I know more about Judaism, its holidays and traditions than most "real" Jews.

 I read somewhere that "Jewishness is passed down by the mother because being Jewish is a spiritual identity, it defines our very being. And our very being we get from our mother, both in body and in soul."  Now you tell me, if I identify, respect and practice Judaism with my very soul, what do you think I am teaching my children?

Regardless of the fact, that I am making a conscious effort to raise my kids with a Judaic education, personally, I also believe, like Albert Einstein, in a Universal Intelligence, along with a little bit of theories from different religions.  I always tell my kids, that the reality is, religion was made up my man!  If people really practiced their religion, practiced what they preach,they would know that it is suppose to teach us love, compassion and tolerance for others. It does not matter what religion you practice (unless of course, you are a damn terrorists!) they all believe in one Universal Being, they just choose to have different names and different versions of "their truths (G-d, Lord, Allah, Buddah, Tao etc...)

One of the many reasons I hated my religious upbringing was the perfect example of the "Sunday church-goer," who would praise the Lord, preach love for all and then get to the parking lot and cut you off with his/her car or  the individual who would "sin" like crazy, meaning, acting like A-hole all week, then go into confession with some random guy wearing a white collar and then all would be mysteriously forgiven.  Really?  This is what life is about?

No! In my opinion, it is not.  Life should be about living to the fullest, learning and growing, showing compassion, love and empathy towards people, making a difference for the better in the world. This is what I am trying to teach my children.

It doesn't matter what religion you practice, but do NOT come tell me or my children that we are not real, that we are only 50%. I rather have half of us than 100% of the hypocritical religious fanatics out there who wouldn't give you a helping hand if you needed one.

So that brings me to the origins of my rant. Why would my child's "friend" make her feel any less of a person, because of her upbringing, religious background or otherwise?  What has that child been taught?  Certainly not tolerance or acceptance!  This is why I "hate" religion, because people are not true to what they preach or claim to believe. And I also must say, I try to teach my kids to not use the words "hate," and I debated whether to use it here or not.  Do not misinterpret this as a hate for anybody, or anything, it is just my way of expressing my absolute dislike for an institution/theory that is complete bulls*%**, in my eyes! I do believe that it is a positive thing to give your children some kind of religious or spiritual background, but you have to teach them, what it truly means. You have to teach them to love and be kind to people, no matter what.

Despite, my ranting on the reasons why I "hate" religion, at the conclusion of my writing, my daughter ended up dressing up for St. Patrick's Day.  Go figure.