Today the gates of change swing open

Last night was the start of Yom Kippur - often known as the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish Year.

This holiday is the culmination of a 10 day New Year - Time for Renewal. A time to review our year, to assess where we may have been missing the mark of who we truly wish to be. A time to see clearly what we wish to upgrade in our lives, in ourselves - with compassion and kindness.

Michael and I went to services for Yom Kippur with our friend, Robyn. It was a very sweet and warm service. Lots of singing, praying, and sharing. I was deeply touched that what kept being expressed over and over was that as we approach the ways we have not lived up to our highest, truest values, in the ways we may have hurt others and let ourselves down during this past year - it is vital that we do this review in a context of compassion for ourselves and others.

Even more, it is the time for awareness that the whole universe exists as love and compassion. In Jewish tradition, this 10 day period is the birthday of the universe. And like so many of us know, the universe itself has love imbued into its very fabric.

That the path to truly healing only happens in a field of love and compassion. Where you know you are loved, even as you review your own mistakes, your own disappointments with yourself. A place to feel held and supported and cheered on as we look at what in ourselves and our lives might need some upgrade.

One of the prayers we sang together is:

Return Again

That is also my prayer for each of us.

Another prayer:

All We Are: A Kol Nidre Reflection

And this prayer spoke to me of the community of souls who gather together to find who they are seeking to be more of, what they are wishing to clear that has been an obstacle, and how we can all come together to support one another on this journey.

This prayer, "Kol Nidre" is a paradoxical prayer. It both encourages us to vow to ourselves to grow in the direction we want to grow, and at the same time absolves us of that vow when we are imperfect, often massively imperfect in how we actually live our vows.

This is the invitation. To make vows for yourself, of who you are becoming. To know you will be absolved for being imperfect in its fulfillment.

But to make those vows not as a way to punish yourself for failure, but to create a vision for yourself of your healing and growth, in the infinite field of all-permeating love.

Michael & Penny