GOOD BYE PISCES

Indicative of the last month, the original title for this post was "Welcome Pisces." Four short, busy weeks later, I'm finally able to finish the thought.  Pisces, according to Monica Berg, is considered to be the Month of Joy and also stabilizes or foreshadows the year ahead.  I've excerpted the following from her blog, which I love to read when I have a down moment:

The month of Pisces is the very last month of the zodiac, and kabbalist Rav Berg explains that this is why Pisces is considered to be the month that stabilizes what’s to come in the year ahead. Everything is at its seed level during this month, which makes it the harbinger of everything to come in 2013. At the very moment Pisces begins, we all have the ability to awaken a tremendous amount of joy in our lives, so much joy in fact, that we will feel it throughout the entire year...

Kabbalist Rav Brandwein says that true and lasting happiness is a gift from the Creator.
Think about the statement for a moment, and ask yourself, what makes you happy? What makes you sad? You could probably write a long list of both. Consider just how much of your happiness is dependent on something external – a delicious meal, attention from a certain someone, a great movie, the first time you hear your baby laugh… You feel happy, right? But what happens when you sit in traffic for two hours, or get fired – do you still feel happy? Not really.

Momentary happiness is very different to lasting, true happiness. Life circumstances can run the gambit, from the ultimate moment of joy to the most challenging of events and yet true happiness is always maintained. Why? Rav Brandwein explains that the moment we can know and live with the consciousness that true happiness is a gift from the Creator, and that that gift comes by way of changing ourselves, that is when we can maintain that level of joy in our lives no matter how difficult the situation. Every situation is, in fact, an opportunity to change, and therefore find everlasting joy and fulfillment.

Imagine how powerful and liberating it will feel to know that regardless of what is happening in our lives we can still live with joy every single day. Although at times it doesn’t feel like it, everything in life happens to assist us in our spiritual growth and change, which is essentially how we receive the gift of happiness. The month of Adar (Pisces) is known as the Month of Joy, and when we dedicate our lives to bringing happiness to those around us, we create more of it for everyone – self included.

I hope that when you reflect on the month, you can pull out a few positive seeds or patterns that will give you a sense of stabilization and anticipation of more joy to come.  My month was busy, but there were definitely a number of high points and I'm hoping to ride that wave well into 2014.  And for those inevitable moments when inner joy just doesn't cut it, here are a few superficial things that either peaked my interest or whet my material appetite this month:

-In the vein of pisces, these rad astrological pendants from Schatzelein in Austin.  I love so much of their stuff, and they ship everywhere.

-This grain-free pancake recipe from the fantastic Elena Amsterdam of Elena's Pantry

-These comfy shorts for spring which are bonkers expensive but it never hurts to dream. Now if only God would deliver me legs to match.  I'm really into the idea of this company Hatch who designs clothes "before, during and after the bump."  Elastic, come hither.