Forty-seven days of the Omer: Splendor of Divine Presence
Today is forty-seven days, which is six weeks and five days of the Omer. הוד שבשכינה, Hod ShebeShechinah. Splendor of Divine Presence.
Oh, the glory of Divine Presence. This is a day to reflect on how we honor the Divine through prayer. How we connect to the Feminine aspect of God while praying.
Most traditional Jewish prayer refers to HaShem with masculine pronouns and masculine verb conjugations. Feminine forms can be jarring if your brain isn't relaxed into the possibility that since the Divine is beyond gender, leaning into the Shadow side of human understanding might reveal more of Her Splendor.
I have not sorted out moving myself into a daily morning prayer practice (following a traditional Shacharit service order, laying t'fillin, etc). I am trying to be easier on myself, as I have been struggling with extreme allergies and sinus headaches for over six weeks.
While I have not fulfilled my self-imposed expectation of traditional daily prayer, I am trying to lean into the Divine Feminine every day. I imagine El Shaddai as the ideal mother, the loving embrace and healthy encouragement towards individuation whom we all want.
My goal is to continuously remember my connection with El Shaddai. To remember that I don't have to get upset every time I'm faced with an irrational toddler tantrum. Knowing that the Divine embraces me in love at all times, even when I'm not living up to my own expectations. And creating space for others to encounter El Shaddai.
How do you encounter the Splendor of the Divine Presence?
Previously on this day in the Omer
47 days of the Omer 5778 / 2018: Remembering God's glory and encountering the fear of Heaven.
47 days of the Omer 5777 / 2017: Creating space for the Spark of Goodness, the Eternal Flame of Knowing.