This post is the first in an ongoing series in which I’ll explore the perspective that The Oracle of Kabbalah brings to contemporary events. Since I’m somewhat of a soccer fanatic (“fanatic” is where the word “fan” comes from), I’ll begin with the final game of the Euro Cup, due to be played in Vienna this Sunday, June 29.

Spain is playing Germany for the championship.  Spain has not won a major tournament in 44 years, whereas Germany can claim several World Cup and Euro Cup championships in that time span.

I was curious what the Oracle might have to say about the upcoming match.  I shuffled the cards and chose the letter, Nun.

Nun means “fish.”  The Oracle of Kabbalah says, “Like fish swimming amid the changing tides of the sea, Nun is at home in the changing circumstances of life.”  I feel that the team that plays with the most fluidity and that is willing to change tactics and approach according to the vicissitudes of the game – injuries, penalties, weather conditions, etc. – will be the one that emerges victorious. 

The questions for reflection at the end of the chapter on Nun read, “Am I clinging to any outmoded self-concepts and old, negative patterns of thinking and acting?  How can I let go of these and swim more freely in the currents of my life?”

My prediction is that the Spanish players and coaches will free themselves from believing in the widespread notion that they falter at the highest level competitions. I believe that the Spanish squad will indeed let go of these old patterns, and that they will play with more joy and fish-like fluidity than the Germans, and they will be crowned the Euro Cup champion.

I can’t wait to see what happens.

Til next time,

Richard Seidman

To learn more about The Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters, visit http://www.oracleofkabbalah.com.

The chapter on Resh (which incidentally was the hardest chapter of all the ones in the book for me to write because of the traditionally negative commentaries regarding this letter) quotes from “Return Again,” a song made popular by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, of blessed memory. The song goes, “Return again, return again, return to the land of your soul. Return to who you are, return to what you are, return to where you are, born and reborn again.”

The Oracle of Kabbalah comments, “To return is to turn again, to come back. Have we lost our way in this confusing world? Have we lost sight of who we are or who we want to be?”

The letter inspires me to breathe deeply, to step back from the tasks that seem so pressing and take a broader view, a deeper perspective. All of a sudden, the many projects I am dealing with don’t seem so burdensome. The mystery of life seems more imminent. I feel refreshed.

The Oracle of Kaballah says, “The twenty-two letters of the Aleph Beit are the primordial building blocks of creation. As one of these twenty-two building blocks, Resh, with its meaning of ‘new,’ shows that the power of renewal is built into the very structure of existence. Ra’ananut, ‘freshness,’ is present at every moment.”

Blessings,
Richard Seidman

To learn more about The Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters, visit http://www.oracleofkabbalah.com.

To kick things off, I will now choose at random one of the 23 cards and see how the letter selected illuminates the launching of this blog.

And the letter chosen is…Kaf!

Here is a little of what The Oracle of Kabbalah has to say about this Hebrew letter:

“The characters in fairy tales, as in dreams, embody archetypes that point to qualities within each of us. Kings and queens are key figures in stories around the world. Sometimes in these tales, princes or princesses wander lost in the world, unaware of or cut off from their royal heritage. They must undergo various trials and deepen in wisdom and life experience before they can claim their rightful place on the throne. The letter Kaf is the dream, the fairy tale, of inner kingship and queenship. Kaf calls us to claim, in our own lives, sovereignty and majesty .”

Ah, this is indeed a dignified letter with which to inaugurate this blog.

May you all find your rightful place of sovereignty.

Goodbye for now,

Richard Seidman

To learn more about The Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters, visit http:www.oracleofkabbalah.com.