Crumbs, Crumbs Everywhere!
August 15 – August 21, 2004
When you see a photograph of yourself, or hear a recording of your voice, do you ever cringe because you look or sound like that? Well, getting an authentic picture of your spiritual self is even more difficult.
And with what’s headed your way this month, you can be certain of seeing yourself as you really are.
This week begins the new month of Virgo. If you are yourself or know someone who is a Virgo, you know they have this uncanny ability to see everything that is wrong in a person or situation. They are what you’d call ‘detail-oriented.’
It’s like when you take your car to the car wash. It might have been really filthy, and when you get it back, it’s sparkling. But do you see that? No – you start looking for the one crumb that the guy missed. You look for what they didn’t do. Virgos are all about pointing out these crumbs.
This week – and the entire month known as Elul – the energy of Virgo is everywhere.
This is a good thing.
I’ll explain. The purpose of seeing what’s wrong with your self is NOT about feeling bad. It’s about showing you what is blocking you from receiving so much more.
In the following month, Libra, our universe will be bathed in the intensely positive energy of fulfillment (Rosh Hashana). Kabbalists teach us that Virgo is a gift - the more you ‘clean house’ this month, the more room there will be to receive this recharging Light the next month.
So, let the crumb-spotting begin!
First, start taking stock of who you really are. Sure, you are a good person, you volunteer, you share, you use the tools of Kabbalah. But don’t believe your own press. There’s plenty of dirt under your rug. Under ALL of our rugs.
If you consciously, proactively take it upon yourself to look within, you will have the spiritual support to see your garbage. The process of writing is an effective way to focus your thoughts on what you want to work on. Often, we get stuck in our head and our goals become muddied. Writing will bypass this.
Second, embrace the people who push your buttons.
What is your typical response when someone tells you something you don’t want to hear? Exactly. And why do you snap back or ignore the person? Ego.
My brother Michael Berg says it best in his new book Becoming Like God: “to match God’s essence we must purge that ego nature rather than propping it up.”
This month, try allowing yourself ‘to take it on the chin’ for once, to hear what people have to say without getting busy with nasty comebacks or calculating what is wrong with them.
The rule of thumb is - listen, thank them for sharing, and let it sit for a few days. Ask the Light to show you whether or not they were right.
Also, be on the look-out for criticisms from people who don’t know you well. It is a spiritual truth that strangers can see your faults the clearest.
Don’t let yourself get depressed about seeing what you have to change. Keep reminding yourself how much more Light will be in your life if you just stick with it! Stay focused on what you want to achieve and know that every time your ego takes a hit, you are one step closer to achieving it.
All the Best,
Yehuda Berg