When The Baal Schem, The Founder Of Hasidism, Had A Difficult Task Before Him, He Would Go To A Certain

When the Baal Schem, the founder of Hasidism, had a difficult task before him, he would go to a certain place in the woods, light a fire and meditate in prayer; and what he had set out to perform was done. When a generation later, the Maggid of Meseritz was faced with the same task, he would go to the same place in the woods, and say: “We can no longer light a fire, but we can pray.” And everything happened according to his will. When another generation had passed, Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov was faced with the same task, [and] he would go to the same place in the woods, and say: “We can no longer light a fire, nor do we know the secret meditations belonging to the prayers, but we know the place in the woods, and that can be sufficient.” And sufficient it was. But when another generation had passed and Rabbi Israel of Rishin was called upon to perform the task, he sat down in his golden chair, in his castle, and said: “We cannot light the fire, we cannot speak the prayers, we do not know the place, but we can tell the story of all this.” And, once again, this was sufficient.

Gershom Scholem, from Giorgio Agamben’s book The Fire and the Tale

The Angel With The Flaming Sword - Edwin Howland Blashfield

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

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Twitter Thread: Inuit Shares Insane Food Prices Up North

Cheezburger

Twitter Thread: Inuit Shares Insane Food Prices Up North

Seventy dollars for a watermelon? What is this, Japan?

Please check this out. WTAF??! I had no idea Inuit and extreme northern people were price-gouged so insanely, for what in my privileged diet are basic nutrients. Lettuce for $17. Water for $104. $70 for a veggie tray. Of course they hunt! My basic two-week grocery list would be in the $100,000's.

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lunam0sity

5 years ago

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lunam0sity

7 years ago

If you're a pagan of any sort, and you are fortunate enough to be celebrating today with loved ones around you, hold them close through the darkest night. Never stop welcoming them with laughter, libations, and kindred love. Don't take what you have for granted, and if you can help it, don't be shy, ok? Please also open your arms to others today in whatever way you can, even if you're uncertain whether your beliefs are welcome. Somebody near you is awesome, accidentally solitary, and looking for a little light tonight.

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yule Solstice alban arthan

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lunam0sity

4 years ago

Blessing for the Longest Night

All throughout these months as the shadows have lengthened, this blessing has been gathering itself, making ready, preparing for this night.

It has practiced walking in the dark, traveling with its eyes closed, feeling its way by memory by touch by the pull of the moon even as it wanes.

So believe me when I tell you this blessing will reach you even if you have not light enough to read it; it will find you even though you cannot see it coming.

You will know the moment of its arriving by your release of the breath you have held so long; a loosening of the clenching in your hands, of the clutch around your heart; a thinning of the darkness that had drawn itself around you.

This blessing does not mean to take the night away but it knows its hidden roads, knows the resting spots along the path, knows what it means to travel in the company of a friend.

So when this blessing comes, take its hand. Get up. Set out on the road you cannot see.

This is the night when you can trust that any direction you go, you will be walking toward the dawn.

—Jan Richardson from The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief

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lunam0sity

6 years ago