Reconciling Judaism and the Zodiac

Oftentimes when I tell people I am interested in the Zodiac I am greeted with a great deal of skepticism and disbelief. In particular, this past week  I had two male friends tell me that I place too much value on "following the stars" instead of taking people at face value. It is true that I do tend to analyze people based on their sign. I try not to be too judgemental since someone's sun sign does not encompass the entirety of that person, but at times I will admit I can be somewhat judgy or even preachy of other people based on their signs.

For me an interest in Astrology is rather a new thing. I remember growing up reading magazines like Seventeen or Cosmo and peeking through the Astrology section in the back just for a quick laugh. In Psychology class when our teacher brought up Astrology as a faux science that many people were mistakenly guided by, I whole heartedly agreed. So what changed?

I am still a very practical person and always will be. However when I began to embrace my spirituality and religion, I realized that the "junk science" of Astrology actually has a very real place in Judaism. It is mentioned several times in Torah (both the oral and written version) and plays a huge role in Kabbalah, the sacred mystical teachings of Judaism.

Needless to say our forefathers did not think Astrology was a junk science. Rabbis like the Rambam, Vilna of Gaon, the Rashba, the Ravid, and many others not only believed in the power and truth of Astrology but they actually wrote about it and spread their knowledge of it to their students to be passed on generationally. It is my opinion that Judaism and Astrology are not two divergent ways of thinking, I believe the two can be reconciled and complement each other in many ways. Historically speaking the Jews have studied the stars and practiced astrology since the time of Abraham and even Adam has been linked to it.

I am not sure where or when the shift in Judaism occured that made Astrology into something that was against Torah. I am sad that most of the resistance from Astrology comes from those who base their entire lives around following a set of religious rules and principles that can't be proven scientifically. Its always been interesting to me that the more religious someone is the more likely they are to reject the teachings of the Zodiac. They usually view it as a sham or as new-age mysticism. Yet the same people who don't believe in the Zodiac, govern their entire lives on the literal interpretation of a book that is thousands of years old. A book that outlines how they worship, eat, treat others, even how they can have sex. A book that actually mentions Astrology and the importance of it, both negative and positive aspects.

To be fair the Torah does speak out against the practice of Astrology in terms of reading the future. This is because as Jews our futures are not controlled by the stars. We are in essence free to choose our paths in life. Meaning that just because I was born on a certain date does not mean I will reach wealth, love or anything else, as Jews we make our own destiny. How do we do this? By bringing ourselves closer to g-d we are able to control our fate and destiny. How do we do this? Well by following the torah and completing mitzvot. By doing good things not only will we become better people inside but we will be rewarded in our next lives.

So what about those Jewish people that are awful and horrible? Judaism contends that those who are doing teshuvah or repenting stand very high in g-ds favor. So even if you have spent your life doing awful and horrible things if you come to g-d and do teshuvah you can change your fate.It is like my favorite lecturer Lori Palatnik said, the Jewish year is not a circle rather it is a spiral. Meaning that sometimes we go up but other times we go down. The point is to keep trying to go up and reach your true potential. By doing this you will be closer to g-d and in essence you yourself will be a more g-dly, spiritual, and better human being.

 When g-d gave us the torah we made a pact with him, that we would be different then any other nation. This means that our destinies are not guided by the stars like other nations but rather that we are guided by g-d only whose influence far outwieghs the heavenly bodies.

So how does the Zodiac fit in to all of this? Well to me the Zodiac tells me about the needs, desires, likes and dislikes of people. It paints a quick sketch of them in your mind so that you are prepared and alter your reaction to them. Now this may seem as an unfair statement. Afterall it is not fair to judge others and as I was reminded this week what can result is a confirmation bias. Meaning that if you're looking for something you will find it in some form, thus confirming your suspicions. To this I counter that I take into account the person first before I am even aware of their Zodiac sign. Afterall I am not going up to random people on the street and asking their birthdays it is only with people that I know well who I ask. Even then I excercise caution as to prevent judging someone too harshly for something they can not control or for something that may not play a huge role in their life. As I mentioned in my first entry Astrology is fairly new to me and I am still learning about it all the time. I also realize that there is much more to Astrology then sun signs and there is much more to a person then their Astrological sign. However, there is a lot  more to Astrology then  a casual observer would see and the more I learn about it from reading books on Kabbalah or listening to various lecturers the more fascinated I become with it.

I think that for many the study of the Zodiac can be a scary thing. Afterall if g-d gave us free will, then why or how can the planets or spiritual bodies affect us? Right now I am still learning about it but with this entry I have tried to share what I have learned thus far. More on this later.....and hopefully a new blog on Sagitarius.

Happy Chanukkah!!

Scorpio: Busting the myth of the sex fiend

One of the things that really pisses me off about modern astrology is that the negative qualities of some signs are often interpreted in positive ways. There is no better example to me then the case of Scorpio. Chances are, any magazine or book you pick up about modern astrology will describe Scorpios as being obsessed with sex.  You would think your average Scorpio spends the majority of their day alternating between prostituting themselves and being a sex fiend. However nothing could be further from the truth. I'm here to bust a very common belief, Scorpios are not sex g-ds. If anything, most Scorpios are prudish often to the point of celibacy.

First let me say this, Scorpios are extremely picky about their lovers. They have very little interest in sleeping around with multiple people and their emotions run way too deep for casual lovers. Not only are they generally not interested in casual sex but for the most part Scorpios are not particularly exciting or innovative in bed. They are rarely into experimenting and trying new positions and they are pretty conservative and bland in their sexual preferences. Sure, some Scorpios may have their kinks but for the most part this sign is much, much tamer then most people suspect.


Also on a personal note, most Scorpio men that I have met often come across as extremely effeminate and very awkward with women. They by no means have a "fatal allure" or sexual nature that most people claim is natural for Scorpio men. If anything for the most part when I meet Scorpio men I almost always peg them as a gentle Pisces or a Sag. As for Scorpio women, they give off such an intense vibe that it can be confusing to decide whether they are sexual in nature or something darker. Keep in mind that since Scorpio is a feminine sign, female Scorpios are usually much more intense then male Scorpios.

So where does all the fuss about them being obsessed with sex come from?  In my personal opinion this misconception arises out of Scorpios absolute obsession with their partners. Most Scorpios are very intense and focused people. This is great trait to have in the work world, but not such a good one for building a relationship. Once they feel they can trust you and if they fall in love with you, they will want to control you. Point blank, Scorpios want to own you, mind, body and soul. They are not content with merely dating you in a casual manner like an Air sign would. Rather Scorpios want your world to revolve around them. Scorpios are extremely loyal and expect similar loyalty from you, whether it be in a friendship or relationship. And don't even think of cheating or otherwise betraying this sign. They are completely ruthless when they feel they have been wounded or hurt. They are extremely jealous and very senesitive people. Even a  bit of light flirtation with a member of the opposite sex will upset them to the point were they feel betrayed and used.

Scorpios can be very intense and passionate in bed which is likely were the concept of them being obsessed with sex comes from. And once they feel they can trust you they will open up and be very passionate with you. They are usually generous lovers, although as I mentioned before they are not as experimental as other signs. They are not usually very selfish in bed, and once they trust you they will be very forthright about their sexual wants and desires. They will resist trying things that are outside their comfort zone or that they feel are morally wrong.

Scorpios have major issues with trust as well. They are usually pretty cold and quiet with outsiders and rarely if ever reveal their true feelings or intentions. Male Scorpios I have found are much more open and extroverted then their female counterparts. But for the most part Scorpio rarely opens up to outsiders or strangers (more on female Scorpios and trust in another post).

Another common misconception about Scorpios is that in bed they can be very dark. Meaning turned on by fetishes, bondage, BSDM, etc. Again this is definitely not the case. For Scorpios that do enjoy darker or more rougher sex (a rarity) their desires lie in mind control over anything tangible or visually stimulating (chains, whips, latex, etc).  For the most part this sign has major trust issues so its very rare to find a Scorpio that would enjoy being tied up, confined or humiliated in any way. This sign has a lot of pride and there is nothing more humiliating to them then losing control in the bedroom. Not to say they don't enjoy mastering others in the bedroom, but like I mentioned earlier, often a Scorpio's ethical  and controlled nature will not allow them to hurt others, especially those they truly love.

Against common belief, Scorpios have a definite sense of right and wrong and are often ruled by their morality.  Now mind you, a Scorpios morality is not neccesarily guided by society's mores and dictates but rather whatever they personally feel is right or wrong. This means that although a Scorpio may have respect for government and its processes but they have no qualms about breaking or bending laws/rules they don't believe in.

So hopefully this shed some light on a common misconception. Scorpios, feel free to comment and prove me wrong :-). I'm still looking for my tall, dark and handsome Scorpio man ....lol.

Guest Post: Reflections

This post is an essay written by little sister. Thought it was very well done and wanted to share it. Enjoy!

The phone rings and I hear my father’s deep voice answer “ Hola?”, immediately a smile grows on his face and he begins speaking Hebrew then back to English and then Spanish. As I help my mom make dinner, yucca con mojo (a root vegetable with garlic sauce popular in Latin America) with a side of hummus and tahini. As a child I thought there was nothing unique or different about my upbringing. I thought everyone’s family spoke in a mixture of languages and all Jews ate borekas and sanchocho soup with matzoh balls. Having been raised in a highly ethnically diverse area such as Miami I never thought twice about the concept of a Latin or Sephardic Jew (meaning Jews from Spain) being strange or unusual.

 I grew up attending temple in a Cuban Jewish community where I regularly heard prayers in Hebrew and in Spanish and then ate borekas (puff pastries cooked by Jews of Turkish descent). My grandparents owned stores in Latin neighborhoods and they were raised and still had family in Colombia and Cuba. My father was an Argentinean Jew whose ancestry included Poland and Russia making him an Ashkenazi Jew. The dichotomy of my father’s light features with my mom’s dark features made for a colorful mixed appearance amongst my siblings and I. Being that both my parents spoke Spanish and had been raised in South America, Spanish was my first language. I also attended Hebrew school in a Latin Jewish synagogue and eventually learned English as I entered grade school. Soon I was mainly speaking English both in and out of the house and my Hebrew lessons eventually stopped. But my father still felt the need to keep Jewish traditions alive. My house was kept kosher, temple was attended on important holidays, and Friday was reserved for festive large Shabbat dinners for friends and family where my family and I would crowd in front of the flickering flames of two candles and recite the prayers by memory.

I remember the bitterness of the wine followed by the dry and sweet challah bread, the texture of the white table cloth that covered the large oak table in the dining room. My father would recite the prayers in Hebrew and my siblings and I would parrot them as best as we could, my small fingers tracing the strangely curved letters with the random dots that could only be read from right to left. But then as times changed and my parents began working more, visits to temple were lessened. Friday night dinners which had once been reserved for festive large Shabbat dinners were now abandoned and we were lucky if the Shabbat candles were even lit, as the lights now mostly came from the television sets. I was now attending school with more American children, specifically with many American Jews. I remember the stiffness and staidness of their Shabbat dinners, where both the conversations and the food was bland. I missed the colorful and loud family get-togethers with three languages being spoken at one table and the warmness of the Latin and Mediterranean cultures swirled together. Even the way the Ashkenazi’s read their prayers and the food they ate was boring to me.  

I remember my friend’s disbelief or disapproval of Sephardic or Latin Jews. I remember one commenting “those aren’t real Jews”.  Or worse “You don’t look Jewish?”.  I was always puzzled at this statement because in both my family and lifetime I have seen Jews from all over the world, with dark chocolate eyes to light grey, strong noses and button noses, curly hair and pin straight hair, black and white, tall and petite. I didn’t think that Jews had any certain “look”, I thought that they just looked like whatever region they were from , Ashkenazi’s looked like any other eastern European , and Sephardic Jews looked like any other person from the Mediterranean. The ignorance and perpetuation of stereotypes reinforced by most of the population even within the Jewish community always bothered me.

As I grew older I had lost many of my childhood traditions. I hadn’t gone to temple in years; I still kept Kosher to some degree but mainly as a result of me being a vegetarian, and had forgotten all but several prayers. Perhaps it is no coincidence that during this time I was undergoing many emotionally difficult times. I was in middle school and my parents, now divorced, were constantly working. I often had to make dinner for my brothers and always felt too busy to light the candles or follow any other traditions. I also began to question my beliefs and faith in the world around me.  My first boyfriend was raised in a very religious Orthodox home, and when I asked to meet his family he resisted, basically suggesting that I wasn’t “Jewish enough”. 

I then dated a Catholic boy whose religious hang-ups I could not understand.  His house was covered in crucifixes and pictures of a bloody Jesus on the cross.  These images were very graphic and different to me coming from my own household where mezuzas (small scrolls of the torah, attached to doorways) and deep blue glass eyes were hung to protect from the evil eye. His family would ask me questions about Judaism and even though we had similar origins (his family and my grandma were both from Colombia) I felt a strong disconnect from him culturally. I felt annoyed when he would forget important holidays especially since I took the time to celebrate his holidays with him, and the small cultural subtleties were always lost.

It was around this time that I had reclaimed many of my childhood traditions.I made it a point to practice Shabbat and kiss the mezuza as I entered and exited a room, I prayed and explored more of my religion. My sister was also undergoing a religious transformation. She had just returned from living in Israel and came back spiritually replenished and forever changed. She began to spend most of her time in the campus temple at her college, began eating kosher and became friendly with the rabbi and his family. When she would visit my house she would implore that my siblings and I also become more religious and spiritually involved. She lent us books on Jewish Spiritualism and mysticism, and introduced me to lectures given by rabbis that spoke about modern issues. She began to travel more and meet other Jews from all over the world and when she spoke about Israel she seemed to glow. “You don’t understand Steph, I feel at home there. Everyone understands you” she would tell me. She would beg me to get more involved in the Jewish community and thought that it would help me deal with my mixed up emotions.

 My most recent ex-boyfriend was raised mainly Christian, his father was Jewish but was raised in a mostly Christian/Catholic neighborhood in rural Pennsylvania. His mother was Catholic, and in the Jewish religion the child takes the faith of the mother. While his father’s side was technically Jewish, they had spent multiple generations in this Christian community and had completely assimilated into the culture and practices of that region. He ate pork and other non kosher foods, had never been to temple, had no cultural or biblical knowledge of the Jewish religion and had never dated a Jewish girl. In the eyes of the Jewish community he was not a Jew, not by birth nor in practice. Yet he would claim that he was Jewish even when I would explain to him that in the Jewish religion, he was not. He had no respect for the laws of kashrut or Jewish holidays and his ignorance about the culture began to wear on me. When I went to his hometown to meet his families I was greeted with a plate of pork sliders, I quickly passed and began to look for something that I could actually eat. I was then approached by a family member who began to ask me questions about myself, where I had met my then boyfriend, and where I was from. When I mentioned that I was a Latin Jew, an exaggerated contorted look grew on his face and he bluntly replied “I didn’t know they made those” then rudely laughed. “Well I guess I’m a special edition from the factory” I replied curtly before ending the conversation.  I didn’t even have the energy to explain to him that Judaism is a religion with cultural practices but that pockets of Jews live in countries around the world, that we didn’t magically pop up and live on “Jew-island”. I wanted to tell him that Jews exist in multiple parts of the world, and that not every Jew resembles the stereotypical Woody Allen character.

More recently I was able to experience the beauty of my cultural heritage during the wedding of my cousin. Him being a Colombian/ Cuban Jew, he had met and fallen in love with a Cuban-Turkish Jew with a lovely large family and they decided to get married. At the wedding Spanish music played and we danced the Hora. All of the Abuelas (grandmothers) were dressed to the nines and kisses were  freely exchanged. It felt so good to be in a room full of people just like me, were I was not considered an oddity or a freak. It was that night that reinforced my desire to marry someone from the same culture as myself. Today I continue to practice and delve more into my religion on a spiritual level. I don’t consider myself to be very religious, but I do try to apply the spiritual and common practices of Judaism to my everyday life. I hope to marry someone who understands my disdain of pork products and my love of Carlos Vives, someone who’s Abuela makes delicious borekas , and lastly someone who loves me. They will be my besheret ( soulmate in Hebrew) and what better place to meet him, then in Miami?

Gemini Male: Heartbreaker you got the best of me

Gemini males. Where should I begin? There is a lot to be said about Gemini males, some good but mostly bad (especially if you're not an Air sign). Geminis are unlike any other male sign in the Zodiac, although Aquarian males may have some similarities, nothing comes close to a Gemini male.

First of all let me just say that Gemini men are extremely charming. When you first meet one, chances are you will be extremely impressed by his wit, suave personality and his ability to keep up a conversation without any awkward lulls or silences. Geminis know how to treat a lady (in the beginning at least), they will do everything but lay out a red carpet for you to walk on. They are extremely romantic in the beginning of a relationship and will charm the pants off not only you but your family, friends, co-workers, pets, etc.

But not all good things can last. So is the case with Gemini men. Geminis in general are not a relationship type of sign. This is not to say that they don't enjoy dating, because Gems love meeting (or sleeping) with lots of different types of people. What gets Gems is boredom. Once this sign gets to know you and you start wanting a ring is the minute you realize he has his bag packed or is out the front door.

Ladies ( and some gentlemen) trust me when I say this, be careful with Geminis. This is a sign that is extremely changeable and untrustworthy. They only adore the chase, but not the relationship that comes afterwards. Once they meet a woman they are interested in they will pursue her until she falls for them, and once that happens they are done.They really do well with only Air signs. When they're with other signs they tend to feel constricted and chained down. 

When a Gemini does get into a relationship this changeability can be a good thing. Gemini men are extremely creative and changeable in bed. They enjoy toys and props in bed and love spicing things up in bed. They like to try crazy positions, sex toys and role playing. The kinkier the better with this sign. They are turned on by the visual as well as the auditory.  Gems are definitely not quiet lovers. As I mentioned in my last post, this sign loves to talk. And in bed they're no different. This sign for the most part prefers to dominate in bed, they are not scared or too timid to instruct you in what they want and many will not hesitate to give orders. They know what they like and what they want to see. They get extremely turned on by dirty talk and verbalizing your fantasies. They enjoy things like role playing different scenarios with you, and are also very turned on by the idea of a menage a trois (usually with another female).

Yet despite the tendency to dominate in the bedroom, Geminis are also extremely sensual and very much into pleasing women. This may come as a surprise to many since this sign is not known in Astrology as being overtly sexual or as a good lover. Most people consider the "twins" to be light, flirtatious, and somewhat prudish. But from what I have heard and experienced they usually make sure that their woman leaves satisfied. Some women with Gemini lovers have described it to me as Gemini putting on a performance for them. Gemini men want their lovers to be satisfied in bed, however, the rest of the relationship is a different story.

So here's the tragic part of the romance with a Gemini. You may think everything is going well and things are finally starting to get serious. When all of a sudden he's no longer answering your phone calls, returning your emails, and your bank account is drained. What happened you may wonder? Turns out you probably fell in love with one side of his personality, but when that "other" side of their personality comes out its like your romance was make believe. You no longer mean anything to them. Its like your relationship or romance never existed. It's the fatal allure of the Gemini.

Once a Gemini disappears good luck trying to find him. Its almost like an evil twin has abducted him because they turn into a different person over night. Geminis are also the type of man that will disappear just when you are starting to fall in love with him. I am afraid I can't give my readers an answer as to why this is. But most Geminis need excitement, spontaneity and newness in a relationship or else they will  leave. Once again this is why Gems need an Air sign. Who else will keep a Gemini entertained? Aquariuses are so kinky and strange which turns Gems on. Libras chattering and easy going personality makes Gems feel comfortable and unconfined. Leos are possibly one of the only signs besides Air that meshes well with Gemini. This is because Leos enjoy performing in bed and Gems love to be a participant. Not to mention Leos are very easy to please, just keep the charm coming.

Those with Gemini men know how hard it must be to keep your man interested. A word of advice, don't hesitate to spice things up and change things around every once in a while. Gems love spontaneity so don't hesitate to let your inner vixen out to play. Fair warning, this sign is not the most loyal nor the most faithful. If its ever lasting love you are looking for, search else where, because Geminis are not for you.

As always, good luck :-)