This offering was originally published last year (2021), available only to paid subscribers. Now that I’ve shifted my subscription parameters so that content is available to everyone, and paid subscribers are opting in to support my work financially, I’m republishing this piece, making it available to all. If you’d like to change your subscription settings, either to opt in to a paid subscription to help fund my work or to opt out of paying, you are welcome to do so at https://anniematan.substack.com/subscribe?
Chag Sameach. Happy Shavuot. Joyous, love-filled revelation.
This email/post has two parts:
A channelled message about how revelation comes through (instead of to) us and an audio recording of chants and teachings to accompany the message. Before you press play on the audio, I encourage you to situate yourself somewhere quiet and comfy so you can be present with it. The volume of the audio rises and falls because of some background noise (I recorded in a park this morning) so listening with few distractions will help you get the full benefit of the messages.
I encourage you to sing along with the chants. You don’t need to sound pretty. Chanting opens our throat chakra, and opens us up as a conduit for our intuition and connection to source. The point is to allow the voice to engage in the practice, with as little self-consciousness as possible. Any time the words get in the way or trip on your tongue, feel free to switch to la la la or nai nai nai. The words themselves are less important than the engagement with the energy of the practice.
See the end of this post/email for the words to the chants, if that helps you to follow along. “show notes” can also be found at the end of this message.
Here is a message for you. Some Torah that came through me this week:
No longer with a mountain held over our heads. (Talmud Bavli Shabbat 88b)
No longer under external pressure.
Revelation through us.
To tell you the truth, it was always so.
But we thought the unique voice in our ear wasn’t, couldn’t possibly be our own.
How could we trust what we received in a moment of shock and awe?
We clamped down. Steeled ourselves against more loud noise. Against pieces of stone tablets hurled from on high. Against the possibility of the earth falling out from beneath our feet.
The flow of wisdom was stemmed.
Now we had a manual to follow.
Just keep to these rules. Keep your feet on the line and you’ll be “good.” No mistake, no emotional outburst, no questions allowed. Be quiet. Be obedient. Be faithful. Or die.
But that is no longer our way.
We are remembering the voice of Chochmah (wisdom) inside of us. Of Bina (intuitive knowing) channelled from Source. Love in words and actions. No fearmongering required.
As above, so below. The wisdom received from above is a mirror of what we each hold inside of us, channel through us, bring into the world with our compassionate action.
Hear this:
God/dess danced the day you were born. (Andrew Lawrence) You were born for this. (Chani Nicholas) To be uniquely you. An integrated, mortal and divine being.
What revelation arises in us when we choose to be the vessel? When we claim all names of God/dess as our own names.
We are Shechina - the ones who are at home inside and among us; El Elyon - we are our highest selves; Adonai - we are each other’s overseers; El Shaddai - the great nurturers; Kadosh Baruch Hu - the holy ones; Malchut - the sovereigns; Borey - the creators; Oseh Shalom - the peacemakers; Yod-hey-vav-hey - the past, present and future.
Chants for opening to source and integrating all the parts of our humanity and divinity:
Osah Shalom | As above, so below
Osah shalom bimromeiha, hita’aseh shalom aleinu – May She Who Makes Peace shine peace upon us. – chant by Taya Ma Shere
Open the eyes of my heart God/dess, I want to see you.
I want to see you high and lifted up.
Shining in the light of your glory.
You pour out your power and love as we sing holy, holy, holy. - Paul Joseph Baloche
When there is light in the soul, there is beauty in the person; When there is beauty in the person, there is harmony in the home; When there is harmony in the home, there is honour in the nation; When there is honour in the nation, there is peace in the world. - Chinese Proverb, melody by Sharon Durant (Check out Sweet Honey in the Rock, who cover this song.)
Sing through my heart, play through my hands, let the way be open. – Beautiful Chorus (Here is a link to Kenissa, the network of Jewish professionals convened by Sid Schwarz that I mentioned in the recording.)
Har sinai ASHaN kulo (The mountain is all (in smoke). ASHaN is an acronym for Olam (place), Shanah (time), Nefesh (person) – chant by Shir Yaakov
Hat tips:
Rabbi Cherina Eisenberg and her work in Hot Pink Torah for teaching me about revelation from within us.
Taren Rome for inspiring a fabulous conversation on Clubhouse about Bina as intuitive knowing and the value of leading from our intuition in Jewish spaces.
L’shem yichud kudshe brich hu u’shchinteh - For the sake of the unification of all of our parts, all we have to do is open to what was always with us. We are healing. We are remembering. We are creating the world of our dreams, just by being our whole selves. May we know that this is so.
xo,
Kohenet Annie Matan
Revelation Revisited