According to Kabbalah and Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation), each Hebrew month has its own unique energy for specific physical and spiritual growth. Each month corresponds with Hebrew letters, a tribe of Israel, sense, body part, zodiac sign, and a planet. By learning about the energy of the month, you utilize this time and explore the depths of your potential while having support from God in the action you take. You begin to align with nature and natural processes. This blog dives into the energy of Adar and gives you tools to merge personal development and spirituality for ultimate growth and lasting change.
The winter months remind you of the joy of being home, it allows you to pause and rediscover your personal flame, and gives you time to explore your inner world. The winter months linger as we enter Adar, the month of waking up from winter slumber with joy and laughter.
Adar is the twelfth and last month of the Hebrew calendar, bringing all the months together into a full circle. After a full year around the zodiac, your soul has gone through its personal journey of learning, expansion, discovery, and strengthening. Exhaustion, tiredness, the push, and the pull of the last standing efforts can be expected this month.
Adar is known to be a magical month that is composed of all the energies of the month, including the positive and negative. Without the proper tools, one can find himself/herself overwhelmed by the energy, over-sensitive, and missing an opportune time for increased joy.
In short, Adar is the month of good fortune. An ordinary year has one Adar. In a leap year, there are two Adar’s- Adar Rishon and Adar Sheni. Leap years occur seven times every 19 years to ensure the Jewish lunar calendar can align with the solar calendar. Thus, the lively and festive holiday known as Purim is to be celebrated in Adar Sheni while in Adar Rishon, we celebrate a small Purim (Purim Katan) on the 14th of Adar. This is a humble celebration by leaving out the special prayers for the day and, according to the Rema (Orach Chayim 697), we should also have some sort of festive meal. Click here to read more about Adar Sheni.
Nissan (the month after Adar) is the month of Passover, it is considered the first of the Jewish months (Shemot 12:2), Adar, being the culmination of the Jewish year, gives us the opportunity to tie all the loose, hanging ends, and turn all possibilities of frustration and depression into joy. The phrase “Completely turn around” (Megillat Esther 9:1 - וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא), is the main key to connecting with the energy of Adar, where we have the opportunity to transform unpleasant events and darkest parts of ourselves and others into light.
The word Adar, when divided in the following manner – A /Dar - א/דר– means “the letter Alef dwells.” The letter Aleph א in Kabbalah represents divinity, oneness, and unity of God. There are many different reasons given for God creating the world. The most enigmatic one is that God “longed to make for Himself a dwelling place in the lower worlds” (Midrash Tanchuma Naso 16). Adar, being the last of the months, represents the lowest of the worlds, but it is specifically here where God, represented by the Aleph, longs to reveal His presence and to “dwell.” The energy of the month is transformation and healing through happiness and joy. Adar teaches to reveal what's behind each action and what’s behind the scene. Adar is a sensitive month, there will be moments that will call for you to use your strength to overcome reactive behavior. Energy of the month After the winter months of Tevet and Shvat, Adar officially shakes you out from hibernation. Spring is in the air and battling the remnants of the long dark winter months are before you. Adar is known to be the month of success and victory. In the name of ‘Adar’ we are able to reveal secrets that can help us navigate this month. Adar is cognate to the Hebrew word Adir (אדיר) (Tehillim 8:2) meaning empowerment and strength. You and every person can be a beacon of light and joy - you must make the first move. Lead by example. The energy in Adar is strong and you have the ability to direct it into areas of your life that can benefit from it.
The month of Adar carries the peak potential for transformation and healing through happiness and celebration. Happiness is already present, just waiting for you to absorb. When you align yourself with this energy, you attract more by drawing down the light from the upper worlds into this world.
Every single bubble of laughter, every single moment of gratitude, singing, dancing (even if you’re not in the mood), every single act of kindness, every single bit of pleasure -even in physical things makes you a channel of divine joy and transformation.
Marbin b’simcha – The Torah tells us that when Adar comes in, we are to increase in joy. As we increase in joy, our joy increases the quantum potential and effects of Adar.
Just as the fish are covered by water and the evil eye cannot rule over them, similarly, we are protected from the enemy (Rashi, Bereishit 48:16). As you begin to come out of the winter hibernation with great ideas for your business, personal life, and relationships, keeping it concealed underwater keeps the ideas safe from unwanted energy. Rather than gloating about what you are going to do this month, just do it. Mazal: Pisces
Fish are the creatures of the sea, which in Kabbalah is a symbol for the “concealed reality.” The waters of which the fish swim are parallel to the wisdom of Torah. The true identity of Israel are not seen in this world, but rather revealed in the world to come.
The singular form for “fish'' in Hebrew is דג. It represents the tikun, the rectification, for the month of Adar relating to the three-letter root of “to worry” - דאג (pronounced da’ag). In the Bible, the singular form of fish (דג) actually appears once written as the root, worry (דאג).
In the book of Nechamia, the Jewish people violated Shabbat by selling their fish in the Jerusalem Market. We learn that their fish (דג) had turned into excessive “worry” (דאג) to earn a livelihood. However, the fish of Adar, converts all worry in the heart of man to ultimate joy in the new birth of self from the “unknowable future”.
Pisces is an auspicious time for both physical and spiritual blessings. According to Kabbalah, one fish represents physical wholeness and the other fish represents the eternal soul. Throughout the twelve months, the soul goes through its own personal process of growth and development. By the twelfth month, in Pisces, the soul reaches its ultimate state of maturity.
The two fish of Pisces represent Yosef’s two sons who were blessed by Jacob (Ya'akov) “To increase fishlike within the land” (Beresishit 48:16). One of the definitions of Purim, the Jewish holiday celebrated in Adar, comes from the words Pru Urvu – “Be fruitful and multiply.” Therefore, this is the month most suited for pregnancy and birth (Resisei Layla, 58).
Pisces is a water sign. Just as fish cannot live without water, so the world cannot exist without Torah. The Torah is compared to water because you need to be humble to absorb it. Water always flows downward, seeking the lowest level. Moshe, the giver of the Torah, was the most humble of all men (Bamidbar 12:3). He is closely linked to water and his name means, “From the water I have drawn him.” (Shemot 2:10). Moshe was born and died on the 7th of Adar!
The Piscean personality is very flexible and can easily adapt to change. Pisces is the last of the Jewish Zodiac and represents the highest stage of development. The Piscean personality can connect with various types of people and has the ability to bring out the best in someone.
Piscean’s passive acceptance and sensitivity are the reason for their lack of ambition. Therefore, one of their major goals of transformation (Tikun) is choosing roles of leadership and responsibility (just like Moshe who was a Pisces). Pisces tend to be introverted, gentle, humble, and soft-spoken. Pisces can use their great sensitivity and modesty in leadership to connect with other people and operate from a place of sincerity rather than a place of ego that most people fall into in such roles.
The sensitivity of Pisces can be used to support others through hardship. Their sensitivity is the outcome of the combination of Jupiter and the Water element, which creates their strong spiritual connection, and a developed sixth sense.
Although Pisceans are highly affected by the energy of Adar, the energy is amplified affecting everyone. It is recommended for everyone this month not to get over-involved with others’ problems and keep personal boundaries. It is important to find a balance so that you can continue to help others when the time needs to be.
In many cultures, the fish are a symbol of protection from the evil eye and are known for their good luck. Also, in the word Pisces (Dagim דגים) the Hebrew word גד appears that translate to luck, fortune, success, this symbolizes hidden blessings that we cannot see with only the eyes. Another connection between Pisces and Adar is that the skeleton of the fish is called Idra (אידרה) which in Aramaic means meeting (in Hebrew Asefa אסיפה which also means collecting, gathering, linguistic from the collector, as mentioned above).
Ephraim & Menashe
Kabbalah teaches that the twelve tribes of Israel represent secrets of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Learning about the birth, their name, and the history of each tribe, describes the characteristics of the zodiac signs.
The tribe attributed to Adar is Joseph (in Hebrew Yosef, deriving from the Hebrew word Me’asef - collector/gatherer). However, there is no tribe of Yosef, instead, there are his two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, which symbolize Adar A and Adar B (A Hebrew leap year has two months of Adar).
A secret from the blessings of Jacob reflects the connection of Adar, Ephraim, and Menashe: “… and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” Genesis 48:16. In Hebrew there is a paraphrase of the phrase “grow into a multitude”, relating to the reproduction of fish, which is the zodiac sign of the month, Pisces. By this, we learn there is a great potential of growth, abundance, and affluence available this month.
Letters of Pisces - Kuf (ק) & Gimel ג The letter that corresponds to the month of Adar is the letter, Kuf (ק). The letter “kuf” alone reveals wisdom that relates to Adar for instance, the letter “kuf” means “monkey” (קוף), which is the symbol of laughter of the month of Adar. The “Kuf” also symbolizes masquerade, an accepted custom of Purim. Before the miracle of Purim, God Himself “hid His face” from His children of Israel (in the entire story of Purim, as related in the book of Esther, His Name does not appear even once).
Kuf is the only letter (other than the final letters) that descends below the writing line.
The foot of the kuf below the line symbolizes descending on the behalf of the parts of yourself that needs your love the most. The parts of you that are depressed, sad, melancholic, jealous, and envious. By meeting your darkest parts, you can raise them up and let them experience healing through joy and laughter.
The Hebrew words Kedusha “holiness” קדושה and Klipah “shells of impurities” קליפה both start with the letter kuf, revealing a hidden message about Adar. The spiritual rectification, tikkun, for Adar peaks on Purim, and this is the continuous work of extracting sparks of holiness that fell into the klipah and from their impure shells and redeeming them by transforming them into sparks of light. This is accomplished during the feast on Purim when the unholy feast of Ahashverush is ve-nahafoch-hu (וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא), turned around inside out, till it became a holy feast of joy and celebration.
Ruling Planet - Gimel ג The ruling planet that corresponds to the month of Adar is Jupiter and it’s ruling letter is Gimel ג. The letter Gimel created Jupiter that controls Pisces and Sagittarius, the astrological signs of the months of Adar and Kislev. The holidays in which we celebrate in Adar and Kislev symbolize the power of miracles – Purim and Hanukkah.
The letter Gimel (ג) also symbolizes abundance, prosperity, good luck, fortune and this also explains the reason why Pisces (fish) is a symbol for protection from the evil eye.
The abundance of Jupiter is expressed in qualities such as good-heartedness, generosity, and the will to help people or animals.
Sense - Laughter צחוק
Laughter is the expression of joy and overcoming hardships.
Joy, happiness, and laughter have no borders and this is the month to
take advantage of the energy, increase joy, and experience life with laughter.
The authentic joy of Adar, which can be felt all year long, can be accessed through giving charity, acts of kindness, and gratitude in simple things. Another way to increase joy is by letting go of the desire to accumulate more, the outcome, and expectations. If you want to bring true happiness, it all starts by dissolving worry and insecurity. During the winter months of Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, you hopefully created strong trust, emunah, that you are always taken care of by Hashem.
Body Part - Spleen טחול
The body part that corresponds to the month of Adar is the spleen. The spleen’s function is to filter and cleanse the blood in the body and is a key part of the body’s immune system. The Zohar explains that a filter is, by definition, an expression of Gevurah–restriction. There are two associations with the spleen. 1. In the Talmud (Tractate Berachot 61b) it explicitly says “the spleen laughs.”
2. Since ancient times, the spleen and its gevurot have been associated with negativity and black humor. The spleen is the source of all states of melancholy and despair.
Referring back to what was written above, the story of Purim and the energy of Adar, all derive from the “unknown beginning,” and they all represent transformation and birth. The “methodology” in Torah that “models” these phenomena is the wisdom of permutation, as described above. The letters of “black humor” (מרה שחורה), in Hebrew, permute to spell the words “happy thought” (הרהור שמח).
Tools for Adar Honor the year and let go of anything that does not serve you. Hope for a good ending and honor the process of death and rebirth that’s present in nature and life. As Adar completes the year of its seasons, this is a special time for an annual review before shifting into spring. By looking back at life’s circles during Adar, hopefully, we have gained the lessons we learned. Often, wisdom is gained through pain, trauma, and sorrow. What we endured these past two years with the pandemic and hardships, what did it teach you? What good did it bring? How did it shape you? As Adar brings all the months together, this is a great time to reflect on the year. Choose a date and put time aside to do it. By reflecting on the past year, you allow yourself to acknowledge how far you’ve come, what you accomplished, what you learned, and reset where you are going. Don’t walk the path blindly when you can co-build the direction you walk in. What did the winter months reveal to me? How can I protect my energy this month? What practices can I do to prevent burnout? Align yourself with the energy of the month by -
Not dwelling on the past
Do things that increase your joy
Do things that make others happy!
Become of GENERATOR of SIMCHA (joy and celebration) and encourage
everyone in your world to do the same.
We have two months of Adar to help bring down this energy and elevate ourselves to absorb it
During Adar, free yourself from worry by letting go of what you cannot control. Have you ever seen a fish going against the stream? This month, be like the fish and GO WITH THE FLOW. When you let go of control, feel yourself being at peace with what is and experience life at ease.
If something does not work out, remember, there is something better coming your way. Convert your worry into wonder. Get curious about what if things work out. Chodesh Tov To support our work at Visual Kabbalah, please click here
Sources Goldshevsky, Y. (2014). Sacred Time: (Re-in) Venting Your Spleen – Adar 4. Retrieved from https://breslov.org/sacred-time-re-in-venting-your-spleen-adar-4/
Youdkevitch, S. (2012). Adar - Pisces. Retrieved from https://livekabbalah.org/adar-pisces/
Comments