Great question, Noelle. 😊 No, this isn't a traditional Hekatean or Christian initiation date. I chose 22 July because it's the Feast of St Mary Magdalene, and it felt like the right time to begin three weeks of preparation for a year-long initiation into what I call the Christo-Hekatean mysteries. It's very much part of my own spiritual practice and shouldn't be taken as an established tradition.
What surprised me was what I discovered afterwards. We're currently in the Kabbalistic Three Weeks (Bein HaMetzarim, "Between the Straits"), a 21-day period associated with introspection and spiritual refinement. I hadn't made the connection when I chose the date, but it struck me as a beautiful synchronicity.
Looking back, I realised I'd repeatedly found myself drawn to spiritual disciplines around this same time of year. One year it was a three-week chakra purification, another year a fast. Only afterwards did I discover that this season has long been set apart in the Kabbalistic tradition as a time of introspection and refinement.
Whether that's synchronicity, past-life memories resurfacing, or simply intuition leading me into a similar rhythm, I couldn't say. Either way, I wanted to be clear that I'm sharing my own spiritual journey rather than proposing a new tradition.
I have always been curious about the number 153 in that verse! Sometimes textual historians use "improbability" as a test for which parts of the Bible they think are more authentic or original. I always thought, "What is the likelihood that somebody just made up the number 153?" The distinctiveness of that figure made me feel like that episode was more likely to be based on an actual event...
I agree. The fact that it's 153 rather than simply "a great many fish" has always struck me as significant. Throughout Scripture, numbers are often more than just quantities; they're part of the message. The biblical writers were steeped in a tradition where numbers could carry symbolic meaning, including through gematria, so I don't think 153 is there by accident. It may well preserve an actual historical detail, but I also suspect the number itself was intended to invite deeper reflection.
Are there any other people or sources you know of that use July 22 as the beginning of the year of Hekate/Jesus?
Great question, Noelle. 😊 No, this isn't a traditional Hekatean or Christian initiation date. I chose 22 July because it's the Feast of St Mary Magdalene, and it felt like the right time to begin three weeks of preparation for a year-long initiation into what I call the Christo-Hekatean mysteries. It's very much part of my own spiritual practice and shouldn't be taken as an established tradition.
What surprised me was what I discovered afterwards. We're currently in the Kabbalistic Three Weeks (Bein HaMetzarim, "Between the Straits"), a 21-day period associated with introspection and spiritual refinement. I hadn't made the connection when I chose the date, but it struck me as a beautiful synchronicity.
Looking back, I realised I'd repeatedly found myself drawn to spiritual disciplines around this same time of year. One year it was a three-week chakra purification, another year a fast. Only afterwards did I discover that this season has long been set apart in the Kabbalistic tradition as a time of introspection and refinement.
Whether that's synchronicity, past-life memories resurfacing, or simply intuition leading me into a similar rhythm, I couldn't say. Either way, I wanted to be clear that I'm sharing my own spiritual journey rather than proposing a new tradition.
I have always been curious about the number 153 in that verse! Sometimes textual historians use "improbability" as a test for which parts of the Bible they think are more authentic or original. I always thought, "What is the likelihood that somebody just made up the number 153?" The distinctiveness of that figure made me feel like that episode was more likely to be based on an actual event...
I agree. The fact that it's 153 rather than simply "a great many fish" has always struck me as significant. Throughout Scripture, numbers are often more than just quantities; they're part of the message. The biblical writers were steeped in a tradition where numbers could carry symbolic meaning, including through gematria, so I don't think 153 is there by accident. It may well preserve an actual historical detail, but I also suspect the number itself was intended to invite deeper reflection.
I love the affirmation for Libra 😻
So glad you love, it Pamela!