Happy Bat Mitzvah

My dear cousin and friend, Rachel, had her Bat Mitzvah this past weekend and though I could not be there, I want her to know how very proud I am of her. Not only for memorizing all of that crazy Hebrew, but for taking a step into womanhood.

While Rachel and I are both pagan and proud, our families raised us Jewish. We love our families and we will always have a place in our hearts for the Jewish faith, but we are natural beings. Our minds, our bodies and our souls are best expressed through Earth-based beliefs. I know how hard it must have been to go through the motions of a Jewish practice and celebration when in her heart she has dedicated herself to another faith.

I wish I could have been there to hold her hand and guide her through this special time in a young woman's life. While I could not be there for her, I told her that when she stood up there in front of our family and an entire congregation of Jews, to remember that the Goddess was with her and that a Bat Mitzvah is not just a celebration of the Jewish faith, but a celebration of the passage from childhood to adulthood.

Rachel is a brilliant, kind, and creative daughter of the Earth. I am blessed and lucky to have her in my family and cherish her not only as my cousin, but as my spiritual sister.

May the Goddess bless her always.

Love,
Sarah