It’s been almost a week since we landed in Israel. In the midst of Israel’s political turmoil, my brother was getting married, and I got to spend a week with family and friends.

The spiritual leader, Ram Dass, said, “If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” Even without thinking I was ever close to enlightenment, being with my family always stirs me up in weird ways. 

My brother married an amazing woman who came from a very conservative background. The wedding went according to the Jewish tradition. The concept of the ceremony is that the man becomes an owner of his wife.  

The man declares that he bought the wedding ring with his own money, because otherwise, the “purchased women” would not be his. He does commit to take care of his wife and to pay her a certain amount of money in case he decides to divorce her.

The woman does not speak a word during the entire ceremony. She stands there, quiet and beautiful, a white see-through vail covers her face, while the Rabbi conducts the ceremony with the man.

The literal translation of the Hebrew word for husband is “owner”.

Do I have to mention that this ceremony infuriated me?

I don’t even know how it is possible that such a ceremony is allowed in the twenty first century.

I wanted to shake my new sister-in-law and ask her, “How did you agree to get married this way?”

Preserving tradition and culture is a beautiful thing. Making your parents happy is a beautiful thing. But some traditions must be changed. New stories much be told.

Some think this ceremony is innocent, but it really is not. It preserves a way of thinking that some people still hold on to.   

Sun in Aries tells me, “Shout it out load. Make a big deal out of it. Challenge your brother and sister-in-law. Your voice must be heard.”

I hear the scream that wants to come out of my belly.

But this week, we are approaching the full moon in Libra. The moon in Libra whispers, “Be diplomatic, be strategic, be quiet. A wedding is a beautiful event. Bring harmony, not anger. The love union of your family members should not be turned into the beacon of your fight for justice.”

Still, I had to say something about it. I had to write something about it. I am writing about it to you because I know you’d understand.

Did you ever go through something that made you want to scream while you knew that screaming will do no good?

This full moon in Libra is asking us – how can we scream for all the wrong we experience in the world in a way that promotes harmony and peace? How do we fight for justice in a diplomatic way? How do we express our anger so that the other side can listen to us and not get defensive? 

A friend who just went through a surgery told me that while she was resting in her hospital bed, a flock of doctors entered her room. Without any apology, request, or warning, they turned on the lights and looked at her, as if she were a museum exhibit.

I was so proud of her that in her fragile moment she was strong enough to yell at them “get out of here”. Even though she was proud of herself too, she did not feel empowered by yelling. She felt depleted.

Throughout my years as a single woman, I had to learn to connect with my truth. Then I had to learn to speak up my truth. I used to be such a pleaser, that I convinced myself I always wanted what the other person did.

Even today, after eight years of marriage, I sometimes still lose my temper and scream my truth instead of speaking. It does not feel empowering. I feel ashamed for losing control. I do not want to yell, but I do not want to be quiet either. I want my truth to be heard.

My husband always tells me that one of the things he loves about me is that I am brutally honest.

This week we are asked to find balance between the sun in Aries and the moon in Libra. It will be a great time to ask yourself:

• Do I speak up and share my truth with others often enough?
• Do I speak up in a way that allows others to listen to me and not get defensive?
• Do I feel empowered or depleted after I speak up?
• Do I choose my fights wisely?

The more connected we are with our thoughts and feelings, the more often we express our truth, the less awkward, shocking, and out of control it gets.

Sometimes it’s all about sharing our truth at the right timing, with the right people. Sometimes it’s about being sensitive, loving, and compassionate when we share our truth. 

Jupiter is still conjunct with the sun throughout the entire week. This helps us expand ourselves in new ways. We can stretch our limits and become more capable than we were ever before. We can use it to better the ways in which we communicate our truth and fight for justice.

Mars will strop squaring the sun on Wednesday, April 5 and this will feel like a relief.

On Saturday, April 7, Mercury retrograde pre-shadow begins. The actual retrograde will start on April 21. The pre-shadow can have a gentle Mercury Retrograde effect. It is also a time when we plant the seeds for the actual retrograde. It’s important to start paying more attention to the little details.