Each year, we count the 49 days from Pesach to Shavuot - from the splitting of the sea to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. On the journey from the sea - liberation - to Sinai, we had to ready ourselves for the revelation of the Torah. 

As we go through those forty nine days, it’s traditional to the days and to take each one as an opportunity for introspection and personal development. The Kabbalists assigned each week and each day within that week different middot:

Whenever I’d started counting the Omer in years past, I would forget about it somewhere in the second or third week - but last year I was determined to count every day. Coincidentally, the period of counting of the Omer was also around the beginning of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. I’m a huge Swiftie, and so I created a “Taylor’s Version” of counting the Omer and remembered every day! 

Now you might be thinking, what exactly does “Taylor’s Version” mean in terms of counting the Omer? Well, counting the Omer is all about personal growth, reflection, and a deeper connection with the world at large. Taylor Swift's lyrics often explore themes of love, resilience, growth, and self-discovery, mirroring the journey of the Omer. Whether it's navigating the complexities of relationships, finding strength in adversity, or embracing humility and gratitude, her songs provide a soundtrack for our own introspection and personal development.

By intertwining Taylor Swift's music with the traditional attributes associated with each day, we infuse our spiritual journey with a contemporary resonance that speaks to our modern experiences.

As we count the Omer, as we journey from liberation to revelation, from the sea to Sinai, let us draw inspiration from both ancient traditions and modern artistry and reflect on the qualities we wish to cultivate within ourselves and the ways in which we can deepen our connection to our spirituality and the world around us.

As Taylor Swift herself once said, "Life is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right." So let us play it good and right, counting each day of the Omer with intention, purpose, and the empowering melodies of Taylor's version. May this year's counting of the Omer be a time of growth, reflection, and renewal for us all.

INTRODUCTION:

• This ritual guide is presented as one way to engage with the practice of Counting the Omer. It offers a structured format for daily reflection and observance, but it is by no means the only approach. Feel free to adapt and personalize the ritual to suit your spiritual journey.

PREPARATION:

• This ritual should be performed daily throughout the period of the counting of the Omer, in the evening. You will need:

  • A distraction-free space

  • Access to @Jewishswiftie’s Instagram

  • Access to the streaming platform of your choosing

  • Optional: Beads and string

BLESS THE COUNTING OF THE OMER:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al sefirat ha'omer

Blessed are You, HaShem our G!d, ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

THE COUNTING:

Today is the ___ Day of the Omer.

That is the ___ day of the ___ week of the Omer.

You may do this part in Hebrew too if you want.

Access @Jewishswiftie’s Instagram account daily at 8:00 PM EST to reveal the count and reflection reading for the day.

LISTEN TO THE SONG OF THE DAY

PERSONAL REFLECTION:

One option might be: Choose a word or lyric from the song that represents the kavanah of the day and make a bracelet to give to someone over the course of the next day.

Plain-text explanations on RitualWell:

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