Firstly: Do Jews believe in star signs?
According to the astrological chart, the month in which you are born indicates a hidden strength you can develop, or a weakness you can overcome. Although your star-sign does exist, you are not limited by the "personality" of your month. Each of us is infused with these strengths and weaknesses. We can refine them, one by one, during the cycle of the Jewish year, as we strive for a life where the physical, mental and emotional are integrated into the spiritual.
The zodiac sign of the month of Av is Leo. Av is a month of sorrow when we commemorate tragic events that happened to our nation. The lion refers to our enemy who destroyed our precious lion – Jerusalem.
However, the month of Av carries an extraordinary strength of transformation. This month holds the opportunity for conquering the darkness and seeing the purpose of all the suffering. The descent - the pain and suffering of our ongoing exile - is for the purpose of reaching spiritual heights that are otherwise inaccessible. When Jews, despite the awesome tribulations and hardships of the exile, display faith & self-sacrifice, they reach an inconceivably lofty level which leads us to the time of reconstruction and redemption.
Here’s what the Torah tells us about the month of Av:
“The lion rose in the zodiac sign of Ari (Leo) and destroyed Ariel so that the lion would rise during the zodiac sign of Ari (Leo) and reconstruct Ariel.”
What does this mean?
▪ The lion rose - meaning Nevuchadnetzar, king of Babylon
▪ in the zodiac sign of Ari - the fifth month of Av
▪ and destroyed Ariel - referring to Jerusalem
▪ so that the Lion - Hashem
▪ would rise during the zodiac sign of Ari – in the fifth month of Av
▪ and reconstruct Ariel – the Beit Hamikdash
The fact that “the Lion rose in the zodiac sign of Ari and destroyed Ariel” is for a specific purpose — the reconstruction- “so that the lion would rise during the zodiac sign of Ari (Leo) and reconstruct Ariel.” It is true that there is pain and darkness, but our positive actions cause the transformation of grief to happiness.
To do this month:
▪ Focus not on the lion of destruction, but on the lion of reconstruction.
▪ Recognize the lofty levels that your personal challenges can bring out in you.
▪ Realize the power of your deeds that can transform a day like Tish’a B’Av into a day of redemption.