Omer Mixtape 2023 — Week 2
I know, I’m a full week behind. I’m going to catch up quickly, I promise. :)
Kabbalistic theme: Gevurah//discipline, strength
Music theme: hip-hop week, which is a repeat theme from last year, for good reason
8. Chesed within Gevurah: loving criticism — Consideration by Rihanna (ft. SZA)
9. Gevurah: self-confidence — Her by Megan Thee Stallion
10. Tiferet: balance of self-discipline and self-care — Princess Diana by Ice Spice ft. Nicki Minaj
11. Netzach: enduring strength — COZY by Beyoncé
12. Hod: humility as strength — Conceited by SZA
13. Yesod: foundational discipline/strength — SAOKO by Rosalía
14. Malkhut: positive constructive criticism — 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) by Lizzo
What’s the good reason?
To me, the sephirah, the Divine element of Gevurah, discipline and strength, is easily connected with the hip-hop/rap genres of music. These artists often have had to be strong and disciplined through life’s struggles to arrive where they are now, to achieve their goals. They are exuberantly strong in their lyrics, their self-confidence, the presentation of their artistry. As I said last week, music is a part of my spiritual process, my connection to the Divine. When I say I love one of these artists, it means that I love their entire public persona. (I don’t presume to know these people personally). My journey is typically somewhat as follows:
- I listen to music
- I like it, so I learn all about it: the lyrics, music videos, all of the credits for writing (music + lyrics) and production.
- If the artist is involved in the creative process, I then get to know the artist: their back story, their earlier music if I hadn’t already listened to it, their current public persona
- What do I mean by public persona? Their social media, interviews, appearances, other ventures (sometimes there’s a clothing or beauty company)
- I check when they’re touring, and hope for a chance to see them live!
***For this particular week, it’s notable that I have not yet had a chance to see any of them live. God willing, I’ll be seeing Lizzo next week, making one of my dreams come true!!!
Day 8 — This day is understood as loving criticism, it’s a disciplined and strong expression of love. There are other ways to consider how to express loving-kindness through the lens of strength, but I feel this is the most positive framing. This song, Consideration by Rihanna (ft. SZA), feels like the perfect choice because even if you don’t know the lyrics, the music itself is telling a story. Not only is it saying, “I’m a banger, turn the volume up!,” it also has the feel of a conversation, with different parts of the song feeling like reactions, one to the next. If you are listening to the lyrics, Rihanna is singing about how when she looks for constructive or positive feedback beyond herself, she doesn’t find it; it’s too negative or unforgiving. She’s providing the critique that others need to be more considerate of her feelings (hence the title), while also promoting self-love and not letting yourself be torn down by hate.
Day 9 — Gevurah doubled over is all about self-confidence; to be fair, you will hear more beautiful displays of self-confidence in the songs to come, because there is no shortage of this motif, particularly from women in hip-hop. These women have to be incredibly strong, because they don’t often find their support from elsewhere. And every one has a moment when they need a song all about embracing your beautiful self. Megan Thee Stallion felt like the perfect artist to highlight for this day, because she illustrates so beautifully, and endlessly, the concept of self-confidence. You can see it in her online presence, her live performances, and of course so many of her lyrics.
Day 10 — This is one of my favorite days, because of the intentionality behind it. Tiferet, balance, through this lens, is about balancing self-discipline and self-care. How do we take care of ourselves, by setting boundaries and guidelines, and also truly taking care? What actions can we take, or spiritual activities/rituals can we explore, to aid in our self care, to help us know how to discipline ourselves in a balanced way? The song for today is Princess Diana by Ice Spice ft. Nicki Minaj — this is the newer version of the song, with Minaj’s guest verse. Both of these queens embody, in this song and otherwise, living a life where you care for yourself, and the result is empowering (and yes, sexy) music. The song is named for Diana because of the content — wanting the power and influence of a role without the unnecessary + negative fame and attention, which to me, embodies the balance of self-discipline and self-care.
Day 11 — Today is about enduring strength, having strength and discipline that lasts from your foundation through everything you experience. Now, I could have chosen any Beyoncé song, in theory, because I think her career, in some ways, illustrates this day’s intention. Specifically, the song COZY, is about, as she sings, being “comfortable in my skin, cozy with who I am;” it’s about being so comfortable with who you are because you know yourself to your core. You have built strength on top of strength, coming from within, and so you’re able to stay comfortable with yourself, stay strong in your convictions, through anything.
Day 12 — Today is opposite day, in terms of the mystical intention and the song choice. Hod, humility, seen as strength, is a challenging concept to wrap our heads around, as human beings. Can exercising humility showcase our inner strength? Conceited by SZA, does not answer this question, but seemingly poses the opposite intention. Throughout her album, SOS, SZA is intentionally honest and true to herself, showcasing a range of emotions and inner turmoil. This song in particular is, as you may have guessed, about being full of yourself, sure of yourself, regardless of what others say or how they act. What I find interesting though, is that her confidence comes from admitting that she has chosen to change parts of herself that she didn’t like, or that she wanted to be different. It’s a type of humility, I think, to admit you’ve gotten cosmetic work done, and that’s partly where your confidence comes from.
Day 13 — Today is about foundational discipline; the strength that grounds you, or provides the firm ground upon which your confidence and identity stand. SAOKO by Rosalía is an amazing song, and both this song and Rosalía as an artist encapsulate founding strength and utilizing it to make incredible art. She is known for weaving influences from Spanish culture + music (flamenco specifically) into her music, and her artistic influences are incredibly diverse. The title of this song is slang for “outstanding rhythm,” and the lyrics speak to an interesting premise: she is diverse, she can transform into anything — be anyone — but in the end, she will always be herself.
Day 14 — The last day of the week is always, to me, a bit like an encapsulation of the week. It’s the “so what” of the week, the day that pairs the weekly theme with Malkhut, which is the Divine element that lives among us. This week, combined with Gevurah, it means we focus on positive constructive criticism. Being a strong leader means being disciplined in yourself, and helping others grow stronger by discipling them as well. 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) by Lizzo is a song that is also a continuation of a story. If you watch the music video, it picks up where she left off on her last album, when she was happy to marry herself. This time around, she questions — through positive constructive self-criticism — if she’s ready to be loved not only by herself but also by a romantic partner. In the end, it seems like she is — both in the song and in real life. We can all hope to live by Lizzo’s example, looking inward to learn how we can grow and change in order to find our own happiness.
