Leah
From Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers
Leah was the first of the two concurrent wives of the patriarch Jacob and mother of six sons whose descendants became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, along with one daughter, Dinah. She was the daughter of Laban, the older sister of Rachel, and one of the four Matriarchs of Judaism.
Leah is described as having "weak eyes." To some the term came to mean that she had poor sight; to others that she was possessed of one dark and one light eye. It is believed that she became the wife of Jacob only because of a trick of her father, to marry off the oldest first, when really whom Jacob wanted was the younger and more lovely Rachel. It is said that when Jacob confronted the deceitful Laban, he agreed to provide Jacob with the younger sister in exchange for seven more years of service. Leah was so hurt by the situation, that G-d consoled her with children. She had six sons and one daughter, and thus became the mother to half of the tribes of Israel. She was the mother of Judah, who was the father of the Jewish monarchy, and the mother of Levi, the father of the Jewish priesthood.
Leah is a women who is seen as the epitome of fertility. She is associated with air, the world of animals and spirit beings, the womb of creation, and with intellect, lofty ideals, and the balance of truth. One way to honour Leah is during a time known as Rosh Chodesh, the beginning or head of the month. The Hebrew calendar is lunar, and each month begins with the appearance of the new moon. The arrival of the new moon is marked by the day and hour that the new crescent is observed, and is a holiday set aside primarily for women. Psalms 81 mentions the new and full moon and is the Psalm most often recommended by rootworkers to save people from error, mistake, or accident. Because it was the wives of the follower of Moses who refused to give gold to the creation of the golden calf idol women earned forever the sacred holiday of Rosh Chodesh.
