Here in West Sonoma County, California, I’m wondering what this time of summer dearth – of dry earth and empty nectar – might illuminate about the month of Av. I’m curiously poking around to see what the ants entering my kitchen might mirror to me about the medicine of the Hebrew calendar.
As the last green grass fades to golden brown and the spring flowers disappear from their stalks, I notice them: a line of ants coming up through the closet floor. First they came for an open jar of honey – who could blame them? Then they returned for an unwrapped cough drop. I enjoy coming home to a line of ants about as much as I enjoy finding a parking ticket on my windshield. I washed them away with a little cleaning spray and a few paper towels. And today? Much to my dismay, though not to my surprise, they’re back again, continuing their pesky search for an oasis in my home.
The month of Av is often held as a paradox of mourning and redemption. Some say that on the very day we remember the destruction of the Temple, Tisha b’Av, the Messiah is born. Jewish mystics consider this paradox through the framework of yeridah l’tzorech aliyah – descent for the sake of ascent. Each turning toward grief and brokenness becomes an opening toward redemption, and toward presence with the Holy.
As we arrive at the subtle beginning of the wilting and withering process, we can already sense the seeds of the next cycle on their way. I am inviting myself to notice the ants, not simply as pests to wash away, but as great teachers for the work of learning how to harmonize myself with the seasons, in the lands where I live. The ants and the Hebrew calendar seem to whisper the same questions: Where are you? What is happening beyond the edges of your garden? What is the earth asking of you now? What quiet transformations are already underway?
About the Author:
Daniel Schindelman Schoen organizes and teaches the SHOOV Jewish Ancestral Connection Course alongside Tali Weinberg. SHOOV is a vibrant container for inspired Jewish learning, ancestral wisdom, and creativity, welcoming people of all backgrounds and levels of Jewish experience. The program meets online once a month and begins in August 2026, applications are open to join the 2026 cohort!
