Every month of the year radiates with distinct Divine qualities, and unique opportunities for growth and spiritual illumination.As Tishrei begins a new year cycle, it is an appropriate month to introspect, reflect and resolve to persevere as we move forward into the more inward months of the winter.The month of Tishrei creates the space to unburden ourselves from our negativities and enter a more sacred and grounded space.In the month of Tishrei we are given the gift of forgiveness and the ability to regain our footing and rediscover our inner joy.  Calendars are scripts; they provide the storyline and stage directions for the year based on movements of the earth in relation to other celestial bodies. In the story of terrestrial time there is most often one primary protagonist in relation to the earth: the sun or the moon. Throughout the world, virtually every calendar tells the story of the earth's correspondence with one of these two celestial characters as they chart their path across the sky -- every calendar, that is,except for the Hebrew calendar. In our calendar, there are two simultaneous and interlocking stories functioning within the year; we collate and count time by both the solar and lunar cycles. From the lunar cycle we count the months of the year. From the solar cycle, we count the days of the year. Thus, there are two different calendrical 'new years'. The lunar cycle begins with the first month of the year, Nisan, while the solar cycle begins with the first day of the year, Rosh Hashanah, the first day of Tishrei. In other words, Tishrei starts the new year of the day s,Nisan the new year of the months . Months themselves are connected to the experience of newness and rebirth, as manifest in the monthly renewal of the moon. This is explicitly reflected in the Hebrew words Chodesh / month and Chidush / renewal. In contrast, years and days are connected to the experience of routine, order, and predictability. This is reflected in the Hebrew word Shana / year, which is connected to the word Yashan / old. Tishrei is the beginning of the new Shana. Nisan begins the spring and summer months, and the new year of 'the miraculous'; of redemption,freedom, and revelation from Above. All of this represents a movement from Above to below. Tishrei begins the fall and winter months, and the new year of'the orderly'; of our own Avodah /spiritual-mental-emotional work. This represents a movement from below to Above. New beginnings are exciting, stimulating a sense of Hischadshus / newness, rebirth, hope, possibility, and openness to the unexpected.Regarding such beginnings, Rav Eleazer of Worms (c. 1176-1238), the author of Sefer Rokeach, teaches, אין חוזק כחוזק החסידות בתחלתו/ (loosely translated) "there is no strength like the strength of a person beginning a new path of Chassidus /piety." Rebbe Tzadok of Lublin comments,כי על ידי האור הגדול בוער בלבו חשק ורצון לקדושה בכל תוקףועוז / "since through this great light, there is aroused in his heart a deep longing and desire for holiness, with tremendous urgency and power" ( Pri Tzadik, Beshalach). In such a beginning, one senses that abundant "great light" is being opened for him, and his heart and mind are aroused and awakened from their slumber. It feels exciting, fresh and new, much like the visceral sensation when spring arrives after a long, hard, cold winter. This is like the new beginning of Nisan, the month of miracles and our exodus from exile. And then there is a new beginning of the cycle of the 'old'; the beginning of routine, of inner work and self-elevation, the month of Tishrei. This begins with the inception of the fall and winter months, as the days are getting shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, with less and less sunlight, and increasingly cold temperatures.This beginning demands tenacity, knowing that you are soon going to traverse along winter, with everything that this absence of light and heat represents. This beginning of Tishrei and the new year demands introspection, resolution, commitment, and are solve to persevere. In contrast to the beginning of Nisan, the sages teach regarding the beginning of Tishrei, כל התחלות קשות / "All beginnings are difficult" ( Mechilta . See Rashi, Shemos , 19:5. Zohar 2, p. 187). We have to adjust to the new reality and learn to self-generate. Indeed, such beginnings can seem much less exciting and more threatening, awe-inspiring, maybe even harsh and difficult. And yet, this is precisely why the new year begins with the solemn, intensely holy Days of Awe;Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Teshuvah and Yom Kippur. These are not, of course, sad days (G-d forbid), nor should they be filled with stress, anxiety and apprehension. Rather, they are meant to be days of awe, serious introspection, inspiration, and ultimately empowerment. There is a paradigm of miracles, gifts we receive from Above, which are unexpected or beyond our choice, such as beautiful weather. Ther