What does "Adar" mean?

Adar is the Hebrew month that corresponds roughly with February and March and has the unique characteristic of sometimes arriving as twins (Adar I & Adar II) in order to keep the calendar in synch with the natural year (kind of like the leap year day of the familiar Gregorian calendar in which February 29th appears every four years).

It houses two Jewish holy days: the wild, topsy-turvy festival of Purim and the fast of Esther. Some of the themes associated with these holidays resonate strongly with me as a bodyworker and birth professional:

• Courage of heart and calmness of mind in the face of the unknown,
• Expecting the unexpected,
• Undergoing transformation from within
• Taking responsibility for oneself
• Revealing what is hidden and,
• Releasing fears and inhibitions.
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  The name also appeals to me because Adar is (at least in Vancouver) a harbinger of springtime, rebirth and renewal.
  
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