Still Counting the Omer

I saved this calendar page for years, intrigued by the beautiful 18th century cabinet that was an aid for keeping track of the Omer count.  It was both exotic and a mystery to me.  Yesterday I made a SoulCollage® card about the opportunity that counting the Omer gives us to dive deep in unexpected ways  - an opportunity both so old and so new.

Because of the size limitations of SoulCollage® cards (5" x 7"), I only used the central portion of the Omer counter image.  Suddenly it made sense:  the counter is set to "Day 21, making three weeks of the Omer."  The bottom square is a flower because Day 21 is three weeks even with no additional days.  I made the card on "Day 22, making three weeks and one day of the Omer".  The top knob would have been turned to 22, the middle knob would stay the same, and the bottom knob would have been turned to 1, changing the flower to a number.

I suspect that the Hebrew on the right side of the uncut image are the prayers recited with counting, and that the letters on the left refer to the categories in the center.

Suddenly a museum artifact, a beautiful object connected with a quaint ancient custom, became functional.  I feel a bond with the people who used it, as well as with all the divers of today who are exploring the Tree of Life through counting the Omer.