Sivan: Shavuot, the Hebrew calendar and Gemini
Sivan is the third month counting from Nisan and has 30 days in the fixed calendar. It follows Iyar and precedes Tammuz. Shavuot falls early in Sivan, completing the festival sequence that begins with Passover in Nisan and the Omer count through Iyar.
Prepared by Mazalogy · Published · Our editorial approach
| Hebrew name | סיוון |
|---|---|
| Order counted from Nisan | 3 |
| Days in the fixed calendar | 30 |
| Gra letter | ז · Zayin |
| Gra zodiac correspondence | Gemini |
| Gra faculty, concise gloss | Movement |
From the Omer to a named festival date
Sivan is not simply the Hebrew name for June. Its civil dates depend on the Hebrew year, including whether an extra Adar came before Nisan. The length of Sivan remains 30 days even when its civil starting date changes. Read the month length and date conversion as separate pieces of information.
To trace the sequence, find 16 Nisan, follow the Omer through Iyar and locate Shavuot in Sivan. Use the count and calendar together instead of adding a memorized number to a civil date from another year. A continuous count is easier to understand when its month boundaries remain visible.
Sources: Chabad · The Jewish Month: order and fixed-calendar lengths
Shavuot and the observance schedule
Chabad’s Sivan guide identifies Shavuot on 6 Sivan, with a second festival day on 7 Sivan in the Diaspora. The opening is the evening before the daytime label. Its explanation connects the holiday with the giving of Torah and the completion of seven weeks counted after Passover.
When comparing two calendars, first check whether each uses an Israel or Diaspora schedule. Different ending dates need not be a conversion error. Write the schedule beside the dates, then consult local arrangements for attendance. This is particularly useful when relatives live in different countries.
Sources: Chabad · Sivan month introduction
Zayin, Gemini and the Gra version
In the Gra version of Sefer Yetzirah, Sivan is associated with Zayin (ז) and Gemini; Mazalogy renders the connected faculty as “movement.” This is a named textual correspondence, not a calculated natal Sun position.
Locate Zayin in the named Gra passage and preserve “movement” as the faculty gloss used here. For an original reading exercise, draw the calendar sequence from Nisan through Sivan, then describe one manageable step in a learning project. Keep that practical step distinct from the historical correspondence.
Sources: Sefer Yetzirah · Gra version, chapter 5:7 · Sefer Yetzirah · Compare another version, chapter 5:1–2
Use it in a calendar or birthday record
A Sivan birthday record needs its day and year as well as its month. If the birthday falls near Shavuot, mark the birthday and festival separately before making plans. The calendar tool can show their relationship in the selected year; sharing a date does not make the two events interchangeable.
Continue from Sivan
Explore the Hebrew calendar · Find your Hebrew birthday · Study the correspondence system
Sources and approach
Prepared with AI assistance using the linked sources and original reading exercises. Calendar facts, named textual correspondences and contemporary applications are kept distinct. The Gra version is the reference for this table; other versions can assign faculties differently.