Saraswati
Weary prophets, tired of warning against disaster unheeded; worried, exhausted and burdened with the joyless need for change, we will need to return to the eternal part of ourselves to be reminded that the anxiety before change is often worse than the change itself.
While my head may demand balance, the Earth is uneven and my feet must know this as they go. Luckily, my heart understands and remembers the way home.
The celebration is through the “nine nights” 10/14 to 10/22, and into the tenth morning known as Vijayadashami, “the day of victory,” on October 23. Worship during Navratri is most generally dedicated to Goddess in the form of Durga, the demon-slayer, but there is much nuance and variation to practice and forms of celebration throughout India. Above all,Spring Navaratri is a personal celebration and observance of the Divine Mother, and the love, abundance and protection she gives.
Jai Ma Durga!
This night begins the celebration of Durga Deva who slew the buffalo headed Mahishasura, who seemed poised to devour the whole world in his hatred. He had no compassion for himself or others, was a mass of addictions and unmet needs. Durga Devi’s first act was to reject his marriage proposal, then she fought him for 9 days and nights. In the end he could not defeat the higher love and dharma that the Great Mother represents: for love is the purpose that turns the world and sustains all. If you reach, sincerely from your most intimate heart toward that love, the very principle of unconditional love and acceptance, willing to meet that within you that has been unmet, unseen . . . you will touch it. You cannot fail, because it is what you are and it is all that there is, no matter how you hide this from yourself, no matter how you veil the love that is the prana of all life from your awareness, you will eventually realize wholeness.
In the spring, Navaratri marks the “waking up” of the devis or the goddesses, of Shakti; the aspects of Natural Law that enliven growth, abundance, prosperity, learning, well being, change and transformation. In the fall, Navaratri invites in destruction, removal, change, transformation and healing. The goddessesDurga, Saraswati and Lakshmi symbolize these parts of life and Nature, while also being parts of our own innate being. The three of them together represent our wholeness, the trinity of life, alive in and around us. These three goddesses also connect to Shakti, the goddess who gives the spark of life to every being, to Nature, and to existence.
Life is full of polarities.
What emerges when two opposing forces merge and co-create?
In the Expressive Art Therapy realm, we call this “the Third”. Some know it as the Transcendent, or simply the emergent. The Masculine and Feminine energies are intimately related to how well you can receive nourishment in your life. The Masculine wants containment and structure. The Feminine needs expansion and fluidity.
How can these opposing forces find harmony?
Chaitra Navratri is an auspicious Hindu festival which is solely dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga. This festival holds lots of importance for the entire Gujarati, Bengali and Maharashtrian communities. Navratri itself symbolizes victory over evil. According to some popular legends, devotees believe that Lord Shiva granted permission to his wife Goddess Durga for seeing her mother for just nine days. During that time, Goddess Durga demolished demon Mahishasura. Hence Goddess Durga aka Kali is represented as a symbol of shakti – the ultimate strength. It is also said that Maa Durga has eternal divine power, which can never be created nor destroyed.~india.com
Tonight we celebrate the incarnation of the goddess Durga named Shailaputri.
Shailaputri goddess of strength, courage and COMPOSURE
“She is Devi of the root chakra, who, upon awakening, begins her journey upwards. Sitting on a cow and making her first journey from the Muladhara chakra. As from her father to her husband – the awakening Shakti, beginning her search for Lord Shiva or making a move towards her Shiva. So that, in Navratri pooja the first day Yogis keep their minds concentrated on Muladhara. This is the starting point of their spiritual discipline. They started their Yogasadha from here. Shailaputri is the Muladhara Shakti to be realized within Self and sought for higher depths, in the yogic meditation. It is the rock of spiritual standing and the whole world gets strength from the Shailaputri aspect of Purna Prakriti Durga.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shailaputri
This is the new moon that begins the 9 nights of the Divine Mother Durga Deva and the festival of Navratri. Call to the Divine Mother, the Goddess inherent in nature, the Shakti of all life to help you discern which thoughts and stories that once helped the child within are no longer serving your spiritual development. How can we know if our thoughts and conditioning are helping us? Because they soften us and make us MORE willing to be with reality just as it is, before we have any thoughts about it. Because they emanate more from the heart than the head. And though they may be strong or even emotional, they have no need to force, argue, justify or explain. The thoughts and habits that support us are like the unconditional love of the Great Mother Goddess: an alive and deeply nourishing, vibrant stillness, comfort and peace. Reach toward that, just a little, and it will come to you and help you heal relationships of trauma within and without.
Navratri Day 1 | Navratri Special 2021 | Shailaputri Mata | शैलपुत्री | Navratri Day 1 Details
(it says day, but they mean night, this is for your practice tonight)
And as ever, I refer you to the wonderful Anandashree Astrology Site for Kari Fields’s expert, first hand, live from India breakdown:
From the blogpost:
“This new moon initiates the Hindu festival of Chaitra Navratri – the springtime ‘9 nights of the Goddess,’ when the power of the divine feminine grows on earth.
Navaratri is the Hindu festival celebrating the power of the Goddess. For nine nights, as the light of the moon grows brighter, the power of the Divine Feminine will magnify in your life.
Here is some important information to help you make use of these auspicious days by calling in the power of the Goddess in Her Nine Forms.
Shakti is the power of the “Divine Mother” and the supreme energy that runs through the entire universe. It is said to be the dynamic force behind all of existence. When an overpowering demonic force of negativity rises, it is the goddess who must be summoned because her Shakti is all-pervading and unsurpassable.
The goddess can give clarity and positive direction in life. She is the intelligent energy of consciousness and she has the power to dispel self-doubt and confusion. Her influence is called on to clear away deeply entrenched negativity and stubborn diseases. During the nine nights of Navaratri you can invoke her Shakti to break obstacles in your path and propel you forward.
Navaratri (Nava=nine/ Ratri=nights) always begins the day after the new moon and is celebrated five times a year, around equinoxes and solstices. The most important and widely celebrated is the Maha Navaratri – the Navaratri of Autumn (Sharadiya Navaratri) which falls 10/14 to 10/22. MDT” ~ https://anandastrology.com/
This is the simplest mantra I could find, in case you want to do Japa to experience her energy. Shailaputri is an avatar of Ma Durga and a subset of Kali, the destroyer. The pantheon of gods and goddesses describe energies that can be encountered and experienced. Run the experiment and see what comes up for you.
ॐ देवी शैलपुत्र्यै नमः॥ Om Devi Shailaputryai Namah॥
dogmoonyoga 