September 26, 2022

Fall Navratri

Navratri is a Hindu holiday during which we honor and thank Shakti, the Divine Mother, in all her forms. Shakti is the universal principle of energy and creativity, Mother Earth, and the feminine power in each of us. 

The word nava means nine and ratri means nights; the festival lasts for nine nights, symbolic of the nine months in the womb.

Navratri is celebrated at least twice each year in India- in the spring and fall- because these are times when nature and people undergo great changes. Autumn (Sharad) Navratri begins on the day after the rise of the new moon in late September or early October.

The nine nights of Navratri are broken up into sets of three, and during each a different aspect of Shakti is meditated upon- the Goddesses Durga, then Lakshmi, and then Saraswati. Each of the three goddesses marks a stage of the spiritual journey we all go through: Durga’s strength and energy creates an opening, Lakshmi’s success and fortune nurtures growth, and Saraswati’s wisdom and knowledge leads to enlightenment, happiness, and peace.
 
Agenda for today:

1. Morning meditation and mantra
2. Make a rangoli design
3. Plant grain seeds
4. Set up an altar for Mother Nature
5. Set intentions

1 - Morning meditation and mantra:
During Navratri, Hindus work on their vyavhaar (behaviour) and acharan (character). For the first three nights the Mother is invoked as Durga, goddess of strength and courage. Durga is a warrior - not an easy image for a pacifist, but important to acknowledge this part of my nature. Durga rides a fierce tiger, and has 10 arms, which hold weapons and a lotus flower. She destroys  the evils that threaten the stability of the cosmos, and helps the universe to continue with its cycle of creation, preservation and destruction.


On each morning of Navratri I light a small white candle. 
For the first three mornings I meditate on my strengths - the ways that Durga shines in me- and the weaker qualities or habits I wish to let Durga destroy. 
I picture this Mother Spirit entering my heart riding her tiger. I see Her wipe out my anger, greed, laziness, procrastination, indifference, pride, defensiveness, and jealousy. 
(You might want to chant along with someone who knows how. Many YouTube versions exist, and my favorite is here.)

I continue to focus on my image of Durga and chant-
  • Om - the primordial sound, 
  • Dum - the energy which protects from all negative influences, 
  • Dur-ga-yei - goddess of strength, 
  • Na-ma-ha - I pray.

2- Make a rangoli design:
Rangolis are rice flour designs, made on the floor or a metal plate. At Navratri a new design might be made each day, with dots, squares, flowers, birds, and so on- each one designed to welcome the spirit of the Goddess.

I often make a rangoli on the silver plate that holds my diya lamps, but this year I'm keeping everything simple and toddler-friendly, so I used one I made on cardboard with glue.

For more about rangoli and how to make them, see my Rangoli  page.

3 - Plant grain seeds:
My three grains, soaking overnight.
At Navratri, most Hindu households sprout a bowl of seeds called the Nava-Dhanya (nine cereals), each a symbol of a different planet. 

I often use three kinds of grain seeds: Wheat for the sun, rice for the moon, and corn for the earth (corn is not a Hindu grain but it's important to me!)  I remembered to start soaking these a couple of days ago, so they are good and ready now, and starting to sprout.
 
The sowing, sprouting and growth of the grains is intended to bring peace, abundance, and joy to the household-- as they grow during the nine days of the festival, they will remind me of the vibrancy of life and the creative energy of the Shakti.

4 - Set up an altar for Mother Nature:
 Today I set up an altar to honor the Mother in all her forms. My altar is in no way authentically Hindu- I make it for my own use, to remind me of the work I am doing. If you want to see an authentic puja, watch this video

This year I simply added Navratri items to our nature tray:
  • my rangoli - to welcome the Shakti 
  • a diya lamp and a candle - for the Light of God 
  • a bell - to keep me awake to the Spirit
  • and a bowl of seeds - for the creative energy of the Shakti
    4. Set intentions:
    At the new moon I set some goals for October, and today I'm ready to set some intentions for action. chose a few to write today - those I might act on today - then I'll work on a few more each day this week.

    I intend to continue to write a guide to a Medicine Art process for how to practice everyday creative activities in a reverential way, that will help to heal our self-focus and sense of overwhelm and re-connect us to the earth and nature, because this draws on my strengths as an artist, writer, and teacher, and promises me a uniquely proactive response to climate change.

    I intend to persistently complete my fall cleaning, and batten down the hatches for winter: Clear out all our storage spaces, clean and paint outside windows, and finish garden projects before the rainy season hits in force, because maintaining my property in good order is the honorable and sustainable thing to do, and is one way that I create a home that is a peaceful and well-ordered sanctuary for those I love. 

    I intend to practice equanimity and present-centeredness (stay calm and patient with people and problems, not obsessed with any thought, not acting with aggression or anger, and remembering to tolerate my uncomfortable feelings), because I am ruled by my heart and soul, not my impulses, and my equanimity in times of stress will heal the world, and serve my family best. 

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