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.

 
Agenda for today:

1. Morning meditation on strength 

2. Make a rangoli design

3. Plant grain seeds
4. Set up an altar for Mother Nature
5. Evening visualization and prayer
6. Durga mantra

1- Morning meditation on strength:
During Navratri, Hindus work on their vyavhaar (behaviour) and acharan (character). 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.

On each morning of Navratri I light a small white candle, center, and feel myself fill with thankfulness for all I have now in my life. 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.

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. 

I also plan to make a rangoli outside with chalk, with my grandson.

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

3- Plant grain seeds:

At Navratri, most Hindu households sprout a bowl of seeds called the Nava-Dhanya (nine cereals), each a symbol of a different planet. 

This year I'm sprouting grass seed, because it's easy.
 
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:
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.  For the first three nights the Mother is invoked as Durga, goddess of strength and courage.

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. 

I set up: 

• 

  Hot.

  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 soil with seeds - for the creative energy of the Shakti

5- Evening visualization and prayer:
I end each day of Navratri with a prayer. For these first three nights I honor the destructive aspect of the Mother.

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.

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.

"Thank you, Great Spirit, for providing energy for the earth to move around the sun, and for maintaining the correct balance of the universe. You are the earth. You nourish support, protect, and mother all creatures, all beings. I ask you to help me recognize those aspects of myself that are not helpful. Give me the strength and courage to maintain my physical and mental balance, and to destroy my vices and defects so that what is good and pure has room to unfold.”

6- Durga Mantra:
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.

(You might want to chant along with someone who knows how. Many YouTube versions exist, and my favorite is here.)