Navratri, Part 3, and First Quarter Moon

Navratri continues for three more nights, with the arrival of Saraswati. 

The word navratri means nine nights; on each set of three nights we meditate on a different aspect of Shakti, the universal principle of energy and creativity, Mother Earth, and the feminine power in each of us. Each of the three goddesses signifies 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. For these final three nights we honor and thank the Divine Mother as Saraswati, who is "the essence of self".

 

Photo by Alan Gillespie

Tonight is also the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action. I use this end-of-March quarter moon's energy to be really present in my body, and do the work - less dreaming and more creating, digging, cleaning, writing, biking, and playing!

Agenda Today:

1. Journal queries

2. Make a Full Effort Plan

3. Write a mission haiku

4. Practice visualization

5. Morning meditation and mantra

6. Add to my altar

1. Journal queries:

Today, at the first quarter moon, I prepare to give full effort to my priorities; I remember that for each opportunity in life there is a challenge. My theme this next month is balance, which requires focus and flexibility. The challenges I face are confusion and rigidity. I can't be the well-balanced person I want to be if I am unaware or uncompromising. I need to practice centering, and the willingness to adjust.

Which of my priorities am I having the most trouble acting on this month?

What do I need (tools, information, allies) in order to best practice the habits of balance (calmness, clarity, flexibility, and grounded-ness)?

What do I need in order to stay in balance with social and alone time; thinking and doing; and in harmony with the earth? 

2. Make a full effort plan: 

Full effort (sometimes called exertion) is one of the steps of mental discipline on Buddha’s eightfold path. Buddha was urging full effort for awakening the mind; a first step is to practice full effort for whatever is most important in your life right now - for your priorities.

One of my goals this month is to reaffirm my role as a leader of children; I want to focus on fun preschool projects, stories, art, and role-play for spring themes, and be prepared to teach. Today I made a full effort plan:

• Research: Schedule a couple times each week to look for project and theme ideas, brainstorm new methods, and seek new sources.
• Plan: Make plans for all my kid opportunities - WQM, Sunday School, and my own grandson-time.
• Prepare: Take the time to gather the supplies I need!

Full effort requires balance: You hold your intentions lightly in the complexity of life. If you are driven to complete everything on your list at all costs, you may miss an opportunity to grow, to open your heart, to find peace within.

3: Write a Mission Haiku:

My missions are my various big projects or directions in life. Today I'm going to look at my leading to be a teacher and wise woman, and write it as a haiku, because a poem has a unique ability of getting to the core of a Truth. Here's the steps I use:

1. Write a brief, evocative sentence or two describing this top mission in my life, and the significant issues that surround it:

I've been teacher of children since I was very young, and made a satisfying career out of it. When the pandemic hit, and my grandson was born, I was forced to retire with no fanfare or closure. I'm reinventing myself as a pre-school leader now, not my strongest foundation; I feel anxious and uninspired, but I know I can rise to the challenge.

 

2. List the most exciting or pleasing verbs that describe what I want to do with this mission:

Inspire, nurture, create, grow together, experiment. 

3. Next, list some core values that go with this mission:

Creativity, Love, Purpose, Integrity, Community

4. Turn these sentences, verbs, and values into a haiku, an unrhymed poetic form consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (or a Cinquain, which is five lines, with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 2 syllables), that gets to the core of my mission, and gives me a framework for my actions.

Like flowers in spring

our roots intertwined and caring,

growing towards the sun

 

4. Practice visualization:

I call on the practice of visualization to help bring my goals to fruition. Today I choose my top action goals to shine a light on. Creative visualization is a technique that uses my imagination to create change. It has three steps:

• First, center and relax each part of my body; count from 10 to 1, then open a connection to Spirit. Feel a soft warmth begin to grow and spread through me, until I am radiating quiet energy.
• Second, create a clear, detailed picture in my mind, as though the objective has been reached. Paint a vivid mental image of exactly how I will be with the children I teach, and put as much positive energy into the image as possible. 
• Lastly, affirm that this is what I want with a short positive phrase in the present tense; for example, "I am a prepared, patience, open and loving teacher, and preschoolers look to me for inspiration".

The thought-image is like a signal-flare that guides the physical thing or deed to manifest in my life (or it's just a good way to keep my intentions in my mind). I will carry the vision of the completed goal with me, and focus on it often during the day, in a gentle manner.

5. Morning meditation and mantra:
During Navratri, Hindus work on their vyavhaar (behaviour) and acharan (character). On my path I pass through the stages that everyone has to pass through- one naturally leads to the next. As I eliminate an undesirable quality, I develop the virtue opposite to it. Each time I succeed in developing and strengthening my good qualities, I am ready to receive another bit of the Light, moving towards enlightenment- that is what the nine days of Navratri are all about.

As Navratri continues, I honor the intuitive aspect of the Mother. Saraswati is dressed in white, holds a scroll and plays music on a veena. She is called the Flowing-One because she comes from the river, and offers the gift of fluidity in speech and thought. She is the embodiment of the knowledge of Truth and spiritual wisdom. Saraswati shines with the pure light and uplifting energy of sattwa.

On each morning of Navratri I light a small white candle. For these next three mornings I meditate on the new light and understanding I have received this season. I picture this Mother spirit sitting on the blossom of my heart, sprinkling me with cleansing waters, and shining the light of wisdom, peace, and Truth.

I focus on my image of Saraswati and chant- (You might want to chant along with someone who knows how. Many YouTube versions exist, and my favorite is here.)

• Om - the primordial sound 
• Aim - from which knowledge and powers of speech emanate 
• Sa-ra-swath-yai - goddess of wisdom 
• Na-ma-ha - I pray.

6. Add to my altar:
For the next three nights the Mother is invoked as Saraswati, the Goddess of learning, wisdom, speech, music, and all the creative arts. Hindus often put books and art tools on the puja so that Saraswati can bless them.

Today I added a paint brush, pen, and other art tools to rededicate myself to creative expression.