Chaitra Navratri

Today is the start of Navratri, 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 and ten days. Navratri is celebrated twice each year, in the spring and fall, because these are times when nature and people undergo great changes. Spring (Chaitra) Navratri begins the day after the new moon in late March or early April, and is celebrated as a request to Shakti for a good growing season.

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:

2021 Rangoli (with grandson help)

1. Morning meditation and mantra

2. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

3. Projects for the week

4. Make a rangoli design

5. Plant grain seeds
6. Set up an altar for Mother Nature
7. Make channa sundal (spicy chickpeas)

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 ask -

How does Durga shine in me? What are my strengths?

What weaker qualities or habits do I wish to let Durga destroy?

I picture this Mother Spirit entering my heart riding her tiger. I see her wipe out my righteous indignation, laziness, procrastination, indifference, and defensiveness.

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

2. Read "The Book of Doing and Being":

I'm reading from this book by Barnet Bain (2015), subtitled "Rediscovering Creativity in Life, Love, and Work". This is a book of creative perspective, to help jiggle me out of the straight line way I usually think into something new: Use the exercises with consistency in order to stay focused on my destination. Practice will ground me and allow my ambitions to take root and grow.

Chapter 5 is Creativity in Balance, about assessing your life wheel: The 7 areas of creative life - Spirit, career, money, love, family, health, and relaxation. He suggests I score each area with the level of satisfaction and proportion of attention, from 1-10, and then also list what I value most in each area (like, opportunities to use my skills, people I care about, feelings of belonging, etc.), and finally, my desires and goals in each area.

I started last week with career, including Activism, Teaching, Art, and Writing. This week I'll look at love and family, which I score very high. I most value the time I have with my grandsons; time alone with W, and the family gatherings are also essential. Just being with all / each of them is the best, and sometimes doing projects together that we love. 

What are my desires and goals for love and family? I'd most like to heal and build trust that I am a safe and accepting person, and create better communication.

3. Projects for the week:

Each week on Thursday I plan the projects I will work on in the next week - one or two kid projects, one or two home projects, and one or two Unicorn projects (those that feed ME). This next week I will:

• Th: Rangoli and Navratri altar + Paint butterflies + seal fence?
• F: Native plant signage + dye eggs and plant flowers with boys
• S: Move dirt, dig new sandpit + Sew spring appliqué 
• Sun: Finish and hang appliqué
• M: Garden signs of Love ideas
• T: Plan stepping stones
• W: Garden signs of Love + paint bedroom windows
• Th: Make stepping stones

Doing the smallest thing is a great way to make courageous creative work less frightening; also finding the "minimum effective dose", the amount of work that keeps me challenged and joyful, and if I keep at it will get me to the finish line on time. 

4. Make a rangoli design:

Rangolis are rice flour designs, made on the floor or sometimes on a metal plate. At Navratri, Hindus make a new design each day- with dots, squares, flowers, steps, birds, the names of Shakti, designs from Shakti's hands, patterns of her trident and, on the ninth day, the Lotus of the goddess's heart.

Today I will a rangoli on the porch with chalk and rice flour. For more information about rangoli, see my page Rangolis and how to make them.

5. Plant grain seeds:

Most Hindu households sprout a bowl of seeds for Navratri, 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!)

The sowing, sprouting and growth of the grains is intended to bring peace, abundance, and joy to the household; as they sprout during the nine days of the festival, they will remind me of the vibrancy of life and the creative energy of the Shakti.

7. Set up an altar for Mother Nature

I made an altar to honor Mother Earth on our nature table. 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:

• spring flowers - 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 sprouted seeds - for the creative energy of the Shakti (I used our sabzeh this year)

8. Make channa sundal (spicy chickpeas):

Many Hindus eat only vegetarian foods during Navratri; often a different sundal (dry legume dish) each night, such as Channa Sundal, with chickpeas- spicy and good! The recipe is here.