Autumnal 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.

Nava means nine and ratri means nights; the festival lasts for nine nights, symbolic of the nine months in the womb. Navratri is celebrated 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 / seed medallion

3. Make potpourri

4. Set up an altar for Mother Nature

5. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This"

6. New narrative for release

7. Synergy Project

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 anger, procrastination, indifference, pride, 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. Make a rangoli design / seed medallion:

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

Two years ago we made a small rangoli from seeds instead of flour, with my older grandson (our first foray into white glue). The link is here.

3. Make potpourri:

At Navratri, most Hindu households sprout a bowl of seeds called the Nava-Dhanya (nine cereals), each a symbol of a different planet. 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 remind us of the vibrancy of life and the creative energy of the Shakti.

I've had poor luck with sprouting seeds in our cold autumn, so I decided to create a new symbol for the joy and abundance of this season - we make a new bowl of homemade potpourri instead.

4. Set up an altar for Mother Nature:

Usually I set up an altar to honor the Mother in all her forms.  This year we are getting ready for the ofrenda instead.

5. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This":

I'm reading this book by Oren Jay Sofer (2023), with the subtitle, "Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love". It has 26 short chapters on innate qualities we each have, that we can cultivate and develop as inner and external expression, meant to be read and practiced in order, one every 1-2 weeks.

I'm on to Chapter 9, Renunciation. about letting go. Renunciation is an inner resource of simplicity, restraint, and freedom from craving and addiction. It can help me to clarify my priorities, slow down, engage with challenges, adapt to crisis, and honor the natural limits of our planet.

Its aim is fulfillment, not deprivation. "When we long for what we don't have, we overlook what we do have and rob ourselves of contentment." 

We can never fully have freedom from craving, but we can release it, with skill: We must stand "in the flood of sense desire, feel its pressure, and resist the urgency to act on it." This month I can choose to relinquish harsh outbursts and control of chaos; I can do this by being steady and strong, noticing my discomfort and watching it fade. This is difficult work, so take it one little thing at a time, and ALLOW letting go rather than forcing or denying myself.

Reflection: Begin by discerning what I really need, and which of my desires are healthy. Take time this week to notice what entices me, and what I want or need. Investigate what my heart longs for, beneath my cravings. 

6. New narrative for release:

Renunciation is my work this fall: It helps with my home projects, my earthcare focus, and with anger and distraction. I want to frame it as release, simplicity, and fulfillment.

Decide what to release: 

1. Anger / need to control people and chaos 
2. Over-spending
3. Papers, notebooks, 
4. Self-criticism.

One of my weekly Creative Perspective tasks is to define a new narrative, today for the habit of release.

This week I will shift towards releasing my need for control of people, situations, and the chaos that surrounds me. I'll rest in the discomfort and allow myself to let go.

7. Synergy Project:

I set synergy as my theme this month: the ability to seek unity, embrace teamwork, live holistically, and work tirelessly towards a better end. In the spirit of simplicity, I'm trying to hone in on just a couple of goals for this project.

1. Teamwork and Right Action: A weekly "Right Action" brainstorm for earthcare, community, and self. Hone in on the top priorities, and then make a plan for teamwork and delegation: Be prepared to communicate my vision, and insist on sharing the work.
2. Holistic Habits and Inner Synergy: Develop new renewal rituals and a flow that helps me to engage all of myself (physical, mental, spiritual) in my priorities.