The #Ashta #Lakshmi are a group of eight forms of the #Goddess Lakshmi, each associated with specific attributes and blessings. These forms are:

#Adi Lakshmi
Adi Lakshmi, also known as Moksha Pradayani, is the primordial form of the Goddess Lakshmi, symbolizing the ultimate goal of life — liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Her name is derived from “laksh,” signifying understanding, knowing, and life’s objectives. Adi Lakshmi is portrayed as a compassionate deity, wearing gold jewelry and seated gracefully on a pink lotus.
In her iconography, Adi Lakshmi is depicted with four hands, each carrying symbolic significance. One hand displays the Abhaya mudra, a gesture of fearlessness, signifying her protection and guidance. Another hand displays the Varada mudra, symbolizing the granting of boons and blessings to those who seek her aid. She also holds a lotus, symbolizing enlightenment and the duty to uphold righteousness even in challenging circumstances. The fourth hand clasps a flag, representing surrender to the Divine.
Adi Lakshmi is revered for her boundless compassion and readiness to assist those who earnestly strive toward life’s ultimate spiritual aim — liberation. She serves as a guiding light on the path to Moksha, helping individuals realize their true purpose and attain freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

#Dhana Lakshmi
Dhana Lakshmi, the second form of Ashta Lakshmi, is a bestower of various forms of wealth, be it materialistic, physical, or knowledgeable wealth, to her devoted followers.
Iconographically, Dhana Lakshmi is adorned with exquisite jewelry and gracefully seated upon a pink lotus. She is depicted with six hands, each holding specific attributes, including a discus, a conch, a bow and arrow, a water pitcher, a lotus, and her palm in the Abhaya mudra with gold coins flowing from it.
She is recognized as the embodiment of wealth in the universe and offers her blessings to those who demonstrate the determination to overcome the challenges of the mind and persevere on their chosen path.

#Dhanya Lakshmi
Dhanya Lakshmi, the third form of Ashta Lakshmi, embodies the blessings associated with agriculture and the indispensable gift of food. The name “Dhanya” signifies being blessed, and Dhanya Lakshmi bestows the great fortune of agricultural wealth upon her devoted followers. In return, devotees express their gratitude by paying homage to her before partaking in meals and selflessly sharing food with those in need.
Portrayed in attire of lush green, symbolizing growth, renewal, and the abundance of agricultural prosperity, Dhanya Lakshmi is seated gracefully on a pink lotus. Iconographically she is represented with eight hands, each carrying specific attributes. These include hands in the Abhaya mudra and Varada mudra, symbolizing protection and the granting of boons, a mace signifying strength, two lotuses, and three hands holding various agricultural products. Dhanya Lakshmi’s benevolence transcends all boundaries, emphasizing the importance of gratitude for the miracles of Mother Nature. Whether rich or poor, no one can thrive without the sustenance provided by the agricultural wealth she represents.

#Gaja Lakshmi
Maa Gaja Lakshmi, the third form in the Ashta Lakshmi list, is revered as the bestower of animal wealth and is particularly cherished by farmers who rely on cows, bulls, and other animals for their livelihood. In her iconography, Maa Gaja Lakshmi is portrayed seated gracefully on a lotus flower in the Padmasana posture, with four hands. Her front two hands are depicted in the Abhaya mudra, a gesture of fearlessness, and the Varada mudra, a gesture of granting boons, signifying her protective and benevolent nature. Her back two hands hold lotus flowers, symbolizing purity and enlightenment.
Flanking Maa Gaja Lakshmi are two white male and female elephants, each on one side, showering her with water. These elephants signify power, royalty, and the animal wealth that she bestows upon her devotees. Maa Gaja Lakshmi’s presence in the lives of farmers is a testament to her role in providing them with the resources they need for their agricultural endeavors, making her a cherished and vital deity in rural communities.

#Santana Lakshmi, one of the forms within the Ashta Lakshmi, holds a significant place in the hearts of couples yearning for children, as her name “santana” conveys the meaning of progeny or offspring. She symbolizes fertility and the blessing of having children.
Iconographically, Santana Lakshmi is adorned with resplendent gold jewelry and wears a garland of vibrant flowers. She is seated gracefully on a pink lotus and is typically depicted with six hands. Among these hands, two hold pitchers of water, symbolizing the nurturing and sustenance of life. Another hand clasps a shield, representing protection, while a sword in another hand signifies the ferocity of a protective mother. Santana Lakshmi lovingly cradles a baby in one of her hands, embodying the fulfillment of the desire for vibrant and long-living offspring. Her final hand is in the Abhaya mudra, a gesture of dispelling negativity and offering the boon of a child.
Santana Lakshmi’s presence is a source of warmth and care, essential for raising healthy and joyous children. She also stands as a symbol of parenthood’s sacred duty, emphasizing that children are the greatest treasures of family life. Her blessings are especially sought by those who value and honor the sacred role of parents and the joy of welcoming new life into the world.

#Veera Lakshmi or Dhairya Lakshmi
Veera Lakshmi, the embodiment of bravery and valor, is revered for bestowing her devotees with the courage required to surmount the obstacles that often arise on the journey of both material and spiritual life. She stands as a symbol of unwavering strength and determination.Veera Lakshmi is typically depicted adorned in vibrant flowers and adorned with resplendent gold ornaments, seated gracefully on a pink lotus. She is represented with eight hands, each holding specific attributes. These include a discus, a bow, an arrow, a sword or trident, palm leaf scriptures, a conch, a hand in the Varada mudra (gesture of granting boons), and a hand in the Abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness).Wielding this medley of weapons and symbols, Veera Lakshmi is also known as Dhairya Lakshmi, with “dhairya” signifying courage. She imparts the fearlessness required to persevere through life’s various challenges and tribulations. Veera Lakshmi’s blessings are especially cherished by those who resolve to remain determined and optimistic in all circumstances, and she serves as a source of unwavering support for those who seek courage on their life’s journey.

#Vidya Lakshmi
the seventh form in the Ashta Lakshmi, is the patron of knowledge and intellectual development. The name “vidya” itself means knowledge, and this form of Lakshmi is revered for guiding individuals on their path to gaining wisdom and understanding.
Vidya Lakshmi is typically adorned with jewelry and is often depicted with four hands. Two of these hands hold lotuses, symbolizing purity and enlightenment. Another hand is positioned in the Abhaya mudra, a gesture of fearlessness, while the final hand is in the Varada mudra, a gesture of granting boons.
Vidya Lakshmi’s blessings are sought by those who struggle with self-doubt and insecurity, as she bestows knowledge that fosters mental resilience and a strong will. Furthermore, she offers divine wisdom to those who earnestly seek spiritual transformation in their lives, making her a cherished guide for both material and spiritual success. Her presence is a source of illumination and empowerment, helping individuals unlock their potential and achieve personal growth and enlightenment.

#Vijaya Lakshmi
Vijaya Lakshmi, whose name signifies victory, embodies the essence of success and serves as an inspiration to her devotees. She is often depicted clothed in vibrant red attire, adorned with flowers, and seated gracefully on a lotus. Vijaya Lakshmi is iconographically depicted by her eight hands, each holding specific symbols of power and triumph. Among these are a discus, a sword, a shield, a noose, a conch, a lotus, and her hands in both the Abhaya mudra, symbolizing fearlessness, and the Varada mudra, symbolizing the granting of boons.
Vijaya Lakshmi’s divine presence is intended to help individuals overcome life’s obstacles with determination and resilience. Though each form of Lakshmi is distinct, her overarching nature embodies that of a nurturing and protective mother, whose wealth is believed to be boundless. She provides what her devotees need while motivating them to work diligently and persistently. Her presence can be invoked through acts of cleanliness, offering flowers, and lighting lamps, but the most powerful way to connect with any form of Ashta Lakshmi is through heartfelt and sincere prayer.
In the vibrant tapestry of Hindu mythology, the Ashta Lakshmi, the eight divine forms of the Goddess Lakshmi, represent a harmonious blend of spiritual and material prosperity. Each form, with its distinct iconography and symbolism, addresses different aspects of life, guiding and blessing those who seek their grace.
These forms of the Goddess serve as a source of inspiration and strength, offering solace in times of need and celebrating the joys of life. Whether it’s the quest for knowledge, courage to overcome obstacles, the blessing of children, or success in endeavors, the Ashta Lakshmi have their unique role to play.
As we delve into the rich and intricate iconography of these forms, we are reminded of the boundless compassion and abundance they represent. Their presence in our lives, invoked through heartfelt devotion and sincere prayer, reminds us that amidst the challenges and triumphs of life, the divine, like a nurturing and protective mother, is always there to guide and support us.

In conclusion, the Ashta Lakshmi are a cherished and revered aspect of Hindu spirituality, and their iconography serves as a powerful visual representation of the diverse blessings they bestow upon their devotees. As we continue our spiritual and life journeys, we can find inspiration and guidance in these forms, seeking their blessings and grace to navigate the complexities of life and celebrate its abundant joys.

The #42 #Laws #of the #Goddess #Maat | #Kemetic #spirituality

#archeology #art #egypt #goddess #frog
Wonderful art. I love it.

Heqet (Egyptian ḥqt, also ḥqtyt "Heqtit"), sometimes spelled Heket, is an Egyptian goddess of fertility, identified with Hathor, represented in the form of a frog. To the Egyptians, the frog was an ancient symbol of fertility, related to the annual flooding of the Nile.
~ The Frog Goddess of Childbirth and Magic.
- In ancient Egyptian religion and mythology, she was a frog-headed goddess who personified generation, birth, and fertility. Heqet was sometimes depicted with the body of a frog, and frog amulets were common in ancient Egypt as charms for fertility. She also played a part in the myth of the rebirth of the god Osiris, since she was depicted as present at his mummification, sitting on a pedestal at the foot of his bier.
- The worship of the frog was one of the oldest cults in Egypt. Frog gods and frog goddesses were thought to have had a vital role in the creation of the world. Just prior to the annual flooding of the Nile River, frogs would appear in great numbers, possibly leading to their association with fecundity and with the beginning of life in the world. The Hermopolitan Ogdoad consisted of four pairs of very early primeval gods representing night, obscurity, eternity, and secrecy and their corresponding goddesses. These gods were all depicted with the heads of frogs, while their female counterparts were depicted with the heads of serpents.

• Heqet was mentioned in the Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom and was variously thought to have been a form of the goddess Nut or the goddess Hathor. She may have originally been the female counterpart of the ram-headed creation god Khnum, who shaped the form of humans on a potter’s wheel, or of the crocodile god Sebek-Re of Kom Ombo. Heqet was also said to be present at the conception of Queen Hatshepsut in her role as birth goddess, witnessing the scene as Khnum formed Hatshepsut’s body on his potter’s wheel.

#hesta #greek #goddess #art
Goddess of the Hearth, Home and Family.

Hestia holds in her hand a branch of the Chaste Tree, and in her open hand a hearth flame of home.

Chaste Tree ~Also known as chasteberry, cloister pepper, and monk's pepper
Zeus assigned Hestia a duty to feed and maintain the fires of the Olympian hearth with the fatty, combustible portions of animal sacrifices to the gods. Wherever food was cooked, or an offering was burnt, she thus had her share of honor; also, in all the temples of the gods, she has a share of honor. "Among all mortals she was chief of the goddesses". The first and the last.
Virgin Goddess
- The gods Poseidon and Apollo (her brother and nephew respectively) both fell in love with Hestia and vied for her hand in marriage. But Hestia would have neither of them, and went to Zeus instead, and swore a great oath, that she would remain a virgin for all time and never marry. In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, Aphrodite is described as having "no power" over Hestia.

#hestia #greek #goddess
November 18, 2023; 6:00 AM Saturday
I woke up with a song ~ but there was a dream. I was making Egglant Parmesan.
Oh. Yes. I must get up and continue with my days of Hestia, preparing fresh vegetables and fruit for Winter food storage.
Today is yellow squash, onions, eggplant, mushrooms, celery, carrots and blackberries.
Yesterday I finished with cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, strawberries, green beans and tomatoes.

STAMP Hestia ~ The-Greek-Goddess of the Home and Protector of Families.

#hertia #goddess
HESTIA ~ VESTA
Goddess of the Hearth
Her symbol is fire.

#hestia #greek #goddess #hearth #home
November 17, 2023. Friday
One of my favorite goddesses.
HESTIA ~ GREEK GODDESS

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Hestia /Vesta (/ˈhɛstiə, ˈhɛstʃə/; Greek: Ἑστία, meaning "hearth" or "fireside") is the goddess of the hearth, home and family.
Her symbol is a flame of fire.

#PurvaAshadha #Nakshatra According to #Astrology

This is occurring in the 20th position out of the 27th other #nakshatras in the entire constellation of stars. The four padas present in this nakshatra are falling under the Zodiac sign #Sagittarius which makes the natives very venturous and sporty. They are bestowed with creativity and intellect due to the presence of Venus as their ruling planet.

Purvashadha Nakshatra

The natives are very attractive and good-looking with the influence of #Venus in their house which gives them the ability to enchant anyone with their charming personality. They are experts in handling difficult and challenging situations in their life with their analytical skills and sharp intellect. They share a very good relationship with everyone in their social circle since they are having outgoing personalities. They are quite attached to their friends, relatives, and family members and love them with all their hearts. Though they are quite proud and modest they share a very compatible relationship with their spouse and live happily in their married life.

Purvashadha Natchathiram

They are very wise and noble in their character. Sometimes they are quite argumentative and impulsive and it becomes difficult for anyone to override them in debate. They are having awesome manipulative skills which makes them a very good salesman. They always provide others with their opinions and advice but they don’t accept it from others very easily. Though they appear to be very brave and courageous but they basically shy from showing their actual character.

Lord of Purvashadha Nakshatra

Purvashadha nakshatra lord is Venus which is symbolized by the tusk of an elephant and its deity is #Apas which is known as the #goddess of #water.

Purvashadha Nakshatra Famous Personalities

Many famous people were born under this nakshatra as their birth sign and won people's hearts with their unparalleled skills and talents. Some Purvashadha nakshatra celebrities are Mel Gibson, Ernest Hemingway, Adolf Hitler, and Dustin Hoffman.

Purvashadha Nakshatra Pada 1

The first pada position of this Nakshatra is falling under Leo Navamsha which is governed by the sun. This position mainly concentrates on the pride and self-esteem of the natives who aspire to be the center of attraction in a social gathering. In this position, the natives are very much proud of their accomplishments and qualities and they are having enormous self believe in themselves which takes them to great heights in their careers. Their attractive and charming personality easily catches the attention of everyone in the room.

Purvashadha Nakshatra Pada 2

The second pada position of this Nakshatra is in the Virgo Navamsha which is governed by the planet mercury. In this position, the planet mainly focuses on hard work, money, and gaining materialistic wealth. The natives who are falling under this pada aspire to lead a very luxurious and wealthy lifestyle and have an inclination in gaining material wealth. Their materialistic desire drives them to achieve great heights in their career and acquire a lot of wealth. They are very hard working and determined to reach there as the desired position and achieve a lot of accomplishments and are praised for their diligence.

Purvashadha Nakshatra Pada 3

The third pada position of this Nakshatra is in the Libra Navamsha and it is governed by the planet Venus. This position mainly focuses on material wealth and a luxurious lifestyle. Those who are born under this pada are fond of leading a luxurious lifestyle with all the materialistic comforts. They are likely to gain the fruits of their hard work and sheer determination. The natives get paid for what they deserve which motivates them to achieve more in their life with their hard work and legal ways.

Purvashadha Nakshatra Pada 4

The fourth pada position of this nakshatra is in the scorpion Navamsha which is governed by the planet Mars. In this position, they focus on mental state. They are quite arrogant in nature and have suspicious personalities and everyone finds them very mysterious and secretive. The natives here are very much inclined in gaining occult science knowledge and love practicing them.

Purvashadha Nakshatra Zodiac Sign

This nakshatra is in the Sagittarius Zodiac sign where the natives are very modest and proud of themselves. They are very friendly in nature and share a very cordial relationship with their spouse. The Lord of this Nakshatra is Venus and it is symbolized by the tusk of an elephant and Apas being its deity, is known as the water goddess.

https://bejandaruwalla.com/blogs/astrology/purvashadha-nakshatra

#UttaraBhadrapada #nakshatra plays a prominent role in the #vedc astronomy region; the nakshatra refers to a #warrior #star. The star is symbolized by twins or a snake loathed in water. Ahir Budhyana is the god of fertility; his blessings help in achieving active fertility and great boons to bear healthy progeny. Mighty #Goddess #Lakshmi is also an integral part of this nakshatra.

She blessed people under this star with good finances, wealth and abundance.Saturn is the planet that guides the nakshatra and supreme Lord Vishnu is the Trimurti linked with this star. Pisces is the main zodiac sign which comes under this star and Leo, Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio are the four main padas linked with Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra.

Boons of Uttara Bhadrapada Nakshatra
Following are the major boons of Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra-

People born with Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra have great fertility; they possess a good body and sexual calibre.
Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra imparts a peaceful and silent nature to the devotees. People with this star have great control in meditation and research-related activities.
The nakshatra bestows qualities such as dedication and commitment to people falling under it.
Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra blessed people with great prospects in managing finances and monetary areas.
Banes of Uttara Bhadrapada Nakshatra
Here are a few negative elements linked with Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra-

People with the Uttara Bhadrapada star have poorer prospects in explorations and travel areas.
The star blesses people with bad finances and money.
The star has negative implications in areas such as litigation and confrontation.

If you are born with this nakshatra then make sure you are well-acquainted with this star and its related significance. If you want to attract good boons of this nakshatra then make sure you get Uttara Bhadrapada and Ahir Budhyana nakshatra Homam done. This Homam will help you please mighty deity Ahir Budhyanaand attract his blessings. The blessings of Lord Ahir Budhyana will ease all your struggles by balancing all the ill effects of Uttara Bhadrapada nakshatra in your Homam.

https://www.vedicfolks.com/life-time-management/karma-remedies/homams/uttara-bhadrapada-nakshatra-and-ahir-budhyana-devata-homam.html

the #goddess #Durga. She is known for #vanquishing
#demons, granting the wishes of her devotees, being the daughter of the Himalayas, marrying Lord #Shiva and giving birth to #Ganesha,
the Elephant-headed God. She is the embodiment of motherhood,
feminine power, and compassion. Her worship, iconography,
and philosophy forms the third largest sect of Hinduism, known
as Shaktam—The Path of Power. Those who follow Shaktam
affirm the vitality and #spiritual potency of the #material world,
which is believed to be a product of her divine creativity.
#om namah shivaya

Scrying on the Moon
#poem #sibyl #romance #feminist #occult #goddess

~twilight of the goddess, call to song to aery dancing, lady fair your fiery trance rewinds our souls; enjoy these offerings of fancy: all art is yours ~

By sibylline light
images I recognize,
creviced captures of my life.
I know her judgment to be my own.

“Nourished by Moon rivers
mythical cavern blooms
unseen by sunlight
glow green.”
Thus she sets the scene;
becomes the prophecy.

“Purest white simplicity
curved to suggest fragility
faith fed maiden ready for
plucking,
given in bondage to womanly woes,
hard rows to hoe
for tight human hug through
crying of night.

Fate of mortal soldiers, sacrificed to lust.
Seeking relief, beg for the boon of drama
high adventure
sneaking into sad hotels
for a fix or a tumble.
Laughs,
deadly play,
danger, a real chance.

Barefoot in the snow
icy roads
winds so strong
I could not make you hear.
I thought you were my destiny.
Crazy thoughts, far from clear;
but I believed
song lyrics from Saturnine deities
would not lie, leave me
dying, fading into winter’s grey
drifting clouds,
endless sorrow endured for naught.
Lost on this careless corner,
dreaming of oblivion, intent on visions
like rain
tapping against eternity’s
vast windowpane.
Scenic serenity.
Nature’s gradations of green
soothe tired eyes,
trembling nerves, throbbing veins.
Slivers of moonlight reflect,
disperse through refrains, unearth secrets
embedded in song
effervescing through cool pure air

cleansing the uprising nestling
set aflame
resurrected
tempered mettle,
pure, wise, tested
engorged with the will
to rise”

Today is the Tenth day ( #Dassera – #Dusshera) the finale of the #Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine nights. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made this reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:
As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

The Planets
The Name of the Nine Planets are – Sun (Surya), Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangala), Jupiter (Brihaspati, Guru), Venus (Shukra), Saturn (Sani), and finally, Rahu and Ketu. While the first seven are physical forms, Rahu and Ketu are called Chaya Grahas or Shadow Planets. Each planet influences our lives according to the position on the Birth Charts.

In simple terms, graha drishti means the glance, the view, the vision of the planet. It indicates what a planet can see from the house it currently resides in. There are 12 houses in astrology, each corresponding to a zodiac sign or rashi. Graha drishti, or the planetary aspect, is considered extremely important because planets can greatly influence each other. According to astrology, every object in the universe influences others. For instance, the Moon’s gravitational pull causes tides in the oceans on Earth. This is the basis of astrology, that celestial entities influence everything, from the smallest to the largest objects in the universe. This includes human beings. Each of the navagrahas has the capacity to affect different aspects of our lives.

#Goddess #Durga
Goddess Durga is a principal and popular form of Hindu Goddess. She is the warrior goddess, whose mythology centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity and dharma of the good.

The festival of Navaratri is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her 9 avatars. On each of these nine days, there is worship of the nine different manifestation of Durga or Shakti. The ‘Nav Durga‘ or the ‘Nine Forms of Durga’ are pleased with special offerings and prayers. The significance of Nav Durga is narrated and reiterated in every Hindu household especially during the Navaratri nights as this is the time when Goddess Durga descends from the heaven to bless her beloved devotees.

Durga’s Name and Its Meaning

In Sanskrit, Durga means “a fort” or “a place that is difficult to overrun,” an apt metaphor for this deity’s protective, militant nature. Durga is sometimes referred to as Durgatinashini, which literally translates into “the one who eliminates sufferings.”

Significance of Navaratri
“The significance of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati has to be rightly understood. Three represent three kinds of potencies in man. Iccha Shakti (will power), Kriya Shakti (the power of action) and Jnana Shakti (the power of discrimination). Saraswati is manifested in man as the power of speech (Vaak). Durga is present in the form of dynamism (the power of action). Lakshmi is manifested in the form of will power. The body indicates “Kriya Shakti”. The mind is the repository of “Iccha Shakti”. The Atma is “Jnana Shakti”. “Kriya Shakti” comes from the body, which is material. The power that activates the body, which is inert and makes it vibrant, is “Iccha Shakti”. The power that induces the vibrations of’khchaa Shakti” is “Jnana Shakti” which causes radiation (of energy). These three are represented by the Mantra “OM Bhur-Bhuvah-Svah”. “Bhu” represents Bhu-loka (earth). “Bhuvah.” represents the life-force (also means conscience of man), “Svah” represents the power of radiation. All the three are present in man. Thus, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati dwell in the human heart.” Sai Baba. SS. 11/94. pp. 283 & 284

https://saieditor.com/fourth/?p=2606

Goddess #Siddhidatri
Goddess Siddhidhatri

The #Ardhanareshwara form of Lord #Shiva; it is believed that Lord Shiva obtained all siddhis by worshipping Goddess Siddhidhatri.

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be focussing on Navaratri and the nine planets with an account of one or another the planets for nine nights. For the NINth night of Navaratri, we will take the planet Ketu. The colour for the Ninth day of Navaratri (Navami) is #Peacock #Green, so we scribe in Peacock Green for this ninth day observance of #Navaratri. The #Goddess is #Siddhidhatri.

Today is the Ninth day (Namvami) of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine nights. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made this reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:
As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

#Ketu, the opposite node to #Rahu, came into being during the churning of the Ocean of Milk. The last gift of that churning was the emergence of the God of Healing, Dhanvantari, with the pot of amrit, the #nectar of immortality. Ketu and Rahu were whole at that time, in the form of a demon known as Swarbhanu, who engaged in subterfuge to obtain the nectar whilst it was being served out by Mohini. At that time Mohini was distracting the demons and giving the amrit to the gods. The deception was discovered by the Sun and Moon, who ran tale-telling to Vishnu, who promptly sent his discus and separated the head from the body; that body is today known as Ketu, South Node of the Moon.

In other legends, Ketu is known as the tail of the dragon. Ketu is considered to be signifier of limitlessness; Ketu is thought to be absent, wandering, disinterested, disengaged, disembodied, diffused, apathetic, directionless, destitute, beheaded, surrendering, abandoning, lost. We keep in mind that Ketu is a shadow planet, a karmic repository and an important agent on the journey toward the goal of life. Ketu (which means flag) – due the deep inquiry that this shadow planet is capable of actually flags important staging posts on the human journey of return to the Source.

Devi Siddhidatri is the ninth form of Navdurga and is worshipped on the ninth or final day of Navratri Pooja. In Sanskrit ‘Siddhi’ means perfection and the divine Goddess is revered to seek all types of Siddhi. The grace of Devi Siddhidatri can put an end to greediness and help to control and satisfy the desires of her devotees.

Goddess Siddhidhatri is portrayed wearing a red sari and sitting on a lotus flower. Her vahana (vehicle) is a lion. She is depicted holding a Gada (mace) in her upper right hand, a chakra in her lower right hand, a lotus flower in her lower left hand and a conch-shell in her upper left hand. It is said that one can even see a disc of light around her golden crown. This light is believed to instil devotion in the heart of devotees towards the Supreme Power and liberation from karmic bindings. Goddess Siddhidatri bestows occult powers on her worshippers and is therefore revered by beings from all three realms i.e. heaven, hell and earth.

It is commonly believed that Lord Shiva is half-male and half-female and this form of Shiva is worshipped as Ardhanareshwara. Ardhanareshwara is a combination of three words “Ardha,” “Nari,” and “Ishwara” means “half,” “woman,” and “lord,” respectively. According to Vedic scriptures, Lord Shiva attained all the siddhis by worshipping this Goddess.

Ketu and the Feminine
Ketu has very poor reputation garnered over the ages and in narrative, yet, is disposer of intelligence of a deep order. Ketu is also disposer of spiritual intelligence. We know that Ketu is disconnected from much of the world, very much an entity, and energy devoted to its own private realm, perhaps the cave of the mystic who intuitively comes to know what reality actually is. This is very much activity driven by the feminine within, that which is fecund, life-forming, life-giving and birthing into the new world. It is the feminine that nurtures and sustains us in the night-sea journey of the inner small self. It is the feminine that calls us unto the deep to explore the real, the touchstone of life, the life beyond imagination, feeling, attachment, delusion: the urstoff of what it means to be human. Ketu hears the deep calling unto the deep.

Significance of Navaratri
(On the life of Adi Shankara)

“The great Acharya was barely four years old at the time. His father, a devout scholar, used to offer daily worship to Goddess Raajeshwari every morning. Meditating before the Goddess with closed eyes, he would offer a bowl of cow’s milk to her. When he opened his eyes after meditation, he would find that bowl was only half-full, the other half having been accepted as an offering by the Goddess. One day, he had to go to a neighbouring village for three days. He told his wife to arrange worship of the Goddess in the customary manner with the offering of milk, with the young Shankara deputizing him in the worship. In accordance with his father’s instructions, the young lad sat in front of the Goddess in the sanctum and performed the prescribed ritual. After meditation, when he opened his eyes, he was astonished to see that the bowl of milk offered to the Goddess remained full. He felt sad and cried out: ‘Divine Mother! What wrong have I done? I cannot bear this punishment. Please show your grace on me as you did for my father.’

He prayed intensely for some time with closed eyes. When he opened his eyes he saw that the bowl was now totally empty. All the milk had gone. He was in distress again and cried out: “Devi! You have consumed all the milk. Where is our share of the Prasadam? If we are denied this, what mother will say and what will others think? I will not leave this place till the bowl is refilled.’ In response to fervent prayers, the Goddess spoke: “Dear child! When the river has joined the river, how can it be redirected? Shankara said: “Nobody will believe me when I say that no milk was left in the bowl after my worship. They may think that I drank all of it. I cannot face them. Devi! Without your Prasad, I will not leave this place. I will lay down my life at your Feet.” Swami concluded this moving account of the episode with the following finale: “Devi Raajeshwari’s heart melted on hearing the young boy’s appeal. She took the bowl and poured her Divine breast-milk into it and gave it to the young devotee.’ The compassion of the Divine, Swami said, has no limits.” Sai Baba. SS. 6/97. p. 153

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#Happy #Navratri - #Goddess is #Mahagauri.


As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be focussing on Navaratri and the nine planets with an account of one or another the planets for nine nights. For the eighth night of Navaratri, we will take the planet #Rahu. The colour for the Eighth day of Navaratri (Ashtami) is purple, so we scribe in #PURPLE for this eighth day observance of Navaratri. The Goddess is Mahagauri.

Today is the eighth day ( #Ashtami) of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine nights. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made this reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:
As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

Rahu
Rahu is a shadow planet that interrupts the delivery of light to and from the mind, the body, the spirit – as shadows block luminosity, light. The Moon (presiding deity of the mind) is one of the two natural luminaries, the other being the Sun. In Vedic myth, Rahu was formed when the cunning demon Swarbhanu attempted to obtain the nectar of immortality and was beheaded for his efforts. The head is called Rahu, the headless body is called #Ketu. The head is forever seeking, desiring wholeness and this explains to us how Rahu is significator of desire, and fraud; Rahu fraudulently sat among the gods to receive the nectar and his deception was exposed by Sun and Moon. Hence the eternal animosity of Rahu to #Sun (causes #eclipses) and #Moon (bedims Moon).

At a glance, Rahu is called the North Node, is exalted in GEMINI #ARDRA , co-lord of Aquarius (with Saturn) and has digbala (directional strength) in the 10th house. Rahu magnifies the effect of its Lord, and that of any planet it is conjunct. Rahu is of vata (airy) nature and rules the astral and possessions. Medically, Rahu is giver of incurable chronic diseases, snake bite, difficulties in breathing, chronic illness and mental illness.

Rahu signifies worldly desires, foreign lands, use of drugs and alcohol, separation, harsh and grating speech, insanity, fear and adversity, and the status of Rahu is out-caste. Rahu is said to be self-seeking, a deceiver, manipulator, ambitious and generally dissatisfied with life. There is always more, and Rahu, chalakaraka, (giver of fraud) will obtain more by any means possible. Rahu is always dissatisfied and seeks validation, higher status and office. Rahu – by fair or foul means – will take possession of any instrument that will empower the ego. Position, pride, greatness. In these affairs, Rahu cannot control himself. With Rahu, Station in life is nearly always improperly obtained and cannot be sustained as fraud is usually exposed soon after.

We began saying Rahu signifies desires. In fact, due seeking of desires, Rahu is the one planet that is said to cause reincarnation, which happens when desires remain unfulfilled. Desires are due discontent, seduction (of the mind) and mental delusion. There are the haves and have-nots in this world, and Rahu – who wants what he sees – goes around the rules, disregards boundaries and is always hungry for more. Rahu always surges with desire for the next thing, unhappy with anything that has been obtained. Think of cars on the highways and byways that have to overtake you and are disconsolate to stay on the speed limit and follow the laws of the road – unhappy at any speed – and you get an idea of Rahu.

Goddess Mahagauri
The name Mahagauri means extremely white, as she was white in colour and very beautiful (Mahā=great; Gaurī=white). Mahagauri is usually depicted with four hands, the hands holding a trident, lotus and drum, while the fourth is in a blessing gesture. The lotus is sometimes replaced with a rosary. She rides a white bull, usually shown wearing white clothes.

It is believed that the 16 year old unmarried Goddess Parvati wanted to marry Lord Shiva and, as such, did rigorous penance (tapasya) for a very long time to please him. Because of this, she ended up facing a lot of hardships and her complexion turned dark with dust, heat and starvation. Lord #Shiva, however, was pleased with her penance and agreed to marry her. Using the Ganges water flowing out of his matted hair, he washed her clean. Consequently, her white clothes and fair complexion started glowing radiantly again. Since then, she is known as Mahagauri.

#Mother #Gauri is #Devi, #Shakti or the Mother Goddess, who appears in many forms, such as #Durga, #Parvati, #Kali and others. She is auspicious, brilliant and protects the good people while punishing those who perform evil deeds. Mother Gauri enlightens the spiritual seeker and removes the fear of rebirth by granting salvation.

Significance of Navaratri
“Men are prone to exhibit rajasic (active, excitable) qualities like anger and hatred. They are menacing manifestations of Durga. The extolling of the Divine in song and poetry and the pleasing vibrations produced by them indicate the power of Saraswati. The pure qualities that arise in man such as compassion, love, forbearance and sympathy are derived from Lakshmi. When people worship Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati externally in pictures or icons, they are giving physical forms to the subtle potencies that are within them. The unfortunate predicament of man today is that he is not recognising the powers within him and developing respect for them. He goes after the external, attracted by the physical forms. The relationship between the material and the subtle has to be understood.” Sai Baba, SS, 11/94, p. 284

#Happy #Navaratri Day 7 – #Saturn

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be focussing on Navaratri and the nine planets with an account of one or another the planets for nine nights. For the seventh night of Navaratri, we will take the planet #Saturn. The colour for the seventh day of Navaratri is grey, so we scribe in #GREY for this seventh day observance of Navaratri. The #Goddess is #Kalaratri.

Today is the seventh day of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine nights. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made this reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:
As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

Saturn
Many consider Saturn as terrifying among the planets! It is said that all beings fear him for he rules bereavements and misfortunes. He is master of sudden reversals, so thorough that one’s name may well be forgotten among the annals of mortals. His gaze (drishti) is directed downwards for it is utterly destructive. There is a tale of Parvathi wanting a new abode in Kailash, and when Shiva (finally) granted the wish for an abode, Lord Brahma demurred and told, “Not wise, not wise!”, for he could sense the gaze (drishti) of Saturn would bring matters to grief. Shiva went to ask Saturn/Shani to avert his gaze from the new house. To cut a long story short, there was misunderstanding of the signals, Shiva beat his drum (dhamaru) (because he was doing the Tandava dance for Saturn), Parvati misunderstood the message and burned the house down. The moral of the story is that none may escape the drishti of Saturn.

Lord of the sinews, the West and Saturdays, his constellations are Capricorn (Makara) and Aquarius (Kumbh). He is Lord of three Nakshatras, Pushya, Anuraada and Uttara Bhadri. He is also known as the Slow, the Son of the Shadow, the Angular, the Black, the Endless, the End-Causer, the All-Devouring, the Steady, the Controller, the Famished, the Emaciated. His name in Sanskrit is Shanicharaya, “the slow-moving preceptor, the teacher who moves slowly”. Saturn has the slowest movement among the visible planets.

Traditional matters associated with Saturn are disease, death and the dying process – all of these are human and inescapable – the cause of death is birth. One of the main tasks of Saturn/Shani is said to be the cause of disenchantment – and therefore detachment from the ephemera, the fleeting, pointless, meaningless distractions and prattle of life.

Goddess Kalaratri

Goddess Kalaratri, also known as Mother #Kaali, is the seventh form of Goddess #Durga. Devotees worship her on the seventh day of Navaratri. They seek her blessings to eliminate all troubles from their lives.

This form of Durga is believed to destroy all demons, ghosts and negative energies. She is also believed to be the destroyer of time and death. Although, intimidating in appearance, Goddess Kalaratri is benevolent towards all worshipers.

There are many mythological stories that tell us about the transformation of Goddess Durga into Goddess Kalaratri. According to the most common legend, two demons Shumbha and Nishumbha invaded and defeated the realm of demigods. The demigods prayed to Goddess Parvati for help. Parvati readily transformed herself into Goddess Chandika, to battle with demons on behalf of all devas (gods). Goddess Chandika (also known as Chamunda) transformed herself into Goddess Kalaratri and killed both these demons. Goddess Kalaratri fought another demon called Raktveej and kept drinking his blood till he was completely dead, causing her tongue to appear blood-red.

Her vehicle is the #donkey; she has four arms and a blood-red tongue. Goddess Kalaratri is generally portrayed in a dark colour (usually dark blue) and appears to be somewhat wild-looking and threatening. Two arms are holding sabre and lance for slicing off heads; her other arms are held up on abhaya (protection) and varada (blessings, boons) for her devotees.

Saturn and the Feminine
When we look to Saturn we think duty, discipline, responsibility, doing things slowly and getting them right and advancing in life, slowly, carefully. Consider that these are activities Mothers, wives and sisters impart to us as we journey through life. Love that is given by the feminine principle is bounded by discipline and responsibility and considers the long term goal: true humanness. True humanness is a life informed by life-enhancing values, feelings, thoughts and behaviour. Therefore mothers – and all who embody the feminine – take up their task with duty, discipline and responsibility. This love is not dependent on like nor dislike, giving and receiving. The love that the feminine gives – informed by the qualities and and energy that Saturn gives – sees beyond like and dislike, differences between things and focuses on the end goal. True humanness, which forges new higher expressions of life even in the midst of life’s seeming dissolution.

Significance of Navaratri
“The Navaratri festival should not be observed as a festival for worshipping the consorts of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. These goddesses symbolise divine potencies. All these potencies are derived from Vishnu. The entire cosmos is a manifestation of the myriad forms of Vishnu. People must recognise this oneness underlying the different forms. All beings breathe the same air as their life-breath. Likewise all the five basic elements are the stuff of nature. But in the Para-Tattwa (the Supreme Principle, the Divine), these do not exist. The elements are mortal. The Divine is immortal. To proceed from the mortal to the immortal, the easiest means is the cultivation of the Divine Love (Prema).

The heart is like a sky wherein the clouds in the form of thoughts hide the Buddhi (the intellect) and the mind representing the sun and the moon. Vairagya (detachment) is the means to get rid of thoughts and desires arising from them. The Devi Puja performed during Navaratri is intended to get rid of worldly attachments and divert the mind toward God. There are four different qualities in man: humanness, the animal nature, demonic nature, and divine nature. When man follows the dictates of the body, he is a prey to his animal nature. When he is subject to the vagaries of the mind, he becomes demonic. When he is following the Atma (conscience), he is manifesting his divinity. When he is governed by all the three- the body, the mind and the Atma, he is human”. Sai Baba, SS, 12/92, p. 305

https://saieditor.com/fourth/?p=2583

#Mula #nakshatra is a critical nakshatra in the Indian #astrology realm. The nakshatra is also defined as the #foundation or #basis #star; the nakshatra helps people born under it in making the concrete foundation of any event. #Goddess #Nirruti is the mighty godhead who rules Mula Nakshatra; she is the goddess of destruction and lives in the dead region. The powerful goddess Nirruti is also linked with the supreme goddess #Mahakali. Goddess Nirruti grants utmost courage and strength to the devotees to fight every catastrophe of their lives. Lord #Prajapati is the secondary deity linked with Mula Nakshatra; he is lord of progeny. His blissings help people born in this nakshatra bear healthy and active offspring.

The symbol of Mula nakshatra is a reticulated root that signifies a large bunch of roots packed or stacked together. Elephant’s goad also represents Mula nakshatra which demonstrates power. Sagittarius is the zodiac sign which falls in the Mula Nakshatra realm. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer are the fundamental padas linked with Mula Nakshatra. Ketu is the planet that safeguards the nakshatra, and Brahma is the Trimurti who guides this star.

Boons of Mula Nakshatra
Here are a few favourable elements linked with Mula Nakshatra-

People with this nakshatra are quite good at amassing knowledge and becoming proficient in their lives.
Mula nakshatra benefits people with great calibre to do wonders in science and exploration areas.
People with Mula nakshatra have great prospects in concentration, meditation and other related areas.
People under this nakshatra’s influence have pure hearts and loyal nature which helps them lead a fulfilling and blissful life.
Banes of Mula Nakshatra
Here are a few harmful elements linked with Mula Nakshatra-

People with Mula nakshatra are unlucky in marital and related areas.
The nakshatra hampers people’s capability of making the right decisions; it leads to diplomatic problems.
People with this nakshatra have a hard time dealing with financial crunches.

If you are born under Mula Nakshatra’s influence, then make sure you are aware of all its facets. At our end, we execute Mula Nakshatra and Nirruti deity Homam to bring all the elements of Mula Nakshatra in your favour. In Homam, we will conduct special worship of Nirruti devata to get all the benefits of Mula nakshatra in your favour.

https://www.vedicfolks.com/life-time-management/karma-remedies/homams/mula-nakshatra-and-nirruti-devata-homam.html

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be focussing on #Navaratri and the nine planets with an account of one or another the planets for nine nights. For the sixth night of Navaratri, we will take the planet #Venus. The colour for the sixth day of Navaratri is green, so we scribe in #GREEN for this sixth day observance of Navaratri. The #Goddess is #Devi #Katyayani.

Today is the sixth day of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine nights. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made this reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:
As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

Truth, goodness and beauty – these are the attributes of Divinity and true humanness – that is, human beings acting with integrity – vasudeva sarva midam – ever seeking divinity in all things. In #Sankrit, #Truth is #Sathyam; #Goodness is #Sivam; #Beauty is #Sundaram.The planet Venus contains, releases and perpetually flashes forth different patterns of cosmic energy. Whether the ever-changing energies coming forth from Venus raises us up or pulls us down, is largely dependent on how we understand and take up, integrate and apply the energies of this planet. Venus is our sense of divine love, beauty and grace.

While Venus is taken to represent the passions, and following our happiness, there is a capacity in the influence of Venus to think and to make quite sharp decisions. Venus may access the intellect in what the famous depth psychologist Carl Jung calls the feeling function (in Jungian typology) which makes decisions on the basis of what is valued, what is felt to be important. So Venus has the ability to make the best, balanced and heart-felt decisions.

In the field of possessions, personal property, Venus gives wealth, houses, property and high status. There is nothing wrong with having wealth, it is not filthy lucre as some joke. It is a form of cosmic energy which we may use to create joy and beauty in our living, our homes, a spending of energy in property and vehicles which expresses proper use of wealth, one of the four goals of life. Excessive attachment and dissemination of ego to possessions (my status, my life is my possessions) is lower expression of this cosmic force. A home with beautiful gardens and flowers expresses the Venus energy in its highest essence.

Devi Katyayani
#Ma Katyayani is worshipped on the sixth day of Navaratri. She is one of the most worshipped forms of #Durga and is considered a #destroyer #of #evil. She has four hands and she wields a long sword and a lotus in two of them. She blesses with the third hand and protects with the fourth one.
According to ancient legends, she was born a daughter of Katyayana Rishi, born in the Katya lineage originating from Vishwamitra, thus called Katyayani, “daughter of Katyayana”. Elsewhere in texts like Kalika Purana, it is mentioned that it was Rishi Kaytyayana who first worshipped her, hence she came to known as Katyayani. In either case, she is a demonstration or apparition of the Durga and is worshipped on the sixth day of Navaratri festival.

As per Hindu mythology, Devi Katyayani showers her blessings on those marriageable girls who worship her with complete devotion. This devotion towards Devi Katyayani is part of an age old tradition that started from Gokul in Braja. It is believed that, centuries ago, Gopis in Gokul used to fast during the first month of winter to fulfil their wish of marrying Lord Krishna. Since then, the sixth day of Navaratri has been considered to be significant for those girls who have stepped into the age of marriage and, as such, it is devoted to the worship of Devi Katyayani.

Venus and the Feminine
The Planet Venus is also known in #VedicAstrology as Shukra, the celestial poet, son of Lord Bhrigu (var, Bhrgu), and is sometimes mistaken as the Indian version of Cupid (he is definitely NOT), an archetype of Valentine and true love and more recently, ruler of bedroom pleasures and little else. (The god of love in Vedic tradition is called Manmatha, not Shukra)

People think that Venus am all about sex. It is true that sex is one of the things in the portfolio of Venus, but it is one of the lesser things. Mostly Venus is about beauty, (artistic) truth and children (the end result of reproduction). Venus engages the love flowers, fruits, meadows, honeybees and sweet, refined things. Venus cultivates the sense of refinement; music, dance, laughter and fun are within my purview.

When your soul sings with delight, there is the drishti of Venus; when you celebrate life with colour, beautiful fragrances, wonderful cooking, there Venus is present with energy. Poetry, gardening of flowers, refined emotions, imagination, and renewal of life and spirit. These are the feminine gifts of Venus.

Significance of Navaratri
“Recognising one’s mother as the very embodiment of all divine forces, one must show reverence to her and treat her with love. This is the true message that the Navaratri festival gives us. The Supreme Shakti manifests herself in the form of Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Durga grants to us energy – physical, mental, and spiritual. Lakshmi bestows on us wealth of many kinds, not just money, but intellectual wealth, the wealth of character, and others. Even health is a kind of wealth. She grants untold riches to us. Saraswati bestows on us intelligence, the capacity for intellectual enquiry and the power of discrimination. The Navaratri festival is celebrated in order to proclaim to the world the power of these goddesses.

One’s own mother is a combination of all these divine beings. She provides us energy, wealth, and intelligence. She constantly desires our advancement in life. So, she represents all the three goddesses that we worship during the Navaratri festival. If the Pandavas were able to become so dear to Krishna and make their lives worthy by serving Him, it was not on account of their own merit or austerities. It was Kunti Devi’s love for them that brought to them such a great fortune. Even when they had to live in the forest or in the House of Wax, she always stayed with them and prayed for their welfare. The Pandavas also reciprocated her love, and that accounts for their final victory. Lakshmana, likewise, was able to dwell in the forest with his brother Rama, serving ceaselessly, only because of his mother Sumitra’s blessings”. Sai Baba, SS, 11/88. p. 290

https://saieditor.com/fourth/?p=2575

Today is the fifth day of the #Navaratri #celebrations which are held for nine nights.

#Jupiter

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be having a planetary observance of Navaratri with an account of one of the planets for each of the nine nights. The fifth day of Navratri is marked to worship Goddess Skandamata, mother of #Murugan (var. #Skanda, #Subramanya, #Kartikeya), is worshipped on the fifth day, one should wear #yellow. This colour stands for happiness and brightness. Skanda-Murugan is the leader of the armies against evil.

#Goddess #Skandamata

All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba has told that Navaratri, the nine nights, represents the Nine Planets.
In Hindu mythology, Navaratri celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, the buffalo-headed demon. She fought for nine days and nine nights before emerging victorious on the tenth day. Goddess #Shakti in the nine forms is worshipped during the period for knowledge, wealth, prosperity and auspiciousness. Knowingly or unknowingly during this period we also recognize the primordial source of energy (Shakti), which manifests in all living and nonliving.

Sai Baba went on to say that each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. So we take the opportunity to examine the energies of the planets within, and examine how the Divine Mother is related to these energies.

#Jupiter
Jupiter is watery in constitution ( #kapha), wears yellow clothes and yellow flowers; his gem is yellow sapphire. A #Brahmin, Jupiter knows all the Vedas and is expert in all forms of knowledge. As #guru, Jupiter has the highest forms of knowledge, philosophy and spirituality (para vidya) and teaches the #sacred paths.

Jupiter is Lord of the body’s fat, of the northeast, rules Thursdays, and the signs of Sagittarius and Pisces. Jupiter is known as the Lord of Worship and as the Guru. He is called Teacher of the Immortals, the Soul, the Advisor, the Lord of Speech, the Golden, the Creator (he is but another form of Brahma) the Compassionate, the Creator of Polity, remover of oppression and the Peaceable. As Guru, one honours one’s own guru by honouring this planet, Jupiter.

Jupiter grants knowledge of Yoga, Astrology, Vastu, science and mathematics, and is the giver of wisdom which overcomes obstacles. Jupiter as guru guides us in following dharma (the path of righteousness within and without) for dharma is the basis of the Universe itself. Jupiter indicates such domains of principle as law, religion and philosophy. He is the planet of intelligence.

Jupiter’s energy is that of #expansion; it expands everything it touches, making it bigger and greater. Some call Jupiter a multiplier, for this is what Jupiter does. If Jupiter is well placed in your horoscope its influence will be toward humanitarian activity, compassion, morality, caring, spirituality, optimism, faith and good judgement. One will be powerful, respected, healthy, wealthy, and a leader in society. Ambitious people who are aiming for high office whether it be politicians, priests, executives or judges are all under the influence of Jupiter. When Jupiter is afflicted in one’s astrological chart it will bring poverty, anger, arthritis, illness of the liver and pancreas, and overall bad luck.

Goddess Skandamata
Skandamātā is the fifth form of Hindu Goddess Durga. Literally meaning Mother of Skanda, her name comes from two words – Skanda is one of the names for the war god and her son Kartikeya (or Murugan or Subramanya) and Mata is the term for mother.

Skandamātā is four-armed and rides on a lion. She carries a lotus. Her one hand is in blessing posture. Lord Skanda can be seen in her lap. She possesses four arms out of which two often hold the lotus flowers. One of her hands is always in the boon-conferring gesture and with the other she holds her son Skanda in her lap. Her complexion is white and she is seated on the lotus. So, she is also called Goddess with a lotus-seat (Padmāsana). The lion is her vahana (vehicle).

Significance of Navaratri
“During the Dasara festival, three goddesses – Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati -are worshipped according to certain traditional practices. Durga represents the prodigious power of nature (Prakrit-shakti). As against this power of nature is the Paraa-Shakti (the power of the spirit). When spiritual power is predominant, the power of nature is kept under control. When spiritual power is weak, the power of nature becomes predominant. This is illustrated by the example of smoke and fire. When smoke is predominant, the fire is suppressed. When the fire is blazing, the smoke vanishes. Hence, to enhance the power of spirit and limit the power of nature, man has to cultivate detachment (Vairaagya). To the extent that power of nature is under control, to that extent spiritual power grows. “Ichchaa-Shakti” is one of the of several other potencies like intellectual power, the discriminating capacity and others. To develop this “Ichchaa-Shakti” (will power), one has to worship “Devi”. This calls for the cultivation of Tyaaga (detachment or renunciation). For instance, if one has a desire for various drinks, he can bring the desires under control by giving up, to begin with, the desire for one of them. Thereby the Will Power (Ichchaa-Shakti) is developed and in due course, it becomes easier to give up other desires.

In Vedantic parlance this is described as “Vairaagya” (renouncing attachments). Vairaagya is not abandonment of hearth and home and retiring to a forest. It means developing godly thoughts and reducing worldly feelings. When this balanced development takes place, one acquires control over the powers of nature (Praakrita-Shakti). When these powers are got, the mental power in a person increases. Durga represents the Praakrita-Shakti and Lakshmi represents the Thought Power (Sankalpa Shakti). Vaak-Shakti (the power of speech), is represented by Saraswati. In order to acquire these three powers, various forms of worship are performed during the Navaratri festival. But prayers alone are not enough. Prayers should not be just from the lips. They should emanate from the heart. The heart (Hridaya) symbolizes the Ocean of Milk (Ksheera-saagara). When Lakshmi emerges, purity of speech follows. Whatever you speak should conform to truth.” Sai Baba, SS. 12/92. pp.304 & 305.

https://saieditor.com/fourth/?p=2569

#Happy #Navratri Day 4 – #Mercury

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be having a planetary observance of Navaratri with an account of one of the planets for each of the nine nights. The fourth day of Navaratri is marked to #worship #Goddess #Kushmanda. The Fourth planet is Mercury. It is said that one should wear royal blue on this day, as it is considered good for health and wealth. Our colour for this day is #Royal-Blue!

Today is the fourth day of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine nights. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba has told that Navaratri, the nine nights, represents the Nine Planets.
In Hindu mythology, Navaratri celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, the buffalo-headed demon. She fought for nine days and nine nights before emerging victorious on the tenth day. Goddess Shakti in the nine forms is worshipped during the period for knowledge, wealth, prosperity and auspiciousness. Knowingly or unknowingly during this period we also recognise the primordial source of energy (Shakti), which manifests in all living and nonliving.

Sai Baba went on to say that each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are #within. So we take the opportunity to examine the energies of the planets within, and examine how the #Divine #Mother is related to these energies.

Mercury
Mercury is also known in #VedicAstrology as #Budha, the awakened discriminating #intellect – the part of us that knows. Mercury owns two signs, Gemini and Virgo. Mercury is exalted in Virgo at 15 degrees, and debilitated in the opposite sign, Pisces. Where the Moon is the innocent mind, Mercury is the intellect that discriminates between benefic and malefic ideas, or good and evil. Mercury is adept at dealing with duality.

Mercury does not have a distinctive personality of its own; it takes on features of the planets which are associated with it. Mercury, planet of communication, articulates and expresses whatever influence it receives from other planets. For this reason, brilliance of expression, adjustment and flexibility are common traits of Mercury. Mercury traditionally has the function of Messenger of the Gods; Mercury functions to take messages from Gods to Man and from Man to the Gods.

Mercury develops intellect. Taking duality, it enables the subjectivity of an idea to be objectified, and helps to understand the inner reality of external phenomenon. A favourable disposition of Mercury renders perceptive, clever persons who are good debaters, who can argue either side of a question and thus, we can often find that Mercury is strong in the chart of lawyers. Mercury is intellectual and careful with details.

Day Four
Goddess Kushmanda
Kusmanda – She Who brings #happiness

Kushmanda is a Hindu goddess, credited with creating the world with her divine #smile. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu was able to begin the creation of universe, when Goddess Kushmanda smiled and receded. She represents that form of Durga which is the source of all. Her name signals her main role: Ku means “a little”, Ushma means “warmth” or “energy” and Anda means “cosmic egg”.

Kushmanda is worshipped on the fourth day of the festival of Navaratri and She is believed to improve health and bestow wealth and strength. Goddess Kushmanda has eight hands and because of that She is also known as Ashtabhuja Devi. It is believed that all the power to bestow Siddhis and Niddhis are located in her japamala (rosary beads).

She rides on a #female #lion.

Legend has it that Goddess Durga gives birth to the universe in the form of Goddess Kushmanda. She is also sometimes depicted as pregnant with the Brahmand or universe. It is believed that the eternal darkness ended when she smiled. And this led to the beginning of creation. This form symbolises that Shakti is the primordial source.

Mercury and the Feminine
Vedanga – Jyotish ( #astrology texts) – tell us that Mercury is hermaphrodite, meaning s/he is bearing signification of both genders. It is more appropriate to say that Mercury is androgynous, neither male nor female. Androgyny is also known in this day and age as intersex.

Just as the Creation narrative has Kushmanda and Vishnu at the cause of Creation, so also we see the emergent glance of the androgynous Mercury, encapsulating this act of creation with the dual genders.

We have clues to the important role and function Mercury has with regard to the mind, the intellect and duality. #Shakti is the prime force behind all dualities and Shakti can be found linking subject and object, in the glance of Mercury. The mind is an energy field of Shakti with neuronal impulses and connections, creating an elaborate web of knowledge and self interest (referring to the autonomic nervous system and instinctive responses of the body.) The mind is a bundle of thoughts bound together by the shakti of memory. Thinking is guided by the intellect – which is called buddhi in Sanskrit. The buddhi is nearest the Soul and derives over 90% of its illumination from the Soul.

Significance of Navaratri
“During these sacred nine days (Navaratri), people go through the sacred texts such as Devi Bhagavatam, Ramayana and Mahabharata. People also worship the deities Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Goddess Gayatri is the presiding deity of our senses. Savitri is the presiding deity of speech. All these three are within the same Principle of Truth. Gayatri Mantra begins with ‘Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah’. ‘Bhuh’ means materialization (Body); ‘Bhuvah’ means Vibration (Life Principle); Svaha means Radiation (Atma).

During these nine days, Goddess Shakti (Energy Principle) is worshipped. Truth, righteousness, peace, forgiveness are all expressions of the Principle of Shakti. Truth is the primal cause. There is nothing other than this. All faculties of energy are present in this Truth. So, consider Truth as your mother and follow it. The Vedas proclaim, ‘Satyam Vada; Dharmam Chara‘, which means speak the truth and follow the righteousness. Unfortunately, today people do not follow this. On the contrary they follow Asatya (untruth) and Adharma (unrighteousness)” Sai Baba. SS, 11/98, p. 284

#happy #Navratri

As the nine nights represent the nine planets, we will be focussing on Navaratri and the nine planets with an account of one or another the planets for nine nights. For the third night of Navaratri, we will take the planet #Mars. The third day of Navratri is #Sindoor Tritya. The colour for the third day of Navaratri is #RED, so we scribe in RED for this third day observance of Navaratri. The #Goddess is #Maa #Chandraghanta.

Today is the third day of the Navaratri celebrations which are held for nine nights. All festivals are meant to remind mankind that they should cultivate noble qualities by engaging themselves in activities beneficial to one’s own self and society. Sai Baba made this reference to Navaratri and the Nine Planets:
As part of Navaratri celebrations, people worship different forms of divinity. You should develop #sacred feelings and experience divinity. What is the inner meaning of Navaratri celebrations? These nine nights represent nine planets. Each planet has its own significance. However, these planets are not outside, they are within. If your feelings are impure and unsacred, the result also will be the same. You are responsible for the good and bad you think and experience.

Sindoor Tritiya is observed on the third day of the 9-day Navaratri festival. On this day Maa Chandraghanta is worshipped. This day is of great significance in North India. This is a ritual during Navaratri, which is closely associated with Sindoor – the red powder or #Vermilion – which is an essential part of Hindu ritual and closely associated with Mother Goddess worship.

This day also marks the end of the first three days of Navaratri, especially in South India. The first three days of Navratri are dedicated to Goddess #Durga. The next three days are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi.

Mars
The Planet Mars is known in #VedicAstrology as #Kuja, the Commander in Chief, son of Bhumi, Mother Earth, (or Bhoomi Devi), and is dispositor or karaka of shakti in the form of energy, will, power and strength. Mars is a planet of strength. The sloka for Mars describes this planetary deity has having the (weapon or instrument) Shakti in his hand. So we may take strength, power, energy and force as signatures of Mars.

So we understand that Mars, with the instrument of Shakti, has power, energy and will. Application of will to physical energy and efforts gives rise to power, concentration and success in the formation of discipline to create human order in human society. Mars, with its command of energy for repetition, practice, drill, gives penetration of mind and intellect to efficient decisions, which create order where disorder and chaos exist.

There are five elements: earth, air, fire, water and ether (space). These represent the different layers of manifestation from the subtle universe to the material, 3 dimensional world. The three gunas (impulses, drives to action or inaction) work through the five elements to form the outer world and sustain the bodies of the individual souls that take birth. There are shaktis of space, air, fire, water and earth within our bodies. Fire, which Mars is a significator of, has the powers to create great heat in furnaces and foundries, to controlled heat in turbines and kitchen stoves, to ripen and to impart colour. It represents electrical energy inherent in space, activated by the air element and gaining luminosity, and thus giving forth the power of light.

Day 3

Goddess Chandraghanta

Chandraghanta is the third form of Goddess Durga. Her name Chandra-Ghanta, means “one who has a half-moon shaped like a bell. Her third eye is always opened and she always ready for war against demons. She is also known as Chandrakhanda, Chandika or Rannchandi. Her worship takes place on the third day of Navaratri. She is believed to reward people with her grace, bravery and courage. By her grace all the sins, distresses, physical sufferings, mental tribulations and ghostly hurdles are eradicated.

Chandraghanta is one who establishes justice and discipline in the world. The color of her body is golden; she rides on the lion that represents dharma (righteousness, right conduct); she possesses ten hands and three eyes; eight of Her hands display weapons while the remaining two are respectively in the mudras of boon giving and stopping harm. Chandraghanta is posed as if to be ready for war. Chandra+Ghanta means supreme bliss and knowledge, showering peace and serenity, like cool breeze in a moonlit night.

Mars and the Feminine
We mentioned earlier that Mars has Shakti as his instrument. The Kuja (Mars) Gayatri speaks of Mars as shakti hastaya dheemahi, that Mars carries the flag of Shakti, which is feminine in nature and represented by Goddess Durga. Mars is the son of Bhoomi Devi, Mother Earth, which also makes Mars vehicle or carrier of the feminine shakti.

Durga is the Goddess of War; Mars is the warrior serving the Goddess. Mars is the General, the warrior in chief. Mars is Bhoomi Putra, Son of Mother Earth. The role of shakti which Mars has – as Son of the Earth Mother – becomes more directed towards transformation. Force, Power and Command may be directed towards understanding, collaboration, devising alternate strategies to negativity, wars and conflicts. This is ParaShakti, the Mother Goddess, in action.

Significance of Navaratri
The term “Devi” thus represents the Divine Power which has taken the Rajasic form to suppress the evil forces and protect the Satvic qualities. When the forces of injustice, immorality and untruth have grown to monstrous proportions and are indulging in a death dance, when selfishness and self-interest are rampant, when men have lost all sense of kindness and compassion, the Atmic principle, assuming the form of Shakti (energy/ power), taking on the Rajasic quality, seeks to destroy the evil elements. This is the inner meaning of the Festival. When the Divine Goddess is in dreadful rage assumes a fearful form, to pacify the dreaded Goddess, her feminine children offer worship to Her with red kumkum (sacred powder). The Goddess seeing the blood-red kumkum at Her feet, feels assured that the wicked have been vanquished and assumes Her benign form. The inner meaning of the worship of “Devi” with red kumkum is that thereby the Goddess is appeased. During the ten days of Navaratri and Dassera the demons in the form of wicked qualities have been routed. Rakshasas (demons) do not mean demonic beings. Arrogance is a demon. Bad thoughts are demons”. (Sai Baba, SS, 11/91, pp. 284 – 285)

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