‘I Speak My Power’— A Navratri Intention (+ Journaling Tasks).

4 min readOct 9, 2021

Nine Nights of the Divine Mother ~ October 7th-15th

Powerfully sensitive women, you’re feeling it, aren’t you? The rise of the feminine; the intensity of the emotional body; the moving of the inner waters; the righteous rage — the battle within and without with your biggest shadow.

Can you name the demon of your past? What familiar challenge or obstacle is arriving to the surface of your mind, heart, body and spirit? What old story wants to be told, released and transformed? What is longing to be seen and heard and shared?

Maha Navratri is the Hindu Goddess Festival celebrating the force of Nature, of life and death, of inner power and endless feminine forms, this battle between Mahishasura and Durga is well-known and brought alive through the Devi Mahatmyam. Each night the Goddess fights the buffulo-headed demon, the rakshas that possesses the quality of adharma, an unstable toxic masculine energy that needs to be destroyed for balance and harmony in the world. Various Indian subcultures celebrate her battle and victory in different ways, some honour her three main forms, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, some honour nine avatars; a different Goddess for each night, reflecting an inner energy awakening on the subtle body level.

In indigenous Vedic dharma, the Devi is the cause of creation, the spark that animates the entire universe and the power that destroys that which goes against Ṛta — the cosmic and moral order — nature’s law.

When darkness rises, so too does the feminine Shakti. The light always returns. This is her gift — creation, transformation, her truth is the truth that rests within; that change comes and is coming. What was once stagnant - the sorrow - must flow through tears, through grief and other ‘dark’ or hidden emotions. Self-love and acceptance can be received along with abundance (found in body and nature). We can and we will re-create ourselves over and over, feeling inspired, alive in our pranic energy. This is the gunas in action (Tamas, Rajas and Sattva) — the principles and qualities of nature.

The nine nights mirror the transformation that is occurring in our environment. To learn about ourselves and create more healing on all levels of life, we can simply observe the fall, literally, observe what is releasing and how is it falling? What is the quality of the air and earth? Observe what is needed right now - what is nature teaching you?

I sense a slowing down, an intensity, yet a feeling of being supported and aligned on my path and a strong inner tethering of my heart to my cultural roots, alongside a powerful reclamation of my ancestral wisdom. There is rage and fierceness in my throat but also an expanding light that grows stronger, it is the gift of Savitr flowing through my hands but asking to be heard through my voice.

I speak my power — an intention to honour my beloved Navratri celebration and a bow to Her, the Devi Shakti.

JOURNAL THIS:

Durga/Kali: Which demon/s are enlivening right now? What is asking for release and transformation in life situations and body?

Lakshmi: What does true abundance, prosperity and love feel like in my physical body and in my relationships?

Saraswati: Which creative gifts are speaking to me right now? What am I creating and moving towards?

If you had to summarise or capture an intention from your answers to this self-enquiry, what would your powerful activation phrase be?

Write it down and place it somewhere visible — reading it out loud each morning.

Take a powerful action step aligned with your magic phrase on the tenth day when Durga wins her fight, Vijay Dashami, the day of victory. (October 15th.)

Navratri Blessings,

May you be supported in this potent time of the feminine rising within and without, of transformation and healing.

Payal

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