Navaratri ~ Festival of the Goddess
niru svasaaramaskritoshasam devyaayatee
apedu haasate tamah
Divine Mother, you alone can bring forth the dawn of the highest liberating knowledge to dispel all the darkness of our ignorance.
~ Rig Veda, Ratri Sukta (Hym to the Night).
Navaratri, the nine nights of the Indian Goddess festival began on 17th October! I hold this time as deeply sacred and relevant to the themes of my own life! In my particular culture, it is celebrated through ‘Garba’ a folk dance from Gujarat, North India, which involves mainly women dancing in circles with a symbol of the Goddess at the centre.
This is a Hindu story of the light and dark forces that exist in all of us, of the divine feminine energy triumphing over a misogynistic force. The divine mother, known as Devi, the goddess is revered as the power, the warrior, Shakti. We also know her name as Durga, and her fierce aspect, Kali. The goddess’s fury is protective to all, yet controlled and acted upon through her specific intention and purpose to fight for her just cause.
Navratri honours the Goddess’s nine forms — the nine energies, or emotions even that she must embody to defeat the dark force, the demon known as Mahishasura. The tenth day is celebrated as Vijaya Dashami, the day of victory, when Durga wins the war.
The folk dance, ‘Garba’ which enlivens these nine nights shows us that dancing is a powerful way to move and transform our darkest energies and emotions!
The story is also a metaphor for the universal qualities well-known in yoga practice as sattva, rajas and tamas, the qualities which determine our nature and karmas.
Navratri shows us that Durga utilises the ‘worldly’ state of rajas (passion, anger, fire) to fight, but for dharma, the higher purpose of defeating a great evil that threatens to destroy all of creation.
This epic story is a reminder that we must show up in battle and fight for justice. We are responsible for our own inner universes, for the forces that operate within us and the actions we take because it’s these that determine our fate (samskara).
We hold the power to create and destroy. The divine feminine is always victorious, as life and death are her domain, and this universe is said to arise from her ‘maya’ her shakti.
It is important to not let the tamasic energies, the darkest chaotic forces within and without to upset balance, and it is equally important to show compassion for yourself, to love the shadow for it is a part of you. What you win over and befriend on the inside, will lose its power over you. But you must decide your values and take a stance on life’s battlefield.
What do you stand for? Do not sit idly on the sidelines. You have a voice. A roar. Take your stance on the battlefield! These nine nights are an invitation for you to align with dharma — truth and justice (yours and others), thereby living your purpose.
Whom do you protect with your unique power? Use your self expression and voice to fight the good fight, to transform the inner demons and to defeat the outer ones who threaten the goodness and balance in the world.
The word ‘ratri’ in Navratri means ‘night’. Ratri is also the name of the Goddess of the Night, for it is in the night that the shadows surface and the noise gets louder — haven’t you noticed?
J O U R N A L T H I S
Pay attention to the mental stories that get louder at night. The inner battlefield is where we must bring our consciousness in order to gain back our power from outside forces. Be present. Show up. Resist falling back into old mental patterns and self-sabotaging behaviours.
➼ What inner demons are rising up to the surface? What battles are you fighting? Be specific. Describe the feelings and name the emotions.
➼ What are your top values? What do you stand for? Whom do you protect in your form of the Great Mother?
➼ What are you ready to slay and release once and for all?!
➼ Where can you bring more consciousness (light) to your choices, relationships and actions right now?
➼ What would life look like knowing your victory and success is guaranteed? How will you show up after winning your battles?
Remember that self-knowledge equals power, it is the path towards your victory.
Rise Up, Warrior!
Payal
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Do you have more clarity after journaling these questions?
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