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As Navrathri continues, the beautiful essence and power of the divine feminine continues to shine forth. The festival has its traditions and activities for the general population where many look at these beautiful representations as Gods and Goddesses and some can also get attached to their form.
Then there are the deeper mystical aspects which help us tap into the energy and vibration of Shakthi or power. We will understand this embodiment better as we deepen the connection and do the practice. When we have a true best friend who loves us and does not judge us, then we will share our deepest fears and needs to this person. When our relationship to these energies deepens we can be more transparent with ourselves and our so called darkness and shadows, so it can be transmuted into the light. Then we will vibrationally start to match and embody what these Shakthis or powers hold as they become role models for what is possible. This enables us to fully rise to our potential.
The Power Of Action, Desire And Wisdom
Kriya Shakthi
This is the shakthi or power to act and helps us manifest. This driving force is presented to us through Durga energy.
Durga shakthi is depicted as a beautiful woman with 10 arms riding a lion or tiger. Some depict her with anywhere between 8 and 18 arms. Each of these arms are holding weapons gifted to her by the gods, such as Shiva (consciousness, the principle of change), Vishnu (preserver, sustaining principle) and Brahma (creator, creative principle) as well as other gods.
This is to denote that she has the collective power of all the gods put together. She is the mother supreme of the universe. So basically, no evil power is a match for her. In one of the stories she destroys Mahishasura, or the “great dark one,” who is a shape shifting demon.
I like to associate Durga with the lower chest breathing. I found it quite natural to create that association as we cultivate assertiveness, rooting and standing our ground as we embody this energy.
Ichcha Shakthi
This is the power of will and desire. This will power is what drives action. It is represented through Lakshmi.
Lakshmi is a beautiful goddess represented as sitting on a pink lotus. She has four arms and two of her arms are giving blessings while the other two on either side are being a vehicle of gold coins. This to reassure us of the abundance we can tap into. That our true heart's desire will come to fruition. There are two white elephants at the back. No white elephant is a white elephant with the generosity of Lakshmi.
I like to associate Lakshmi with the mid chest breathing as we cultivate the capacity for self love and feeling there is enough to go around.
Gnyana Shakthi
This is the power of knowledge and wisdom. This helps us see if our hearts desire and our actions are aligned and if they support us, others and the greater good. Saraswathi is a beautiful representation of this energy.
Saraswathi is depicted sitting on a white lotus with four arms. Two arms are holding a veena or a musical instrument. My cousin, who is a doctor in India, is named after this instrument as it represents the celestial sounds of our original vibration. The other two arms are holding a japa mala and scrolls, respectively. These represent the unfettered mind, spiritual knowledge and wisdom.
I like to associate the upper chest breathing with this energy. We cultivate discernment and the clarity to make decisions as we tap into and embody this energy. The vahana or vehicle, which is usually an animal or bird, is the hamsa for saraswathi. Hamsa is the swan-like bird that has the capacity to separate milk from water. This is to say that any adulteration will be seen and separated from us in order to create purity. Thus, her focus is on a lot of purification for the purpose of allowing the highest potential.
Awakening Shakthi
I was invited to many countries, in my late twenties and thirties, teaching a lot of workshops invoking and evoking these divine energies. I have seen Her grace through all the karmic life challenges as I never felt alone. You can see, below, a poem that flowed through at that time, along with the insights to connect the breathing with each of the shakthis.
Awakening Shakthi
Invoke power, invoke grace
Invoke beauty, comforted to see her blessed face
That makes one rise in love
Dropping unhealthy shame and blame
No evil is dark enough
No wound too deep
No force strong enough
When at the divine mothers feet
Her goodness is all I need
I bow in humility
I rise with dignity
My heart beats in unity
Simple is the learning
I evoke power, evoke grace
Savour my inner smile
That allows me to rest in my body, my heart, a safe space
Boundaries
I have seen working with many people who have had their boundaries trespassed on, that we are not taught to contemplate and communicate what it means for us to feel safe.
As much as I have learnt to respect others' safety, I also see in group settings it is not safe to have some people who have deeply ingrained patterns of destruction. They need one on one therapy. I had to learn to say no to some as they do not have the capacity or willingness to take ownership for their repressed rage that gets spewed inappropriately onto others. Working with the divine mothers has helped me see the place for compassion as well as compassionate distancing, so they can work through their erratic, disrespectful karma elsewhere. I leave them in the care of the divine mothers and it is each one of our journey's to see how much we can stomach. My gurus have a different personality than me and would call people names and put them down if they sensed thamas (darkness, dullness, ignorance) and a hardened shell. It is like fighting fire with fire.
My personality is different and I prefer to have those who have capacity and willingness for sattva (awareness, refinement) as I know that I do not have the stomach for more density, as much as I love them. So it is important to have that self awareness in a relationship as well to know the right distance to keep with the right person. Boundaries are not walls and they are ways of seeing predominant personality patterns in oneself and others that might infringe on evolution if unaddressed.
When Darkness Sprouts Darkness
We were introduced to Mahishasura, or the “lightless one,” in last week's article. In the story Mahishasura wanted world dominance. So he did tapas and austerities for the purpose of dominance and not for dissolving his ignorance. This of course breeds arrogance.
This is to tell us that even those with dark behavioural and thought patterns can be very skillful and disciplined and attain many powers. They are not conscious but they do manage to accomplish things in the world. Mahishasura was accomplished but also greedy. He asked for the boon of immortality when Brahma appeared, pleased with this penance. This again represents the fruitioning of our practice or the benefits of it. One cannot straight out ask for immortality, so he asked that he could not be killed by any man or animal. The gods found a loophole and asked mother Durga to destroy him as he did not include woman in his boon.
Mother Durga, being blessed with all the collective powers of the gods, found it easy to destroy his darkness. However, when one drop of blood fell onto the ground, then out of each drop sprouted another Mahishasura. Many shape shifting Mahishasuras emerged as many drops fell. This is to indicate that the denser the ego, the stronger the hold onto one's stance. And if you happen to be the one trying to bring awareness to them, then Dhevi (goddess) saves you as many attacks might come your way. They are not going to be like the sattvic self-aware souls who are willing to take ownership and create harmony. Neither do they see that they are their own biggest enemy and, by not facing their ignorance, they are not only harming others but themselves as well. In some cases, when we are faced with such dense energy and those who think they are the authority on everything, it is good to invoke and evoke the energy of the shakthis.
Durga maa herself realised she needed a more fierce shakthi, mother Kali. Kali energy manifests and drinks up Mahishasuras blood out of great compassion, not allowing any more Mahishasuras to sprout and finally releasing him from his aggressive hold on ignorance and arrogance.
This story is marked by the last day of Navrathri, which is Vijayadasami. Vijaya = victory; Dasami = tenth. So there is victory as we connect to our own shadow and release any hooks to limitations and illusions. We are willing to stand up for what is right and not succumb to our own Mahishasuras within or the Mahishasuras in our lives. This falls on October 25, 2020.
On October 24, Ayuthapuja is celebrated where we pay respect to our tools. Even for getting rid of Mahishasura the Shakthis used tools and these are honoured. If one is a carpenter then carpentry tools are kept at the altar. My grandfather was a lawyer and my granny would place his law books and place kumkum and sandal paste on them to honour them for the livelihood they were giving us. May we always make a living that supports us, others and goodness. We bless the tools, so they may help us create beauty and blessings in the world!