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Navratri (sanskrit) March 22, 2022- March 30, 2023
nav: nine ratri: night An ancient Indian festival that has been celebrated since centuries, through 9 nights, four times a year to honor the divine feminine and to nourish the body’s immunity to ward off diseases during seasonal changes.
The rituals of Navratri (Raas Garba, dandiya, aarti) are designed to ramp up Ojas production within us. Ojas is the latent state of the reproductive fluid, the potency of the immune system, it nourishes all bodily tissues especially nerves & resilience & tenacity to ward off diseases which is important during seasonal changes. Lifestyle that increases Ojas: 1. Foods that are high in Ojas are recommended during Navratri: Root vegetables, nuts, oils, natural sugars, dairy products, whole grains, herbs like ashwagandha. When we eat pure wholesome Sattvic foods, and & follow a lifestyle to increase our Ojas, our bodies are more receptive to the divine energies & cleansing too takes place at a deeper level.2. Bhakti Yoga (devotion): using our emotional energy & directing it to love in whatever form we have found in our life, be it of God, our guru or any relation that is sacred & dearest to us. Rituals, prayers, and any form of service that gives us true happiness without expecting anything in return is Bhakti Yoga3. Pratyahara: control of senses. Over exertion of any type, energy lost through eyes & ears, watching too much TV, excess form of any kind of media, speaking too much depletes ojas.4. Brahmacharya: Conserving sexual energy increases Ojas The energy of the 9 Vedic planets is said to be palpable if tapped into correctly, so much so that many are known to experience a surge of divine energy. The 10th day is celebrated as Vijayadashami (Vijaya- victory, dashami- 10th day)Victory of invoking the positive aspects of life & letting go of the negative traits that are easily succumbed to by the human mind that are considered evil. It is an auspicious day for starting new endeavours, after a 9-day challenge of staying focused on a path of a healthy diet of the body mind & soul!A new season begins, a new beginning dawns!The four Navratris are: 1. Spring (March or April): Chaitra Navratri is celebrated in the month of Chaitra. (Hindu calendar) This festival marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year.2. Summer (June or July) Ashada Navratri: month of Ashada 3. Fall (September or October) Sharad Navratri: month of Ashwin and is also known as Maha Navratri4. Winter (January or February) Magha Navratri: month of MaghaAccording to Vedic Astrology, each planet is a cosmic entity, a living consciousness, she is a Goddess that is revered and worshipped. We need to understand her powers and invoke her/ these cosmic forces to experience our true nature.Each day of the Navratri festival is dedicated to one of the 9 avatars or aspects of the mother Goddess of the universe: Ma Durga, who is worshiped & through her 9 forms we seek divine blessings of all 9 planets.The nine forms of Ma Durga are collectively known as Nava Durga, and they are:1. Shailputri : Ma Devi Shailputri is associated with the planet Sun (Surya). The Sun is considered a planet in Vedic Astrology, and it is associated with vitality, power & health. Worshipping Ma Devi Shailputri awakens these aspects in the worshipper. Afflictions of the planet like arrogance & egoism, lack of confidence, eye related issues & other issues can get pacified.2. Brahmacharini : Ma Devi Brahmacharini is associated with planet Saturn (Shani). Saturn is linked with obstacles, trials, challenges & spiritual growth. Worshipping Ma Brahmacharini during Navratri helps overcome these challenges and helps with attaining spiritual liberation.3. Chandraghanta: Ma Devi Chandraghanta is associated with the planet Moon(Chandra) The moon represents the mind, emotions & nurturing qualities. Invoking blessings from Ma Devi Chandraghanta during Navratri helps in balancing the Moon’s influence in one’s life, bringing emotional stability & calms the devotee. The afflictions that the Moon otherwise results in are reduced: emotional unitability, mood swings, easily being influenced by other’s emotions, conflicts with mother, emotional abuse, lack of intuition, spiritual struggles, feeling lost, lack a sense of purpose.4. Kushmanda : Ma Devi Kushmata is associated with planet Jupiter. Jupiter is the planet of knowledge, wisdom, good fortune. Worshipping Ma Devi Kushmata during Navratri delivers these perfections to the disciple and helps overcome afflictions that the planet may otherwise deliver: liver issues, obesity, financial issues, marital discord, self- righteousness, lack of respect for others, disrespect for gurus, teachers & higher spiritual learning amongst other issues.5. Skandamata - Ma Devi Skandamata is the mother of Skanda (or Kartikeya also known as Murugan- who is associated with planet Mars) Ma Devi Skandamata symbolises the planet Mars(Mangal) Mars represents courage, energy, passion, aggression, determination, strength, and in Vedic Astrology, worshiping Ma Devi Skandamata during Navaratri blesses the disciple with these virtues and removes negative traits that the planet would otherwise acquire: anger issues, short temper, aggression, inflammation, infections, accidents, physical or verbal abuse with partners or spouses, conflicts with authorities and some other complications.6. Katyayani : Ma Devi Katyayani represents planet Venus (Shukra) Venus is the planet of love, beauty, sensuality, harmony & prosperity. Worshipping Ma Devi Katyayani during Navratri induces these qualities to the worshipper and reduces or removes afflictions such as intimacy issues, problems related to the reproductive system including infertility, sexual dysfunction, menstrual problems, financial issues, conflicts with social relationships, lack of connections, social isolation, lack of creativity and so forth.7. Kalratri : Kal(black; time) ratri (night)- Kalratri denotes the dark time before the dawn of a new beginning. Ma Devi Kalaratri is the destroyer of evil forces such as ignorance, arrogance, fear, and negativity. She represents the power of time (kal) & transformation. Ma Devi Kalratri is affiliated with Planet Rahu. Rahu is an imaginary or a shadowy planet. It is a lunar node(north node) According to Vedic Astrology, planet Rahu has a significant influence on one’s karmic destiny, spiritual growth, and material success. Devotees seek blessing from Ma Devi Kalratri to remove confusion, chaos, and misfortune that Rahu’s afflictions cause & also gain material abundance, success, fame, purity, clarity & inner strength & enlightenment. 8. Mahagauri - Ma Devi Mahagauri is invoked during the 8th day of the festival which is called Ashthami. Ma Devi Maha Gauri is allied with planet Mercury (Buddha) Mercury conveys intellect, travel, communication & learning. Worshiping Ma Devi Mahagauri blesses the devotee with these qualities & removes issues that an afflicted mercury would otherwise result in such as poor memory, unpredictability & inconsistency in behavior, imbalance in the nervous system, anxiety, dishonesty, unreliability, difficulty in decision making & taking actions, worry, mental stress, inability to communicate. Usually on Ashthami, i.e. the 8th day, a Kanya Puja is performed to please Ma Devi Mahagauri. Kanya Puja: On Ashthami, nine young girls are worshipped as embodiments of the 9 forms of the goddess who are fed delicious sattvic meals and sweets and are also gifted beautiful bangles and clothes to honor to the divine feminine, gratitude for her protection & gratitude for what is.9. Siddhidatri: Ma Devi Siddhidatri represents the attainment of spiritual knowledge and growth. The one who gives Siddhi (perfection, accomplishment, enlightenment) Ma Devi Siddhidatri is related to planet Ketu. Ketu is considered an imaginary or a shadow planet. Ketu is the south lunar node. According to the Vedic Astrology, Ketu is connected to spiritual liberation and worshipping Ma Siddhidatri removes Ketu’s negative influence such as fear, confusion, lack of clarity, treated as an outcast, being isolated & bestows success, prosperity, and spiritual enlightenment.Jai Ma Durge! - Tulip Joshi www.tulipjoshi.com
Beauty is individual, each person is unique and I enjoy the process of analyzing their karmic health
