Friday, March 27, 2015

Mother Divine Victory is at Hand!

Tomorrow is the concluding day of Navaratri.

The story of Navaratri tells how the best of the best gave their all to endow Mother Divine with weapons and tools for the grand battle. Her Bow and Arrow, Discus, Thunderbolt, and Trident were manifested from the collective and universal good, intelligence, right duty, and vigilance. These weapons were forged in the fire of faith and courage. 

Mother Divine battled for nine days and nights against myriad demons. Every demon she smote sprang back up ten-fold, hundred-fold, thousand-fold! Still, she battled on from deeper and deeper levels of her own inexhaustible force of Everything until there was stillness, calm, and peace. 

Who were those demons? Mother Divine fought against the demons who are our very own weaknesses, greed, egoisms, and ignorances. She won over the legions of our fear, disgrace, and our every ineptitude  and sin. When was this battle waged? It was waged long ago, it is waged now, and forevermore, and whenever it needs to be fought. There will always be victory over ignorance and there will always be Divine Mother's valiant grace and protection. 


Visit ShivaMandir.org to learn about our local Navarati celebration in Denver, CO. USA!

May your heart be filled with the blessings of Mother Divine this Spring!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Navaratri, the Nine Days of Mother Divine, March 21st-28th 2015

   The Spring celebration of Divine Mother is now underway. Navaratri or the Nine Days of Mother Divine is a most auspicious time for devotional practice and meditation. Observing Navaratri increases and material well-being. Nava means nine, ratri means night. Navaratri is nine nights or “lunar days” long.

   Navaratri is celebrated at by many different traditions depending on local customs, but wherever it is celebrated, each night of the festival builds in energy, exuberance and devotion until the grand finale: the Day of Victory (Vijaya Dashami). Victory Day refers to Mother Divine vanquishing the enemy - which is egoism - after nine continuous days of battle.

    Throughout the world, Navaratri is celebrated at the change of seasons. By some traditions it is celebrated one time a year in the Fall. In other traditions it is celebrated twice yearly, during the Fall and Spring. In still other traditions it is celebrated during all four seasons, four times a year. 

    At the change of seasons, the laws of nature are shifting and the climatic and solar influences are in transition. These shifts in the seasons are wonderful opportunities for shifts in consciousness and spiritual growth. By honoring Mother Divine at these junctures in time, we are using the intelligence inherent in nature to optimize our spiritual growth and our connection to the Divine Mother.

    During these days of Navaratri, it is an ideal time to appreciate nature and increase our devotional practices. Take a walk today and notice the new signs of Spring. Then thank your Divine Mother for her beautiful creation.


Shiva Sai Mandir is observing Navaratri with pujas
 every from 6 to 6:30 pm and a 
Victory Day Celebration on 
Saturday, March 28 from 7 to 9 pm. 

You are warmly invited to attend!


                Happy Navaratri!


                              Shiva Sai Mandir
                         1391 S. Pennsylvania St.
                            Denver, CO 80210

                          ShivaMandir.org

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Your Mother is Coming and She is Bringing a Wild Surprise!


   This year, 2015, the Spring observance of the Nine Days of Mother Divine 
(Vasant Navaratri) is marked with rare astronomical occurrences.
  
   This New Moon (which immediately precedes Navaratri) is a Super Moon. A Super Moon is when the Moon is at its closest orbital point to the earth. The gravitational pull of this Super Moon will profoundly affect the Earth and her oceans, possibly causing unusual tidal events and power outages.

   This Super Moon will be coming between the Sun and the earth, blocking the Sun’s direct light to the earth - a solar eclipse. The eclipse will not be visible in the USA; it will be visible in Norway and parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. This happens just as the days and nights of the earth are equal in duration – which is the equinox, the astrological marker of the Spring season. The convergence of all these events happening at one time is extremely rare.

   So what is the spiritual and energetic significance of these events? Navaratri is a sacred time. Spring Navaratri or Vasant Navaratri is a time of rebirth and new growth. Navaratri is nine lunar days (moonrise to moonset) set aside to celebrate nature and renew our relationship with our Divine Mother.

   This Vasant Navaratri commences under the influence of a solar eclipse that is amplified by a Super Moon. The energetic influence of this eclipse will be directly impacting for six months and diminishing gradually after that. It will bring sweeping changes. The old systems, institutions, patterns and perspectives will collapse and fall away -- to be replaced by rebirth and new growth. 

   During the transition, relationships will change and conflicts may potentially increase. The consequences of whatever decisions and actions humans will take in the coming six months will be especially intensified. Avoid beginning any new endeavors or making any contractual agreements from March 18th through March 22nd. This is an unstable period of time. Use the next 10 days (through March 28th) for deepened spiritual practices and introspection to make the most of this extremely rare and powerful time. This is an opportunity to set a new trajectory for maximum spiritual evolution.

Actual times (MDT, GMT -6), Friday, March 20, 2015: 
Eclipse: 1:41 am
New Moon: 3:36 am
Equinox: 8:45 am

Vasant Navaratri (adjusted times for North America):
March 21st - 28th

Visit ShivaMandir.Org for info on our local Navaratri celebrations in Denver, CO!