Obaitori

returning to love ~ a way to the Goddess ~

Star wrote a post on Tarot using Motherpeace cards. This was the catalyst that launched me back into my love of Tarot. Many years ago I had a pack of Motherpeace along with it's workbook. Regretably I gave it away. I mentioned this to Star, she very graciously and generously offered to give me one of her packs including the Motherpeace book 'A Way to the Goddess through Myth, Art and Tarot', xxx. I think this has been the highlight of my weblog life. I didn't even mind if it didn't come to fruition but it was the generosity of this sentiment that tickled me with glee, love. And lo, in the post arrived a lovely pack of Tarot, the book and a package filled with tiny glitter stars that decorated our table and floor for the week.

I have a deep respect for Tarot. I don't entirely understand it, don't know exactly how to read each card and I have a thousand questions about it. What I do know is that it is unnervingly accurate and I trust it.

Years back when I dabbled in Tarot with the Motherpeace; a way to the Goddess cards. I tried hard to understand how to read each card. I struggled to read the cards 'together.' Tarot is a massive subject and I understand that it is a subject - like others - that require indepth study to really honour and imbibe the ancient practice.

I needed to start afresh, with confidence, use baby steps instead of the usual leaping across continents I generally use for everything else. I want my next decade to be about slowness, love, compassion, looking deeply at ideas, concepts and people to truly understand and value each and every layer of life.

What I have learnt about the Tarot this time around, came from my very sweet and generous friend Star. She is an EarthMother, a FaeryMother, a Gypsy who is passionate about life and the way she lives it. She is a profound Tarot reader. This occupation she says is one that she knows from deep within her soul. I asked her for some advice for my baby steps as a student of Tarot. Star explained that her method was complex and always developing - this I understand. For me, she quite simply said, "I'm guided first by intuition..." Aaahh, gentle music to my ears. These are the plain words I needed to reignite the embers on my Tarot journey.

From 'The Tiger Voyage' - Richard Adams & Nicola Bayley

So I sit, quietly, patiently, listening to my intuition, learning, reading about this circle of life. I have a deep reverence and acknowledge that I am humble in what I do not know and what I know. I dream about being that older woman who understands by combining her knowledge to create wisdom. I hope to become her.

 

 

Krishna's Birthday 2011

Krishna means all the beautiful things in life. It is the energy that represents love, art, beauty, control over the senses, life, joy, peace, nature, animals and a deep feeling of oneness with all that is yoga.

Today I want to share this beautiful aarti sung by the late Swami Janmashtami Saraswati for Sri Krishna's birthday - which is known as Janmashtami. The meaning of Janmashtami is something or someone who is eternally beautiful, fun loving, a lover of Krishna and of parties. Swami Janmashtami is all of these things.

This was recorded about 10 years ago at Satyananda Yoga Mangrove. A few years later two more lines were added on and this can be heard at the end of the aarti.

This is a maha or great aarti which is dedicated to many saints, sages and seers.

I've written out the transliteration to the best of my best abilities. I know it is not entirely correct and I value your input if you know the exact spelling. Thank you kindly and a very happy, joyful Janmashtami.

Enjoy this pure beauty.

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Om

Jai jai aarti Vinavinaka

Vinavinaka Sri Ganesha

Jai jai aarti Subramana

Subramana Kati Ka-arr

Jai jai aarti Venogopala

Venogopala Venulola

Papa Vidura

Naminita cho-tarr

Jai jai aart Venkataramina

Venkataramina San Katarayana

Sita Rama Radhe Shamar

Jai jai aarti Gaurimanohara

Gaurimanohara Bhavani Shankara

Sambasadha Shiva Um-maheshwara

Jai jai arti Rajarajeshware

Rajarajeshware Tripura Sundari

Maha Laksmi Maha Saraswati Maha Kali Maha Shakti

Jai jai aarti Anjananaya

Anjananaya Hanumanta

Jai jai aarti Dattatreya

Dattatreya Tri Murti Avatara

Jai jai aarti Sunishcharaya

Sunishcharaya Baskaraya

Jai jai aarti Sadgurunatya

Sadhgurunatya Sivananda

Jai jai aarti Sadhgurunatya

Sadhgurunatya Satyananda

Jai jai aarti Sadhgurunatya

Sadhguruvatya niranjanananda

Jai jai aarti  Venogopala

Om

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

For more about Lord Krishna see here and here.

Hail Mary

I have an obsession with Mary - the Mother. I love her so much & every day, the more & more I think about her, connect with her & pray to her, my love deepens. I simply am amazed at how quickly she comes. I know that she resides in my heart, in all of our hearts. But, my goodness she is so benevolent.

One of my first obvious experiences of the Mother - I used to only pray or ask help from the Father, I think this is because I was taught this way, totally suprised me. Here is the story;

The last time I travelled into India alone, I flew from Bangkok after spending time with Dazla - Chang Mai, Laos ...I was very confident in India, having been before & I felt brave, courageous & strong. This time, I had been in Delhi for some time & decided to catch a train to Rishikesh - my favourite place in the world - I finally arrived after 16 hours on the train & a quick bus trip. I stepped off the bus & I felt nauseas. I jumped to the assumption of malaria because I forgot to take one tablet & coming from a medical family the assumption was obvious. I took the tablet & soon forgot about my impending death. I found a beautiful room up near Laksman Jula - it was bright, painted yellow & quiet. I spent the next two weeks in relative peace. I visited Sivananda's ashram every day. Read books. Bought cd's, mala beads, ate. It was my heaven.

After some time I realised that I was probably pregnant, I couldn't sleep on my tummy,  had nausea, a late period etc... I felt quite content with this realisation. I continued doing my daily sadhana. Every morning I walked down to Sivananda's ashram at 5am in the dark & to continued be chased by the same dog.I dunked us, Indira & I, three times in the Ganga River.

It was all okay until one night when I had booked a taxi to pick me up at around 11pm to be taken through the dark country side by a stranger, probably a man, to the train station. I felt vunerable. A white woman travelling alone, at night is considered an easy target. I started to freak out, totally. Like I had never freaked out before. I think it was what people describe as a panic attack. I had never experienced anything quite like that. I was walking around my small room, very unsure what to do. My altar was set up for Shiva. My prayer was extremely patriarchal. Scream. I need my mother. Yes, this is just precisely who I need. I need Mother. I called her, Ma  & she came in an instant. I felt her presence immediately - it felt like she heard me before I called her. From this moment, she was with me. I was calm, in control, serene, relieved. I travelled in that car through the Indian night with the Mother. Safe.

She had no judgement. She didn't mind that I hadn't 'needed' her before this. She was just there. She came to wrap her arms around me, protect me & love me. When I got to the railway station it was busy. There were several platforms for trains arriving every half hour or so. I stood in a well lit area. There were plenty of people sleeping on the platform, waiting for other trains. I observed a young mother with her new baby. The grandmother doting & cooing. This woman was extraordinarily beautiful. Her skin was of dark chocolate, her lips ruby red. She was dressed in very bold colours & she held a disposition of serenity & calm. She kept looking over at me. She had that all knowing look. I wonder if she knew I was pregnant?

That morning around 2am I boarded my train. The guard checked my ticket & I set up my little bed for the journey back into Delhi. I said a fervent prayer to the Mother & I slept peacefully on a pillow of gratitude wrapped in a blanket of love.

It would be days & another long train ride, this one; 24 hours, before I met Dazla in Varanasi to tell him of my experience with the Mother & the good news of Indira Evangeline.

To this day I am so grateful for the Mother stepping in & taking over where I could not. I consider the Mother to be most goddesses, just in different forms. I think that Amma is a living Saint & has many qualities that Mother Mary has too. I am confident of one thing. If you call her, she will come straight away.

 

 

 

Maha Shivaratri 2011

Last night on the dark moon of March, with the sun in Aquarius we payed homage to Lord Shiva - the first yogi. Shiva means many things to many people including Hindus, yogis & Vendantas. 

In my language, Shiva is the name of God.

I cleansed the house, prepared a feast & picked flowers. Dazla prepared the havan & organised the children's prasad - lollies. They love havans because they get to do adult things & they get to eat sweets.

This celebration is one of the biggest in our calender at home. It is Maha Shivaratri, meaning the Great night of Shiva. Shiva was married to Parvati on this day. Traditionally we stay up all night & fast  -  with children we have to change things so last night we were up eating, singing mantra, kirtans & bhajans or hymms, telling stories of Shiva, performing a havan, watching some children's Shiva dvd's, playing & laughing. We were all in bed by 9:30pm, early!

Here are some images from our Shiva Party ~ & some of the Essences of Shiva.

Shiva is seen as the Benefactor; He is easily pleased, he is seen as the bestower of happiness, generous with boons & blessings. He takes away all sorrow, misery, pain. He guides his devotee toward eternal bliss.

Shiva the Guardian; Shiva watches over the cosmos, he protects all & everything. He is the lord of the martial arts who offers weapons to warriors. He is the fearsome knight at once fascinating & frightening, brutal yet benign.

Shiva the Teacher; the fountainhead of all wisdom, the founder of Reiki. The knowledge he imparts helps man to live a richer & fuller life. The lord of the performing arts, fine arts, martial arts, literature, science, mysticism & philosophy. He taught humans the secret of herbs the art of animal husbandry & horticulture.

Shiva the Outsider; the rebel who challenges orthodoxy, a nonconformist, the refuge of all outsiders, individuals who feel alienated in a traditional society.

Shiva the Man; he symbolises cosmic virility. The cosmic man in eternal unity with the cosmic woman. He is thus the father-god who complements the mother-goddess. If he is the seed she is the field, if he is the sky she is the earth, if he is stillness he is the movement. Together they are fused, two halves of the whole.

Shiva the Destroyer; Brahma creates the world, Vishnu sustains it & Shiva destroys it. Together this holy trinity ensures the rotation of the cycle of life. Shiva accepts all that is unclean, dirty, rejected; he destroys the corruptions within them all & prepares them for rebirth. He is the renewer, the regenerator, the transformer. He also destroys pride & pomposity by his simplicity. He destroys all prejudice & prudery by his unorthodox lifestyle. At a more subtle level, Shiva is the destroyer of karma, ego & attachment that traps humans in samsara.

Shiva the Transcendent; means the auspicious one. Yet everything about him seems inauspicious: he dwells in isolated hills, dark caves, dense jungles. He dances amidst funeral pyres, rattling bells & drums, he smears himself with ash, smokes narcotics, smells like a goat, demands worship during the dark half of the moon. Shiva thus transcends the suality of good-bad, right-wrong, auspicious-inauspicious. Shiva stands above it all, understanding it all as love - no judgement, loving all.

Shiva the Soul; the cosmic spirit untouched by material transformations. He stands beyond gender, space & time yet permeates the entire cosmos. He is the vitality of life, the source of all things & their final destination. He is absolute truth, pure consciousness, eternal bliss.

Shiva the Approachable; despite his awesome cosmic status, Shiva presents himself as a simple, uncomplicated god - unassuming, guileless, free. His is domestic. In his celestial abode he lives just like his devotees: loving his wife, Parvati, sometimes quarelling with her, playing with his children, singing & dancing, sharing his chilum with his friends. He is a god who many people can identify with, feel close to. He is close to people, their caretaker, their friend, father, lover, a divine answer to human questions.

Shiva the God-head; the supreme being. He has five aspects representing creation, preservation, destruction, oblivion & grace. He has eight forms representing the soul, the sun, the moon & the elements: earth, fire, water, wind & ether. He is a mystery waiting to be unfathomed, just like life. To understand him is to understand the ultimtate reality that governs the cosmos: the eternal absolute Truth.

Sunset Maha Shivaratri 2011

Saraswati's Festival Day

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The day of Basant Panchami is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. Sarasati is the goddess of learning who bequeaths the greatest wealth to humanity, the wealth of knowledge. Hindu mythology depicts Saraswati as a pristine lady bedecked with white attire, white flowers and white pearls, sitting on a white lotus, which blooms in a wide stretch of water. The Goddess also holds Veena, a string-instrument, like Sitar, for playing music. From Indiasite.

Today at home we celebrate Basant Panchami as Saraswati's Festival Day. Traditionally in India Basant means spring & Panchami means the fifth day of spring. So the colour that is used for the celebration is yellow. In our home we are combining the colours of yellow & white as we are going into autumn/winter. Saraswati is coming to our house - a bit like Saint Nicholas - so we have been cleansing it, rearranging the furniture, secretly wrapping gifts, decorating with white lilies, lighting incense & making the environment sattvic or pure. We are offering the Greek sweet baklava. In return, we are hoping that Saraswati blesses us & our home with peace, joy, Love, understanding & knowledge. May she also bless the children of our community with high quality education.  

 

The prayer of Saraswati concludes as, "Oh Mother Saraswati remove the darkness (ignorance) of my mind and bless me with the eternal knowledge."

A Deity With Wings

Here is a photograph I took recently of a Hindu deity. The black & white reminds me that this deity is ancient. 

I turned this photo from colour to black & white, inspired by the beautiful Shutter Sisters. I love their blog for creativity, fresh perspectives & friendliness. They are having a week of black & white. Pop on over for some new perspectives.

"In mythos and fairy tales, deities and other great spirits test the hearts of humans by showing up in various forms that disguise their divinity. They show up in robes, rags, silver sashes, or with muddy feet. They show up with skin dark as old wood, or in scales made of rose petal, as a frail child, as a lime-yellow old woman, as a man who cannot speak, or as an animal who can. The great powers are testing to see if humans have yet learned to recognize the greatness of soul in all its varying forms." 

~ Clarissa Pinkola, Women Who Run With The Wolves.

 

Psychic Symbol, Mantra & Ishta

An ishta devata is your own personal deity who you bring to mind in times of sadhana practice, gratitude, pain, reflectiveness, spontaneously, or whenever you need. Generally & because you are your own authority, you can choose this deity or form of God. You may already know your ishta intrinsically, it might be one that runs in your family or you might take some time to think one over that will suit your needs. It can be a deity from any belief system or tradition.

This is a extract from Yoga Magazine, The Nature of Mantra by Paramahansa Niranjanananda.

It is possible that some people may receive a mantra which does not correspond to their ishta devata, titular deity. If the mantra is given to a child, it will not matter because he or she will not employ the intellect. But for a person whose intellect is awakened and who belongs to a belief system, this becomes a problem. They will associate the mantra with their belief system, knowing fully well that the real spirit is formless.

Therefore, the psychic symbol given to every initiate on which to focus the concentration while practising the mantra is the same: jyoti, flame of light. Think of the jyoti and allow any image to appear in the jyoti. The image will change of its own accord, and that is the purpose of the symbol. Instead of the ishta devata or our association, we focus on the jyoti because it is both sakara (having a form) and nirakara (formless). Luminosity is the nature of the inner spirit. In our pooja, ritualistic practice, we can stick to our ishta. In mantra sadhana, focus on the jyoti and allow the pratika, image, to take the form of the ishta that it desires. Use the mantra as a tool to awaken this particular quality in yourself.

Krishna & Radhe

Practice ~

Sit in a comfortable meditation position & obtain stillness. Take the focus to the breath & observe the natural breath for a few minutes. Take the awareness to ajna chakra, the eyebrow centre & here visualise a candle flame. Here visualise or imagine your ishta devata. When you are meditating on your ishta devata, visualise or imagine their physical presence, their clothing & symbols that represent their divine qualities. Feel your ishta devata in anahata chakra, your heart space - hold it here. Say your sankalpa/affirmation three times. Chant om three times. Slowly begin to externalise.

By doing this one aspires to undertake sacred works for the good of all (Adhvara), you also invoke the deity into your life. This deity blesses you. You will start to express these noble & divine qualities.

My ishta devata is the Goddess Sarawati.

Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge and arts. She represents the free flow of wisdom and consciousness. She is the mother of the Vedas. Saraswati is the daughter of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. It is believed that goddess Saraswati endows human beings with the powers of speech, wisdom and learning. She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus – the symbol of true knowledge – in the second. With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on a string instrument called the veena. She is dressed in white – the symbol of purity – and rides on a white swan – symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity and discrimination. Saraswati is also a prominent figure in Buddhist iconography - the consort of Manjushri. Funnily enough, Bodhi's name for himself is Manjush.

"May Goddess Saraswati,
who is fair like the jasmine-colored moon,
and whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops;
who is adorned in radiant white attire,
on whose beautiful arm rests the veena,
and whose throne is a white lotus;
who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, protect me.
May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance."

 

Handmade Ganesha ~ soft toy

Ganesha traditionally is the remover of obstacles but he also places obstacles in front of us too. The yogic perspective of Ganesha is not an elephant godhead but a type of energy. I think this energy can be described in the following example. You are standing in line at the grocery shop. Someone comes & stands directly in front of you in the line. You either react or just observe, mmm? You go out into the carpark three minutes later & consequently, you have avoided a car accident - this is Ganesha. Another example, you really want something, you can't get it at the moment & now because you have waited some time for it, suprisingly you get the newer model at a better price, Ganesha.

As humans, most of us find it easier to worship form. The formless is harder. This is why we see God, gods, godessess, deities etc in the form of something. The cross, the symbol om, statues ...

I made a soft Ganesha. He is a bit cute & actually tweaked from a rabbit pattern. He is filled with lavender & is quite calming to cuddle. Yes, he has four arms. I was going to put all the symbols in his hands but he has been in & out of the 'fix it' box several times & he would be more in if he had more complicated accessories. He is currently out.

Happy Janmashtami 2010

We woke to an overcast day. It had been raining in the night. Legend has it that Sri Krishna was born on a dark, stormy and windy night to end the rule and atrocities of his maternal uncle, Kansa.Today is Janmashtami - Krishna's birthday - we commemorate the earthly appearance of Krishna. One of the biggest religious festivals in the world, it is celebrated by nine hundred and thirty million people around the world. For some, Krishna is a word meaning God.  Krishna is known as being a particularly personable fun-loving, vivacious, naughty, passionate God. Here is one interpretation of His astrology.

Krishna responds equally to the way He is worshipped. Whatever you put out there, He will return. So today we will offer ourselves with enthusiasm, Love, happiness & this is the energy we will receive back.

To celebrate these qualities of Krishna we will chant the Maha Mantra; Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, cook plenty of yummy sattvic food & try my hand at burfi for the first time, watch a little live web cam from temples in India & all over the world, & dance & sing to Govinda Hare. Govinda means cow herder & Krishna was a cow herder. It is sung here by the sublime Krishna Das.

I do all these things to add Love into our lives, to celebrate life. To combine festivity with the true meaning of life creates joy, happiness & purpose. Today we are reminded of Krishna's all encompassing Love, His devotion, honesty, purity, cheekiness, acceptance, divinity & joy.

Hare Krishna!

Be Fearless - Choose Love

August 17, 2010 - today is Tara Day & Medicine Buddha Day. Buddhists around the world recite mantras today according to these specific deities. Often they focus on their qualitites & try to imbibe them or become them.

Tonight I will make an offering of our family dinner to the beautiful energy of these deities & ask for blessings of health, longevity, peace, happiness & enlightenment. I have also printed out some White Tara images for the children to colour-in & place on the family altar.

Tara is actually the generic name for a set of Buddhas or bodhisattvas of similar aspect. These may more properly be understood as different aspects of the same quality, as bodhisattvas are often considered metaphoric for Buddhist virtues.

The most widely known forms of Tārā are:

• Green Tārā known as the Buddha of enlightened activity, helpful if you are trying to conceive.
• White Tārā is the goddess of compassion. Her love heals at the source of dis-ease, bringing health, strength, longevity and beauty.
• Red Tārā, of fierce aspect associated with magnetizing all good things.
• Black Tārā, associated with power.
• Yellow Tārā, associated with wealth and prosperity.

The main Tārā mantra is the same for Buddhists and Hindus alike: om tara tuttare tura soha. 

You can find the mantra here.

If you are a Tibetan Buddhist or if you are just interested you will find some lovely guided meditations on Tara & the Medicine Buddha here.

A little bit about malas for today. For Tara, many people fancy turquoise, malachite or even jade. For White Tara, you can choose pearls. For the Medicine Buddha, there is lapis-lazuli, but there is also aquamarine (blue beryl), and blue quartz (dumortierite quartz). If you don't have any of these - like me - I will just use a tulsi mala. If you don't have any mala simply hold the feeling you want to imbibe in your heart.

Love to you all on this beautifully auspicious day.