In this article:
- Insight about Holika & this sacred time of year
- Thoughts on Purification, Devotion & Deep Listening
- Astrological configurations of this time
- A short āsana practice to help you shine
A Time of Purification
There are times of the year when there seems to be a collection of rituals and sacred celebrations across cultures & traditions. At the time of the spring equinox [in the northern hemisphere] is the clustering of Ramadan, Lent and Easter, Passover, Holika and the upcoming Chaitra Navarātri.
These traditional practices of varied time & place share a kind of symmetry. Each invokes a time of devotional purification – through fasting or other disciplines, fire rituals, sanctified vows – followed by colorful celebrations of renewal. We emerge from the darkness of winter into the brightness of spring. We celebrate youth as it emerges in Nature.
Today the Vedic Calendar is a fiery reckoning of ego and arrogance*. It’s a time to burn up the ego’s “look at me and what I can do & have” to a deeper sense of recognition that the divine Consciousness is upholding all through the ebbs and flows of nature.
Through surrender and purification we realize, “all that I enjoy is given by the divine through the order of the cosmos” and “all that I seem to accomplish is done by the divine“.
We emerge unburdened, renewed, joyous, celebratory and free. From this place we relate to and participate with the manifestation as all divine, all presence, all cosmic beloved: alive, pulsing, vibrating life!
This is the vision offered exquisitely in the Bhagavad Gitā and in Śaktism.
*Many will mark Holi as March 18th – the party day. The sacred ritual and call to purification & devotion takes place today. The celebratory color day of Holi is fun, but merely skimming the surface of tradition to grab the treats and parties can miss the point. As we mature we aim for the sacred opportunities that these times provide. In times to come I hope to share the stories, teachings & meanings.
"She [the Great Goddess] is the treasure house of all marvels, the manifestation and dissolution of the universe are her morning and evening. she is the great enchantress" - Jñānēśvarī
Coincidence, or Cosmic Confluence?
Why the confluence of so many sacred rituals and celebrations at the same time?
The Vedic tradition offers this view… the divine manifests as time and space through harmonious patterns. Even seeming variety is in a way, all an expression of a play of interwoven and interlocking symmetry.
We are each riding the waves of cosmic harmonious patterns – it’s just that some perceive it, while others remain ignorant! The more successful we are in burning up our own arrogance the more capable we become of this deep “listening”, or profound perception.
Devotional Surrender & Deep Listening
Vedic knowledge systems help us engage in deep listening until we perceive time as divine movement, desire as divine emergence, structure as divine form and so on. We see the patterns, the harmony, the symmetry {and the variety that results from the play of it all}, and we participate with the natural cosmic order as part of nature itself.
Devotional surrender allows us to participate in the mysterious organization of the cosmos in ways that make life more alive, more meaningful, more ritualized.
"All this is within the jurisdiction of the divine Mother" - RāmaKrishna
Divine Timing ~ Astrological Insight
It happens that right now, amidst all the rituals of the season, the planets Mars & Venus are in the constellation of śravaṇa, the constellation of deep listening.
It’s a time when we will be called to listen to the signs of time & space. We will crave wise counsel & right knowledge. Yet, the rajasic nature of Mars & Venus may mean that we are impulsive.
Pursue knowledge & advice but take pause, dig a well. Steer clear of trends, reduce media, unsubscribe from questionable sources.
As you’ve heard me say before, “take time to walk around the situation” {words of Sri Krishan Mantriji}. Answer the call for deep listening to knowledge & counsel that points you to yourself, for you are the one who shines.
Your body is the divine sanctuary, housing the divine shining one within! ~ love, Kaya
Divine Structure ~ Vāstu
I’m deep in the throws of preparing to teach the upcoming vāstu program and looking forward to sharing these teachings which are dear {but have been kept close to the chest} with you.
I’m in ever-awe of how life fits together in such magical ways. The divine timing of the celebrations of the season, along with the particular astrological configurations, the call to purification, devotion and deep listening culminating together… what magic, what an invitation! What better way to celebrate than by nurturing this tradition through devotion to her great gifts of knowledge?
Indeed you are ever shining, these wisdom teachings and practices simply polish you & your container, that you may shine more!
Scroll down for short & blissful yoga practice! {SRY Members find the full practice as #3 Sthira Sukha}
Vāstu: Divine Patterns
Divine Pattern & Deep Meaning
A special opportunity to explore the vision that all is a living manifestation of cosmic order. Learn to recognize and utilize the most harmonizing patterns to increase the sweetness of life. Explore essential principles of vedic arrangement to inspire your understanding of the world, yourself & yoga.
on demand
The Divine Structure that Makes you Shine
Enjoy this 20 min Supreme Release Yoga extract.
You’ll need a few props: a chair {or similar}, yoga blankets or flat bolsters, and 2 yoga blocks.