Amavasya: New Moon Meditation Experience

We gathered under the energies of the new moon on Tuesday to breathe. We gathered to connect to the energies of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. We gathered to find our inner teachers, the ones who know the direct path to our souls, to the unfolding awareness of the Divine embodied eternal.

New moons are interesting times, for they contain powerful energetic expressions of the path to silence. And so we sat, five of us in a circle in SHARANYA's Sanctuary, connecting to one another and the larger community, to those who were also holding space in meditation with us from afar. Candles surrounding us, Maa before us, we began.

We had all come from another reality into this space, and so took a few moments to get comfortable, relax, and set our individual intentions. After some pranayama and guided visualization on our internal landscape, we moved to silence. Five of us breathing, some with sustained yogic breath, five of us releasing into the silence our thoughts and emotional attachments, we together smoothly entered the quiet space where all potentials reside and there is nothing to do but be. (Some of us had never met before, but the transition from outside to inside, from stranger to sister or brother seeker was swift. Such a gift!)

Thirty minutes in silence ended with the ringing of a singing bowl and the felt vibrations of sound in fingers, toes and the akashic spaces that respond to subtle stimulations. We allowed awareness of our heartbeats to return and then re-engaged our bodies on the floor. Chanting "AUM," we came together again, having moved between worlds, now back and present it the room.

Meditation is a fine art, a dedicated practice; it is also a very accessible treasure, a commitment to oneself that is easily achieved because it can be undertaken almost anywhere. All that is needed is a bit of intention setting and inspiration. Meditation is at once easy and profound; you just sit...and you go places!

Although there are many complex descriptions of how to properly do meditation and myriad offerings of what techniques are required, the simple fact remains that dhyana (meaning contemplation or meditation), is possible for everyone to do and its benefits are both long-lasting and immediate. Certainly, over time as your practice becomes stronger, you will notice that the benefits increase. Yet, regardless of how long you have been doing meditation, your doing it makes a difference throughout all the worlds. To start, you just allow yourself to quiet inside and breathe.

How do you meditate? Let us know how you spent this past new moon, if you joined in with us or worked the energies another way. And whether or not you can join us in person, do join us for our next circle: Purnima (Full Moon) Meditation will be held on March 10th at 7pm (PST).

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Jai Maa & Om Hraum Namah Shivaya!

Over forty people gathered last evening in celebration of Maa Kali and Lord Shiva. We came together, new faces and regular attendees alike, to fall even more deeply in love with the Divine.

Our regular venue, the Cultural Integration Fellowship, hosted us on this rainy night as each of us found breath awareness and connection to the grounding energies of Earth. We inwardly began articulating and igniting a sacred intention in our hearts before entering the worship space lovingly created by initiates and those in Daughters of Kali, as well as through the grace of extended community and family who lent a hand with preparations. Our intentions set, we crossed the temenos, the sacred threshold between realities, and stepped through cleansing sacred smoke into the mandir.

The syllables, "Om Maa!" vibrated throughout the temple as we chanted in unison, our circle organically growing as one-by-one we entered the room. Our main altar glowing with candlelight, the beauty of sacred images and flickers of anticipation were reflected in our eyes. The scent of red roses and carnations filled the space as we sung Her sacred names from the world's traditions. We readied ourselves for the work, experience, inspiration and devotion of the evening.

If you have been to one of our pujas, you know what happens next! Through connection to our own inner light and inspiration, we create sacred space, invoke the directions, welcome in helpful guides and spirits, ancestors, and deities. We call out to Lord Shiva and Maa Kali through mantra and song, allowing the longing inside to be expressed, witnessed and felt.

Last night, our yearning was augmented as we sang to Shiva (click here to learn more about Shivaratri) and made space for the offering of special prayers. Shiva was sung to as Brother and Father; community added words as devotions; and we stepped together into the land of Mahadeva, Great God, through ancient Sanskrit mantra. Singing together, "Shiva Shiva Shiva Shambo - Hare Hare Hare Shambo - Mahadeva Shambo," abhisheka (pouring blessing) was performed with milk and honey. Everyone made offerings of yellow flowers to the white marble lingham-yoni, a symbol of Shiva and Shakti, at the center of the mandap (place for meditation in front of the main altar). We took our time, allowing the energy of the Sacred Male, the Divine Masculine, to be with us and in us...we shared in the blessings of Shiva, Lord of the Dance, He Who Grants Liberation, on this evening of celebration!

Devotions to Maa followed, the offering of hearts and souls to Her embrace. "Om Krim Kalyai Namah!" we chanted, allowing ourselves to drop into meditation...

This is the essence of Tantra. Come closer, your toes no longer merely touching the water,
your body slowly, like your breath, entering the depths
where the waves no longer catapult you from side to side.
In this place of stillness you are held beneath the flows of your attachments,
weightless in the dark, and the holding is strong.
Here, you are forever alone. Do you feel it in the silence?

Here, the swift blackness awakens like a sword severing sounds
from the alphabet of sacred syllables and you become the diffused center
of all that ever was, is and will be. Her sacred gift, you are potential.
Your offering accepted, you are complete and you are free—
liberated from this world and its encumbrances.
Here, you may choose anything in the universe of possibilities. Even to stay.
Chant loudly and breathe long to the bottom of your soul.
There is richness beyond what you hear and see, taste and touch and feel.
There is the uncovering through the action of Her red tongue,
flicking past desires and ahamkara, the smallness of our selfish I-ness.
If nothing else, know you are embraced as you remember the feeling
of your toes entering the waters of awakening.
Celebration and incantation, resounding chorus of "Jai Maa!" echoing, a feeling of delight and mystery at the opening, even deeper, into ourselves. Do come and join us next month!

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PantheaCon 2009 - Kali Puja

Jai Maa! OM MAA! Jai Maa!

This weekend's Kali Puja was a glorious coming together of friends old and new...a veritable Tantrick festival within the walls of the Doubletree in San Jose! I hope you were able to join us for Kali Puja: Devotion & Worship of the Divine Mother; and if not, don't fear - come be with us this upcoming weekend in San Francisco when we gather for Shivaratri and Kali Puja in Her name on Sunday (Feb 22nd - more details and RSVP on our website).

Over 150 people joined us in chanting the divine names of the Goddess, and we filled the space with our love, devotion, prayers, mantras and sacred meditations. The ethers were alight as the first sounds of OM Maa! filled the San Jose/Santa Clara meeting rooms (we just know that whoever holds an event there this week will feel the reverberations in the walls!), and everyone came together through rosemary water blessings to honor Kali Maa.

The mood of the evening (we began at 11pm) was one of love and heart opening even as we remembered and gave witness to the dark spaces and work of the shadow...all necessary on the spiritual path if one is to come into the wholeness of the soul's potential. During the first thirty minutes of the program, we challenged ourselves to go deeper into spiritual awakening by conjuring just such a relationship to the dark; one that ultimately heals us by inviting us to kiss the wounds of this and other lifetimes. With and by Her grace, we are able to do this...for Maa is one goddess who holds the totality of the Real, both seen and unseen.

We worked our breath together through sacred syllables, beginning with Sa'Ham - She I Am, taking the in-breath on "Sa" and the outbreath on "Ham." Enlivened in our bodies, we were also able to touch deeper places of connection to Her, learning the mantra, "OM KRIM KALYAI NAMAH," an invocation and honoring of the Divine in its absolute, undifferentiated state; its essence and essential qualities; and its personified form as Kali, the Mother and Dark Goddess who is there in our images, reflections, visualizations and other manifest forms.

After our opening contemplations and explorations of the inner mysteries ("What is true?"), we transitioned into our puja with a scream, a heart-opening, soul-tugging scream set to unleash the wildness of our insides, our passions, our fears, and our longing. Energy thus released and our bodies and emotions freed from some of their entanglements, we proceeded to cast our circle, call the directions, and invoke the deities and spirits of our worship: Agni, Ganesha, the ancestors, Shiva and Maa Kali.

All gathered and circled as community began aarati, the honoring of Maa's presence with light and other offerings, singing "Jai Maa!", Victory to the Divine Mother! Thus called and celebrated, everyone got to receive darshan, the gift of connection to Maa through the meeting of soul and Spirit given through Her eyes.

Our deepest gratitudes to everyone who participated in the puja. Your love and willingness to explore Her so fully made for an electric event. Gratitudes too to those in the SHARANYA community who helped in the creation of the evening by building altars, holding space, grounding and otherwise adding to the beauty of the ceremony.

If you have attended this or other SHARANYA pujas, we'd love to hear your comments about the ritual and your experiences born of that and Maa's crucible. Jai Maa! Hope to see you at another puja soon!

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