SHARANYA

Maa is calling me in this moment...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:57:05 GMT

Women of Spirit and Faith asked for November: "What is the Divine Feminine calling you to do in this moment?" Shakti is calling me to rise up. She is calling me to risk. She is calling me to relate. She rests on a bed of will, knowledge and action, entwined with Shiva, the pure consciousness that follows her call, in order to relax into some powerful creation work. There is not a moment that goes by in which I do not feel her. I am surrounded by the subtle notes of intuition that presence and the not-so-subtle ripples of her battles in this realm. I know you know what I mean. The trees, oceans, bears and wind all speak her name. A kirtan-call and response-ensues, and those who are attuned listen. The chanting has its charms Recently, she asked me to give more of myself. "But I already...," I start to say, and she just kisses me sweetly, replying, "Darling, I know how much you do. Still, there is more to be done." She is right, of course, and I acknowledge that my energy is dispersed and needs to focus for better effect in the world. There are some things that are too important to be lost in my chaos. How then to manage this, I wonder; but not for long. My spiritual practice guides me to breakthrough on the inner planes that has real outer world ramifications and manifestations. I learn the first lessons of empowered spiritual leadership: listen, tell your truth, take responsibility, stand your ground. She then asks me what I believe in. I go back to a childhood filled with lies, betrayal, physical violence, and an empty fridge until Grandma comes to fill it up. I realize that I have spent much of my life creating values in response to those around me, and I need to ask what is there that is genuinely born from within me. I meditate on my birth and the will to survive interweaves tightly with the wounding of abandonment. What is mine? I sink into awareness around subsequent years of therapy, anger, resentment, and a sense of loss in relationship to my youth. I take pause and realize that I have grown much, and the obstacles have provided me with strength and power. In my crafting of faith, these avenues of challenge have led directly to the unseen realms upon which I draw heavily in my work for social transformation. Nothing is wasted. She called me today to ask that I make a personally significant donation to a cause I care a lot about. I was not planning on giving again before the year was out, but she just winked and said, "You can do it...the women need your money as much as they need your prayers." Nothing could be more true. Had I not dived deep into my own story, I know the insights that came around what I believe and value would not have been revealed. I would not have found either justification or motivation for a financial contribution. Moreover, it would not have seemed relevant. No one would have benefited and I would have been less humble. A brother in the work of ministry had her card not long ago, one on which she had written my name. "Spirit babies," was all that was otherwise noted, and I was asked to help create a ritual for all the mamas and papas who grieved or sorrowed over the loss of a child through abortion, stillbirth or miscarriage. My own embodied experiences were present in the mix of emotions that circled through me with the call. I felt honored to be asked. I will help, and I will write a prayer that brings healing, if none but my own, and will ask for an opening to her mysteries, the greatest of them perhaps held in the spaces of life and death. What is being created in response to her call? A life worth living.

Our Kali Puja: What's It All About?

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:44:42 GMT

What's it like to experience (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra up close and personal...to worship Kali Maa in Sanskrit...to bring your heart to a Goddess with roots in India but felt worldwide? Perhaps you've never been to a puja, or to a worship service that is fully participatory. Perhaps the notion of coming into a community to offer your devotions to Goddess is a bit scary. Well, be assured we understand that She can be intimidating at first. And we recognize that joining with people you may not know in something as intimate as worship of Her can perhaps be unsettling. So, let us offer comfort (we hope) by saying we all pretty much started at that place of uncertainty or fear or wondering...and we have come together to strengthen the path of our hearts. We invite you to join us! The vibe is loving, embracing, inclusionary, welcoming... Enter the temple of our worship for a taste of the experience through our most recent gallery here. Jai Maa! And we look forward to seeing you at a puja soon (visit our calendar for dates of upcoming ceremonies).

Festival of Sara-la-Kali

Sat, 29 May 2010 06:23:22 GMT

On Sunday, May 23, SHARANYA hosted our regular monthly public puja, except this month, we aligned our energies and intentions with the cross-roads of the dark goddess in Europe, a place where ancient traditions of the goddess came to shore and today, the Black Madonna stands as testimony to Her presence. For this worship, we recognized the concurrence of our puja with the Festival of Gitanes, or Gypsies, in the south of France, who come together to honor their Dark Goddess, Sarah the Black...Sarah-la-Kali! The puja was particularly moving as we toned sacred syllables and took turns adorning Sara's altar with scarves from around our necks in the same fashion that those gathered in France for her festival do. As one of our initiates, Haravallabha, shared about her puja experience... I got lots of images of constant movement of a tribe slipping through the edges of society, and after a night's sleep, a host of clear lessons from La Sara. They are about community, versatility, autonomy, and self-authority. Here are a few glimpses:
Don't try to fit any mold
Don't try to be a single thing - activate versatility
Be willing to cast a spell
Keep some things private when it fits your strategy for survival or service, and find a way to...

Chanting Workshop: Vedic Mantras, Hindu Classics, & Goddess Devotionals

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:30:59 GMT
I am a predominantly Neo-Pagan, former Catholic who considers myself a religious inclusive. I have an interest in various ancient cultures and traditions which have survived, as well as more recent magical traditions such as Hoodoo/Conjure and folkways or Europe and the Americas which are still used. I found the Hindu chants workshop to be extremely informative, lovely and powerful. I believe it was perfect for Unitarian participation because it addressed the spiritual, emotional and intellectual aspects of this practice, as well as lots of live practice... I have actually been using some of the chants, several times a week, having incorporated them into my normal meditation routine. Given that I work in a fast-paced environment in a pretty harsh town, I love the connection I feel to these chants & how incorporating them has resulted in a calmer, more intuitive Maureen. - UU Chant Workshop Participant SHARANYA was recently invited by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto to be part of a series of chanting workshops dedicated to connecting members to various world traditions through song and chant. We were honored to be part of the series and grateful to Terry Passarotti from their congregation for asking us to join in! About 25 of us gathered together on February 21st, a rainy Sunday evening, to explore the sacred sounds of chants from the Vedas, Upanishads and Tantras. We wove ancient...

PantheaCon Kali Puja: The Dark Goddess Awakens!

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:14:34 GMT
Sunday night, 11:00pm. Kali Puja at PantheaCon. The doors opened and the sounds of Her sacred names began to fill the air, vibrations of Goddess Kali entering our bodies through ears first. Eyes began taking in the altar images as throngs of devotees and those entranced by Her mysteries circled to the tune. SHARANYA initiates and Daughters of Kali worked to guard, ground and move the dance of Shiva and Shakti as we together purified and began to feel that the night's celebration would be filled with power, grace, and Divine love. As Rashani (priestess/purohit) for the ceremony, I let Her guide me. Sensing the yearning and open hearts of everyone gathered, it was easy to take us immediately deeper into communion with our Divine Mother through meditation and breath. Her sacred syllables guided us, helping to crystallize a sankalpa (sacred intention) and further unencumber our souls. Both a certain intensity and a genuine playfulness were with us as we each spoke our name, proclaiming the intention to perform worship, each of us owning the responsibility born of our passion and desire. From honorings of Ganesha, Agni, Ancestors, and Shiva, we then worked our prana pratishta as a community, together intoning SA'HAM in meditation on Her eyes, allowing the energy on our breath to move from heart to Her. Awakening Her murti (image), Kali Maa joined us and we danced...Jai Maa! Gratitudes to all who join in the magick of the night and to Amory, Satya, Jaratura,...

Yogini Festival

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:58:20 GMT
Jay Maa Kali! In this year, the Yogini Festival starts on the 23rd of December and runs until the 25th of December in front of the Yogini Temple (at Hirapur, Orissa). Many cultural programme like Odissi Dance, Sambalpuri Dance, Gotipura Nritya, Mahari Nritya, etc. are represented at this function. Many dancers from different states are participating in this festival; so, I invite you to come and enjoy!

- Surendra Nath Routaray
Hirapur's authorized archaeological guide, in a personal communication The tradition of yoginī worship likely derives from ancient practices formalized and brahmanized in the Agni Purāṇa. In this text, the mātṛkās are said to be eight: Brāhmani, Maheśvarī, Kaumārī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī, Aindrī, Cāmuṇḍa, and Mahālakṣmi. These eight goddesses are multiplied by eight (because of this number’s auspicious nature in Hindu belief) to derive the base of sixty-four yoginīs. The names of these sixty-four are given in the Kālīkā Purāna; although my contact at the temple, Mr. Routaray, has his own manifestation. By the time of the 11th century CE, the worship of the yoginīs...

Spirit Fusion Festival - Fresno, CA

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:35:19 GMT
By: Maya (initiate member of the Yogini Chakra) On November 25th, Fresno had its Spirit Fusion Festival (Fresno's Pagan Pride). I worked a table for SHARANYA for the day and got the chance to talk to people about the organization, give out information, and sell some of the beautiful images, ritual items, and Indian handicrafts we generally offer through the Apsara Store online and at pujas. As part of the day, I also hosted a beautiful Ganesha Puja for all who were there. It was a small intimate group that came to puja; it was very sweet and all who attended were deeply touched by the ceremony. We all honored and were honored by the Spirit of Ganesha. All of the people who came were active in the puja. We called upon the four elements to join us, along with Shiva, Kali Maa, and, of course, Ganesha took his place of prominence! The Ganesha altar was decorated with a variety Ganesha murtis, along with images and murtis of other deities, such as Shiva, Kali Maa, Tara, and Matangi. The group assembled was invited to do invocations for the elements, and I taught them some short mantras to invoke Shiva, Maa, and Ganesha too. As the circle chanted to Ganesha, singing, OM GAM GANAPATAYAI NAMAH, I cleansed the space with charged moon water. Ganesha was then bathed in the charged moon water, milk, and moon water again. I...

Dark Times, Divali, & Dancing the Spiral

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:50:12 GMT
On Sunday morning, I awoke from Samhain dreamtime to a recollection that I had something to do. Still feeling the presence of the ancients and moreover, some very achy muscles from a few good hours of altar building for SHARANYA's Spiral Dance South Fire Altar, I reviewed my notes for the day ahead. Ah, yes, Creatrix Media Live was hosting a show and had asked me to help focus a discussion on the Dark Times...specifically, these dark times. What is conjured for you in this mentioning? We considered much in our conversation, but naturally, the conversation turned toward the presence of the Dark Mother Herself, Kali Maa. Kali Maa as embracing and compassionate mother; Kali Maa as terrifying goddess; Kali Maa as equalizer, facilitator of social justice; Kali Maa as Goddess for our times. Joining the discussion were many powerful women (Max Dashu, D'vorah Grenn, Marsha Citra Lange, Jayne DeMente, Anniitra Ravenmoon and others) who know well how She helps us see through the obfuscations of truth that media and institutions uphold, who asks that we take personal responsibility, who calls us to action. We acknowledged the quick and ready relationship between our spirituality, Her presence, and action on behalf...

Sacred Activism Day

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:09:14 GMT
In the spirit of engaged spirituality and celebration of Gandhi's birthday, October 2nd is SHARANYA's Sacred Activism Day...a time to consider how your simple and/or profound actions make a difference for the well being of yourself, your family and loved ones, your community, your planet and beyond. Not that you don't do this already every day, but just a way, like ringing a bell or Tibetan bowl during meditation, to help you refocus your efforts and concentration. There are many ways to engage, and even setting an intention to be with the spirit of the day through your practice or conversation is great! This year, I've signed up to increase my awareness of how my buying decisions can have a positive impact on socially responsible business through Carrotmob. From their website: "Carrotmob is a method of activism that leverages consumer power to make the most socially-responsible business practices also the most profitable choices. Businesses compete with one another to see who can do the most good, and then a big mob of consumers buys products in order to reward whichever business made the strongest commitment to improve the world. It’s the opposite of a boycott." Feel free to join me by signing up for notices in your area about upcoming actions, and give a thought to your engaged spirituality efforts. If you wish, share with us your ruminations and determinations here,...

Jai Maa! Sunday's Kali Puja

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:44:22 GMT
Tonight's puja was such a powerful reminder to me of why I become involved in SHARANYA, why I walked through the threshold of initiation, and why I am so passionate about the work we do in the world in Her name. The devotion, the mantras, the songs, the ceremonies allow us to see Her, touch Her, and experience Her within our own hearts. She is a part of us. We are a part of Her. The entire Universe, the cycles of Nature, and the yearning of our soul is Her wondrous dance, loving weaving all things into being. - Jaratura, reflecting on Sunday's Kali Puja in Community and with the Kaula Gratitudes to the kaula, community, and our extended family for supporting and creating Sunday's (7/26) Kali Puja. What a sweet celebration of Her mysteries! The air was cool on this evening as we gathered, the weather a perfect complement to the fire in our hearts as we created our personal and collective sankalpas (sacred intentions), chanted Sanskrit mantras, and welcomed in the Divine. Familiar faces and new ones accompanied those in Daughters of Kali who are in the last weeks of their walk toward initiation into the Sha'can tradition, our (r)evolutionary Shakta Tantra devoted to our beloved Dark Mother. Song and spirit filled the room...