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HOLY DAYS • MUERTOS • LOVE 
Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD My daughter, Marley, was 5 years old when she decided that she does not like trick-or-treat. While her little friend marched brazenly up to each house, Marley stayed hesitantly behind. I tried to encourage her. I said, "If you say ‘Trick-or-Treat’ and smile, they'll put candy in your bucket.” She nodded, put on a brave face, and went up to the door. It was covered in spiderwebs and opened slowly as she approached. A mummy greeted her with a large plastic pumpkin full of treats. She reached in quickly, picked one, then scurried back to me. "Mom!" she cried, "This is ridiculous! I am not supposed to take candy from strangers...and these strangers are actually monsters!" She had a point. In that moment I was haunted by my own childhood memories: fears and spiritual sensitivity over the harrowing themes of halloween. I felt a little squeamish. Had I just told my child to smile through her fears so that she could get some candy? I knelt down beside her and pulled her close. "You never have to trick-or-treat again if you don't want to."  A month later the movie COCO was released in the theaters. It tells the story of Dia de los Muertos and the profound beauty of remembering our ancestors. Marley and I decided that the following year we would build an ofrenda to honor her great-grandparents. When October came back around, we were ready. We had researched the tradition and had gathered stories and wedding photos, sugar-skulls and marigolds. We build the most beautiful altar. We make Grand-Anne's goulash recipe and Grandma Weirenga's chocolate chip cookies. We even place a can of beer on the ofrenda for Grandpa Redding. My husband shares memories of his grandparents. I tell stories of mine. Marley listens with presence and curiosity. There is gratitude and a sense of belonging in her eyes, as we gaze upon the photographs of our ancestors. We honor the love that brought us here. We revel in the light each soul brought to the planet. And we honor the mystery–the unseen journey on the "other side." We embrace the unknown with peace and wonder as we trust in the ultimate fulfillment of Love. Early that December, my mama transitioned to eternity. Her tango with cancer, which had begun just before my daughter was born, had finally come to an end. Marley had always known her grandma as both a magnificent, radiant light and someone whose time was short. She was living with cancer and she was dying from cancer. Through it all, she was joyful and full of grace–a living example of boundless Love. It is no wonder that the Halloween I grew up with–the parody of monsters in costume, the glorified horror of death–just doesn't resonate for my kid as much as does the ritual of the ofrenda. And as we place my mama's photo on the altar each year, we light a candle as a symbol of her enduring presence in our lives. Her Love. Our Love. Eternal Love. The light of Love illuminates darkness and dispels fear. We celebrate that light. holy days. love. shadow. Discover more on these topics.
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LIGHT • LAKSHMĪ • ABUNDANCE 
Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD. Amāvāsyā is the Sanskrit word for the new moon. At Soul Artist we make the new moon a time for renewal–a time to empty out all the excess to make space for something fresh and, maybe, unexpected. The new moon is a monthly opportunity to embrace creative transformation. The next new moon is one of the most celebrated all year, because it initiates one of the biggest annual Indian holidays: Diwali. More than a billion people celebrate Diwali worldwide. Diwali is called the "Festival of Lights" because it is a celebration of illumination. It honors the light of your awakened consciousness; the radiant kindle of your creative heart fire. It invokes beauty, prosperity, and love–the archetypal attributes of the Indian Goddess, Lakshmī. This lively mystic tradition invites you to realize these attributes as qualities of your own mind. Rituals serve to remind you of your inner power and transform your awareness toward abundance. And, in case you have forgotten, your most powerful expression of abundance is a grateful heart. Diwali festivities begin two days before amāvāsyā and conclude two days after, for a five day party that wakes you up to more joy and more gratitude for a more meaningful life. 10 Practices for Diwali
Access the Diwali SatsangIn Celebration of Light with Sreedevi Bringi.
diwali • light • rituals
Discover more on these topics. LOVE • INNER POWER • DIWALI 
Author: R.R. Shakti, Phd What don’t I know? You are probably pretty sure about one thing: your own perspective. So many conversations begin with, “Look here,” or “Listen up,” because “This is where I stand.” The whole entire enterprise of human engagement becomes a quest to be understood. But standing in that mentality means staying in the dark—denying that there’s another point of view. So here’s something new: What if you start each encounter with the question, “What don’t I know?” Example: The neighbor’s dog won’t stop barking and it’s making me crazy. What don’t I know? Or: Marty left his dirty laundry in the middle of the floor, again. What don’t I know? I fail at it daily. But when I remember this practice, my life is just better. It’s real world enlightenment. The light shines on another’s perspective and I find out that we weren’t standing so far apart, after all. Today is an Indian holy day: Diwali. It is an opportunity to celebrate the light. The light of awareness. The light of consciousness. The light of your inner power. There has never been a more crucial time for the teachings of Mystic Traditions to make their way into the real world human experience, to make life... just better.  diwali. love. marriage.
Discover more on these topics. 
Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD Imagine the world before electricity. I bet you'd tend your fire carefully. Make it last through the cold, dark night. ...And then comes dawn. Every morning is like a victory The triumph of the light. That is why Indian holy days, like Diwali. celebrate the light. That is why Indian mantras, like Gayatri, invoke and worship the light as a divine power. It is. In yoga, I honor the "dawning of awareness" as the power of illumination which awakens, heals, and provides clear vision. But the light does not always come easy. Let me explain with a story: Once upon a time my husband and I were arguing. It was heated. Now, I can't even remember what it was about. But at the time I was quite certain–I had no doubt–that I was "RIGHT!" He disagreed. He presented his case, but I doubled down on my point of view, again and again. I wanted him to realize (and admit) that I was "RIGHT!" Then something happened. Mid-sentence. It hit me like a floodlight: "Oh, shit. He is right... I'm wrong."  Daaaang! I felt just like Wile E. Cayote when he looks down from his full-throttle pace to realize that there is nothing beneath him but empty space and a long, hard fall.
We celebrate the light as if it is always welcome. As if we are in a state of perpetual curiosity, always ready to expand and embrace personal development. But sometimes we're not. Sometimes we think we already have the answer. We already know. We are "RIGHT!"...and nothing will change our minds. Then the light of awareness "dawns" on us illuminating our flaws. It isn't comfortable. Sometimes, truth be told, we wish we could stay in the dark. Our practice often determines what happens next. Yoga provides the courage and compassion to face, and embrace, the light. So back to that one time, when I was wrong: I took a deep breath, mustered up the humility and said, "Wait. I'm just realizing that you are right. I am wrong. I am sorry." My husband looked at me, first with surprise, then tenderness. "Yeah," he said. "I love you." I had braced myself for impact, but it turned out to be a super soft landing. Blissful in fact. Because in that moment, I realized that being wrong gives me the opportunity to experience his unconditional Love. If I were always "RIGHT," I would never feel the sweet sensation of forgiveness. When I embrace my imperfection it becomes a radiant gift. I am human, and growing. I wouldn't want it any other way. Inspired by the words of Leonard Cohen: The cracks are where the light gets in. That realization has been, for me, like the break of a glorious new day. Happy Diwali. DIWALI • LOVE • TANTRA 
Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD My daughter was three years old when I took her to see "Kung Fu Panda 3" at the local movie theatre. Enrapt from start to finish, she was particularly attentive during the great battle scenes between the adorable Dragon Warrior Panda and his scary supernatural nemesis. As we left our seats, she turned to me and said, "Mom, I've noticed something; the good always defeats the bad." (She was always prone to big words and even bigger insights 💗). Happy New Moon & Diwali 🪔!
One of the biggest holidays throughout India and the Eastern world begins this week. Diwali is the festival of lights that celebrates the radiant triumph of virtue over the darkness of confusion. It is a sort-of Good-Defeats-Bad-Day. Mythologies worldwide depict the struggle between dark and light forces: Beowulf and Grendel, Perceval and the Red Knight, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. From India, my favorite battle image is of the Goddess Durga kicking butt and taking names of legions of demons in the Devī Mahātmyā. It's an age-old story. The universe is animated by dueling forces, while we all hope desperately for the virtuous to prevail. The question is: Who decides who is virtuous? History has made this grand narrative into an "us vs. them" story. When taken literally, it becomes the foundation for division and alienation. Whomever is on "our side" is virtuous. On the "other" side is evil. Division is the side-product of consciousness. In his amazing book, Creation of Consciousness, Jungian Analyst Edward Edinger explains that consciousness is only possible in the presence of an "other." There cannot be a "knower" without something to be known. Therefore, all human awareness is dependent upon this dichotomy: self and other me and you us and them. But when we project our own shadows onto an outside "other" we set up a never ending war zone. "Us and Them" becomes "Us vs. Them." Pretty soon, all you can see is the enemy in the stranger. Life loses its hope. Compassion goes out the window. With empathy, goes beauty...and joy. It's a problem. The teachings of non-dual Tantra assert that all things are individualized aspects of a single, dynamic pulsation of universal LOVE. ...A LOVE that has no need for warfare. ...A LOVE so pervasive, perfect, and powerful that it encompasses everything, everywhere. So, I explained to my three year old daughter: "Sometimes it doesn't look like it will, but the good always wins in the end...because LOVE is the biggest, most powerful thing in the universe. When people do bad things it's only because they have forgotten LOVE. When you remember that you are LOVE, you become as powerful as a Dragon Warrior." It was a reminder for my own heart. Maybe you needed to hear it too? Diwali accompanies the new moon, a time for introspection and self-examination. It provides a sweet opportunity to turn inward and get real with your Self:
Mystic LOVE is so pervasive it can actually include your fears, sorrows, and confusion without losing a single iota of its infinite brilliance. According to Mystic teachings: YOU ARE THAT LOVE...you superhero shifu, you! HOLY DAYS • SPRING • INSPIRATION 
Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD My childhood winters in the US Midwest were long. Once Christmas had past it was mostly just snowy, drizzly, dreary days and long nights. Nearly half the year you'd spend under cloud-cover, seeing your breath when you talk, waking up for school in the long cold dark.
Long. Daylight would arrive each morning a little sooner...and a little sooner...and a little sooner. Then one day, like a sunrise blast over the horizon, the entire world felt different. The world looked different. Life changed in an instant. It happened just around Easter. They say that when Jesus arose from the tomb, not all of his friends recognized him at first. He had changed. That makes sense to me. Within the three dark nights of a new moon Jesus had been crucified, traversed into the underworld, ascended into heaven, and returned to solid Earth. It stands to reason, his aura would have looked a little different. Per usual, Jesus provides a model for the Soul Artist who seeks to live their most meaningful life. Because each new year brings hardship and breakthrough. In the span of 365, we traverse new territory. We win some. We lose some. Maybe we dive deep into the underworld for a "Dark Night of the Soul" experience. Maybe we mourn loss. We celebrate love. We illuminate shadows. Hardship and breakthrough provide opportunity for transformation. What about you? How have you changed through the winter? Do you feel yourself ready, welcoming something new? Today, I remember my favorite childhood Easter dress. I remember styling my hair and polishing my shoes and stepping into the church pew to hear the Sunday sermon. There was excitement in the air. After the service (and oh! the joyful singing) the children were ushered out into the warm and radiant sunshine for an egg hunt on the lawn. I was bigger then. I followed behind the smaller ones. Something new was stirring. As I walked the perimeter of the church yard, I spotted a little nest nestled beneath a tree. It was crooked and disheveled as if it had fallen from the branches. But there were three tiny eggs inside. I sat down to get a closer look. It was a Soul Artist moment. On the soft cool ground, under the brilliant blast of the Easter sun, I had a new understanding about the cycles of change (samsara in Sanskrit). It is all happening. Seasons. Moons. Days. Years. Thoughts. Life. Creation. Preservation. Dissolution. And it is always coldest, darkest just before the dawn. It was something like that, anyway, elusive and curiously peaceful as I sat awestruck with wonder beside that little broken nest. Birds sang everywhere above me. The breeze blew the style out of my curls. And the sun was there. I let the littler ones look for the Easter eggs. I had already found mine. Walking back to catch up with my mother I felt like I had grown. Like I had changed. I wondered if she would recognize me. |
HOLY- DAYS
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