Category: Autumn

Dia de los Muertos

11/1/2024

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.
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10 Practices to Celebrate Diwali

10/22/2024

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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

Clean your home. The first day of Diwali, Dhanteras, begins the celebration of Goddess Lakshmi, the archetype of beauty, abundance, and material wealth. Make house cleaning a sacred ritual of decluttering your life, detoxifying your environment...and creating space for absolute abundance.
Build a Lakshmi altar. Place an image of Lakshmi on a small altar. Surround it with flowers, candles, stones, and incense. This is done to remember the archetypal attributes of the Goddess–to embrace her beauty, love and abundance as qualities of your own heart/mind.
Adorn your hands with mehndi. Mehndi art on your hands is symbol of good fortune, health, beauty, and prosperity–all characteristics of Goddess Lakshmi.
Create rangoli. On Narak Chaturdashi, the second day of Diwali, it is traditional to create bright, colorful rangoli designs to decorate your home. Rangoli is temporary artwork that depicts beautiful designs–typically floral or geometric patterns. Draw or paint your design on paper, then embellish the artwork with colored sand, dyed rice, stones, mirrors, shells, flowers, and/or beads.
Light diyas and candles. Diyas are small oil lamps, generally placed in a doorway or entry, They symbolize welcoming Lakshmi (and the divine light of awakened awareness) into your home. Place diyas and candles in every room and use them to illuminate your rangoli art. You can also hang stringed lights or use floating lanterns to decorate the outside of your home.
Make a Feast. On the third day of Diwali is the Lakshmi Pūjā (invocation ritual). Invite family and friends for what is considered the most significant day of the festival. Enjoy a meal and share words of gratitude, invoking abundance through the power of your appreciation. You can also chant mantras to Ganesha and Lakshmi to invoke the energies of success, abundance, and joy.
(If it is safe and legal) Light sparklers. This is a popular way to celebrate in India.
Exchange gifts. Padwa is the fourth day of Diwali, and in some regions it marks the first day of the new year. On this day, it’s traditional to exchange small gifts and greetings–messages of gratitude for your loved ones.
Honor your loved-ones. The fifth of Diwali is called Bahu-dooj. This final day of celebration honors the love of siblings and friends. Mark each other's forehead with a tilak made from vermillion. The tilak symbolizes the presence of Goddess within. When you mark your brother/sister, lover, or friend at their third-eye center; you are honoring the divine light that dwells within them.
Celebrate with SoulArtist.life! Find live rituals and mind/body practices for holy day celebrations in the Soul Artist Treasury. Check the Soul Artist Event Calendar for upcoming live, in-person and virtual events.

Access the Diwali Satsang

In Celebration of Light with Sreedevi Bringi.

Diwali is the most celebrated festival of lights in India. It is a celebration of new beginnings; a time to honor the victory of light over darkness.

Also called Dipavali, which translates from Sanskrit to mean "row of lamps," Diwali is celebrated with rows of small clay lamps of lighted oil wicks. Goddess Lakshmi is honored for abundance and joy. The full 5-day celebration begins on the 13th night of the waning moon cycle in the Autumn month of Kartika. Discover more...

Celebrate with Sreedevi