Maha Shivratri is a very sacred Vedic celebration of the deity Shiva – celebrated through silence, introspection and devotion. It is a time when devotees immerse themselves in meditation, fasting and ritual, at the same time, expressing the vibrancy and rasa (juice) of life and connecting with the Divine essence of life all around.
At this time, we meditate on the Cosmic Principles of Shiva. He is the silence and stillness at the center of all of creation from which all of creativity, or the Goddess, also known as the Great Mother or Shakti, emerges. And so it is that Shiva is a boundless “container” from which the Divine Mother can emerge, giving life to all.
Maha Shivratri is also the anniversary of when Shiva weds Parvati – the deity that is the Great Mother. Maha Shivratri celebrates the Divine Cosmic Union of Shiva and Shakti, the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine energies of our being, represented at every layer and dimension of this Logos. Shakti is the very vibration of the universe and her eternal embrace and dance with Shiva is represented in many other indigenous cultures by the two serpents or dragons.
Maha Shivratri also marks the night that Shiva performed the Cosmic Dance of Creation, Preservation and Destruction, the Tandava. It is auspicious to enjoy ritual on this night as energies are exalted and what we create feeds the Web Of Consciousness, filling our lives, families, communities, this earth Realm and Universe with blessings.
COSMIC INSIGHTS
Here is a Cosmic Insight into the astrology of this year’s Maha Shivratri. The planet most associated with Shiva is Saturn and Saturn is with the Sun and Mercury in Aquarius – it’s home – and so the energy is strong here for Saturn. Saturn is the slow moving dense planet of our Solar system that is taking us into our inner world to learn the lessons from the challenges we’ve faced.
Here in Aquarius it’s a strong and challenging energy as we fully align to the acceptance that we have lessons to learn, and then we’re in the flow of Saturn. The potential is for the learning here – the treasure we take from the lessons we’ve learned, to open up our vision and inner stand our dharma path and spiritual path.
Together with Mercury and the Sun – Saturn in Aquarius wants us to dig deep, innerstand how our lessons have given us the gifts to be in service to this fast-changing world and have the confidence to find our place and lead from Self.
With the Moon in Virgo is bringing in that sensitive Feminine healing Mother Earth energy that is enabling us with big thinking to show us a way to carve out a new way not just for ourselves, but for humanity.
All this within the backdrop of the Rahu and Ketu Axis and Jupiter in Aries. Rahu and Ketu in Aries and Libra respectively – is in essence holding a space of deep Feminine, nourishing healing for the parts of us that must let go so we can actualise our path; while Jupiter in Aries initiates our expansion.
With Maha Shivratri, the potential is to harness the energy to get clear on be in service to this fast-changing world, what deep seeded fears are still present and what unresolved burden do we have that hinders us from having confidence to actualise our radical and innvative ideas in service of humanity.
HOW TO BRING MAHA SHIVRATRI INTO YOUR LIFE
The way to celebrate Maha Shivratri is to decorate your mundirs (temples), altars, spaces and homes with flowers and light – these adornments serving as a visual reminder of the beauty and vibrancy inherent in the universe.
Take time to do cleansing rituals and practices to clear away any stagnant, dense or burdened energies that are ready to be released. Perhaps make offerings toward what you are releasing and purging today.
By spending time in introspection, meditation and silence, we can dig deep into our inner worlds, to settle into the deep presence and essence that we are and contemplate the Cosmic Principle of Shiva. In this place we are open to receptivity and are graced with the blessings of the Divine. We bring greater harmony and balance into our lives.
We can also spend time to acknowledge within ourselves what prayers, intentions or purified desires we are calling in at this time, for our highest and greatest good.
If puja, ceremony or any other offering rituals are in your practice, this is a beautiful time for it.
Often bathing your statues of Shiva in milk and cleaning our altars and mundirs are essential parts of preparing for this day.
Chanting mantras are also beneficial, bringing us into alignment with Shiva, such as:
Om Namah Shivaya – I Bow To Shiva
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EVOLVE YOGA PRESENTS
Maha Shivratri Meditation & Miracle
Saturday 9th March 2024
8.08am UK Time / 12.30pm Mauritius / 4.30pm Bali
Online
This year, we are offering an open and free, online community space to come together to set the tone for the day through a ceremony of pranayama, chanting, meditation, prayers, offerings and visioning. This will be a nourishingly indulgent and divine space for introspection and harnessing the energies of Shiva into our life. Thorough engaging in these acts of devotion as a community not only fosters personal growth but also contributes to the collective consciousness, spreading blessings, prayers and positive vibrations throughout the world.
