A Mahalaya Amavasya & Solar Eclipse Navigation

Hello Moonchild :)

Connecting with you during a powerful and auspicious time. October 2 is significant for many reasons.

It is the New Moon Solar Eclipse. This follows the Lunar Eclipse on September 18. It will not be visible in India as it is happening after sunset. Therefore, no restrictions are prescribed. Irrespective of visibility, the eclipse season from the Lunar to the Solar eclipse impacts all, it's effects noticeable days before and after. Eclipses bring forth destined events that fuel much-needed transformations in life. So slow down, watch and reflect before you act, respond or react. Surrender to the time and uncover the gifts that it brings for you.

The Eclipse season is a powerful portal for tapping into your intuition, elevating consciousness, aligning yourself to what you are meant to do.

In an Indian context, this is the most auspicious of all dark moons. It is Mahalaya Amavasya and the beginning of Dussehra. Mahalaya amavasya is observed on the last of the Pitru Paksha, the ‘fortnight of the ancestors’ and is also the most significant day of this period - the last and 15th day of offering gratitude to our ancestors, because of whom we 'are'. Rituals prescribed by the Shastras* are followed during these 15 days to tune oneself to energy frequencies of that subtle plane to reach and receive blessings from the Pitrus/ancestors. This makes it a personal experience for many. Devi Paksha, marking the advent of Navrathri starts the next day. So these 15 days have also been intense preparation for the birthing of Shakti as extraordinary energy. This preparation involves fasting and other immunity building observances, all of which also help an individual transition smoothly into the next season (autumn/winter) from an Ayurvedic perspective.

Given all of this, what can you do?

THE DIRECTION

Ground yourself

Connect with your roots, honour your ancestors

More being than doing | More witnessing than action

Embrace silence, connect with your intuition

Relinquish control & Trust the Flow

(You could write this down and put it up where you are likely to see it often. Let this translate into your day.)

Here is some guidance:

You will need: A quiet room, about an hour, journal and pen. If you have a favourite deity or an altar, let these be part of the space you are practising in. For the ancestor ritual, I have given two options. For the requirements for the ritual shared by my teacher, Indu Arora, refer here. Otherwise keep some blank papers handy.

A) CENTERING

Sit in a meditative posture. Centre yourself by observing your connection with Mother Earth. Remember your Gurus and seek their blessings. Visualize a Dark Moon in your eyebrow centre. As you inhale and exhale a few times, ask the lunar energies to flow through you and guide you. Scan the body from bottom to top to check in on any discomfort/tension/tightness/aches/pains. Make movements that can help ease these areas, make sure you breathe well. You can even massage these parts if that aids release.

B) GROUNDING

Lie face/stomach down on your mat. Fold your elbows and rest your forehead on your forearms in Makarasana.

Keep your feet comfortably hip width apart. Relax into this position.

Start witnessing the natural flow of your breath without altering it.

Notice how as you inhale, the belly gently pushes into the floor. Watch how it deflates and releases slowly as you exhale. Observe how there is a rhythm to it.

Shift the focus to the exhales and how the whole body softens and surrenders to the Earth everytime you breathe out, as if you are willingly offering yourself to Mother Earth through her force of gravity.

Feel release of all that does not serve you, while you exhale.

Do this for 28 breaths.

Gently come into a seated position

Image: My parents doing their ancestral ritual

C) HONOURING ANCESTORS

Option 1:

You can do this beautiful ritual shared by my teacher, Indu Arora.

Option 2:

Think of your ancestors who have passed on and who you were connected with.

Write a letter to them thanking them for all that they added to your life.

You can later offer this letter to the earth (bury) or any flowing body of water whenever you have access to it.

D) BECOMING A WITNESS, TOUCHING SILENCE, ALLOWING INTUITION TO FLOW

Sit in a meditative posture with your spine erect (use props if needed).

Scan the body and allow it to settle into a relaxed yet alert position,

Rest your palms on the knees, palms facing up, fingers relaxed.

Focus on your breath and witness it flowing into and out of the heart space, without altering the natural pace of the breath.

Locate that space deep inside the heart where your inhale ends and exhale begins.

Keep your awareness here as you inhale and exhale.

Continue till the breath becomes something that is happening in the background as you simply, effortlessly, dwell in this space of silence and stillness for a while.

When you are ready, gradually make some gentle movements and open your eyes.

Reach out for your journal and pen and start writing using the prompt:

I am witnessing...

Write continuously, without taking pen off the paper for 5-10 minutes.

Once done, read what you have written, observing whatever surfaces within you as you do so.

Close eyes and allow the experience to settle into you.

Simply accept what you have written without judgements and without trying to think of next steps.

E) AFFIRMATION

Read the following affirmation and hold it in your heart space. Repeat it silently 3 times.

I am a witness. I trust the flow of the time. I release expectations and any tendency to control what is unfolding within me and around me. Clarity and wisdom will come to me.

Close the ritual by offering gratitude to your ancestors, Gurus, the Moon and Mother Earth.

What is your way forward?

1.Sit with your writing for a day or two or more. Let it process and clarify. Add things as they occur to you.

2. Keep referring to The Direction that you have written down and put up in a place that you see often.

3. Start observing the waxing Moon everyday as a reminder to staying aware of your journey. You can do a Moon gazing or Trataka as a meditation daily. Gaze at the Moon softly and close your eyes maintaining the image in your eyebrow centre. Keep eyes closed till the image disappears. Then open your eyes and repeat. Maintain a calm slow breath throughout. Do this for a few minutes.

4. Stay open to insights-they may come to you in meditation or when you wake up or through people you interact with or even as dreams. Take action mindfully (it could also mean consciously not taking action) and be prepared to go with the flow. The path may not be a bed of roses, but will be strewn with tests that are meant to bring out the best in you.

Navigate it with trust and awareness and you will rise with clarity, wisdom, inner strength, peace, self acceptance, evolved relationships and possibly some new gifts in the form of skills or talents that you were not tapping into.

Lots of love, grounding and healing energy to you!

Gratitude

Sheetal

*Shastras=Sacred scriptures