Hello Beautiful Souls
Beautiful and vital energies are surging into the phase of the Earth especially with MAHASHIVRATRI today (21st February 2020). We want to talk about the spiritual significance of this night (a night before the New Moon). Mahashivratri is a festival celebrated in India that is dedicated in praise of Lord Shiva.
Shivratri is celebrated every fourteenth day of the lunar month.
The term “SHIVA” can be split into three parts i.e, Sha+I (ee)+va
Sha means shareeram or body
I or ee means eeshwari or life force energy
Va means vayu or motion
When the I (ee) gets removed the word becomes shava which means a lifeless/motionless body. This tells us that Shiva means the potential for creation of life/ life itself. Shiva means “All knowing, all powerful and universal consciousness. The light that destroys all the evil forces of lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego which enslave us.
MAHASHIVRATRI
Maha means “great” and ratri means “night." Among the twelve Shivratris that occur in the year, Mahashivratri, the Shivratri that occurs in the February- March is of spiritual significance. This period is the transition from winter season to the summer season.
This period is the transition from winter season to the summer season. This reminds us (Zita, Daira and I) of the story of ants which we witnessed recently that was very symbolic of the present situation which signifies the transition from wet state to the dry state. These ants as a collective were able to sail through the adverse conditions and step into the land of multiple possibilities to move forward.
On this night, the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in a way that the earth allows the influx of these high vibrational energies in a human body. It is a day when the celestial alignments are pushing is all towards a spiritual peak. For our human bodies to act as an antenna to the incoming energies, one fundamental act during this potent night is to remain awake with our spines upright all throughout the night. Keeping awake all night signifies that we all should take the responsibility to be alert of our actions.
It is the day when Lord Shiva (symbol of light) takes form into the world at a time when there prevails utter darkness. The word “ratri” though it means the night after the sunset, it metaphorically means the darkness of extreme ignorance and unrighteousness in the world (I am separate from the Divine, the ego). Lord Shiva is the light in the complete darkness of ignorance/lack of spiritual knowledge. It is during this time that the Lord steps in to eradicate the impure and low vibrational energies to restore peace and uplift the humanity. Lord Shiva is symbolism of truth, peace, beauty and infinity. Shiva is the very energy on which the entire creation rests. Shiva is the vast emptiness of existence. It is from here that all creation initiates. During this day, he is reminding us all to surrender to the divine consciousness/the SHIVA within us all. It is time for our inner consciousness to come alive within our body.
The scriptures document several significances associated with Mahashivratri:
The Divine marriage between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati
On Shivratri, Lord Shiva became ‘Neelkantham’ or the blue-throated by swallowing the deadly poison that came up during ‘the churning of Kshir Sagar’. The demons and deities united to churn out Amrit (nectar of immortality) from the depths of the ocean. Among many things that came out, a pot of poison came out of the ocean. This poison was potent to destroy the whole universe. There rose a situation where the poison could not be discarded nor the deities and the demons were ready to drink it. Lord Shiva, in such a situation, held the poison in his neck which is why his neck turned blue due to the effect of the poison.
Symbolism of the poison coming out first: On a spiritual journey, the low vibrational aspects of oneself comes up for healing first.
The day Lord Shiva began his meditation after he performed the cosmic dance (Tandava)
Another interesting and a popular story in the Puranas scripted a story of a hunter from Varanasi named Suswara. The hunter was poor and found it difficult to support his family. He would go to the forest and hunt whatever came his way to feed his family. One particular day, he caught many small animals and birds and put them all in a sack. He wanted to catch many more animals for feeding his family, encouraged by the day’s catch and went deeper into the forest in search of more. He was a little worried as the darkness set in and forest was infested with dangerous animals. To avoid any harm, Suswara climbed a tree to be safe from the wild animals. Animals started crowding under the tree attracted by his scent. Suswara plucked some twigs from the tree and threw them at the animals, hoping to scare them away, but to no avail. Throughout the night the animals kept prowling beneath the tree as a result of which Suswara was unable to rest up for the night. He plucked leaves from the tree, which happened to be a bilva tree, and dropped them on the ground. He was unaware of the fact that there was a Shivalinga at the foot of the tree; and that he was performing sacred offering to Shivalinga by dropping the sacred bilva leaves.
Another interesting observation was that all this happened to the hunter on the night of MahaShivratri.
Significance of the night
The story above is a parable.
It was in the story said that the hunter sought to kill wild animals. This can be used as an allegory when the spiritual seeker tries to overcome lust, anger, greed, infatuation, jealousy and hatred. The jungle could be sort to as the mind where all these negativities roam about. On the spiritual journey one must kill these “animals/ low vibrational aspects” to be free.
The name of the hunter was Suswara, which means “one of melodious voice”. This indicates the purity of intent and speech- this can mean that on spiritual journey one must always seek to attain EMOTIONAL MASTERY irrespective of the situations that we are put in.
The hunter was born in Varanasi. Vara refers to the forehead while nasi is the nose. The point where both meet is Varanasi, in other words, the point midway between the eyebrows. This point is also called the ajna chakra and is regarded as a link of the three nadis: ida, pingala and sushumna. When one concentrates his or her mind on this point gains concentration and gradual control over his senses. The killing of the animals in the story thus indicates the control over one’s latent tendencies.
The bilva tree corresponds to the spinal column. The tree’s leaves are special: each stalk has three leaflets. The three leaflets represent the three nadis mentioned above.
The climbing of the tree by the hunter represents the ascent of the kundalini shakti from the muladhara to the ajna chakra.
IMPORTANCE OF THE PLANETARY ALIGNMENTS:
This Mahashivratri, the alignment of special planets is taking place after about 59 years. The planets involved in the highly auspicious alignment today are Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. Lord Shiva is connected to the planet Saturn
Saturn is forming this important alignment in its own sign “Capricorn."
Also, Saturn forms a conjunction with Moon in the sign of Capricorn. As a result of this conjunction and as we all know that the Moon is representative of the DF, it is a very powerful time pushing the DF all to clear the karmic bondages and debts. Since Saturn is in its own sign of Capricorn (carrying feminine energy), the intensity of the clearing and healing today wrt the karmic bondages for the DF is highlighted.
Sun in combination with Mercury will remain in the sign of Aquarius.
This combination talks about the DM (represented by Sun) are opening up to the importance of awareness in the choices that they make for themselves (influence of Mercury) which is accentuated by the effect of sign ‘Aquarius.’ The effect of Aquarius has an impact of the DM in such a way that it helps them see the future and helps them transmute the old to new.
Venus in the sign of Pisces (element: water)
Venus is a planet which carries a feminine energy and talks about our relationship with others. It also helps us reach a place of balance. Being in the sign of Pisces which again has a feminine polarity, the combination explains a lot about how this is helping the DF reach a place of compassion. The core expression of Pisces is to help us return to unity and balance. This feels like the alignment is pushing the DF to reach a state of WHOLENESS. Reaching the state of wholeness is through a knowing of how to purge and to deal with the purges we need to CHOSE and BE LOVE.
Mars- Uranus trine
Mars (carries masculine energy) talks about how we take the necessary action to move forward in life. Uranus is the planet of awakening and authenticity bringing consciousness to the world. This alignment, to us, talks about the DM awakening to their true purpose this lifetime. Also, there is a Mars- Chiron aspect is highlighted today. This aspect for the DM can highlight the parts in their lives where they need to be completely accepting of their feelings and desires. These aspects of their lives are coming up to heal so that they chose to be authentic. These two alignments are pushing the DM to reach a place of vulnerability so that they awaken to their true power.
Sun- Jupiter semi square
Jupiter is the planet of growth and expansion. The influence of this planet on the DM (represented by Sun) is opening their minds to new possibilities and encounters. This alignment will move them away from stagnant energy since all the other celestial alignments are helping them recognize their true authentic selves.
To help the DM in the journey it is important that the DF take the responsibility of healing by leading and reaching a place of wholeness. Only the DF can heal the DM.
A similar alignment of these planets happened 59 years ago in the year of 1961. These numbers carry with them masculine energies indicating the influence of the planetary alignments on the awakening of DM.
The Solar winds are very high (almost 500 km/sec) and thus increasing the Schumann Resonance to a power of 62. At this time of powerful influx of energies into the phase of Earth, treating yourself with utmost LOVE and CARE is crucial. Maintaining equanimity irrespective of the situations around can heal us a long way and hence will help us to be better equipped to the incoming high frequencies.
The solar winds have caused a very unusual intense blue colour aurora lights which eventually changed to green auroras. Blue auroras are rare. Auroras are usually green, and sometimes red. Blue is a sign of nitrogen. Energetic particles striking ionized molecular nitrogen (N2+) at very high altitudes (> 400 km) produces a blue auroras.
Another interesting aspect was the shape of the aurora (which was again unusual). This was CRESCENT SHAPED.
This talks about the DM energy typically highlighting the importance of MAHASHIVRATRI. Lord Shiva has a blue throat due to the ingestion of the poison. This is very representative of the Sun-Mercury combination where the Mercury is the planet of communication which is associated with the throat chakra (blue colour).
CHANNELED MESSAGE FROM THROAT CHAKRA
This only talks about the DM being pushed to communicate the truth to themselves and also others to lead an authentic and a soulful life.
Also, the colour Ajna Chakra/ third eye chakra is dark blue colour. Representative of the kundalini rising from muladhara chakra to ajna chakra.
CHANNELED MESSAGE FROM THIRD EYE CHAKRA
The crescent shaped aurora reminds me of the moon during MahaShivratri in its final waning phase under Saturn’s rulership.
Saturn’s glyph (the sickle) resembles this thin silver lining of the moon, the divine Great Shiva Moon. This symbol, yet again, carries the energy of the DM and also the number 5. The number 5 represents a change and the movement forward symbolising the forward movement of the DM.
Shiva is represented in three different states. The first one being: his eyes completely open which represents one’s conscious mind during the complete wakefulness. The second state is when his eyes are completely closed which is a complete meditative state to still and calm the mind chatter that can be offered by both the eyes being open during the wakeful state. The two physical eyes are just sensory organs and feed the mind with negativity because they don’t see the truth. This state talks about the importance of tapping into the zone of stillness to feel the essence of PRESENCE and finally the third state is when his eyes are partially opened. This stage represents the complete state of bliss in such a way that we transcend to the higher. This is place of vast emptiness from where creative possibilities from the universal womb is brought down to the physical. These states of Lord Shiva is teaching us all to lead a soulful life.
One of the most important take aways is that Shiva and Saturn are here to liberate us all from the material egoistical attachments. Surrendering to the Shiva energy within each one of us on this highly potent day/night will bring peace and solace to us.
Let us all on this day/night be connected and awakened to the feeling and essence of this vast emptiness within ourselves which acts as a catalyst or the source of creation.
HAPPY MAHASHIVRATRI.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYE.
Sending Love and Light
Zita, Charu, Daira
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