Happy Diwali!

I was lucky enough to be part of a Diwali celebration tonight! We did Lakshmi Puja and it felt wonderful. Perhaps I enjoy it so much because I'm getting back to my past life roots? Who knows lol What is Diwali, you ask? It's an ancient festival of lights and new year celebration. It's not just the celtic new year! lol

A bit about the significance of tonight's aspect of the week long festival:

The third day of Diwali festival is the most important one for Lakshmi-puja and is entirely devoted to the propitiation of Goddess Lakshmi. On this very day sun enters his second course and passes Libra which is represented by the balance or scale. Hence, this design of Libra is believed to have suggested the balancing of account books and their closing. Despite the fact that this day falls on an amavasya day it is regarded as the most auspicious.

The day of Lakshmi-Puja falls on the dark night of Amavasya. The strains of joyous sounds of bells and drums float from the temples as man is invoking Goddess Laxmi in a wondrous holy "pouring-in" of his heart. All of a sudden that impenetrable darkness is pierced by innumerable rays of light for just a moment and the next moment a blaze of light descends down to earth from heaven as golden-footed Deep-Lakshmi alights on earth in all her celestial glory amidst chantings of Vedic hymns.

A sublime light of knowledge dawns upon humanity and this self enlightenment is expressed through the twinkling lamps that illuminate the palaces of the wealthy as well as the lowly abodes of the poor. It is believed that on this day Lakshmi walks through the green fields and loiters through the bye-lanes and showers her blessings on man for plenty and prosperity.

Lakshmi Pooja, or the worship of the goddess of wealth, is the main event on Diwali in North and West India. It is extremely important to keep the house spotlessly clean and pure on Diwali. Goddess Lakshmi likes cleanliness, and she will visit the cleanest house first. This is also the reason why the broom is worshiped on this day with offerings of haldi and kumkum (turmeric and vermilion). Lamps are lit in the evening to welcome the goddess. They are believed to light up Her path.

Lakshmi Puja consists of a combined puja of five deities: Ganesha is worshiped at the beginning of every auspicious act as Vighnaharta; Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped in her three forms - Mahalakshmi (the goddess of wealth and money), Mahasaraswati (the goddess of books and learning), and Mahakali; Kuber (the treasurer of the gods) is also worshiped.

Part of the Puja was the repetition, 108 times, of a special Lakshmi mantra. It was very interesting to tune into individual voices and then the group voice.


At the start Ganesh was invoked and addressed as he is the road opener. I brought a mango specifically for him. Part of the Puja was the repetition, 108 times, of a special Lakshmi mantra. It was very interesting to tune into individual voices and then the group voice.


I had a wonderful time and give thanks to those who made this event possible.

May you light a lamp to banish the darkness!

Thanks :)

Thank you to Diana. Thank you to Apollo. Thank you to Mercury. Thank you to Hecate. Thank you to Ganesh. Thank you to My Ancestors. Thank you to The Spirits of the Land. Thank you to Ra. Thank you to everyone who worked weather magic to make NYC Pagan Pride Day happen.

It went by so fast! Almost a year of planning and now it's done. Tonight is partly a brain dump and that's because my brain is fried. I was up at 6 am and at the park before 8 to get everything set up. The vendors and info groups were amazing- the old hands knew just what to do and the new folks were pretty on the ball as well. The belly dancers were SO AWESOME! I need to find video of the Isis snake dance they did. Jihan Arts and the Belly Dance Raks Stars.. Wow... I need to post about belly dance and Middle Eastern Goddesses at some point. There were raves about the workshops and the opening ritual and the closing ritual that Society of Diana hosted with our sister group, Hounds of Artemis. We invoked the Statue of Liberty and reclaimed her as a talisman for, well, liberty lol And protection.

I made an offering to my Patrons for their help and I'm gonna get to that now then go pass out. Back to our regularly scheduled epic posts tomorrow!

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

I've mentioned here, once o twice, that I was Hindu in a very recent, perhaps immediate, past life. It has definitely carried over. I don't celebrate all of the holidays, but I do observe Diwalli, usually in October, and Ganesh's birthday specifically- Especially this year. Part of working with Mercury, aside from the daily blogging, has been to get to know him in his many forms. I have gotten to know Hermes and Priapus and Papa Legba and Thoth and Ganesh a bit better.

Ganesh is the Lord of obstacles, the one to hail at the beginning of endeavors, who gives knowledge and wisdom, and who protects (averter of evil!).

For the celebration itself, we turn to the holy wiki:

Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. The pandals are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events.

The priest, usually clad in red silk dhoti and shawl, then symbolically invokes life into the statue by chanting mantras. This ritual is the Pranapratishhtha. After this the ritual called as Shhodashopachara (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, 21 modakas, 21 durva (trefoil) blades of grass and red flowers are offered. The statue is anointed with red unguent, typically made of Kumkum & Sandalwood paste . Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda, the Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, and the Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.

Speaking of chants, here are a few favorites:

"Vakratunda Mahaakaaya Suryakotee Sama Prabha Nirvighnam kuru mey Deva, Sarva kaaryeshu Sarvadaa"

O Lord Ganesha of Large body, curved trunk, with the brilliance of a million suns, please make all my work free of obstacles, always.

"Aum gam ganapataye namah"

Om Salutations and Prostrations to Lord Ganesha


Here's a nifty web page with more chants, their meaning and how to use them, along with advice on ritual cleanliness, repetitions, etc.

I really like this video. It reminds me of the video I posted for the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel! (the sound on the video isn't good, I suggest watching it on mute)


Ganesh Chaturthi by WildFilmsIndia

Ganapati Bappa Moryaa!