Puja guide for the first day of Navratri, 9 days Goddess festival!
Welcome to the Navratri
9 days connecting with the Goddess.
We connect with the Divine feminine within ourselves and throughout our lives. This sacred feminine principle is also called Shakti. It is the Life energy that is in us all. I instigate this 9 day puja from the beautiful, rich customs of Hinduism, and the nine days that are allocated each year to give extra attention to the sacred Feminine, by honouring the Goddess Durga in Her nine different forms.
The first day is today! Sheila Putri, the daughter of the mountain, is the first form of Durga that is honoured in India today.
This is the aspect of Power and Energy of the female. The Shakti for the physical manifestation of the Divine resides in the root chakra, the muladhara chakra. It is said earth is created fro there. The colour of this day that reminds us of Sheila putri and the root chakra is crimson.
Today we will start by making an altar and making an intention for these nine days.
After that we can do the guided meditation below.
Making an altar.
You will need:
A pot or dish that symbolises your womb.
A supply of candles.
An image or statue of the Goddess that appeals to you.
This can be the Goddess Durga in one of her many manifestations, it can be Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, a Greek Goddess, or just a picture of something that connects you with the Divine feminine. It is also nice to make an image yourself if you are creative. I am working with the following image of the Goddess Durga during Navratri on my altar. You are free to print this one out for your own altar.
Flowers
Crystals or other objects that are dear to you and that give your altar power.
A bowl of drinking water.
A bowl of earth.
Incense.
And then finally, a note with something written on it that you want to transform in these nine days to place at the feet of the Goddess.
How to make your altar:
For an example you can have a look at the picture of my altar below:
Choose an image of the Sacred Feminine that appeals to you the most and choose a quiet and beautiful place to place the image, decorate and candle.
Put a bowl on the left that symbolises your womb or Hara and put a light or candle in it. Light this candle to also ignite the flame in your own womb/Hara. Make a prayer that the Mother will help you with this.
Fill a bowl with soil and place it in front of the image with the candle.
Take your paper and write down your intentions for the coming nine days. Place it on the earth in the bowl at the feet of the Goddess. There it can rest.
Fill a dish with drinking water and place it to the right of the image.
During the nine days of your prayer, this water will recharge and become a medicine that you can drink at the end.
Put flowers and possibly fruit as an offering to her.
Light incense to honour her.
Give thanks for the gift of your life and the opportunity to reconnect with the Divine feminine.
If you like you can now do the guided meditation to reconnect heart and hara:
Your Navaratri Puja has started!
I hope that you will take this dive in to the sacred feminine with me for the coming nine days!
Click on the follow button if you do!
Lot's of love and devotion Clara @wombloom.
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