TARA JAYANTI
Mahavydia Series | 03
TARA JAYANTI
THE THIRD OF THE DASHA MAHAVIDYA
AN INITIATION INTO THE WISDOMS OF THE GODDESS.
21 April | HALF MOON*
2o:oo-23:oo CET | 19:oo-22:oo GMT
*A recording will be made available,
if you were unable to make the exact date/time.
Just get in touch.
“Tara, you who’s name means Star.
Goddess of twilight blue complexion.
You who nursed Shiva with your healing milk
When he suffered for drinking too much poison.
You are the twilight sanctuary
that heals the most poisonous of places.”
– Boonath
Tara is a frightening Goddess to behold.
She appears only at night, like her name, which means Star, implies.
She has the wisdom of converting poison into medicine. Just as the story tells, when the mighty Shiva suffers great turmoil for drinking the Halahala poison. Out of maternal compassion which she offers to the courageous, she fed Shiva from her breast and healed him. Tara fed Shiva with the healing blue twilight milk of her starry breast. The twilight milk that dissolves the sharp definitions of dark and light, of pleasure and pain. Tara’s Puja takes place upon the April half Moon. The half illuminated and half darkened Moon reveals the balance of the opposites.
Tara is the middle line
where dark & light,
life & death meet.
Her residence is where death is present, in Tantric initiation into Tara the aspirant is to live for 9 months in a cremation ground, confronted starkly with the reality of life and death at once. Tara is a confronter. She wears a necklace of skulls, sometimes she is distinguishable from Kali Ma by this detail alone. It is a subject of meditation as to why she has skulls as opposed to freshly cut heads as a necklace (which is worn by Kali).
On this ritual we shall investigate pleasure and pain and apply her mudras. Tara’s mudras are challenging physical and psychic maneuvers. They can reach into far off places in our being and help in melting the most tenacious of Granthi‘s (psychophysical knots).
Tara is the grand Witch
who looks into the unseen.
Her Mudras are many and involve some of the most challenging aspects of Hath Yog, as the body is twisted and the gaze is taken to the most unusual and unfamiliar places, both physically and psychically. Through the law of reflection the gazing into unfamiliar physical places is transferred into the revealing of the unfamiliar psychic levels of our being.
Tara will teach us
the wisdom of seeing
through the eyes of the Witch.
That which is hidden comes into view. The Mudras of Tara, involve twisting and backbending at the same time, they confront the places where our inner worlds meet and divide. Tara Mudras open up the Kala Bhand – (literally the dark bridge) this is the diaphram area of the body, a major junction of psychic energies that unites the instinctual chakras below with their reflections above. Tara mudras are greatly challenging but they are the mudras that make us acutely aware of opposites and the place between.
Tara dwells on the outskirts, like a star in the sky on the edge of the spherical canopy of night. Always there, but only seen fully in the natural and unpolluted darkness. Tara is the Mistress of the starlight, and the natural dark.
Her annual Jayanti (birthday) is Ardha Chandra, the April half Moon, for half of it lies within view, whereas the other half stays hidden in the shadows. Her Puja (ritualistic worship) works with the star portals that shine between the known and the unknown.
Tara practices
involve working with stars & star portals
& the secrets of dark & light,
of life & death.
In appearance Tara looks like Kali Ma, there are a few differences that can be discovered by the vigilant. For instance, Tara is often depicted holding the mystical blue flower of Neelkamal, a flower that if prepared in a specific way and imbibed, gives admittance to secret places, both terrestrially and ultra-terrestrially. The blue flower is the star flower, around which this healing ritual will move.
Tara gives the scent of the mystic blue flower when she is approached. The flower that only blooms at twilight assists us with looking into those spaces where we don’t usually look, forgotten and out of sight places. What is perceived and easily disregarded as poison turns into medicine under the twilight gaze of Tara. Just like the witch who dwells on the outskirts and is feared and disdained by convention, sometimes even burned. Tara is the she who holds the magical lore of lost and unfamiliar remedy. The remedy that the straight eye of common convention fails to see because it is not directly in front. On this ritual night we will be looking round long lost corners for the blue magical flower.
This year, Tara’s Jayanti, falls under the Lunar House (Nakshatra) of Pushya, the start god of nurishment. To find out how this star constellation can bring us healing through its influence, read our latest blog entry.
WHERE & HOW: It’s all Online.
MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE
The rituals takes place ONLINE, from 7pm until ±11pm Central European Time (CET).
A recording will be made available, should you be unable to make the exact date. Get in touch with us if this should be the case.
To find out how to register and what you will need to follow the practice online, click on the button below.
BLOG
Tara Jayanti
Tara is a frightening Goddess to behold,
she appears only at night, like her name, which means ‘Star’, implies.
She is the wisdom of converting poison into medicine.
Click Here to find out more.
WHAT IS 'WORKING WITH THE SHADOW'?
A short interview with Boonath.
ANCIENT & SACRED
On these healing circles you will practice a form of Yoga that is rarely available and accessible even in India today. You will take part in a sacred Yogic tradition that roots itself in India’s native shamanic wisdom & Tantric lineage handed down orally between generations of Yogis, Babas, Sadhus and Fakirs.
You will be exposed to the old tantric ways of seeking profound healing and spiritual awakening, including practicing in darkly-lit spaces to quieten the mind and awaken the senses to the body’s subtle energy currents, holding simple postures for long periods of time, and engaging in powerful breath-work to open-up the body and take the mind into altered states of consciousness.
GENTLE
The practice draws on postures seldom used in modern styles of yoga, ancient sequences that honour the mother and the divine feminine, gently opening-up the body to its highest levels of flexibility through minimal effort.
Integral to this experience will be the exploration of sound-currents present in the body (Nada Yoga) – perhaps one of Yoga’s greatest secrets and one of the most powerful vehicles through which the karmic patterns stored in the chakras can be accessed and released in pursuit of profound healing.
UNIQUE
Unique to this tradition is its simultaneous employment of Asanas (postures), aerobic & anaerobic Pranayam (breathwork), Mudras (gestures), and Mantras (sacred sounds).
The synergy created by the employment of these various yogic tools will lead you into altered states of consciousness and dream-like experiences aimed at facilitating a greater openness to inward journeying and an easier access to your subconscious.
UNBOUND
Because we are going to play with shamanic yogic traditions, the practice will take place outside of clearly time constraints. Generally, the practice will last about 6 hours, but if the group is ready to practice longer we might carry well into the night.
INCLUSIVE
The Circle is open to those interested in the healing path.
Tantra and Yoga practitioners, and those seeking healing, practitioners of the mystic arts. Both advanced and beginners will find a place in this circle.
If you have had or are having psychosis please get in touch directly with us as this is important to know about in this work. The same goes for those with strong mobility issues. Drug and alcohol users also need to inform us of their condition. Thank you.
The practie usually takes place in the dark or darkly-lit spaces.
The pictures below were taken in daylight to capture the flow of a practice.
BOONATH
BOONATH was born into a life of yoga. He grew up between Europe and India and was introduced as a child to yoga through his grandparents who were on both sides yoga practitioners.
His grandparents took him on his first Himalayan pilgrimage when he was just seven years old and he has been exposed to the world of yogis ever since.
Boonath has taken initiation into the left hand path (that’s the path of the heart) and specialises in the branch of Chandra Parampara, that is a secret style of Moon practice that works with the night forces. It is a style of tantra that goes very deep into the subconscious roots It is first and foremostly a Healing System. Most of his family still lives in India and he has been travelling there regularly throughout his life in pursuit of yoga. He has worked closely in apprenticeship with elders in the line of Siddha systems of healing and holds much knowledge in the use of rituals, mantras and body/spirit healing methods among other things.
Boonath has been working in this line and helping people with the implementation of these techniques for over 25 years to successfully overcome mental and physical problems, from chronic pain to addiction.
Boonath’s healing and yoga work sees him travelling across the whole of Europe to give workshops and healing sessions. His travels and yoga workshops continue to benefit people in deprived circumstances.
In recent years Boonath has been living and teaching yoga in Germany where he has a network of students. It was in Berlin that Boonath met Kim, with whom Boonath co-founded Working with the Shadow in 2014.
Formal studies and encounters have all left their impression on Boonath, but his teachings are deeply rooted in the Shamanic traditions of the mystical Babas and Fakirs of India, with whom Boonath has been studying closely since childhood to the present day.
KIM
KIM is an Eco-Activist turned Yogi and the founder of Healing in the Willows, the retreat company hosting Working with the Shadow, which he developed in 2014 in collaboration with Boonath, who he assists with the teaching. Kim discovered Yoga in 2005, following a burn-out at work that brought him onto the path of ‘Yog’. Kim had spent over 10 years coordinating international environmental campaigns in Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin for major environmental NGOs, including Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth, ActionAid, and many others.
Kim practiced Yoga with many teachers from several modern styles of Yoga (including Iyengar, Astanga, Vinasa, Bikram, Sivananda, Scaravelli, Kundalini) all over Europe, India and further afield. In 2011 Kim set up a first yoga collective in Berlin, which he then expanded to a new location in 2013, in one of the economically deprived areas of town that was undergoing gentrification. The collective brought together a variety of local teachers to promote yoga on a donation basis within the surrounding community unable to afford the increasing cost of living. It was there that Kim met Boonath and, through Boonath, that his understanding of what Yoga is and what Yoga can do shifted entirely. Boonath’s rare and ancient Tantric lineage revolutionised Kim’s understanding of Yoga and initiated him into a mystical healing journey that impacted strongly also on Kim’s activist work.
Since then Kim has been collaborating with Boonath on developing Working with the Shadow through the retreats, workshops and online classes.
“It shifted my understanding of what Yoga actually is,
on a fundamental level”
Joe
Farmer & Activist | UK
REGISTRATION.
TO BOOK A PLACE ON THE ONLINE SESSION…
STEP 1 | Make the payment
either via Paypal or bank transfer (see below).
STEP 2 | Send a proof of payment
(a screenshot will do) to info@healinginthewillows.com
We will then:
STEP 3 | Send you a confirmation email confirming your registration.
STEP 4 | The day of the event, we will send you an email containing:
– all the technical details to connect to the class online,
– suggestions on how best to prepare for the practice (foods and drinks to avoid),
– how to set-up your room for the practice,
– props you might need during the practice (blankets, cushions, etc).
SIGN-UP FOR ALL TEN RITUALS
Discounts & Additional Benefits
When you sign up in advance for all ten rituals,
you will get instruction to working with the Mantras and Yantras
as part of home study between rituals.
You will also then take part in additional online group sessions
aimed at guiding you deeper into this process of self-study.
These additional sessions and home-study will be
available only to those who sign up for all ten rituals in advance.
PANDEMIC-FRIENDLY PRICE
FEES VARY ACCORDING TO INCOME
Please choose the amount matching your current economic situation,
whether you are unemployed, low income or high income.
Please remember that we depend entirely on peoples’ fees for the carrying out of this work:
UNEMPLOYED
€25 / €199
One Ritual / All Ten Rituals
LOW INCOME
€35 / €299
One Ritual / All Ten Rituals
HIGH INCOME
€50 / €399
One Ritual / All Ten Rituals
PAYPAL
kim.bizzarri@gmail.com
BANK TRANSFER
Account holder: Kim Bizzarri
Iban: IT91A0200870691000003926096
Bic/Swift: UNCRITM1CEC
Bank: Unicredit
*
PAYMENTS ARE TO BE MADE BEFORE
& NO LATER THAN NOON
ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT
*
THE SESSION WILL HAPPEN ON ZOOM
We will send you the links and passwords necessary for joining the practice.
All your need your end is a computer / tablet with a camera (preferably, but not essential – it’s important that you can see us), a microphone (so that we can hear you, but it’s not essential) and good speakers / audio,
as it will be fundamental that you hear the instructions.
*
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
T: +39 3298456532
@: info [at] healinginthewillows.com
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