Posts In: kamari anvasya

KAMALA JAYANTI
– Kamari Amvasya –

The Loss & Return of the Moon Goddess

On the November Dark Moon
Tantrics study the Ravan within themselves
That is, the part of us that wishes
to impatiently possess the Goddess
before we have won her hand and trust.
It is a night that has been prayed by Tantrics
since the beginning of time
for the return of the Goddess.
We shall meet to mourn her loss,
and celebrate her return
(if we have earned it)

Boonath

This Saturday, 14th of November, is Kamari Amvasya – also known more generally as Diwali, the festival of lights – without doubt, the biggest celebration in the Indian culture.

Amvasya is the absence of light when the Moon is dark, and Kumari means princess. Kamari Amvasya is the absence of the princess/Moon when she is stolen from the sky.                                                               

This night is the ritual time
when the active seat is taken
by the Kamar (prince) force within us,
which goes searching for Kamari (princess),
who has been swallowed by the dark.

The last Purnima (Full Moon) was the exact opposite, known as Kamar Purnima. When the inner princess went looking for the inner prince. This dark Moon is also celebrated as Kamala Jayanti, Kamala is the Goddess of Love, Jayanti is her birthday, an inner symbolism is there to ponder.

This Amvasya is the second Dark Moon in the very heart of the dark half of the year. The darkest Moon also known as Kali Chand. This ritual dark moon is an important festival in the orthodox tradition, and of great ritual significance to the Tantrics.
The planetary currents pose the challenge and incite the Tapasya (strength) of questing for the lost femmine.

The story of Diwali is a story of Kumari Amvasya, as can be seen upon Moonless reflection. It narrates of how the Goddess Sita is stolen away from her beloved Raam by the clutches of the powerful Yogi Ravan.
When Ravan stole Sita away, Raam – the great Solar power – lost his Moon and darkness and destruction fell upon the Heart.

THE EGO OF INFINITY

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Ravan was one of the greatest yogis of unbelievable Shakti (power). He was a devout yogi who worshiped Shiva day and night until he acquired the power of Shiva himself.
Having identified so much with Shiva, Ravan himself became the object of his love and admiration.
The Shiv Tandav Strotra is a song that praises the beauty of Shiva as no other song does.
It was written by Ravan as he wept tears of suffering through the realisation of the greatness of Shiva.

Ravan was so determined
to become greater than Shiva
that he lifted the sacred mountain
upon which Shiva himself lived
as an attempt to show how
his individual self
was greater than the infinite mystery.

But Shiva was soon to show him a lesson.
The mountain came crashing down and crushed Ravan’s fingers for infinite aeons of time. Some even say that Ravan wept the Ganges into being as Shiva kept the mountain crushing upon Ravan’s fingers with the weight if his little toe.

Shiva crushed Ravan’s hand
out of Love for his devotee.
To teach Ravan that no one
can be greater than infinity.

Shiva is the great infinity beyond the beyond. The infinity that cannot be owned or assumed by any. An infinity to surrender and die by.

Ravan sang the most admiring verses ever sung towards Shiva as the weight of the mountain of infinity that no one can lift crushed Ravan into the most painful state imaginable.

THE SHADOW OF RAVAN

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Despite the strong identification of Ravan with Shiva, Ravan still had one little part left that had not merged with Shiva.
Ravan had an avaricious weakness for beauty.
This avarice was void of grace and honour of the feminine. It was the crude hand of the patriarch that sought to dominate and possess the feminine.
This is what lead to his downfall.

Sita, the cool Moon Goddess
was a mesmerizing and receptive vessel
for Ravan’s powerful burning Shakti.
Ravan could not contain
the Shakti he had acquired.

So he went wild and lost his mind at the thought of the beauty of Sita cooling his burning infernos of manhood.
He therefore abducted the Goddess of the Moon away from her Beloved Raam with deceit and force.

When Ravan stole Sita away Raam – the great Solar power – lost his Moon.
Darkness and destruction then fell upon the world and the Heart. But Ravan had overestimated his power!

The Love between the Goddess & the God
was bound together by the sacred breath, Prana,
known to the Yogis as Hanuman,
their loyal attendant and friend,
the monkey God.

Hanuman is also called Pawan Petra, which means the child of the Wind.
The story tells how Hanuman through the fearlessness evoked by his devotion to his Beloved Sita and Raam, rescued the captive Sita and brought her to her place of balance

The symbolism inherent in the story
reveals how it is the breath
that balances the power of the lovers
within ourselves.

It is the breath that reveals the secrets of Love in the outer world. The breath Heals our relationships, for the breath holds the emotional codes of behavior. The yogis call the psycho/physical energy knots in the breath – the Granthis. Tantra attempts to approach these knots.
The breath can resolve the concurrent Love lives, that we have lived in past, present and future.
Hence, Hanuman Ji is the one who brings the Lovers together.

The story Goes through many twists and turns before the Lovers we’re united by Hunumans devotion.
At one point the story narrates that Hanuman needed to bring a healing herb from the Sacred mountain, he was not able to find it, and So he brought the whole mountain with him.

When Ravan was not able to lift the mountain with all his might, how was it that Hanuman not only lifted the mountain, but flew with it across the land?
Because Hanuman lifted the mountain, in the name of bringing the Lovers together, he had the great blessing.
And, so Sita was brought back to Raam by their loyal attendant, Hanuman the monkey god.
And in bringing Sun and Moon back into balance Hanuman restored Love on Earth.

An endless array of lamps
were lit by humankind
to guide the flying Monkey God Hanuman,
carrying Sita under his arm,
back to Raam.

THE POWER OF THE BREATH

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Hanuman represents Prana, the Breath.
Hanuman restores Love and harmony on Earth by breathing the Moon and the Sun back together and therefore overcoming the destructive forces of the fire of passion that had possessed Ravan to dishonour the feminine. This resulted in the failure of the feminine and the masculine to live and Love in equal measure.

When the Shakti
is mistreated in such a way
that brings imbalance in our system,
we can no longer control her
and destruction (rather than healing)
becomes our fate.

In Tantra Yoga a balance is sought at all times to bring the masculine and the feminine, the Sun and the Moon, the Light and the Darkness, and the Active and the Passive, in perfect balance. Yet, in a world in which the active, male, solar forces are so dominant, more attention needs to be given to the feminine qualities, which is why the Tantrics have been worshipping the Goddess for aeons.

This inner and outer balance between the male and the female is, in a nutshell, the meaning of Hatha Yog – Ha, implying Sun, and Th, the Moon. These are equally designations of Kamari and Kamar. The Kama in both their names is the desire that longs for their opposite nature’s to meet. Hence the Tantrics honour the twilight meeting.

Like a million lamps burning in the darkest night, this is the Tantric night of deep prayer for the feminine.
Might it be prayed with tears?
Might it me prayed with amorous force and desire?
It is a night that has been prayed by Tantrics since the beginning of time for the return of the Goddess.
A chance to move towards the inner princess is offered upon this sacred night.
On this powerful dark night,
We may meet to mourn her loss, and celebrate her return – if we have earned it.

To find out more about about this current lunam phase governed by the Goddess Kamala, read also our posts about Diwali and Shaadee.

And if you would like to experience an authentic tantric ritual, join one of our online classes!