Maha Navaratri: A Celebration of Good Over Evil

Starting today and for the next 9 nights we honor the Divine Mother as the Goddess Durga, the slayer of the demons. Everything in this philosophy has symbolism. 

This beautiful, fierce, yet compassionate form of the Mother is said to have slain the demons to save the Heavens and Earth. But what this symbolizes is us, mastering the demons of our minds. 

That’s really where the trouble all comes from, right? Fear, worry, self-doubt. Our senses are in overdrive and our nerves shot. We carry traumatic memories and ego that bring us endless problems and suffering.

When the Divine Mother is at work here, we can lean into her ability to conquer the demons and yet still love them. We can understand that they are part of us, and our path to freedom. 

If we are able to control the mind and senses, our possibilities are limitless. In other words, our minds are our best friends and our worst enemies. So, maybe we should work on slaying a few of those demons?

Simple Ways to Honor the Goddesses (All the forms of Her)

Clean your home: Lakshmi, another form of Her, loves a clean 

 house.

Light a candle or lamp each evening with a prayer for Her 

 blessing

Offer food: Even a small portion of rice, fruit or water, with the 

 intention of offering her nourishment

Practice mantra: Recite “Om Dum Durgaye Namaha”

Acts of service: Offering charity to any charity that supports 

 women.

I am off to the Azores on retreat to celebrate this amazing holiday on the islands: drinking in the vast blue of the ocean, the smell of salt, the touch of ocean breeze, the green of the forest and sounds of the waterfalls. 

Then, I’m off to walk the Portuguese Camino. Two of my dearest friends and I will be walking 170+ miles from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Be sure to follow me on Insta for stories and pics of everything.