Full Moon in Citrā
The Star of Prosperity
At 29° of Virgo
In the Nakṣatra of Citrā
April 12th 8:22 pm ET
Symbol- Diamond or Pearl
Deity- Tvastr, Vishvakarma- The Divine creator of all forms
Punya Chayani Shakti-The Power to accumulate good karma through righteous actions
Nakṣatra Sūktam
Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine artisan,
graceful, radiant, adorned with beauty.
He arranges both the immortal and the mortal,
weaving forms, shaping all the worlds.
Let this brilliance of Tvaṣṭṛ,
let this light of Chitrā,
be clearly seen.
May this nakṣatra, rich in gifts, be ours.
May it bless us with strong, noble offspring,
and bring abundance to our offering—
with cattle, with horses, and with grace.
-Translation by Shantala Sriramaiah, Veda Studies
Sometimes, I think faith can be seen as something outside of ourselves, or like it maybe belongs to a larger entity or holds a certain religious connotation. I feel faith can be a type of subtle and powerful force, a uniting thread beneath the various ways that both ancient and modern civilizations communicate with something beyond the personal experience.
An expression of faith, may feel very personal because it is not something that can be duplicated, or even understood within the confines of language in many ways. It’s not something we can pour into a cup and carry throughout the day, it doesn’t have a name or belong to anyone. But in many ways it is what fills us with something sweet and nourishing beyond our sensory experiences. It could be just one drop of faith is enough to move mountains, to endure the most challenging and complex struggles we face. To move beyond what feels insurmountable with a resounding trust that even after life, is more life.
Of all the virtues to cultivate, faith holds a certain indistinguishable power to resolve our greatest fears. It can show up in little things, rainbows reflecting off of crystal prisms, or stumbling onto any unnamed beauty or force of nature. As if by accident, as if the tree and the deer, and the owl weren’t perfectly placed by some unknowable force to walk beside you. In the natural world’s infinite expressions of love, faith shines its light.
“I have become older and, cherishing what I have learned,
I have become younger.
And what do I risk to tell you this, which is all I know?
Love yourself. Then forget it. Then, love the world.”
—Mary Oliver
To Begin With The Sweet Grass
The way the sky falls like cosmic rain. For thousands of years I stood, looking up at only you. What was once falling stars again became oceans, washing us back into the great river of existence. To be now, is not what it was to be then. What is my destiny? I asked, palms open. As if fate hadn’t been the one in disguise, carefully placing the bricks on the path before me. The stars giggled, and said why ever live in doubt, sweetheart, when god is so clear and willing to be kind. She asked, what will you do with your light? I said, it’s in my bones, and the wind came to whisk me away…
Inside the brewing storm, edges now soft and twirling, become lumped together like soft damp clouds. Suddenly, the sky breaks open, fierce with its lightning, and the rivers again come rushing down, carving new paths of freedom. Standing here as witness, with two feet planted on dirt, on earth, wild like bees, and soaked in honey, dancing on golden shore! Meet me here by the glistening tides, rejoicing! Somewhere between soil and stars, all are praising, rising towards heaven. Just like on any other golden shore, this ageless body sways made of song, sea and stone. These eternal eyes gazing, overlooking the three worlds, I remembered, standing at the edge of the bluffs, how silly to have forgotten at all, that I was always on my way to you.
Tomorrow. Again at the beloved’s door, a window pouring out light. And just when you thought no one was listening, you realize that everyone is here, tuned in, and the whole world is on the line, and at long last, now, all we can hear is singing!
Tell me that story again, great grandmother, the one where you resolve our fear of flight, the one where we are all reunited in the arms of this holy mountain sky…in truth, in justice, in light.
The last many months just waking up to start the day feels like peeling myself off of pavement. I know I may not be alone in these feelings, the weight of the world, little glimmers of trust still peeking through the clouds. The collective heartache, the cries echoing, answered and, unanswered. I share this with you, a tiny view from this angle. Cracked open, heart open.
This piece was written working with Big Bear Retreat Center, read the full article Planting Seeds of Faith and access the resource library for more stories on faith.
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