Diwali is a five day festival in India. It begins with Dhanteras, followed by Kali Chaudas and Naraka Chaturdashi, and then the night of Diwali itself. Diwali or Deepavali is the Indian festival of lights. “Deepa” means light and “avali” means a continuous line. Diwali occurs just before the Indian New Year. Diwali 2014 will […]
Kali Chaudas 2014
Diwali is a five day festival in India. The first day is Dhanteras, followed by Kali Chaudas or Naraka Chaturdashi. Kali is the powerful dark goddess (one meaning of “kala” is black) who is an avatar of Goddess Durga. In Indian mythology, Kali was a slayer of demons, including Narakasura. As a lunar based system, […]
Dhanteras 2014
The festival of Diwali is actually comprised of five days of rituals in India. Given the varying time zones and the solar eclipse, there has been some confusion about what is happening and when. We begin the celebration of Diwali 2014 with the festival of Dhanteras. According to mypanchang.com, Dhanteras 2014 is on October 20 […]
October 23, 2014 Solar Eclipse
Following on the heels of the October 8 total lunar eclipse comes the last eclipse of the year. There will be a partial solar eclipse on October 23. Unlike the lunar eclipse, the October 23, 2014 solar eclipse will be visible only in North America and the North Pacific. For the second year in a […]
October 8, 2014 Lunar Eclipse
The 2014 eclipses are happening in pairs – on the new Moon and the full Moon in April and October. The October 8, 2014 total lunar eclipse (called the “blood Moon” by some) is the first of the pair. This total eclipse is visible in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, North America, and South America. In […]
Mercury Retrograde October 2014
The third and final Mercury retrograde of 2014 begins on October 4 and lasts until the 25th. Mercury retrograde will occur in Libra and Virgo in Vedic astrology, or Jyotish. While many people dread the period when Mercury is retrograde, Vedic astrology offers a somewhat varying perspective than Western astrology. In Vedic astrology, Mercury retrograde […]
Sour Taste in Ayurveda
The amla rasa or sour taste in Ayurveda is one of the shad rasa or six tastes. Sour decreases Vata dosha and increases Pitta and Kapha doshas. Sour is comprised of the earth and fire elements. The sour taste in Ayurveda kindles the agni or the digestive fire by stimulating acid secretions and increasing circulation. […]
Vedic astrology for October, 2014
Like the leaves of fall shedding and changing colors, Jyotish or Vedic astrology for October, 2014 brings with it a preparation for our own transformation. Most notably we will have two eclipses in October. The total lunar eclipse will be on the full Moon October 8 and visible in most parts of the world. The […]
The Nine Goddesses of Navratri
Tonight is the first of nine nights of Navratri 2014 in North America. Navratri (or Navaratri) is the Indian festival celebrating the goddesses Kali, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. They are all aspects of Shri Durga. Each night of Navratri is dedicated to a particular goddess who represents an aspect of the divine. The nine goddesses of […]
Navratri 2014
According to the Vedic calendar, immediately following Pitru Paksha comes a much more joyous celebration. Today marks the beginning of the month of Ashwina in Vedic astrology and the first of nine nights of the Indian holiday of Navratri 2014 (also spelled Navaratri). Navratri marks nine nights of celebrating the goddesses Kali, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Vedic […]