4 navaratri 4 special named kali puja

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone –

 

I was looking at the Event/Festival calendar on the Devi Mandir

homepage and noticed that January 19th will begin the Magh Navaratri.

I understand that there are four seasonal Navaratri that begin at the

new/dark moons of what appears to be in the cardinal signs of

Capricorn, Aries, Cancer & Libra. I also believe that there are four

special Kali Pujas through out the year. I've seen names like Ratanti

and Shyam but can't remember what time of year they happened.

 

My questions are:

 

Do these Kali pujas correspond to the seasonal Navaratri new moons

and if so or not what are their special names? What is the special

focus of these Kali pujas? What should we be meditating on? Etc.

 

Does one only read the entire Chandi every time or are different

scriptures added? Does the focus of the Navaratri change with the

season? - For example - I've participated in Sharad/Ashwin (Libra)

Navaratri celebrations and the personal focus seems to be on the

successful harvest of the mundane and spiritual along with a

spiritual "cleaning house" before the advent of the Lunar New Year a

few weeks later during Diwali. I haven't participated in a

traditional Vasant/Chaitra (Aries) Navaratri but from what I've read

it seems to focus, for the common person, on planting/beginning new

projects/commitments and traditionally is when the King would

worship his weapons before he "goes a-Viking". Or since the Annapurna

puja is during this time is it more about bringing in abundance? Is

the Magh Navaratri which contains Vasant Panchami (Sarawati's

puja/birthday) possibly comparable to the western Neo-Pagan

interpretation of another holiday that falls around this time called

Candlemas therefore making its focus on re-dedication to ones

spiritual path?

 

Thank you

Marsha