On 'Christmas Blues' and lamps - Sergio

[Guest guest]

You are very welcome! I like what you are saying about the Sun

Goddess. Perhaps on Yule doing the Gayatri Sahasranama? I have yet

to delve into that book, but I can see invoking the " spiritual " as

well as actual sun to be born in me. A fire sacrifice might be just

the thing as well! I am just beginning to do Homa. I have done two

so far. Perhaps I will take the small havan kund with me on my

Christmas trip! I'm glad to hear from someone who has traveled a

similar path to me. May Savitri bring Her peace and blessings to us

both!

 

As for the oil lamps, if the wicks are not too thick your lamp will

not catch on fire. If it is a small aarti lamp I don't think it will

be too hard to extinguish. What I fear is hot flaming oil dripping

on to flammable surfaces. If you always place your oil lamps on a

metal tray, they will not be a danger.

 

Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya!

Kumari

 

, " Sergio Knipe " <sergio.knipe

wrote:

>

> Dear Kumari,

>

> First off, thanks for the suggestions on lamps. I am sure this must

come

> across as ridiculous to people who have always used oil lamps, but

I was

> hesitant at filling the whole reservoir (as opposed to just

smearing the

> whick), should it all catch fire. I will be holding a small Durga

puja

> this evening, so I'll give it a try (actually, I'll see if I can

get my

> hands on some ghee first).

>

> Now, Christmas: I fully relate to what you are saying, as until a

couple

> of years ago I was a practicing 'pagan' myself. I don't want to go

into

> the details of why I decided to turn east, as it were - although the

> 'discovery' of Sanatana Dharma at the hands of European pagans is a

topic

> I'm v. interested in; I would just like to point out one thing: I

think

> that in spreading to Europe (/the West), certain religious customs

will

> have to be adapted. Mind you, I am not talking about 'syncretism'

here (a

> watering-down of tradition I am quite opposed to). I do think,

however,

> that for anyone living in Europe (or at similar latitudes)

Solstices are

> an important spiritual occasion: in winter, the days darken, and

the Sun

> dies to be born again.

>

> I think one solution would be to honour the divine Light in these

days

> according to the tradition Shree Maa and Swamiji are so generously

sharing

> with us. I am thinking, for instance, of the glory of the Devi as

Savitri.

> The Romans on Brumalia (Solstice) used to honour Angerona, the

goddess of

> silence, She who leads the Sun out of the darkness: is She not the

same as

> our Devi? What happened to Angerona after people stopped

worshipping Her?

> Did She just disappear? (Is She not still active, doing Her work as

She

> always has done?...)

>

> As we become 'Indianised' through Sanatana Dharma, so do the

customs we

> have embraced become 'Europeanised': I think this is an inevitable

> process, at least insofar as Sanatana Dharma ultimaly means - at

least in

> my eyes - a rediscovery of the religious roots that Western culture

has

> lost.

>

> So don't feel blue: you're not alone! :-)

>

> Sergio

>