Eye on the sky - Makar Sankranti on Jan 14th, and Bhogi on Jan 13th

Surya (The Sun) moves into the sign of Capricorn  (makar) on Jan 14th and will stay there until 13th of Feb.

This is an extremely important Sankranti called “Makara Sankranti” and this begins an auspicious period known as “Uttarayana”. 

Uttarayana

The term Uttarayana is derived from two different Sanskrit words “uttara” (North) and “ayana” (movement) thus indicating a semantic of the northward movement of the Earth on the celestial sphere.

Sankranti

• Whenever the Sun changes signs it is called “Sankranti”. 
•  Our ancient seers declared these days of transition as unfit for any auspicious beginnings.
•  It is the time to look back at the month that passed, what were the key challenges you faced, what were the pros and cons, most importantly what were the key take aways or lessons you learned etc. You can also use this time wisely to prepare and plan for the month ahead. 

• The day of Sankranti is extremely auspicious for meditation, prayer, contemplation and self exploration. You will also benefit greatly by reading the scriptures. 

Makara Sankranti Maha Punya Kala - 03:52 PM to 04:47 PM

Duration - 00 Hours 54 Mins

Makara Sankranti Moment - 03:52 PM

This is a perfect time to pray to Surya.

You can chant Surya Gayatri, Aditya Hridyam

Rituals and Offerings


 Khichari or rice cooked with lentils and vegetables is taken as prasada along with kheer the rice and milk pudding. Feeding the birds and animals is very auspicious.

Punjabi celebrate this as Lohri

Bhogi (mostly celebrated in South)

Bhogi is celebrated the day preceding Makar Sankranti. 

According to the Gregorian calendar it is normally celebrated on 13 January. 

Bhogi is the last day of Dakshinayana and it signifies the cleansing of our mind from negative thoughts and making a firm resolve to walk the path of light, love and wisdom.

So use this day to discard all the things you do not need in your home and office.

 You can also make a list of things you want to accomplish and get done during the Uttarayan transit of the Sun (Jan to June). 

It is also recommended to let go of any negative feelings we have harbored in our hearts knowingly or unknowingly.

Ashlesha Nakshtra

As the moon transits Ashlesha nakshatra use this mudra to harness the mystical energy of this asterism.

Ashlesha nakshatra is ruled by the Nagas, and the symbol associated with this nakshatra is a Serpent.

In sanskrit the word “naga” means serpents. Mudras are hand positions/gestures that can help us channel the flow or prana/energy within us!

Naga Mudra can provide us with deep insights and clarity about our own mind!

Serpents represents mysticism and are full of occult and hidden wisdom! Just like the snakes that shed their skin – On the day when planets transit this asterism, we have the power to let go of all the toxins and poisons that we have accumulated over lifetimes.

One of the characteristic of a serpent is the way it can move through obstacles. They do not disturb anyone unless and until someone pose a threat to their freedom. Similary this mudra gives us the strength to clear our obstacles and limitations and move past them.

How to do the Naga Mudra ?

1)Sit comfortably with your spine errect.
Cross your hands in front of you at chest level.

2)Bring the thumbs together and make a pose that is shown on the picture below.

3)Close your eyes.

4)Take few long deep breaths in and out.
Watch your breath and you will soon enter a meditative state.

5)After 3 to 4 minutes bring the hands down and keep them on your lap with palm facing the ceiling.

6)Continue to meditate for 10 to 20 minutes.

Attitude of Gratitude!

why is practicing gratitude important? The universal law of attraction is that what you put out is attracted back to you. This idea is to be taken with a grain of salt, but what it gets at is that the human mind & our perspective are very powerful. When you start to notice the goodness in your life through the practice of gratitude, that abundance is multiplied, shining light and echoing more abundance into your life. As humans, we often find ourselves falling into lack spirals. One thing goes wrong, next thing we know we are listing everything in our life that isn’t going right. How do we protect ourselves from these lack spirals and toxic patterns? Attitude of Gratitude! 

Let’s get something straight, Gratitude is not spiritual bypassing or avoiding the hard or bad things going on in your life. Gratitude is acknowledging the bad but also acknowledging the good. Our lows are important, and need to be felt, processed, and acknowledged. Our lows contrast our highs so that we can feel and acknowledge the highs. This is the magic of duality and the balance of life. One cannot exist without the other, gratitude keeps the sacred balance between the two. We tend to let the little things that aren’t going right in our life like the health issues, relationship problems, or losses pollute and poison our minds. When in comparison we usually have so much to be grateful for that we forget to acknowledge. Gratitude helps us step back when life gets hard and remember there is always a duality.

1. Gratitude creates new social connections. Through showing gratitude to the people and things in your life it creates strong connections based around respect and appreciation. 

2. Gratitude improves psychological health.  A study done by Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a gratitude researcher who conducted studies on the link between gratitude and well being confirms that Gratitude increases happiness levels and decreases stress and depression.

3. Gratitude helps people sleep better at night. Multiple studies have found that practicing gratitude helps us fall asleep faster and allows our brains to fall into deeper sleepcycles, so that we feel more rested. 

4. Gratitude breaks toxic brain patterns.

5. Gratitude reduces social comparison and increases self esteem. Studies showed that rather than becoming resentful toward people who have more money or better jobs – which is a major factor in reduced self-esteem – grateful people are more easily able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.

Gratitude is a practice of finding the silver lining and lessons in situations, counting your blessings, and soaking up the abundance that is already readily all around you.

Lokah:  The location of all universes existing at this moment
Samastah: All beings living in this location
Sukhino: In happiness, joy and free from all suffering
Bhav: The divine mood or state of union
Antu: May it be so

May all beings everywhere be happy and free. and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all. It’s big translation for just four words, right? But that’s the richness of Sanskrit for you.

And remember – “all beings everywhere” includes yourself.  Make sure that your thoughts, words, and actions are in line with creating happiness and freedom for yourself

Punarvasu Nakshatra connects the sign of Gemini and Cancer as 3 parts of this nakshatra falls in the sign of Gemini and one in cancer. Gemini is ruled by Mercury and Cancer by Moon. Connection between the Moon (which represents your mind) and Mercury (which represents your intellect) is important to have a strong memory power. Moreover, the Nakshatra in itself is ruled by Jupiter which represents knowledge.
So by spending time to learn and to meditate on days when the moon transits Punarvasu Nakshatra you can improve your memory power.
Another simple ritual you can do everyday before you begin your studies is to light a 🪔 lamp. Lighting a lamp Honors the Agni Tattva which is very important in gaining knowledge.
Punarvasu Nakshatra in itself is all about repetition and return, so whatever you undertake on days when the Moon transits this nakshatra will return and repeat in your life.
To 

Kritikka nakshatra rituals

Kritikka nakshatra rituals

Today the moon transits Kritikka nakshatra. This nakshatra spans across the signs Aries and Taurus and kind of acts like a bridge between them. Aries is where the Sun is exalted and Taurus is where the moon is exalted. Moon is exalted in Kritikka nakshatra which is ruled by the Sun. Chanting Gayatri mantra on days when the moon transits Kritikka nakshatra is very effective and can help you attain clarity in life.
People who have been going through relationship issues can fix it by praying to Lord Kartikeya on days when the moon transits Kritikka nakshatra for 6 consecutive months. This is because Aries is ruled by Mars (masculine energy) and Taurus is ruled by Venus (Feminine energy). People who are looking to find their life partner can also do this ritual.
If you have problems with debts and financial instability then today is a powerful day to settle a tiny part of your debt. Mars causes debts and Venus brings financial stability. Since Kritikka nakshatra connects both of them, it is auspicious for financial prosperity as well.

Today is Monday (ruled by Shiva) - so you can listen to or meditate on Sri Rudram which brings both material and spiritual blessings and comfort.

Monday Feb 3rd
Saturday March 28th
Saturday April 25th - Akshya Tritya
Friday May 22nd
Thursday June 18th
Thursday July 16th
Wed August 12th
Tuesday Sept 8th

Vaikunta Ekadashi

Vaikunta Ekadashi - The most Auspicious Day to obtain the Blessings of Lord Narayana! Meditate on him before Sunrise! He is the Overlord of Planet MERCURY,the DemiGod for Learning Astrology!

http://www.sathyasaiottawa.org/pdf/Vedam/Narayana_Upanishad.pdf