To find meaning in ritual, as in life, is the challenge each generation must face up to on its own. Blindly following what one has been told by preceding generations has its benefits. It requires little brain activity, presumably leaving a larger number of neurons available for smartphone interfacing. But, it also means a lower resonance with reality and creativity, with things the way they are, and the way they can be re-imagined. So this Navaratri let’s put our smart-devices aside for a moment and allow our minds to wonder: What does this mean to me other than perfunctorily kept fasts and perfunctorily performed pujas?
When was the last time Durga leapt out in our imagination astride her lion, slaying our inner demons? What do we think of when we hear of Devi, other than an archaic way of bookending a woman’s name? What does “goddess” mean to us, other than a synonym for a diva-like beautiful woman? What does the divine feminine invoke in our minds beyond vague resonances of “girl power”?
Our mindless veneration of Devi, without a mindful recollection of the sheer luminescence of her energy, is a pity. For in our amnesia born of spiritual laziness, we stand to forget some of the most powerful archetypes of femininity found in any culture in the world. The 10 forms of Devi — the Dasha Mahavidya — for instance, capture feminine power in its many manifestations and forms, both real and re-imagined.
She is as much a slayer at 16, as the beauteous Shodashi, as she is as Chhinna-masta who will do anything, even cut off her own head, to nourish others. As Bhuvaneshwari, she creates her world and as Bhairavi she owns her created world completely — decay, death and destruction included.
She never turns away from the unpleasant, the morbid and the disgusting, for isn’t that where true power lies? In knowing reality as it is, warts and all, which she also does as Dhumawati, pointing to the dissatisfaction inherent in existence. And as Matangi, she furthers her quest for what is real by subverting norms of ritual purity and sifting through the chaff to find the grain of truth.
She consciously and willfully burns away all that is negative as Kali, finding her positivity as she goes along, and as Tara she is able to guide others to it too. As Bagalamukhi, she registers her willingness and ability to do what it takes to find balance and as Kamala she ensures a heart full of happiness for herself and those around her.
Might a festival such as Navaratri become an opportunity to re-imagine and, in many ways, re-enchant the divine feminine for our times? For our mundane lives might be “smart” enough via devices, but are they enchanted enough? Through enchantment and imagination, we discover parts of ourselves we never thought could possibly exist. So let faith be. This Navaratri, let us re-enchant our lives with legends of Devi.
