Worship of God as Mother begins Sept 30. Enormous significance for Hindu/Tantric/Psychic powers etc
Kartik_Vashishta
some material described here.
The spiritual calendar is at:
http://dlshq.org/religions/calendar.htm
From: DURGA PUJA OR NAVARATRI
By
SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
http://dlshq.org/religions/navaratri.htm
SALUTATIONS to the Divine Mother, Durga, who exists in all beings in
the form of intelligence, mercy, beauty, who is the consort of Lord
Shiva, who creates, sustains and destroys the universe.
This festival is observed twice a year, once in the month of Chaitra
and then in Aswayuja. It lasts for nine days in honour of the nine
manifestations of Durga. During Navaratri (the word literally means
"nine nights") devotees of Durga observe a fast. Brahmins are fed and
prayers are offered for the protection of health and property.
The beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are two very
important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods
are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine
Mother. They are indicated respectively by the Rama-Navaratri in
Chaitra (April-May) and the Durga Navaratri in Aswayuja (September-
October). The bodies and minds of people undergo a considerable change
on account of the changes in Nature. Sri Rama is worshipped during
Ramnavmi, and Mother Durga during Navaratri.
God As Mother
By
Sri Swami Chidananda
http://dlshq.org/download/godmother.htm
THE ESOTERIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DEVI-MAHATMYA
By
SRI SWAMI KRISHNANANDA
From:
http://dlshq.org/religions/devi_mahatmya.htm
Now, this Devi-Mahatmya is not merely an esoteric Epic. It is not only
a great spiritual text in the form of occult lessons, occult teachings
of which I have given you an outline. But, it is also a great Mantra-
Sastra. Every sloka, every verse of the Devi-Mahatmya is a Mantra by
itself. I will tell you how it is a Mantra, by giving only one
instance, that is the first sloka itself. 'Savarnih suryatanayo yo
manuh Kathyate-shtamah. This is the first sloka, Savarnih Surya-
Tanayah. It is all a Tantric interpretation and a very difficult thing
to understand. But I am giving you only an idea as to what it is all
like. Surya represents fire, the fire-principle. 'Surya-Tanaya' means
that which is born of the fire-principle. What is it that is born of
the fire-principle? It is the seed 'Ra'. According to Tantric esoteric
psychology, 'Ram' is the Bija Mantra of Agni. In the word Savarnih,
'varni' means a hook; so add one hook to 'Ram'. Yo Manuh Kathyate,
ashtamah. Eighth letter--What is Manu? It is a letter in Sanskrit.
Eight letters are Ya, Ra, La, Va, Sya, Sha, Sa, Ha. The eighth is Ha.
Add Ha to it. Ha, Ra and one hook, make 'Hreem'. Savarnih Suryo-Tanayo
Yo Manuh Kathyateshtamah, Nisamaya Tadutpattim,--you hear the glory of
that, the sage says. So, the first verse means: "Now, I shall describe
to you the glory of 'Hreem'." This Hreem is the Bija of Devi. But,
outwardly it means, "Listen to the story of the king so and so, who is
the eighth Manu" and all that. Thus in addition to the outer meaning,
there is an inner significance of the Mantra. I am giving you only the
case of one Mantra. Like this, every Mantra is full of inner
significance. And every Mantra is repeated by devotees for some
purpose or the other. Especially, the Devi-Mahatmya is recited for
averting calamities in life.