Mahashivaratri Moon Gallery

The crescent moon, majestic in all its splendour. A feast for the eyes and God's glory, indeed. Many thanks for a beautiful compilation.

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures of the Mahashivaratri moon!

 

Here in St. Louis, the day started with rain then cleared up, giving us hope that we would be able to "capture" the moon. It was not to happen: clouds rolled back in obscuring the sky.

 

Your beautiful pictures pour the nectar of the Mahashivaratri moon on all of us. Thank you again and again.

The Mahashivaratri Moon Gallery inspires me to return again and again to the mantra inside. There is such stillness in each image of the crescent moon, presiding over the beauty of the world.

 

And then this morning, I read the excerpt from the Shivastotravali in the gallery, and I felt so much support for my practice of repeating the mantra. I looked at the moons again, and they seemed to say to me, “Yes! Om Namah Shivaya! Say it again and again with me!”

 

On the beautiful, auspicious Mahashivaratri night, after chanting the mantra so graciously provided on the Siddha Yoga path website and seeing the beautiful gifts nature bestowed on Shree Muktananda Ashram and feeling united around the world with the glorious moon, I felt a deeper stillness than I have in a long time, and I am so grateful. Immediately when I saw the Temple covered in snow, it evoked inner stillness. The photos are so alive with shakti. What a beautiful gift to all of us. 

 

I wanted so much to be at a meditation center on the night of Mahashivaratri and, due to the distance, couldn't be. Yet I was surely in the presence of the beloved Siddhas. Thank you so very much, Gurumayi, for this beautiful gift of darshan on Mahashivaratri.

Last night I set out to photograph the moon at 4:15 a.m. I had carefully chosen the best location for the pictures and had the exact time for the moonrise—4:35 a.m. Perfect planning and perfect timing. I did a japa walk to the edge of the Ecological Reserve in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, and sat on a tree trunk, waiting, while repeating the mantra. The sky was cloudy, but I was sure that it would magically open to reveal the crescent moon to me. I went on repeating the mantra.  Time passed and there was no change, thick clouds from horizon to horizon. Yet, I could feel the moon’s presence within and without, like silver shimmering, cloaking it all. I closed my eyes and repeated the mantra with reverence. I felt Shiva’s presence everywhere, pulsating lovingly. 

After a while I opened my eyes and nothing had changed outside, the sky was still cloudy. However, a beautiful crescent moon was shining brightly in my heart. My picture would remain in the landscape within. I walked back home chanting the mantra joyfully. I had planned a perfect moon photograph session. God had different plans for me. Om purnamadah purnamidam.