ITEM #1 - READING FOR MAY 13, 2020

“The true essence of your soul is one of complete health.”

Today's reading comes to us from Lord Ganesha, the Elephant God. I purchased a new Oracle deck called, "Whispers of Lord Ganesha," and I asked Ganesha to provide us with a universal message for this day. The Oracle card that he drew was #36, "Healing." The number 36 reduces down to the single digit of 9, which carries the energy of completion, or ending of a cycle. Ganesha tells us that with Covid-19, we have stepped through a gateway where the old world will never look the same and new opportunities and choices are being presented that can heal areas of our lives.

Now, I can understand if you are skeptical about this reading because most people would say that Lord Ganesha is a mythological God. Before my journey with The Light, I probably would have felt the same way. But, I have photographed The Light of Lord Shiva, who is Ganesha’s father and one of the main deities of Hinduism, and I have photographed The Light of Goddess Kuan Yin, who is one of the major deities in Buddhism. So, from my experience, Lord Ganesha is a real energetic Being. He can be called upon to support us on our earthy journey and he is happy to connect with us today.

Ganesha is considered the Hindu God of “Beginnings” and “Remover of Obstacles.” He is represented as the Elephant God, with an elephant head and fat human body, as a blend of animal and human form.

His large elephant head symbolizes wisdom, understanding, and a discriminating intellect, so he is a master teacher. He possesses large ears to keenly listen to the prayers and needs of all people. And, he has only a single tusk which signifies one-pointedness.

The four arms of Lord Ganesha represent the four inner attributes of the subtle body, that is: mind (Manas), intellect (Buddhi), ego (Ahamkara), and conditioned conscience (Chitta). Lord Ganesha represents the pure consciousness - the Atman - which enables these four attributes to function in us.

So, what else does Ganesha have to say today about healing?

Due to Covid-19, many of us have been thrust out of our regular routines and we are working to establish new ones. Some of us are physically living alone while others are surrounded by family members. Some of us are employed and some of us have been furloughed.

These sudden, intense changes in our lives have sent us on a personal healing journey to find our balance or center. Many of us may not even realize we are on such a journey, for we think we are just trying to manage the day-to-day stresses. But consider that healing can include restoring balance to health, restoring balance to relationships, restoring balance to finances, healing emotionally and/or healing spiritually.

And, consider that healing can be explored with alternative therapies that may have not been considered before and can be done with social distancing in place. Have you thought of Angel Healing, Aromatherapy, Binaural Beats, Biofeedback, Botanical Medicine, Chakra Healing, Chinese Herbs, Color Therapy, Crystal Healing, Dance, Dietary Therapy, Healing Plants, Hypnosis, Meditation, Music, Qigong, Reflexology, Reiki, Shamanic Healing, Sound Healing, Tai Chi or Yoga?

True healing is only possible when we take responsibility for our own well-being. Ganesha prompts us to believe that we are truly capable of handling any matters of health or relationships or finances without blame, and with integrity and grace. And, like the elephant that passes through thick woods, and creates a new path for other animals to follow, Lord Ganesha clears the obstacles and paves the way for us to move towards healing in our lives.

Ganesha concludes our reading by sharing a tale from his childhood, which illustrates how we do not need to travel the world in order to be fruitful with our healing journey. Taking action in our own homes can create the new beginning and balance we seek at this time.

On the Oracle card Ganesha is holding a mango while sitting on the back of an Indian Peacock, which is the national bird of India. Now this is not an ordinary mango but a special one given to Ganesh’s father, Lord Shiva, by Lord Brahma. The one who ate it would gain knowledge and wisdom. Now Lord Shiva was in a predicament. Which of his two sons should he give the mango to? After consulting with his wife, Parvati, he decided to hold a competition between the two boys and make the mango the prize.

Both boys were eager to win the mango. The terms were that whoever circled the world thrice would win. This put Ganesha in a quandary as he was a plump boy and his vehicle was a mouse. How was he going to win over the faster peacock, his brother Kartikeya’s vehicle? Besides, his brother was known for his active go-getting ways.

Kartikeya didn’t waste any time on thought. He jumped on to his peacock and zoomed off before anyone could even blink. But, at certain points, he thought he saw his brother’s rotund figure ahead of him. But it was too fleeting a glimpse for him to be sure so he continued on his way.

In the meantime, Ganesha called his parents and asked them to sit together. Then he folded his hands and walked around them thrice.

“Now give me the mango,” he said. Shiva and Parvati looked at him in surprise. “Give you the mango?” they asked. “But you haven’t fulfilled the terms of the competition.”

Ganesha’s eyes twinkled, as he replied, “As my parents, you are the world to me; so when I went around you thrice, it was equal to going round the world.” Pleased with his wit, Shiva and Parvati handed over the mango.

Stay well.

POST SCRIPT: On May 20, 2020, cyclone Amphan, the most powerful "super" cyclone to strike eastern India and Bangladesh in 20 years, killed at least 128 people, devastated coastal villages, and left millions without power.

An estimated 435,000 acres of farmland were affected by Amphan according to the Ministry of Agriculture, with mango farmers in Sathkhira taking the brunt of the agricultural impacts with as much as 70 percent of their mangoes damaged.

The fate of the wild animals of Sundarbans are unknown at this time. Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world and are located in the delta of the Ganga, the largest in the world. The area is home to rare Bengal tigers and saltwater crocodiles among other species.

The conjunction of the two disasters - Covid-19 and Cyclone Amphan - will compound the challenging recovery effort.

Please send prayers of healing, love and Light to the people, animals and the land of India and Bangladesh as they face the days and months ahead.