She sits on a lotus flower and holds two others in her hands. The lotus is associated as a symbol of fertility and life. Her other two hands spill gold coins. The elephants she is flanked with also spill coins or water - fertilizing rains. She is often known as the goddess of wealth and good fortune. She is called upon by business owners to rain down wealth and prosperity to them and actually worship their accounting books during one of her festivals.
With all of her symbols it is easy to get wrapped up in the external and material matters that she may represent, but the goddess is much more. She is an aspect of the great mother. And she has the capacity to take over three of the male gods duties: Brahma (creating), Vishnu (Sustaining) and Shiva (destroying) by performing all three functions and thus completely dominating the divine landscape. She is associated with righteous behavior and is said to dwell in those who have clean bodies and are well-dressed. In the Mahabharata she says, "I dwell in truth, gift, vow, austerity, strength, and virtue."
I began on the New Moon in February 26th creating my alter to Lakshmi and chanting to her. Since she is often associated with elephants and sometimes found alongside Ganesha, I began with a mantra that worked with both of their energies:
"Om Lakshmi Ganapatayai Namaha."
This mantra invokes Lakshmi's energy of prosperity and abundance with Ganesha's removing of obstacles to the flowering of abundance.
In contrast from some days of chanting to Ganesha that felt difficult and daunting, I felt a new and lighter energy in chanting to Lakshmi. She felt light and fun in contrast to Ganesha's focus on removing unwanted energies. She is a bright and beautiful goddess spilling wealth and prosperity! Who wouldn't love that?!
The mantra came easy and I quickly dove through 108 reps each night. Then spent some time contemplating my businesses and my husband's as well, since we were still in the slow and challenging winter months of my husband's landscaping business and literally no income was coming in, I asked him to also chant to Lakshmi and help light her candle and incense from time to time.
On February 16th I headed to Bali on a yoga retreat. I knew that traveling with a full alter would be difficult. So I brought a picture of Lakshmi and my rose quartz mala beads that I used to chant to her each day. My focus began to change to the business of the retreat and making sure that everyone was attended to and that the retreat was managed seamlessly for everyone. I also asked Lakshmi to provide support for both my partner's business and mine while we were away in Bali. Each day in Bali (usually upon waking), I would chant to her and take a few moments of prayer before heading out for our morning coconut water and yoga. I changed the mantra to something even simpler and more direct: "Om Shreem Maha Lakshmyai Namaha."
The retreat went really well and Lakshmi was certainly there to support us before, during and after our journey to Bali. The day before we left Bali, I dedicated a yoga class to Lakshmi and created an alter to her for everyone to share. We talked about abundance and beauty and all that Lakshmi offers. It was a beautiful way to end the retreat by sharing her with the others after having dedicated time to her personally each day.
When I returned home, I was quite tired from travel. I think I missed chanting one day to her. But my husband told me that while I was gone he did light the candle most evenings that I had on the Lakshmi alter at home. His businesses were starting to get busy, which I like to think is a result of his energy to Lakshmi.
My plan was to continue chanting to Lakshmi until April 9th, which was last night. And I did just that. I finished up my last chant and day of honoring Lakshmi by chanting several different mantras 108 times:
"Om Shreem Shreeyai Namaha."
"Om Shreem Shreem Shreem Mahaa Lakshmyai Namaha."
"Om Hreem Shreem Lakshmibhyo Namaha."
Shreem and Hreem are both seed-sounds. Hreem is the seed-sound adding Divine attraction and Shreem is the seed-sound to increase creative abundant energy within us. I burned quite a bit of Lakshmi incense yesterday, and began to take down her alter to prepare for Durga today.
One thing that began to change in my intentions somewhere during Bali, was to bring in the aspect of beauty to my prayers and devotional work. I'm not sure that I have given this aspect much focus in recent years, and it has become apparent to me that to honor the Goddess in all her forms, I need to honor her life-force and beauty. And also to honor this aspect within myself. I think that because our society has warped the concept of beauty so much that I actually pulled away from wanting to connect to it for some time. But I realize the significance of this and how it is something to cultivate, and I look to Lakshmi in her beautiful pink robes and surrounded by pretty lotus flowers for this guidance.
My 40 days of chanting to Lakshmi was, "easy-breezy." She was a light and fun goddess, and a welcomed change to the powers of Ganesha. Now, as I move into the power of Ma Durga for the next 40 days, I know that the energy will once again shift, and possibly take me into deeper levels of myself. What will show up? That is the amazing opportunities of chanting...one never knows at the onset, but always uncovers something deep and lasting in the end.
Om Shanti.
Tracey
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