{"id":19619,"date":"2019-04-01T01:10:31","date_gmt":"2019-04-01T06:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=21048"},"modified":"2019-04-01T13:52:26","modified_gmt":"2019-04-01T18:52:26","slug":"goodgod-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2019\/04\/01\/goodgod-27\/","title":{"rendered":"GoodGod!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meet the Gods: Lord Shiva<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Merry meet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nLord\nShiva is one of the most important deities in the Hindu religion. He\nis known by many names including Mahadeva, Rudra, Shambhu and\nNataraja. Shiva\u2019s form of Nataraja symbolizes the cosmic dance of\ncreation and destruction, according to an article by Aayush on\ndetacher.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nLord\nShiva is one of three primary deities of the Hindu trinity and is\nworshiped as both the destroyer and the transformer of the world. He\nis the source of art, religion and science. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\u201cIn\nGod\u2019s endless dance of creation, preservation, destruction, and\npaired graces is hidden a deep understanding of our universe.\nNataraja\u2019s dance is not just a symbol, it is phenomenon taking\nplace within each of us, at the atomic level, this very moment,\u201d\nAayush wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe\ndance exists in five forms depicting the cosmic cycle from creation\nto destruction. It is believed that Lord Shiva danced the universe\ninto existence, motivates it and will eventually end it. The dance\nhas the rhythm of divine perfection as a subtle vibration. It\nmanifests in the cyclical nature of the seasons, planetary movement,\nscientific laws and the body\u2019s biorhythms. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe\nKing of Dance, as he is known, is typically shown with four arms. He\nholds a sacred drum in his upper right hand representing the rhythm\nto which he dances, ceaselessly recreating the universe. His lower\nright hand makes the gesture of the abhaya mudra, meaning to not be\nafraid, for those who follow the righteous path have his blessing.\nThe upper left hand holds the flame that transforms by destroying\nillusions. The lower left hand gestures toward his uplifted left\nfoot, which releases the mature soul from bondage, offering everyone\nthe way to liberation, fulfillment and eternal bliss through\nmeditation and mastery over baser appetites. The other foot stands on\n\u201ca soul temporarily earth-bound by its own sloth, confusion and\nforgetfulness,\u201d wrote Dr. Meredith Fosque, a professor at NC State\nUniversity. \u201cThe cobra around Nataraja’s waist is kundalini shakti,\nthe soul-impelling cosmic power resident within all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSometimes,\nrather than the flame, he holds a trisula \u2013 a three-pronged sacred\nweapon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\nEvery\ndetail \u2013 including Lord Shiva\u2019s unkept hair and the ring of fire\n\u2013 have significance. He is unconventional, making and breaking\nmoral codes and social customs to demonstrate his freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nHis\nabode is Mount Kailash in the Tibetan Himalayas, which is considered\nsacred in four religions: Bon, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Nandi,\nusually depicted as a bull, is the guardian of the gate to Kailash\nand the vehicle for the Shiva. The Goddess Parvati or Shakti is\nShiva\u2019s consort. His divine sons Ganesha and Kartikeya occupy\nimportant places in the Hindu pantheon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nHe\nis pure in heart and easy to please, a good husband and father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThere\nare two fundamental approaches to worshiping Lord Shiva: the right\nhand method and the left hand method. In the first, Shiva is\nworshipped in the traditional manner with prayers, chants, offerings\nof flower, water, light, incense, honey, milk, sandal paste, saffron,\nclothing and food, according to Jayaram V\u2019s article, \u201cThe Worship\nof Lord Shiva\u201d on hinduwebsite.com. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\u201cThe\nleft hand methods of worship are extreme in nature and followed only\nby a very limited number of followers in tantric traditions of\nSaivism. Some of them are extremely disgusting and generally despised\nby the public,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIn\nIndia, celebrations and austere practices such as fasting and praying\ndaily are held from July to August to worship Lord Shiva. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSaivism,\nhowever, considers devotional worship and services secondary to the\nmore superior methods involving knowledge, yoga and meditation. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAn\narticle written by wikiHow staff states, \u201cThough you can pray to\nLord Shiva any day, Mondays are considered sacred days of worship in\nthe Hindu religion. Presenting cold milk, traditional bilva leaves,\nor grains like barley, millet, rice, and wheat are considered good,\nworthy offers for Lord Shiva. Offerings can increase your favor with\nthe god.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nConsider\nlighting a diya (lamp) filled with ghee, and chant mantras such as\n\u201cOm Namah Shivaya\u201d and \u201cMahamritunjay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nRemember\nto remove old offerings when presenting new ones, and keep the shrine\nor altar area simple and free of clutter that would block energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\nWorshipers\nare cautioned it is bad luck to offer coconut water, turmeric and\nKetaki flowers to Lord Shiva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nShiva\nis powerful. He destroys what was to create what is. He helps us move\nbeyond our attachments. He destroys suffering and removes impurities\nsuch as ignorance, egoism, delusion and pride from us to facilitate\nour spiritual growth. That makes him the right deity to worship if\nyou are looking for a change of direction in your life. He protects\nall animals from disease, death and destruction. All knowledge flows\nfrom Shiva, especially liberating knowledge in the form of Ganga.\nArtists and scientists both can turn to him. Musicians, too, as he\nwas a good musician, singer and dancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merry part. And merry meet again.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About\nthe Author:<\/strong>\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lynn\nWoike<\/strong> was\n50 \u2013 divorced and living on her own for the first time \u2013 before\nshe consciously began practicing as a self taught solitary witch. She\ndraws on an eclectic mix of old ways she has studied \u2013 from her\nSicilian and Germanic heritage to Zen and astrology, the fae,\nBuddhism, Celtic, the Kabbalah, Norse and Native American \u2013 pulling\nfrom each as she is guided. She practices yoga, reads Tarot and uses\nReiki. From the time she was little, she has loved stories, making\nher job as the editor of two monthly newspapers seem less than the\nwork it is because of the stories she gets to tell. She lives with\nher large white cat, Pyewacket, in central Connecticut. You can\nfollow her boards on Pinterest<\/a>,\nand write to her at woikelynn at gmail dot com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet the Gods: Lord Shiva Merry meet. Lord Shiva is one of the most important deities in the Hindu religion. He is known by many names including Mahadeva, Rudra, Shambhu and Nataraja. Shiva\u2019s form of Nataraja symbolizes the cosmic dance of creation and destruction, according to an article by Aayush on detacher.com. Lord Shiva is one of three primary deities of the Hindu trinity and is worshiped as both the destroyer and the transformer of the world. He is the source of art, religion and science. \u201cIn God\u2019s endless dance of creation, preservation, destruction, and paired graces is hidden a deep understanding of our universe. Nataraja\u2019s dance is not just a symbol, it is phenomenon taking place within each of us, at the atomic level, this very moment,\u201d Aayush wrote. The dance exists in five forms depicting the cosmic cycle from creation to destruction. It is believed that Lord Shiva danced the universe into existence, motivates it and will eventually end it. The dance has the rhythm of divine perfection as a subtle vibration. It manifests in the cyclical nature of the seasons, planetary movement, scientific laws and the body\u2019s biorhythms. The King of Dance, as he is known, is typically shown with four arms. He holds a sacred drum in his upper right hand representing the rhythm to which he dances, ceaselessly recreating the universe. His lower right hand makes the gesture of the abhaya mudra, meaning to not be afraid, for those who follow the righteous path have his blessing. The upper left hand holds the flame that transforms by destroying illusions. The lower left hand gestures toward his uplifted left foot, which releases the mature soul from bondage, offering everyone the way to liberation, fulfillment and eternal bliss through meditation and mastery over baser appetites. The other foot stands on \u201ca soul temporarily earth-bound by its own sloth, confusion and forgetfulness,\u201d wrote Dr. Meredith Fosque, a professor at NC State University. \u201cThe cobra around Nataraja’s waist is kundalini shakti, the soul-impelling cosmic power resident within all.\u201d Sometimes, rather than the flame, he holds a trisula \u2013 a three-pronged sacred weapon. Every detail \u2013 including Lord Shiva\u2019s unkept hair and the ring of fire \u2013 have significance. He is unconventional, making and breaking moral codes and social customs to demonstrate his freedom. His abode is Mount Kailash in the Tibetan Himalayas, which is considered sacred in four religions: Bon, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Nandi, usually depicted as a bull, is the guardian of the gate to Kailash and the vehicle for the Shiva. The Goddess Parvati or Shakti is Shiva\u2019s consort. His divine sons Ganesha and Kartikeya occupy important places in the Hindu pantheon. He is pure in heart and easy to please, a good husband and father. There are two fundamental approaches to worshiping Lord Shiva: the right hand method and the left hand method. In the first, Shiva is worshipped in the traditional manner with prayers, chants, offerings of flower, water, light, incense, honey, milk, sandal paste, saffron, clothing and food, according to Jayaram V\u2019s article, \u201cThe Worship of Lord Shiva\u201d on hinduwebsite.com. \u201cThe left hand methods of worship are extreme in nature and followed only by a very limited number of followers in tantric traditions of Saivism. Some of them are extremely disgusting and generally despised by the public,\u201d he wrote. In India, celebrations and austere practices such as fasting and praying daily are held from July to August to worship Lord Shiva. Saivism, however, considers devotional worship and services secondary to the more superior methods involving knowledge, yoga and meditation. An article written by wikiHow staff states, \u201cThough you can pray to Lord Shiva any day, Mondays are considered sacred days of worship in the Hindu religion. Presenting cold milk, traditional bilva leaves, or grains like barley, millet, rice, and wheat are considered good, worthy offers for Lord Shiva. Offerings can increase your favor with the god.\u201d Consider lighting a diya (lamp) filled with ghee, and chant mantras such as \u201cOm Namah Shivaya\u201d and \u201cMahamritunjay.\u201d Remember to remove old offerings when presenting new ones, and keep the shrine or altar area simple and free of clutter that would block energy. Worshipers are cautioned it is bad luck to offer coconut water, turmeric and Ketaki flowers to Lord Shiva. Shiva is powerful. He destroys what was to create what is. He helps us move beyond our attachments. He destroys suffering and removes impurities such as ignorance, egoism, delusion and pride from us to facilitate our spiritual growth. That makes him the right deity to worship if you are looking for a change of direction in your life. He protects all animals from disease, death and destruction. All knowledge flows from Shiva, especially liberating knowledge in the form of Ganga. Artists and scientists both can turn to him. Musicians, too, as he was a good musician, singer and dancer. Merry part. And merry meet again. *** About the Author: Lynn Woike was 50 \u2013 divorced and living on her own for the first time \u2013 before she consciously began practicing as a self taught solitary witch. She draws on an eclectic mix of old ways she has studied \u2013 from her Sicilian and Germanic heritage to Zen and astrology, the fae, Buddhism, Celtic, the Kabbalah, Norse and Native American \u2013 pulling from each as she is guided. She practices yoga, reads Tarot and uses Reiki. From the time she was little, she has loved stories, making her job as the editor of two monthly newspapers seem less than the work it is because of the stories she gets to tell. She lives with her large white cat, Pyewacket, in central Connecticut. You can follow her boards on Pinterest, and write to her at woikelynn at gmail dot com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19619\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}