Focus on light and healing
During these times of darkness and chaos it's imperative we try to stay centred. We need to avoid getting caught up in the collective dramas in the world, as well as being thrown off balance by unexpected events in our own lives, and the anxiety and confusion they engender.
Focusing on light and healing can help us feel more peaceful.
The current astronomical occurrences - the visibility of the aurora borealis, the comet, the succession of supermoons, all remind us of the significance and beauty of light, the antithesis of darkness. Light in all its forms, whether the light of a humble candle, the dance of firelight, or fireworks exploding across the sky, affects us. Light can penetrate darkness and provide illumination.
At the core of our being there is light - the light within, which all spiritual traditions point us in the direction of. Divine light fills our hearts with compassion - for ourselves, for others, and for the earth and all its creatures.
In a world of pain and suffering, peace is possible. We find it when we stay in touch with that inner shrine, the heart-space within ourselves. Focusing on our breath, a mantra, or an image that is meaningful to us can help us stay centred.
The goddess Saraswati is meaningful for me. She is one of the main goddesses of Hinduism, but also significant in Buddhism and Jainism. Originally in the Vedas she was a river goddess, able to purify and nurture fertility. Over time she has come to represent knowledge, the arts, and especially music - all of which can play a part in uplifting us and healing.
So gaze on what is beautiful, whether an exquisite painting or one of the countless miracles of the natural world, or listen to sublime music - whatever works for you and connects you to that inner light, the source of all tranquility and joy.
Aim beyond and above the strife that has always gone on in the world, stay centred, by whatever means you can, and be at peace.
(The image is the painting of the goddess Saraswati by Raja Ravi Varma, the great nineteenth-century Indian artist who successfully combined Indian iconography with a Western realist style of painting)