Bhogi or Lohri is tomorrow, Wednesday, January 13, the day before Makar Sankranti. On this day, people discard old and derelict things and concentrate on new things causing change or transformation. This is a great time to let go of any old resentments, unkind or destructive habits, or grudges. The festival marks the end of winter, and is a traditional welcome of longer days and the sun's journey to the northern hemisphere. We will celebrate this day with a Sacred Fire Ceremony (outdoors, as the temperatures are warming) at 11am MT and it will be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/HaidakhandiUniversalAshram. For those that do not do Facebook, it will be posted on YouTube about by the afternoon at Ramloti Wood YouTube Channel. You are welcome to send your intentions, prayers for removal of habits and grudges, or other requests to info@babajiashram.org to be remembered at the fire ceremony.
The following day is Makar Sandranti, Thursday, January 14. The celebration of Makar Sankranti is dedicated to the Sun God in order to thank him for agricultural plenty that he has enriched the world with. Also, the sun symbolises embracing the goodness that exists in the world and letting go of darkness or evil. Makar Sankranti marks the end of the winter-dark days and the beginning of the Sun moving into its upward ascent bringing a more auspicious time. It’s also believed that on the day of Makar Sankranti the world is full of divine consciousness and a time to embrace unity and well-being.
For the past many years, some of us from the Ashram have traveled to devotee’s homes in Florida for this event. It was one place that we could take a sacred dip. With the pandemic, we will not be traveling this year and the creek is covered with ice. We are grateful that our water comes directly from the sacred Spanish Creek, so we will have our sacred bath with the luxury of warm water!
Astrologically during Sankranti, Planet Sun enters Saturn house (Capricorn Sign governed by Saturn) staying in for one month. This year, 2021, Makar Sankranti will be even more notable as there will be four major planets in Capricorn, forming a powerful conjunction. Jupiter-Saturn-Mercury-Sun conjunction will be transiting in Capricorn.
This will be a big event, as these planets meet together rarely, but when they do, it is a very powerful time.We will certainly be offering a Sacred Fire Ceremony on this day, as Shri Babaji always did, beginning at 11am MT and it will be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/HaidakhandiUniversalAshram. For those that do not do Facebook, it will be posted on YouTube about by the afternoon at Ramloti Wood YouTube Channel.
You are welcome to send your intentions, prayers for this time, or other requests to info@babajiashram.org or call us at 719-256-4108 to be remembered at the fire ceremony.
Shri Babaji also encouraged us to chant and meditate the night going into Makar Sankranti. It is said that the Gayatri Mantra and Surya Mantra are particularly effective at this time. Of course, Shri Babaji said that the mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” is always effective.
When Shri Babaji was in physical form, He would travel to different devotees’ homes. We began a tradition that every year we would bring Shri Babaji’s Padukas (wooden sandals He wore) to different devotees’ homes.
This last year it was not possible with the pandemic. People are missing this and some families have asked if we could do it via Zoom.
So Shri Babaji will virtually give darshan this Sunday afternoon to the home of Rahul and Ashwini Nipunge.
Typically the family would invite friends and family, which they have done virtually, but all devotees were always welcome, as was the custom with Shri Babaji.
This year it will be easy for all of you to join the paduka puja and kirtan via zoom from 2pmMT to about 2:45pm. All are cordially invited. The link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84820406020?pwd=RXRKYnJYSDFKYmhxYVMrNXBOVGo4UT0
Meeting ID: 848 2040 6020 Passcode: 474473
We began last Saturday evening with a wonderful Zoom satsang with Raghuvir all the way from Thailand (second from the far left in the photo below). People were very inspired and grateful to get to interact with him and ask their own questions. If you missed this wonderful event, it is recorded on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOi4tQL14Yc&t=3471s
We would like to keep doing this on a regular basis, so our next one will be on Saturday, January 23 at 1pm MT. This time we will have two long-time devotees sharing their stories and speaking about how their experiences with Shri Babaji influence their lives today. One of the devotees for Saturday will be Hiroman who met Babaji in 1976 and built an Ashram to him. He currently lives in Bellingham, WA. The second will be Nan Singh, a long-time devotee from Australia. We so look forward to this time and there are so many inpiring devotees around the world. We hope we can get to them all.
The Zoom link will be the same as the kirtan sessions at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84820406020?pwd=RXRKYnJYSDFKYmhxYVMrNXBOVGo4UT09
Meeting ID: 848 2040 6020 Passcode: 474473
We were informed this weekend that Asha left her body Saturday night due to cancer. Her daughter, Natasha was taking care of her with the support of Hospice and she died peacefully.
Asha has been coming with her daughter for about 20 years to the Ashram and her kind, duty-bound, and gentle ways will be deeply missed. We honored her at the fire ceremony this morning and she has certainly been in our prayers since she was first diagnosed about a year ago.
We send our love and prayer to her whole family and trust that Shri Babaji and the Divine Mother are holding her in their arms of love.
As we complete 2020 and move into 2021, we wish to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearst for all your support of the Ashram. If you would like to find out more about the Ashram, read devotees stories, shop at the Maha Lakshmi Shop, or make a donation, please go to our beautifully revised website at www.babajiashram.org. Please know that all of you who contribute to the Ashram are always remembered at the Fire Ceremonies and at Shri Babaji’s and the Divine Mother’s feet. Each of you are always welcome to ask for these prayers as well, with or without a donation. Just email us at info@babajiashram.org or call us at 719-256-4108 with your prayers and petitions. We love to hear from you.
Please know you are all in our hearts as we do all of our daily ceremonies of aarati, pujas, fire ceremonies, discourses, and meditations. Many are live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/HaidakhandiUniversalAshram or posted on YouTube at Ramloti Wood Channel. We pray that you are inspired by all of these offerings and please let us know how we can server you better.
Bhole Baba Ki Jai!