Significance of Navarati - 2

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev:

“Navaratri will be celebrated from the dates of October 13 to 21 in 2015, and will culminate with Vijayadashami on October 22. These nine nights celebrate the Divine Feminine, and are a time of great festivity in India. Sadhguru looks at the significance of the festival and the many ways in which it is celebrated in India.

Sadhguru: In the yogic culture, the summer solstice which falls in the month of June marks the beginning of Dakshinayana, which means in the Earth’s sky, the Sun begins to trace a southward movement in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Similarly, the winter solstice which falls in the month of December marks the beginning of Uttarayana or the northern run of the Sun. The half of the year from the beginning of Uttarayana in December to the beginning of Dakshinayana in June is known as gnana pada. The other half of the year from the beginning of Dakshinayana to the beginning of Uttarayana is known as the sadhana pada.

The southern run is the phase of intimacy or the feminine. The earth is acting out her role as a woman. Festivals concerned with the feminine energy are celebrated only in these six months. The whole culture of this land was attuned to this…The quarter from the Amavasya to the beginning of Uttarayana in December is known as the Devi pada. In this quarter, the northern hemisphere of the planet becomes “gentle” because it is the quarter where the northern hemisphere receives the least amount of sunlight in the year. So everything becomes subdued; it is not “on” in a big way…” 

Source: http://www.ishafoundation.org/blog/sadhguru/masters-words/navaratri-sadhana/