Dewali

 Diwali, or Divali, is the Hindu Festival of Lights. It is a five day lunar holiday, and this year, it begins tommorrow on the New Moon. Houses are cleaned, gifts are given, and lights are lit in celebration. As there are many different Hindu traditions, I will just say that the main message here is the conquest of Light over Darkness. The legend is about the defeat of the demon, Narakasur, by Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and Light. Other versions have the demon conquered by Krishna or Satyabhama, one of Krishna's wives. My very first understandings of the Goddess came here, in reading about the conquest of the Goddess, Kali, over the demon king. But then, I have always had an unusual relationship with certain energies and associated Dieties. But this did not come without love and guidance. A friend, who practices the Hindu traditions of her country, once asked me pointedly about my tendency to recognize and relate to any God or Goddess of war and conquest, yet fail to recognize the Buddha, or any God of peace! It became a very defining moment in my understanding of matters spiritual and matters occult.