Where does the Light get in?

Right now throughout India and in many communities across the globe, the Festival of Lights known as Diwali, or Deepāvali, is being celebrated. While the meaning of this 5-day festival varies in different communities, the shared theme is a celebration of light over darkness, of good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

The festival’s name comes from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning “row of lights.” Diyas, little clay oil lamps, are lit in rows along the walls or walkways of temples and houses. Homes are decorated, and floors are covered with rangoli, intricate designs made of colored rice, sand, or flower petals. 

In some communities, Diwali honors Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance, prosperity and auspiciousness. The doors and windows of houses are kept open to invite Lakshmi inside to bless the inhabitants with abundance and success.The date is determined by the lunar calendar, with the festival generally starting a day or two before the New Moon in October or November. Here in the United States, Diwali often falls close to Thanksgiving, which seems fortuitous.

To me, autumn itself invites a deepening of appreciation for the light, as the days start to shorten. We notice the decrease of this precious gift, and it feels quite natural to bask in the light even more consciously.

It also feels quite natural in autumn to celebrate the harvest and other forms of abundance, as well as the riches of family and friends to enjoy it with. By noticing the light, giving thanks for it, and sharing it, we invite more of it in. 

At this moment on earth, while the sunlight is decreasing across the Northern Hemisphere, there are many increasing threats to the metaphorical light as well. In all the communities I am part of, we are heavy with conversations of darkness. This awareness and a willingness to discuss it is critical to making an opening for light to enter. It is one of the keys to recognizing what we are up against collectively, and then brainstorming how we might take action (or stop taking action) so that we may be more active agents of light.

Light is a symbol of goodness, of wisdom, of aligned action, of Truth, of standing up for what you know to be true. It is also magnetic, as the moth can attest, and contagious. It spreads when given a little breath and encouragement. What a perfect time to call out and lift up the sources of light in your life, to seek it out, and to share it.

In honor of Diwali and next week's Thanksgiving celebrations, consider your anwers to these questions, perhaps through journaling or simply reflecting:

• What forms of light are present in your life?
• What are your most important sources of wisdom and illumination?
• What types of abundance do you possess and yet sometimes forget? 
• How might you remember and spread light to others in your life, those you know and those you may not know?

Please share your answers in the comments below! And Happy Diwali to you. May we all be relentless vehicles of light, each in our own way.